Currently on the Great Hunt, first time reading WOT. Loving it. This list and the way you describe each series has piqued my interest in so many more books now. Thank you! Keep it up
I really enjoyed the video Matt! The Wheel of Time, The Faithful and the Fallen, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Stormlight, and Realm of the Elderlings (I've only read Farseer and Liveship Traders) are also in my top ten!
Great video, altough I appreciate when timestamps are an option in every "Top...ranking" video like these, to jump from series to series more easily. Specially in a 36 minute video.
Absolutely loved this!!! In the future, I'd recommend not putting the names of each book next to the time stamps so we can skip around without getting spoiled about what's coming next. Thanks!!!
Powder Mage is definitely on my TBR. I don't have much experience with "flintlock fantasy" and am so curious about it. Also looking forward to John Gwynne's books, Cradle, Realm of the Elderlings, and The Stormlight Archive. (Side note: That Way of Kings cover is stunning!) I completely agree with ASOIAF being on this list! It's such a damn shame that it is unlikely to be completed. I have read the first three books of The Wheel of Time. Seriously need to re-read them and continue with the series. I started reading The Gardens of the Moon. I was thoroughly confused.....and yet was somehow really enjoying the ride (yes, I realize how strange that sounds). Unfortunately, life got in the way and I really need to finish it and continue the series. It's both a daunting and exciting prospect! Thanks for sharing this! It's always so much fun to see what series people love.
Thanks for your input on all of these. I would say Powder Mage has a similar tone as "The First Law", just set in a different style universe. Yes, definitely check out Gwynne/Cradle/Elderlings/Stormlight. If I were to order them, I would go Stormlight/Gwynne/Elderlings/Cradle but they are all great. For Gardens of the Moon, I find using this guide is really helpful when reading: docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GLRmiaFcxe_cGc93ckE5UItRq5rYsfeU0BhvqcaNq9E/edit
I’ve heard about Malazan before, but never really looked into it. Definitely going to give it a try now, it sounds like the perfect epic fantasy read! 👍
Just a little point to clear out : The Faithful and the Fallen is not really Viking inspired like the Bloodsworn Saga is. The main influences for The Faithful and the Fallen are pulled from Celtic and Roman mythology. Great list, Matt! A lot of series I'm working my way towards are on your list including Stormlight Archive, First Law and Realm of the Elderlings and I can't wait to get to them!
Top 10 Fantasy/Horror/Grimdark 1) Lord of the Rings (Don't argue, you'd be wrong) 2) First Law Trilogy 3) Age of Madness trilogy 4) Dresden Files 5) Gormenghast Trilogy 6) Between Two Fires 7) Riftwar Saga 8) Lies of Lock Lamorra 9) Dark Elf Trilogy 10) Song of Ice and Fire
I love this list and it gave me a ton of new books but soiaf will always be my #1. It was the first fantasy series I read after my father recommended it and I don’t regret reading it. It got me into fantasy and overall I loved every chapter. I remember reading clash of kings in a week it was so good, probably my favorite of the five. If only Martin would write more. Looking forward to reading Malazan after your words! Thanks for the great vid
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I’ve returned and I’ve blown through storm light archive. Wow idk how Sanderson just keeps topping and topping. Maybe if ice and fire had a ending it would still be 1 but stormlight just took that spot without a doubt. Each book only gets better. I was sold by the end of 1, but WOR was phenomenal and then Dalinars backstory just wow it blew through my top 10. I’m so glad I watched this video and decided to pick it up. Thank you Matt! (Best name ever… totally not biased bc I’m also named Matt)
I stopped halfway through the first First Law book "the blade itself" last spring but I really have to get back into it I have no doubt it will deliver :)
Thanks, great list! You've gotten me really inspired to try Cradle and Gwynn. My personal # 1 of the series mentioned here would be either WOT or ASOIAF, but I've also read and enjoyed Stormlight, First Law (first trilogy), Elderlings (thru Tawny Man) and Malazan thru MoI (loved Deadhouse Gates but got a little burned out after MoI ... someday I will resume the series though). Should I skip RainWilds and go straight to Fitz n' the Fool?
Thanks for the comment! Definitely do not skip rainwilds, there are huge tie-ins to the final series that you really need to know about. The 1st and 2nd books in rainwilds are rough (especially the 2nd one), but the 3rd/4th make it worth it.
I agree Malazan is one of the best fanatasy series ever of all time. Easily an 8/10 for me across the entire series. My only problem with the series is it could of used some editing in the later books. The last 4 books are a bit too bloated for their own good
Lots of awesome series there. I always think of wheel of time as my favourite, mainly because it was one of the first I read and it blew me away. I do wonder if I read it now, after all the series I’ve now read, would I like it as much? I don’t think I would like it as much
Very strong list: Powder Mage - I liked but didn’t love the original trilogy. At some point, I should check out the sequel trilogy. Wheel of Time - It doesn’t quite make my top ten, but it is a strong honorable mention. I also love the Sanderlanche Trilogy. Bloodsworn Saga - Man, hasn’t this been incredible so far? I’ve adored both books. A Song of Ice & Fire - this was, is and will forever be my favorite series of all time. Realm of the Elderlings - My #2 series of all time. Hobb is my absolute favorite writer. Cradle - I’m honestly not sure if this will be up my alley, but I do own the books and will at some point try them out. Stormlight Archive - Also my #4 - series is incredible. First Law - Also my #3! Been a massive Joe fan since Last Argument of Kings first got printed in mass market. The Faithful and the Fallen - I need to read more of this. I’ve only read Malice, which I really enjoyed. Malazan - I finally slew the dragon and read the 10 very big books (some of which were re-reads) last year. Toll the Hounds is my favorite. It’s lower on my top ten, but I do really love the series. Obviously still have a lot to read in the Malazan world.
Thanks for the kind words, and I appreciate hearing your thoughts on all of these. Yeah, I totally urge you to bite the bullet and try out Cradle and power through The Faithful and the Fallen! What's your top 10?
I would suggest a re-read of the Wheel of Time, you pick up so much extra on the re-read (and you can skip that 2/3 point 😅 - the slog). There are several characters (no spoilers) that you gain a lot of extra respect for.
Dear Matt, Thanks a lot for introducing me to your favorite series of books. I have a question, it would be great if you could answer. My fav. Series is King Killer Croncicle by Rothfuss and my second is GoT. (Horrible pain for me that both writers are so slow). I do not much enjoy classic Black/White fantasy with Orc vs Elf. I love the poetic writing of Rothfuss, the high stakes of Martin (character death = possible), the gray believable characters of both of them, the low magic setting where the characters can’t just hex themselves out of every problem. I did enjoy Abercrombie. I started Fifth season cos it was super high recommended but I am both a father of children and a conservative and all the child death and all the “empowerment writing” where each character you meet is gay is nothing I can enjoy. Which series (or just one shot book) that you think I will like could you recommend? It would be great if the books were good after like 200 pages , not after 1000. Anyway, answer or not I enjoyed your reviews a lot and thank you so much for doing what you do.
Thanks for the note - and great question with some good background. I have three things that may work: 1. "The Faithful and the Fallen" - but it does take more than 200 pages to really get going. Beware that it does "look" like good-vs-evil but it's more complicated the further you read. 2. "The Five Warrior Angels" - the writing isn't nearly as poetic as Rothfull but it is very high stakes with believable characters and a lower magic to it. And the grey characters are what it is all about. 3. "Malazan" - it's 100% grey characters, extremely poetic writing, major characters get killed off left and right, but beware that it is extremely complicated and is known for being the most complicated fantasy work. You just have to embrace that you won't super know what's happening but trust that it will all tie together eventually, which it absolutely does.
Ohh man I gave up on the First Law series while reading The Heroes. I'm also not at all into battles, so this book was just too much for me. Do you think I could skip it and go on to the next book, or should I just power through it?
I just watched this video. I have been away from fantasy for a while reading the classics but am going to read Malice at the first of the year. So Malazan...I read book one with a friend and was liking it...then the marionette?! I sorry this was strange to me both my friend and I couldn't get past it. I know this seem trifle but I hated it and I made us both stop reading after book one. Can you comment on this? Should I go back to this series. BTW..The First Law is amazing.
Yeah the marionette thing you mention is odd - but Malazan is filled with odd things like that. I can say that it doesn't make a MAJOR appearance in future books, but also that lots of weird things happen so the series may not be for you.
Fun video! I've been debating whether to dive into Powder Mage or The Faithful and the Fallen for my next series, so it's nice to see both of those on your list. My very favourite series are the First Law trilogy (I've only read the first trilogy so far) and the Strange the Dreamer duology, which couldn't be more different from each other but which are each amazing in their own way. Cheers from a new subscriber in Ontario, Canada!
@@cmmosher8035 Hello my fellow Ontarian! The romance was a larger element than I'm accustomed to in my fantasy reading, but I didn't mind it and it largely fit well with the rest of the story. I'm not somebody who reads YA because I'm in my mid-40s and that age level just doesn't speak to me, so I'm glad I didn't realize that this was a YA duology or I might have passed it over. The classification makes sense, though, given the ages of the main characters and the fact that the romance element is largely based around teens exploring physical love for the first time. One of these days I'll get around to filming a spoiler-free review of these books...
Plenty here I haven’t read (yet), but of those I have, they’ll make my top 10 too if I ever make one. 👌🏻 And it’s impossible for me to disagree with anyone who has Malazan at #1. 😉 Glad I found your channel.
@@MattonBooks Thanks so much - and I hope you love Faithful & the Fallen. It's an incredible series in my opinion. It starts off pretty slow, but picks up and by the end of the book things start steamrolling and it doesn't stop until the end of the series.
Discworld is a tough one for me. I've read nearly all the books and many of those books are TOP TIER books for me. But many of the books I have also given lower scores (like most of the Witches books, and some of the Ricewind books) so the overall score for me brings it down. If I was to break it up into sub-series, I would say that the Watch books are a top 5 series.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews What I like about them is that they dig so much deeper than your average fantasy book, which is easily overlooked because of the humor in them. They really delve into the question of what it means to be human. "Small Gods", which is really a stand-alone novel in the series, is one of the best books about religion that I have ever read, in any genre. They started out as a fantasy satire, but became so much more over the years. So much of fantasy is pure escapism, with little or no reference to the "real" world. Nothing wrong with that per se, of course, but writing meaningfully about the real world in the setting of world that floats in space on the back of four elephants who stand on a giant turtle requires real genius, I think. And Terry Pratchett is of course a much better writer than most fantasy authors. There is a memorable paragraph or sentence on just about every other page - one that makes you laugh, or think, and often both at the same time.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews it is but it was included into the top 100 in Reddit Fantasy Books/Series at 53 and it’s one of the things that inspired Kian to make Eleventh Cycle
Very solid top 10! I liked the Powdermage series being in there. The first is a very strong trilogy. Cradle is also not normally on top 10 lists, though, it's very, very good. And, of course, any list without Malazan as number 1 is just wrong.
New subscriber here 👋 Just found your Channel through your goodreads Review of City of dragons which I Just finished 💪 Great list! I'm in the middle of a few of them and really enjoying those 😊
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Like you I liked City of Dragons way more than Dragon Haven! I was so annoyed by all the angsty teen romance in the last one and was positively surprised by this one 😊 I really liked the addition of the other POVs and am very curious how this subseries will end. I'll probably read the last book either next month or maybe even later this month
Great video! I would say it’s a massive spoiler to say that Faithful and the Fallen has false prophecy though. It’s literally one of the biggest reveals in the series.
I mean without spoiling anything else who may read this, you are told very early on in the series that at least one of the main characters has the prophecy wrong. You just aren't sure who.
I'm not huge on Realm of the Elderlings. It's so so. I've read the first four series, but #5 isn't on my radar. Also not really into Faithful and the Fallen. Haven't started the second set. Have you read any of these? Demon Cycle Codex Alera A Sword of Shadows (probably the darkest on this list) And a hugely underrated work: Winds of the Forelands/Blood of the Southlands (First arc better than second)
Yeah cradle is extremely good - it's like crack in literary form. The first book isn't great though, and each book gets better than the last. Haven't read any of the books you suggested. Out of the four you mentioned, which would you recommend the most?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I like them all for various reasons. Based on what I have seen of your videos, I think you would like "A Sword of Shadow" the most. It's the most like A Song of Ice and Fire or First Law in tone. It takes place in a largely tribal northern barbarian type setting. The other's have different magic systems I liked, with Demon Cycle being the darkest in tone. Don't really consider any of these spoilers as you grasp the basics pretty early in the novels: The Demon Cycle uses wards that are meant to gain power the more magic is leached from Demons which overrun the world because offensive wards have been lost to time. Darkest of the remaining series. Some people don't like the latter book or two. The Forelands/Southlands has a system where a particular people have a category of magic that can do a specific thing, augury, shatter, etc. Then there are really special ones (the Mistborns of the bunch) that can do them all. The are hunted because they caused the last great war between the races. Much of it is a fugitive/espionage type series. Southlands introduces blood sorcerers. Codex Alera is probably what I consider the lightest of the bunch, by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files). It is a Romanesque world where every person except one, is bound to one or more elemental (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Wood, Metal). Each elemental type conferring different abilities. We follow the one person that is unable to bind a single elemental. General consensus is that the books get better as you go.
I had to stop this video to write this , but how is the Faithful and the Fallen a viking story?!?!? It has no vikings in it? It's a biblical story with celic myths
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews no worries, and thanks for the reply. Great top 10 BTW. And of the series I've read I agree with your comments. Maybe Wheel of Time a bit higher though I completely agree with the Iver describing and the "slog"
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews ASOIAF got me into reading fantasy so LOTR was about my 4th series I read therefor the nostalgia wasn’t there for me. I thought it was a beautiful world and a decent story. But it doesn’t compete with modern fantasy. It paved the way and deserves respect of course.
John Gwynne is quickly becoming an all time favorite for me too!
Awesome, I really think more people need to give him a shot.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews i would but i don’t like that it has so many female protagonists
@@Archonsx which series of his are you referring to?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews bloodsworn saga, from the book description on goodreads that’s what it seems like
Currently on the Great Hunt, first time reading WOT. Loving it. This list and the way you describe each series has piqued my interest in so many more books now. Thank you! Keep it up
Thanks so much!
You're in for a fun ride. Don't get put off by 'the slog'.
@@Hustwick Definitely won’t be. Although the rate I read them will probably slow.
I really enjoyed the video Matt! The Wheel of Time, The Faithful and the Fallen, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Stormlight, and Realm of the Elderlings (I've only read Farseer and Liveship Traders) are also in my top ten!
Thanks Landon!
Great video, altough I appreciate when timestamps are an option in every "Top...ranking" video like these, to jump from series to series more easily. Specially in a 36 minute video.
Thanks for the feedback. Your comment caused me to go learn how to do this, so I just edited the video to include those. Thanks!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews that's awesome keep it up!
Loved your top 10! Included a lot of my all time favs too!!!
Thanks Dino!
Absolutely loved this!!! In the future, I'd recommend not putting the names of each book next to the time stamps so we can skip around without getting spoiled about what's coming next. Thanks!!!
Will do! Thanks for the suggestion.
Powder Mage is definitely on my TBR. I don't have much experience with "flintlock fantasy" and am so curious about it. Also looking forward to John Gwynne's books, Cradle, Realm of the Elderlings, and The Stormlight Archive. (Side note: That Way of Kings cover is stunning!)
I completely agree with ASOIAF being on this list! It's such a damn shame that it is unlikely to be completed.
I have read the first three books of The Wheel of Time. Seriously need to re-read them and continue with the series.
I started reading The Gardens of the Moon. I was thoroughly confused.....and yet was somehow really enjoying the ride (yes, I realize how strange that sounds). Unfortunately, life got in the way and I really need to finish it and continue the series. It's both a daunting and exciting prospect!
Thanks for sharing this! It's always so much fun to see what series people love.
Thanks for your input on all of these. I would say Powder Mage has a similar tone as "The First Law", just set in a different style universe.
Yes, definitely check out Gwynne/Cradle/Elderlings/Stormlight. If I were to order them, I would go Stormlight/Gwynne/Elderlings/Cradle but they are all great.
For Gardens of the Moon, I find using this guide is really helpful when reading: docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GLRmiaFcxe_cGc93ckE5UItRq5rYsfeU0BhvqcaNq9E/edit
I’ve heard about Malazan before, but never really looked into it. Definitely going to give it a try now, it sounds like the perfect epic fantasy read! 👍
I hope you enjoy!
Our list is pretty much the same except I got Prince of Nothing tied with Malazan, great video as always.
I've never actually heard about Prince of Nothing before. I'll throw it on my TBR!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Yeah they're very similar, there's even a Steven Erikson quote recommending it on the 1st book cover of PON.
Just a little point to clear out : The Faithful and the Fallen is not really Viking inspired like the Bloodsworn Saga is. The main influences for The Faithful and the Fallen are pulled from Celtic and Roman mythology. Great list, Matt! A lot of series I'm working my way towards are on your list including Stormlight Archive, First Law and Realm of the Elderlings and I can't wait to get to them!
Thanks, I don't know why I kept imagining it as Viking but looking back you are totally right.
I hope you enjoy the three series you wrote about!
Top 10 Fantasy/Horror/Grimdark
1) Lord of the Rings (Don't argue, you'd be wrong)
2) First Law Trilogy
3) Age of Madness trilogy
4) Dresden Files
5) Gormenghast Trilogy
6) Between Two Fires
7) Riftwar Saga
8) Lies of Lock Lamorra
9) Dark Elf Trilogy
10) Song of Ice and Fire
I agree with First Law/Age of Madness, Lies of Locke Lamora and ASOIAF. Haven't read some of the others.
I love this list and it gave me a ton of new books but soiaf will always be my #1. It was the first fantasy series I read after my father recommended it and I don’t regret reading it. It got me into fantasy and overall I loved every chapter. I remember reading clash of kings in a week it was so good, probably my favorite of the five. If only Martin would write more. Looking forward to reading Malazan after your words! Thanks for the great vid
Yeah I felt the same way about ASOIAF - but maybe you'll find more you like better after you read some more! :)
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I’ve returned and I’ve blown through storm light archive. Wow idk how Sanderson just keeps topping and topping. Maybe if ice and fire had a ending it would still be 1 but stormlight just took that spot without a doubt. Each book only gets better. I was sold by the end of 1, but WOR was phenomenal and then Dalinars backstory just wow it blew through my top 10. I’m so glad I watched this video and decided to pick it up. Thank you Matt! (Best name ever… totally not biased bc I’m also named Matt)
@@gypsy4049 Agree !!! Maybe you should try wheel of time aswel. Sanderson was very inspired by Jordan. 😁
Loved seeing your passion over your favourite books, a lot of new series added to my to read list now
Awesome! I hope you love them as much as I do!
Loved your top 10! I liked that you included Robin Hobb, I’m starting The Fitz and the Fool right now and I’m very excited.
Thanks. I have one more Rain Wild book to read and then I'm on to Fitz and the Fool. I can't wait!
I stopped halfway through the first First Law book "the blade itself" last spring but I really have to get back into it I have no doubt it will deliver :)
The first book is a bit of a slow burn, but REALLY picks up as the series goes along.
Thanks, great list! You've gotten me really inspired to try Cradle and Gwynn. My personal # 1 of the series mentioned here would be either WOT or ASOIAF, but I've also read and enjoyed Stormlight, First Law (first trilogy), Elderlings (thru Tawny Man) and Malazan thru MoI (loved Deadhouse Gates but got a little burned out after MoI ... someday I will resume the series though). Should I skip RainWilds and go straight to Fitz n' the Fool?
Thanks for the comment!
Definitely do not skip rainwilds, there are huge tie-ins to the final series that you really need to know about. The 1st and 2nd books in rainwilds are rough (especially the 2nd one), but the 3rd/4th make it worth it.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Cool thanks for the info!
Great list! Love your passionate review of Malazan. I have never understood why so many don't love the final books. Such a perfect finale.
Yeah I don't think that final book could have been written any better. Glad you feel the same!
I agree Malazan is one of the best fanatasy series ever of all time. Easily an 8/10 for me across the entire series. My only problem with the series is it could of used some editing in the later books. The last 4 books are a bit too bloated for their own good
Yes they definitely are beefier books than the first 6, totally agreed.
Lots of awesome series there. I always think of wheel of time as my favourite, mainly because it was one of the first I read and it blew me away. I do wonder if I read it now, after all the series I’ve now read, would I like it as much? I don’t think I would like it as much
Are you planning on reading it again? I would be interested to hear your thoughts if you do.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews probably not. There’s too many other books out there to read.
Very strong list:
Powder Mage - I liked but didn’t love the original trilogy. At some point, I should check out the sequel trilogy.
Wheel of Time - It doesn’t quite make my top ten, but it is a strong honorable mention. I also love the Sanderlanche Trilogy.
Bloodsworn Saga - Man, hasn’t this been incredible so far? I’ve adored both books.
A Song of Ice & Fire - this was, is and will forever be my favorite series of all time.
Realm of the Elderlings - My #2 series of all time. Hobb is my absolute favorite writer.
Cradle - I’m honestly not sure if this will be up my alley, but I do own the books and will at some point try them out.
Stormlight Archive - Also my #4 - series is incredible.
First Law - Also my #3! Been a massive Joe fan since Last Argument of Kings first got printed in mass market.
The Faithful and the Fallen - I need to read more of this. I’ve only read Malice, which I really enjoyed.
Malazan - I finally slew the dragon and read the 10 very big books (some of which were re-reads) last year. Toll the Hounds is my favorite. It’s lower on my top ten, but I do really love the series. Obviously still have a lot to read in the Malazan world.
Thanks for the kind words, and I appreciate hearing your thoughts on all of these.
Yeah, I totally urge you to bite the bullet and try out Cradle and power through The Faithful and the Fallen!
What's your top 10?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I’m not usually a shameless self-promoter, but since you asked: ruclips.net/video/wMfig0nQZlw/видео.html
Cradle is crack! I'm threw the second book in first law. I'm really enjoying it.
Awesome, the third book is even better than the 2nd!
Do your recommend reading the 24 books of the Malazan saga or just Malazan Book of the Fallen (10 books) ?
Read the 10, and if you love the universe go read the rest afterwards.
I would suggest a re-read of the Wheel of Time, you pick up so much extra on the re-read (and you can skip that 2/3 point 😅 - the slog). There are several characters (no spoilers) that you gain a lot of extra respect for.
Yeah I definitely will re-read them at some point.
Nice list. Gladly my TBR didn't get any longer since I had these read or listed alredy!
Dear Matt,
Thanks a lot for introducing me to your favorite series of books. I have a question, it would be great if you could answer.
My fav. Series is King Killer Croncicle by Rothfuss and my second is GoT. (Horrible pain for me that both writers are so slow). I do not much enjoy classic Black/White fantasy with Orc vs Elf. I love the poetic writing of Rothfuss, the high stakes of Martin (character death = possible), the gray believable characters of both of them, the low magic setting where the characters can’t just hex themselves out of every problem. I did enjoy Abercrombie.
I started Fifth season cos it was super high recommended but I am both a father of children and a conservative and all the child death and all the “empowerment writing” where each character you meet is gay is nothing I can enjoy.
Which series (or just one shot book) that you think I will like could you recommend? It would be great if the books were good after like 200 pages , not after 1000.
Anyway, answer or not I enjoyed your reviews a lot and thank you so much for doing what you do.
Thanks for the note - and great question with some good background. I have three things that may work:
1. "The Faithful and the Fallen" - but it does take more than 200 pages to really get going. Beware that it does "look" like good-vs-evil but it's more complicated the further you read.
2. "The Five Warrior Angels" - the writing isn't nearly as poetic as Rothfull but it is very high stakes with believable characters and a lower magic to it. And the grey characters are what it is all about.
3. "Malazan" - it's 100% grey characters, extremely poetic writing, major characters get killed off left and right, but beware that it is extremely complicated and is known for being the most complicated fantasy work. You just have to embrace that you won't super know what's happening but trust that it will all tie together eventually, which it absolutely does.
Thanks a lot
I ordered the forgetting moon. Let’s see ;-) thx
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: The Unbeliever - Stephen Donaldson
Definitely worth checking out.
I'll add them to my TBR!
Ohh man I gave up on the First Law series while reading The Heroes. I'm also not at all into battles, so this book was just too much for me. Do you think I could skip it and go on to the next book, or should I just power through it?
Skip it and read a wiki synopsis.
Skip
Awesome list. RotE is def my fav beacuse of the amazing characters and Hobb's beautiful prose. I just couldn't get into the Wheel of Time 😒
Yeah I think RotE might even go up on my list based on how I like Fitz and the Fool!
I just watched this video. I have been away from fantasy for a while reading the classics but am going to read Malice at the first of the year. So Malazan...I read book one with a friend and was liking it...then the marionette?! I sorry this was strange to me both my friend and I couldn't get past it. I know this seem trifle but I hated it and I made us both stop reading after book one. Can you comment on this? Should I go back to this series. BTW..The First Law is amazing.
Yeah the marionette thing you mention is odd - but Malazan is filled with odd things like that.
I can say that it doesn't make a MAJOR appearance in future books, but also that lots of weird things happen so the series may not be for you.
Love your videos! ❤
Thank you!
Fun video! I've been debating whether to dive into Powder Mage or The Faithful and the Fallen for my next series, so it's nice to see both of those on your list. My very favourite series are the First Law trilogy (I've only read the first trilogy so far) and the Strange the Dreamer duology, which couldn't be more different from each other but which are each amazing in their own way. Cheers from a new subscriber in Ontario, Canada!
Hey Josh - if I were you I would start with Faithful and the Fallen, it has some similarities to the First Law and I bet you love it!
Cheers from a fellow Ontarian. How much of a YA romance is Strange the dreamer? I have heard good things about it but I am not a big romance fan.
@@cmmosher8035 Hello my fellow Ontarian! The romance was a larger element than I'm accustomed to in my fantasy reading, but I didn't mind it and it largely fit well with the rest of the story. I'm not somebody who reads YA because I'm in my mid-40s and that age level just doesn't speak to me, so I'm glad I didn't realize that this was a YA duology or I might have passed it over. The classification makes sense, though, given the ages of the main characters and the fact that the romance element is largely based around teens exploring physical love for the first time. One of these days I'll get around to filming a spoiler-free review of these books...
@@joshyaks in my forties as well. I have a similar worry its not for me either. Lol.
Plenty here I haven’t read (yet), but of those I have, they’ll make my top 10 too if I ever make one. 👌🏻 And it’s impossible for me to disagree with anyone who has Malazan at #1. 😉 Glad I found your channel.
Starting The Faithful & The Fallen this month btw. Looking forward to it! 😀
@@MattonBooks Thanks so much - and I hope you love Faithful & the Fallen. It's an incredible series in my opinion. It starts off pretty slow, but picks up and by the end of the book things start steamrolling and it doesn't stop until the end of the series.
Interesting, I was personally dissapointed in the last 3 books of Malazan and the first 3 were amongst my favorite.
Yeah I find that not a ton of people loved the final book as much as me.
Can you skip the first law standalones and go straight from first law trilogy to age of madness trilogy?
Yes but you will lose out a bit on learning the backstories to some characters.
How do you rate a series with such a specific score?
They are the average score for the series. So if I gave a series with 4 books in it scores of: 5, 5, 4, 3 - the overall score would be 4.25.
I need to read Powder Mage
Yeah give the first book a shot. If you don't like it, you won't like the rest of the series.
Hi like ur top ten books list!! Happy reading to you!! 📺🎬🎥
Thanks Safina!
Have you read Tony Mancour?
No, never heard of it. Tell me about it if you don't mind :)
Any top 10 fantasy series list that does not have Discworld on it, is lacking something, I think. 🙂
Discworld is a tough one for me. I've read nearly all the books and many of those books are TOP TIER books for me. But many of the books I have also given lower scores (like most of the Witches books, and some of the Ricewind books) so the overall score for me brings it down.
If I was to break it up into sub-series, I would say that the Watch books are a top 5 series.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews What I like about them is that they dig so much deeper than your average fantasy book, which is easily overlooked because of the humor in them. They really delve into the question of what it means to be human.
"Small Gods", which is really a stand-alone novel in the series, is one of the best books about religion that I have ever read, in any genre.
They started out as a fantasy satire, but became so much more over the years. So much of fantasy is pure escapism, with little or no reference to the "real" world. Nothing wrong with that per se, of course, but writing meaningfully about the real world in the setting of world that floats in space on the back of four elephants who stand on a giant turtle requires real genius, I think.
And Terry Pratchett is of course a much better writer than most fantasy authors. There is a memorable paragraph or sentence on just about every other page - one that makes you laugh, or think, and often both at the same time.
@@MartijnHover Yeah I completely agree with you, and Small Gods remains my favorite Discworld novel and one of y favorite novels of all time.
Have you checked Out Berserk yet? If not, it’s an amazing Grimdark Fantasy
No - it's a manga right?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews it is but it was included into the top 100 in Reddit Fantasy Books/Series at 53 and it’s one of the things that inspired Kian to make Eleventh Cycle
Malazan ++++++1
Very solid top 10! I liked the Powdermage series being in there. The first is a very strong trilogy. Cradle is also not normally on top 10 lists, though, it's very, very good. And, of course, any list without Malazan as number 1 is just wrong.
Thanks so much!
U have a very good list sir
Thank you!
New subscriber here 👋 Just found your Channel through your goodreads Review of City of dragons which I Just finished 💪
Great list! I'm in the middle of a few of them and really enjoying those 😊
Thanks for the kind feedback! How did you like City of Dragons?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Like you I liked City of Dragons way more than Dragon Haven! I was so annoyed by all the angsty teen romance in the last one and was positively surprised by this one 😊 I really liked the addition of the other POVs and am very curious how this subseries will end. I'll probably read the last book either next month or maybe even later this month
Great video! I would say it’s a massive spoiler to say that Faithful and the Fallen has false prophecy though. It’s literally one of the biggest reveals in the series.
I mean without spoiling anything else who may read this, you are told very early on in the series that at least one of the main characters has the prophecy wrong. You just aren't sure who.
Read Witcher, its very deep in philosophical dialogues. And its too dark, like disgustingly dark
Yeah it's on my TBR!
Number one is correct - by a mile.
Hell yeah. Malazan is SOOOO good.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I read your goodreads review of the Crippled God and it's spot on.
@@raswartz Thank you! I'm super passionate about how amazing that book is!
My bald friend you convince me. I will start reading tonight Malazahan.
Yeahhhhh take the plunge!
I'm not huge on Realm of the Elderlings. It's so so. I've read the first four series, but #5 isn't on my radar.
Also not really into Faithful and the Fallen. Haven't started the second set.
Have you read any of these?
Demon Cycle
Codex Alera
A Sword of Shadows (probably the darkest on this list)
And a hugely underrated work: Winds of the Forelands/Blood of the Southlands (First arc better than second)
Yeah cradle is extremely good - it's like crack in literary form. The first book isn't great though, and each book gets better than the last.
Haven't read any of the books you suggested. Out of the four you mentioned, which would you recommend the most?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I like them all for various reasons.
Based on what I have seen of your videos, I think you would like "A Sword of Shadow" the most. It's the most like A Song of Ice and Fire or First Law in tone. It takes place in a largely tribal northern barbarian type setting.
The other's have different magic systems I liked, with Demon Cycle being the darkest in tone.
Don't really consider any of these spoilers as you grasp the basics pretty early in the novels:
The Demon Cycle uses wards that are meant to gain power the more magic is leached from Demons which overrun the world because offensive wards have been lost to time. Darkest of the remaining series. Some people don't like the latter book or two.
The Forelands/Southlands has a system where a particular people have a category of magic that can do a specific thing, augury, shatter, etc. Then there are really special ones (the Mistborns of the bunch) that can do them all. The are hunted because they caused the last great war between the races. Much of it is a fugitive/espionage type series. Southlands introduces blood sorcerers.
Codex Alera is probably what I consider the lightest of the bunch, by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files). It is a Romanesque world where every person except one, is bound to one or more elemental (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Wood, Metal). Each elemental type conferring different abilities. We follow the one person that is unable to bind a single elemental. General consensus is that the books get better as you go.
🎈🎈🎈
I had to stop this video to write this , but how is the Faithful and the Fallen a viking story?!?!? It has no vikings in it? It's a biblical story with celic myths
I got mixed up with Bloodsworn
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews no worries, and thanks for the reply. Great top 10 BTW. And of the series I've read I agree with your comments.
Maybe Wheel of Time a bit higher though I completely agree with the Iver describing and the "slog"
Finally a list without The Lord of the Rings! Lol
Yeah I mean I like LotR, but I like a lot more and it's not even close to my top 10.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews ASOIAF got me into reading fantasy so LOTR was about my 4th series I read therefor the nostalgia wasn’t there for me. I thought it was a beautiful world and a decent story. But it doesn’t compete with modern fantasy. It paved the way and deserves respect of course.
The Rain Wild Chronicles was NOT lit fam.
The first two I agree - but I rather liked the 3rd/4th ones.
You lost my respect when you included Stormlight and Malazan. Super sized McEpics by McWriters for McReaders.
What exactly do you mean when you say "Super sized McEpics by McWriters for McReaders?"
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Really? In your own way, you've demonstrated my point.
@@linjicakonikon7666 I fear you are just too smart for me.