Top 10 most OVERRATED fantasy series (2023 update)
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
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00:00 | Intro
00:24 | Number 10
02:38 | Number 9
04:41 | Number 8
07:19 | Number 7
08:52 | Number 6
10:33 | Number 5
12:58 | Number 4
14:44 | Number 3
19:02 | Number 2
21:01 | Number 1
#fantasybooks #bookreview #bestbooks #fantasybooks #booktube #booktuber #books #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #booknerd #bookish #book #reading #read #booktubers 
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I am always shocked how people get upset because someone doesn't like what they do. Thanks for keeping it real!
No problem!
It's whatever to me. We all have different tastes. 😊
I just wanted to say, I really appreciate how clearly you can explain what does and doesn't work in a book. Countless Booktube channels fawn over novels without really contributing anything to the conversation. The most engaging part of reading to me is discussions about the mechanics of plot and character. Thanks for being honest with your audience and truly treating your viewers like peers!
Thanks so much!
I read the hobbit/LOTR recently (as 23 y.o.) I absolutely love the prose and think it holds up incredibly well
I agree it holds up, but I would disagree that it's a top 10 series when compared to all series.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewsAgree. 😊
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews i can see that I haven’t read enough new fantasy yet i am working my way through Wok and Got rn
I agree with everything you say about Broken Earth, especially the obviousness of the "twist." There's just one difference, I still really loved it!
LOL! Glad it worked for you!
I'm reading LOTR for the first time as an adult, and I totally agree. It was monumental for the genre when it premiered, but times have changed. I'd consider it more of a classic at this point, similarly to Frankenstein, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde being classics of sci-fi and horror but not necessarily the cream of the crop.
Not sure I agree with you point about second-person not working in written word. If done well, it can make the audience become more empathetic because the reader IS the protagonist. With first-person, the reader is only in the mind of the protagonist and not the protagonist themself. (For context's sake, I began but did not finish The Fifth Season. I plan to return to it someday.)
Broken empire is elite, Jorg remains my favorite fantasy character and I loved the brotherhood. 2 timelines was indeed confusing but once you get into the past storyline it gets just as interesting as the present storyline. Unless you can say grim dark is your thing, you may not like it. a lot of books are called grim dark but this series is one of few I believe is actually qualified to be called that.
Full honesty. I am here looking for recommendations. As a long time viewer of your Channel I have discovered the best way to find a five-star book is to find one that you despise for reasons I simply do not understand. Inversely if I want light three stars and a decent enough distraction but nothing to write home about, I look for a book you give five stars. This system has yet to disappoint me.
Haha that's pretty funny. My tastes and Matt's align sometimes and diverge greatly at others and I haven't fully figured out when.
Glad I can be of service!
Other than red rising, lotr and mistborn he’s spot on about the rest.
the number 1 series, and I figured this going into this video, is in my top ten off all time.@@kurekiller6070
@kurekiller6070 for me I'd add dresden too but I agree
The problem with judging Tolkein in retrospect is that it is that old and it was the basis for everything after it. So, judging it by the standard of modern books feels almost unfair. I didn't read it as a kid but still love what it is.
Anyway, I also enjoyed the Locked Tomb series after burning through it this summer. Read the first Dresden book recently and it was all right, an interesting world basis but not the greatest read, so I'll try to get to the "better" parts. Dark Tower I finished recently and have... mixed feelings. I'm gonna start The Fifth Season soon, good luck to me? Ha.
Meant to try Red Rising before getting distracted by the above, ha ha, but am very afraid of the descriptions of the Gary Stu. And I feel like I have heard more negative things about Poppy War/Kuang's writing than positive.
I think the reason it's fair to judge Tolkein to the modern standard is that's exactly what people are doing when they say it's the greatest of all time.
About Fifth Season…good luck! I couldn’t get past first few pages.
@weregretohio7728 The first Dresden book is definitely just decent. However the series as a whole is probably the biggest improvement I've ever come across. The two best books in the series are 12 and 15, and that's just crazy. You should absolutely keep going if you enjoyed Storm Front.
Red Rising also gets incredible the further you get into it btw. And calling Darrow a Gary Stu?.. ehh.
Disagree. There's lots of fantasy books and series that are even older than Tolkien's work and I think they hold up much better. I also generally dislike most modern fantasy so that's not the problem. I like Lord of the Rings but I've read tons of old fantasy series that are just as old and even older while being leagues beyond it imo.
@@nightmarishcompositions4536 Which ones?
Matt, I appreciate that you have and share your opinions. I hope you don't lose too many subs because of the LOTR and the other popular series.
I don't agree about LOTR and some of the other mentioned series, but that is the neat thing about so many series out there... We get to love the ones we love ^_^
Love the video Matt! I think it would be cool to see your take on books written in 1st and 3rd person. Maybe a top five/ten list of each. Maybe a vs or ranking of some kind!
I’m a reader who’s very picky about 1st person books. I prefer 3rd person because 1st person books most of the time make me cringe because it feels like I’m reading someone’s diary if it isn’t done very well. Just thinking you’d do a great job with that!
Yeah great idea!
I'm a big Stephen King fan but I also love fantasy and all I can say is I absolutely understand how you feel about the dark tower. I mean, I liked it but I really don't think that people who doesn't enjoy King's writing style or that haven't read a lot of his work are going to enjoy it. I'm 100% sure it was written for King fans and not for fantasy readers in general, because all of the easter eggs and the connections with his multiverse. So I wouldn't even think of recommending it to every person I meet.
Have you read any other NK Jemisin books? I’ve heard good things lol and probably not second person. Those I do want to give a chance, especially the the hundred thousand kingdoms and it’s series
No but I might try another someday!
I no longer judge whether or not I like a book on if I like the characters because as I get old and grumpy I consistently dislike almost every character in every book lol
LOL
Can't believe you find Red Rising overrated sir! Another great video as always👍
LOL, thanks!
Thanks for another great video! I always love you dunking on books. 😝 We do disagree on Red Rising though. 😉 I do not think Darrow is very perfect, although he was carved and trained to be. He makes a lot of mistakes and learns and I think this becomes more pronounced in books 4-6. Although I agree that 4 is a weaker entry I think Brown really goes on a great exploration of building empires while still creating high stakes action as well as politics.
Good video! I agree with you on LotR and Dark Tower, haven’t read many of the others yet. On my list would be Mistborn era 1 - I just don’t get it 🤪
Gideon the Ninth is one of my favorite fantasy books, but that's because it has a lot of what I like, coming from someone who likes horror video games and found the characters more funny than cringey. At the same time, I like hearing you explain why you didn't like it and other books. I always like hearing other peoples' opinions, because I think that everyone's book taste is at least somewhat affected by personality or life experiences. Nothing wrong with that. Definitely subscribing and checking out your other videos!
You have an awesome channel Matt. You're very articulate and have great taste. I'd love for you to review my books at some point, but my Fantasy series isn't out yet (only my Space Western series the Raoke Gang). I'm afraid by the time my first fantasy novel comes out, you'll be well over 100k subs and it'd be impossible to reach out to you haha.
Hard agree on Red Rising. One of the most meh books I've ever read. I disagree that LotR and the Dark Tower are overrated, but , sure to each their own. Dark Tower especially is definitely of limited appeal.
And not that anyone asked, but my three "hot takes" would be:
(1) The Kingkiller Chronicle - Not bad, but wildly, horribly, breath-takingly overrated. Essentially a 3.5 that the madness of the crowds has pushed to some weird worship status. Must be the epic beard or something.
(2) Discworld - Not funny, not interesting, not entertaining. The sort of thing enjoyed by people who go through life huffing their own farts, puffed up on their own sense of self importance. But ironically.
(3) His Dark Materials - Phillip Pullman - This was more a disappointment with how the second half of the third book fell apart into a tedious sermon. Not bad overall, but overrated on that basis.
Agree about discworld everyone says it’s so funny i literally never cracked a smile and i tried like 5 different books in the series
Completely agree on Materials. It started out with potential then he forgot how to tell a coherent story.
Totally agree re: Kingkiller. The first book is enjoyable enough, the second one is a disorganized, self-indulgent, sexist mess.
I read the 6 books of the Red Rising series and I thought they were good. Marta Wells was also very entertaining and underneath this entertainment there were many ethical questions about consciousness and artificial intelligence. Killer bot's character arc was also quite interesting.
Another great video. Your comments about Dresden (I think I read the first 3) remind me of how cringy the Piers Anthony books (the Xanth series especially) are now that I’m an adult. I really liked them when I was in my late teens/early 20’s but looking back a couple decades later I see them for what they are. Other than that I agree with you on LOTR and Dark Tower for sure - haven’t read the others.
You are spot on with Mistborn era 2; similar to my Waybound review i didnt ultimately hate it as much as you did, but literally every point yoy make is spot on. Its the only series he didn't properly plan for from the outset and its so clear how much that shows. The cynical part of me thinks the only reason he pulled the Cosmere Deus Ex Machina was because he had no idea how to end it with even the vaguest of bangs.
Yup, I think you are correct!
I have a different opinion on it, that he did plan it out but he wanted to start sharing more of the cosmere more openly rather than have it sudo hidden behind things or referenced. So he included a lot of it in the third book in a very obvious almost exposition manner and tied that in with the finally which didn't end up working and made the last book the worst of the series.
I definitely agree with some of these. I've read 4 mark Lawrence books and haven't been wowed by any of them really (agreed he's a fantastic person in the community though). Lost Metal was brutal, it feels like it takes more and more effort to keep up with all the small cosmere references, which is cool for a lot of people for sure, but as a more casual Sanderson fan (I've read all mistborn books and stormlight) i felt like i missed a lot of stuff in it
Hey Matt I recommend listening to the dark tower series from Book 2 - read by Frank Muller, if that doesnt change your opinion of the Dark Tower series, than so be it.
I actually did do the audiobook for book 2!
Hey Matt. I know this vid's been out a while, but I just came across it and had to add my tuppeny's worth! :)
I can't speak on the other books you mentioned, but I think you are dead wrong about TLOTR. Personally, I don't think it's possible to "overrate" TLOTR. Think of it this way...
Between them, Martin, Sanderson, Jordan, Erikson et al. have written dozens of books that most people will enjoy more than TLOTR. But their books are just some among the thousands of fantasy books out there, and all will contain elements that can be traced back to TLOTR. By contrast, Tolkien wrote one book that literally changed the world, or at least the world of fantasy books. Whether WE like the book or not, or whether we enjoy other books more is irrelevant. A book that spawns an entire genre cannot be overrated :)
I love red rising! Upon reread I realized some of its short comings. However part two of the series is on a whole other level. You can tell Pierce brown really improves in his writing and all of his pov characters are a lot more mature.
Nah Darrow still gets cucked
Haha! Starting the video with shock and awe! Well done Matt. I disagree regarding LoTR, but I also understand. We can't all have the same opinions, because that would be boring.
But you're 100% correct regarding Dresden.
I’m new to your channel and interestingly I picked both series #1 and 2 due to their reviews online. However I DNF Book 1 of Broken Earth or Book 2 of Dark Tower. I’m glad it’s not just me. I love Stephen King though.
Yup, we DNF'd both at the exact same spot!
Though I do fall onto the category of LOTR lovers from childhood, it is so refreshing to hear some of my own disappointments reflected in this video. There are many fantasy novels which have so much hype that I found very mediocre and didn’t get too! Thank you for your honest reviews, I will always appreciate that, even if I don’t always agree.
Thanks so much!
I was so onboard with you about The Dark Tower. i only finished book 1, years ago. No need to read further - there are so many other books on my list. I felt like i was being beaten over the head about how "epic" it was.
I get what you're saying about Broken Earth. Truly. But i loved it. Maybe because I'm a geologist and i loved the description of what was happening in the earth and that powers came from the earth. It was also so different. I found the characters quite developed, though the pacing was slow initially. So i get why people don't like it, and it's probably not in my top 10 because i doubt I'll ever read it again, but i did love it.
I dropped "The Dark Tower" after first book. It was a chore finishing it. Took me nearly 2 months. :/
"What am I gonna go keep reading books till I wanna shoot myself?" 🤣
Love that we can find common ground for nr.10, 2 and especially nr 1!! Still angry at the staff in the book shop that recommended it to me, time wasted...
Cool video Matt. I do respect your opinions and agree on Stephen King. I'm do glad I'm not the only one who didn't like those books. However, I did like The Poppy War trilogy and Red Rising trilogy. Just goes to show we all have different tastes. Happy reading to you.
Haven’t read all of these but agree with the ones I have. I finished Gideon the Ninth but DNF the next one…and never will. And I enjoyed the first Jemisen book but gave up on the second.
However I bought The Forgetting Moon on your recommendation as an under rated book, but not enjoying it at all!!
Couldn’t agree more on Dresden! Super creep!
Yeah, I got a few books in and couldn't take it anymore.
Right? He does his fedora justice.😅 I stopped in book two or so.
I agree with you on LOTR, disagree on Red Rising (except the series goes down), Martha Wells totally agree, The Poppy War was nice but overrated, the Fifth season totally disagree, the rest is still on my reading list.
I'm really trying to enjoy Red rising, I honestly am. But I put it down 6 months ago about half way through, and I've picked it back up with about 50 pages to go. I still have no desire to read on to book two at this point. I don't like the main character, I don't really like the way it's written and I'm just not feeling it. I know it's so popular, and I will probably try to at least read the trilogy, but I'm really disappointed in it. So I can totally see what you're saying.
On another note, I recently discovered your channel and I really appreciate your videos. Keep up the great work!
first book is easily the lowest point in the series. It just gets better from there in my opinion but if you dont like the way its written then I guess its just not for you.
You don't have to like books others love but the disrespectful comments are unnecessary. RUDE!
I don't think the job of reviewing things is to simply be respectful.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I do, most things deserve respect when it is just a personal opinion. I miss that in our culture.
What things he said were disrespectful though
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews HUMAN INTERACTION SHOULD BE RESPECTFUL. EXCUSE THE CAPS , NOT YELLING.
Insightful and honest, I appreciate your willingness to put your neck out on the proverbial chopping block. Taste is subjective. What a boring world would it be if we all agreed on every single topic. Thanks for "pissing us off." I love your videos.
Thanks so much! :)
Going to have to agree on the Broken Earth. The first book was OK, but it didn't come together. I came away from it feeling a bit cold. It checks a lot of boxes for representation, but the story itself isn't really there.
The issue with LotR is similar to groundbreaking classic movies such as Citizen Kane. Some much of what was original and great has been used by multiple successors while the less interesting material has been left behind. How many people would watch Citizen Kane or a Buster Keaton movie for entertainment today? How many mystery readers will read Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon and ignore the xenophobia and homophobia?
I couldn't figure out why I didn't vibe with Red Rising, but I think you hit it. I couldn't sympathize with the main character. Same on the Poppy War!
Love your reviews Matt, I use both your disliked reviews and loved reviews. First Law was an amazing recommendation but I also love the Wax and Wayne series and think they’re amazing. Keep up your hard work!
-I read Lotr like 5 years ago,since then i reread Tolkien books every year (hobbit,lotr,silmarillion,unfinished tales,children of hurin,beren and luthien,fall of gondolin) ,i love that world so much,characters,prose,everything..Its gonna be my number 1 forever,but i understand when ppl dont like it,and its fine with me idc tbh,everyone is different.
-Murderbot i tried to read 3 times and i cant stand writing style,quited after like 30.40 pages everytime,i felt physical pain reading it.
Good job quitting on Murderbot. Saved your pocketbook from getting drained as well!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews idk about prices for eng version of book,but here in serbia i paid 13 dollars for (Compulsory,All system red,Artificial Condition,Rogue Protocol,Exit strategy ,Home) ,they are all in one volume,so its not big deal
If Lord of The Rings is overrated, then The Children of Húrin is underrated.
Matt should give it a try.
"The Fifth Season" worked so well for me because I took it as an oral storytelling. The 2nd perspective felt like I was listening to a story dedicated to a special someone that the narrator addressed as "you". I definetely need to re-read all 3 books in the original language at some point. I rembember it was like nothing else I experinced before. Some of the themes had a strong impact on me.
The other difference in taste is regarding Rin. While I did not loved her, I felt like she lost herself in the war, so I could understand that. Kitay was my favorite character because of his unconditional friendship.
I agree on Dresden Files and Murderbot. But, I would add that Greenbone Saga. I really don't get the hype, it is so dull.
Tbh I don’t find that I like the mistborn series very much. Read book one and it was hailed as this amazing book. But I felt like the character building really didnt leave an impact and I started the second book and just really didn’t want to continue. Love stormlight, but mistborn just felt like the world building was lack luster too. I think I was expecting way of kings level stuff, but just felt like several steps down
My personal views on LotR are feeling nice and validated right now! 😅
Pretty much agree with this entire list though mistborn era 2 isn't that hyped and often criticized especially in comparison to era 1 so don't think its too overrated.
Also, i think it would be better to keep your criticism of the fifth season to the work. The other statements are cringy to listen to and imo unnecessary.
I have a BIG problem with the way the Hugo has been handled over the past decade. I think there was a big problem before the current trend, but the current trend is just as bad as before.
There's a middle ground somewhere, but for whatever reason we are just flopping between one bad thing for another. And it makes my trust in these types of awards essentially non-existent.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews agreed on the hugo awards. Its a popularity contest and overlooks great works in sff consistently. Its like the goodreads choice awards. We all know fourth wing is going to win this year and that is just sad, though hugo isn't as bad. Just think its better to focus critique on the work and not try to imply ulterior motives fir praising a work without evidence. That series is beloved by many and I have to believe those opinions are valid based on enjoyment not because of who the author is.
People used to really hype up Mistborn Era Two. I heard all the time that it was a lot better than Era One for years and years...
Thank you so much, I need more. Just don't know what to read next.And this list is perfect.
Love you unapologetically bashing the reads that have disappointed you. I’m actually right with you on the Lord of the Rings, having no nostalgia factor adding to my current experience of trying to read it. Also right with you on the Poppy War, which as a series is just so mediocre in so many ways.
I’m not in accord with you on a bunch of the others that I’ve read, which is great since I got to enjoy them more and proves we’re not somehow clones of one another with the same exact reading taste. Can’t say I’m enthusiastic to try Prince of Thorns or Gideon the Ninth though! They’ve never called to me
See everyone! We aren't identical!
The only thing I really liked about Poppy War is I thought it was refreshing to have a female fantasy protagonist that was unapologetically evil and twisted. She's not a good or likable person by any means, but I thought it was interesting reading about her huge downward spiral. The ending of the final book blew though.
@@nightmarishcompositions4536 no joke about the ending - I couldn’t believe how bad it was, and how it actually betrayed the heart of Rin’s character
Oh damn...he came out swinging lol. I often find myself loving books people dislike and not liking books others love. While sometimes it is just taste, I think some high community praise for some titles lately are due to current social agenda standards check marks all being marked. Just my opinion. Agree about those that I have also read, especially about Book 1, and also the Novella you mention. Don't want to spoil the video lol
Honest discussion is good, sadly rare in these days.
Edit: You´re wrong about Tolkien though;)
LOL
STRONGLY agree about Gideon, disagree about Mistborn Era 2 and Dark Tower (it has one of the craziest, best endings of all time) and STRONGLY disagree about LOTR, Poppy War and ESPECIALLY Red Rising. But, to each their own!
LotR absolute sacrilege, lol. I'm with you for the most part on all of these. And although nowhere near my best top 10, Red rising and Broken earth were great reads for me personally.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading any of these though.. still some good reads even if you wouldn't ever pick them up again.
Glad there's at least another person that has the exact same opinion as me about Mistborn Era 2, I appreciate your honesty on these types of videos!
Thanks!
Surprised to hear about the Dresden books, now I don't have to waste my time on it,
Couldn't agree more for Murderbot. The 1st book just didn't work for me on any level. People see humor in the series but it just fell flat to me.
If you want to read the exact same book, just pick up book #2!
I'm 56, I've been reading fantasy for over 40 years and Gideon is one of the BEST characters I've ever encountered. I simply don't re-read books at my age (I'm running out of life), but I've re-read Gideon 3 times. I hated Harrow (the second book) and won't touch Nona with a 40-metre pole. But Gideon...she floats my boat. Also Murderbot. OMFG. I love, love, love Murderbot.
I think you're wrong about Tolkien (but this is subjective, so doesn't really matter) -- to me it still holds up, and to this day no other world feels as "old" and as "lived in" and "real" as Middle Earth. The world-building, language, mythology and history is unmatched. His prose are beautiful too.
Apart from that, agreed with a lot of your takes in this video
🤣
I agree on LOTR. I still rated each book 5 stars because of my respect for how they were crafted (Tolkien literally calculated the moon phases and all that to make them accurate as time passed, the dude was meticulous as all hell), because of their significance to the genre, etc., but as far as "fun" goes they're no where near the top of my list (although The Scouring of the Shire is the best chapter in the series, and it's fantastic).
I highly disagree with Red Rising. Darrow THINKS he's the smartest person in the room, but he's not. He gets outmaneuvered all the time, and he massively fucks up, A LOT, and he suffers for it more than once. I was pretty down on the sequel series as I did not enjoy Iron Gold and Dark Age all that much, but Light Bringer was fantastic IMO. That being said, Sun Eater is way better than Red Rising.
I largely agree on Poppy War. I thought the first book was pretty good. Then it got worse and worse. I don't think I had nearly as many problems with the main character as most people do, but I hated the ending of The Burning God so much it just ruined the entire series for me.
I like the Dresden Files, but I've only read up through Changes, and I thought it was great. The first few books are meh for sure though.
I enjoy Dark Tower, and I agree The Gunslinger is pretty shit. But I liked all the other ones. Wolves of the Calla is my favorite, which is an unpopular opinion, but it's basically Stephen King's version of Seven Samurai, so of course it's my favorite.
Those are the only ones on your list that I've read.
I’ve only read 2 of the 10 series your mentioned. With both of them, I agree with you! (LOTR, and JK Nemesin). A few of the others I have on my TBR, but now you’ve got me thinking about removing them. So… thanks? Yes, thank you!
It's a very honest thing to say about the LOTR trilogy. Years ago I would have disagreed with you, but I think you're right. It was a masterpiece for its time and should always hold a place of esteem within the genre, but by today's standards it doesn't hold up. And that type of thing should be expected. It's like comparing the special effects in Scifi movies from the 60s to contemporary special effects. With each work the bar moves forward.
Much respect to you for your honesty! While I do (respectfully) disagree with you on a couple of these, I'm totally with you on Mistborn era 2, and I don't know how I read three(?) of those books (I have no plans to read The Lost Metal). Regarding Broken Earth, I've read some of Jemisin's other works, namely The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and its two sequels, and I have to agree with your overall assessment: the characterization was largely mediocre, and the world-building was lackluster.
I didn't read LOTR until I was older and had already read a lot of other fantasy. I gave up on the first book twice due to boredom until a friend recommended I just skip the song parts.
Yeah the songs are the worst part for sure.
If you actually hear them sung competently they can be a lot more engaging, try playing various youtube performances when you get to those parts.
@@MagusMarquillin At first I thought you were nuts, but upon further reflection I think this is an awesome idea. I'm really glad you brought it up because I would have never considered it on my own👍
I only read 2 of the series you mentioned, but I completely agree with your opinion about both
I completely agree with LOTR. And totally get your point with Era 2, I consider it the weakest Cosmier book/s (though still not read Yumi). Only disagree is dresdan, I read it like I'm watching a trashy supernatural TV show e.g. Buffy, supernatural AND I LOVE IT!
I can understand your views with Lord of the Rings and The Dark Tower.
I started reading Lord of the Rings later in life, and while I thought it was interesting, it just wasn't for me.
For The Dark Tower, I don't understand how it got so popular. I made it to through the second book before stopping before picking up the third one to see if it was just me who didn't like it. 1/3 of the way through the 4th book, I realized I just wasn't enjoying it at all.
I admittedly haven't heard of the other books on the list, so I can't share my opinions on them.
I totally agree re: Dark Tower series. Stephen King is hugely overrated in general, in my opinion, but some people just love him. Interesting thing with Lord of the Rings, though. I do find those novels to be a total slog to get through but recently I listened to the Fellowship of the Ring audiobook with Andy Serkis narrating. This vastly improved the experience for me and I found myself really loving and appreciating the language and the characters. I’ll have to remember the audiobook option the next I get stuck in a book, that is, unless the book in question is The Poppy War. I read the first part and thought it was okay, but I really have zero interest in continuing with it.
As usual I disagree with Matt on so much, lol. But I always admire that he’s willing to express his honest opinion. Thanks for the video, Matt!
No problem, thanks for the kind words!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews no worries, love your channel. And you’re not wrong about the Dresden Files….that’s some creepy writing right there.
Lord of The Rings has always been overrated in my opinion. I think of this even more now than I did in the early 80's because of all the fantasy that I have read since then.
I love The Dark Tower series, but The Gunslinger is pretty bizarre.....The Drawing of Three is fantastic though, hang your head in shame SIR! 🤣 Love you my guy! I'm stoked for the Mike Flanagan series 🤘🙌
LOL. I AM SHAMED!
Lol! When I joined the Discord and gave The Dark Tower as favourite series (kinda, I don't really have one per se), I was warned you hate it and that confirms it. I think if you're a King fan and have read many of his books, the Easter eggs, the vignette scenes within the story, it ties in wonderfully and you have fun. I also loved Jemisin's series, so double yikes. However, I just had (today!) to return the 4th book in the 2nd Mistborn series unfinished to the library. First time ever I struggle with Sanderson, I don't have the perspective to explain yet but this one is really not working for me. I only enjoyed the 1st book in the second "trilogy", mostly for the twist, so I guess I should have seen it coming. Oh well.
The four first books are good, far from perfect, but good. The fifth has some nice moments, but overall it's bad when compared to the previous ones.
The sixth book is horrible. The final book is a mess, even though I enjoyed the ending.
@@AnonymousAnonposter I’ll finish it, but maybe Sanderson is overextending himself at this point. Or westerns and comedy are not his forte, who knows.
@@myfirstnovel oh, I was referring to The Dark Tower.
I haven't had time to read the second era of Mistborn yet.
@@AnonymousAnonposter Oops, sry. I thought the first one was better than people warn but not great. I struggled with the second because I didn’t like the new characters at all. I got on board from the third one forward and just went with the flow. It’s not an effective narrative, it meanders, can be long, but there are moments that gripped me and I laughed a lot at his chutzpah. And the meta! Final confrontation is one of the worst letdown ever but the ending is genius. I have read so much King, I always enter his world with excitement, like meeting with an old friend you love despite his idiosyncrasies. Maybe even because of them. 🤷♀️
I like Supernatural so I was gonna give Dresden Files a go, but you can count me out after those quotes you gave. I'm getting flashbacks to GRR Martin's obsession with Dany's nipples in Game of Thrones (which rubbed me way way the wrong way personally).
I've read first 4 books, which are supposed to be the "not so good" part of the series but I found myself enjoying them a lot. But I do think you should take little breaks in between the books because some times the storylines feel a little repetitive and each book has it's own story (atleast the ones I have read)
@@sakshathsm20 Yup, 100%....they are very quick reads, you can burn through them and you should absolutely read them as "palate cleansers" and just mix them in in-between bigger books or whatever...don't read them back to back to back...that would probably get old fast.
Really love the dresden files. never felt that sexual feeling with those books..😅❤
I have to say - I am really happy you were so honest about The Dresden Files. I’m merely reading the liveship trilogy and just the misogyny threaded throughout the series (written purposefully for the characters and character of the part of the world-I have to mention) REALLY pisses me off. As a woman who really enjoys reading great stories and characters I am happy to know I’m not missing out on anything with Jim Butcher/Dresden. Thank you sincerely! ❤🙏🏻🫶🏻
pretty much agree with the whole list. Especially mistborn era 2. there was like 15 good pages out of 1700 and you would be perfectly fine never reading it in your cosmere journey.
Yeah, really, really didn't need to be written. Condensing them all down to a novella would have been great though.
I made it to Book 2 on the Dark Tower series. I enjoyed the first book though agree it was a vague wandering story, but that's typical with Western's. The second book I felt was like something I didn't sign up for. It's not the story I wanted, and it felt incoherent in the overall storytelling. Hearing your background knowledge that the books were originally short stories that may or may not have been meant to tie in together makes a lot of sense. I haven't read much of King's work and know he's well acclaimed, but it felt like the series and author were getting a lot of leeway from reader's opinions on the work based on their appreciation of him and his notoriety. He's a good and well appreciated author so the books and series must be good.
I disagree with your take on LoTR, but appreciate that you don't fall victim to group think as others do. I rather listen to a reviewer who has their own opinions than one that doesn't think for themselves.
Regarding Tolkein, I wonder if anything could live up to the hype some gave it. But for being 80 years old I find it still holds up.
Am curious how many of the more recent writers will be viewed or just forgotten.
But I find saying one enjoys a book can be problematic. The need to be entertained is often an issue.
Does one actually enjoy reading Bakker, the Snake arc in Malazan or watching Schindler's List?
Yeah I imagine a ton of authors from today will be completely forgotten in the future. Plenty of authors that were formerly huge are already going down that route.
And yeah I hear you on the "enjoyability" perspective, just from a personal side of things, I find that to be the most important quality to a book. And I can say with 100% certainty that the Snake arc was my least favorite arc in all of Malazan.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Am on Team Allen that Kelyk went on just too long. Snake at least had some bearing in the overall plot.
With Gideon the Ninth, I loved the magic system and setting. The plot however, turned into an arena-ish mystery. Man, I could imagine so many alternate plot ideas that would be so interesting. I get where you're coming from with the lack of interest in the plot
I agree with many of these. I can't personally agree with Mistborn Era 2 as Wayne's humor is spot on for me. However the only one I can't comprehend not loving is The Poppy War. I COMPLETELY agree with every word spoken about The Fifth Season though.
I think one big problem I had with Poppy War that I didn't mention here is that I'm already a big history fan, so this felt like a scene for scene ripoff that destroyed all of the tension.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewsI guess that could go either way. I have a BA in History myself so I enjoyed the parallels but yea i could see it as a tension killer
I would throw Light Bringer by Brent Weeks high on this list as well, for me anyways.
The only reason I can't throw it on there is I think people have really dragged that series down given how the ending went. So I think it's rated kind of perfectly. Great few books, really disappointing last couple books.
I've tried reading that series multiple times and I've never been able to make past 120 pages. Couldn't bring myself to like the story, the characters or the writing style at all.
I haven't read Red Rising and Murderbot series and don't have opinions about them. With the rest...Yes, with the rest I agree. Word. For. Word. Except Tolkien. Maybe I'm sentimental much here.
LOL, I'll take it!
I love the lore of LOTR immensely. But from the perspective of pure enjoyment, I agree with you. I don’t enjoy middle earth as much as I enjoy contemporary works like Cosmere or The First Law etc.
The Dark Tower gets good from the third book on (and I have yet to know someone who doesn't love the fourth) so don't lose hope yet. I agree about the Dresden Files, I hate those books too. Lord of the Rings is an unforgettable classic, and I have a special affection for the books in my heart, so I disagree. And I am yet to read the Red Rising saga, and you just discouraged me a little from doing it.
At the end of the day is just a matter of opinion and taste I suposs.
Good video. Greetings from Peru.
I actually thought it got extremely good with book 2. The difference in quality between Gunslinger and Drawing of the Three is amazing.
Don’t agree with the whole list but where I do, I certainly do! 😂
LOL I love it.
Matt I wasnt really into the dark tower until i read The 3rd book!! Please give it a shot
CanNOT believe he included it in here and hasn't even finished it lol
I disagree with some of your takes, but I really like that you aren’t afraid to share your unique opinions! For example; I am not nostalgic on Lord of the Rings… I genuinely like it more than most fantasy series, but I do appreciate your view. For me First Law (J Abercrombie) is super overrated… there are characters I think are brilliant (Glotka), but I just don’t enjoy his writing style. I had many rolling eyes moments with Bayaz and Logen. Anyway… enjoyed the video! Btw, I love (LOVE) Murderbot, but really dislike Dark Tower. Currently reading and loving R Hobb Farseer trilogy….
Completely agree with your take on LOTR. Just because something was first doesn't mean it's the best nor the greatest.
The Fifth Season was one of the best reading experiences of my life but the sequels are where I get my dislike from. The 2nd person perspective was really cool with the first book but I was completely over it by the second book. It was like a switch went off when the second book started and I started hating every character and all the plot. The first book I still think was amazing for me as someone who didn't get the twist until the reveal. I can see the dislike though.
I agree with you that N. K. Jemisin’s book was not interesting but I do not agree that “Wokism” is the reason for the acclaim. You mentioned several other authors who you did not like the style or storytelling but you did not mentioned they were given privileges for their praised based on their race or sex. I do not like the insinuation that if a black women gets praised it is wokism but if a white man gets praised then it is just you do not agree with his style of writing.
Your taste is so different from mine. Reading fantasy for more than 25 years now. And almost never like the books you really loooove😅 there are books for everyone..read the ones you want. Life is too short❤
I think the only one I do not agree with is LOTR. It absolutely deserves the hype and critical acclaim it has, though not for some of the reasons most readers think of.
I did not read the series until I was an adult, including The Hobbit, so nostalgia is not really a factor for me. What is a factor is my background as an English major in college because of some classes I took that focused on Old English literature. Since Tolkien was a celebrated historian and linguist, he took great inspiration from the Mythos, literary devices, and languages of the peoples he studied IRL. The way he blends it all together with his own personal life experiences is incredible.
And yes, the scope of the story is incredible, the world building is truly epic, and the characters are wonderful.
There’s more, obviously, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll just say that there are not many authors that even come close to Tolkien’s brilliance, whatever the genre they write in.
Don't think he disagrees with you on that. He just believes there has been better fantasy book since. It may be the most most influential fantasy seies no doubt, but not the best.
I feel like you need to read the entirety of a series before you critique it, the Dark Tower starts off admittedly poorly, but as Stephan King matured as an author the series continuously got better. I mean the series was written over the course of 4 decades, the difference in quality between the early books and some of the later one's is staggering. Additionally, people love it because it ties together so many of his other novels outside of the series, so each reference and Easter egg felt like a little gift to everyone who has read his other books. I strongly recommend you finish the series, if you still feel the same way by the time it's done then that's perfectly reasonable but I have a strong suspicion that you may change your mind.
I read mostly SciFi as I need some sort of logical explation for events and magic annoys me. Therefore I shouldn't like The Dark Tower, but I do. I have no Idea why. Im trying to not analyse it too much because your comments are correct, it makes no sense, it's absurd and yet it's wonderful.
I love The Dresden Files but I have to recommend it to people with a lot of qualifiers. It’s dumb and male fantasy and misogynistic but it’s SO entertaining when it’s firing on all cylinders.
I was talking with a coworker the other day a bout dark tower. I made it to the fourth book and stopped . I love Stephen king but this just didn’t do it for me. Not a series but fairy tale is way better by king than any of the four books I read for dark tower series .
I'm not going to lie, some of the reasons you gave for Prince of Thorns being bad make me want to read it more 😂
Hard agree about the main character in Red Rising, but I absolutely loved everything else about those books. I also told my friend his writing was pretentious af so i feel very seen 😂
Haha the “too cool for school” murderbot description was spot on 😂
The reason you dislike the dark tower is exactly why I dislike malazan series. I don't want to read a book and be utterly confused and read the second book and not only have more questions than answers..