30 Fantasy Series I Tried in 2023 (What's Worth Your Time?)
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- čas přidán 1. 12. 2023
- I started/continued or read more than 30 series this year! Let's talk about it!
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Very cool that you tried so many series, Johan! Some that were misses for you are beloved for me (Malazan, Books of Babel, The Library Trilogy so far), but one great thing about fantasy is the huge diversity of stories, which means we don't all have to love the same books. I also want to thank you for trying so many self-published fantasies, including The Way of Edan. I think we will be finding more and more BookTubers willing to embrace some of the amazing stories that people are writing outside of traditional publishing. My best to you for your reads in December!
I couldn't agree with you more - fantasy is such a diverse and creative genre! I am glad you loved the series that didn't work for me!
Most of the self-published books I pick up are just as good, an occasionally, better than some traditional published books. Many readers miss out on some incredible books if they don't want to read selfpublished books!
I really need to get to Dandelion Dynasty next year, I keep hearing that Ken Liu wrote a masterpiece.
Woohoo for starting Oathbringer, hope you love it!
Great list! Several that you liked are in my TBR! I just finished Stone of Farewell, second in the Memory, Sorrow, and Throne series and I think it’s even better (but there are so many characters!)
Thanks for this list! I’ve started waaaay too many series recently and hoping to finish a few soon 😅
Deadhouse Gates is the best book I have ever read. I am currently reading Memories of Ice and so far it’s not disappointing. With Malazan you need to just read with the exception that it will all come together.
"The Dandelion Dynasty" was my favorite reading experience of the year and I can say is the best series I ever read. For "Talonsister" I really appreciated the worldbuilding and magic system. It reminded me of "Princess Mononoke". I have hope that all the slow build from the first volume will pay off in the concluding one. Other series I started or continued and loved: "Between Earth and Sky" - Rebecca Roanhorse, "New Crobuzon" -China Mieville, "War Arts" - Wesley Chu, "Amina al-Sirafi" - Shannon Chakraborty, "Fallen Gods" - Hannah Kraner.
Hi 👋 always like ur book recommendations! So excited about next year books!! 🎉
Thank you!
Crazy year 🤪 I started Malazan, The Cradle, Mistborn, West of West, The Seven Virtues, Mrs. Percy..., Tainted Dominion, Dandelion Dynasty, Enchanter General, Galaxy's Edge, Obsidian Path, Mew Crobuzon, Tiger at Midnight, Shining Smith, Emaneska, Iconoclasts, The Burning Son, The Tales of Pell, The Four Mercies, The Lot Lands, Threadlight, The Dark Star trilogy, Alex Verus, Manifest Delusions, Kallattian trilogy, Dragonblood Assassin, Greenbone Saga. Chronicle of Thomas Covenant. I think thats all 🤔😛😬
For me what makes Red Rising so great is the characters. Pierce brown wrote human emotion so well and their actions fit with personalities. I also think listening to the audiobook gave so much for my love for it. The narrator speaks with an Irish accent to which the book was based on the plights of the Irish people during the industrial revolution. Absolutely heart wrenching when he sings Eo's song.
I read the first three books. It was such a depressing and anxiety inducing series. I liked it, but I don't think I would say that I enjoyed it.
Wow you really had a great reading year mate. Its an amazing hobby when you had lots of fun and enjoy it every time. With online gaming i remember the moments and the majority i didnt enjoy or was mad so i changed to reading last 3 months.
Im enjoying cradle like it is the best drug, i want to return to skyward 2 from sanderson and maybe yumi too before the end of year.
Thank you very much Johan!
I think I can safely say you’re one of the true heroes who helps us indie authors for better recognition!
I have no idea how you manage to read and post that much of books, but I glad you are doing it. I wish you all the best 🫶
I started Wheel of Time this year, I'm on book 9, had to take a break, will continue next year. I loved that you enjoyed Promise of blood, one of my favorites from April or May I think. The book club didn't like it, oh well. I am reading Dragonbone chair right now and its so good. Simon is fast growing on me.
Bests of the year, for me, are Carl Sagan’s Contact, Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time, Sanderson’s Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (followed closely by Tress of the Emerald Sea), and Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, which I cannot recommend enough - that mystery was more fun than it had any right to be. Great job on the reading sir and I look forward to seeing more of your content in the new year!
Great recommendations
A series I never see recommended, but I loved, is the three book series by Lois McMaster Bujold starting with The Curse of Chalion. She has recently added a bunch of novellas in the same world but unrelated to the trilogy that are very entertaining, if you like original and quirky characters. And if you have any interest in sci-fi, I recommend The Vorkosigan Saga for a rollicking good time (the audiobooks are spectacular, narrated by Grover Gardner).
Too hard to choose - I finished Stormlight archive to #4, Wheel of Time, the Farseer trilogy and the Faithful and the Fallen as far as series go! Truly ‘epic’ year of reading… thanks for all the TBRs and pushing my reading variety through the readalongs and book club!
You've read some incredible series!! Thanks for reading with us!
You, sir, have had a GOOD year. Now add Abercrombie. And finish ALL the Realm of the Elderlings books!!!
Definitely start with the First law, indeed!
Getting back to Edan after reading book 1 is high on my list as well.
A great list! I did start a lot of series this year, and now I have to decide which one I should continue with first. I have read the first three books in the Black Company series, read my first Abercrombie, did all the books and stories from Earthsea, started Legend of Drizzt, and just a few days ago, finished reading Dune for the first time. I have many, many more planned and ongoing from previous years, not to mention all the great stories that haven't even come out yet.
I have the first two Earthsea books on audio for nest month 🙌🏼
@@ithrahmunchswallow468 I liked the second one a bit more than the first book
My sister swears by Black Company. It's on my list too but I haven't started it yet 🤪
I'm so hopeful for Sealed Empire on audio 🙏
For me it was Abercrombie, Jordan and Gemmell year so far 🙏
My top 2 were actually new books in Will of the Many and The Book that Wouldn’t Burn. Lots of series I’ve loved that I’ve started though. Bound and the Broken, Faithful and the Fallen, Green Bone Saga, Red Rising(Golden Son might actually be at the top), Empire of the Vampire, and many more.
This has been a really good year for me!
I read Powder Mage. I’m not really sure what my issue was with it, but I didn’t love this one. Didn’t think it was bad either, it’s probably my baseline series - if I like a series more than Powder Mage, it’s good.
Continued with Stormlight, I finished Oathbringer in January. At this point I’m waiting a bit for Rhythm of War, with book five coming out next year I want to do a proper re-read of the series for that.
I finished Of Blood and Fire a few days ago, I had the normal complaints people bring up with that book but I’m still really excited to read more, I’ve heard Cahill just gets better and better.
Besides that I read a ton of favorites. I read the original First Law trilogy and the standalone books. They’re amazing. Green Bone also lived up to the hype, especially Jade Legacy. My favorite series of the year has to go to Tide Child. As you said there’s a learning curve. But once I figured out how to read these books I was in love, it’s my second favorite series of all time.
Im loving Deadhouse Gates right now 🤓😝
João is Portuguese for John. It is pronounced Jo-ah-o. It is a soft J like in the French name Jean
I usually say The First Law flew so Kings of the Wyld could crawl. Similar elements in both series but you won't appreciate how good this kind of fantasy is until you read The Blade Itself.
YES TO DANDELION! I finished this series earlier this year and it is one of my favorite series ever.
Yay!Cosmere books!
I loved all of King's Dark Tidings. There are two more books to be released though. I think this is my favorite series in a very long time.
The Reckoners series is very good too. We listened to these with our kids on our road trip. Not really suitable for kids, but our kids watch a lot of anime, so they weren't phased by the graphicness.
I read the first two books of Fourth Wing series. I enjoyed them... ish, but a little too graphic on the spicy parts.
I read the first 3 books of the Red Rising series. It was so depressing and anxiety inducing. It was good, but I can't say that I enjoyed it.
I read the first of the Stormlight Archive and started the second one (Words of Radiance, I think it's the same one you showed). They are very good.
Sealed Empire 😍😍😍😍
I loved both of Joao Silva’s books…if you haven’t read Richard Nell, his Ash and Sand Trilogy is fantastic and while it is different,both writers bring me into the same space.
If you do give Malazan another go, skip Deadhouse Gates and read Memories of Ice. MoI is a real high point in the series, and kind of happens alongside deadhouse gates so you don't really need to have read the 2nd book to get what's happening. If you read them out of order theres a few small spoilers but for the most part I think you'd enjoy them just fine. If Memories of Ice doesn't grip you, then the writing style probably just won't do it for you and thats OK. I think Memories Of Ice kind of becomes the 'standard' going forward where Erikson really figured out his writing style.
A great run-down! How can you read so many in 11 months?😅 And can we expect a companion video on standalones? 😊
I thought Deadhouse Gates was interesting in the beginning, a little slow, and it can get a little overwhelming in the middle. 100% worth pushing through-it's got the best final act (last ~250 pages) of any fantasy book I've ever read.
1:02 Why do You dnf the book?
I'm hoping to finish the Wheel of Time, Mistborn and That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime somewhere during the next year 🙏
Have you read the Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire Series)?- amazing series, I think it would appeal to you as amazing worldbuilding/magic system
I keep hearing people talk about Stormlight Archive…. Is it really that good? Should I give it a read?
Philip c Quinthrell writes great books especially the first 3 in the echoes of fate saga but it does get complicated after the first three as there is a jump in time by about 30 ish years. Still a very good series.
I want to read Dandelion Dynasty and Tide Breaker thanks to you Johan lol! Both sound good
This is one of the best compliments a booktuber can get!
@@libraryofavikingI would love to see a full video on Dandelion Dynasty sometime😊
I tried Malazan a few years ago and just couldn't do it. I am sad that I am unable to enjoy a series that is so highly revered but... There's so much to read it's not worth trying again imo!
You read a lot this year. I added some of your books to my list - thanks for the rapid-fire reviews!
Glad I am not the only one! I hope you will enjoy whatever books you pick up!
When I first tried to read it, I got burned out during Book 3 and DNFed. I've since restarted it, taking it more slowly and I'm gonna take a break after I'm done with Book 3 before starting Book 4 and I'm enjoying it a lot more now.
@@hannahbrennan2131 My experience with Malazan is almost identical to yours. I sped thru books 1 and 2, then dnf'd book 3 because I felt way too lost and disconnected. I re-read 1 and 2 at a super slow pace with lots of breaks and absolutely loved them. I've re-started book 3 and I might honestly take several months to a year to read it, but I'm enjoying it now.
I didn't like it either 🤷♀️
@@puzzlingread I've since started the series up again, taking it much slower and taking breaks in between books. I'm reading just one chapter a day. I'm just over halfway through Book 4 now and I'm really enjoying it now.
If you ever try Malazan again, do start from the first, since you have not read far enough to make that a scary proposition. At this moment, trying to continue where you left off or even just restarting DG, will just make you dislike it more. GOTM is probably the least good book in the series, but when you reread it, even if you retain 10% of what you read before, this read will be much smoother and you will pick up lot more things, which will help youe DG reading even more.
I wish you had time stamps
How dare you brush over The Emperors Soul! One of Sanderson’s best works! 😂
Is that a tattoo on your arm? Is that new? Love some good ink
I tried to read Malazan recently as well. I actually liked Deadhouse Gates more than Gardens of the Moon, but I quickly bounced off Memories of Ice. From the beginning of the series, almost every major twist or event in the plot just felt completely random, like new world-changing revelations were being introduced every few pages. Some of the characters were interesting enough to carry me through book two, but when the third book seemed to revolve around the most boring man in the universe, I had to just put it down.
Iron Flame does have intimate parts but the characters don't talk about being intimate all the time like they did in Fourth Wing. Iron Flame has more meat of the actual story.
For The Daevabad Trilogy, the romance definitely drops off, and there's much more political and other plots. Book 1 is my least favourite of the 3, and I rated it 4 stars, the rest I found 5 stars 🌟
Golden Son not being a 5/5 😱
You didn’t like Kings of the Wyld?! 🚩🚩🚩
Am i the only one who hated Fitz and thus didnt enjoy the Farseer trilogy ?
I just found it a very hard book to read but Fitz was and annoying character in my opinion.