Petrik, I appreciate the way that you respectfully talked about these books that you aren't going to continue. In the world of negativity and rants about books we don't like, it's refreshing to see someone discuss books that didn't work for them, but in a classy way. Thank you for being a great role model for how these kinds of videos SHOULD be done!
Thank you so much! I think in most cases, almost all the time, really, when books didn't work for me doesn't instantly means they're objectively bad. They're just subjectively not for me, but other people could love them. As long that I remember and move forward with this in mind, I think it can be great to discuss books disagree with as well! :)
@@PetrikLeo sir i agree with him. I mean you tried to at least see the good in books you think are overrated or would jot finished (from what i have seen)
Thank you for making this list. The hardest part of the reading hobby isn't just finding things you like, but actively avoiding investing your time in things that aren't a good fit. This also applies to relationships, careers, and life in general.
You're welcome! And that's very true. I'm also making this list so people who expect a review from me for any of these series know that they won't be coming anytime soon. :D
I don't think this video is negative at all. The way you talk about these books and series is respectful, and I don't think there's anything inherently negative about DNFing books and series. It would be much more negative for your life to continue to read something that you're not enjoying.
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate your comment! 😁 I definitely agree that we shouldn't force ourself to read through books or series we didn't enjoy! 😊
I will also say that I didn’t find the video negative at all. I think not continuing with a series instead of rant reviewing it - is pretty respectful. I liked the video
It was a great video from you as always and thoroughly enjoy your point of views every time. A small suggestion, I think you should try reading Down among the sticks and bones in the wayward series and skip the first book. The second book is really good and is almost a companion novel to the first book.
Yeah I read the first book in Wayward and was so disappointed with it! Might be too soon for me to DNF the series based on that, I'll try Down Among the Sticks and Bones someday!😃
It was absolutely horny, not in a good way, too. It felt like the author was horny all the time when he wrote it. No kidding, one of the scenes in the book involved the character using his newfound magic to harden his cock 24/7 for endless penetration and ejaculation. I immediately sold the book after I'm done with the series. I wanted to read epic fantasy, not epic erotica.
@@PetrikLeo 🤣🤣🤣 omg that sounds terrible! I know it's some people's thing, but it's nice to know what kind of book it is going in and not be surprised by a magically erect member 🤣 definitely a HARD pass from me
I love how respectful and apologetic you are in this video, really helpful to hear what made you decide to DNF these series! That said, it's okay my friend, you are allowed to just be a bit negative sometimes, hahah. I have a hard time DNFing books, but I can drop series left and right. My memory is terrible, so rereading before new releases is almost mandatory for me in order to be able to continue on with a series. And if the motivation is not there to reread, then that is a good indicator for me that I should probably just drop the series, even if I might have enjoyed book 1 well enough. And sometimes I just felt meh about book 1 and have no issues immediately deciding to DNF the whole series... though FOMO does get to me sometimes, haha. I actually think that each Wayward Children book is so distinct from each other that there must be one in there for you to enjoy (book 2 is the most up your alley if I had to guess). But as you said, so many other amazing stories to read, so I get why it's not a priority! And I think it's a good call to cut your losses with The Serpent Gates duology. Book 1 was definitely the strongest and if book 2 wasn't ready for me to listen to immediately after finishing book 1, then I probably wouldn't have continued on either. Great video, Petrik! I hope you find a lot of other reads to bring you joy! 🥰🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! I used to struggle a lot with the concept of DNF. But after my TBR pile grew insanely... hard decisions need to be made. All the time. 😅 If only I can live forever! I certainly have no interest in reading Serpent Gates duology from the beginning at the moment. The choice to reread for the sake of refreshing memories or wing it in the sequel immediately is a daily struggle of mine! 😂
I gave up on Saga as well. Everyone I know seems to love it, but I read the first three volumes and it just didn’t click with me at all. No interest in reading more of it. 🤷🏼♂️
@@PetrikLeo that's because noone actually reads the whole thing, it's fun and different and quirky so it's fun, but then you realize that's all there's to it. It doesn't get better, there's no growth, just more of the same and you're super bored 😴
Regarding the "un-horny" war, the author got *ordered* to put smut in by his publisher, you know the list of subjects that you have to follow in order to be pushed by the TradPub houses.
For me, Elder Empire is the perfect buddy read. I did Sea and my friend did Shadow and it brought back the feeling of you and your friend having the other version of Pokemon and helping each other fill the Pokedex. The discussions after each book was amazing for that reason.
I don't think it's a negative video at all :) In fact watching it made me feel less guilty about some series I've been thinking of dropping. But even more important it made me decide to re-read Kim Harrison's The Hollows series that I started in 2004 and got to book 11, so I will be re-reading them all to continue, so thank you Petrik. This video made me realize how much I love certain series in order to do such a big task haha :)
Great video Petrik! You don’t need to apologize. Some series just don’t work for everyone. I do want to read some Bradley Beaulieu, but it’s not high priority lol.
Thank you so much! Yeah, I know Wayward Children is very loved! Who knows, maybe if someday I give the second book a try I might end up loving it. But no plan for that anytime soon! 😃
I despise translated names because they can be extremely detrimental to the enjoyment of a story. Let me give you two examples: "Fitz," which has not only meaning but is also aesthetically pleasing. It has some kind of flow of rhythm. It was translated as "Transpie" in Spanish, which is not only archaic but also inaccurate with the true meaning of Fitz's name. Transpie is more like when someone trips you with their foot. The 2nd example would be "Lord Ruler" from the Mistborn trilogy, an already lazy name (for a dark lord, just compare it with Sauron, Ba'alzamon, Voldemort, Asroth, to name just a few) in Spanish is even more bland, "Lord Legislador" is called, Legislador is Legislator as the government branch, an enemy with that name just doesn't sound menacing. In my opinion, names should just remain the same as in the original language. Many times, I have read the same book in 2 or 3 languages and, oh boy, the changes I have found are almost criminal in some cases.
EXACTLY THIS! I didn't know about Transpie od Lord Legislador... oh my god. 😅 Those are insane, it would've drove me crazy. I agree with you that original name should just stay the same as their original in translated works!
Translating the names should be illegal. They‘re names! Not „normal“ words. Germans like translating the names of book and movie characters and I hate it. It‘s one of the reasons why I don‘t consume German media. One really bad example is GoT. They not only translated „Jon Snow“ into „Jon Schnee“ (the German word for Snow), but also translated family names like „Greyjoy“ into „Graufreud“ (it‘s literally a combination of the German words for „grey“ and „joy“). But at the same time they don‘t use the german word for „Stark“. It’s so confusing. But the worst example is Stranger Things. They translated „Eleven“ into „Elfie“, which isn’t even a word. They took the word for the number 11 (elf) and added a „-ie“ to make it sound like a nickname. Also „Lord Legislator“ is just funny to me. I couldn‘t take the Lord Ruler serious if he were called „Lord Legislator“ 😂 It sounds like a joke-nickname of a law student.
I have A Hero is Born and the first 2 books in The Dragonslayer series. I haven't read them yet. i did just reread the first 3 books in the Dragonvein series by Brian D Anderson. To get ready for book 4 and 5. I am about 1/2 way through book 5. I have enjoyed the series I enjoyed this video. It is as important to express your dislikes as much as your likes. You were very respectful.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear you enjoyed Dragonvein series by Brian D Anderson. I enjoyed reading his Sorcerer's Song trilogy. I need to read more books by him, though!
Ah rats, sorry to see The Song of the Shattered Sands on the list, I DNF'd his first series and was hoping his second one would be better. Like Jen Williams whose second series was an improvement.
If you give it a try, I hope you'll love it, Stephen! It certainly didn't work out well for me. I need characters to feel invested in more than anything else. :D
Wayward Children is a very inconsistent series. Some of them are just average, but some of them are absolutely beautiful. In my opinion In an Absent Dream is the best book in the series.
I haven’t read the Elder empire twin series. Maybe if would be good to read them as single big book? I mean, alternino one chapter for 1 book and 1 chapter for the other.
Un horney war lol 😆😂🤣 My coffee came out of my nose laughing. 👃 Thank you for the belly laugh. Also thank you for context of why you're not continuing with the series and also being respectful. Another great video. Love from Arizona.
This man admires your ability to know when a series isn’t working for you 😝 On a more serious note, this are always very helpful! I know you’re always going to be fair to the authors when you tell us what’s not working for you. And I’m glad this gives you time to get to the series you are absolutely loving!
I love Saga, but I'm far behind on it. I was in college when I got caught up, the series was on hiatus at the time, it resumed without me knowing, and by the time I found out it had came back it was on another hiatus. So I'm due a re-read because when I originally got caught up there was a gut punch cliffhanger. I understand not being impressed by it but it just works for me. Plus I love Fiona Staples' art.
Totally understandable! I'm pretty sure I'm on the unpopular opinion side with Saga. Most people love the series, and I hope you will continue to love the series! :D
I read the second volume of _The Legend of Condor Heroes_ just some time ago, and I have liked the series so far. It is still the *only* work of Chinese fantasy that has been translated into Finnish, and it is quite recent. The character names have been left in Chinese. Btw, in the Finnish translation of _A Song of Ice & Fire,_ Jon Snow is 'Jon Nietos'. _Nietos_ is a certain kind of pile of snow that wind gathers together. _Lumi_ would have been the exact translation for 'snow', but it is also girl's name.
I quit _Saga_ when [spoiler alert] . . . . . . . . . Hazel got kidnapped. It wasn't bad, but it didn't become exciting enough that I would have continued. My favourite graphic novel is still _Bone_ by Jeff Smith. I read it long time ago, and nothing has so far been better.
Great to hear the character names are left in Chinese for the Finnish translation! 😁 Kinda awkward about the change from Jon Snow to Jon Nietos, though. 😅
Perhaps Fonda Lee could help with the translation. Seriously an English writer is sorely needed. It is tragic if people can't enjoy Jin Yong because of poor translation.
I think we need someone like Ken Liu or R.F. Kuang to do it. Fonda Lee is an amazing author, but translation require a different set of skills. I think Ken Liu and R.F. Kuang would be more suitable. But yeah, I agree with you so much that English writer with capability to translate a work is needed here.
I almost gave up on Jen Williams after I read Copper Promise, but it’s because of reviewers like you I’ve decided to give Winnowing Flame a chance. Hopefully this was just a decidedly off book for this author
Unfortunately, YT didn't show me the video in my recommendations for over a day. I haven't actually read any of the series here, nor was any on my TBR. Still, good to know which ones to approach with caution. By the way, how good is the Velocity Weapon series by Megan o' Keefe? I'm thinking of picking it up.
No worries! Better late than never. 😄 Velocity Weapon was great. I liked it. I haven't continued with the series, though. Need to reread the first book before continuing! 😅
@@PetrikLeo I’ve listened to Malazan Books 1&2 four times each. Have no clue what’s going on. My last audiobooks for years have been hard to get into. Except The SpellMonger Series. That’s a great/Weirdo series.
Ohhhhh, you might give the copper cat trilogy a try again at some point!? That's super exciting! I really hope you do! The two sequels are written as full novels rather than the shorter novellas and are amazing! Really expand the amazing worldbuilding and characters! It has a great conclusion, too :D I have the black coast quite high on my tbr! I'm a bit worried now! XD Totally understand you have to draw a line somewhere with soooo many books and series to get to! I hope you have a fabulous time with all your remaining books though (and maaaaybe return to a couple books on this list if you can :P )
Yeahh!! I'm a bit confident that Silver Tide and the third book will deliver a better book that will make me think higher of the series. I wish there is a detailed summary of Copper Promise somewhere so I can just read it and jump to the second book immediately. I hope you'll love Black Coast!! And yeah, if only I'm immortal, I don't think I'll ever DNF a series. xD Also, doing this gives me time and chances to read other books I'm interested in, like your books! :D
I read the Elder Empire series earlier this year & really enjoyed the different POV in each trilogy. I didn't see this as a negative video- not all books work for everyone. Never apologize for reading books you enjoy. Thanks the update.
Jon Salju! Wkwkwk. Still would try to read Condor Heroes. I became a sinophile and interested in Wuxia. Although i understand not finishing something. I belive there are some books i would not finish. 😂
I read Twelve Kings in Sharakhai and didn't continue either. You are spot on, the characters were just meh. I really wanted to love it and though I can't say I hated it, I just had no reason to keep reading. Also agree the covers are absolutely brilliant. Re: In the Shadow of Lightning, I keep hearing that a lot about it and I love his Powder Mage series so I'm sad about that. :D Great video and love your takes and honesty!
Thank you, bro! Yeah, I REALLY wanted to love Twelve Kings in Sharakhai. Who knows, the second book might improve the characterizations and their development, but right now I just don't see myself coming back to the series for several years to come. If you do give In the Shadow of Lightning a try, I hope you will have better luck with it than I did! 😄
Agree with a good couple of these actually. But it is a good thing to not force yourself through books you won't like when there are sooooo many more out there you will love! Happy reading❤️
Thank you, Ellyn! Yeah, the past me would've tortured myself for completion's sake, but now, with how many books are in my TBR... I can't afford to push through some series. :')
Ah okay! Too bad about the naming, though. It's hard for me because I grew up watching the non-translated version of the characters' names. It was so awkward reading the characters' names being literally translated. xD
@@PetrikLeo yeah I get that. I watched Sailor Moon here in Canada as a child and they switched all the names to English because everyone thinks North America can't deal with foreign names
@@PetrikLeo As someone who also grew up watching the TV series (there's an adaptation or 2 every decade) It's not just the name translations that are messed up, even some of the couplets and sayings are badly translated to the point of being incomprehensible, for example "But it is as they say, the swimmer is the one to drown, the carp always breaks on flat ground." Like ... what??? Not all volumes have been translated, I might pick it up again next year for Bingo if it fits. But I didn't read any after A Hero Born last year.
@@Stormy77 YESSSS. Seriously, I haven't read the original books, but when I read A Hero Born, I kept thinking "there's no way this is the real saying..." in many occassions. 😅
Oh, yes, twin format of Elder Empire series demands a lot from reader; plus I do think that your experience is determined by the book you start with: so, if you start reading Sea, you will like it more than Shadow and vice versa. Fair point about Glass Immortals: because it's my first McClellan and I don't have reference, I just thought that ott anime characters with no complexity whatsoever are his thing, so I didn't have any expectations, better you cut it now if you didn't enjoy it. The City of Sacrifice is the only thing by Fletcher I didn't try and it's because I've seen your review and decided I'd probably have same issues. Plus, I wasn't crazy about final book of Obsidan Path. :/ Eh, so many books in tbr, these decisions are good...
I totally agree, Lila, regarding Elder Empire series. The next time I give it a try, IF anyway, I will try to just read one series to the end without switching to the other one. I think it will feel less tedious doing that. :)
I do appreciate the honesty and thoughtfulness in the video. I personally didn't find anything negative. Life keeps people busy, and you must use your free time to enjoy what you want. So if a book doesn't speak to you, there's nothing wrong in putting it down and moving on! I think that's why I stopped buying books (except for Brandon Sanderson. ha ha Must buy those...) but I check out books from the library first. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts! :) Have a good weekend, too. Barbara
Thank you so much, Barbara! I'm glad the video didn't come across as a negative video. If only I can live forever... I can read everything I want, maybe. :p Sometimes when I say I'm dropping a series, it seems like it instantly means bad things. But really, I'm just posting this kind of video once a year to inform people why I won't be reading or reviewing some series, so don't wait up for me. Have a good weekend! :D
Out of all the series in this book, I've only read Saga. I loved it, but I felt that way from the beginning. Sorry it didn't hold your interest. In the past year, most of my DNFs have been standalone books or the first book of a planned series. However, Arc of a Scythe is a YA dystopian trilogy which I loved for 2 books. I couldn't force myself to finish the 3rd one because I disliked it so much. I'm just relieved that I didn't buy it before coming to that realization. Experiences like that make me cautious about investing time and money to an incomplete series. I prefer to be able to read reviews about a completed series, especially for authors that are new to me. I sympathize with your attraction to books for the cover. Sometimes I feel the same and have to dig deep to find self-control when I am book shopping.
Yeahh! I wish I love Saga more from the beginning, but oh well, it can't all be a win. I haven't read Arc of a Scythe yet, but I've heard mostly great things about it! I might give it a try someday! And yes, cover art has been hugely responsible in influencing my interest in giving a series deeper research or read, really! xD
I've never understood the love for Saga, or frankly for Brian K Vaughn's work in general. A much better fantasy graphic novel series, also published by Image Comics, is Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda.
Aw man, I hate hearing that about Brian Mcclellan's "In The Shadow Of Lightning", because I loved everything about his Powder Mage books and novellas. Of course I'll give it a read as I may have a very different experience, but honestly, it is something I had kind of been afraid of. Oh well. On the plus side, I always enjoy your videos. Thanks.
Great video, your honesty is very much appreciated, I agree with much of your choices, and sometimes wonder if it is me, when I don't care for a popular series. Every Heart a Doorway, so agree, read the first book, and never continued. I've had Michael Fletcher on my TBR for a while, still waiting to find the time. The Unspoken Name, is also on my TBR, hmmm?? I only read first book of The Moontide Quartet and enjoyed it, have all the others on my TBR, as well as, the Sunsurge Quartet, now what to do?? The Copper Cat series was her first series I believe, of course the Winnowing Flame series is excellent, it seems with each book there is growth in her writing.
Thank you so much, Frank! It always feels weird when a beloved and popular series doesn't click with us. But yeah, everything is always subjective! I hope you'll love Moontide Quartet more than I did. And that's true, Copper Cat was Jen Williams first trilogy. I felt that it is understandable that her debut pales in comparison to the Winnowing Flame trilogy, but right now I just don't have the motivation to continue reading the Copper Cat trilogy. So looking forward to Talonsister duology by her next year, though! :)
I have a few series I'm not going to continue 1. The wicked saints trilogy because of the horrible behavior of the author Emily a Duncan who deliberately bully bullied another author 2. The lightbringer series by Brent weeks I didn't enjoy the fourth book that much and I have heard that the final book isn't good 3. The lonesome dove series I read the prequel book didn't love it 4. Malazan the last few books felt like a slog to me plus my favorite character got killed off but I did enjoy deadhouse gates The bonehunters House of chains 5. The black coast series I didn't love the first book
You don;t follow the Hugo awards and try to read as many of the nominess as you can do you? Saying you weren't going to read anymore Seanan McGuire Wayward Children books would put you at odds with the awards She seems to get nominated every year.
Honestly, don't really care about Hugo awards and all that. Some of the books I read made it to the nominees, but I read them not because they"=÷ in the Hugo awards. Most of the books I really love rarely get nominated there anyway.
I think Saga is good but I never feel like the rules of the universe are ever established. There are ghosts and planet sized babies and robots and.......it sometimes feels like whatever Brian K. Vaughn wants to put in this comic he puts in to this comic. I think it's fine to mash up genres and have various mystical elements to a story. I just have no idea what the limits are in this world and at any point any deus ex machina can come in and change the plot (speaking of Deus ex Machina's, I really enjoy Ex Machina by Vaughn).
Yeah! And in general, I feel like the series is just too bizarre and random, too. As you said, there are many creatures and robots but they, from my POV, feel like random imagination Vaughn decided to put for fun.
Hi Petrik. Watching this video makes me realize that my logic of waiting for the release of all books is better than read after being released. Probably you would have finish most of these if you did like that. But I know this logic has flaws and as a youtuber you guys must be on top of new releases and sometimes you has to wait years to start something others are praising eheh. Glad you put this out there.
Yeah! The thing is, I do love reading new releases as well. But I think right now I'm just at the stage where I'm caught in way too many unfinished series, when the next book of these series are out, I tend to have forgotten many details on them. Especially when some of them take 2 or more years to be released.
Hi 👋 sometimes some popular books are not for you that’s fare enough. I’ve had 12 DNFs books so far this year and I’m trying to be careful which books I want to carry on with a book series or buy books from now on... good video and happy reading to you!! 😊👋
Woah, my dad absolutely loves In the Shadow of Lightning! I was going to start it soon, and I told him he should read the Powder Mage if he liked McClellan so much.
I loved the Songs of the Shattered Sands series, the world, history and magic developed so well over the series. The characters were the weakest part but I loved the world so much, plus desert fantasy is my absolute favourite. It’s not as good as Master Assassin though, that’s my favourite desert fantasy (as long as the third book holds up)
I agree with you on this. The characters are the weakest part of Shattered Sands, from the first book anyway. I loved the world-building, though. Unfortunately, I need to be invested in the characters to enjoy reading a book. I am waiting for the third book in Fire Sacraments to be out before I reread the first book and continue! 😁
Heeeeey random q, are u indonesian (cause u mentioned salju so i got curious lol). Been binging a bunch of ur vids lately, thanks for all the recs and reviews help my indecisive self a lot haha! If u do live in indo im curious, where do u get ur extensive library of books, cause it's not the easiest to track them here
Hey Dimi! I am indeed Indonesian, born and raised here hahaha. Thank you for the kind words, and I usually get my books from Periplus, Book Depository, or Blackwells. Other than that, they are sent to me by authors and publishers to review! :)
For Elder Empire, l read all 3 Shadow first as l was more interested in Shera's story, then went back and read all the Sea ones. I don't like to jump back and forth in time, but so this way worked better for me. You'll find a very fun extended cameo from Cradle in the later Sea books... So you might want to check them out for that! I wasn't interested in Calder's story at all, but l read them because l was interested in seeing how the author would pull off the parallel structure, and fill in the other POV.
I think if I give it a try again someday, I'll read one to the end of the trilogy first before reading the other one. It felt very tedious reading the two series in publication order. 😅
Please... please read Gunmetal Gods asap. Such a great, unique book! And you will love the cover art as well. The second book is at least as good :D 5/5 for me
I also gave up on the Wayward Children series. I read 5 books, and the first two were the good ones, in my opinion. I really wish I loved this series as much as everyone else does, but I think if you didn't even enjoy the first book that much, there won't be much for you to look forward to in the others. Probably wise to set the series aside.
Yeah, I wasn't a fan of the first book. There weren't enough great things about Every Heart a Doorway that made me want to continue with the series. At least you read 5 books in the series already, though! 😁
My dodgy memory is the reason I’ll only read the first book from a series and if I like them I’ll wait until it’s complete then reread the whole series again. Some books that are released yearly I can keep up with but with adult fantasy it can be years between them and I read to many other books to remember important details
Totally understandable! I've started to do this, too, for some series. Read the first or two books, if I love them, I'll then wait for the series to be finished, reread the first or two books, and finish the series. It's better this way than me trying hard to remember details. A year wait between sequel is alright, but more than that.... yeah I have to most likely reread. 😂
The ASOIAF spanish translations name Jon Snow as Jon Nieve lol. They are still great translations, but that has been bothering me since I first read them 8 years ago.
Haven't read of any of these series. I'm a slow reader (2-3 books a month) and I am still making my way through series that are generally considered to be essential fantasy reading. Soo many books out there!
How did they used the sekiro artwork...? Isn't it a copyright infringement? I mean, yes, I know you can buy a license, but still... It is a bit astonishing that fromsoft will just give out licenses for their artworks like that...
I THINK this is because the art used is fanart, not an official artwork by FromSoftware. But still, it's a fanart of their property, and it just feels super weird to see, imo.
Thank you for the tips. None of them are on my list, fortunately. On a positive note there are a few exciting series that will be completed next year. I avoided starting them so not to forget important details.
I can see both sides of the translation thing. But it would be good if they could use the original names and just have a glossary which explains what the name means in the other language.
Saga and Wayward Children were a no for me too. Both just fell flat for me, especially after hearing their praises left and right. As for The Elder Empire, the credit for me finishing those two goes to Travis Baldree. I liked the first Sea novel - it was fun and the narration was top notch. But then came Shera's pov. It just didn't work for me and I wasn't a huge fan of the narration either. And yes, listening to same events again was a bit tedious. But, I got through it and saved the last Sea book for the end, so I would have something to look forward to. It wasn't an amazing experience, but I didn't regret it. And I can see it not working for many.
I think the next time I give Elder Empire a try, I will just read one series to completion before trying the other series rather than going back and forth between them. I think doing this might bring better results than switching back and forth! :D
Hey Igor! I haven't read many Japanese light novels tbh. Most Japanese light novels I've read are related to video games like Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile, and also Final Fantasy X. Something like that! Have any recommendations? 😄
I understand why you stopped where you did on Elder Empire. I've read all of Will's books and short stories, and in my opinion the 2nd shadow book is by far his worst work. However, I strongly recommend at least finishing the Sea trilogy as I think it has some of his most well written characters. Also, I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say book 3 of Sea is an important book for the extended Willverse as a whole.
Oh, really?? That's interesting. And thank you for letting me know. Seriously, that second Shadow book was a massive downgrade. I did not know whether it was fatigue or really because the book didn't work for me. xD
@@PetrikLeo It was a rough read for me too. After reading all his other books it really makes me wonder what happened with this one. If you give the rest another shot I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Thanks for all your work, and for constantly adding books to my never ending tbr 😂
Totally agreed with you, Petrik. I am a picky reader if it depends on the first book I want to read. If I thought the 1st book is okay or DNF'ED it, I don't want to get the sequel. If I love book, I will might get a sequel. 😏
Thank you, Shelli! Yeah, I try to always give two books in a series a try before giving up, but sometimes... the first book was just too underwhelming for me to continue with it. :D
@@PetrikLeo Well, I did read "Awakening Arte" this year and I really enjoyed it,but I decided to give up on the series after I read the second book "The Edict of Honor". I don't known what is going on with the second book... I even dropped the manga Eden's Zero and Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun,because I don't like where those mangas are going.
It is truly awe-inspiring how many series you start! Btw, I just went quickly through all the series in your list, and I have to say, I hadn't heard of a single one. Of course, it is more about me than anything else.
I've started many series and always try to finish them, but some unfortunately didn't click with me. Well, I guess it would be weirder if I end up liking ALL of them. 😂
I have a few series where in an overabundance of optimism and enthusiasm I ordered the either the whole trilogy or at least the second book and now they just haunt me while I avoid looking directly at them. I'm still trying to make myself just admit once and for all that I don't want to read them and pass them along to someone who might. (Why do I lack impulse control when getting books but turn so overly cautious when it comes to relinquishing them?? Inconvenient!)
Believe me... I totally know what you're feeling, Devlyn. I have done that way too many times. Unhauling books feels so hard sometimes, even if they're books I know I won't read again or anytime soon. 😅
Totally get what you said about the Serpent Gates duology. The first book was entertaining but didn't knock my socks off, but my friend's a big fan so I carried on to the second book. It was definitely a massive improvement, I thought it was really good! But I was lucky enough to read them back to back, it's a lot to reread the first one again
Yeah, I think there's a small possibility I could read the second book, but every time I remember I have to read the first book again just for the sake of refreshing my memories kill my motivation for it somehow. xD
I can't believe shattered sand is on his do not read. I read the whole series. And I'd give it a solid 8.5. As some of the later books had some pacing issues. And the magic wasn't well defined.
I tried the first book and I was soooo underwhelmed by it. Maybe someday I will give the second book a try, but that won't be happening anytime soon. :/
@@PetrikLeo if you really want a underwhelming series to read. Do the throne of glass series. The first 2 books where pretty great. It drops of significantly in the last 2.
I haven't read The Condor trilogy in English but I have read them in Chinese and from my memory it was pretty good. I am not sure how they translated the names but the characters' names and its meanings are significant to the central plot. For example, in Return of the Condor Heroes, the main character is Yang Guo, and that word "Guo" literally means "sin/wrongdoings" in Chinese. In Hero Born, Yang Guo's father was a bad guy and his mother named her son "Guo' to remind him that his father did wrong things and he should not repeat his father's mistakes. I can see the difficulties to translate those books into English because a lot of the meanings and nuances would be lost in the translation. (I have heard the similar things about the Witcher too, where the English translation is a shadow of its original Polish version). Perhaps one needs to learn Chinese to properly experience those books?
Perhaps that might be the way! Or, a better translator like Ken Liu or Joel Martinsen needs to be the one doing the translation. Naming aside, there were plenty of sentences and phrases that were so awkwardly written; some doesn't even make sense no matter how much I tried to analyze them. Besides The Legends of the Condor Heroes, most Chinese names have their own literal meaning, as far as I know, and as a Chinese myself, it felt really weird to be reading the character's name being called by their literal translation. I mean, I can't even imagine people calling my Chinese name by another language literal translation. xD
The naming translation aside, I do think many sentences and phrases were really awkward as well. If you do give it a try, I hope you'll love it, though! 😃
When you mentined the bad translation of Legends of the Condor Heroes it gave me flasbacks to the portuguese translations of Assassin's Aprentice, every name is translated, and is translated literaly 😵
Damn!!! You really paring down...What an opportune time to make room for some Bakker;) ....But seriously, have you ever dnf'ed a series and then for whatever reason came back to it and ended up doing a 180 on your opinion? I only ask because I had dnf'ed Mark Lawrence's Book of Ice series because it was too YA for me, but two weeks ago saw the second book hanging around on my kindle and started reading it and 3 days later ended up finishing that and book 3 having really enjoyed the experience.
I'm making some room for Bakker next year! Hopefully anyway. And yeah, I did actually. I DNFed The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson, but I realized I was in the wrong reading mood and timing for it. I gave it a try again a few months later and I end up loving it, so much! Same goes for Red Sister by Mark Lawrence; I loved it much more on reread! I still need to continue with Book of the Ice actually. I had the same issue, the first book felt way too YA fantasy for me. :D
When it comes to translated names, I feel names with an actual meaning like your example "Jon Snow" should be translated into the other language. "Snow" as last name has meaning, he's called "Snow" because he's a bastard and "Snow" is the generic bastard last name in the snow-rich environment of the North. Just like "Sand" is the generic bastard name in the desert region in the South. As such, those names need to be translated into the other language otherwise they lose their meaning. If the character is still called "Jon Snow" (literally) in Indonesian, what's the point of the "Snow" as last name? It doesn't mean anything in Indonesian and as such it will not convey its meaning as it does in English. Robb Stark however, should just be Robb Stark. Harry Potter should stay Harry Potter. Etc. Those names are just names without any meaning and translating them doesn't make much sense.
I actually did not think that far regarding the name Jon Snow as an example, and you made a good point on that. However, I still think most of the time, translating names literally to another language will still feel weird, especially when they're Chinese names. Besides The Legends of the Condor Heroes, most Chinese names have their own literal meaning, as far as I know, and as a Chinese myself, it felt really weird to be reading the character's name being called by their literal translation. I can't imagine someone calling my Chinese name in English or another language's literal translation. And naming aside, there were still plenty of sentences and phrases that were so awkwardly written in the series; some doesn't even make sense no matter how much I tried to analyze them. That said, you do make a good point about Jon "Snow", though!
@@PetrikLeo With regards to The Legends of the Condor Heroes I actually agree. I read "A Hero Born" and "A Bond Undone", but I gave up afterwards. And while the literal translation of the Chinese names did not contribute to me quitting the series, it was quite annoying because rather than immersing me in the story it actually pushed me out, because the names sounded so weird and silly.
I share your feelings about bad translations. When the Game of Thrones TV show came out, of course the books we're re released here in Germany too, and they did that literal translation thing you mentioned. Awfull.
And that ist not even the worst. They translated Kingslanding to Königsmund which translated back to Kingsmouth. Which ist so unmecessary. Not everything needs to bei translated. Even readers who don't speak english can handle the original names of charakters an places. Plus I'm still miffed because the new german editions were so much prettier then the original ones, which had THE worst coverart. A He-Man/Viking hybrid on specled gray *ugh
@@angafirith oh my god... Kingsmouth. 🤣🤣 And I agree! This is why I think the name of the characters or sometimes even places should just stay with its original language. Also... laughing hard at your description of the original German cover art 🤣
There's plenty of series I'm not going to finish. Funny how some of them started off with an amazing first book but, even though I loved it, I just couldn't be bothered to read the following installments. Yeah. Oh...hi Petrik, how's tricks?
Petrik, I appreciate the way that you respectfully talked about these books that you aren't going to continue. In the world of negativity and rants about books we don't like, it's refreshing to see someone discuss books that didn't work for them, but in a classy way. Thank you for being a great role model for how these kinds of videos SHOULD be done!
Thank you so much! I think in most cases, almost all the time, really, when books didn't work for me doesn't instantly means they're objectively bad. They're just subjectively not for me, but other people could love them. As long that I remember and move forward with this in mind, I think it can be great to discuss books disagree with as well! :)
@@PetrikLeo sir i agree with him. I mean you tried to at least see the good in books you think are overrated or would jot finished (from what i have seen)
Thank you for making this list. The hardest part of the reading hobby isn't just finding things you like, but actively avoiding investing your time in things that aren't a good fit. This also applies to relationships, careers, and life in general.
You're welcome! And that's very true. I'm also making this list so people who expect a review from me for any of these series know that they won't be coming anytime soon. :D
Definitely. I wish I had time to read, play and watch everything I ever want :(
I don't think this video is negative at all. The way you talk about these books and series is respectful, and I don't think there's anything inherently negative about DNFing books and series. It would be much more negative for your life to continue to read something that you're not enjoying.
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate your comment! 😁 I definitely agree that we shouldn't force ourself to read through books or series we didn't enjoy! 😊
I will also say that I didn’t find the video negative at all. I think not continuing with a series instead of rant reviewing it - is pretty respectful. I liked the video
Thank you so much!! I don't think I've done a dedicated rant review yet on this channel. 😂
It was a great video from you as always and thoroughly enjoy your point of views every time. A small suggestion, I think you should try reading Down among the sticks and bones in the wayward series and skip the first book. The second book is really good and is almost a companion novel to the first book.
Yeah I read the first book in Wayward and was so disappointed with it! Might be too soon for me to DNF the series based on that, I'll try Down Among the Sticks and Bones someday!😃
The "un-horny" war! I think I died laughing. Sounds like this one will be a PASS for me too haha
It was absolutely horny, not in a good way, too. It felt like the author was horny all the time when he wrote it. No kidding, one of the scenes in the book involved the character using his newfound magic to harden his cock 24/7 for endless penetration and ejaculation. I immediately sold the book after I'm done with the series. I wanted to read epic fantasy, not epic erotica.
@@PetrikLeo 🤣🤣🤣 omg that sounds terrible! I know it's some people's thing, but it's nice to know what kind of book it is going in and not be surprised by a magically erect member 🤣 definitely a HARD pass from me
I love how respectful and apologetic you are in this video, really helpful to hear what made you decide to DNF these series! That said, it's okay my friend, you are allowed to just be a bit negative sometimes, hahah.
I have a hard time DNFing books, but I can drop series left and right. My memory is terrible, so rereading before new releases is almost mandatory for me in order to be able to continue on with a series. And if the motivation is not there to reread, then that is a good indicator for me that I should probably just drop the series, even if I might have enjoyed book 1 well enough. And sometimes I just felt meh about book 1 and have no issues immediately deciding to DNF the whole series... though FOMO does get to me sometimes, haha.
I actually think that each Wayward Children book is so distinct from each other that there must be one in there for you to enjoy (book 2 is the most up your alley if I had to guess). But as you said, so many other amazing stories to read, so I get why it's not a priority!
And I think it's a good call to cut your losses with The Serpent Gates duology. Book 1 was definitely the strongest and if book 2 wasn't ready for me to listen to immediately after finishing book 1, then I probably wouldn't have continued on either.
Great video, Petrik! I hope you find a lot of other reads to bring you joy! 🥰🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! I used to struggle a lot with the concept of DNF. But after my TBR pile grew insanely... hard decisions need to be made. All the time. 😅 If only I can live forever! I certainly have no interest in reading Serpent Gates duology from the beginning at the moment. The choice to reread for the sake of refreshing memories or wing it in the sequel immediately is a daily struggle of mine! 😂
I gave up on Saga as well. Everyone I know seems to love it, but I read the first three volumes and it just didn’t click with me at all. No interest in reading more of it. 🤷🏼♂️
Yeah, I still don't get the massive praise for the series. I think it's just not for me. xD
@@PetrikLeo that's because noone actually reads the whole thing, it's fun and different and quirky so it's fun, but then you realize that's all there's to it. It doesn't get better, there's no growth, just more of the same and you're super bored 😴
Regarding the "un-horny" war, the author got *ordered* to put smut in by his publisher, you know the list of subjects that you have to follow in order to be pushed by the TradPub houses.
That's insane. I can't believe publisher asked him to do that. It was easily the worst parts of the series!
For me, Elder Empire is the perfect buddy read. I did Sea and my friend did Shadow and it brought back the feeling of you and your friend having the other version of Pokemon and helping each other fill the Pokedex. The discussions after each book was amazing for that reason.
Whoa, that's... that actually is a brilliant move. Let's see if I can convince someone to do that with me someday for this series!!
So you can read one and then go online and discuss the one you didn´t read?
I don't think it's a negative video at all :) In fact watching it made me feel less guilty about some series I've been thinking of dropping. But even more important it made me decide to re-read Kim Harrison's The Hollows series that I started in 2004 and got to book 11, so I will be re-reading them all to continue, so thank you Petrik. This video made me realize how much I love certain series in order to do such a big task haha :)
Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm glad to hear it's not too negative to watch. I still have so many books I want to reread, too! 😃
Great video Petrik! You don’t need to apologize. Some series just don’t work for everyone. I do want to read some Bradley Beaulieu, but it’s not high priority lol.
Thank you so much, Chas! True that. I hope you'll love Beaulieu's books! :)
“Unholy War…or should I say I’m Horny War” stop 😂😂😂
I can't. I hate this book so much. xD
4:58 That also happened in the German version. There, he is called "Jon Schnee" with "Schnee" being the German word for "snow" - so annoying...^^ 😅
Arghhh I can't. I always prefer original name in its original language. 😂
@@PetrikLeo Me too, definitely. ☺
I loved the Wayward Children series! But not everything for everyone! Great video!
Thank you so much! Yeah, I know Wayward Children is very loved! Who knows, maybe if someday I give the second book a try I might end up loving it. But no plan for that anytime soon! 😃
Jon snow is literally called Jon Schnee in German.
Someone pointed this out, too!
I despise translated names because they can be extremely detrimental to the enjoyment of a story. Let me give you two examples: "Fitz," which has not only meaning but is also aesthetically pleasing. It has some kind of flow of rhythm. It was translated as "Transpie" in Spanish, which is not only archaic but also inaccurate with the true meaning of Fitz's name. Transpie is more like when someone trips you with their foot. The 2nd example would be "Lord Ruler" from the Mistborn trilogy, an already lazy name (for a dark lord, just compare it with Sauron, Ba'alzamon, Voldemort, Asroth, to name just a few) in Spanish is even more bland, "Lord Legislador" is called, Legislador is Legislator as the government branch, an enemy with that name just doesn't sound menacing. In my opinion, names should just remain the same as in the original language. Many times, I have read the same book in 2 or 3 languages and, oh boy, the changes I have found are almost criminal in some cases.
EXACTLY THIS! I didn't know about Transpie od Lord Legislador... oh my god. 😅 Those are insane, it would've drove me crazy. I agree with you that original name should just stay the same as their original in translated works!
Translating the names should be illegal. They‘re names! Not „normal“ words.
Germans like translating the names of book and movie characters and I hate it. It‘s one of the reasons why I don‘t consume German media.
One really bad example is GoT. They not only translated „Jon Snow“ into „Jon Schnee“ (the German word for Snow), but also translated family names like „Greyjoy“ into „Graufreud“ (it‘s literally a combination of the German words for „grey“ and „joy“). But at the same time they don‘t use the german word for „Stark“. It’s so confusing.
But the worst example is Stranger Things. They translated „Eleven“ into „Elfie“, which isn’t even a word. They took the word for the number 11 (elf) and added a „-ie“ to make it sound like a nickname.
Also „Lord Legislator“ is just funny to me. I couldn‘t take the Lord Ruler serious if he were called „Lord Legislator“ 😂 It sounds like a joke-nickname of a law student.
I have A Hero is Born and the first 2 books in The Dragonslayer series. I haven't read them yet. i did just reread the first 3 books in the Dragonvein series by Brian D Anderson. To get ready for book 4 and 5. I am about 1/2 way through book 5. I have enjoyed the series I enjoyed this video. It is as important to express your dislikes as much as your likes. You were very respectful.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear you enjoyed Dragonvein series by Brian D Anderson. I enjoyed reading his Sorcerer's Song trilogy. I need to read more books by him, though!
Ah rats, sorry to see The Song of the Shattered Sands on the list, I DNF'd his first series and was hoping his second one would be better. Like Jen Williams whose second series was an improvement.
If you give it a try, I hope you'll love it, Stephen! It certainly didn't work out well for me. I need characters to feel invested in more than anything else. :D
Same experience with “Saga” drop after 2 or 3rd volume. I simply couldn't get connect with those characters and story.
I read 6 volumes and decided nope. I'm not invested in any of the characters enough to continue. 😅
Wayward Children is a very inconsistent series. Some of them are just average, but some of them are absolutely beautiful. In my opinion In an Absent Dream is the best book in the series.
I've read only the first book so I can't gauge the quality of the rest of the series, but yeah I didn't like it enough to continue! :/
I haven’t read the Elder empire twin series. Maybe if would be good to read them as single big book? I mean, alternino one chapter for 1 book and 1 chapter for the other.
I tried it, it doesn't work as well as I hoped. 😅 I think the best way might be to read one series to the end first before switching to the other one!
Un horney war lol 😆😂🤣 My coffee came out of my nose laughing. 👃 Thank you for the belly laugh. Also thank you for context of why you're not continuing with the series and also being respectful. Another great video. Love from Arizona.
Hhaahah you're so welcome! Just being honest about these books and series! :D
I liked this video because it is important to know which books don't work for you, and that isn't negative at all.
Thank you so much, Karen! I think it is important to DNF books you're not enjoying! 😄
This man admires your ability to know when a series isn’t working for you 😝
On a more serious note, this are always very helpful! I know you’re always going to be fair to the authors when you tell us what’s not working for you. And I’m glad this gives you time to get to the series you are absolutely loving!
Hahaha! I see what you did there. And thank you, Sarah! More time for other series that interests me is always a good thing! :)
Hmm. I've never heard of any of those series or authors other than the Powder Mage guy. Probly no big loss, I supoose.
Powder Mage guy.... 😂😂
I love Saga, but I'm far behind on it. I was in college when I got caught up, the series was on hiatus at the time, it resumed without me knowing, and by the time I found out it had came back it was on another hiatus.
So I'm due a re-read because when I originally got caught up there was a gut punch cliffhanger. I understand not being impressed by it but it just works for me. Plus I love Fiona Staples' art.
Totally understandable! I'm pretty sure I'm on the unpopular opinion side with Saga. Most people love the series, and I hope you will continue to love the series! :D
I read the second volume of _The Legend of Condor Heroes_ just some time ago, and I have liked the series so far. It is still the *only* work of Chinese fantasy that has been translated into Finnish, and it is quite recent. The character names have been left in Chinese.
Btw, in the Finnish translation of _A Song of Ice & Fire,_ Jon Snow is 'Jon Nietos'. _Nietos_ is a certain kind of pile of snow that wind gathers together. _Lumi_ would have been the exact translation for 'snow', but it is also girl's name.
I quit _Saga_ when [spoiler alert] . . .
.
.
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. . . Hazel got kidnapped. It wasn't bad, but it didn't become exciting enough that I would have continued. My favourite graphic novel is still _Bone_ by Jeff Smith. I read it long time ago, and nothing has so far been better.
It is similar for German, Jon Snow is named Jon Schnee which is German for Snow. Likewise, some of the places are translated as well.
Great to hear the character names are left in Chinese for the Finnish translation! 😁 Kinda awkward about the change from Jon Snow to Jon Nietos, though. 😅
Great Video Petrik!
Thank you so much, friend! 😁
Thanks for the video 🙂
Thank you for watching!!
Perhaps Fonda Lee could help with the translation. Seriously an English writer is sorely needed. It is tragic if people can't enjoy Jin Yong because of poor translation.
I think we need someone like Ken Liu or R.F. Kuang to do it. Fonda Lee is an amazing author, but translation require a different set of skills. I think Ken Liu and R.F. Kuang would be more suitable. But yeah, I agree with you so much that English writer with capability to translate a work is needed here.
I almost gave up on Jen Williams after I read Copper Promise, but it’s because of reviewers like you I’ve decided to give Winnowing Flame a chance. Hopefully this was just a decidedly off book for this author
Oh my god, Winnowing Flame is a HUGE improvement over Copper Promise, Lindsay! Please give it a try! :D
Unfortunately, YT didn't show me the video in my recommendations for over a day. I haven't actually read any of the series here, nor was any on my TBR. Still, good to know which ones to approach with caution. By the way, how good is the Velocity Weapon series by Megan o' Keefe? I'm thinking of picking it up.
No worries! Better late than never. 😄 Velocity Weapon was great. I liked it. I haven't continued with the series, though. Need to reread the first book before continuing! 😅
As a former Subaru owner, I’m used to dissatisfaction. Not sure I’ve loved much in many years. I think audiobooks have ruined me.
I genuinely laughed at this. Subaru has disappointed you. Hard. 🤣
@@PetrikLeo I’ve listened to Malazan Books 1&2 four times each. Have no clue what’s going on. My last audiobooks for years have been hard to get into. Except The SpellMonger Series. That’s a great/Weirdo series.
Spicy Petrik is my favorite Petrik.
Hahahah thank you!!
I did not like how the halfway point of Saga ended.
Understandable! :)
Ohhhhh, you might give the copper cat trilogy a try again at some point!? That's super exciting! I really hope you do! The two sequels are written as full novels rather than the shorter novellas and are amazing! Really expand the amazing worldbuilding and characters! It has a great conclusion, too :D
I have the black coast quite high on my tbr! I'm a bit worried now! XD
Totally understand you have to draw a line somewhere with soooo many books and series to get to! I hope you have a fabulous time with all your remaining books though (and maaaaybe return to a couple books on this list if you can :P )
Yeahh!! I'm a bit confident that Silver Tide and the third book will deliver a better book that will make me think higher of the series. I wish there is a detailed summary of Copper Promise somewhere so I can just read it and jump to the second book immediately.
I hope you'll love Black Coast!! And yeah, if only I'm immortal, I don't think I'll ever DNF a series. xD Also, doing this gives me time and chances to read other books I'm interested in, like your books! :D
I read the Elder Empire series earlier this year & really enjoyed the different POV in each trilogy. I didn't see this as a negative video- not all books work for everyone. Never apologize for reading books you enjoy. Thanks the update.
Thank you, Stewart!! Maybe next time I approach the series some years from now, I'll try a different method. 😊
Jon Salju! Wkwkwk. Still would try to read Condor Heroes. I became a sinophile and interested in Wuxia. Although i understand not finishing something. I belive there are some books i would not finish. 😂
Please do. Who knows, you might be okay with the translation! :)
Hi, I like the Song of the Shattered Sands, book 4 is excellent 4.5/5, will read book 5 soon
That's great!! I hope you continue to love the series! :)
Our tastes in books remains quite similar.
That's great, Trin!! 😃
I read Twelve Kings in Sharakhai and didn't continue either. You are spot on, the characters were just meh. I really wanted to love it and though I can't say I hated it, I just had no reason to keep reading. Also agree the covers are absolutely brilliant.
Re: In the Shadow of Lightning, I keep hearing that a lot about it and I love his Powder Mage series so I'm sad about that. :D
Great video and love your takes and honesty!
Thank you, bro! Yeah, I REALLY wanted to love Twelve Kings in Sharakhai. Who knows, the second book might improve the characterizations and their development, but right now I just don't see myself coming back to the series for several years to come.
If you do give In the Shadow of Lightning a try, I hope you will have better luck with it than I did! 😄
Agree with a good couple of these actually. But it is a good thing to not force yourself through books you won't like when there are sooooo many more out there you will love! Happy reading❤️
Thank you, Ellyn! Yeah, the past me would've tortured myself for completion's sake, but now, with how many books are in my TBR... I can't afford to push through some series. :')
I'm pretty sure that the Legends of the Condor switched translated after book 2. I don't think they switched the names though
Ah okay! Too bad about the naming, though. It's hard for me because I grew up watching the non-translated version of the characters' names. It was so awkward reading the characters' names being literally translated. xD
@@PetrikLeo yeah I get that. I watched Sailor Moon here in Canada as a child and they switched all the names to English because everyone thinks North America can't deal with foreign names
@@PetrikLeo As someone who also grew up watching the TV series (there's an adaptation or 2 every decade) It's not just the name translations that are messed up, even some of the couplets and sayings are badly translated to the point of being incomprehensible, for example "But it is as they say, the swimmer is the one to drown, the carp always breaks on flat ground." Like ... what??? Not all volumes have been translated, I might pick it up again next year for Bingo if it fits. But I didn't read any after A Hero Born last year.
@@Stormy77 YESSSS. Seriously, I haven't read the original books, but when I read A Hero Born, I kept thinking "there's no way this is the real saying..." in many occassions. 😅
Oh, yes, twin format of Elder Empire series demands a lot from reader; plus I do think that your experience is determined by the book you start with: so, if you start reading Sea, you will like it more than Shadow and vice versa. Fair point about Glass Immortals: because it's my first McClellan and I don't have reference, I just thought that ott anime characters with no complexity whatsoever are his thing, so I didn't have any expectations, better you cut it now if you didn't enjoy it. The City of Sacrifice is the only thing by Fletcher I didn't try and it's because I've seen your review and decided I'd probably have same issues. Plus, I wasn't crazy about final book of Obsidan Path. :/ Eh, so many books in tbr, these decisions are good...
I totally agree, Lila, regarding Elder Empire series. The next time I give it a try, IF anyway, I will try to just read one series to the end without switching to the other one. I think it will feel less tedious doing that. :)
Interesting video, great job being so delicate with some of these and giving respect where it's due :)
Thank you so much, Theo! Glad it came across the way. I don't want this video to feel like I'm entirely ranting about these series. 😅
I do appreciate the honesty and thoughtfulness in the video. I personally didn't find anything negative. Life keeps people busy, and you must use your free time to enjoy what you want. So if a book doesn't speak to you, there's nothing wrong in putting it down and moving on! I think that's why I stopped buying books (except for Brandon Sanderson. ha ha Must buy those...) but I check out books from the library first. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts! :) Have a good weekend, too. Barbara
Thank you so much, Barbara! I'm glad the video didn't come across as a negative video. If only I can live forever... I can read everything I want, maybe. :p
Sometimes when I say I'm dropping a series, it seems like it instantly means bad things. But really, I'm just posting this kind of video once a year to inform people why I won't be reading or reviewing some series, so don't wait up for me. Have a good weekend! :D
Out of all the series in this book, I've only read Saga. I loved it, but I felt that way from the beginning. Sorry it didn't hold your interest.
In the past year, most of my DNFs have been standalone books or the first book of a planned series. However, Arc of a Scythe is a YA dystopian trilogy which I loved for 2 books. I couldn't force myself to finish the 3rd one because I disliked it so much. I'm just relieved that I didn't buy it before coming to that realization. Experiences like that make me cautious about investing time and money to an incomplete series. I prefer to be able to read reviews about a completed series, especially for authors that are new to me.
I sympathize with your attraction to books for the cover. Sometimes I feel the same and have to dig deep to find self-control when I am book shopping.
Yeahh! I wish I love Saga more from the beginning, but oh well, it can't all be a win. I haven't read Arc of a Scythe yet, but I've heard mostly great things about it! I might give it a try someday! And yes, cover art has been hugely responsible in influencing my interest in giving a series deeper research or read, really! xD
I've never understood the love for Saga, or frankly for Brian K Vaughn's work in general.
A much better fantasy graphic novel series, also published by Image Comics, is Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda.
I really enjoyed Monstress and agree that it's much better than Saga!
Aw man, I hate hearing that about Brian Mcclellan's "In The Shadow Of Lightning", because I loved everything about his Powder Mage books and novellas. Of course I'll give it a read as I may have a very different experience, but honestly, it is something I had kind of been afraid of. Oh well. On the plus side, I always enjoy your videos. Thanks.
Thank you! And don't worry about McClellan's books! You might end up loving it more than I did. I'm certainly on the unpopular side! :)
Great video, your honesty is very much appreciated, I agree with much of your choices, and sometimes wonder if it is me, when I don't care for a popular series.
Every Heart a Doorway, so agree, read the first book, and never continued. I've had Michael Fletcher on my TBR for a while, still waiting to find the time. The Unspoken Name, is also on my TBR, hmmm?? I only read first book of The Moontide Quartet and enjoyed it, have all the others on my TBR, as well as, the Sunsurge Quartet, now what to do?? The Copper Cat series was her first series I believe, of course the Winnowing Flame series is excellent, it seems with each book there is growth in her writing.
Thank you so much, Frank! It always feels weird when a beloved and popular series doesn't click with us. But yeah, everything is always subjective! I hope you'll love Moontide Quartet more than I did. And that's true, Copper Cat was Jen Williams first trilogy. I felt that it is understandable that her debut pales in comparison to the Winnowing Flame trilogy, but right now I just don't have the motivation to continue reading the Copper Cat trilogy. So looking forward to Talonsister duology by her next year, though! :)
I have a few series I'm not going to continue
1. The wicked saints trilogy because of the horrible behavior of the author Emily a Duncan who deliberately bully bullied another author
2. The lightbringer series by Brent weeks I didn't enjoy the fourth book that much and I have heard that the final book isn't good
3. The lonesome dove series I read the prequel book didn't love it
4. Malazan the last few books felt like a slog to me plus my favorite character got killed off but I did enjoy deadhouse gates
The bonehunters
House of chains
5. The black coast series I didn't love the first book
Totally understand regarding Lightbringer and God-King Chronicles! Too bad about Malazan, though! :)
You don;t follow the Hugo awards and try to read as many of the nominess as you can do you? Saying you weren't going to read anymore Seanan McGuire Wayward Children books would put you at odds with the awards She seems to get nominated every year.
Honestly, don't really care about Hugo awards and all that. Some of the books I read made it to the nominees, but I read them not because they"=÷ in the Hugo awards. Most of the books I really love rarely get nominated there anyway.
I think Saga is good but I never feel like the rules of the universe are ever established. There are ghosts and planet sized babies and robots and.......it sometimes feels like whatever Brian K. Vaughn wants to put in this comic he puts in to this comic. I think it's fine to mash up genres and have various mystical elements to a story. I just have no idea what the limits are in this world and at any point any deus ex machina can come in and change the plot (speaking of Deus ex Machina's, I really enjoy Ex Machina by Vaughn).
Yeah! And in general, I feel like the series is just too bizarre and random, too. As you said, there are many creatures and robots but they, from my POV, feel like random imagination Vaughn decided to put for fun.
Hi Petrik. Watching this video makes me realize that my logic of waiting for the release of all books is better than read after being released. Probably you would have finish most of these if you did like that. But I know this logic has flaws and as a youtuber you guys must be on top of new releases and sometimes you has to wait years to start something others are praising eheh. Glad you put this out there.
Yeah! The thing is, I do love reading new releases as well. But I think right now I'm just at the stage where I'm caught in way too many unfinished series, when the next book of these series are out, I tend to have forgotten many details on them. Especially when some of them take 2 or more years to be released.
In the shadow of lightning is great :(
That's great! I know I'm on the unpopular opinion with this book! :)
@@PetrikLeo it's all good my friend. We like what we like, right?
I actually haven't read any of these but some are on my tbr. Hope I enjoy them when I get around to them eventually 😅
Fingers crossed! Just because they didn't work for me doesn't mean they won't for you! :)
Hi 👋 sometimes some popular books are not for you that’s fare enough. I’ve had 12 DNFs books so far this year and I’m trying to be careful which books I want to carry on with a book series or buy books from now on... good video and happy reading to you!! 😊👋
Thank you! Yeah, not everything can be a win! :)
Woah, my dad absolutely loves In the Shadow of Lightning! I was going to start it soon, and I told him he should read the Powder Mage if he liked McClellan so much.
I think Powder Mage is superior to In the Shadow of Lightning! 😁
I loved the Songs of the Shattered Sands series, the world, history and magic developed so well over the series. The characters were the weakest part but I loved the world so much, plus desert fantasy is my absolute favourite.
It’s not as good as Master Assassin though, that’s my favourite desert fantasy (as long as the third book holds up)
I agree with you on this. The characters are the weakest part of Shattered Sands, from the first book anyway. I loved the world-building, though. Unfortunately, I need to be invested in the characters to enjoy reading a book. I am waiting for the third book in Fire Sacraments to be out before I reread the first book and continue! 😁
Heeeeey random q, are u indonesian (cause u mentioned salju so i got curious lol). Been binging a bunch of ur vids lately, thanks for all the recs and reviews help my indecisive self a lot haha! If u do live in indo im curious, where do u get ur extensive library of books, cause it's not the easiest to track them here
Hey Dimi! I am indeed Indonesian, born and raised here hahaha. Thank you for the kind words, and I usually get my books from Periplus, Book Depository, or Blackwells. Other than that, they are sent to me by authors and publishers to review! :)
For Elder Empire, l read all 3 Shadow first as l was more interested in Shera's story, then went back and read all the Sea ones. I don't like to jump back and forth in time, but so this way worked better for me. You'll find a very fun extended cameo from Cradle in the later Sea books... So you might want to check them out for that!
I wasn't interested in Calder's story at all, but l read them because l was interested in seeing how the author would pull off the parallel structure, and fill in the other POV.
I think if I give it a try again someday, I'll read one to the end of the trilogy first before reading the other one. It felt very tedious reading the two series in publication order. 😅
Please... please read Gunmetal Gods asap. Such a great, unique book! And you will love the cover art as well. The second book is at least as good :D 5/5 for me
I already own Gunmetal Gods! It's just a matter of finding the right time to read it! :)
I also gave up on the Wayward Children series. I read 5 books, and the first two were the good ones, in my opinion. I really wish I loved this series as much as everyone else does, but I think if you didn't even enjoy the first book that much, there won't be much for you to look forward to in the others. Probably wise to set the series aside.
Yeah, I wasn't a fan of the first book. There weren't enough great things about Every Heart a Doorway that made me want to continue with the series. At least you read 5 books in the series already, though! 😁
My dodgy memory is the reason I’ll only read the first book from a series and if I like them I’ll wait until it’s complete then reread the whole series again. Some books that are released yearly I can keep up with but with adult fantasy it can be years between them and I read to many other books to remember important details
Totally understandable! I've started to do this, too, for some series. Read the first or two books, if I love them, I'll then wait for the series to be finished, reread the first or two books, and finish the series. It's better this way than me trying hard to remember details. A year wait between sequel is alright, but more than that.... yeah I have to most likely reread. 😂
The ASOIAF spanish translations name Jon Snow as Jon Nieve lol. They are still great translations, but that has been bothering me since I first read them 8 years ago.
Oh god noooo. Jon Nieve sounds so weird! xD
I always love your videos, Petrik! Super helpful and videos like these help me make decisions on narrowing down my TBR. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Always glad to hear my videos being useful! 😄
Haven't read of any of these series. I'm a slow reader (2-3 books a month) and I am still making my way through series that are generally considered to be essential fantasy reading. Soo many books out there!
No worries! Take your time going through the books that interest you. :)
Just watched this to look for more books to listen to . Kinda wish their was a synopsis but then your video would probably be to long
Yeah, the video would be so long if I talked about each synopsis, too. 😂
It's sad that because there are so many incredible series, mediocre or even good series get put on the DNF list!
Yeah! It's all a matter of taste. And it's always subjective. 😅
How did they used the sekiro artwork...? Isn't it a copyright infringement? I mean, yes, I know you can buy a license, but still... It is a bit astonishing that fromsoft will just give out licenses for their artworks like that...
I THINK this is because the art used is fanart, not an official artwork by FromSoftware. But still, it's a fanart of their property, and it just feels super weird to see, imo.
A hero Born is the biggest heartbreak for me. I love the TV series - I grew up with it too and I bought all the translations because … well because
Yeah.... it's so disappointing to see the translated work like the one we have right now. 🥲
Thank you for the tips. None of them are on my list, fortunately. On a positive note there are a few exciting series that will be completed next year. I avoided starting them so not to forget important details.
You're welcome! That's understandable. I hope you'll love them! :)
I can see both sides of the translation thing. But it would be good if they could use the original names and just have a glossary which explains what the name means in the other language.
Now THAT would be very much acceptable and better, in my opinion! 😁
Thanks Petrik, I appreciate your compassionate yet forthright way of reviewing these series.
Thank you so much!! :)
Saga and Wayward Children were a no for me too. Both just fell flat for me, especially after hearing their praises left and right.
As for The Elder Empire, the credit for me finishing those two goes to Travis Baldree. I liked the first Sea novel - it was fun and the narration was top notch. But then came Shera's pov. It just didn't work for me and I wasn't a huge fan of the narration either. And yes, listening to same events again was a bit tedious. But, I got through it and saved the last Sea book for the end, so I would have something to look forward to. It wasn't an amazing experience, but I didn't regret it. And I can see it not working for many.
I think the next time I give Elder Empire a try, I will just read one series to completion before trying the other series rather than going back and forth between them. I think doing this might bring better results than switching back and forth! :D
@@PetrikLeo Good luck! 🤓
I loved the Wayward Children series! But not everything for everyone! Great video!
Thank you so much!
Hey Petrik. Do you read Japanese light novels? Or Xuanhuan chinese novels? If so, what are some of your favorites?
Hey Igor! I haven't read many Japanese light novels tbh. Most Japanese light novels I've read are related to video games like Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile, and also Final Fantasy X. Something like that! Have any recommendations? 😄
I understand why you stopped where you did on Elder Empire. I've read all of Will's books and short stories, and in my opinion the 2nd shadow book is by far his worst work. However, I strongly recommend at least finishing the Sea trilogy as I think it has some of his most well written characters. Also, I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say book 3 of Sea is an important book for the extended Willverse as a whole.
Oh, really?? That's interesting. And thank you for letting me know. Seriously, that second Shadow book was a massive downgrade. I did not know whether it was fatigue or really because the book didn't work for me. xD
@@PetrikLeo It was a rough read for me too. After reading all his other books it really makes me wonder what happened with this one. If you give the rest another shot I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Thanks for all your work, and for constantly adding books to my never ending tbr 😂
Totally agreed with you, Petrik. I am a picky reader if it depends on the first book I want to read. If I thought the 1st book is okay or DNF'ED it, I don't want to get the sequel. If I love book, I will might get a sequel. 😏
Thank you, Shelli! Yeah, I try to always give two books in a series a try before giving up, but sometimes... the first book was just too underwhelming for me to continue with it. :D
@@PetrikLeo Well, I did read "Awakening Arte" this year and I really enjoyed it,but I decided to give up on the series after I read the second book "The Edict of Honor". I don't known what is going on with the second book... I even dropped the manga Eden's Zero and Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun,because I don't like where those mangas are going.
It is truly awe-inspiring how many series you start!
Btw, I just went quickly through all the series in your list, and I have to say, I hadn't heard of a single one. Of course, it is more about me than anything else.
I've started many series and always try to finish them, but some unfortunately didn't click with me. Well, I guess it would be weirder if I end up liking ALL of them. 😂
@@PetrikLeo Oh so true!
I have a few series where in an overabundance of optimism and enthusiasm I ordered the either the whole trilogy or at least the second book and now they just haunt me while I avoid looking directly at them. I'm still trying to make myself just admit once and for all that I don't want to read them and pass them along to someone who might. (Why do I lack impulse control when getting books but turn so overly cautious when it comes to relinquishing them?? Inconvenient!)
Believe me... I totally know what you're feeling, Devlyn. I have done that way too many times. Unhauling books feels so hard sometimes, even if they're books I know I won't read again or anytime soon. 😅
Totally get what you said about the Serpent Gates duology. The first book was entertaining but didn't knock my socks off, but my friend's a big fan so I carried on to the second book. It was definitely a massive improvement, I thought it was really good! But I was lucky enough to read them back to back, it's a lot to reread the first one again
Yeah, I think there's a small possibility I could read the second book, but every time I remember I have to read the first book again just for the sake of refreshing my memories kill my motivation for it somehow. xD
@@PetrikLeo definitely recommend looking up a short recap rather that rereading the whole book in this case!
I also stopped reading SAGA just not my cup of tea
Definitely not my cup of tea, too. It was alright.
I can't believe shattered sand is on his do not read. I read the whole series. And I'd give it a solid 8.5. As some of the later books had some pacing issues. And the magic wasn't well defined.
I tried the first book and I was soooo underwhelmed by it. Maybe someday I will give the second book a try, but that won't be happening anytime soon. :/
@@PetrikLeo if you really want a underwhelming series to read. Do the throne of glass series. The first 2 books where pretty great. It drops of significantly in the last 2.
Great video.
A question - any interest in reading Jen Williams' new duology to be released next year?
Happy reading works you enjoy!
Thank you! Pretty sure I stated in the video I really look forward to reading Talonsister duology next year. 😃
@@PetrikLeo Indeed you did, I got excited and pressed post before reaching the end of the segment, sorry about that!
@@Paromita_M Hahah no worries!
I haven't read The Condor trilogy in English but I have read them in Chinese and from my memory it was pretty good. I am not sure how they translated the names but the characters' names and its meanings are significant to the central plot. For example, in Return of the Condor Heroes, the main character is Yang Guo, and that word "Guo" literally means "sin/wrongdoings" in Chinese. In Hero Born, Yang Guo's father was a bad guy and his mother named her son "Guo' to remind him that his father did wrong things and he should not repeat his father's mistakes. I can see the difficulties to translate those books into English because a lot of the meanings and nuances would be lost in the translation. (I have heard the similar things about the Witcher too, where the English translation is a shadow of its original Polish version). Perhaps one needs to learn Chinese to properly experience those books?
Perhaps that might be the way! Or, a better translator like Ken Liu or Joel Martinsen needs to be the one doing the translation. Naming aside, there were plenty of sentences and phrases that were so awkwardly written; some doesn't even make sense no matter how much I tried to analyze them. Besides The Legends of the Condor Heroes, most Chinese names have their own literal meaning, as far as I know, and as a Chinese myself, it felt really weird to be reading the character's name being called by their literal translation. I mean, I can't even imagine people calling my Chinese name by another language literal translation. xD
I think when it comes to naming, best just take don't literally translate the name. Put a footnote or an index to indicate the meaning of the name.
@@shinigami2502 i agree with this. Very much.
@@shinigami2502 Yep the addition of footnote is the best approach, like in the Three Body Problem trilogy.
If I have no previous context for A Hero Born, I won't know the translation issues. Is it bad even if I won't know these issues
The naming translation aside, I do think many sentences and phrases were really awkward as well. If you do give it a try, I hope you'll love it, though! 😃
When you mentined the bad translation of Legends of the Condor Heroes it gave me flasbacks to the portuguese translations of Assassin's Aprentice, every name is translated, and is translated literaly 😵
NUOOOOOOOOO! I can't imagine how it will go for The Fool, Patience, and Nighteyes. 😂
Go Petrik!
Thank you! 😂
Damn!!! You really paring down...What an opportune time to make room for some Bakker;) ....But seriously, have you ever dnf'ed a series and then for whatever reason came back to it and ended up doing a 180 on your opinion?
I only ask because I had dnf'ed Mark Lawrence's Book of Ice series because it was too YA for me, but two weeks ago saw the second book hanging around on my kindle and started reading it and 3 days later ended up finishing that and book 3 having really enjoyed the experience.
I'm making some room for Bakker next year! Hopefully anyway. And yeah, I did actually. I DNFed The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson, but I realized I was in the wrong reading mood and timing for it. I gave it a try again a few months later and I end up loving it, so much! Same goes for Red Sister by Mark Lawrence; I loved it much more on reread! I still need to continue with Book of the Ice actually. I had the same issue, the first book felt way too YA fantasy for me. :D
When it comes to translated names, I feel names with an actual meaning like your example "Jon Snow" should be translated into the other language. "Snow" as last name has meaning, he's called "Snow" because he's a bastard and "Snow" is the generic bastard last name in the snow-rich environment of the North. Just like "Sand" is the generic bastard name in the desert region in the South. As such, those names need to be translated into the other language otherwise they lose their meaning. If the character is still called "Jon Snow" (literally) in Indonesian, what's the point of the "Snow" as last name? It doesn't mean anything in Indonesian and as such it will not convey its meaning as it does in English. Robb Stark however, should just be Robb Stark. Harry Potter should stay Harry Potter. Etc. Those names are just names without any meaning and translating them doesn't make much sense.
I actually did not think that far regarding the name Jon Snow as an example, and you made a good point on that. However, I still think most of the time, translating names literally to another language will still feel weird, especially when they're Chinese names. Besides The Legends of the Condor Heroes, most Chinese names have their own literal meaning, as far as I know, and as a Chinese myself, it felt really weird to be reading the character's name being called by their literal translation. I can't imagine someone calling my Chinese name in English or another language's literal translation. And naming aside, there were still plenty of sentences and phrases that were so awkwardly written in the series; some doesn't even make sense no matter how much I tried to analyze them. That said, you do make a good point about Jon "Snow", though!
@@PetrikLeo With regards to The Legends of the Condor Heroes I actually agree. I read "A Hero Born" and "A Bond Undone", but I gave up afterwards. And while the literal translation of the Chinese names did not contribute to me quitting the series, it was quite annoying because rather than immersing me in the story it actually pushed me out, because the names sounded so weird and silly.
I totally understand not finishing the forever sea. I can't wait to finish the duology 🤗
Yeah, there weren't enough good things in the first book to make me want to continue, sadly... :/
I share your feelings about bad translations.
When the Game of Thrones TV show came out, of course the books we're re released here in Germany too, and they did that literal translation thing you mentioned. Awfull.
Yeahhhh, some people in the comments have mentioned Jon Schnee. Not a fan. 😂😂
And that ist not even the worst.
They translated Kingslanding to Königsmund which translated back to Kingsmouth. Which ist so unmecessary. Not everything needs to bei translated. Even readers who don't speak english can handle the original names of charakters an places.
Plus I'm still miffed because the new german editions were so much prettier then the original ones, which had THE worst coverart. A He-Man/Viking hybrid on specled gray *ugh
@@angafirith oh my god... Kingsmouth. 🤣🤣 And I agree! This is why I think the name of the characters or sometimes even places should just stay with its original language. Also... laughing hard at your description of the original German cover art 🤣
Sadly one cannot add pictures here...
There's plenty of series I'm not going to finish. Funny how some of them started off with an amazing first book but, even though I loved it, I just couldn't be bothered to read the following installments. Yeah. Oh...hi Petrik, how's tricks?
Some series are like that, that's me with Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan. I even made a video on this topic! :D