8 Book Series That Lost Their Way (or I DNF)
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- Опубликовано: 3 июл 2024
- Mike takes a look at 8 series he has read that he believes lost their way or he DNF.
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I couldn't read name of the wind. But I found it strangely fascinating to listen to the audiobook. Because it's written to be told as a story that someone is telling to you directly. it just kinda fit so well.
GREAT idea for a book to recommend to listen on audio!!
im going to give that a try!
Currently reading the name of the wind. I'm loving it! I think the atmosphere of the book is what has ppl loving it ( if that's even a thing )
Something about a guy sitting in a dark bar telling his story. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, all the build up of what's to come. Fingers crossed after I finish book 2 I wont be waiting 8 years like I have been for winds of winter.
Considering most of us have been waiting for it for 12 years....I have some bad news for you.
@@MattAT95 Haha I've been waiting for Doors and Stones and Winds of Winter for so many years now that I just lost a lot hype for it. The one thing I promised myself is to not re-read the prior books until a release date is announced, and it's been quite the wait!
@@tombrady5587 I have both Name of the Wind and Wise man's fear (bought them 2-3 years after the second book came out) and I still haven't read them. I promised myself I won't start another incomplete series after the Winds of Winter fiasco.
@@tasosalexiadis7748 I respect your patience. The 2 Kingkiller Chronicle books are probably my favourites of any fantasy I've ever read.
I'm luckily not on the same boat for ASOIAF, as I didn't start the books until recently despite buying them 7-8 years ago. Initially as I was watching the show, I held off reading the books as I didn't want to spoil the shows. I then waited a few more years after the show hoping the next book comes out, but I finally lost patience and started reading the books a few weeks ago, but I'm fully aware that I'll also have to wait years for book 6!
@@tombrady5587 you won’t get book 6 until George dies. But Brandon will finish it in 6 months.
I was so surprised to see The Name of the Wind in there ahaha. I love that book. I haven't read the 2nd one yet, I want to reread the 1st volume before I do. I have heard many split opinions on that one, unfortunately... I do love the author's writing, I found it so beautiful and even poetic at times. I did like the story as well, kept me intrigued to wonder what comes next, the mysteries and all. I also like the concept of "knowing the names of things" and translating that to a power of some sort. I remember it took me around 50-70 pages or sth to really get into the book, but once I was in, it hooked me.
I totally understand not even want to think about reading another book by an author after suffering such a major disappointment, as it happened for you with King, especially after devoting so much time and enjoyment into a series. I was reading a couple of his works (and loved them) and then I read Gerald's Game, which I hated. That put me off for a long, long time. Then I read the 1st book in the Gunslinger series... which was another disappointment. I don't think I'll give the series a chance, because I thought the book was just alright and a bit boring at times. Maybe I was expecting sth else, I don't know... I haven't read anything by him after that and I have a couple of books on my shelf I still want to get to. I've only heard good things about "The Green Mile" and "Different Seasons", so I hope it's not a let down!
Exact feelings with the Kingkiller it's not a bad book per say but I don't really see what is so "great" or amazing about it the series does some nice or cool things yet really is not that impressive or epic or really worth much thought.
Glad I'm not alone on this island. I definitely didn't "get" it, I guess.
I read both, the original and the german translation and i gotta say the german one is so much better. Idk the whole atmosphere almost feels different.
Wow! You hit almost everything about each of those series right on the nail! (Except the Hunger Games never read them...never will) Kudos for getting through the Dark Tower series I ran aground with the Wolves of the Calla it just seemed like an effort was made to finish the series but the passion that it started with dried out. Dune is a classic and will never get dated ( hell I may just have to read it for the third time before I check out the new movie)! Great video and you’ve got yourself another subscriber 👍😁👍
"Apparently he's put it on his DNF list"...lol.
Yeah, that line seems to have went over pretty well.
I personally loved the ending to the Dark Tower. Thought it was the perfect ending for Roland-because this is Rolands story, no one else’s. But I can totally understand your gripes with it, even if I loved the whole journey.
It's all about the journey, isn't it?
I personally don't understand how anyone could think the ending is appropriate for Roland's character. The ending completely ignores all of his character growth in order to pretend he's still the same character from the first book.
@@carlosanthony4972 uh the ending is pretty forward that he's changed hence the horn
Pity about Shannara, it's one of my favorite fantasy series. Yes, Sword is just LotR as written by Terry Brooks, but the rest branches off the setting details established and gets really damn good, Elfstones is still one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read.
Think I jumped off sometime in the Heritage books.
I agree on Elfstones, one of my favorite books of all time. The with Brooks is that he has evovled as a writer. The first three books were all stand alones and his made his stories generational. What has different about the Hertitage books is that it was a one-story four book series. Still good but long. After that he went to three book stories and started writing tighter. What I like is that he deals with things like changing technologies and from start to finish his books are about the 'rivalry' between magic and technology. For all the 'it's just LofR' talk, Books still is one of the only ones who has the 'everyday person' protagonist theme. He has even tried some very jarring things as a writer. He is still very good at multiple plotlines throughout a story.
I really like Sword, and thought Elfstones was passable. I don't even remember if I went past that.
DNF The Wheel of Time series, just became a slog after book 5 and I couldn't continue torturing myself.
They were, I was young when I started them, but man if it wasn-t hard, never finished it as for what I read I wouldnt enjoy the end.
Hey there,
I agree with you . The Fires of Heaven wasn’t my favorite but WoT can be a hit or miss sometimes but the greatest part about the series is that you will have your favorite 🤩 list of WoT books you liked. For me after the slog that occurred in books 9-10, 11 picked it up for me and then the last three were so ..whoa.. like damnnn. Trust me it’s worth the journey but anyway everyone is entitled to their opinions
I finished it, somehow. But it lost me after book 7.
It was half of book one for me😅. I was reading first law at the moment as well and the pace seemed wayyy to slow
Recently found your channel and just wanted to say I enjoy your content so far :D
Thanks! Glad you're liking it.
I love the Dark Tower, one of my favourite series, I just embraced the strange journey of Roland’s Ka-tet and absolutely loved it start to finish, book seven included!
Agree with you on Rothfuss, it reads like someone’s childish fantasy, terrible
I understand Dark Tower is divisive. I just felt like he rushed it just to get it done. Rothfuss... *fart noise*
TheCoffeeNut711 if you like westerns, All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, extraordinary...
TheCoffeeNut711 too bad! Different strokes my friend, happy reading
@@mikesbookreviews lol, I couldn't handle Shanara either, heard he became a better author but I couldn't make myself get to it. Anne Rice is my great bane...same experience every time, love the beginnings but by about the halfway point I realized I hated every single character and can't force myself to keep going. I even tried a book she wrote under a pen name (one of her s&m books, the one they made a movie of), and with this being the 3rd or 4th I tried, I made myself finish it just to be able to say I actually did it once. NO MORE! There just isn't enough time and my TBR is too big.
Hey if you don't connect with something, so be it. Stick to your guns. I respect your thoughts. ☮️
Please do a book collection video! I would love to see what books you have in your collection! 😊
I agree with you on The Name of the Wind. I enjoyed certain elements of it. However, I just didn't like Kvothe. On a positive note, the local library bookstore received a nice edition of KKC. :)
Kvothe is the Rey of the fantasy book genre; practically perfect in every way.
I finished the dark tower a couple months ago and I was nervous about getting to the ending because I heard so many people voicing their negative thoughts about it but god damn did I love it.
SPOILERS:
I do think some parts of the final book could have maybe been better but as for Rolands ending and what was in the tower, I don’t think it could have ended any other way. I’ve already started re reading the series and it’s so heavily foreshadowed in the drawing of the 3 that the only thing waiting for Roland in the tower is damnation. It’s such a sad and horrifying ending if u think about it. Like Roland is destined to a journey of endless pain and suffering unless he learns to change and give up what he’s addicted to.
I think the last DT book had some bloat and weak spots for sure, especially the final battle; but I can't think of a better way to end it. It just makes sense, time is a face on the water.
I've been meaning to get around to reading Dune. Too much else to read. I haven't read Rothfuss' books for the exact reason you mentioned. I'd heard it hugely hyped, and I'd just been ticked that GRRM was taking so long. I decided I wouldn't start it till Doors of Stone came out. I'll risk spoilers on it before I risk really liking it and never getting a conclusion. I know writers say don't pressure people like Rothfuss and GRRM, that you'll get a worse book than if you waited. I understand that. They aren't beholden to me or anyone to do anything. They could completely troll someone and write half an amazing story and then purposefully not finish it. I don't think that's at all what's going on here, but when it's been closer to a decade than not, I wonder what their frame of mind is, because it can't take that long to churn out a solid story. Look at Sanderson. I love his work, he churns it out steadily, and he still has time to do other stuff. He's said before that he treats it like a job. I think Rothfuss and GRRM just write when the moods and inspiration strikes them. It's kinda shitty that they're leaving us hanging. GRRM is actually banging the next book out, since according to him, with the virus on, he can't just go running around doing other stuff. He's actually forced to be home and write or stare at a wall for all intents and purposes.
Kingkiller was boring, lost interest quickly. I didn't mind the end of the Dark Tower. It seemed fitting to me. Crimson King was disappointing though. I would love to read Dune. I've only seen the David Lynch movie.
I liked Anne Rice up to 3 books. I'm laboring through it. I'm now jumping to her witching series because the next in the Vampire Chronicles is like the 4th in her witching series.
I love night angel but I do get the complaints . It’s just a great fun junk food read .
Lightbringer was definitely a step up for that author.
About Inheritance.....
Yeah the second book feels so stretched out. Completely forgettable.
I just powered through it because of how much I liked the first one.
The next two are very very good, really.... I must admit though, I was still in my mid teens when I finished the series, and I'm not sure if adult-me would still like it.
Great video, enjoyed and subscribed. I especially appreciated the part about Name of the Wind. Its well written, no doubt. The first part/whats happening now part was great. His background/childhood/trauma that led him to do those amazing things: awesome. Time homeless in the city: emotional and deep. He first gets to the university: wonderful... and then the story just stops! Its so slow, so boring. Every situation breaks down to him saying "I was so brilliant and everyone hates me for being the best at everything" and I just couldn't get past it. Disappointed because I was really digging it until that part.
I’ll never understand the undying love for that book.
I completely agree with you on The Hunger Games but I love Night Angel those books are some of my favorites. I have not read Shannara but I have heard a lot of mixed reviews on it so haven’t picked it up. The Inheritance Cycle is a series very near and dear to me it inspired me to start writing myself. I haven’t read anything by Anne Rice. I read Dune, it didn’t move me. Everytime you bring up Kingkiller is cry inside
I loved The Night Angel trilogy so much. I really do get what you mean about it being a gritty dark series at some points and then like a strange tween series in others. I remember some of the language almost putting me off the book, when someone calls someone a "Butthead" or something? It was the kind of language you'd expect to hear in a Saturday morning cartoon, except taking place in a dark gritty fantasy world and it really threw me off. I might be misremembering, but I am sure it was something along those lines. Anyway after I got past that I loved it but to each their own! Great video btw.
Year 2022 goals: try to complete as many of these as possible and report back here.
May the good Lord be with you on your quest.
So much good content in your channel.. Wow!
Are you fucking crazy? Dark Tower?!?! What the fuck! Such a perfect ending! Gah!
The Stand turned me into a Constant Reader, and I plan to by King's entire oeuvre one book at a time - I have a book collecting problem so I limit myself to one book a month - but I'm reading The Dark Tower right now and it's like playing Russian Roulette. Will I like the ending? Will I hate it? Will it destroy my burgeoning love for SK? Who knows!
I felt like Dune Messiah was really interesting: it basically broke down and deconstructed the "hero" that had been built up in the previous book, so it is actually the book that carries Herbert's real message about messiahs and heroes. Children of Dune is important, and it doesn't wrap things up for me, instead it leads into my favorite science fiction book of all time: God Emperor! Yeah, I said it. I liked GEOD.
Surely you read more than one book a month, why limit yourself to a single tome
Just finished book 2 of KingKiller and I loved it - to each their own.
Oh, absolutely. I can't think of anything more subjective on Earth than books. I am super glad you liked it.
Dan Eady it’s the most immersive series I’ve read, almost to a fault where it’s boring at times, lol
I live for your DNF videos. They are both entertaining and informative, it's OK to not like a book and say it loud and clear!
I agree with your list, but I'm not as patient as you, and I DNFd many of these earlier in the series:
Hunger Games - 2nd book seemed like such a cheap copy of book 1 that I never read the 3rd one
Eragon - I couldn't make it through the 1st book, it just read too pretentious and the plot was meh, but not bad for a teenage writer I guess
Name of the Wind - Great prose, some good ideas and magic system, no plot whatsoever, overpowered protagonist and plain female characters, IMO a missed opportunity for a great book, but hey, it got a following anyways. Zero interest to continue the series.
I also throw Twilight in there, I struggled to finish the 1st book, it was OK but it made me wonder why it was so hyped.
You lucked out skipping Hunger Games 3. Woof.
I totally agree with you on Hunger Games - first book was enjoyable but after that it went down hill
Please continue the wheel of time series I cannot wait for your reviews and thoughts
I am doing A Crown of Swords after I finish Locke Lamora!
The wheels of time is awful!
@@willisix2554 are you insane
@@michael305m3 That maybe true but I'm not crazy enough to enjoy that story
Shannara had some pretty fun books (Heritage and Voyage of the Jerle Shannara), but it's not something I'd go back and read again. I read LoTR when I was six and didn't pick up another fantasy book until the Shannara books, so they have a nostalgic place in my heart for helping me get more interested in the fantasy genre.
Anne’s Rice’s Realm of Atlantis...
It deserves to be the only book on this list because, compared to it, the others are not really that bad. I think Anne Rice started going down hill for me a lot sooner, I learnt later that after the Body Thief I think it was she decided to not use an editor. I’m not sure if that’s true or a bit of a myth that has sprung up but her writing deteriorated from there for me. I enjoyed her Mayfair Witches series a bit more and kept up with that but it fizzled out in quality too. Then she announced that she was returning to Lestat and I thought why the hell not? I love these characters, it’s been years, it’s probably a cash grab but who cares?That was a mistake. Prince Lestat was okay and pulled me into a false sense of security.
Then Atlantis had aliens creating vampires and I just couldn’t anymore.
I’ve got one: Orson Scott Card’s Ender series. Loved Ender’s Game - it deserves all the praise it gets. Then I tried to read Speaker For the Dead. Twice. I tried print and audiobook, and I just couldn’t finish it. I’ve read that Speaker is the book that Card REALLY wanted to write, but he had to write Ender’s game in order to set up Speaker. Idk if that’s true, but it is a prime example of the follow up being too unlike the first volume in tone and pacing. There’s a lot less story and a lot more philosophy in Speaker.
I came here to say this. Speaker wasn't even as bad as the ones after. Now the Shadow books were a great follow up.
A series you missed is Roger Zelansky's Amber Series. It's great for 9 1/2 books and then it becomes apparent that he doesn't know how to tie up the loose ends and has the worst magic fight bs to finish it. It felt like a movie that had plot holes so they tried to distract from it with special effects.
agreed🧐
The Shannara series was the first Fantasy series proper that I read. It's still in my top 5. I really like how it takes all the tropes of The Lord of the Rings and utilizes them so well. I think that's why I also liked The Eye of the World and Wheel of Time so well, although Jordan did the same thing to a lesser degree.
If you liked Brooks' style but not his plots, you might try his Magic Kingdom of Landover series. It's a semi-serious/semi-funny series about a lawyer from Earth who buys a kingdom in a magical land, knowing nothing about it. Its really good.
Shannara was clutch when I was younger and just wanted more LotR.
I had never really thought of Night Angel as being YA but I can see how aspects of it might be considered that. I really enjoyed the trilogy when I first read it but found the ending lacked something. I am also grateful it was such an easy and engaging read as I encouraged my son to read it and it got him back into reading.
I really enjoyed the Shannara series which my Dad lent me, but after the third or fourth book my interest petered out. In the first one or two books the demon things were written so creepily that I found them to be decently scary 'baddies'...but then it started to feel a bit formulaic like I've seen all this before and it ceased to have an impact
I enjoyed the hunger games but was intrigued as to why Suzanne Collins would choose to have such an unlikeable character as the heroine.
I'm not an audiobook guy (I get distracted very easily and often find out I wasn't paying attention for the last 5 minutes of narration so I skipped important info), but I TOTALLY had to find a narrated version of The Name of the Wind in RUclips to get through the last few chapters. I just couldn't bear it anymore. I listened to them at work, left the book in the stand and never even got close to contemplate continuing the series.
Also Harry Potter. I DID finish it, but if I'm being honest I didn't really enjoy any of the books past the 4th one.
As for some of the ones you named... Night Angel to me was OK. Not amazing, not bad... Just serviceable as a one-time read that you don't regret but you don't really find yourself thinking about much afterwards either.
I'm actually about to start reading the Dune sequels, so I can't speak about those. I enjoyed Dune well enough, though not so much as to consider it one of my favorites (as far as sci-fi goes, Foundation is my absolute favorite and I also liked Hyperion more). You said they get weird in the fourth book but, if I'm being honest... I kinda like weird stuff. 😂 So who knows?
I think Bram Stoker understood vampires weren't sexy, too - Anne Rice's books wouldn't even exist if Dracula hadn't
I did a review of Bram Stoker's Dracula a couple weeks ago. He's the man.
Regarding Terry Brooks, I really liked the Landover series-I read them as they came out in the ‘80s & ‘90s.
The Landover series was the first fantasy book I ever read!! Found it at a garage sale in 4th grade!! Such a fun series! Although.....it did get kinda blah.....
Have you read his Running with the Demon series?
Sorry....I just had to say, I LOVE your icon!!!
@@nikishazechiel6848 I have seen it in the bookstores, but I have only read the Landover series from Brooks. Another good similar series from back then where a regular guy gets pulled into a fantasy world is the Wizard in Rhyme series by Christopher Stasheff.
@@radioclash8175 I have read these!!! But, it has been a long time....I remember really enjoying them though. I think I will have to reread the series! Thanks!!!
My most recent DNF is Kingkiller Chronicles, the inheritance cycle, the goblin emperor by Catherine Addison, i spite finished American Gods and it gets added to the list cause I wasted 3 days of my life on it.
Ugh. KKC.
Mike's Book Reviews book 2 was terrible and NOTW was a 3 out of five for me
I still haven't forgiving Stephen King for the ending of The Dark Tower and neither has my mother. I started the series with The Gunslinger back in the early 80's and read every single book King came out with including the Bachman books. I was fully onboard with the Stephen King multiverse. But the final resolution for his ka-tet (Jake, Susannah, and Eddie) combined with how Roland's story "ended" just killed it for me. I haven't purchased a single King novel in the 16 years since.
As for Terry Brooks, I loved the original Shannara trilogy which I also read in the early 80's at the same time I was getting in to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I really don't care about the Tolkien comparisons either considering how much modern fantasy is heavily influenced by his books. I think the Shannara series was strong throughout the 90's and early 2000's. However, at some point he started becoming too formulaic by repeating the same plot with different characters in different times. I think the last trilogy I truly enjoyed was The High Druid of Shannara which ended in 2005.
I forgave him, but I still hate it.
I respect you sir because I'm currently reading dune and I'm already living it as much as you do 😃😃😃😃😃
So happy to hear that! Dune is just wonderful.
Picking my way thru your back catalogue. I stopped Rice at the trilogy; Herbert at God (which I liked but that was in my teens, so who knows now); loved the ending to Dark Tower; and Rothfuss was good but no way the new OG. I don’t get that one either…
I feel the same about Anne Rice. I really enjoyed up to Menmoch the Devil with Vampire Lestat my favorite. Lost interest after reading a few pages of Armand. Always thought about going back, but there's too much other good stuff out there.
I think the Dune series were bound to controversial because Frank Herbert clearly wrote the sequels he wanted to, not necessarily the ones the fans wanted to. Nowadays fantasy fans in particular are so used to getting sequels that essentially pick up with the same characters and type of story a few months after the setting of the previous novel that it can be jarring when reading Frank Herbert and the novels have vastly different characters, settings and themes. I personally love the later sequels, particularly Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune, but would agree that Brian Herbert's continuation was disappointing.
I’m so glad you said you didn’t enjoy night angel book 1. It was 100% my same situation. I was so meh about that book I sold the other two without even reading them: I could not get into it
As far as im concerned Dune is a stand alone, and its amazing.
For me, it's a two parter with Dune Messiah. Then once Paul walks off into the desert I'm like "lovely, that wraps that up, THE END" lol
@@caseyh8386 exactly. Dune Messiah was a beautiful end to a story and I felt very satisfied. Don't want to tarnish it by continuing lol.
Yeah I definitely understand how you feel about Brooks. The heritage series seems to be more of an “acquired taste” if you will. But with that said I absolutely LOVED Elfstones, Wishsong, and First King of Shannara. I’ve definitely re-read the 3 of those books around 20 times between the three of them (not exaggerating). In my eyes, I feel the First King prequel kind of makes up for the “copy cat” story of the Sword of Shannara book and I’m not usually a fan of prequels.
Kingkiller has a great atmosphere. It feels like a modern version of those older fantasy stories that you aren’t sure where they could go next, or what adventures they’ll have. Like a fairy tale-I think his prose just reminds ppl of an updated, but still old fashioned fantasy story. I mean in book 2 we literally go to a fairyland of sorts…in an adult kind of way.
Can you do a video on your top 5 favorite horror authors of all time?
The oldschool Mike lol. This was great to watch in 2022
We all gotta start somewhere.
@@mikesbookreviews don’t get me wrong man this is great! It seems to be before you had received tons of annoying comments and so you were more free voicing criticism. I’m sure I’ve seen this before as I’ve been following you since the beginning of the WoT reviews but it was great to randomly watch this again! Beat wishes to you 😀
A popular author, N.K. Jemisin, I tried to read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and I just couldn't get into the writing or story, and I stopped reading after a couple hundred pages. Don't intend to try again or read any of her other works. Sometimes, readers and authors are not on the same page.
I didn’t enjoy Sword of Shannara but I really enjoyed Elfstones. I’m planning to read Wishsong soon.
Also, Eldest is so dry, I put that book down twice for months when I was 13.
Elfstones is my favorite book of all time. HATED that hideous Mtv series they did with it, though. Making Amberle and Eretria lesbians???
@@whutzat I loved the Elfstones of Shannara and hated the TV show. Absolute garbage. I also really liked first king of Shannara.
04:12 - A very accurate description of what felt wrong about Way of shadows. It had some good parts but...
08:35 - I've read many articles defending and accusing the ending of the dark tower, but it really felt like a dismissal to be given than ending.. it's like the author got fed up with his own world
13:38 Many things have been said about Name of the Wind and it's becoming increasingly clear that hype can really sell a book
Name of the Wind reads at best like an endearing early effort from a teenager trying too hard to emulate high fantasy prose, or at worst, a limp exercise by someone who thinks the problem with Harry Potter was that the main character wasn’t the greatest wizard of all time.
I gave up on Malazan after first 2 books. I don't understand how people like it.
I agree man, Young Adult is very off putting. My favorite series of all time is ASOIAF and LOTR. I’d like to write my own book
I mean, I get why people flock to it because it requires very little dedication to world building, but I feel like it lowers my intelligence so I stay away from it.
Seems like after ASOIAF,and LOR everything else seems come up really really short
You nailed that Finnick death in mockingjay perfectly. He was up there as one of my favorites too. I liked the trilogy but liked the hunger games better as a standalone. I DNF'd the prequel like 90 pages in. It just seemed ridiculous to try and humanize Snow at that point.
DNF - Malzan and whatever the WIzard's First Rule series is called. Both cases good to great first books, then sequels that went totally into WTF land.
I’ve had the Malazan warnings.
@@mikesbookreviews I enjoyed the Malazan. I borrowed the first 2 from the library, but ended up buying all ten by Erikson. However, I didn't like the kharkanas; I gave up on that. Neither liked esslemont's tone of voice. I would recommend the ten volume Malazan and leave it at that.
Thank you for speaking up about the Rothfuss books. I just don't get them.
Loved Night Angel, so I'm looking forward to reading Lightbringer. I read Shanara when I was in my late 30's/early 40's. I thought it was boring. Maybe if I'd read it in college I would feel differently. Dune is awesome. The next two books were good. God Emperor was terrible.
Dnf-Necroscope series by Brian Lumley. Very good books, just stopped on book 4 and never picked it back up, that's life for ya😁
Real life happens.
Necroscope picks up big time in book 5. Book 4 is definitely a low point but it sets up the awesomeness of the 5th, and then the Blood Brothers trilogy which is over the top and incredible.
Agreed on Dark Tower, ending was so disappointing. Anne Rice I felt she was just milking that cash cow, and it started to show pretty soon after the 3rd book. Del Toro's Strain series went downhill fast, the first book was great, the last book was a waste of time. I had high hopes for that one, a back to horror form for vampires, but he did not stick the landing.
Anne Rice has been going the paycheck route on Vamp Chronicles for 20+ years now.
I haven't read Name of the Wind yet (its on my tbr pile), but I do believe there is merit prose argument. To me good prose is more important than a good story. It doesn't matter how good your story is if I have trouble reading it. There's a craft to prose; where are the emphasis, is there a space or a divider, how and when to use the page flip etc.
I dropped what I'm sure are fantastic stories just because of the means the story was told through wasn't engaging enough for me.
I think with NOTW, if it wasnt hyped as much as it was, and touted as the best thing in memory [ better then Stormlight, ASOIF, etc.] Then i think it would of had a less polarized back and forth between lovers and not.
For me, not eneough really happened, and the stuff that does happen i just endured to get to some kind of movement of the story and charactes.
I think it's just not my type of fantasy. I get that people love his prose, but I need more in my fantasy novel than just world-building.
Tried Name of the Wind twice -- and it bored me to tears!
John Gwynne's Faithful and the Fallen blows him away, as does Joe Abercrombie.
Gwynne's series is one I've heard a ton of great things about.
I was only able to finish name of the wind by reading it on kindle and switching on and off with audio. I DNF Wise mans fear.
So I actually had a nook at one point, which is now broken because of the final hunger games book (I was a teen at the time). But yes, that’s not how you wrap things up. The writing was sloppy too, too many scenes were impossible to keep up with.
Finally! Someone else who doesn't like Rothfuss!
I just don’t get it. That story was dull as hell to me.
@@mikesbookreviews Dull and pretentious!
John Gwynne's original trilogy. Loved books 1 and 2 but hated book 3 and stopped there. Does anyone else agree ? Mike ?
Nope. I loved Faithful & the Fallen.
I agree 💯 with everything!!! Grew up with Shannara, but I do not wish to read it anymore. The only one I did not read is the Dark Tower. But,I just do not understand the facination with Robert Jordan. I read his first book 20+ yrs ago and it was ok. But, when I read the sequel info, it was the same story!! Thus, my respect for Robert Jordon is MIA. Did I just not give it enough? I was completely disgusted that the bad guy was not dead as I had thought in the first book....I don't like story retells.....I don't know. I'm just baffled that you and Green just love that series.....
WoT can be work and it isn’t for everyone, regardless of what most Wheelies say.
Giving the people what they want 😂 Love it Mike.....but let's get serious now.....every series you brought up is on my TBR list....and it kind of scares me when you label them as DNF or "Lost its way"...Dark Tower I thought was an ok ending (I'm re reading the series btw).... the three series that I'm most looking forward to reading are Sword of Shannara (all 31 books), Dune (NOT the Brian Herbert ones) and Interview with a Vampire....as for KKC I honestly thought book 1 was good (maybe you're being pranked, I don't know)...anyways keep up the great videos 👍📚
I am all about what the people want. Also, different strokes for different folks. A series I may not have liked the direction it took might be someone else's favorite. Definitely stop Dune after Chapterhouse. The Brian Herbert stuff is like Disney Star Wars levels of blasphemy.
The Brian Herbert crap is indeed like Disney Star Wars.
@@sonic31century1 It really is. Thing is that Dune is still such a small fandom that we don't get the casuals calling us Duniverse fans names for not liking the new stuff like has happened with Star Wars.
Inheritance is pretty good.
Oh, I thought it was just me not comprehending Dune's 'children.' I dutifully purchased "Chapter House" and "God Emperor." Couldn't digest them.
God Emperor is a tough read for some.
In fairness to Brent Weeks, Night Angel came out only a few months after Assassins' Creed, so any similarities (which are mostly based on the cover) are coincidental.
And he never planned Lightbringer to be a trilogy. He knew from the beginning it would be at least 4 books- ended up being 5.
I very much hated the Dark Tower series because I read and re-read the first 3 books because I loved them. From there on...especially the last book with his shitty 4th wall breaking talking to the reader..just took me out of it.
Also, I can understand your aversion to The Shannara series. The first few books are very much in a similar vein to Tolkeins world. I loved it and it was a little easier to get through with a more modern pace from the older tolkien classics. But that's isn't what kept me in the Shannara series. What kept me in it was the generational nature of the story telling. An anthology, with each successive book, you went further and further into the future of this world following the descendants of Jerle Shannara and the forces they had to contend with. Some brutal sacrifices are made along the way and the pacing is a refreshing speed when I need a break from the more slower paced Martin/Jordan styles of fantasy writing. I have fallen off though some years back. Think I only got about 14 or 15 books in before I gave reading a break for a number of years. I hope to re-start it and get to the books I haven't read yet. Running with the Demon is on my TBR.
I got about 75% through the Name of the Wind by PR and stopped reading it because nothing and I mean nothing was happening. I will eventually pick it up so I can have a more accurate opinion on the book but holy crap waiting to like a book after having read 3/4ths of it.....I just don't understand how more people don't like it.
Books 6 and 7 made me so mad at King I didn't read him for almost 7 years. It wasn't until 11/22/63 that I forgave him. Sounds like Shannara stayed fun for awhile. I only read the trilogy as a teen. Not sure how I'd feel about it now.
Love King but never read the last Dark Tower book. I have heard about the ending and I think that puts me off
Thank you! I don't get why people like The name of the wind so much! Kvothe was such aq Gary-Sue in my opinion and I couldn't stand him" I push through the first book but I don't think I'll read the second one.
same
name of the wind aint all that.
Fredrik Granström I’ll never understand the acclaim that book gets.
@@mikesbookreviews agreed, sure I enjoy poetry sometimes, but then ill read a fucking POEM easy to a digest, not hundreds of pages of a borning fucking book, going nowhere with an unlikeable protag... I want a cool story full of action and plottwists. I want suspense and thrill. And not someone being the best musician with the worlds cringiest lyrics. who cares if he never finish book 3 im surprised people finish book 1 !
It is less than that!
I did really enjoy it, but book 2 felt like a chore for me to get through. He spent WAY too long on certain parts, and it ended up being like an 1100 page book when it easily could have been 600-700 IMO. I'll probably go back and read them again if Doors of Stone ever comes out, but now that I've read all of Joe Abercrombie's stuff and am getting into the Gentleman Bastard series, Kingkiller Chronicle doesn't seem like anything so special to me.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates name of the wind! I put it down on the chapter where they were playing with rocks... you know what i'm talking about.
For me, It would be The Shannara Chronicles. The Sword of Shannara was eh while Elfstones was pretty good.
Also, I did like YA( Harry potter and Percy Jackson),but I agree that the Hunger Games is not as good as everyone is saying.
The Hitchhikers guide to the universe for me for sure. To the point, that I even question If I am still a fan or not. I loved the movie and went into the books expecting to love them. The first one was fine but by the third I was rather annoued, sometimes getting angry even. I will finish the series because I am a completionist (usually). The lack of plot, confusing arbitrary jumps and sidenotes get confusing and it is hard to keep track. Ocasionally there are good bits and fun parts but overall it has no direction. I think the line at the on of book 4 (I believe it was). "there was a point to this story, but the chronologer forgot what it was".
Also, The hussite trilogy from Sapkowski I ended after the first book. His writing style is awsome, but I kind of hated the main character and wasn't compelled to keep on reading.
Depending on how some feel on this one: The Sword of Truth. It’s very inconsistent. I’ve only read the main storyline but I chose to DNF the sequel series because I didn’t want to go through the frustration again. Does anybody agree with me? It’s an interesting read but then it gets incredibly sloppy and a bit bizarre.
I read the first SoT book as a teen and don't really remember much. I have a controversial opinion that his books get so much flack because of his political views (like what happened to Orson Scott Card), but having not read them I can't really apply too much weight to that opinion.
@@mikesbookreviews he made fun of robert jordans heart condition.
I read about half of SoT and they are okay at best but as a fantasy writer myself it kills me when does the had had thing. You can do so much better than that.
@@fredrikgranstrom6743 what's wrong with that? Jordan was a horrible human being
@@adampender2482 How was Jordan a horrible human being? Did you know him?
That's the thing about taste, it is so personal and unpredictable.
You can agree on the positives of one series and be on opposite sides the next time.
I liked but not loved the Dark Tower, but that's how I feel about most King books.
Stopped reading the Vampire Chronicles around the same book, but loved a lot of Rice's other books.
Kingkiller I love and fervently hope gets a good conclusion some day.
The Wheel of Time.. dropped it somewhere around book 8, might revisit sometime.
Song of Ice and Fire .. did not appeal to me at all.
And the Brandon Sanderson hype, don't get that at all..
It's impossible for books and authors to please everyone and that's fine. There's always more to read 🤓
Absolutely. I know people who tell me they don't like King at all and I get their reasoning. Books are the most subjective thing on the planet. One writer's prose will sing to someone while to another it seems like pretentious drivel. Funny you mention that about Wheel of Time since I'm currently about to finish book 8.
@@mikesbookreviews
Yup.. and as you age and reread certain books you find taste can change as well. What once resonated hard can become drivel, or the other way around 😂
I'm not the biggest King reader.. but would you agree it's very hard to either like or dislike all of his books? I mean he has written sooo much, and on all kinds of topics.
@@robpaul7544 I'm probably the wrong one to ask on King since I WILL DEFEND HIM WITH MY LIFE. But I think he's branched out so much in the second half of his career that there is something for everyone. It's hard to read 11/22/63 and think it's the same guy that wrote Tommyknockers, for example. He will forever be known as The Master of Horror, but he's written more books at this point that have very little horror in them than have. I do agree on age changing taste. Dune is my favorite book ever now but when I read it the first time at 15 I couldn't get through it.
Catching up on your backlist and wow - thank you - I've never heard anyone else say that they love Dune and not its' sequels - but I could not agree more. I love Dune - I re-read it more than any other book, but the sequels go so far off the rail. I just pretend that Dune is a stand-alone.
There are redeeming qualities in Messiah/Children as a pair, but it never touched the original.
@@mikesbookreviews I love Dune Messiah
SPOILER KINDA: When I started reading dune messiah, I just could not believe he skipped the whole jihad on the galaxy. I go back and forth on whether I kinda like or hate the sequels. But I did stop reading 100 pages into god emperor. It’s like the sequels were written by a changed man, a more pessimistic Frank Herbert. My main gripe in the sequels is: THERE’S NO SWORD FIGHTS! There’s like 5 great sword fights in Dune. “A feint, within a feint, within a feint.” People loved that in the first book. Then he decides, ah I’m just going to drop the most fun part of the best selling scifi book of all time.
I’m surprised. I’ve never heard anyone say they loved Dune and liked the rest of the series. Everyone I’ve heard says they loved Dune, maybe liked Dune Messiah, and don’t like the rest of the series.
I really, really enjoyed Name of the Wind but I laugh at your reaction. I honestly can't think of why people hate this so much, but it's tough to explain why I enjoyed it. Probably because life kept shitting on Kvothe and he had to dig himself out. I like how he punked his bully (I forgot his name) and I liked the mysterious Denna. But he was a punk, so I get it, people didn't like his character.
To me Name of the Wind was a mediocre story with amazing prose. The events in the story didn't grab me because i couldn't care less for Kvothe. There are so many superior fantasy series out there, in my opinion.
@@FrancT- I hadn't read many fantasy books at the time I read this, so that could be why it left an impression for me
Agreed with you about Hunger Games books. My sister recommended it highly, but it wasn't very good. Hated the way it was written.
Hey Mike. I just found this video on your channel.
- I agree with Vampire Chronicles, Queen of the Damned was my favorite book in highschool. The next 2 were so so, not good, not terrible, I was happy to see more Lestat. But after Armand, I just quit the series. It was very obvious that Anne Rice meant it as a trilogy.
- Dune I've read last year between the Malazan books. First one was awesome, Messiah one was interesting ... but by the end of Children of Dune things were crazy ... I stopped there.
- I've heard a lot of stuff about The Name of the Wind, did not read it, but from what people were saying you either love it or hate it. Because there are a lot of books out there I know i will love, i just skipped it
I believe there are some authors who come along and give a genre a mighty push. Readers are spoiled and expectations are stratified. As I get older I even believe I can do better and I know that’s not quite right either.
if you stopped on the second book of Night angel... ugh thats a hard one to get past the sappy stuff.. 3 was pretty good though was worth finishing but really weird.
I hated Kingkiller too. No worries. The main character is one of the worst Mary Sues I’ve ever come across.
Everyone uses the unreliable narrator excuse, and that might be the case, it just wasn’t for me.
I enjoyed The name of the wind, but I dont feel reading the second one yet. I read Dune and I would like to read the whole series but it is a big commitment and I am not sure I will enjoy the whole series. By now I am committed to The Wheel of Time and that will take me like 3 to 4 months. I haven't finished some series, but the only one that, after 10 years, I still don't finish (and they are just 5 books) is Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.
First I've heard of Fablehaven. The problem with the Dune sequels is they're always living in the shadow of the original and Paul isn't the main focus going forward and fans weren't ready for that. It spans thousands of years. I know I'm in the unpopular opinion on NotW.
@@mikesbookreviews Fablehaven is a fantasy series for children I would say. Maybe similar to Spiderwick Chronicles?? I am not sure. I read the first book ten years ago, and I still don't finish the whole series. hehee.
The Shannara series was my first mainstream step into fantasy novels that i read outside of Conan and Michael Moorcock's Elric books during my early twenties.
I of course found Shannara very different and totally enchanting, I ate it all up!. The first two series flew by before any fatigue really set in. I actually managed to read the 3rd Voyage Of Jerle trilogy but by then it really dawned on me that it was pretty much just the same story, recycled over and over since the first trilogy.
I've seen reviews for the other 3 or 4 series that followed and yes, it sounds like Terry is pretty much sticking to the paint by numbers, fantasy formula and hasn't changed anything. Its a shame really.
I am stuck at 45% of The Name of Wind, haven’t had desire to pick it up
I never finished the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini either for me it was was after I finished reading the 3rd book and I haven't really picked it backup since. I mean the series wasn't bad just I lost interest in it for some reason. To this day I still don't know how the series ends.
I absolutely adored TNotW when I first read it... But then again, I had just jumped from "A Wizard's First Rule," by Terry Goodkind, which is quite possibly my most hated novel of all time.
Yeah . . . anyone who recommends The Sword of Truth isn't to be trusted.
Yeah gotta hate those conservatives bc everyone tells you to
@@adampender2482 who mentioned conservatism? The book is just bad.
@@DarthSnugglePuss not as bad as WoT
@@adampender2482 okay? Why do small minded people have to bash something else when something they like is criticized? Things can and do suck in a vacuum without having to compare to other things.
What does that night angel black book 📖 look like on the inside?
😂😂, I hope I like The Name of the Wind, because at this point I feel like I’m just throwing money at Amazon. I have a 9 book tbr list and I’ve paused at least 3 of them.
Dark Tower was perfect
I hard agree with the Dune sequels. God Emperor is in my TBR for years
Quite a mixed bag