I almost dnfed six of crows and that’s my all time favourite duology now! Totally agree on the darker shade of magic, the initial chs were so slow. I’m almost through the book, and I must say the audiobook is really good. It’s so well narrated that it kept me hooked. Would recommend the audiobook. I’ve been wanting to read first law for so long. Your dog is so cute. 🥰
I want to take this oppertunity to be "That Guy" and urge you to consider giving Malazan another chance sometime in the future. If I recall correctly you were going through a lot of shit with your dad being sick as you were trying to read Deadhouse Gates which resulted you reading it over a very staggered timeline and possibly having your mind preoccupied with real life things. Obviously I cant speak for others but I know that for me going through real life shit can effect my ability to enjoy whatever Im reading. I think if you get a better time when your head is clear and focussed you can allow yourself to get lost in the books and your issues with Erikson's writing style will bother you a lot less (Also Memories of Ice is generally considered to be one of the very best in the series). Obviously its your call but if you find yourself with an empty space on your tbr consider what I said I think you should be pleasantly surprised, even if you still arent convinced to finish the huge series Memories of Ice can be a very rewarding and satisfying story on its own.
I actually DNF'd Lord of the Rings, largely because of the god awful portuguese translation xD I read it a few years later in english and it's one of my favorite books of all time!
@@taylorwilliams4179 I saw the movies when they came out, and I was just 5, cause my parents are nerds xD I still really enjoyed the books though, so if you ever feel like picking them up I wouldn't think that having watched the movie would ruin your enjoyment
I also almost DNF’d mistborn! The first time around the prologue felt like it dragged for me so I put it down. Second time, I read it all in the space of 2 days and now it’s one of my favorite series of all time!!
I DNF’d A Little Life a year ago because I thought Part 1 was so boring and the language was difficult, but I picked it up this year and OMG it became my favorite book of ALL TIME! If you read it, please push through Part 1 because the book really starts in Part 2.
It took me so long to get into The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin!! The writing style was so different from anything I'd ever read. Everytime I picked it up I was so confused. I DNF'd it but kept hearing nothing but praise so I gave it a fourth chance and here we are.
I agree with ADSOM, it started a bit slow and I wasn't immediately into it, but once it started rolling I flew through the series. The beginning doesn't read as slow on a reread since you already know and love the characters. I've started Strange the Dreamer twice now and haven't made it very far, which is driving me crazy because I love Laini Taylor's writing and know it's destined to be a favourite duology. The reading mood just hasn't lined up perfectly for me yet.
I had to put down Red Rising around 50 pages in, but went back to it a year later and now it's one of my all-time favourite series. I even got to meet Pierce Brown in 2019! Such a great guy. I also DNF'd Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan last year, not that it was bad by ANY means, it was just so hard for me to focus in reading due to the pandemic. Same goes for Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. I'm going to restart them in the near future.
I actually had one of those just recently! I put aside The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis a while ago, because while the premise was interesting, Old Western-ish settings are very hit-or-miss with me, although more hit than miss lately. I picked it up more recently and found I could appreciate the setting more and that helped me to get into the book and engage with the stuff I was already sure I would like, like the way it unpacks real world issues and a diverse group of girls being badasses.
I had the same experience with Mistborn! I didn’t like the beginning of that book at all but once I got to the part where Kelsier teaches Vin how to use Allomancy, I fell in love and now it’s one of my favorite series. I also felt that way about the Graceling series: Graceling was fine but I didn’t like Fire and I almost didn’t read the third book, but I decided to give Bitterblue a chance anyway and now that book is one of my favorite books ever. Usually when I want to DNF a book and end up finishing it anyway, I don’t like it, so I need to get better about just quitting instead of suffering through.
I definitely understand the frustration with First Law. It's one of my favorite series ever but I tend to think of The Blade Itself as the party gathering book, with a little introductory quest thrown in. What won me over with it was how well Abercrombie writes characters you want to shake some sense into but also can't help rooting for.
I began The Golden Compass several times (reading it outloud to my son) and we both were so bored we set it down and picked out something else to read. Then the third time we picked it up we couldn't put it down, and His Dark Materials trilogy is one of my favorite series of all time. Also I spent the first half of the first three books in Steifvater's Raven Cycle books wondering why I was wasting my time and then the second half of each book totally sucked in, couldn't put them down.
Me too!!! I did DNF it after the first book but everyone kept pushing me to pick it up and I did just a week ago. I’m currently 200 pages into the second book and still not crazy about it and I hate that. I want to love it so bad 😭
@@pearlh841 I like to taste different worlds and magic systems. So maybe that was the thing that grabbed my attention. But I really didn't like the main characters. I don't know why but I couldn't relate to them.😶
You ever heard of Carol Berg. She is not popular on youtube and hardly any videos on here about her books. The Rai-Kirah trilogy is probably up there with the Mistborn trilogy. Seyonne survives harsh conditions and is a loyal friend to a snobby prince that has a great arc between them. So many plot twists that get deeper and more epic with each book. Highly recommend. She writes in first person though if you do not mind that.
I completely hear you about The First Law trilogy. It took me over a month to read the 500 pages of THE BLADE ITSELF. It just went nowhere, and it took me a while to warm up to any of the characters. I walked away from it several times..... and when I finally finished it, I thought it was decent, and the characters grew on me a bit. But I still wasn't sure I should go on. Boy, am I glad I did! The 2nd and 3rd books are among my favorite fantasy books. I do NOT like grimdark at all. I tend to need uplifting and hopeful stories. But the genius of Abercrombie (and why I think THE BLADE ITSELF works, though nothing really happens in the book) is that he slowly and methodically reeled me, without me even realizing it. And by the time it hits me that I'm actually reading a depressing grimdark tale about vile characters doing viler things.... I'm too invested in those vile characters to turn away!!!!! DAMN YOU, ABERCROMBIE!!!!!!!!!
I started the darker shades of magic and haven`t picked it up again in more than a year. So I am happy to hear, that it will be better after the first 100 pages. You motivated me to give it another chance!
I felt exactly the same about Mistborn.. I read The Final Empire and was so underwhelmed by the first half that I almost DNF’d. Loved the ending though and rushed through Books 2+3 Started rereading Era 1 a few days ago and now love love love everything about book 1 - so happy I pushed through the first time! 😍
THANK YOU for making this because I swear I DNFed like half of these, and I can tell we have similar taste in books :) You've convinced me to jump back on these!
I almost DNF'd Shades of Magic too. I loved Schwab's Near Witch and her Archived duology and was excited for the Shades of Magic. I never ended up continuing that series and I honestly don't remember much of the book. I want to go back and re-read it to see if I enjoy it more.
I also almost dnf'd Strange the Dreamer! I think I was mentally ready for typical YA pacing, so the slow start almost got me. But everyone said it was amazing so I pushed through, and now it's one of my favorite books! 💙 I also almost dnf'd the ACOTAR trilogy. I read the first one and didn't like Tamlin, so I didn't read the next ones right away because if that was the relationship of the series I was not here for it. But I saw the second and third books at the library one day and picked them up on a whim and I am SO glad I did! They also ended up being some of my favorite books!
I have put down mistborn. Maybe a year ago I started it. Only made it through a couple chapters. Need to pick it back up as I am sure it was just bad timing. But now everything else seems to be getting priority over it. Much love Amy
I dnf'd lies of locke lamora. So glad I picked it back up because I loved it by the end. I got the second book for Christmas and I can't wait to get to it! Also I dnf'd Blade Itself. I plan on picking it back up because I enjoyed it, I was just in the mood for something else.
I had the same experience with Mistborn! I DNF'ed after the first few chapters, and while I honestly can't say exactly why I did so, it may have been the unfamiliar magic system. But I sure am glad I picked it back up, and now Allomancy is one of my favorite magic systems.
It doesn't happen often, but there are times when i don't make it past the first paragraph of a book before DNFing it. When that happen though it is usually because that as long as it takes to identify not great writing or a book that just is not my cup of tea, writing style wise. i've also been known to skip a chapter or two to see if the writing actually gets better before DNFing. Usually that is when the world building is just so long and boring and i want to know what the books like when you get past that (If the author ever gets past it that is).
Black Leopard Red Wolf. I had to put that book down within the first 100 pages and I thought I wouldn't come back to it, but I am so glad I did. Its such an awesome book.
I finished The Lord of the Rings as a child but had to force my way through it and didn’t enjoy it or remember it very long after, I tried to re-read it twice and didn’t finish, until finally last summer I tried again and this time I absolutely loved it and now it’s one of my favorite books. I almost didn’t finish The Blade Itself but I did and I’m glad because the last 100 or so pages got me invested in wanting to read more of the series.
A very nearly put down The Blade Itself but I also hit a point where it turned for me and I’m so glad I didn’t give it up because the second book is amazing and I’m so close to finishing it! I love it!!
Right now I'm listening to the audiobook of "The Blade itself" and have the same feelings as you did. So much that I wanted to DNF it. But now I want to give it another chance.
I DNFed Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series. Not once but twice. I really struggled with her writing style. When the last book in the trilogy came out last year, I decided to give it one more try. I was hooked. I read the whole trilogy. It's now my favourite series.
I am about 120 pages into it and was pretty sure I was going to dnf it, until I read this comment. Mind if I ask what changed your mind about it? I loved Mistborn, so I am very surprised with how much I don't like this book so far.
The only reason for me was the fact that I was so long...I also wasnt super attached to some of the characters in book 1, though that would change later on :) I REALLY recommend that you try it!! It’s a great series 😁 What don’t you like about it? That might make it easier for me to try and convince you to keep reading.
@@storeybook2727 Thanks for the reply. I really don't like the way Shallan is written or her storyline so far. I think the ward stuff has been very cliche and when brandon spent a page preparing us for Shallan's "witty" remark I was very turned off. Lots of little things like that I have hated... Her letter and how it was meant to show her logic skills, the description of her artwork, etc. The first chapter with Kaladin and the young soldier was awesome. Everything since... its ok. Like every other character, his wit has made me roll my eyes. The wind spren is cool, but so far the other spren just arent doing it for me and neither is the magic system. I don't get it yet. I guess like you were, Im just not attached to the characters yet. Character and dialogue are usually what I care most about and so far it's not doing it for me. I didn't love the character work in Mistborn, but I liked it much more than with twok. So far. Sorry for being so negative. I'm a fan of Sanderson and I'm happy that my opinion on this isn't common. He deserves his success.
There is a book that I haven’t ever really heard talked about it’s called The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker and I almost DNF’d it. It is a portal fantasy about a woman who ends up in this alternate world. It has a lot of high fantasy elements but the first 100 pages or so I did not like it. I almost quit because I was hating the main character I thought she was so dumb but I stuck with it and her arc was one of my favorite parts of the book. The second book just came out on audiobook so now I am re reading.
Same with the Final Empire. I only continued because everybody said that the ending is mind-blowing. I also almost DNFed City of Girls, The Ninth House and those were solid reads for me in the end. There are definitely more books that I should have DNFed but did not, like Addie LaRue or Starless Sea so one just never knows, does one.
I almost DNF'd Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, and Wilder Girls, but I pushed through and now I love them - especially Ninth House.
Yes to THE BOOKS OF BABEL! It's definitely not typical Fantasy but it's sooo good! I'm a sucker for the kind of beautiful, philosophic prose that Bancroft employs. The final book is my most anticipated in 2021.
I almost DNF'd the first book of "The Liveship Traders" by Robin Hobb and now it's one of my favourite series. When I started it I was in a reading hangover from another series I'd just finished. So I learned that any time I have a reading hangover in future I must wait a while before starting something new.
Almost dnf'ed The Way of Kings. The beginning was so confusing the first time around, jumping from one thing to another. Now ofc Stormlight is my favourite thing ever.
I DNFed Six of Crows. Not once but twice. And then I finally picked it up. It ended up being my favorite series which brought me back to reading. That's why I am so scared of dnfing. I always try to comebck to ones I have. I would hate to have SOC situation again. To miss out on something so good would be a devastating.
I wanted to DNF Assassins Apprentice but the friend who recommended it to me pushed me to carry on and now I've read the whole series and absolutely loved it. I just thought the start was so boring and couldn't connect to Fitz at all in the beginning but I'm glad I continued. I also never really DNF books for the same reason as you though
I had a bunch of false starts on the fist discworld book, as it is far from the best one and the translation wasn't great (I wasn't reading in english at the time). Came back to it after being blown away by Good Omens and now discworld is my favorite series.
the classroom as a way of worldbuilding/exposition is a weird one bc i actually really liked the classroom scenes in book of the ancestor yet i also found them really tedious in sword of kaigen
I got about 200 pages into the first Mistborn book and DNF'd it. I didn't love the characters or the magic system. I plan to pick it back up, but put other books ahead of it.
I wasn't close to DNFing Mistborn when I read it but the beginning was rough for me as well. And the series I love now but really had to push through was A Song of Ice and Fire.
I have the same problem with DNF's, I've almost put books down that became absolute favourites so I just suffer through books just in case 😹 I almost dnf'd The Knife of Never Letting Go (my favourite book) and had trouble getting into The Final Empire and Strange the Dreamer as well which both ended up being series that I love, I also almost didn't carry on with The Ember in the Ashes series after feeling meh about the first book, but now it's one of my favourites. This is why dnf'ing is so hard for me 😭
I had a very similar expirience as you had with Mistborn, though for me it was FMA:B - my first time through the first 5 episodes I really wasn't feeling it. Then some time later I rewatched them, loved them, and burned through the rest
I dropped the final empire years ago because I stupidly picked it up when I was not in the mood to read a book like that. I’m gonna pick it up again soon now that I’m more into fantasy.
I almost dnf'ed the diviners. Had to restart it like 8 times before I could finally get into it, and did the same thing with the second book. I love them, but it feels like it takes forever to get into the story
The shocking Mistborn DNF lol I DNFed Malice for a while but then ended up finishing it (finally) and I am glad that I did, so I totally understand where you are coming from. Hopefully I end up loving the rest of the FAithful & the Fallen more than the first book.
Book 2 is way better than book 1. Book 3 will break your heart and book 4 is great! I just finished the series last week! I bought the Of Blood and Bone Trilogy based in The Banished Lands after I completed it.
I DNFed Mistborn the first time I read it too. Went back to it because everyone was loving it and I wanted to see if I had missed something. Tho on my second read I still had to push thru the first part... Did really enjoy it after that tho.
These are the very books that I have come to identify you with. Didn't know there was a steep start but I was glad to know you have overcome them and included them into your list of favorites. 🥰😅🤓
Ohh, I'll read and talk about Darker Shade of Magic and Senlin Ascends too! Also, almost DNFing Mistborn and SoK. I thought we were friends 😢 I love history lessons so much.
I’m currently considering DNFing Recruitment, by K. A. Riley. The reason I started reading it was for my school’s book club, but it’s not mandatory and I find myself becoming bored while reading this book. Idk if it is the speed, or the fact that I’m not interested in the storyline or the character, but something about this book is making me not want to read it. If anyone has read this series and can give me advice, I will gladly take it.
This is making me wanting to try The Fifth Season again. I DNFd it in Dec but I think it was more of the writing style but I wanted to love it and the story sounds so good. But now I'm like maybe I should keep trying...
I almost dnfed The Thief (The Queen’s Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner and The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black both of which are some of my favorites. But I dnf all the time. 😆♥️💕
I DNF'd Mistborn somewhere between finishing the 1st book and a couple of chapters into the 2nd, I can't remember. I did finish it a few months later and the ending of book 3 more than made up for the exasperation I'd felt finishing the 1st one
I just bought A Darker Shade of Magic the other day. Had it on my wishlist and then took it off and then put it back on. Because I heard so many different opinions and I am not into YA. Usually. There are exceptions, of course. Anyway. I bought it, mainly due to it playing in a "divided" London. It is one of my favourite cities, of the ones I have been to ^^ Strange the Dreamer - I really enjoyed the beginning and liked Laszlo. But then "the adventure starts" and it suddenly got boring for me. So I dnf'd it... Oh yeah .- currently reading The Well of Ascension and I enjoyed The Final Empire right away :D
I wanted to DNF The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin because the chapters that were written in second person POV, but I pushed through and I’m so glad that I did. The way everything comes together at the end of that book was amazing. I haven’t finished the trilogy yet, though.
@@RedFuryBooks I am very picky about POV. I can barely tolerate first person, so second person should really have been a dealbreaker. Do you remember how far you got? It was what happened towards the end of chapter six that made me go, “Okay, I wanna see where she’s going with this.”
@@veryparagon I didn't get that far. Maybe 3 chapters? It was definitely the second person that I didn't like. Any time I encounter that, I feel like the author is showing off and it takes me completely out of the story.
I DnF the stormlight archive, way of kings, the first few chapters were confusing and syl was wierd but my friend later explained Shard blades so I gave it another go and now it is my favourite series.
I also dnfed the final empire after chapter 1 because I didn’t care for it, but when I picked it up again the prologue intrigued me immediately!! I’m excited to pick up the well of ascension soon :)
I almost DNF'ed the Young Elites trilogy after the first book, but I'm so glad I didn't! The Rose Society and The Midnight Star are both huge improvements over the first book--I'd highly recommend!
I almost DNF’d the shades of magic series. I thought the first book was good, but didn’t really care. My library ended up having the next audiobooks, so decided to check them out, and it’s now one of my favourite series!
I think the only one I can think of is Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. Once you get over some of the sci-fi absurdism it is just awesome, I think after the Deliverator section and maybe a bit more.
I pretty much never dnf books for the same reason you said and also becausr I'm too curious to know how it ends. Sometimes I can dnf a series if I really didn't like the first book, but has to be a very special ocasion for me to dnf a book halfway through it, and never the first in a series.
I actually DNF'd Lord of the Rings. I made it through the first two, and started the third, but I felt like it was just dragging (also I wanted to go back to Sam amd Frodo.) But then later I came back and reread them all and I just blew through all three and I love them dearly. I'm currently struggling with Way of Kings. But I trust Sanderson, so I'm gonna stuck it out (and also I currently love Kaladin). ALSO, I DNF'd Warbreaker. Which I love so very much. I love Siri and Susebron, more than words can describe. And I love Vivenna and Vasher and LightSong. But, at the same time I DNF'd Eragon like three times and Eldest at least twice and I don't like them that much (except Saphira. She's cool).
I dnf'ed Siege and Storm back in 2013 and picked it back up like 6 years later. Now it's one of my favorite trilogies. Same with Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy 😅
I nearly DNF’d Senlin Ascends. I was getting bored and irritated at the boredom, and then he was asked to do that thing in the baths.. and I was like huh...? Then that guy said that thing after he did that thing, and I was like HUH?!? What’s going on?!? And I’ve been absolutely glued ever since. XD A lot of the opening pages felt kinda weird and there’s a lot of weird amounts of details about things along the way, and it all seems bizarre and disjointed until things start get going.
Yes! This is why I’m so hesitant about DNF’ing! WHAT IF?!? I like to say I’ve shelved books when I put them down and haven’t gotten back to them 😂 there’s always a plan to get back to them...even if it’s a few years later 😅 I almost dnf’d The Poppy War 🙊 but now it’s one of my fav trilogies!
I DNF'd The Blade Itself! It wasn't really a conscious decision, at one point I just didn't continue reading it for no particular reason. Since then I've picked it back up and am now about to start the third book in the series. 😊
I've never been able to get into V. E. Schwab. She can't hold my attention. I had been told that the series gets better but I'm highly unlikely to ever pick up another book of hers. 😂😂 So funny to see First Law here. I love Lazlo Strange!!!!!! Also, I accidentally DNFd the final book of Mistborn. 😬😬 I put it down and never picked it back up but it's one of my favorite trilogies, too.
I got halfway through the first book for mistborn and ended up dnf-ing it. I felt so weird because everyone was loving it and I didn't. Then I heard Brandon himself say that the first book was like a mix between a heist story/my fair lady and master/apprentice and then it suddenly made since why i didn't like it. I'm not a fan of any of those things and heist stories are so boring to me. Although I do love the stormlight archive and warbreaker from him. I can't wait for the next book in the stormlight archive.
I also don't like to DNF but for me it's definitely a completionist issue. 😅 I recently DNF'd WoT after book 4 and it's really stressing me out that I won't complete the series... But reading another 10 books when I'm not really enjoying it is stretching it too far, even for me. I actually don't have a lot of favorite books that I wanted to DNF. Usually when I have that feeling it's not going to improve haha. Only one I can think of is the Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb. I really didn't like the first book, and right now the trilogy is my favorite series of all time. So yeah, first books in a series can definitely start off on the wrong foot for me.
Its hard for me to think of things for this list. Mainly cause I have rarely dnf’d books. I mostly just keep thinking of books I kept thinking I wouldn’t like cause of the cover but became all time favorites 😆
I finished The blade itself a few months ago and DNF’d the second book after a few chapters. I plan to try again because of all the great things people have to say about the series but I found the writing very dry.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro was like that for me. It was for a book club but I wanted to DNF after 50 pages. Made myself read the entire thing and it is an life changing book once you read the entire thing. Def Never Let Me Go for me.
Most of my favorite books and even music I struggled trough at some point. I don’t usually DNF books (I dnfd maybe 4-5 so far, so maybe 1 percent?!) but what happens is I will enter trench war and push trough even if that means month of reading one book. I am actually surprised if I fly trough a book lol
@@lostintheuniverse5232 I definitely loved the characters. I'm so bad about finishing series if I don't own all the books. I'm also a mood reader, so I move on quickly.
I'm 3 books in on the lightbringer novels, and I'm just so back and forth with them. I'm coming to the point where I'll have to decide on if the last two are worth plowing through to me. Anyone have any in put on if the last two will "pull it together"
Lightbringer is one of my favorite series but I will say the last book is the weakest in my opinion and it’s also very divisive among fans. I still really enjoyed them though and I think the series is worth finishing for the story and the characters and the reveals. Maybe try listening to them instead if you don’t want to commit to reading that many pages?
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I almost dnfed six of crows and that’s my all time favourite duology now!
Totally agree on the darker shade of magic, the initial chs were so slow. I’m almost through the book, and I must say the audiobook is really good. It’s so well narrated that it kept me hooked. Would recommend the audiobook.
I’ve been wanting to read first law for so long.
Your dog is so cute. 🥰
I want to take this oppertunity to be "That Guy" and urge you to consider giving Malazan another chance sometime in the future. If I recall correctly you were going through a lot of shit with your dad being sick as you were trying to read Deadhouse Gates which resulted you reading it over a very staggered timeline and possibly having your mind preoccupied with real life things. Obviously I cant speak for others but I know that for me going through real life shit can effect my ability to enjoy whatever Im reading.
I think if you get a better time when your head is clear and focussed you can allow yourself to get lost in the books and your issues with Erikson's writing style will bother you a lot less (Also Memories of Ice is generally considered to be one of the very best in the series).
Obviously its your call but if you find yourself with an empty space on your tbr consider what I said I think you should be pleasantly surprised, even if you still arent convinced to finish the huge series Memories of Ice can be a very rewarding and satisfying story on its own.
I actually DNF'd Lord of the Rings, largely because of the god awful portuguese translation xD I read it a few years later in english and it's one of my favorite books of all time!
Id like to rea the series but Ive seen the movies already. Also, the series just seems intimidating as a whole
@@taylorwilliams4179 I saw the movies when they came out, and I was just 5, cause my parents are nerds xD I still really enjoyed the books though, so if you ever feel like picking them up I wouldn't think that having watched the movie would ruin your enjoyment
@@violetadaguiar9776 Thank you, I'll definitely keep that in mind :)
It was a hard read but interesting 🤔
I also almost DNF’d mistborn! The first time around the prologue felt like it dragged for me so I put it down. Second time, I read it all in the space of 2 days and now it’s one of my favorite series of all time!!
It’s one of my favorite series too but I somehow loved it right off the bat! I just joined the bookTube community and started posting videos myself!
I DNF’d A Little Life a year ago because I thought Part 1 was so boring and the language was difficult, but I picked it up this year and OMG it became my favorite book of ALL TIME! If you read it, please push through Part 1 because the book really starts in Part 2.
It took me so long to get into The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin!! The writing style was so different from anything I'd ever read. Everytime I picked it up I was so confused. I DNF'd it but kept hearing nothing but praise so I gave it a fourth chance and here we are.
I almost DNF’ed “You” which was totally out of comfort zone. When I picked it up months later I loved it.
I agree with ADSOM, it started a bit slow and I wasn't immediately into it, but once it started rolling I flew through the series. The beginning doesn't read as slow on a reread since you already know and love the characters.
I've started Strange the Dreamer twice now and haven't made it very far, which is driving me crazy because I love Laini Taylor's writing and know it's destined to be a favourite duology. The reading mood just hasn't lined up perfectly for me yet.
I had to put down Red Rising around 50 pages in, but went back to it a year later and now it's one of my all-time favourite series. I even got to meet Pierce Brown in 2019! Such a great guy. I also DNF'd Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan last year, not that it was bad by ANY means, it was just so hard for me to focus in reading due to the pandemic. Same goes for Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. I'm going to restart them in the near future.
I actually had one of those just recently! I put aside The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis a while ago, because while the premise was interesting, Old Western-ish settings are very hit-or-miss with me, although more hit than miss lately. I picked it up more recently and found I could appreciate the setting more and that helped me to get into the book and engage with the stuff I was already sure I would like, like the way it unpacks real world issues and a diverse group of girls being badasses.
I had the same experience with Mistborn! I didn’t like the beginning of that book at all but once I got to the part where Kelsier teaches Vin how to use Allomancy, I fell in love and now it’s one of my favorite series. I also felt that way about the Graceling series: Graceling was fine but I didn’t like Fire and I almost didn’t read the third book, but I decided to give Bitterblue a chance anyway and now that book is one of my favorite books ever. Usually when I want to DNF a book and end up finishing it anyway, I don’t like it, so I need to get better about just quitting instead of suffering through.
I definitely understand the frustration with First Law. It's one of my favorite series ever but I tend to think of The Blade Itself as the party gathering book, with a little introductory quest thrown in. What won me over with it was how well Abercrombie writes characters you want to shake some sense into but also can't help rooting for.
I began The Golden Compass several times (reading it outloud to my son) and we both were so bored we set it down and picked out something else to read. Then the third time we picked it up we couldn't put it down, and His Dark Materials trilogy is one of my favorite series of all time. Also I spent the first half of the first three books in Steifvater's Raven Cycle books wondering why I was wasting my time and then the second half of each book totally sucked in, couldn't put them down.
Ooo I can totally see why you’d possibly DNF a darker shade of magic. It takes awhile to get into for sure
It's so weird that I also almost DNF'd the mistborn trilogy😑 and I also ended up loving it😍
I haven’t dnfd it but really put it down after that time jump in the beginning. After that I got so addicted I can’t eve
@@Morfeusm Yeah. Sanderson is amazing! I've just started words of radiance and I can't put it down!
@@JavadVF I am just reading Way of Kings for the first time! He is so addictive! 🥰
Me too!!! I did DNF it after the first book but everyone kept pushing me to pick it up and I did just a week ago. I’m currently 200 pages into the second book and still not crazy about it and I hate that. I want to love it so bad 😭
@@pearlh841 I like to taste different worlds and magic systems. So maybe that was the thing that grabbed my attention. But I really didn't like the main characters. I don't know why but I couldn't relate to them.😶
You ever heard of Carol Berg. She is not popular on youtube and hardly any videos on here about her books. The Rai-Kirah trilogy is probably up there with the Mistborn trilogy. Seyonne survives harsh conditions and is a loyal friend to a snobby prince that has a great arc between them. So many plot twists that get deeper and more epic with each book. Highly recommend. She writes in first person though if you do not mind that.
I completely hear you about The First Law trilogy. It took me over a month to read the 500 pages of THE BLADE ITSELF. It just went nowhere, and it took me a while to warm up to any of the characters. I walked away from it several times..... and when I finally finished it, I thought it was decent, and the characters grew on me a bit. But I still wasn't sure I should go on. Boy, am I glad I did! The 2nd and 3rd books are among my favorite fantasy books. I do NOT like grimdark at all. I tend to need uplifting and hopeful stories. But the genius of Abercrombie (and why I think THE BLADE ITSELF works, though nothing really happens in the book) is that he slowly and methodically reeled me, without me even realizing it. And by the time it hits me that I'm actually reading a depressing grimdark tale about vile characters doing viler things.... I'm too invested in those vile characters to turn away!!!!! DAMN YOU, ABERCROMBIE!!!!!!!!!
I started the darker shades of magic and haven`t picked it up again in more than a year. So I am happy to hear, that it will be better after the first 100 pages. You motivated me to give it another chance!
I felt exactly the same about Mistborn.. I read The Final Empire and was so underwhelmed by the first half that I almost DNF’d. Loved the ending though and rushed through Books 2+3
Started rereading Era 1 a few days ago and now love love love everything about book 1 - so happy I pushed through the first time! 😍
THANK YOU for making this because I swear I DNFed like half of these, and I can tell we have similar taste in books :) You've convinced me to jump back on these!
I almost DNF'd Shades of Magic too. I loved Schwab's Near Witch and her Archived duology and was excited for the Shades of Magic. I never ended up continuing that series and I honestly don't remember much of the book. I want to go back and re-read it to see if I enjoy it more.
I also almost dnf'd Strange the Dreamer! I think I was mentally ready for typical YA pacing, so the slow start almost got me. But everyone said it was amazing so I pushed through, and now it's one of my favorite books! 💙
I also almost dnf'd the ACOTAR trilogy. I read the first one and didn't like Tamlin, so I didn't read the next ones right away because if that was the relationship of the series I was not here for it. But I saw the second and third books at the library one day and picked them up on a whim and I am SO glad I did! They also ended up being some of my favorite books!
I have put down mistborn. Maybe a year ago I started it. Only made it through a couple chapters.
Need to pick it back up as I am sure it was just bad timing.
But now everything else seems to be getting priority over it.
Much love
Amy
Almost put jade city down but when I reached the halfway point I got super super invested and it got good for me in the second half
I’m on chapter 6 and I was ready to dnf. But I just put it down for a few weeks. I’m going to go back into it again.
I dnf'd lies of locke lamora. So glad I picked it back up because I loved it by the end. I got the second book for Christmas and I can't wait to get to it! Also I dnf'd Blade Itself. I plan on picking it back up because I enjoyed it, I was just in the mood for something else.
😱😱😱 i didn’t know about sword of kaigen!! Haha but I totally understand, that beginning was odd but omg yes the middle 😭❤️
I had the same experience with Mistborn! I DNF'ed after the first few chapters, and while I honestly can't say exactly why I did so, it may have been the unfamiliar magic system. But I sure am glad I picked it back up, and now Allomancy is one of my favorite magic systems.
I can't relate to this list, any book I've dnf'd and finished later I pretty much hated. I don't know why.
I suppose you have to trust yourself!
Same
It doesn't happen often, but there are times when i don't make it past the first paragraph of a book before DNFing it. When that happen though it is usually because that as long as it takes to identify not great writing or a book that just is not my cup of tea, writing style wise.
i've also been known to skip a chapter or two to see if the writing actually gets better before DNFing. Usually that is when the world building is just so long and boring and i want to know what the books like when you get past that (If the author ever gets past it that is).
Black Leopard Red Wolf. I had to put that book down within the first 100 pages and I thought I wouldn't come back to it, but I am so glad I did. Its such an awesome book.
I finished The Lord of the Rings as a child but had to force my way through it and didn’t enjoy it or remember it very long after, I tried to re-read it twice and didn’t finish, until finally last summer I tried again and this time I absolutely loved it and now it’s one of my favorite books. I almost didn’t finish The Blade Itself but I did and I’m glad because the last 100 or so pages got me invested in wanting to read more of the series.
A very nearly put down The Blade Itself but I also hit a point where it turned for me and I’m so glad I didn’t give it up because the second book is amazing and I’m so close to finishing it! I love it!!
Right now I'm listening to the audiobook of "The Blade itself" and have the same feelings as you did. So much that I wanted to DNF it. But now I want to give it another chance.
I DNFed Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series. Not once but twice. I really struggled with her writing style. When the last book in the trilogy came out last year, I decided to give it one more try. I was hooked. I read the whole trilogy. It's now my favourite series.
Almost Dnfed The way of Kings. Man am I glad I didn't cause now Stormlight is my favourite series of all time
Omg same! Wow
I’m thinking of reading the stormlight archive, I am curious why many people say they almost dnfed it?
I am about 120 pages into it and was pretty sure I was going to dnf it, until I read this comment. Mind if I ask what changed your mind about it? I loved Mistborn, so I am very surprised with how much I don't like this book so far.
The only reason for me was the fact that I was so long...I also wasnt super attached to some of the characters in book 1, though that would change later on :) I REALLY recommend that you try it!! It’s a great series 😁
What don’t you like about it? That might make it easier for me to try and convince you to keep reading.
@@storeybook2727 Thanks for the reply. I really don't like the way Shallan is written or her storyline so far. I think the ward stuff has been very cliche and when brandon spent a page preparing us for Shallan's "witty" remark I was very turned off. Lots of little things like that I have hated... Her letter and how it was meant to show her logic skills, the description of her artwork, etc. The first chapter with Kaladin and the young soldier was awesome. Everything since... its ok. Like every other character, his wit has made me roll my eyes. The wind spren is cool, but so far the other spren just arent doing it for me and neither is the magic system. I don't get it yet.
I guess like you were, Im just not attached to the characters yet. Character and dialogue are usually what I care most about and so far it's not doing it for me. I didn't love the character work in Mistborn, but I liked it much more than with twok. So far. Sorry for being so negative. I'm a fan of Sanderson and I'm happy that my opinion on this isn't common. He deserves his success.
There is a book that I haven’t ever really heard talked about it’s called The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker and I almost DNF’d it. It is a portal fantasy about a woman who ends up in this alternate world. It has a lot of high fantasy elements but the first 100 pages or so I did not like it. I almost quit because I was hating the main character I thought she was so dumb but I stuck with it and her arc was one of my favorite parts of the book. The second book just came out on audiobook so now I am re reading.
Same with the Final Empire. I only continued because everybody said that the ending is mind-blowing. I also almost DNFed City of Girls, The Ninth House and those were solid reads for me in the end. There are definitely more books that I should have DNFed but did not, like Addie LaRue or Starless Sea so one just never knows, does one.
I almost DNF'd Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, and Wilder Girls, but I pushed through and now I love them - especially Ninth House.
Yes to THE BOOKS OF BABEL! It's definitely not typical Fantasy but it's sooo good! I'm a sucker for the kind of beautiful, philosophic prose that Bancroft employs. The final book is my most anticipated in 2021.
I almost DNF'd the first book of "The Liveship Traders" by Robin Hobb and now it's one of my favourite series. When I started it I was in a reading hangover from another series I'd just finished. So I learned that any time I have a reading hangover in future I must wait a while before starting something new.
Almost dnf'ed The Way of Kings. The beginning was so confusing the first time around, jumping from one thing to another. Now ofc Stormlight is my favourite thing ever.
I DNFed Six of Crows. Not once but twice. And then I finally picked it up. It ended up being my favorite series which brought me back to reading. That's why I am so scared of dnfing. I always try to comebck to ones I have. I would hate to have SOC situation again. To miss out on something so good would be a devastating.
I wanted to DNF Assassins Apprentice but the friend who recommended it to me pushed me to carry on and now I've read the whole series and absolutely loved it. I just thought the start was so boring and couldn't connect to Fitz at all in the beginning but I'm glad I continued. I also never really DNF books for the same reason as you though
I had a bunch of false starts on the fist discworld book, as it is far from the best one and the translation wasn't great (I wasn't reading in english at the time). Came back to it after being blown away by Good Omens and now discworld is my favorite series.
the classroom as a way of worldbuilding/exposition is a weird one bc i actually really liked the classroom scenes in book of the ancestor yet i also found them really tedious in sword of kaigen
Most of my DNF's from over the years are still, in my mind, books that I simply have put down for a while and plan to get back to someday hah!
I got about 200 pages into the first Mistborn book and DNF'd it. I didn't love the characters or the magic system. I plan to pick it back up, but put other books ahead of it.
Great video topic. It took me three different attempts to finally get through Wuthering Heights which ended up being one of my favorite classics.
I wasn't close to DNFing Mistborn when I read it but the beginning was rough for me as well. And the series I love now but really had to push through was A Song of Ice and Fire.
Awwh Luna at the end of the video! How cute! ❤️
I actually just finished Strange The Dreamer thanks to your rec and loved it!
I enjoyed Senlin Ascends enough to order the next two, no questions asked. Excited to see where it goes!
Mine would be The Bone Season oml! how i wish i picked it up sooner and continued reading it the first time around!
I have the same problem with DNF's, I've almost put books down that became absolute favourites so I just suffer through books just in case 😹 I almost dnf'd The Knife of Never Letting Go (my favourite book) and had trouble getting into The Final Empire and Strange the Dreamer as well which both ended up being series that I love, I also almost didn't carry on with The Ember in the Ashes series after feeling meh about the first book, but now it's one of my favourites. This is why dnf'ing is so hard for me 😭
“My dog wants to come say hello”
Us: WE WANT TO SAY HELLO TOOOOOOO 😩😍❤️❤️❤️
I had a very similar expirience as you had with Mistborn, though for me it was FMA:B - my first time through the first 5 episodes I really wasn't feeling it. Then some time later I rewatched them, loved them, and burned through the rest
I dropped the final empire years ago because I stupidly picked it up when I was not in the mood to read a book like that. I’m gonna pick it up again soon now that I’m more into fantasy.
I almost dnf'ed the diviners. Had to restart it like 8 times before I could finally get into it, and did the same thing with the second book. I love them, but it feels like it takes forever to get into the story
The shocking Mistborn DNF lol
I DNFed Malice for a while but then ended up finishing it (finally) and I am glad that I did, so I totally understand where you are coming from. Hopefully I end up loving the rest of the FAithful & the Fallen more than the first book.
Book 2 is way better than book 1. Book 3 will break your heart and book 4 is great! I just finished the series last week! I bought the Of Blood and Bone Trilogy based in The Banished Lands after I completed it.
I DNFed Mistborn the first time I read it too. Went back to it because everyone was loving it and I wanted to see if I had missed something. Tho on my second read I still had to push thru the first part... Did really enjoy it after that tho.
These are the very books that I have come to identify you with. Didn't know there was a steep start but I was glad to know you have overcome them and included them into your list of favorites. 🥰😅🤓
I really enjoyed the setup of Strange the Dreamer, but that's mostly because the writing was really beautiful compared to a lot of fantasy writing.
I finished The Sword of Kaigen yesterday and I LOVED IT. It became one of my all time favorite books quickly
Ohh, I'll read and talk about Darker Shade of Magic and Senlin Ascends too! Also, almost DNFing Mistborn and SoK. I thought we were friends 😢 I love history lessons so much.
I’m currently considering DNFing Recruitment, by K. A. Riley. The reason I started reading it was for my school’s book club, but it’s not mandatory and I find myself becoming bored while reading this book. Idk if it is the speed, or the fact that I’m not interested in the storyline or the character, but something about this book is making me not want to read it. If anyone has read this series and can give me advice, I will gladly take it.
This is making me wanting to try The Fifth Season again. I DNFd it in Dec but I think it was more of the writing style but I wanted to love it and the story sounds so good. But now I'm like maybe I should keep trying...
i wish i had DNFd it. didnt like the writing. the story was cool but idk if it was worth it for me
I almost dnfed The Thief (The Queen’s Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner and The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black both of which are some of my favorites. But I dnf all the time. 😆♥️💕
I DNF'd Mistborn somewhere between finishing the 1st book and a couple of chapters into the 2nd, I can't remember. I did finish it a few months later and the ending of book 3 more than made up for the exasperation I'd felt finishing the 1st one
I just bought A Darker Shade of Magic the other day. Had it on my wishlist and then took it off and then put it back on. Because I heard so many different opinions and I am not into YA. Usually. There are exceptions, of course. Anyway. I bought it, mainly due to it playing in a "divided" London. It is one of my favourite cities, of the ones I have been to ^^
Strange the Dreamer - I really enjoyed the beginning and liked Laszlo. But then "the adventure starts" and it suddenly got boring for me. So I dnf'd it...
Oh yeah .- currently reading The Well of Ascension and I enjoyed The Final Empire right away :D
I wanted to DNF The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin because the chapters that were written in second person POV, but I pushed through and I’m so glad that I did. The way everything comes together at the end of that book was amazing. I haven’t finished the trilogy yet, though.
I DNF'd that one. I might have to give it another shot.
@@RedFuryBooks I am very picky about POV. I can barely tolerate first person, so second person should really have been a dealbreaker. Do you remember how far you got? It was what happened towards the end of chapter six that made me go, “Okay, I wanna see where she’s going with this.”
@@veryparagon I didn't get that far. Maybe 3 chapters? It was definitely the second person that I didn't like. Any time I encounter that, I feel like the author is showing off and it takes me completely out of the story.
I did same exact thing with Strange the Dreamer!! I too love it so much now!! 🤗📚
I DnF the stormlight archive, way of kings, the first few chapters were confusing and syl was wierd but my friend later explained Shard blades so I gave it another go and now it is my favourite series.
I also dnfed the final empire after chapter 1 because I didn’t care for it, but when I picked it up again the prologue intrigued me immediately!! I’m excited to pick up the well of ascension soon :)
I almost DNF'ed the Young Elites trilogy after the first book, but I'm so glad I didn't! The Rose Society and The Midnight Star are both huge improvements over the first book--I'd highly recommend!
I almost DNF’d the shades of magic series. I thought the first book was good, but didn’t really care. My library ended up having the next audiobooks, so decided to check them out, and it’s now one of my favourite series!
I did something similar to mistborn as well. I dnf'd mistborn then my friend begged me to continue and I'm happy for that bc I loved the trilogy.
I almost DNFed The Bone Season because it had a lot of info dumps at the beginning, but I pushed through and glad I did, awesome series 👏
I think the only one I can think of is Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. Once you get over some of the sci-fi absurdism it is just awesome, I think after the Deliverator section and maybe a bit more.
I pretty much never dnf books for the same reason you said and also becausr I'm too curious to know how it ends. Sometimes I can dnf a series if I really didn't like the first book, but has to be a very special ocasion for me to dnf a book halfway through it, and never the first in a series.
I actually DNF'd Lord of the Rings. I made it through the first two, and started the third, but I felt like it was just dragging (also I wanted to go back to Sam amd Frodo.) But then later I came back and reread them all and I just blew through all three and I love them dearly. I'm currently struggling with Way of Kings. But I trust Sanderson, so I'm gonna stuck it out (and also I currently love Kaladin).
ALSO, I DNF'd Warbreaker. Which I love so very much. I love Siri and Susebron, more than words can describe. And I love Vivenna and Vasher and LightSong. But, at the same time I DNF'd Eragon like three times and Eldest at least twice and I don't like them that much (except Saphira. She's cool).
I dnf'ed Siege and Storm back in 2013 and picked it back up like 6 years later. Now it's one of my favorite trilogies. Same with Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy 😅
I nearly DNF’d Senlin Ascends.
I was getting bored and irritated at the boredom, and then he was asked to do that thing in the baths.. and I was like huh...? Then that guy said that thing after he did that thing, and I was like HUH?!? What’s going on?!? And I’ve been absolutely glued ever since. XD
A lot of the opening pages felt kinda weird and there’s a lot of weird amounts of details about things along the way, and it all seems bizarre and disjointed until things start get going.
AND Senlin’s character transformation from page one to the final page of the epilogue. MASTERPIECE
I did dnf the diviner’s but i gave it another shot (I dnf twice tbh) but now it’s my favorite series ever & I highly recommend it.
Yes! This is why I’m so hesitant about DNF’ing! WHAT IF?!? I like to say I’ve shelved books when I put them down and haven’t gotten back to them 😂 there’s always a plan to get back to them...even if it’s a few years later 😅
I almost dnf’d The Poppy War 🙊 but now it’s one of my fav trilogies!
I love the beginning of A Darker Shade of Magic. For me, it became more difficult as Ms Tropey took up more of the spotlight.
I DNF'd The Blade Itself! It wasn't really a conscious decision, at one point I just didn't continue reading it for no particular reason. Since then I've picked it back up and am now about to start the third book in the series. 😊
I've never been able to get into V. E. Schwab. She can't hold my attention. I had been told that the series gets better but I'm highly unlikely to ever pick up another book of hers. 😂😂 So funny to see First Law here. I love Lazlo Strange!!!!!! Also, I accidentally DNFd the final book of Mistborn. 😬😬 I put it down and never picked it back up but it's one of my favorite trilogies, too.
I got halfway through the first book for mistborn and ended up dnf-ing it. I felt so weird because everyone was loving it and I didn't. Then I heard Brandon himself say that the first book was like a mix between a heist story/my fair lady and master/apprentice and then it suddenly made since why i didn't like it. I'm not a fan of any of those things and heist stories are so boring to me. Although I do love the stormlight archive and warbreaker from him. I can't wait for the next book in the stormlight archive.
I also don't like to DNF but for me it's definitely a completionist issue. 😅 I recently DNF'd WoT after book 4 and it's really stressing me out that I won't complete the series... But reading another 10 books when I'm not really enjoying it is stretching it too far, even for me.
I actually don't have a lot of favorite books that I wanted to DNF. Usually when I have that feeling it's not going to improve haha. Only one I can think of is the Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb. I really didn't like the first book, and right now the trilogy is my favorite series of all time. So yeah, first books in a series can definitely start off on the wrong foot for me.
So funny how both of us weren’t keen at first on trilogies that ended up being our faves (First Law for me) - acquired tastes maybe? haha
Its hard for me to think of things for this list. Mainly cause I have rarely dnf’d books. I mostly just keep thinking of books I kept thinking I wouldn’t like cause of the cover but became all time favorites 😆
I finished The blade itself a few months ago and DNF’d the second book after a few chapters. I plan to try again because of all the great things people have to say about the series but I found the writing very dry.
I'm currently struggling though the Blade Itself for those exact reasons lol
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro was like that for me. It was for a book club but I wanted to DNF after 50 pages. Made myself read the entire thing and it is an life changing book once you read the entire thing. Def Never Let Me Go for me.
I DNF'd misborn bc I wasn't in the mood for it at that time and I have yet to pick it back up again. I really need to get back to it haha
I had the same issues with The Darker Shade of Magic. I ended up really enjoying the third book the most.
Most of my favorite books and even music I struggled trough at some point. I don’t usually DNF books (I dnfd maybe 4-5 so far, so maybe 1 percent?!) but what happens is I will enter trench war and push trough even if that means month of reading one book.
I am actually surprised if I fly trough a book lol
I dnf’d Mistborn and Strange the Dreamer for the exact same reasons but I don’t know if I will pick them back up.
I almost DNF'D Windwitch by Susan Dennard. I am so happy I didn't. Now it's one of my favorite series.
I t ink I’m a chapter or two into it, but then I put it down to get to other books
I almost DNF'd that one as well. I haven't read anymore in the series though.
@@catsandbats77 It gets so much better in the later books. Worth the read especially if you love the characters.
@@elizabethl6190 I think it took me 6 months to finish the first one. Then I finished the rest in a week.
@@lostintheuniverse5232 I definitely loved the characters. I'm so bad about finishing series if I don't own all the books. I'm also a mood reader, so I move on quickly.
I'm 3 books in on the lightbringer novels, and I'm just so back and forth with them. I'm coming to the point where I'll have to decide on if the last two are worth plowing through to me. Anyone have any in put on if the last two will "pull it together"
Lightbringer is one of my favorite series but I will say the last book is the weakest in my opinion and it’s also very divisive among fans. I still really enjoyed them though and I think the series is worth finishing for the story and the characters and the reveals. Maybe try listening to them instead if you don’t want to commit to reading that many pages?