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I just ran across your video. I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy the book. I am currently reading it for perhaps the 4th time. I agree the names can be cumbersome, but like the main character, you learn as you go and it becomes easier. I like the book because, while it has critical moments of action, you are well established in the point of view of the main character. He has a calm, rationale manner, and this is felt by the reader. I also like that the World is not explained, but you get pieces explained along the way which allows it to unfold. I was more disappointed the 2nd book in the series wasn’t about the emperor anymore. But I’m also now a fan of those books, too. Anyway, best of luck in your reading! We all have our own favorite stories. This is one of mine, and I will no doubt be re-reading it for years to come.

Oooops, The Mermaid's Tale had totally slipped off my radar again, thanks for the reminder that I really want to try that! I just finished Model Home by Rivers Solomon and I think that is exactly what you are looking for in your horror books, very much similar in its approach to horror as The Reformatory!

Ahh fantastic review ! I just finished it today and I adored it (although I also loved Sword of Kaigen). Totally agree about the bit where it did kinda slow down, and like you said, it didnt affect my rating overall. I like that Wang made Sciona flawed, shes a woman in a mans world but that doesnt prevent her from also being racist/xenophobic because shes still falling for the propoganda shes been taught. Thomil was such an excellent character, and I love that hed call Sciona out when shes coming at things from a priveleged place. That ending though ! Was immaculate.

The first book 📕 you talked about I am about 15 percent into it ❤❤❤

Jawbone by Monica Ojeda hit me in a psychologically horrific kind of way. A young and traumatized teacher trying to get a grip while something strange is going on with a group of girls in her class.

Exactly! Human beings are more scarier than any ghost, vampire or werewolf! Realistic, psychological horror is the best imo!

Great video as always

I've heard mixed things on Blacktongue Thief (most praise I've heard is more for the audiobook performance, which I think is an American doing an Irish accent so a bit of a red flag for me 😂) but I trust your recommendations. I'll try Winter Road and Curse of Chalion first though 😊 Haven't read Sword of Kaigen, I've heard there's a lot of set-up for a since abandoned sequel / spin-off Hell yes, for LeGuin's prose 🙌

Yes!! One of my all-time political fantasy favorites, so happy you loved it too!

Honestly no more words needed! You are making me very excited to get back into this series and binge it out. Also good job on continuing to spread the Fourth Wing hate whenever you can, you are doing God's work hahahaha

I think I could get along with this one.

I don't care about the real world takes from a court jester. Her writing is horrible.

I also don’t often enjoy YA novels, but this series is an exception. I loved the whole trilogy.

❤️

Omg Zara lmao "Read it if you hated Fourth Wing" is the simplest but most elegant thing you could have possibly said to convince me to read this book 😂😂🤣🤣I immediately went on Amazon to go buy the book only to realize that I already owned the e-book for it lol. I do not remember ever buying it but I'm not complaining lol I might not read it immediately but I'll definitely get to it next year if not before the end of this year lol Oh, you also talked about not really being into YA nowadays. I personally consider the three books in the "Annals of the Western Shore" by Ursula K. Le Guin to be fantastic YA and a lot more sophisticated and nuanced than most YA I come across. This series is never talked about because it is definitely overshadowed by Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle and Hainish Cycle, but I definitely feel it's worth checking out just like anything and everything else Le Guin ever wrote lol

I enjoyed Jade City but don’t get why people say it has such a good twist. It’s literally the Godfather. I didn’t like it enough to continue the rest

Fantastic review ! Sadly this is one of those books I really wanted to love, and although I loved the worldbuilding, I found the two leads to be a bit bland and annoying which is a shame. Will definitely give book 2 a try though just to see how I feel.

I'll check it out. I couldn't even pass 80 pages of Fouth Wing. The only YA that I really liked was "Loner" by Teddy Wayne. It's short and dark.

❤🎉

Spoilers below for anyone reading: Great review! I wanted to come to the defense of Matahachi's character arc. It's true that much of his actions are unforgivable in the story, especially kidnapping and trying to murder Otsu. The point of his arc however is redeeming an addict. He was addicted to alcohol, sex, stealing, negative emotions, etc., and you can see all of this through his own thoughts. Justifying spending a little bit and eventually all of the gold meant for another man. Justifying trying to get revenge on Otsu because his mother believes it should happen. Drinking himself under the table even when he didn't have money to pay for it. But in his thoughts, he believes his luck is about to turn around, and he'll make up for all of these negative things he did. It is the mind of an addict, and we got to see it develop from square 1. This itself is not super interesting, but the way Yoshikawa redeems him is one of my favourite endings to an arc I've read. Stripped down to absolutely nothing, certain of death, he finally finds his own way. Though what he has done is unforgivable, he endeavours to become a better person and help the people around him. He ends up becoming a very important friend for Musashi and becoming a father for a vulnerable family. His arc is an optimistic look at how people who might have lived unethical or even evil lives can still change and contribute something good to the world. His mother's arc is also one of my favourites. Sorry for the long rant 😅

Watching this as someone who just read book one absolutely loved every moment, felt every emotion Gabe did, absolutely nothing bad to say about it, and i read the first few pages of This book, i closed it and sighed, vampire getting edged by his thrall for essentially no reason, and i have read that its a majority of random sex, filler, and SA. I'll be giving it a go in the morning, ill come back if im disappointed or not. At least I'm prepared to be extremely let down, hoping i enjoy it like i did the first one.

Could've sworn I left another comment on here but oh well. Congrats on the blog! I loved Sailing to Sarantium but hopefully Lord of Emperors lands with you. I really appreciated grief as a theme especially early on as I'd lost a family member while I was reading it. Ursula K LeGuin's Tehanu (Earthsea 4) was my favourite read of October but Williams' Stone of Farewell and Adam Nevill's The Ritual came very close, though with the Ritual I was much more creeped out and intimidated by the first half than I was the second.

Congrats again on setting up your blog, I have been loving reading some of your first writings. It's really not fair how many exceptional skills you have, leave some talent left for us thank you please 🤣❤ Anyway, looking forward to the Assassin's Quest review. And I really need to re-read Fireborne to finally binge out the series, that is indeed a remarkable YA fantasy! Hope you enjoy whatever you get up to in November, cheers 🥰

I like him, but all his books are the same. Some books are better at some theme than others, but they usually go from good to very good, never great. BUT I CAN'T STOP READING HIM!

Happy 😃 birthday 🎁 for the month of November tbr list weather your giveaway is international or not prayers and blessings for you and your family love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤

Loved the review! Currently reading on vicious worlds after devouring the first book and I’m genuinely shocked this book isn’t everywhere!! I still can’t believe this is her debut series but I’m so excited to see where these characters end up 💕

I found Sailing to Sarantium to be pretty mid as well, but the second book became a favorite - can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

Another awesome video! <3 Arthur Miller is AMAZING omg. I love “Death of a Salesman”, but I also love “The Crucible” by him as well. Last month I totally forced myself to finish two books that were WAAAAAYYYYYY TOOOOOOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG for their own good lmfao and those two books “Assassin’s Quest” by Robin Hobb and “To Green Angel Tower” (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, book three) by Tad Williams. Omg the stories of both these tomes could have been told with fewer words. I know a lot of writers are told “show don’t tell” as writing advice…but telling is okay sometimes lmao. In fact, I would argue that whole omissions in some cases in entirely appropriate. Seriously, I don’t need to be shown every single damn bush, rock, etc. that Nighteyes and Qantaqa chose to piss on smh. I also read and thoroughly enjoyed “The Fisherman” by John Langan. Funny thing is this book has the lowest average rating on GR of the book I read in October lol but it’s the only one I gave five stars haha. Have you ever read a book that you felt the author wrote for you personally? That was this book for me omg. Absolute perfect execution of cosmic horror and unsettling Lovecraftian atmosphere. I did also read “Between Two Fires” by Christopher Buehlman last month and it is a horror novel also, and I did think that it was good overall, it just doesn’t crossover into the territory of the cosmic horror sub-genre that I personally love the ways The Fisherman does.

Sounds all good! Will be interested on your take of Lord of Emperors. I think I enjoyed Sailing a bit more than you but I agree with the mid part in that I wouldn't rank it among the best of his I've read, but not the worst. I'm reading Belly of the Bow right now, the 2nd book in K.J. Parker's Fencer trilogy! Have you read those yet?

Congratulations and best of luck on your new blog!🙌😊 I really hope to get to more Russian Literature Classics next year! A shame «Sailing to Sarantium» did not hit with you, as it was my book of the year back in 2022: Crispin (while by all means a flawed man at best!) dealing with his loss and depression and find new inspiration, really struck a cord with me (as did the constant theme of GGK of keeping the flame of Civilization, Culture & Art alive), but I hear the majority favors book #2, «Lord of Emperors», so hopefully that one will be an improvement suits you better! How exciting to get the scoop on a new KJ Parker Trilogy, enjoy! 😄 As for myself, in October I read: Mary Shelley’s «Frankenstein» (Gothic Science Fiction, with illustrations by Bernie Wrightson: Breathtaking!) «The Land Leviathan» (A Nomad of the Time Streams» Trilogy #2) by Michael Moorcock (Multiverse/Alternative History/Time Travel Steampunk(?)😅) «Midnight Falcon» (Rigante #2) by David Gemmell (Heroic Fantasy/S&S) «The City» (City of Victory Trilogy #2) by Adrian Goldsworthy (Historical Military Fiction set during Emperor Trajan’s Campaigns) «The Power Broker» by Robert Caro (Political Biography/Investigative Journalism Classic, my Q4 long-read) My November TBR: «The Steel Tsar» (A Nomad of the Time Streams» Trilogy #3) by Michael Moorcock (Multiverse/Alternative History/Time Travel Steampunk(?)😅) «Lord of Light» by Roger Zelazny (Science Fantasy inspired by the Legend of Siddhartha Gautama/the Buddha) «The Fury of the Gods» (Bloodsworn Saga #3) by John Gwynne (Epic Fantasy inspired by Norse Mythology) «Dreaming the Eagle» («Boudica» #1) by Manda Scott (Historical Fiction about the Celtic British Queen and her Rebellion against the Romans) «The Wall» (City of Victory Trilogy #3) by Adrian Goldsworthy (Historical Military Fiction set during the building of Hadrian’s Wall) «The Power Broker» by Robert Caro (Political Biography/Investigative Journalism Classic, my Q4 long-read) Cheers! 😃

Great review of books!! I saw the movie Silence, however, I purchased "The Samurai" because of your review. I think the setting of Samurais in what is now modern-day Mexico is very interesting!

I 100% understand when an author consumes you and it's all you want to read. 😅

Do you have any recommendations for which translation to read?

This and your book on assassins apprentice were just what I need, loved how you read quotes and stuff like that as well. I’ve just started book 3

Another book 📕 miss teach ❤❤looking forward to it

An "OKAY" book? Wow, that's just sad omg lol worse than being a bad book honestly lmao At least with a bad book you get the catharsis of ranting about it and/or the delight of mocking it, but with an "OKAY" book, you don't even get that out of it lol I've never read anything by this author btw although I've known of him for basically forever lol I'm actually more interested in checking out his short story collections rather than his novels lol perhaps I shall get to them one day

A great review of a book I'll probably never read 😂 Always interesting to see how authors tackle death because you can't fully appreciate and understand life without accepting death as an inevitability.

I liked your review more than the book ❤ There's a psychosexual component to most of his books that just puts me off.

Yessss!!! Thank you for putting in the effort for refilming this!! Royal Assassin is one of my favourite books ever, can't wait to listen to your gush review in its glorious entirety

When I read this, I considered it one of my favourite books of all-time (that's still true) but I dunno if this is even in my Top 5 books in the whole series. Molly gets a lot of mixed reactions from readers. While I always understood where she was coming from she's ultimately a character I don't feel strongly about one way or the other. Nighteyes ❤ I could be misremembering but I'm fairly certain its in this book, a moment Fitz acknowledges Patience as his mother when he's going to visit her. Love Patience.

I said before in your Assassin’s Apprentice review that Realm of the Elderlings is my favourite fantasy book series ever (which is still true). However, I forgot to mention that The Liveship Traders is my favourite book trilogy of all time - I’m very excited to hear your thoughts on that trilogy when you get to it! 😁

Only books i remember having to read for secondary school was an anti-bully book when I was 13 that i can't remember the name of, To Kill A Mockingbird when I was 15/16 and How Many Miles to Babylon? by Jennifer Johnston when I was 18 and loved the latter two. So i was lucky in that regard. It was mostly poetry we covered, especially towards the end as we were building up to the then upcoming centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Great video, as always. For me, what's so infuriating about the whole setup in the Farseer trilogy is how Regal and his cronies are essentially being enabled by the people around them. These guys aren't nearly as competent or smart as they think themselves to be. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that they're up to no good, and yet no one does anything. I remember one Redditor who said something to the effect of "If this were a video game, Regal would be playing on easy mode." Call me naive (heck, you're probably right), but I suspect this bears a strong resemblance to how things work in reality. I bet that a lot of real-life villains only get away with the things that they do simply because they're surrounded by people who're too ignorant or uncaring to do anything about it and are content to look the other way.

Going on the back of Guards Guards I gotta recommend The Wee Free Men and the rest of the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. Such good books for both girls and boys.

My gosh, you are an absolute hero for doing this rerecording (and making it feel so authentic and spontaneous as well!!!) Loved hearing all your in-depth thoughts, it's such a joy to reexperience this trilogy with you. Couldn't agree more on Verity and Kettricken, they are SUCH good characters. Also, I think Molly and Fitz' romance is underrated, they have such a special bond even if they sometimes don't even realise it themselves and sabotage their own happiness. And this ending... absolutely insanity, can you imagine having had to wait for the next book?!?!

Robin Hobb laughs in the face of middle book syndrome.

🎉🎉🎉🎉 oh no on having to rerecord I can't wait to hear your AQ thoughts where things come together...somewhat.

Farseer, woo! Royal Assassin was great. I'm currently reading book two in the Tawny Man trilogy.

Ok. So you're boring. Your voice is boring. And your look is dismal. The Glossary was exceptionally useful because the numbers of characters is huge. And I don't know how you work; I found Addison's ability to remind me who was where, when, how they fit in was exemplary. It's a big world all fit in one book. I wanted more of The Goblin Emperor and the politics, social standing, complexity and brilliance. If. you want to be spoon fed? Not the book for you. But you clearly like easy reading. I'm so unimpressed with your assessment. He's not a cute and cozy character; he's a fish out of water, he's not part of the circumstances he's been thrust into. He has to be wise, understanding, thoughtful, at the pinnacle of the upper echelon and yet he has had no training. Thumbs down for your assessment. As you say, you and yours like it easy. No hard books for you then.

Oh goodness, I loved this video! Thanks for letting me relive one of my favourite books through you. Now that you've finished Farseer, I demand a similar recap of the entire series! I'm excited for you to continue this RoTE journey! I'm confident you'll love every book along the way (except maybe Rainwilds haha)