Definitely agree this series needs more spotlight these days even though it did well back in the day, but also that the most recent books even more so need the spotlight - growing the world, maybe being paced a bit more in ways that current readers would like, and dense with themes. Thanks for putting the word out! I'm surprised to hear Heart of What Was Lost called straight forward: Viyeki the Norn's POV is taking the former entirely evil side of the conflict (since they are separate from Ineluki) and showing that while their society is currently deeply evil there are people under there, seismic shifts are happening, and there are some (like his master Yaarike) who might want to effect change- a key piece of that POV's storyline is the need for change and to stop worshipping the past. This entire military campaign is mentioned in the books and is painted as a very cool, very fist pump moment for the humans but is rendered as sad and mostly needless. "Wars don't end, they just become stories," as Isgrimnur thinks. The man himself, instead of being painted as the simple nice uncle type, gets to experience moments of rage and despair he never truly got in MST since this is immediately following the death of his son, struggling with almost continuing the cycle of genocide - but crucially, unlike many grimdark books which would have him commit, giving it up. There's also the theme of the danger of nostalgia for the past, the need for the older generation to step aside. All in barely 200 pages.
Definitely one of the best fantasy "triologies" of all time! Definitely the best elf-analogues. I def wouldn't describe your video as spoiler-free tho. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thank you for trying to do your part in bringing more attention to this great Fantasy series --- it certainly deserves it. I read the "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy back in the mid 1990's shortly after the release of the 3rd book and loved it. To this day I still consider it my favorite fantasy series of all time (and yes, I have read "The Lord of the Rings" and the first 5 books of "The Wheel of Time" --- I could not make it past that point, though I did like the first 3 books very much --- it became too repetitive). I would think that WOT was one of the series you had in mind when you mentioned well-known works that seemed to be recycling themselves as they went on. Anyway, thanks again for your good work, it is truly and greatly appreciated.
I never made it to WOT, actually. It was Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series that broke my back and made me swear off epic fantasy for a long time. I'm still extremely cautious about it and rarely pick up new authors in that genre anymore. Thank goodness I came across Tad Williams' books early on!
Thanks for the nice review! They definitely sound like a world I’m ready to enter into. I’ve collected books 1&2 and didn’t realize book 3 was often times divided into 2 books. So many great classic fantasy books often get forgotten with the newer fantasy books paving the way. I just wish my younger self had known about all these wonderful books- so much catching up to do! I loved your intro! Your pics from your walks always look so peaceful.
So much classic fantasy is crap, though. 😆 I read a lot of clichéd, ponderous tomes back in the day that took themselves far too seriously and didn't have a single original line in them. (Not that that last one has changed a lot since…). It's a miracle I never gave up on fantasy altogether. I hope you don't accidentally pick out all the duds when you dig into the history of fantasy - there are so many!
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Definitely agree this series needs more spotlight these days even though it did well back in the day, but also that the most recent books even more so need the spotlight - growing the world, maybe being paced a bit more in ways that current readers would like, and dense with themes. Thanks for putting the word out!
I'm surprised to hear Heart of What Was Lost called straight forward: Viyeki the Norn's POV is taking the former entirely evil side of the conflict (since they are separate from Ineluki) and showing that while their society is currently deeply evil there are people under there, seismic shifts are happening, and there are some (like his master Yaarike) who might want to effect change- a key piece of that POV's storyline is the need for change and to stop worshipping the past. This entire military campaign is mentioned in the books and is painted as a very cool, very fist pump moment for the humans but is rendered as sad and mostly needless. "Wars don't end, they just become stories," as Isgrimnur thinks. The man himself, instead of being painted as the simple nice uncle type, gets to experience moments of rage and despair he never truly got in MST since this is immediately following the death of his son, struggling with almost continuing the cycle of genocide - but crucially, unlike many grimdark books which would have him commit, giving it up. There's also the theme of the danger of nostalgia for the past, the need for the older generation to step aside. All in barely 200 pages.
Definitely one of the best fantasy "triologies" of all time! Definitely the best elf-analogues. I def wouldn't describe your video as spoiler-free tho. Looking forward to more of your videos!
A very helpful review of this almost-forgotten epic fantasy series. You do know your stuff! I'm subscribing.
Thank you for trying to do your part in bringing more attention to this great Fantasy series --- it certainly deserves it. I read the "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy back in the mid 1990's shortly after the release of the 3rd book and loved it. To this day I still consider it my favorite fantasy series of all time (and yes, I have read "The Lord of the Rings" and the first 5 books of "The Wheel of Time" --- I could not make it past that point, though I did like the first 3 books very much --- it became too repetitive). I would think that WOT was one of the series you had in mind when you mentioned well-known works that seemed to be recycling themselves as they went on. Anyway, thanks again for your good work, it is truly and greatly appreciated.
I never made it to WOT, actually. It was Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series that broke my back and made me swear off epic fantasy for a long time. I'm still extremely cautious about it and rarely pick up new authors in that genre anymore. Thank goodness I came across Tad Williams' books early on!
Thanks for the nice review! They definitely sound like a world I’m ready to enter into. I’ve collected books 1&2 and didn’t realize book 3 was often times divided into 2 books. So many great classic fantasy books often get forgotten with the newer fantasy books paving the way. I just wish my younger self had known about all these wonderful books- so much catching up to do!
I loved your intro! Your pics from your walks always look so peaceful.
So much classic fantasy is crap, though. 😆 I read a lot of clichéd, ponderous tomes back in the day that took themselves far too seriously and didn't have a single original line in them. (Not that that last one has changed a lot since…). It's a miracle I never gave up on fantasy altogether. I hope you don't accidentally pick out all the duds when you dig into the history of fantasy - there are so many!