Use my code CAPTUREDINWORDS to get $5 off your delicious, high protein Magic Spoon cereal by clicking this link: sponsr.is/magicspoon_capturedinwords What are some of your favorite fantasy books? 0:00 - Intro 1:34 - Magic Spoon 3:21 - Honorable Mentions 8:00 - Piranesi: geni.us/-Piranesi 9:15 - Murderbot: geni.us/MurderBot 10:15 - Book of the New Sun: geni.us/BookoftheNewSun 11:25 - Tigana: geni.us/Tigana 13:16 - Elric Saga: geni.us/ElricSagaBook1 14:58 - Earthsea: geni.us/EarthseaComplete 17:06 - Discworld: geni.us/GuardsGuards-Discworld 18:39 - First Law: geni.us/FirstLaw 21:43 - Stormlight Archive: geni.us/WayofKings 24:29 - Wheel of Time: geni.us/EyeoftheWorld

@setas7818

Жыл бұрын

Berserk.

@elsonvictarion7101

Жыл бұрын

Also, plugging "The Deed of Paksenarrion", would love to hear your thoughts on the series at some point.

@OldNarnians

Жыл бұрын

So more of a modern fantasy top ten lol. (Sorry I would've just commented instead of replying but it wasn't working for some reason.

@noname3609

Жыл бұрын

1.Stormlight Archive 2.Wheel of Time 3.First Law 4.A Song Of Ice and Fire 5.Mistborn 6.Lord of the Rings

@ministryoftruth8499

Жыл бұрын

My standalone fantasy recommendations excluding GGK and Joe Abercrombie: #1 K. J. Parker - The Folding Knife (Reads just like historical fiction. The author, real name Tom Holt, masters the craft of writing and many other subjects besides: psychology, history, economics, politics, etc and it shows throughout the book!) #2 Lois McMaster Bujold - The Curse of Chalion (First of a series, but each book is its own self-contained story. Bujold is very prolific and her books are mostly average. Not this one though. This one is very well written. It's top tier stuff) #3 Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts - Daughter of the Empire (Tolkien meets Empire of the Petal Throne. First of a series. Can be read like a standalone. I don't recommend the other books from this series as they felt repetitive and lacked the magic of the first book) #4 Sergey & Marina Dyachenko - The Scar (Short book. Incredibly magical and sad. The story is stranger than fiction which gives it an intangible quality of realness) #5 Sean Russell - The Initiate Brother duology (This one is a cheat. It's a 2 books series, but it's not a long read and it's so good! Russell writes the closest to GGK in my opinion. Must be the weather in Canada or something) EDIT: #6 Roger Zelazny - Lord of Light (Another cheat because this is really a sci-fantasy book. It's also the shortest book on my list. Highly recommended).

"I'm not cool. I'm a fantasy nerd". Same. But that's what makes all of us cool! 🖤

@DrippyVidz

11 ай бұрын

You gotta piggyback by wearing crocs as well

@hectorgerardocorral3282

11 ай бұрын

100 with you!

@denisamuntianu8986

10 ай бұрын

You couldn't have said it better:))))

@KO-lq1yo

9 ай бұрын

And we won’t see Vulva

@IamPapaShaw

8 ай бұрын

Getting your nerd on is much more socially acceptable than when I was a lad.

gotta say I am extremely impressed by your editing. Dying to know how you did those little book showcase transitions

YES TIGANA!! I don't understand why Kay isn't more loved by the fantasy community. One of the greatest authors of all time.

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

I really can't wait to read more by Kay!

@maxwentzel9563

Жыл бұрын

I was so emotionally impacted by Tigana and have read it a few times now. One of my favorite books of all time period

@Decrepit_Productions

11 ай бұрын

Agreed. Except Tigana, good as it is, isn't my favorite GGK novel. That honor, as of now, goes to The Lions of Al Rassan. Next time I reread my Kay collection, it might well be another title. He certainly deserves far more exposure within BookTube.

@MFDOOOOM

11 ай бұрын

His prose can get too flowery. It feels pretentious and overdone sometimes but can easily switch to perfection.

@dmckenna

10 ай бұрын

The sad and simple answer is that modern audiences have been trained to prefer vanilla-ass, basic bitch prose.

The Belgariad was one of the series that made me fall in love with epic fantasy, such a classic! The characters are iconic, the banter legendary.

@kjuju

Жыл бұрын

Just don't look up the author. It ruined them for me.

@warbrothers7745

Жыл бұрын

@@kjujuI know nothing about the author of this series. That comment has piqued my interest , what !!!

@Mwezi828

Жыл бұрын

@@kjuju Wow thanks man, I really didn’t need to see that, obviously commenting that is going to make everyone look it up. 🤦🏿‍♂️ Anyway, death of the author (literally in this case).

@kerrybaxter5405

10 ай бұрын

David eddings. Still my most fav of all time.

@robertwhitworth8352

10 ай бұрын

Pretty much everything he wrote is classic 'trope' fantasy gold. The following series, The Mallorean, is just as satisfying.

The best top 10 fantasy books video I've ever seen, and your editing is on an incredible professional level, amazing summary and analysis as well. Thanks for such great work man :)

Your videos are so fun to watch!!! I absoltly love your editing! You do so much work and I love all the art so much! Great video

Kudos for publishing a “real” ranking, and not one lifted from another KZread channel! I was impressed that you mentioned the Pern books, not many today are familiar with them.

Very excited for the Wheel of Time in-depth summaries! Amazing video as always, Jay!

Thank you for honoring the Dragon Riders of Pern. My absolutely straight up favorites of all time. You are right, no one is talking about McCaffrey’s work these days.

@toniwhiteman5791

10 ай бұрын

She's a favourite of mine, it's a real shame she's not that well known anymore

@deetee8100

7 ай бұрын

No other dragon books stand up to her series in my opinion.

@shelleoshelle7252

7 ай бұрын

@@deetee8100 agreed!

@andytigaraki2663

5 ай бұрын

All her books a really worth reading

Just bought "Elric of Melnibone Vol.1" on your recommendation. First impressions are very good, excited to see it through. Thank you!

I really appreciate all the new mentions, it's great to discover new and interesting books and I'll surely read some of the ones on this list!

Absolutely fantastic video. It threw me over the edge to subscribe! I’m in desperate need of knowing where you get your video transitions. Especially the water drop/smoke transitions. Envato Elements?

My Top 10 (only finished series): #1 Joe Abercrombie - The First Law #2 J. R. R. Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings #3 Ed McDonald - The Raven's Mark #4 Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn #5 Paul Kearney - The Monarchies of God #6 Brian Staveley - Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne #7 Ursula K. Le Guin - The Books of Earthsea #8 Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast (only the first 2 books; the 3rd book is a sub par standalone) #9 Daniel Abraham - The Long Price #10 Mark Lawrence - Red Queen's War Unfinished series that may EASILY make it to the Top 10 once finished: J. V. Jones - The Sword of Shadows (my all time favorite series) Scott Lynch - The Gentleman Bastard George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire Patrick Rothfuss - The Kingkiller Chronicle Sorry, no Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive) here, even though he's a great author. He kills the magic by over-explaining it. This of course is a matter of personal preference but it is my list, my preference.

@codeypark2106

Жыл бұрын

Have you tried mistborn by Brandon Sanderson?

@ministryoftruth8499

Жыл бұрын

@@codeypark2106 Yes. 1. It's not my cup of tea. 2. It's not better than the Stormlight Archive, although finished.

@CanaMediaTV

Жыл бұрын

I see the Red Queen's War but what did you think about The Broken Empire

@ministryoftruth8499

Жыл бұрын

@@CanaMediaTV I quite liked it. Especially, book 2. Obviously, I read it before the Red Queen's War. It's understandably a less polished work being ML's debut trilogy and of course Jalan is not as unpalatable as Jorg. Those being the main reasons I think the Red Queen's War is the better trilogy.

@CanaMediaTV

Жыл бұрын

@ministryoftruth8499 completely agree. Honestly, it was the world building that really drew me into the story.

Amazing editing! Enjoyed the video. I have added some new titles to my TBR based on your recommendations.

I can't wait for your WOT in-depth summaries! I'm doing a re-read, and even thought I read through the series once (over a very long period of time), I find myself needing refreshers because of everything that happens and all the little details when I jump back into the world.

The Gentleman Bastards books will always deserve a place in my personal top 10

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

Good choice!!

I like that you switch it up with new things I have not heard of. Keep them coming!

What a great list! And HUGE props for recommening Earthsea. Man so many people write it off, because it is "YA". It is YA only in how it is forcefully put into a box with expectations of what this work is, because of the intended target audience. And yeah, I think that most fantasy fans would really really enjoy Earthsea and find somehting valuable within those pages! Le Guin really breaks the barriers of age here.

@teleriferchnyfain

11 ай бұрын

Anything written by Le Guin is masterful & worth reading.

@monkey39128

4 ай бұрын

Can't stand people who look down their noses at YA fiction. Sure some of it's naff but there's plenty of absolute gems. I'm pretty sure Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle" is classed as YA and that's one of my absolute favourites. Mind you i first read those books when I was 11 so nostalgia plays a part.

Thank you so much for introducing me to these or reminding me they exist! looking forward to maybe picking up some of these in the future :)

I just finished the Dresden Files… I’m so excited for you. The places it goes are phenomenal, you’re going to love it!

I love love love Robin Hobb's writing. Just finished the Liveship Trader series which I actually ended up enjoying more than the Farseer trilogy, to my surprise. I'm now compelled to finish the rest of the Realm of the Elderlings. Next on my list: Wheel of Time!

@_Conzo_

11 ай бұрын

I could never get into Wheel of Time, hope you fare better!

@erikaeriksson9840

11 ай бұрын

The Rain Wild Chronicles are even better than the Live Ship Traders I think. Just brilliant! ❤

@sanso.1

8 ай бұрын

wheel of time is truly one of the goats, reading book13 rn and u got alot in store for you

@mattbarnett6156

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, Wheel of Time nearly killed me.. Persisted like a stubborn mule through about 10 of them, then thew in the towel... Kept waiting for the hype to start, or to "Get it" or something..

@bens9422

6 ай бұрын

Yeah mate i read four of them so painful@@_Conzo_

I love your recommendations, they are so complete and not as biased as some others out there. I will give some of those a good opportunity in my TBR and definitely keep watching the wheel of time. Thanks!

Great visuals in this list! Love the imagery when talking about Stormlight!

@CapturedInWords

11 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

I have already read quite a few series you have recommended since I found your channel and I always appreciate your work in spreading the awareness of them. Love the work man!

You had several of my favourites on your list, so off to check out a few I hadn’t heard of, thanks!

When you read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy and realize, that it is the biggest inspiration behind The Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). It´s quite shocking actually

@silverbackag9790

9 ай бұрын

Yep, it’s pretty much the same story GRRM straight up ripped it and added a bit more dark grim and politics.

@jaybond9864

9 ай бұрын

Memory, sorrow and Thorn is my favourite book series of all time. Might just be, because it's the first fantasy book I ever read but it always just feels like home to me.

@sadiqraza4592

Ай бұрын

It truly is a brilliant series, although the ending was a bit rushed. We could not see the proper devastation by the stormking.

One set of books I personally really enjoy that I’ve never heard you mention before is the Landover series by Terry Brooks. Part of it is probably nostalgia, but you have a lawyer buying a magic kingdom and subsequently becoming King, and having to deal with all the happenings afterwords. Really fun, enjoyable reading!

@deetee8100

7 ай бұрын

His Sword of Shannara was my go-to book as I was growing up. I read several in the series, but that first one is my favorite.

So the one thing a lot of people miss about Moorcock is that he's not really writing in the same genre as the rest of these. While the vast majority of today's top fantasy (and this list) are epic fantasy, a genre that was born with LotR, Elric (and Moorcock's other books) fall into "Sword and Sorcery", being the pinnacle of what was previously mastered by Robert E Howard's Conan and Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. In S&S, there is no focus on prose, no twenty different points of view, and much less in terms of character arcs, and the worldbuilding is generally left considerably more vague. All in all, it tends to be fast-paced, action-heavy, and relatively short - more of a "I'm going to sit down and read an entire book in one sitting" genre. And this WAS the genre of fantasy until the various Tolkien-inspired authors like Brooks and Eddings started placing focus on the Epic Fantasy genre in the late 70s and early 80s.

@goldenageofdinosaurs7192

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for pointing that out. It’s in a similar vein to the old, ‘hard boiled’ detective stories of Jim Thompson, Dashiell Hammet or Raymond Chandler. The prose usually takes a backseat to the story (though I will say that Leiber’s Fafhrd & Gray Mouser stories are wonderfully written) & tends to feature similar ‘men’s men’ characters. Many of these characters were developed and/or written in the 30’s, 40’s & 50’s, so the language may seem a bit archaic to some readers, but if you can get past that kind of stuff, the stories & characters are very fun. Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser are some of my favorite characters of all time & I’m a big fan of the Elric novels as well.

I'm glad to see Guy Gavriel Kay here. Altough I haven't read Tigana yet, The Sarantine Mosaic, The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Song for Arbonne are exceptionally good books. He is without doubt, my favorite fantasy author, a true storyteller.

Great video! I'm surprised you didn't mention the King's Dark Tidings books! I checked out the first book thanks to your recommendation and I had to binge the whole series immediately. I cannot wait for the next book! The world is so mystical and I absolutely love so many of the characters in this series. They're some of the most unique and interesting characters I've read in a while! I also got to recommend the series to my brother who reads way more than me and he's usually already read anything I try to recommend but he had never heard of this series and he ended up absolutely loving it as well, so thank youuu!!! :)

@MrIvancito12

Жыл бұрын

That series was very good.

Wheel of time is my number one so far ✨ I even got a WOT inspired tattoo a couple years ago. Thanks for the recs, looking forward to checking them out!

@CapturedInWords

10 ай бұрын

Awesome!! I've considered getting a WoT tattoo, and still might at some point. Thanks for watching!

Regarding the First Law and the character building you describe. I’m amazed that a cooking pot could be one of my favorite “characters” in that first book. The emotion you feel for a pot when the story drives on is still surprising.

Just wanted to say: I love the illustrations that u include in your videos :)

Thank you for always including the earthsea series in your list. Its always going to be my favourite, no matter what else I read. ♥

Just came across your site. I really appreciate your mention of TIGANA, my all-time favorite stand-alone fantasy. Thank you.

Great list! Got Blade Itself for a July read and Stormlight book 1 in August. Excited to get to these series.

@Twime.

Жыл бұрын

The first storm light book is such an adventure. It definitely is a feat to get through but I promise when you get to the end you will not regret a single minute spent.

@hawk66100

Жыл бұрын

You’re in for a treat with both series.

Wheel of time is my number one so far I even got a WOT inspired tattoo a couple years ago. Thanks for the recs, looking forward to checking them out!

Love Drizit! Most underrated series IMO never talked about but some how every book holds my interest (I think I’m 9 books in? And still love it!)

Looking forward to your in depth Wheel of Time videos, as well as your ASOIAF and Malazan reviews/opinions.

The first law, audio series is a master performance for a masterpiece. I have returned to this gem in my collection multiple times on a yearly basis and always enjoy the full listen through each and every time. 💯

@felipem.a.vilaontanilla5493

10 ай бұрын

Where is it available?

Great list! May go for “best fantasy stories” as a title since you included a couple stand-alone books.

"The Dragonlance Chronicles" by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman" was my intro to the genre when I was about 17 or 18 (61 now). I still go back to the series now and again to revisit old friends. Like many, all-time favs are the whole "Belgariad" series and the whole Sparhawk "Diamond Throne" series by Eddings and Jordan's "Wheel Of Time."

@NorsePagan1973

6 ай бұрын

I love that series as well, is the wheel of time as good as dragonlance?

@GabrielCampbell-se9rb

6 ай бұрын

you gotta read lord of the rings

@NorsePagan1973

6 ай бұрын

@@GabrielCampbell-se9rb I've seen the movie series several times. My all time favorites.

Great list! Your list will help me Discovery new series to read!:)

Somehow, I’ve been on watching booktube for 3 years and this is the first video I’ve watched of yours! Great list, Jay. And fantastic production quality!

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

Oh wow! Well I'm glad you found the channel! Video editing is a passion of mine, so I try to put a lot of effort into my videos :) I hope you continue to enjoy the content!

Very exciting to see a list with Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay AND Anne McCaffery! And Sir Terry Pratchett! And Elric and Le Guin... It is great to see some of the classics still being discovered and enjoyed!!

@teleriferchnyfain

11 ай бұрын

Pratchett & Tolkien have migrated to mainstream literature at this point - as well as Le Guin. Not sure if Kay or Moorcock will.

If you liked Piranesi, I think you would like The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. She also wore The Night Circus. Amazing standalone books residing on my favorites shelf. But The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin will probably be my all time favorite series.

@myrtosmyriliou7513

Жыл бұрын

Erin Morgenstern is what I would recommend as well!

@Beepbeep_its_treasure

10 ай бұрын

She is a phenom. Such rich imagery

@meow2646

7 ай бұрын

i love Piranesi, ill check it out!

@jagodaperich-anderson5058

5 ай бұрын

I echo the shout out for The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. She breaks the mold with this engrossing and powerful series.

Woot to you for including Book Of The New Sun, Elric, Earthsea, and Discworld...so many younger readers have missed out on these...you might consider recommending the Thomas Covenant novels for their incredible depth and character building...another that is often sadly forgotten is Gormenghast...the ultimate gothic fantasy...where style trumps plot to become its own character...

@erikaeriksson9840

11 ай бұрын

Oh, yes Gormenghast! It doesn't even matter that it never got finished, it's a really good series! ❤

Fine picks and good overall descriptions of each of the series. Enjoyed this!

@CapturedInWords

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)

For those who are wondering, Magic Spoon is basically solidified protein powder, so it's expensive but it's got lots of protein and is very fortified.

Thank you for your awesome video! Always enjoy hearing your thoughts combined with your great editing! This year you didn't put The Farseer Triology in your top 10. I wanted to ask you if you plan to read the rest of the Realm of the Elderlings since there is a lot more Fitz, Fool and Nighteyes to come and I think you will love how the story progresses!

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! :) Yes I definitely plan on continuing Realm of the Elderlings! I hope to continue in a few months, and can't wait to get back to Fitz and all the other amazing characters I've come to love

@KiyoraKasa

Жыл бұрын

@@CapturedInWords Yayy amazing! Can't wait to see your review!

I feel like your taste is very similar to mine. Whatever i read i completely agree with, and I'm curious about the ones i didn't know about. This list is invaluable but i also appreciate your explanations!! Huge thanks.

Thank you for mentioning the Dragonriders of Pern. It was the second fantasy series and I truly enjoyed it.

Pacey's audio version of Abercrombie's books is in a league of it's own. Excellent that you mentioned that call out to an already awesome series!

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

Pacey's narration definitely deserves the shout out! Abercrombie is clearly a fantastic writer, but Pacey's performance honestly enhances the whole experience, and is pretty much the definitive way to experience First Law

@erikaeriksson9840

11 ай бұрын

Totally agree! One of few audiobooks that actually enhance the experience. ❤

Love the Belgariad and enjoyed David Eddings writing in general ❤

Thanks for this. I'm intrigued by some of the works mentioned that I haven't yet read. Special thanks for mentioning Le Guin and McCaffrey. Can I recommend Sherwood Smith, "Inda" and following, a series that wanders though genres and age-appropriateness (some children's books, some really not.) in a rich and diverse world to a remarkably cohesive end (or, at least, turning point to the world's history).

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I'm an avid reader and have a hard time to find something to my likings, so I re-read my books several times, but after the fifth time I crave for something new. Here are some of my favourite books: 'The Black Magician' Trilogy by Trudi Canavan, 'The Saga of the Elven' by Bernhard Hennen and James A. Sullivan. I read all of these authors books, which made me addicted to fantasy. Recently I totally got hooked to "The Legends of the First Empire' and 'Riyria' series by Michael J. Sullivan.

I like that your list includes a healthy amount of classic fantasy. Most people on youtube don’t include any book series written before the Wheel of Time, except for Lord of the Rings. Another classic series that I love is Shannara. It’s fun, old school fantasy.

I would also add Jacqueline Careys - Kushiels Dart Trilogy. One of the most unique Trilogies I've ever read. Well written, great characters, never forget them. And lastly le modesitt The Particularly The Spell Song Cycle. Rich emotional visuals and characters I highly recommend this series.

So happy to see Dragonriders of Pern mentioned!!

Lots of new ones to check out here! I am also reading Malazan. Almost done with book one and am also a little confused! Lol

I've only read some of the series in your top 10. Great recommendations!

I'm in a similar boat where Kingkiller Chronicles is kind of on a probationary period. It 'could' be a top 10, maybe even a top 3 for me, but it all kinda depends on how things pan out going forward.

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! While I loved the first 2 books, it seems like a possibility we may never get that 3rd book, and a series that's never finished would definitely keep it from being in my top 10. Hopefully Rothfuss will surprise us one day, but I try to not get my hopes too high

@kenstephens2955

6 ай бұрын

@@CapturedInWordsthis is a top 10 book list, not a series list. I’ve been reading fantasy exclusively for 40 years and each of these books is in my all-time top 10. Frankly I’ve given up on book 3 of the series as I believe Rothfuss has written himself into a corner he can’t get out of. With love, Ken

@bmoneybby

4 ай бұрын

Such good books. Such a shame. ​@@kenstephens2955

My favorite fantasy series are the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant books, which start with "Lord Foul's Bane" by Stephen R. Donaldson. Thomas Covenant is a great anti-hero who really just doesn't want to have anything to do with quests. I've also really enjoyed Raymond Feist's books. Faerie Tale is a great stand-alone book.

@jjsage8903

20 күн бұрын

The thing that turned me right the fuck off from the series and it didn’t take long was that he raped a 14 year old girl and enjoyed it…. That was it. I put the book down grabbed the series which was 3 bucks at bookstore near me, straight to the garbage can

Good list. l have read 90% of everything mentioned but am excited to start on the stuff I have not

YES🎉 It Coming! A Eye Of The World, in-depth summary, hallelujah!🎉

I am so glad New Sun got a shout out. It is my favorite book of all time. Some amazing prose, really strange worldbuilding, densely layered storytelling, and the best use of an unreliable narrator ever. I am not even sure Severian is unreliable especially as his character "develops"(keeping it vague). I hope more people give it a try.

@undbiter65

Жыл бұрын

What series is this? Is it book of the new sun?

@Severian1

Жыл бұрын

@@undbiter65 Yes.

@robinshattock8178

11 ай бұрын

For me Tolkien and Gene Wolfe are head and shoulders above all other fantasy. Tolkien for the pure depth of his world building and Wolfe for the sheer imagination and deviousness of his plotting.

@Llanchlo

5 ай бұрын

He is and he isn't. I don't think he ever lies or misleads but he does conceal his knowledge and deductions. The best example (no spoilers) is that quite early in the narrative we meet two important characters. They turn out to be the same person. Sevrian knew that of course but didn't reveal his knowledge - which affects his actions. But if you re-read he clearly decribes both in similar enough ways which, perhaps for Sherlock Holmes, could have been enough to allow the reader to make the connection. He assumes, I guess, that the reader also has perfect memory so he has no need to spell out the "obvious". I'm with you. Wolfe is my favorite author, not just the New/Long sun cycle but most of his other works.

One book that I grew up on and wasn't mentioned is Legend by David Gemmell, the first time I read it I was blown away.

Thanks so much I needed this!

So many I've never heard about... My TBR list keeps growing

A favorite of mine is the Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne. I just finished Ruin, the 3rd book in the 4 book series. Recently discovered the Discworld series by Terry Prattchett. While I’ve only read a couple of them, I find it to be a delightful and funny series. Looking forward to reading more of it. Just how important is it to read The Elric Saga in order. I have several of the books, but, I’m wondering because Stormbringer has captured my attention and it is book #6. I don’t know whether to thank you or curse you for this list of yours. Thank you because of the quality of the books you recommend. Curse you for the length of the list. I’m 83 years old. I really don’t know if I have the time to read even most of them. But, I will read at least some of them. So many books, so little time…

As soon as I saw Tigana on the list I knew I was subscribing. Kay doesn't get enough attention. The Sarantine Mosaic is also amazing. I generally read it and Tigana at least every couple of years. I really appreciate how Kay draws inspiration from history and often provides some information on sources he was reading when researching his books. I also appreciate that you highlighted a lot of older stuff. Most of the other things I've seen in BookTube don't seem to be aware anything was written more than 10 years ago.

Love the New Sun and the Long Sun series, both are fantastic.

I have that edition of Earthsea!!! It is amazing and looks great on my shelves ❤❤❤

Idk, after I read Discworld, most fantasy books have really felt uninteresting to me, only because they take themselves seriously and I remember how the tropes are satirized and protrayed in Discworld. 😅 Suspension of disbelief becomes much harder at times.

Two of our top three are the same! (LOTR and First law - Realm of the Elderlings is my #1 now!). Nice to see some Belgariad love in your honorable mention; sure, it's trope-y as it gets, but is still a series I really love. I also just started my GGK journey with The Lions of al-Rassan - 2/3 of the way in, I'd say that's another great stand alone you might want to check out!

@RedFuryBooks

11 ай бұрын

Haha I typed and hit enter before you added Wheel of Time!

Hey! Great video! I was wondering if you have heard of the Wingfeather Saga? I personally really enjoyed the bizarre and really out-there creatures in the book along with the ever present humor throughout the narrative. The story is written by Andrew Peterson.

I am a bookseller and my main field always were fantasy books. Because i took a break from working in retail, i actually stopped reading novels for a long time. I mostly read non-fictional books or fanfiction. But i wanted to make a few changes in my life and one of them is reading more "real" books again. And your video gave me good tips where to start. Of course i read Earthsea and Wheel of Time before, but i bought the first book of Stormlight Archive, Mistborn, Belgariad and The First Blade because of this video. Thanks for the amazing work.

It was awesome to hear that Drizzt got you back into reading. That’s exactly what happened to me and I never looked back. Also, The Belgariad is amazing.

@CapturedInWords

Жыл бұрын

I'm so thankful I found the Drizzt books when I did, I felt like Drizzt was such a big inspiration and relatable character for me growing up and the books are definitely a huge reason why I still continue to read today :)

@dmbfreak123

Жыл бұрын

@@CapturedInWords Honestly, same here. One of the best characters in all of fantasy and I’d say as influential as Elric.

@penkaur

6 ай бұрын

Same. Drizzt brought me back to reading, a character i later recognized in the Witcher, especially first season on tv

You forgot about "The Art of the Deal."

'To Ride Hell's Chasm' is a great standalone novel by Janny Wurts.

I’m currently reading Book of the New Sun. I love it, dude! Love it!

Eyyyy, The Belgariad! One of the first fantasy series I read on my own (had little choice; my middle name is Beldin and my Brother's middle name is Belgarion😅😊)

The storm light archives are my favorite books of all time. I really love them. My fav is oathbringer and I feel like Brandon Sanderson is peak writing! I love how he took over Wheel of time and I think he did so well with them!!! If they don’t ruin it. I think HBO or Amazon should make a stormlight archive series!! It’d be so amazing and I can honestly say it’s my fav series of all time. The characters, the story, the drive!! The covers are a plus as well!! As always tho Second is Game of thrones.

@Jaasau

10 ай бұрын

I think it would be best as an animated movie series. Give it to a top notch group of anime artists and writers, not the absolute buffoons working at Amazon.

@pinkin7five720

10 ай бұрын

After I finish the series iam on , mistborn is next (I have the first book already , I keep hearing about it so , it's time lol

@penny4bama1

6 ай бұрын

Anxiously waiting for the next book in the series. And Mistborn series is fantastic.

I'm finally starting The Stormlight Archive after finishing everything else in the Cosmere and I'm enjoying or so far. Nearly halfway through and I can only imagine how it will end. It's like a slow burn. Thank for mentioning Tigara because I've been looking for Standalones and they're quite hard to find. I'll be checking that out when I can. Maybe you can compose a top 10 when you've read enough yourself?

such a helpful and fun video, fantasy is my favourite genre ever

The Library at Mount Char is one of the best fantasy stand alones I have ever read. It is dark, original, and utterly unforgettable! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend!

@lisacole6037

Жыл бұрын

I read it and think it's fantastic.

Pern was the series that made me realize I'm a fantasy nerd! Needs more attention 100%

Yay! Another ranking that I can fill my amazon cart up from!

@hawk66100

Жыл бұрын

I currently have such a big list of fantasy books to read and am constantly adding to it. To me it’s a good problem to have and I love it.

I have started and stopped Malazan so many times but I will eventually get to it. It's one of those must read books. The legend of dritzz is very staple. It's easy to see how these books inspired so much fantasy today. I am so hyped up to read the Elric Saga. For the most part, Elric was the first Targaryen.The lord or the rings and Wheel of time have to be on every list. Great video.

Hi. Before continuing I want to say that I really like your channel. Please don't take what I say here as criticism. My intention is only to inform, not to upset. I hope this post lets people know about some fantastic books that seem to be overlooked. My first set of books that could/should (?) have made it into the list are the Gormenghast books of Mervyn Peake. Mervyn Peake lived from 9 July 1911 to 17 November 1968. His Gormenghast series comprises three novels: Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950) and Titus Alone (1959). These are great, moody, Gothic novels about a family that lives in the gigantic Gormenghast castle. Rather than review them myself I will let literary critic Harold Bloom (July 11, 1930 - October 14, 2019), the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University, and called by Oxford Bibliographies "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world" speak. Bloom praised the series as the best fantasy novels of the 20th century and one of the greatest sequences in modern world literature. My second recommendation is by Lois McMaster Bujold (born November 2, 1949). She has won 4 Hugo awards and 2 Nebula awards for novels and 2 Hugo awards for best series. One of her 2 Hugo awards for best series, won in 2018, was awarded for the "World of the Five Gods" series. This series consists of four novels and ten novellas, with six of the novellas mentioned in the Hugo award. Personally I have no disagreements with any of your picks but I hope this post provides some recognition for other very good fantasy series.

Lovely collection of favourite series (or stand alone books) I agree with you on Abercrombie, his books are something else. Have you read anything by Miles Cameron? His 5 book series The Traitor's Son, and his recent trilogy of Masters and Mages impressed me very positively, you should give them a go: they have very compelling characters, very well described (and original) magic systems, and he is very good at describing how a military/academically organised systems work. His tactical/strategy description on battles/skirmishes is second to none. Plus they have a fine humour, specially The Traitor's Son.

Thank you for murderbot diaries review ..enjoying it a lot ..did the audiobook of all systems red and ordered the first two books..

Elizabeth Boyer books, the Sword and the Satchel etc. Although, the Lord if the Rings is the book that sucked me into the Fantasy genre many years ago at the age of 11 or 12. Most recently I worked my way through Joseph Delaney's Spooks series. I'm glad your channel popped up, so I can look for some new authors.

Loved your opinion on Tolkien and Jordan! I highly recommend the Nine Princes in Amber series!

The way this guy describes the plot of books and the author skills tells me that he would be an amazing author... Great job!

Rarely mentioned now, Roger Zelazny's work from the 60's & 70's was and still is fantastic. Lord of Light is a classic as is his original Amber series.

@cxthompson1966

9 ай бұрын

I named my son Corwin -- everyone loves his name and most ask how I came up with it-

Hi, I just stumbled across your channel for the first time. My fave series is also Wheel of time and then I also love LOTR. A fantasy/sci-fi series I loved and would recommend, even though I have never seen it talked about in a book video is the Morgaine Cycle by C.J. Cherryh.

Good video I 100 percent share your book options

Great list of books! My nostalgia for the older stuff places a lot of them higher and I could never not place LOTR in n.1 spot.