Even tough I don't agree with many of theese statements I do love to see people being able to state their own ideas and opinions and discuss in a respectful way
1: Tolkien is a master of a language but his storytelling prose is so far off course from what most people read in an action/adventure fantasy story these days that it can definitely take some getting used to. 2: I give GRRM no slack. It’s been 12 years since Dances with Dragons and he’s written literally anything BUT Winds of Winter. He wrote two other books and a video game, helped make tv shows, and even had two years of isolation and he still couldn’t do it. He doesn’t get a pass anymore
In GRRM's defense, it's all that fame bush coming his way. I wrote a stellar book report in 6th grade and it almost ruined me so I can only imagine what it's like being a NY Times bestselling author. Cut the man some slack, he's only human.
I’ve always said A Feast for Crows is my favorite ASoIaF book. It’s the one that branches off from the show’s story the most. And we get so many more interesting character POVs.
I think most of the anger directed at Rothfuss and Martin at this point is not so much the fact that the books remain unfinished and unreleased, it is the way both keep hinting about releasing them when their public presence starts to fade. They don't seem to be telling the truth at this point; but if they did it seems like they'd lose most of the attention both seem to crave. People dislike dishonesty, and both are acting that way. Rothfuss' perceived shenanigans with his charity -- fair or not, hard to say -- also do little to move the needle in his favor. How on earth do you go off about Butcher's attitude about women while giving Rothfuss and his creepy fedora tipping sex god stalker main character such a pass? Genuinely curious. I can see slamming both, I can see excusing both. What I can't see is going after one while giving the other a pass. FWIW, I read a few of the Dresden Files books and was not offended so much as I was bored by them, so I'm hardly the world's biggest Butcher defender. (Did quite like the Cinder Spires book and do look forward to the sequel to that.) KKC is one of the odd series I can think where I liked the books well enough while loathing the main character. I do consider KKC wildly overrated, but still thought it was pretty good.
Probably cause he know how "active" angry Rothfuss fans are, insane levels of evil from them when someone critique their god. I think Rothfuss is severly overhyped but a good author.
For me it just gets annoying reading about how sick rothfus is.. He is so sick he should be getting a pass for everything, yet he is doing shit on the internet every other day, including "charities" and kickstarters(with no deliveries).. "Give the man a break! He is just human and have mental health issues!"
Name of the wind was readable, though his MC was annoying (not going to pretend I remember how to spell Qvoth), but by the second book it was unbearable. He's the greatest of all time at literally everything, especially sex, and everyone's constantly impressed by everything he does. It's such a loser fantasy I won't be able to force myself to finish the series on the off chance Rothfuss actually decides to write book 3. I hold a grudge for the self professed "literary snob" who recommended it to me.
I will forever be part of, and will probably die on, the Lord of the Rings bandwagon....but I can totally agree with what you are saying. They were the books that spawned my love for the fantasy genre at 13 years old. I don't read them for the quality at this point, though the overall story is timeless in my opinion - for me they are now an absolute comfort read.
Good and sad for you to agree. I read Tolkien as an adult after reading "modern" fantasy for over 10 years. And I still find his works better than almost anything else I have ever read. And so do many other people. Many people discovered Tolkien and fantasy through the movies and came to love his works. No childhood nostalgia just appreciating good books. Maybe you could see quality if you read it from a more critical perspective? Something being a comfort read shouldn't disqualify it from being of quality automatically?
My jaw literally dropped when I heard your LotR opinion. I've been saying the exact same thing about the LotR (I think it's so overrated and I enjoy the movies so much more) but whenever I say that most people think I'm a psychopath or something it's nice to know somebody has the same opinion as me I was beginning to think I was the only one. Couldn't agree more on your LotR opinions 👏
That’s how things work. People have opinions, it’s not special to not like something. Doesn’t mean something is overrated. The lord of the rings was pretty much the first adult fantasy book I ever read and I loved it. I consider it top ten of series I’ve read today. Making assertions like something is overrated is bullshit. You don’t like it that’s cool well done.
I don't think Jemisin has any middle-ground opinions. YOU pick up her books and YOU read them. YOU then form your opinions on how YOU feel about reading books in the second person. YOU either love them or YOU hate them.
I admit, I got my hackles up when you started into the first topic! However, when I set aside my nostalgia (I was introduced to the series as a young child in the 80s when my parents read the books to me) and listened objectively to what you were saying, not only could I not find anything that I disagreed with, but I actually very much agreed with all the points you made. However I did strongly disagreed with your point about Martin/Rothfuss/Lynch. That being said, I have a lot to learn from you regarding your empathetic and gracious approach to those authors. I don't know how I've only recently stumbled upon your channel, but I'm really enjoying your eloquent, thoughtful, and balanced approach to book discussions!
I read A Feast For Crows and A Dance with Dragons in the exact way you mentioned. I didn’t like the idea of Tyrion not being in one of the books. So, I read them at the same time! Great video!
I just finished the Fifth Season, and to some extent I agree with your critiques. While I understood the reason for using 2nd person, I don't think there was any payoff to withhold the identity of the narrator because when it was revealed, I was like "ok, so what". What was interesting was the purpose of this character not the identity. I also agree that the book would have been better if the timeline was clear from the beginning. However, I do think the book is thematically rich and likely written for a different audience in mind. I can understand why it won awards but also I understand why the book won't work for many readers. Also you're wrong about Mistborn Era 2 :) Ok, The Alloy of Law isn't the best, but Bands of Mourning and Shadows of Self are great. I do prefer era 1, but era 2 is still good in its own right.
Absolutely agree with your take on The Gentleman Bastard books, Lies of Locke Lamora is an absolute belter of a book easily in my top 3 stand alone titles. However the other 2 books in the series are great as well although they do fall short of the first one. My analogy would be it's like a band that comes out with a stunning debut album because they have had years and years of practice and refining song writing before they release their first album. It garners huge critical acclaim but after touring for the album they have just 6 months to write, record and release a new one. It may yet still be an amazing album but it's extremely rare for it to be better than the debut.
15:22 "Dresden is what a neckbeard thinks a gentleman is." Lol that's perfect! I'm stealing that. I think "sexist" and "misogynistic" are strong words though. It's belittling but it's not oppressive.
The first of her books that I read was the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. And it's actually okay, but I've been jaded ever since because there's like, I think maybe 8 kingdoms total. Such a rip off.
Totally agree with your take on LOTR. Saying that it's #1 (or TOP10) also means that ever since the genre was born, hundreds of authors only wrote worse books, fantasy literature has not developed by an iota. While LOTR is fantastic and important, it has been surpassed in many aspects by other works.
Well... I would say people who count LOTR among the best fantasy books ever written consider the fact, that most of the people who have written fantasy novels after the 70s stand on the shoulders of Tolkien. How many of those books you consider better would exist without LOTR? It's not that "hundred of authors wrote worse books" or that "fantasy literature has not developed by an iota". It's that he was one of the first ones with huge impact to everything that followed. It is also not a bad book, like many other early fantasy novels. It still gathers fans. When I read it for the first time in my life (admittedly in the 70s) I loved it. It was not because there was a hugely successful movie series made (there wasn't), or because everyone else had read it and loved it and spoke about it (my big brother was the only person I knew who had read it). I loved it because of itself. I had never read anything like the hobbits. He also created the ents and the orcs. Can you imagine the world of fantasy without orcs? Even the elves as understood today owe their existence to uncle Tolkien. I was really scared by the black riders. I wanted to learn the languages. I learned passages and poems by heart and wandered in the forests singing his songs to myself. Even now, every time I shower, I sing "A loon is he that will not sing: O! Water Hot is a noble thing!" The language is beautiful and rich. Might be because I read the Finnish translation that used three translators, one especially for the poems. The Finnish translation is amazing. It was the first book I couldn't continue reading after certain events. I just couldn't physically force myself to pick up the book and continue reading the story without G. I can't remember another book at the moment that has had so a strong impression on me. It created a longing for the past times and worlds nothing else has managed to do. I even read the Silmarillion because of LOTR. The language is beautiful and rich. The world is fantastic. No other book has had such an impact on me during my 54 years of life. And, there's Sam. And there's the "But I am not a man" scene. One of the best scenes ever written. If all this is not reason enough to count this book as one of the best fantasy novels ever written, I don't know what is. Now, I don't expect everyone else to have the same relation and reaction to this book as I have, but don't assume that just because you don't, no-one else can either. OK?
@@KetutarI agree. Even some modern fantasy books/series are still in shadow of Tolkien. First one that comes to my mind is "The First Law" trilogy, which is, in my opinion, written in opposition to Tolkien. For example, protagonist (I forgot his name) turns to old, bearded man who looks like wise wizard. Well, jokes on him, because actual wizard looks like a butcher. There are several fantasy novels that are their own thing, truly straying away from Tolkien (Perdido Street Station or even The Fifth Season mentioned in this video) but they aren't that popular.
@@azieldaly2965 On worldbuilding, it is debatable whether Malazan or Tolkien is better. Malazan scope is impressive, but it doesn't do the personal very well. It is a cerebral piece that lacks heart.
I read Lord of The Rings after reading both a good deal of modern fantasy and a good deal of classic literature; and i think i managed to appreciate even more afterwards. Tolkien is just a master of the English language, and you wont find better prose in any fantasy published after. Tolkien was also a master storyteller: I mean, he wrote this 30 page chapter called the Council of Elrond, and bot a word of it is boring. This is a sign of great storytelling.
100% agree on Lord of the Rings. It’s decent, but modern fantasy is just better. Fantasy has evolved so much since then. It’s written better now. I also think the Broken Earth is horrible. I don’t understand why people like it so much. I really wanted to like it and I had low expectations, but I hated reading it. I agree about the sexism in Dresden Files but I don’t mind it much. He’s a dirty middle aged man. I don’t get offended very easily. Dresden files is mediocre, but I like it. Haven’t read the red rising series yet. I will though. Mistborn era 2 was jarring at first to me because era 1 was so much better. Era 2 felt like fan fiction, but I enjoyed it. It was definitely mediocre. I also loved ALL the ASOIAF books. I didn’t have a favorite. They’re just great. Haven’t read Ian C Essemont yet. I will though. Haven’t read Sullivan either. I plan on it though. I’ve only read the first book in gentlemen bastards. I plan to read the rest but I have a massive TBR. Overall, I agree with you on all of this. I think our only disagreement is the problematic nature of Dresden sexism. The Molly stuff was weird, but I don’t know, 17 is age of consent in a lot of places so I didn’t find it that crazy.
I'm happy I found your channel a couple of months ago, that's again an exciting video. I like that you gut your own opinion and can argue them well, and even if I don't agree with everything or really liked a book you talk about negatively, it's interesting to see a well-argued opposite opinion. Especially in this video, I agree with a lot you said. Keep it up. There are many book tubers, but not many with unique and fresh opinions, and then have also good audio and video quality.
I agree with most of these! Especially Dresden's disgusting male gaze, that Red Rising should've stoped at 3 books, and Jemisin. But I'll give you my controversial opinion based on one of your statements: I'd rather read Tolkien's archaic use of the English language over Sanderson's simplistic prose any day of the week! :)
@@RedFuryBooks feel more gross reading female leads in books . Why do they always have to fall in love or fall for two guys at the same time . If anything women are perverts 50 shades or any other romantic book they sell . If u can recommend any good fantasy book with a female lead that doesn’t fall in love or is dumb
Fair take but completely disagree. With Darrow arc going into Lightbringer and than Red God. I believe this arc will end tragicly and fulfilling. Lysander response to Darrow in Golden Son is excellent foreshadowing to the rest of the series.
I agree with so many of these. Great video, Matt! I think having discussions about differing perspectives on books and reading experiences is so important and underutilized. And yes yes yes to the comments on Gentleman Bastards 2 and 3. I loved 2 especially.
I love your channel because, even if I don't always have your same preferences, I almost always agree with the points you make. Keep it up! Cheers from south america
I only came across your channel a couple days ago, but the thing I love most about it thus far is how down to earth it is Also are you wearing an MLB shirt? I’m a huge Phil’s fan! Have you ever read Gormenghast?
Opinion #3 is really important and I wish I could have realised this sooner. I've sadly put off starting GOT for years now bc I dislike having to wait for upcoming releases but it's time to accept reality and start enjoying the books that are out in the world lol
Man... I'm 38, born and raised in Baltimore Md, and just happened to be a " Nerd in the hood" when I tell the younger generation about the " Silmarillion aka kate Blanche was wrong about what started the war of the ring" when I read the story of Fëanor, Fingolfin and Melkor, or Morgoth. They love it I can also speak to something else you said
Glad I subscribed to your channel, I've been enjoying hearing your thoughts and opinions about these books. I haven't read all the books in this post, but many of them, and mostly agree with your opinions. I tried one Butcher book and couldn't get into it at all so haven't read any more. I listened to the first two 5th season books but don't think I'll bother with the 3rd. Most of these books have fallen short of my expectations even while enjoying them. Except for LOTR's, having read that back in the '60's, it is what got me into this fantasy genre. I'm looking forward to reading some Stephen Ericson next year since you express such a high opinion of his books. I'm going to keep following you! Thanks Matt!
I appreciate your willingness to admit your more controversial opinions. I have a few myself. All the books I've read (that were recommended as numerous book tubers' "favorite of all time") have just been... bland, at best. I feel like: what am I missing? Am I just too... ignorant to recognize whatever depth made this their favorite?? ( It's really got me questioning my intelligence or lack thereof) I
Great video. Really enjoyed this. I gave my opinion on all of your takes 🙂 1. Sort of agree. I absolutely love LOTR. ( I even have a LOTR tattoo) but I read it when I was very young so there is a lot of coming home and nostalgia in there so I understand that for some people this is not a book that they love as much. as long as people give the book credit for its influence 2. Disagree. Loved the book and loved the series. 3. Agree. Let the authors be. there are books enough to read 4. Harry is indeed sexist. It is even commented on in the series. 5. No opinion as I have not read anything from Pierce Brown 6. isn't this the normal opinion? I read this in a lot of places. I loved the 2nd era (but my love for westerns coloured that opinion I think) I'm rereading era 2 at the moment and must say Alloy of Law I still really liked. The other books rereads are on my tbr in the next months. 7. I think I stopped reading somewhere in the middle of A feast for Crows. By then I was watching the TV show and stopped reading the books 8. I will start my Malazan journey next year. But you have me convinced to also read the Esselmont books (If I like the original series) 9. I've not read any Riyria books. I always hear they are very dark. So not sure they are for me 10. I liked all 3 of the gentleman bastards. I don't think they are the pinnacle of fantasy, but they are good stories. (I really disliked the flashback chapters in book 3 though) And if there is ever a book 4 I will read it. And if Lynch decides to write a different fantasy series I might pick that up as well.
This was the first video of yours that I found and maybe I'm just a grumpy contrarian but I agree with everything and just had to subscribe! The LOTR part especially is pretty much how I feel. I'm always suspicious of people's recommendations after they tell me LOTR is their favourite fantasy saga, so I feel like this is a channel I can trust hahah
Regarding The Gentlemen Bastards series, I agree. I heard/saw so much praise for the first book that I read it. And I, too, loved it. So I just went on and read #2 and #3 without seeking out opinions on them and I really really enjoyed them. Not as good as LoLL, but they're solid and very enjoyable. I look forward to whatever Lynch ends up releasing in this world.
I don't feel like that's a controversial opinion to be honest. Most people will agree the Lies of Locke Lamora was a fantastic book and the next two were good but not spectacular. That's a fairly widely held opinion.
Okay since you mention the language first 3:26 i have a hot take too as a non-native speaker. I didn't find Tolkien's language more difficult to read than other more modern fantasy books. 😀
I absolutely agree with the Lord of the Rings take. I grew up watching the movies and absolutely adore the world but it wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I actually sat down and read them for the first time. I understand the appeal of Tolkien and what is work did for the fantasy genre as a whole, his world building and dedication to language isn’t something I could ever even dream of attempting and many who try fail to do so. However I will say plainly that I didn’t enjoy the books very much at all, I thought truthfully that the movies were a far more enjoyable experience and I came away pretty disappointed in the books. I recognize them as some of the best fantasy ever written and would never tell anyone not to enjoy them, but me personally I could never read them again and that would be fine.
Loved Fifth Season but the second person narration worked for me, I feel like it's one of those divisive things you either love or you hate and it will color your opinion of the entire book. Hard agree on ADWD. Reek chapters are GRRM's best writing to date imo. Fellow Malazan fan that has to get around to Esselmont's stuff, currently have the main 10 as my favorite series as well.
I read LOTR as teenager, I think I was 17, and then again as an adult, 32 years old. The second time around was even better. With maturity, I could grasp better the grandiosity of Tolkien's work, and appreciate it even more. Completely disagree with you on that.
lord of the rings is beloved because it's the backbone of all modern fantasy. every single popular trope in standard fantasy has some kind of root in that book. it kind of has the beatles problem where people have built on their sound for decades that when you look at it now it will seem barebones, but it's still the skeleton the genre was built upon. Either you think that deserves credit, or you don't, and I can see both perspectives. I think it deserves a "this is the most important book of the genre" special award in every top fantasy list. also the movies are simply the best fantasy adaptation ever. period. yes, in some ways they improved on the story in the books.
100% argee with your Dresden take, I do like the series but it's a constant hurdle especially when Harry's ogling at a teenager or even under age character. That's not chivalrous, that's creepy. Borderline predatory. Makes it hard to recommend to people.
Agree with LOR, yes its the most important fantasy book but I felt like every time it was getting interesting it would be interuppted with more descriptions to slow the pacing down to a crawl, the writing style was so different to what I was use to. I had the same issue as you, I had read too many other fantasy books before it. I had even read the sword of Shannara years before it, yes Sword copies everything from LOR but for me the LOR was my 100th epic quest story The unfinished stories is an interesting one. My issue with ASOIAF is I am more deeply invested in these characters than other stories that I feel like I need the correct ending after so long but what you said is correct, their are loads of other great characters out there that I have not met yet and I need to move on and discover their story instead
Yeah I agree with you on ASOIAF and the other unfinished stories in that I really, really want to see how they end. But that doesn't take away from what was already written in my opinion.
I've noticed that a lot of the recent books that are winning major awards like the fifth season, Gideon the ninth and the long way to a small angry planet are really terrible books. But they win awards for portraying themes that were rarely touched upon in fantasy. The fifth season was a brilliant portrayal of motherhood. I remember you touching upon the way traumatic events are treated in the book, and to me, were really realistic. A lot of trauma is suppressed, or someone has been through so much that it barely affects them anymore. The other example I mentioned though, reaallllly did not deserve the accolades. I don't know if it's just me, but anything that is hyped by TOR is usually bad and very socially drive. Everybody gushes over books that are poorly written because they are about modern issues. And I fully believe that those books will be quickly forgotten because they are completely framed around our specific social context. The strength of lord of the rings is the themes. The way it was written was completely anti-publishing and every portion was made to make you feel a certain way. Like the wanderings of frodo and sam. You're meant to be frustrated, to feel like it's dragging on. I think the books that will stand the test of times are those who are touching universal subjects or shared experiences, explore the human condition in all it's aspects as opposed to focus on social arguments or commentary. Most of golden age of scifi feels relevant because of what they talk about. But a lot of those books are now completely irrelevant due to them being too contextual to their timeframe.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I recently saw a discussion between Christopher Ruocchio and 2 other author/youtuber and one of their main issue with modern fantasy and scifi is how books are completely focused on plot and character as opposed to the big questions. It was really interesting, they touched on a lot of issues that have recently popped into my mind a lot while reading recent books and looking at online discussions. So few discussions explore the ideas behind books, the universal questions. It was worth listening simply to see what the author thinks about when reading and creating his own books.
Completely agreed. There is a growing trend that if you as an author are POC / not heterosexual or your book is about oppression of POC or exploring sexuality then you get automatic high praise and awards. The content of the stories is starting to lack in popular culture books due to forced inclusion. Nobody should care what the races or sexualities are of an author or their characters, only the merit of their writing should matter. Hoping we can have inclusion in the future without it being forced...
Wow… this was a fun video! I agree with number 1 completely. Number 2 was so hard to read, such bad writing, everything kicked me out. But the story and twist were fun but I’m definitely not picking up the next. Disagreed with number 6, Vin fell flat for me. Great character, just didn’t hook me. But Wax and Wayne are so fun and their stories are so great.
Ooooooh spicy. i think you're right in everything you said about tLotR, but i still disagree that it's overrated (maybe because of the nostalgia lol - it was my introduction to fantasy when i was a kid, so it has a special place in my heart). but yeah for sure it's very different from modern fantasy, and it's not my favorite fantasy series anymore since i've read more modern stuff
100% agree on LOTR! I read it as an adult and it was good but not as amazing as I expected. I think the main issue for me is that it’s very plot focused and you don’t get much insight into the characters thoughts and feelings. As a character driven reader, I much prefer series like asoiaf and First Law
So glad you said Sanderson isn’t funny to you. I’ve always thought this. I roll my eyes when he tries to be funny. Especially shallon, I can barely read her chapters and actually skipped them when I reread stormlight
Wow, you weren't kidding when you said controversial takes. I simply can't get my head around the GRRM/Rothfuss one. I read Name of the Wind, but honestly wish I hadn't. I enjoyed it at the time, but a story can't be satisfying to me if it doesn't have an ending. I've been reading fantasy for over 30 years and haven't touched ASOIAF, and have no plans to unless he finishes it. It would be like starting a puzzle when you know a third of the pieces are missing. What's the point?
I'm totally with you on Mistborn. Era 1 was fantastic, but Era 2 didn't really work for me. Also, I appreciate the heads-up regarding The Fifth Season: judging by the hype, one would think it was a work of profound genius.
I know I'm late to the party, but holy cow, this should have lit booktube on FIRE! I agree on Fifth Season btw. Also, can't we just leave Lynch, Rothfuss, and Martin alone? Sure my wife or friends can bust my chops on the fact that I don't get a house project done, but can you imagine taking heat from potentially millions of people. I'd be running to therapy for sure! I enjoy books 2 and 3 in Locke Lamore too, quite a bit. I feel like Lynch wants to gut punch us all the time with his endings though. Great video!
Agree wholeheartedly on Esslemont. His books are excellent. Nothing as good as the best of Malayan, but rarely does he indulge in the extremely slow build-ups that you find in some of the Malazan books. Also have Book of the Fallen as my favorite series. Disagree on several of your other takes. I hated A Dance with Dragons. Not for the reasons most people do. I thought the writing was lazy and self indulgent. How many times, from different characters, do I have to hear "Words are wind." Bad as that was, two different characters both comment that something was as "useless as nipples on a breastplate." It made my eyes roll the first time. The second time I just had to wonder where his editor was. But that isn't my big issue. Rather, to me it feels like he did almost a complete reset on the characters of Tyrion and Dany. Tyrion is back where he was early on in Clash, and Dany has regressed two books. It seems quite clear to me that he had simply lost his way with these characters. Throw on top of that his excessive reliance on cliffhangers, way more than in the earlier books, and the whole thing struck me as being just dreadful. (Did not dislike Feast as much.) Again on Martin, I'm happy for him that he got so rich off of this stuff. But that doesn't mean I have to like what he's done to his readers. There is an implied promise (and some actual statements made) in the creation of this kind of series. He has reneged. He's never going to finish it, and I think less of the series as a result. Still think the first three books are great, but it's a project with great promise that failed to deliver. Next, while I agree with you for the most part about Harry being sexist. It's obviously there in the writing. But it's also obviously a character flaw, and it's one that Harry himself acknowledges from time to time. To a certain extent, I think he gets redeemed by having a real relationship with Murphy (and even there he continues to have problems, but he works on it.) I don't turn off of a series, even in first person, because the character has obvious flaws. Harry has some other big problems as well (fireballs first to solve most problems), but I think he's a good character and there are three books in the series I absolutely love (Dead Beat, Changes and Ghost Story, the last probably being my controversial take). Finally, I hate when people say that something is dated. Lord of the Rings had archaic prose even when it was written. That was a deliberate choice. It wasn't fashionable then, and it is not now. That said, there's a lot of "dated" stuff that is just awesome - The Iliad and Odyssey, Gargantua, Beowulf, Shakespeare. People present narratives in a different prevailing style now, and that's mostly a question of fashion. It's not because there has been any "improvement."
Red rising is a god damn masterpieces from book two on! The character study of darrow of what the atrocities of war does to a man, the neckbreak pace is insane
Funny enough I agree with most of your hot takes! However haha, I'm a strong defender of Mistborn Era 2. I say this while also acknowledging that I love Era 1 way way more than Era 2. My argument is that everyone goes into Era 2 expecting the same tone, scope, and weight of Era 1, but Era 2 doesn't have the same goals as Era 1. Era 2 is supposed to be a smaller, more contained story, it's supposed to be more light-hearted, and it's supposed to be more of a transition series to update us on the world/magic/characters. I respect Sanderson for trying something new and giving us variety. It's like reading different Stephen King books that have completely different tones. I'm definitely not saying everyone has to like it, I just think more people would by checking their expectations going into it. Also, I feel like the series is almost like a bonus because Sanderson wanted to tell another story to avoid burnout. I imagine Era 3 will return to more of an Era 1 in tone, scope, and story. To me it's kinda the opposite of the problems you mentioned with Pierce Brown and Michal J Sullivan writing the same thing with the same formulas over and over. Sanderson is trying something very different and I think it works for what he's going for. I guess that might be my hot take haha 😂
I thought you were mostly fair with your LOTR points but not about leaving POVs out of some of the books. Come on Matt I know you're a Malazan fan, you can't hold that one against anyone!
I think the different in Malazan is that there are literally hundreds of POVs, so of COURSE they are going to leave out many of them each book. With LotR the cast is small so it's way more glaring when people are left out. Makes the story feel choppy.
I enjoyed Legends for the most part but the last book was pretty disappointing to me, and I haven't been able to bring myself to read the middle series.
I agree with some, kinda agree with Dresden but it doesn't bother me. I think your take on authors not finishing series' is a good one but it's contradictory to your other point about Aurthors wanting to stay writing in worlds they created for too long. I find the same excuses for authors who don't finish a series just as valid for authors who want to keep a series going or stay within their world. But I generally agree with your other points. i didn't consider your second red rising trilogy not being needed before, but I think you should give it another shot. I mean, why is it bad for a writer just to make a career in their own world?
I don't necessarily think an author is bad for staying in the same world - I mean Steven Erikson is my favorite writer and the only thing he's done is Malazan. I just think some authors need to know when to move on, especially if their series hasn't exploded.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews first off thanks for the reply! I agree that authors should expand and if the reason for not doing so is fear based than they should. Some of my fav writers always say ¨I really write for myself¨ so if david webber wants to write 50 honor Harrington books regardless if the series takes off, cool with me
1. Nostalgia is my number one reason why I hesitate to put Lord of the Rings on my top 10 list. The last time I read it was almost 20 years ago and I really can't say if it would hold up now. 2. The controversial aspects of this book keep me from reading it. It is definetly not high on my TBR list. 3. I can fogive Scott Lynch, because from what I understand he is dealing with some helth issues. But man, G. R. R. Martin really doesn't want to finish his series. Every year he comes up with new distractions. I have really given up on it. 4. For some reason it never really bothered me how Dresden acts and thinks. His comments are more like background noise to me and I don't really pay much attention to them. I am only 4 books in, so maybe it get annoying later on. 5. Never read Red Rising. 6. It suprises me that there are people who consider Era 2 better than Era 1. I thought that everyone agreed that Era 1 was far superior. I still enjoyed Era 2. 7. The thing that threw me of when it comes to Feast for Crows was the absence of Deanearys, Jon and Tyrion (there were other things too of course), but about halfway through I started to enjoy it again. Dance with Dragons on the other hand was a dissapointment from beginning till end. Especially the way Tyrion acted, it was justified but too painfull to watch. Maybe reading both books at the same would have been better. 8. Read only Gardens of the Moon, so nothing to say here. 9. Never read it. 10. The second book is actually my favourite of the three. The third one hovewer is noticaebly worse then the rest in my opinion.
Definitely think with winds of time he’s having to do a massive rewrite as the ending of the tv show was how he wanted it. So heaps of rewriting from him with the reaction. Even though I watched the last three season in a month and I really enjoyed it.
I agree! I remember a few years back before the show ended that he told the writers how it had to end in case he died and wasnt there to see the finished show. So this is the ending he wanted! And he saw how it was so badly received he had to change the ending. He even did a little interview recently and said something like "Ive found that my writing is taking me further and further from how the tv show ended" sort of confirming thats where the story was at some point. Many people thought he hated the ending, I disagree, I think he hated how it was received and is now taking years to backtrack and rewrite. Good for him because that ending was the pits.
I really enjoyed the series maybe it’s because I stopped with three seasons to go then just binged the whole lot over a week or two. And a few things in the last couple of episodes I really liked as they where hinted at throughout the whole series. But definitely how he wanted it to finish and now has huge amounts of rewrites to do
@@robertsiemon410 *Game Of Thrones Spoiler!* We better get a different king in the final books! Having Tyrion say "Hey yknow who'd make a great king to this war ridden broken nation? Someone with fun stories ! 😙" Like cmon man be for real
That's not really the part I think is controversial - it's that I think its SO much better. I think the vast majority of people that read them liked them both.
A couple of these things I can't comment on as I haven't read the books that are the subject of the opinions. Absolutely agree with the Lord of the Rings opinion and everything I've ever heard or read about Dresden says that you're pretty spot on. Honestly the only one I can really fault you on is mistborn era 2. Just like humor and reading are subjective I really tend to enjoy the more punny wordplay type of humor and part of the usage of humor in Wayne's character covers up a lot of dark stuff so I find him to be pretty memorable. Mistborn era 1 still beats 2. But for me they're a lot closer
Hi Matt, I also couldn't agree more on the LOTR, I also read it for the first time as an adult after already reading lots of fantasy. And the movies are my all time favourite movies. I think that Tolkien was so impressed with the world that he created and wanted to explain it so much that the character development got lost in it. I do agree though that the book is probably the most important in fantasy but it wouldn't be in my top 20 or maybe even top 50
I love LOTR but it’s important to remember that a lot of modern fantasy stands on its shoulders. Personally I can leave the films alone. Tolkien was the first to do such world building, create magical objects with their own will, reframed how evil characters work and characters develop. It’s like dismissing the Beatles because their music is out of date and ignoring the impact they had on the music scene and the innovative they pioneered was crucial to the development of modern music.
I agree 100% Steven, there's no doubt that all of our favourite fantasy series would not be the same or even exist if it wasn't for Tolkeins books, and also the same with the Beatles they are such an inspiration on all future music, but I hate the Beatles too 😀 😉, I love the LOTR story so so much, but just personally for me I didn't love the way it was written especially for the characters, but this is just my opinion and the general consensus of the world doesn't agree so thats all good lol
@@lewbobgaming4411 that’s ok. The important thing is to place these iconic cultural events in their place. Liking them is a subjective issue. As I started reading fantasy in the mid-1980s Tolkien work was important just as Ursula Le Guin earthsea series was. It’s a shame her works have been allowed to fade away but they are an important aspect of the history of fantasy.
I have yet to read Lord of the Rings. It's on my list to read in my lifetime. I am sure they are wonderful. But I have too many friends who claim there is really nothing better than this series. The fantasy Genre to them IS Lord of the Rings. Hearing this over and over again just pushes this series back on my list. There is more to fantasy and more to reading than lord of the rings and Harry Potter! I also agree with you on Number 3. Author's don't owe us a thing. What they wrote for us is true art. We should be thankful for what they did write. But not only write, but shared their words with us!
You continue to pain me sir. Luckily you balance your crazy opinions with super good ones =D I agree that ASOIAF and Gentleman Bastards don't need to be finished to be great and worth reading. ASOIAF is one of my all time favorites and ASOS is my favorite fantasy book ever written. 2 books into the Gentleman Bastards has me feeling like I'm reading something incredible and as much as I hope it gets finished, it's ok if it doesn't. I agree 10000% about Mistborn holy crap. Era 2 is close to garbage, especially when compared to Era 1.
Glad I at least got a balanced stance out of you Alex! And I've heard enough about Dark Age now where I think I'm going to have to throw that one back on my TBR and give it a chance. Many people have told me it redeems the first book in the new sequence so I'm feeling more optimistic.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Dark Age is definitely fantastic so I hope you enjoy it! I wasn't a huge fan of Iron Gold to be honest and didn't like 2 of the POVs we were given.
For me, The Fifth Season worked just fine. I believe people should be able to do their work. If it results in "fan service", I'm fine with that. A lot of people can't get enough of the world they love, so much so that they start reading and writing fan fiction. And a lot of authors have grown from fan fiction. Actually, all of them. 😀But, as you say, the books are readable and good even without any continuation. Nevertheless, I can respect an author who sits on the sequel without saying anything for decades more than an author who keeps promising a sequel that never appears, and then complaining about things, while at the same time writing other things.
While I somewhat agree with the Dresden Files criticism, on the other hand, a lot of it makes sense with the world/mythos, and is at least partially justified by the story setting pulling from existing earth mythos systems. There's a lot of mythological creatures that are essentially "sexy women that tempt men", between vampires, succubi, sirens, and various others. It does make sense for a lot of the supernatural female characters in the books to come across the way they do, using sex appeal to prey on human men. However, Butcher's choice to keep many of these characters as recurring major secondary characters is questionable. It's fine if the white court of vampires and sidhe are supernaturally beautiful and use that as the means they prey on humans, but then when both are major allies that show up in book after book, it starts to wear thin. It'd feel better if Mavra got more screen time than Lara, rather than it swinging far in the other direction.
A year later, and once I get to the part about the red, rising, nope, still can’t take it. You are wrong, wrong wrong, and it’s your loss… Seriously, how do you not love it?
I also don't understand the point about not wanting to read an unfinished series. I noticed it mostly goes for fantasy, maybe because it's often very plot-heavy and you want to know how it resolves. still can't relate to this idea. most of Kafka's stuff was never finished yet he is being studied by literature majors across the world lol. the joy those stories bring is still valid even though we will probably never know how the author intended to end them. also, as a Tolkien fan I agree - his prose can be incredibly dull and hard to get through, but honestly, I don't think writing action adventure was a point, he just wanted to nerd about European mythology and make up some cool languages. it's too far off from any modern idea of fantasy now so it's understandably challenging to read in 21st century
Great video again, you are spot on in many cases. I agree with you on The Fifth Season, I don't know about unreadable, but I was not impressed at all with all the hype. Agreed the Red Rising Trilogy was enough, I read it and have no interest in going further. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations was extremely enjoyable, loved those two characters. Lynch's three books are so clever, and the characters are wonderful together.
![The 15 Best Sci-Fi Books I've Ever Read [Updated]](/img/1.gif)
Even tough I don't agree with many of theese statements I do love to see people being able to state their own ideas and opinions and discuss in a respectful way
Thank you Matheus!
1: Tolkien is a master of a language but his storytelling prose is so far off course from what most people read in an action/adventure fantasy story these days that it can definitely take some getting used to.
2: I give GRRM no slack. It’s been 12 years since Dances with Dragons and he’s written literally anything BUT Winds of Winter. He wrote two other books and a video game, helped make tv shows, and even had two years of isolation and he still couldn’t do it. He doesn’t get a pass anymore
GRRM's problem is money in excess. Did he need money he would find the words to finish up that series. And that is what pisses us off.
The best part of A Song Of Ice And Fire is the prologue. It never got that good again.
In GRRM's defense, it's all that fame bush coming his way. I wrote a stellar book report in 6th grade and it almost ruined me so I can only imagine what it's like being a NY Times bestselling author. Cut the man some slack, he's only human.
@@csd8204 No
@@csd8204 No
I’ve always said A Feast for Crows is my favorite ASoIaF book. It’s the one that branches off from the show’s story the most. And we get so many more interesting character POVs.
In Butcher's case it is not that we are not reading the same books, it is that most of us are not reading into the same books what you are.
I think most of the anger directed at Rothfuss and Martin at this point is not so much the fact that the books remain unfinished and unreleased, it is the way both keep hinting about releasing them when their public presence starts to fade. They don't seem to be telling the truth at this point; but if they did it seems like they'd lose most of the attention both seem to crave. People dislike dishonesty, and both are acting that way. Rothfuss' perceived shenanigans with his charity -- fair or not, hard to say -- also do little to move the needle in his favor.
How on earth do you go off about Butcher's attitude about women while giving Rothfuss and his creepy fedora tipping sex god stalker main character such a pass? Genuinely curious. I can see slamming both, I can see excusing both. What I can't see is going after one while giving the other a pass. FWIW, I read a few of the Dresden Files books and was not offended so much as I was bored by them, so I'm hardly the world's biggest Butcher defender. (Did quite like the Cinder Spires book and do look forward to the sequel to that.) KKC is one of the odd series I can think where I liked the books well enough while loathing the main character. I do consider KKC wildly overrated, but still thought it was pretty good.
Maybe because everyone is aware of Rothfuss fedora tipping sex god stalker garystu, but a lot of people try to defend Dresden?
Probably cause he know how "active" angry Rothfuss fans are, insane levels of evil from them when someone critique their god.
I think Rothfuss is severly overhyped but a good author.
For me it just gets annoying reading about how sick rothfus is.. He is so sick he should be getting a pass for everything, yet he is doing shit on the internet every other day, including "charities" and kickstarters(with no deliveries).. "Give the man a break! He is just human and have mental health issues!"
Name of the wind was readable, though his MC was annoying (not going to pretend I remember how to spell Qvoth), but by the second book it was unbearable. He's the greatest of all time at literally everything, especially sex, and everyone's constantly impressed by everything he does. It's such a loser fantasy I won't be able to force myself to finish the series on the off chance Rothfuss actually decides to write book 3. I hold a grudge for the self professed "literary snob" who recommended it to me.
Your commentary here is so spot on and so appreciated! I always reward those that speak honestly. Good on you
I will forever be part of, and will probably die on, the Lord of the Rings bandwagon....but I can totally agree with what you are saying. They were the books that spawned my love for the fantasy genre at 13 years old. I don't read them for the quality at this point, though the overall story is timeless in my opinion - for me they are now an absolute comfort read.
Yeah I can totally respect that.
I can see that. I find things that put me to sleep comforting as well.
Good and sad for you to agree. I read Tolkien as an adult after reading "modern" fantasy for over 10 years. And I still find his works better than almost anything else I have ever read. And so do many other people. Many people discovered Tolkien and fantasy through the movies and came to love his works. No childhood nostalgia just appreciating good books. Maybe you could see quality if you read it from a more critical perspective? Something being a comfort read shouldn't disqualify it from being of quality automatically?
My jaw literally dropped when I heard your LotR opinion. I've been saying the exact same thing about the LotR (I think it's so overrated and I enjoy the movies so much more) but whenever I say that most people think I'm a psychopath or something it's nice to know somebody has the same opinion as me I was beginning to think I was the only one. Couldn't agree more on your LotR opinions 👏
YEAH! There are dozens of us. DOZENS!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews ONE OF US, ONE OF US.
@@bruh-zy1dp NONE OF US. NONE OF US
That’s how things work. People have opinions, it’s not special to not like something. Doesn’t mean something is overrated. The lord of the rings was pretty much the first adult fantasy book I ever read and I loved it. I consider it top ten of series I’ve read today. Making assertions like something is overrated is bullshit. You don’t like it that’s cool well done.
@@TheCosmerenaut1 One of the first I read was the chronicles of Prydain
I don't think Jemisin has any middle-ground opinions. YOU pick up her books and YOU read them. YOU then form your opinions on how YOU feel about reading books in the second person. YOU either love them or YOU hate them.
I agree with you about the Fifth Season Matt! I tried 3 times before I gave up!
Wow that's a lot of trying! Once I give up a book I'm done forever!
I admit, I got my hackles up when you started into the first topic! However, when I set aside my nostalgia (I was introduced to the series as a young child in the 80s when my parents read the books to me) and listened objectively to what you were saying, not only could I not find anything that I disagreed with, but I actually very much agreed with all the points you made.
However I did strongly disagreed with your point about Martin/Rothfuss/Lynch. That being said, I have a lot to learn from you regarding your empathetic and gracious approach to those authors.
I don't know how I've only recently stumbled upon your channel, but I'm really enjoying your eloquent, thoughtful, and balanced approach to book discussions!
I read A Feast For Crows and A Dance with Dragons in the exact way you mentioned. I didn’t like the idea of Tyrion not being in one of the books. So, I read them at the same time! Great video!
Yeah I hated that aspect with Tyrion as well!
I just finished the Fifth Season, and to some extent I agree with your critiques. While I understood the reason for using 2nd person, I don't think there was any payoff to withhold the identity of the narrator because when it was revealed, I was like "ok, so what". What was interesting was the purpose of this character not the identity. I also agree that the book would have been better if the timeline was clear from the beginning. However, I do think the book is thematically rich and likely written for a different audience in mind. I can understand why it won awards but also I understand why the book won't work for many readers.
Also you're wrong about Mistborn Era 2 :) Ok, The Alloy of Law isn't the best, but Bands of Mourning and Shadows of Self are great. I do prefer era 1, but era 2 is still good in its own right.
Big props for honestly saying your opinions and not hiding them
I love to speculate about twists and revelations. I absolutely hate being right about them.
Absolutely agree with your take on The Gentleman Bastard books, Lies of Locke Lamora is an absolute belter of a book easily in my top 3 stand alone titles. However the other 2 books in the series are great as well although they do fall short of the first one. My analogy would be it's like a band that comes out with a stunning debut album because they have had years and years of practice and refining song writing before they release their first album. It garners huge critical acclaim but after touring for the album they have just 6 months to write, record and release a new one. It may yet still be an amazing album but it's extremely rare for it to be better than the debut.
I was disappointed that so many of the gang got killed. Limiting it to just two main characters was disappointing for me.
The Linkin Park dilemma
Man, I loved Feast of Crows and Dance with Dragons as well!! Not a boring moment in them for me.
15:22 "Dresden is what a neckbeard thinks a gentleman is." Lol that's perfect! I'm stealing that. I think "sexist" and "misogynistic" are strong words though. It's belittling but it's not oppressive.
Lol thanks! I read that at some point online and it always stuck with me as perfectly stated.
My controversial opinion is that probably 95% of people who claim to like Jemisin actually agree with you but are afraid to say so
The first of her books that I read was the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. And it's actually okay, but I've been jaded ever since because there's like, I think maybe 8 kingdoms total. Such a rip off.
Totally agree with your take on LOTR. Saying that it's #1 (or TOP10) also means that ever since the genre was born, hundreds of authors only wrote worse books, fantasy literature has not developed by an iota.
While LOTR is fantastic and important, it has been surpassed in many aspects by other works.
Well... I would say people who count LOTR among the best fantasy books ever written consider the fact, that most of the people who have written fantasy novels after the 70s stand on the shoulders of Tolkien. How many of those books you consider better would exist without LOTR? It's not that "hundred of authors wrote worse books" or that "fantasy literature has not developed by an iota". It's that he was one of the first ones with huge impact to everything that followed.
It is also not a bad book, like many other early fantasy novels. It still gathers fans.
When I read it for the first time in my life (admittedly in the 70s) I loved it. It was not because there was a hugely successful movie series made (there wasn't), or because everyone else had read it and loved it and spoke about it (my big brother was the only person I knew who had read it). I loved it because of itself. I had never read anything like the hobbits. He also created the ents and the orcs. Can you imagine the world of fantasy without orcs? Even the elves as understood today owe their existence to uncle Tolkien. I was really scared by the black riders. I wanted to learn the languages. I learned passages and poems by heart and wandered in the forests singing his songs to myself. Even now, every time I shower, I sing "A loon is he that will not sing: O! Water Hot is a noble thing!"
The language is beautiful and rich. Might be because I read the Finnish translation that used three translators, one especially for the poems. The Finnish translation is amazing.
It was the first book I couldn't continue reading after certain events. I just couldn't physically force myself to pick up the book and continue reading the story without G. I can't remember another book at the moment that has had so a strong impression on me.
It created a longing for the past times and worlds nothing else has managed to do. I even read the Silmarillion because of LOTR. The language is beautiful and rich. The world is fantastic. No other book has had such an impact on me during my 54 years of life.
And, there's Sam. And there's the "But I am not a man" scene. One of the best scenes ever written.
If all this is not reason enough to count this book as one of the best fantasy novels ever written, I don't know what is.
Now, I don't expect everyone else to have the same relation and reaction to this book as I have, but don't assume that just because you don't, no-one else can either. OK?
@@KetutarI agree. Even some modern fantasy books/series are still in shadow of Tolkien. First one that comes to my mind is "The First Law" trilogy, which is, in my opinion, written in opposition to Tolkien. For example, protagonist (I forgot his name) turns to old, bearded man who looks like wise wizard. Well, jokes on him, because actual wizard looks like a butcher.
There are several fantasy novels that are their own thing, truly straying away from Tolkien (Perdido Street Station or even The Fifth Season mentioned in this video) but they aren't that popular.
Worldbuilding. Nothing has reached Tolkien except Malazan. But Malazan has way more problems.
@@vincentd.2284 Malazan surpasses Tolkien.
@@azieldaly2965 On worldbuilding, it is debatable whether Malazan or Tolkien is better. Malazan scope is impressive, but it doesn't do the personal very well. It is a cerebral piece that lacks heart.
I read Lord of The Rings after reading both a good deal of modern fantasy and a good deal of classic literature; and i think i managed to appreciate even more afterwards. Tolkien is just a master of the English language, and you wont find better prose in any fantasy published after. Tolkien was also a master storyteller: I mean, he wrote this 30 page chapter called the Council of Elrond, and bot a word of it is boring. This is a sign of great storytelling.
100% agree on Lord of the Rings. It’s decent, but modern fantasy is just better. Fantasy has evolved so much since then. It’s written better now.
I also think the Broken Earth is horrible. I don’t understand why people like it so much. I really wanted to like it and I had low expectations, but I hated reading it.
I agree about the sexism in Dresden Files but I don’t mind it much. He’s a dirty middle aged man. I don’t get offended very easily. Dresden files is mediocre, but I like it.
Haven’t read the red rising series yet. I will though.
Mistborn era 2 was jarring at first to me because era 1 was so much better. Era 2 felt like fan fiction, but I enjoyed it. It was definitely mediocre.
I also loved ALL the ASOIAF books. I didn’t have a favorite. They’re just great.
Haven’t read Ian C Essemont yet. I will though.
Haven’t read Sullivan either. I plan on it though.
I’ve only read the first book in gentlemen bastards. I plan to read the rest but I have a massive TBR.
Overall, I agree with you on all of this. I think our only disagreement is the problematic nature of Dresden sexism. The Molly stuff was weird, but I don’t know, 17 is age of consent in a lot of places so I didn’t find it that crazy.
I'm happy I found your channel a couple of months ago, that's again an exciting video. I like that you gut your own opinion and can argue them well, and even if I don't agree with everything or really liked a book you talk about negatively, it's interesting to see a well-argued opposite opinion. Especially in this video, I agree with a lot you said. Keep it up.
There are many book tubers, but not many with unique and fresh opinions, and then have also good audio and video quality.
I agree with most of these! Especially Dresden's disgusting male gaze, that Red Rising should've stoped at 3 books, and Jemisin. But I'll give you my controversial opinion based on one of your statements: I'd rather read Tolkien's archaic use of the English language over Sanderson's simplistic prose any day of the week! :)
I didn't know you were also a Fifth Season hater! There are dozens of us. DOZENS!
A DNF for me! With no regrets!
@@RedFuryBooks feel more gross reading female leads in books . Why do they always have to fall in love or fall for two guys at the same time . If anything women are perverts 50 shades or any other romantic book they sell . If u can recommend any good fantasy book with a female lead that doesn’t fall in love or is dumb
You know I am one salty curmudgeon, so I live for this kind of controversial opinion videos!!! 😁😄👏🏻
Why does this not surprise me!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews thanks for responding
I 110% agree with you regarding Red Rising. I'm struggling to get into Dark Age and I looooved the first 3 books
Fair take but completely disagree. With Darrow arc going into Lightbringer and than Red God. I believe this arc will end tragicly and fulfilling. Lysander response to Darrow in Golden Son is excellent foreshadowing to the rest of the series.
I agree with so many of these. Great video, Matt! I think having discussions about differing perspectives on books and reading experiences is so important and underutilized.
And yes yes yes to the comments on Gentleman Bastards 2 and 3. I loved 2 especially.
Thanks Tori! And so glad you liked the whole of Gentleman Bastards!
I love your channel because, even if I don't always have your same preferences, I almost always agree with the points you make. Keep it up! Cheers from south america
Thanks Santiago!
I only came across your channel a couple days ago, but the thing I love most about it thus far is how down to earth it is
Also are you wearing an MLB shirt? I’m a huge Phil’s fan!
Have you ever read Gormenghast?
great video matt! I couldn't stand The Fifth Season either, it was a struggle finishing it 😂. Really don't undertand the huge hype around it.
2nd person? That would drive me nuts!
Yep. No pressure here to finish anything. I'll take what ever they wanna spill.
Opinion #3 is really important and I wish I could have realised this sooner. I've sadly put off starting GOT for years now bc I dislike having to wait for upcoming releases but it's time to accept reality and start enjoying the books that are out in the world lol
Yes - do it!
Great person, Great books , Great video
You make this sound like a Papa Johns slogan! Thanks!
Controversial opinion: Weiss and Hickman's first Dragonlance series is great and introduced many of us to the joys of Fantasy literature.
I've still never read it!
It's so simple and cliche compared to Malazan but it turned my 11 year old self into a card carrying fantasy nerd.
@@chinaphone yeah, same reason I will fiercely defend Redwall!
Starting to learn that me and Matt have vey similar tastes and opinions. Very helpful when selecting books for the TBR. Keep it up!
Man... I'm 38, born and raised in Baltimore Md, and just happened to be a " Nerd in the hood" when I tell the younger generation about the " Silmarillion aka kate Blanche was wrong about what started the war of the ring" when I read the story of Fëanor, Fingolfin and Melkor, or Morgoth. They love it I can also speak to something else you said
Glad I subscribed to your channel, I've been enjoying hearing your thoughts and opinions about these books. I haven't read all the books in this post, but many of them, and mostly agree with your opinions. I tried one Butcher book and couldn't get into it at all so haven't read any more. I listened to the first two 5th season books but don't think I'll bother with the 3rd. Most of these books have fallen short of my expectations even while enjoying them. Except for LOTR's, having read that back in the '60's, it is what got me into this fantasy genre. I'm looking forward to reading some Stephen Ericson next year since you express such a high opinion of his books. I'm going to keep following you! Thanks Matt!
Thanks so much, I appreciate the kind words!
I hope you enjoy Erickson! He's not for everyone, but if he is - you are in for a heck of a ride!
I agree. I love a Feast For Crows. I think it's fantastic. I'm reading A Dance with Dragons now.
I appreciate your willingness to admit your more controversial opinions. I have a few myself. All the books I've read (that were recommended as numerous book tubers' "favorite of all time") have just been... bland, at best. I feel like: what am I missing? Am I just too... ignorant to recognize whatever depth made this their favorite?? ( It's really got me questioning my intelligence or lack thereof) I
Don't doubt yourself, everyone is different and have different tastes!
We’re on the same wavelength. In other words, I love the honesty
Great video. Really enjoyed this.
I gave my opinion on all of your takes 🙂
1. Sort of agree. I absolutely love LOTR. ( I even have a LOTR tattoo) but I read it when I was very young so there is a lot of coming home and nostalgia in there so I understand that for some people this is not a book that they love as much. as long as people give the book credit for its influence
2. Disagree. Loved the book and loved the series.
3. Agree. Let the authors be. there are books enough to read
4. Harry is indeed sexist. It is even commented on in the series.
5. No opinion as I have not read anything from Pierce Brown
6. isn't this the normal opinion? I read this in a lot of places. I loved the 2nd era (but my love for westerns coloured that opinion I think) I'm rereading era 2 at the moment and must say Alloy of Law I still really liked. The other books rereads are on my tbr in the next months.
7. I think I stopped reading somewhere in the middle of A feast for Crows. By then I was watching the TV show and stopped reading the books
8. I will start my Malazan journey next year. But you have me convinced to also read the Esselmont books (If I like the original series)
9. I've not read any Riyria books. I always hear they are very dark. So not sure they are for me
10. I liked all 3 of the gentleman bastards. I don't think they are the pinnacle of fantasy, but they are good stories. (I really disliked the flashback chapters in book 3 though) And if there is ever a book 4 I will read it. And if Lynch decides to write a different fantasy series I might pick that up as well.
This was the first video of yours that I found and maybe I'm just a grumpy contrarian but I agree with everything and just had to subscribe! The LOTR part especially is pretty much how I feel. I'm always suspicious of people's recommendations after they tell me LOTR is their favourite fantasy saga, so I feel like this is a channel I can trust hahah
Thanks so much!
Agree with all of these, except on Mistborn era 2 - I love those books, and I think Wayne is hilarious. To each their own!
Regarding The Gentlemen Bastards series, I agree. I heard/saw so much praise for the first book that I read it. And I, too, loved it. So I just went on and read #2 and #3 without seeking out opinions on them and I really really enjoyed them. Not as good as LoLL, but they're solid and very enjoyable. I look forward to whatever Lynch ends up releasing in this world.
Yeah that's exactly how I feel.
I don't feel like that's a controversial opinion to be honest. Most people will agree the Lies of Locke Lamora was a fantastic book and the next two were good but not spectacular. That's a fairly widely held opinion.
Okay since you mention the language first 3:26 i have a hot take too as a non-native speaker. I didn't find Tolkien's language more difficult to read than other more modern fantasy books. 😀
I absolutely agree with the Lord of the Rings take. I grew up watching the movies and absolutely adore the world but it wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I actually sat down and read them for the first time. I understand the appeal of Tolkien and what is work did for the fantasy genre as a whole, his world building and dedication to language isn’t something I could ever even dream of attempting and many who try fail to do so. However I will say plainly that I didn’t enjoy the books very much at all, I thought truthfully that the movies were a far more enjoyable experience and I came away pretty disappointed in the books. I recognize them as some of the best fantasy ever written and would never tell anyone not to enjoy them, but me personally I could never read them again and that would be fine.
Also the second part of red rising is even better than the first so I disagree
Loved Fifth Season but the second person narration worked for me, I feel like it's one of those divisive things you either love or you hate and it will color your opinion of the entire book.
Hard agree on ADWD. Reek chapters are GRRM's best writing to date imo.
Fellow Malazan fan that has to get around to Esselmont's stuff, currently have the main 10 as my favorite series as well.
Yeah man get on that Esslemont train!
Excellent opinions and video!
I read LOTR as teenager, I think I was 17, and then again as an adult, 32 years old. The second time around was even better. With maturity, I could grasp better the grandiosity of Tolkien's work, and appreciate it even more. Completely disagree with you on that.
lord of the rings is beloved because it's the backbone of all modern fantasy. every single popular trope in standard fantasy has some kind of root in that book. it kind of has the beatles problem where people have built on their sound for decades that when you look at it now it will seem barebones, but it's still the skeleton the genre was built upon. Either you think that deserves credit, or you don't, and I can see both perspectives. I think it deserves a "this is the most important book of the genre" special award in every top fantasy list. also the movies are simply the best fantasy adaptation ever. period. yes, in some ways they improved on the story in the books.
Yeah I agree with all of this.
I didn’t think Mistborn era 1 being better than Mistborn era 2 was controversial? But I agree. Mistborn era 1 was way better
It's not so much that I think it's better, it's that I think it's MILES better to the point that I didn't really care for Era 2.
100% argee with your Dresden take, I do like the series but it's a constant hurdle especially when Harry's ogling at a teenager or even under age character. That's not chivalrous, that's creepy. Borderline predatory. Makes it hard to recommend to people.
Yeah it's super hard to recommend because of that.
Regarding Fifth Season:
Bang! Bullseye! Bravo.
100% on the nose in every respect. Thank you.
Agree with LOR, yes its the most important fantasy book but I felt like every time it was getting interesting it would be interuppted with more descriptions to slow the pacing down to a crawl, the writing style was so different to what I was use to. I had the same issue as you, I had read too many other fantasy books before it. I had even read the sword of Shannara years before it, yes Sword copies everything from LOR but for me the LOR was my 100th epic quest story
The unfinished stories is an interesting one. My issue with ASOIAF is I am more deeply invested in these characters than other stories that I feel like I need the correct ending after so long but what you said is correct, their are loads of other great characters out there that I have not met yet and I need to move on and discover their story instead
Yeah I agree with you on ASOIAF and the other unfinished stories in that I really, really want to see how they end. But that doesn't take away from what was already written in my opinion.
I've noticed that a lot of the recent books that are winning major awards like the fifth season, Gideon the ninth and the long way to a small angry planet are really terrible books. But they win awards for portraying themes that were rarely touched upon in fantasy. The fifth season was a brilliant portrayal of motherhood. I remember you touching upon the way traumatic events are treated in the book, and to me, were really realistic. A lot of trauma is suppressed, or someone has been through so much that it barely affects them anymore. The other example I mentioned though, reaallllly did not deserve the accolades.
I don't know if it's just me, but anything that is hyped by TOR is usually bad and very socially drive. Everybody gushes over books that are poorly written because they are about modern issues. And I fully believe that those books will be quickly forgotten because they are completely framed around our specific social context. The strength of lord of the rings is the themes. The way it was written was completely anti-publishing and every portion was made to make you feel a certain way. Like the wanderings of frodo and sam. You're meant to be frustrated, to feel like it's dragging on.
I think the books that will stand the test of times are those who are touching universal subjects or shared experiences, explore the human condition in all it's aspects as opposed to focus on social arguments or commentary. Most of golden age of scifi feels relevant because of what they talk about. But a lot of those books are now completely irrelevant due to them being too contextual to their timeframe.
Very well put, and I agree with what you are saying about what kind of books will stand the test of time!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I recently saw a discussion between Christopher Ruocchio and 2 other author/youtuber and one of their main issue with modern fantasy and scifi is how books are completely focused on plot and character as opposed to the big questions. It was really interesting, they touched on a lot of issues that have recently popped into my mind a lot while reading recent books and looking at online discussions. So few discussions explore the ideas behind books, the universal questions. It was worth listening simply to see what the author thinks about when reading and creating his own books.
Completely agreed. There is a growing trend that if you as an author are POC / not heterosexual or your book is about oppression of POC or exploring sexuality then you get automatic high praise and awards.
The content of the stories is starting to lack in popular culture books due to forced inclusion. Nobody should care what the races or sexualities are of an author or their characters, only the merit of their writing should matter. Hoping we can have inclusion in the future without it being forced...
@pappywinky4749 It's been a while, but do you remember which video that was? I'd be super interested in watching it.
This video was sooo fun haha 😂
Sometimes you see a person who just personifies a concept to perfection. In this case, it is the concept of malding.
LOL
Happy to hear what's in my mind 😌
LOL
Wow… this was a fun video!
I agree with number 1 completely.
Number 2 was so hard to read, such bad writing, everything kicked me out. But the story and twist were fun but I’m definitely not picking up the next.
Disagreed with number 6, Vin fell flat for me. Great character, just didn’t hook me. But Wax and Wayne are so fun and their stories are so great.
Ooooooh spicy. i think you're right in everything you said about tLotR, but i still disagree that it's overrated (maybe because of the nostalgia lol - it was my introduction to fantasy when i was a kid, so it has a special place in my heart). but yeah for sure it's very different from modern fantasy, and it's not my favorite fantasy series anymore since i've read more modern stuff
My guy. How do you not have more subs? The quality of your content is so high.
Thanks!
My channel is pretty new and hasn't really started to take off until 2-3 months ago, so I'm real happy with where it's at right now!
10 seconds into #1 and I’m already angry. Mission accomplished, my friend.
LOL.
Nice take on LOTR. Love watching your vids
Thanks so much! Turns out there are a lot of people who agree with this.
100% agree on LOTR! I read it as an adult and it was good but not as amazing as I expected. I think the main issue for me is that it’s very plot focused and you don’t get much insight into the characters thoughts and feelings. As a character driven reader, I much prefer series like asoiaf and First Law
So glad you said Sanderson isn’t funny to you. I’ve always thought this. I roll my eyes when he tries to be funny. Especially shallon, I can barely read her chapters and actually skipped them when I reread stormlight
Yeah I don't quite understand the people who claim he writes funny characters.
3rd take is absolutely wholesome
:) Thanks!
Wow, you weren't kidding when you said controversial takes. I simply can't get my head around the GRRM/Rothfuss one. I read Name of the Wind, but honestly wish I hadn't. I enjoyed it at the time, but a story can't be satisfying to me if it doesn't have an ending. I've been reading fantasy for over 30 years and haven't touched ASOIAF, and have no plans to unless he finishes it. It would be like starting a puzzle when you know a third of the pieces are missing. What's the point?
While I do love endings, I still think the individual books here are great and worth my time reading.
I'm totally with you on Mistborn. Era 1 was fantastic, but Era 2 didn't really work for me. Also, I appreciate the heads-up regarding The Fifth Season: judging by the hype, one would think it was a work of profound genius.
Yeah...I mean give Fifth Season a shot you may love it like most people do. Just for me - it was horrible.
I know I'm late to the party, but holy cow, this should have lit booktube on FIRE! I agree on Fifth Season btw. Also, can't we just leave Lynch, Rothfuss, and Martin alone? Sure my wife or friends can bust my chops on the fact that I don't get a house project done, but can you imagine taking heat from potentially millions of people. I'd be running to therapy for sure! I enjoy books 2 and 3 in Locke Lamore too, quite a bit. I feel like Lynch wants to gut punch us all the time with his endings though. Great video!
Love it! I'll do another sometime this year with new ones.
Agree wholeheartedly on Esslemont. His books are excellent. Nothing as good as the best of Malayan, but rarely does he indulge in the extremely slow build-ups that you find in some of the Malazan books. Also have Book of the Fallen as my favorite series.
Disagree on several of your other takes. I hated A Dance with Dragons. Not for the reasons most people do. I thought the writing was lazy and self indulgent. How many times, from different characters, do I have to hear "Words are wind." Bad as that was, two different characters both comment that something was as "useless as nipples on a breastplate." It made my eyes roll the first time. The second time I just had to wonder where his editor was. But that isn't my big issue. Rather, to me it feels like he did almost a complete reset on the characters of Tyrion and Dany. Tyrion is back where he was early on in Clash, and Dany has regressed two books. It seems quite clear to me that he had simply lost his way with these characters. Throw on top of that his excessive reliance on cliffhangers, way more than in the earlier books, and the whole thing struck me as being just dreadful. (Did not dislike Feast as much.)
Again on Martin, I'm happy for him that he got so rich off of this stuff. But that doesn't mean I have to like what he's done to his readers. There is an implied promise (and some actual statements made) in the creation of this kind of series. He has reneged. He's never going to finish it, and I think less of the series as a result. Still think the first three books are great, but it's a project with great promise that failed to deliver.
Next, while I agree with you for the most part about Harry being sexist. It's obviously there in the writing. But it's also obviously a character flaw, and it's one that Harry himself acknowledges from time to time. To a certain extent, I think he gets redeemed by having a real relationship with Murphy (and even there he continues to have problems, but he works on it.) I don't turn off of a series, even in first person, because the character has obvious flaws. Harry has some other big problems as well (fireballs first to solve most problems), but I think he's a good character and there are three books in the series I absolutely love (Dead Beat, Changes and Ghost Story, the last probably being my controversial take).
Finally, I hate when people say that something is dated. Lord of the Rings had archaic prose even when it was written. That was a deliberate choice. It wasn't fashionable then, and it is not now. That said, there's a lot of "dated" stuff that is just awesome - The Iliad and Odyssey, Gargantua, Beowulf, Shakespeare. People present narratives in a different prevailing style now, and that's mostly a question of fashion. It's not because there has been any "improvement."
Red rising is a god damn masterpieces from book two on! The character study of darrow of what the atrocities of war does to a man, the neckbreak pace is insane
Agree 100% on Dresden, dropped the series because of this
Yeah I suspect many people did. Which is a shame because the books themselves from a plot perspective are good.
Funny enough I agree with most of your hot takes! However haha, I'm a strong defender of Mistborn Era 2. I say this while also acknowledging that I love Era 1 way way more than Era 2. My argument is that everyone goes into Era 2 expecting the same tone, scope, and weight of Era 1, but Era 2 doesn't have the same goals as Era 1. Era 2 is supposed to be a smaller, more contained story, it's supposed to be more light-hearted, and it's supposed to be more of a transition series to update us on the world/magic/characters.
I respect Sanderson for trying something new and giving us variety. It's like reading different Stephen King books that have completely different tones. I'm definitely not saying everyone has to like it, I just think more people would by checking their expectations going into it.
Also, I feel like the series is almost like a bonus because Sanderson wanted to tell another story to avoid burnout. I imagine Era 3 will return to more of an Era 1 in tone, scope, and story. To me it's kinda the opposite of the problems you mentioned with Pierce Brown and Michal J Sullivan writing the same thing with the same formulas over and over. Sanderson is trying something very different and I think it works for what he's going for.
I guess that might be my hot take haha 😂
I thought you were mostly fair with your LOTR points but not about leaving POVs out of some of the books. Come on Matt I know you're a Malazan fan, you can't hold that one against anyone!
I think the different in Malazan is that there are literally hundreds of POVs, so of COURSE they are going to leave out many of them each book. With LotR the cast is small so it's way more glaring when people are left out. Makes the story feel choppy.
Very interesting and I agree with your straight out of the gate opinion.
I enjoyed Legends for the most part but the last book was pretty disappointing to me, and I haven't been able to bring myself to read the middle series.
I agree with some, kinda agree with Dresden but it doesn't bother me. I think your take on authors not finishing series' is a good one but it's contradictory to your other point about Aurthors wanting to stay writing in worlds they created for too long. I find the same excuses for authors who don't finish a series just as valid for authors who want to keep a series going or stay within their world. But I generally agree with your other points. i didn't consider your second red rising trilogy not being needed before, but I think you should give it another shot. I mean, why is it bad for a writer just to make a career in their own world?
I don't necessarily think an author is bad for staying in the same world - I mean Steven Erikson is my favorite writer and the only thing he's done is Malazan. I just think some authors need to know when to move on, especially if their series hasn't exploded.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews first off thanks for the reply! I agree that authors should expand and if the reason for not doing so is fear based than they should. Some of my fav writers always say ¨I really write for myself¨ so if david webber wants to write 50 honor Harrington books regardless if the series takes off, cool with me
Any idea when scott lynches novellas are going on sell?
There hasn't been any updates lately on those unfortunately.
1. Nostalgia is my number one reason why I hesitate to put Lord of the Rings on my top 10 list. The last time I read it was almost 20 years ago and I really can't say if it would hold up now.
2. The controversial aspects of this book keep me from reading it. It is definetly not high on my TBR list.
3. I can fogive Scott Lynch, because from what I understand he is dealing with some helth issues. But man, G. R. R. Martin really doesn't want to finish his series. Every year he comes up with new distractions. I have really given up on it.
4. For some reason it never really bothered me how Dresden acts and thinks. His comments are more like background noise to me and I don't really pay much attention to them. I am only 4 books in, so maybe it get annoying later on.
5. Never read Red Rising.
6. It suprises me that there are people who consider Era 2 better than Era 1. I thought that everyone agreed that Era 1 was far superior. I still enjoyed Era 2.
7. The thing that threw me of when it comes to Feast for Crows was the absence of Deanearys, Jon and Tyrion (there were other things too of course), but about halfway through I started to enjoy it again. Dance with Dragons on the other hand was a dissapointment from beginning till end. Especially the way Tyrion acted, it was justified but too painfull to watch. Maybe reading both books at the same would have been better.
8. Read only Gardens of the Moon, so nothing to say here.
9. Never read it.
10. The second book is actually my favourite of the three. The third one hovewer is noticaebly worse then the rest in my opinion.
@9:54 I agree … I’ve given up on the Bermuda Triangle long time ago and moved on … don’t know why everyone hasn’t 😂
The neckbeard comment literally made me laugh out loud!
Thanks so much! My channel is pretty new (about 8 months old) so I'm pretty dang happy with where it's at right now!
Started strong hahah
I couldn't agree more...Lord of the Rings bro...tried several times via audio and hardcover...almost plucked my eyes out 😂😂
Definitely think with winds of time he’s having to do a massive rewrite as the ending of the tv show was how he wanted it. So heaps of rewriting from him with the reaction. Even though I watched the last three season in a month and I really enjoyed it.
Yeah I didn't HATE it, but I certainly was bitter that I was getting the TV show before the book.
I agree! I remember a few years back before the show ended that he told the writers how it had to end in case he died and wasnt there to see the finished show. So this is the ending he wanted! And he saw how it was so badly received he had to change the ending. He even did a little interview recently and said something like "Ive found that my writing is taking me further and further from how the tv show ended" sort of confirming thats where the story was at some point. Many people thought he hated the ending, I disagree, I think he hated how it was received and is now taking years to backtrack and rewrite. Good for him because that ending was the pits.
@Sarah Gonzalez I concure. That ending left us with so few good points. So many misteeps were taken by the last 3 episodes.
I really enjoyed the series maybe it’s because I stopped with three seasons to go then just binged the whole lot over a week or two. And a few things in the last couple of episodes I really liked as they where hinted at throughout the whole series. But definitely how he wanted it to finish and now has huge amounts of rewrites to do
@@robertsiemon410 *Game Of Thrones Spoiler!*
We better get a different king in the final books! Having Tyrion say "Hey yknow who'd make a great king to this war ridden broken nation? Someone with fun stories ! 😙" Like cmon man be for real
I would say that stating that Mistborn Era 1 is better than Mistborn Era 2 is about the least controversial thing possible. Lol
That's not really the part I think is controversial - it's that I think its SO much better. I think the vast majority of people that read them liked them both.
A couple of these things I can't comment on as I haven't read the books that are the subject of the opinions. Absolutely agree with the Lord of the Rings opinion and everything I've ever heard or read about Dresden says that you're pretty spot on. Honestly the only one I can really fault you on is mistborn era 2. Just like humor and reading are subjective I really tend to enjoy the more punny wordplay type of humor and part of the usage of humor in Wayne's character covers up a lot of dark stuff so I find him to be pretty memorable. Mistborn era 1 still beats 2. But for me they're a lot closer
Totally agree with the ICE opinion. They are fantastic novels.
Yeah they really are - and extremely underappreciated!
Loved mistbron … haven’t read era 2 yet but I really enjoyed the 1st series when I read them
Hi Matt, I also couldn't agree more on the LOTR, I also read it for the first time as an adult after already reading lots of fantasy. And the movies are my all time favourite movies. I think that Tolkien was so impressed with the world that he created and wanted to explain it so much that the character development got lost in it. I do agree though that the book is probably the most important in fantasy but it wouldn't be in my top 20 or maybe even top 50
I love LOTR but it’s important to remember that a lot of modern fantasy stands on its shoulders. Personally I can leave the films alone. Tolkien was the first to do such world building, create magical objects with their own will, reframed how evil characters work and characters develop. It’s like dismissing the Beatles because their music is out of date and ignoring the impact they had on the music scene and the innovative they pioneered was crucial to the development of modern music.
I agree 100% Steven, there's no doubt that all of our favourite fantasy series would not be the same or even exist if it wasn't for Tolkeins books, and also the same with the Beatles they are such an inspiration on all future music, but I hate the Beatles too 😀 😉, I love the LOTR story so so much, but just personally for me I didn't love the way it was written especially for the characters, but this is just my opinion and the general consensus of the world doesn't agree so thats all good lol
@@lewbobgaming4411 that’s ok. The important thing is to place these iconic cultural events in their place. Liking them is a subjective issue. As I started reading fantasy in the mid-1980s Tolkien work was important just as Ursula Le Guin earthsea series was. It’s a shame her works have been allowed to fade away but they are an important aspect of the history of fantasy.
Winds will be out next winter. Calling it
I have yet to read Lord of the Rings. It's on my list to read in my lifetime. I am sure they are wonderful. But I have too many friends who claim there is really nothing better than this series. The fantasy Genre to them IS Lord of the Rings. Hearing this over and over again just pushes this series back on my list. There is more to fantasy and more to reading than lord of the rings and Harry Potter!
I also agree with you on Number 3. Author's don't owe us a thing. What they wrote for us is true art. We should be thankful for what they did write. But not only write, but shared their words with us!
This is a spicy video for sure, love hearing the controversial opinions!
Thanks Mark!
You continue to pain me sir. Luckily you balance your crazy opinions with super good ones =D
I agree that ASOIAF and Gentleman Bastards don't need to be finished to be great and worth reading. ASOIAF is one of my all time favorites and ASOS is my favorite fantasy book ever written. 2 books into the Gentleman Bastards has me feeling like I'm reading something incredible and as much as I hope it gets finished, it's ok if it doesn't. I agree 10000% about Mistborn holy crap. Era 2 is close to garbage, especially when compared to Era 1.
Glad I at least got a balanced stance out of you Alex! And I've heard enough about Dark Age now where I think I'm going to have to throw that one back on my TBR and give it a chance. Many people have told me it redeems the first book in the new sequence so I'm feeling more optimistic.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews Dark Age is definitely fantastic so I hope you enjoy it! I wasn't a huge fan of Iron Gold to be honest and didn't like 2 of the POVs we were given.
For me, The Fifth Season worked just fine.
I believe people should be able to do their work. If it results in "fan service", I'm fine with that. A lot of people can't get enough of the world they love, so much so that they start reading and writing fan fiction. And a lot of authors have grown from fan fiction. Actually, all of them. 😀But, as you say, the books are readable and good even without any continuation. Nevertheless, I can respect an author who sits on the sequel without saying anything for decades more than an author who keeps promising a sequel that never appears, and then complaining about things, while at the same time writing other things.
While I somewhat agree with the Dresden Files criticism, on the other hand, a lot of it makes sense with the world/mythos, and is at least partially justified by the story setting pulling from existing earth mythos systems. There's a lot of mythological creatures that are essentially "sexy women that tempt men", between vampires, succubi, sirens, and various others. It does make sense for a lot of the supernatural female characters in the books to come across the way they do, using sex appeal to prey on human men. However, Butcher's choice to keep many of these characters as recurring major secondary characters is questionable. It's fine if the white court of vampires and sidhe are supernaturally beautiful and use that as the means they prey on humans, but then when both are major allies that show up in book after book, it starts to wear thin. It'd feel better if Mavra got more screen time than Lara, rather than it swinging far in the other direction.
Great takes. I love your passion even of we don't always agree 🤪😉
A year later, and once I get to the part about the red, rising, nope, still can’t take it. You are wrong, wrong wrong, and it’s your loss… Seriously, how do you not love it?
I really like your channel!
Thank you!
I also don't understand the point about not wanting to read an unfinished series. I noticed it mostly goes for fantasy, maybe because it's often very plot-heavy and you want to know how it resolves. still can't relate to this idea. most of Kafka's stuff was never finished yet he is being studied by literature majors across the world lol. the joy those stories bring is still valid even though we will probably never know how the author intended to end them.
also, as a Tolkien fan I agree - his prose can be incredibly dull and hard to get through, but honestly, I don't think writing action adventure was a point, he just wanted to nerd about European mythology and make up some cool languages. it's too far off from any modern idea of fantasy now so it's understandably challenging to read in 21st century
Great video again, you are spot on in many cases.
I agree with you on The Fifth Season, I don't know about unreadable, but I was not impressed at all with all the hype. Agreed the Red Rising Trilogy was enough, I read it and have no interest in going further. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations was extremely enjoyable, loved those two characters. Lynch's three books are so clever, and the characters are wonderful together.