NONONO One Dark Window is quite interasting, i wouldn't even call it romantasy, the world building and story takes the main place of the book. The atmosphere the book builds with foggy woods and ruins really helps the story of dark magic, the darkness in the mind of the FMC was misterious and new, the story felt a bit slow but still engaging. The concept of cards giving powers but also taking parts of humans and chaging them. Over all a good moody book
Divine Rivals is honestly the only book I enjoyed out of these (rated over 2.5 stars). I love epic fantasy usually, but I think what I liked about Divine Rivals was that it was exactly what you said it was… a guy who pays his taxes lol. I don’t like a lot of romantasy because I think many of them do fantasy badly and also do romance badly. I feel like Divine Rivals did romance well and the fantasy elements were toned down to let that shine while still being present.
I do not read romantasy, but I did accidentally read one thinking it was urban fantasy. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, was amazing! I do recommend you guys check it out because I think its more grounded romance and it has a great premise. My friend who reads A LOT of smut and romantasy, hadn't read it until I recommended it and she said it was one of the best written romance stories she has read. I'll also add it listens well as an audio book too.
Dark window lives rent free in my brain. I wouldn’t even consider it Romantasy, I found the world and “fantasy” aspect, much more pronounced and detailed than the romance, especially in the second book
Would love to hear you both discuss maybe how stories shape us - I was reminded of this by all the tropes and plotpoints in these romantasy books that can actually be detrimental to the readers, especially as they are reading it as young people. This is often discussed with archetypes (e.g. damsel in distress, so then lacks agency in her life and expects to be rescued). I assume there must be the same kind of things related to male readers. Also, doesn't have to be negative. For example, heroes are great examples for readers, as it shows how people can be brave and overcome adversity. Sorry for the long message, but got carried away by your great video 😅
This was iconic! I read romantasy to get out of my reading slumps. I highly suggest you guys review the Cruel Prince series. The first book is a little rough but that is the only romantasy series I can tolerate lol
To be fair, The Bridge Kingdom is self published. It has a new cover now but also it was just picked up by a big publisher and is going to get another new cover!
for the sequel to this video I'm requesting a dramatic reading of the best poem in any fantasy ever: Bigg Titty Liddy from Serpent and Dove. Caraval is good for a YA audience. From Blood and Ash had so much potential and then after an ok first book (whose biggest crime is being too bloated) it devolves into the guy telling the main character she tastes like honeydew every 2 seconds.
As a male reader, I actually found Fourth Wing really good. I moved right on the Iron Flame after finishing it. (Which was also a good read). Your hypothesis was correct, they are fantasy books with romance in them.
There are a lot of people that like it, but when I read it... It was the responsible older sister trying to keep the ungrateful "Jesus take the wheel" younger sister alive in both their abusive home and the crazy carnival. I was begging the MC to let the sister experience the consequences of her own actions pretty early on in the book. The author tried to make it make sense in the second book, but... DNF.
Fourth Wing: great ideas, absolutely terrible execution. The author badly needed an editor at the very least. It was truly painful to read even though I was interested in the idea.
Absolutely agree. Idea is great and that’s it. Every character has no personality in them, not mentioning the development. Just a 2d cupboard image. And it’s horny, in a bad way. I regretted I had read it
@@pani_Yevheniia I also regret having read it. The worst thing was that every interaction between the main “couple” - especially the sex scenes - were so forced and unearned as to almost feel uncomfortable. I am not a huge fan of multiple sex scenes as it is, but at least stories like ACOTAR have some heart to it? It will be so fun seeing the expressions Austin and Rich make when they try to discuss the “plot” 😆 Really looking forward to it actually
@@Fantasyandmusiclover hahaha, can't wait to see their reaction too! Not only did the romantic and sex scenes feel forced, but the whole world and other relationships between all the characters seemed so fake. I had so many questions regarding it. You know, like in that meme with Sheldon "Why? why?" only without "that's why" part. I expexted it to be somewhat like the Nevernight, with decent worldbuilding, brutal plot and good written smut, but I've got a low quality fanfic. When I see it's high rating on goodreads I feel gaslighted
Avid Romantasy, fantasy, and romance reader here. I’ve read a few of these, My two cents: ACOTAR - I swear if you don’t read the second book, this ACOTAR slander will not stand. (Seriously every book gets better) D tier. The Bridge Kingdom - enjoyed it, wasn’t memorable. Yes that cover is atrocious. The sequel covers aren’t any better. C Tier. Daughter of No Worlds - I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It’s more fantasy based rather than romance based. But the romance was definitely a subplot. Really well written, and the plot surpassed my expectations from the synopsis. A tier Fourth Wing - you guys say ACOTAR was the best 4/10 book you’ve read? This will be the best, most entertaining 1/10 you’ll ever read. I’ve made two of my exclusively-epic-fantasy friends read this, and both of them hated how much they couldn’t put it down. Good luck. A Tier for couldn’t-put-it-down-ness. -F for literally everything else. From Blood and Ash - I’m sorry but I couldn’t stand this book. I know so many people worship this series, but good lord it was like listening to two 15yos create and intensify meaningless drama. Somehow such a thing as too much angst. F tier Gild - bad. Just bad. Glorified abuse bad. I heard it gets better, and is “rectified”, but it was just icky to me, and had really bad writing. F Tier One Dark Window - my god. This book has lived rent free in my head. I’ve read Mistborn. I’ve read Red Rising. This book has superseded both of them as one of the coolest worlds I’ve ever read. The magic system is so unique, the characters actually feel real, especially in the second book. The synopsis is so cookie cutter and boring compared to the plot and atmosphere. The thing that did it for me though was the prose/poetry. It felt like I was inside an original Grimm fairytale. One of the most underrated books I’ve read. So. Good. S TIER
Since this video and my subsequent comment made me think of One Dark Window, you now have to endure some quotes from the book. “A heart of gold can still turn to rot. What he wrote, what he did, was all done for naught. His Cards are but weapons, his kingdom now cruel. Shepherd of folly, King of the fools.” “When the shadows grow long, when our names turn to dust, what we loved, what we hated, will spoil to rust. All will be forgotten, save one truth unshaken… what did we do when the children were taken?” “They came in the night, the black and red horde. They burned down my castle, put my kin to the sword. The usurper was crowned, though my blood had not dried. But he did not account for the turn of the tide. For nothing is safe, and nothing is free. Debt follows all men< no matter their plea. When the shepherd returns, a new day shall ring. Death to the Rowan’s… Long live the King.”
7 minutes into this video, Richard can’t even grasp the plot and love interest of the first book 😂 I’m laughing so hard, this is going to be gold. I love fantasy and fantasy romance!
Being a middle aged man having read 0 of the 18 romantasy books under discussion constantly judging the critical faculties of Austin and Richard who have read 1 out of 18 of these books generally pitched towards women is peak internet.
You guys are hilarious. XD I really love your content and as a Romantasy (more fantasy side with romance) reader it was fun to hear initial opinions based on synopsis. I actually cant stand when books start off with great plot only for second half turning to smut and plot goes out the window. Its so important to keep plot going and not disregard story for all out romance haha. Divine Rivals was an eassssy 5 star read. One dark window you guys would like the providence card system and the nightmare character. Thanks from Australia
I've read 7/14 (50%) of these. *sigh*🤦🏽♀️ I know. I ask myself "Why?" everytime. 😫 I REALLY need to stop taking book recs from some people. 85% of them were mid, so they belong in C or D tier. Some of them had good concepts or intriguing plots but fell flat due to poor wordbuilding, cardboard characters, terrible writing & crappy plot execution. Some of them were drags (i.e. Powerless) while I had fun laughing at others (i.e. Fourth Wing). Daughter of No Worlds belongs in A. It was the best out of the bunch (3.5*). You guys were spot on (70% right) about most of these.
In Fourth Wing, the fact that Violet is "brittle" is because it is implied that she has Elhers Daylos Syndrome. (Not sure how to spell it) The author, herself, has this brittle bone disease. Also, I loved the whole Caraval trilogy and the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy which is it's spin off. I really want to read A Fate Inked in Blood. Great video, you guys! I would love to see you read Fourth Wing and Caraval!
Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome is a connective tissue disease, so it makes you more prone to joint dislocations and subluxations. It can also affect other soft tissue body systems, like your cardiovascular system. The disease I’ve heard described as brittle *bone* disease is osteogenesis imperfecta, which does cause very-easily-broken bones!
I think the reason why epic fantasy readers ( myself included) don’t like romantacy is that it tries to hard to be serious. When you read those blurbs it always these paragraphs that try so hard to be serious, but really aren’t. Epic fantasy doesn’t tell you the stakes/book is serious, it just is. Idk if articulated that super well but that is my two cents
This entire video was hysterical, but the ending was truly the cherry on top of this sad sundae 🤣 I have only read a handful of these, but I'd say you guys have a pretty good romantasy quality radar hahaha. Also, apparently book 1 in the Gild series is the unfortunate hurdle you have to get over to get to the good stuff, but hey... at least the premise is cool!
A Fate Inked In Blood: Did everything right but doesn't hit as hard as it's supposed to. The plot twist is predictable but you're okay with it because the build-up to it is good. It's one of the books where your opinion of it increases as time goes by. ACOTAR: This is similar to The Wheel of Time, where the series as a whole is amazing but breaking it down into separate books diminishes its story. Mass does an incredible job of setting up your expectations in the first 3/4 of the book and then completely turning your expectations in a direction you didn't see coming. While it doesn't seem like it, she has complete control of the story. Fourth Wing: It's basically watching a kinda good reality show. It's bad, it's cringy, but you're here for it. Yarros puts all your favorite romance and fantasy troupes in a story and somehow makes it work. You don't know how but it does. Yes, analyzing the book on a technical writing level reveals how okayish it is but listen it's not listed as a contemporary lit book nor Sanderson, Martin, or Jordan. You knew what you were getting into. There's some character growth and development in the story but not much. It's more of a survival story, in the sense that, you have a 20-something adult who knows herself on a basic level but is thrown into this hostile environment and has to survive. The whole first book is about her surviving till graduation and the connections she makes along the way. The second book is where the fantasy is because the wider plot is flushed out (sorta) in in. Also, Yarros knows what her fans want and she more than happily gives it to us. Bride: Is a story that indulges my 14-year-old self. Although I would say it's more sci-fi than fantasy. The vampire/werewolf aspect is a genetic mutation, not magic. It's also politically heavy. It was better than I thought it was going to be. Once Upon A Broken Heart: Best to leave it to the audience it was intended for. Has a lot of once upon a time vibes, nothing is really explained and the character is very much a teenager with her impulsiveness and cognitive thinking. The plot is way fast so not a lot of breathers in between action beats. Jennifer L. Armentrout: Her contemporary romances are much better.
I have read A Fate Inked in Blood and I really loved it, I don’t like romantasy but this one was incredible. Bjorn can get it 🥵😂 Bride was a surprisingly good read. I really want a sequel. Ali Hazelwood is really good at writing romance and this was such a surprise because usually she writes contemporary romance but I think I’m just gonna love everything she writes. Caravel is so good I really enjoyed it. That whole trilogy was fun. It does feel like I’m reading a Panic! At the Disco album which I love. When you read fourth wing I’ll give it another go. I DNFed at chapter 5 but for you I’m willing to put myself through it. It’s heavily implied that Violet has ehlers-danlos syndrome. I also DNFed From Blood and Ash, it sucks because her Lux series (sci-fi) is so good even if the covers are awful. As soon as I heard you say Kingdom of the Wicked I thought oh yeah that’s the Italian one, it’s all I know about it 😂 Guild was an indie published romantasy originally. I DNFed it 😂 I didn’t get that far in to know how bad it is though. Once Upon a Broken Heart was so good, I need to carry on this trilogy but book 1 is so good. This is the sequel trilogy to caravel but you don’t need to read caravel to understand it, but you’ll get a little background on the prince of hearts.
As someone who loves fantasy, romance and fantasy romance i have some opinions. But want to say i am an audiobook listener for the most part and i don't care about "bad writing" if I'm entertained and having a good time. I dont take my reading too seriously and my opinions are probably wrong but oh well. ACOTAR-honestly enjoyable. I read it way back before TikTok was a thing and made it explode. Is it overhyped? Yes. Is it still a grand old time? Yep. Her Throne of Glass series will always be superior to me but isn't as "spicy" so is offputting to a lot of people seeking romance. Fourth Wing- Went in expecting the hype to be way overdone, but I had an absolute blast. Is it peak fantasy? No. But we love a good dragon and war college situation especially with a character who is extremely at a disadvantage against all others. Divine Rivals- actually one of the most overhyped books in my opinion. The plot and romance were so boring and i had literally no desire to pick up the second despite a fun twist at the end. From Blood and Ash- this and the prequel series are some of the most addicting trash i've ever read. I listened to this whole series in such quick succession that i cannot tell you where one ends and the next begins. They were so addicting but as i have more time away from the series i cannot tell you why for the life of me. One Dark Window- actually such a great and interesting world and magic system. Deserves all of the hype it has and almost none of it had to do with the romance. Not a perfect duology at all but so interesting and fresh and enjoyable! Gild- i say i came for the spice (which you barely get at all until a few books in) and stay for the trauma. This character goes through so much and is so frustrating to follow but had tremendous and realistic character growth in my opinion. There are some really strange plot points and the first book is very offputting for a lot of people because almost nothing good happens to our character. But as a whole the first four that I've read are actually pretty good.
So I went to the comments after Richard's initial thoughts of what Fourth Wing split with the fantasy/romance, and boyyyy I can't wait to see his reaction after you guys read it next month 😂😂😂 Also pleaaaseee read more romantisy 😂 just for the reaction in general ❤❤ Edited to add after seeing the GR rating reaction : OH THEY DONT KNOWWWW 😂😂 but you will soon 😂😂😂😂😂😂 (I gave it a 3 just to counter act the rating lol but it is a 4 for enjoyment, just a 2 for everything else).
As someone who read many fanfiction. Gild is not that rapy xD for all the warnings it had I was shook (by how tamed it was lol) But it is bad. Nothing happens. 🤣
I love e a good fantasy, and a good romance of its well written. If any that the fantasy elements are well done and the romance is good please let us all know. I’d love a great epic fantasy with a up front romance that doesn’t take away from the story and vice versa.
If you looking for more normal, i.e. not super hot, characters in Romantasy, I'd recommend checking out T. Kingfisher's Paladin's Grace (series The Saint of Steele). Typically all of these MCs are average and usually older people in a fantasy world, usually each book flips perspectives so both male and female POV.
As someone who has read all the books except for "Bride," I felt personally offended by the ranking of "Divine Rivals"! It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, whether it's epic, classic, contemporary, or romance. Ranking it lower than "The Daughter of Nowhere" and "The Bridge Kingdom" should be a crime! Those books have almost no plot, and their pacing and prose are nowhere near as good. The same goes for "One Dark Window." It has one of the most unique magic systems I’ve encountered in newer fantasy books, though it’s a bit lacking in romance. 😂 "Caraval," for instance, is nice, but I think it’s not dark enough for its plot idea. "Once Upon a Broken Heart" is more of a fairytale in a fantasy book, which I love and is one of the best books I have read for quite some time. "Fourth Wing" is a fun, no-brainer story with some grammar and spelling mistakes, if I recall correctly, but it’s a great guilty pleasure. It has a mix of darkness and mind-numbing romance with suspense, making it a great fantasy romance book. The books you chose are quite difficult to judge. Some have a real plot, while others are essentially trashy romance/sex scene books disguised as fantasy. It’s like comparing trash TV romance to a good romance movie. Great video idea, anyways 😂❤
Daughter of no worlds is actually a good series more fantasy than romance tbh romance is lighter in it and second book is very war driven. Divine rivals is actually a good book too…
So question about romantasy genre? What's the definition? I heard it's "the romantic and Fantasy elements of the story are of equal importance". Because by that definition, surely Brandon Sandersons has published 2 (maybe 3 ) romantasy books at least, Yumi, Tress definitely hit the above definition, and an argument could be made for Warbreaker? Just genuinely curious about this
I’ve always heard it explained as this: Romantic Fantasy - fantasy is the main plot, or at least takes the majority of importance. Just any ol’ fantasy, but with a noticeable romantic subplot. If there’s a sex scene, it’s fade to black or very vague. Fantasy Romance or “Romantasy” (I know, the naming is confusing) - romance is the main plot, or at least takes the majority of importance. Or think of it as a romance story set in a fantasy world. Lots of angst, 99% of the time has (detailed) smut or “spice”
Can I just say that my father always said that the longer the preview correlates to the crappiness of the film. I didn’t read this book but if you are a “shield maiden” and you dream of stabbing people in the back there is already a problem.
acotar is a masterpiece compared to fourth wing... hands down one of the worst books i have read so far🫣 i beg you to read it, cause it's so bad everyone has to experience it
Always judge a book by its cover. Fantastic message from the Goat booktubers.
Somehow you having read 1/18 of the books makes this more interesting
To be fair, a LOT of people read the description for Fate Inked in Blood and think its her falling in love with her own son.
You know, it's stuff like this that makes me glad that I'm an epic fantasy fan 😂
Same here 😂😂😂
NONONO One Dark Window is quite interasting, i wouldn't even call it romantasy, the world building and story takes the main place of the book. The atmosphere the book builds with foggy woods and ruins really helps the story of dark magic, the darkness in the mind of the FMC was misterious and new, the story felt a bit slow but still engaging. The concept of cards giving powers but also taking parts of humans and chaging them. Over all a good moody book
Yes! Pretty much exactly what I said in another comment. One dark window is such an awesome, atmospheric setting
Divine Rivals is honestly the only book I enjoyed out of these (rated over 2.5 stars). I love epic fantasy usually, but I think what I liked about Divine Rivals was that it was exactly what you said it was… a guy who pays his taxes lol. I don’t like a lot of romantasy because I think many of them do fantasy badly and also do romance badly. I feel like Divine Rivals did romance well and the fantasy elements were toned down to let that shine while still being present.
I do not read romantasy, but I did accidentally read one thinking it was urban fantasy. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, was amazing! I do recommend you guys check it out because I think its more grounded romance and it has a great premise.
My friend who reads A LOT of smut and romantasy, hadn't read it until I recommended it and she said it was one of the best written romance stories she has read. I'll also add it listens well as an audio book too.
Facts
I think "weres" is pronounced like "wears", making it the plural version of the prefix of werewolf
I had to come back just to say this lol Dark window is very very good. Highly recommend. That blurb is terrible there’s so much more going on.
I second this
Dark window lives rent free in my brain.
I wouldn’t even consider it Romantasy, I found the world and “fantasy” aspect, much more pronounced and detailed than the romance, especially in the second book
Would love to hear you both discuss maybe how stories shape us - I was reminded of this by all the tropes and plotpoints in these romantasy books that can actually be detrimental to the readers, especially as they are reading it as young people. This is often discussed with archetypes (e.g. damsel in distress, so then lacks agency in her life and expects to be rescued). I assume there must be the same kind of things related to male readers. Also, doesn't have to be negative. For example, heroes are great examples for readers, as it shows how people can be brave and overcome adversity. Sorry for the long message, but got carried away by your great video 😅
Great idea, writing this down and will discuss with Rich!
This was iconic! I read romantasy to get out of my reading slumps. I highly suggest you guys review the Cruel Prince series. The first book is a little rough but that is the only romantasy series I can tolerate lol
To be fair, The Bridge Kingdom is self published. It has a new cover now but also it was just picked up by a big publisher and is going to get another new cover!
Ahhh! That puts it in better context
Stoked to hear you’re jumping into LD… such a dang good book. Worth every ounce of hype
for the sequel to this video I'm requesting a dramatic reading of the best poem in any fantasy ever: Bigg Titty Liddy from Serpent and Dove.
Caraval is good for a YA audience. From Blood and Ash had so much potential and then after an ok first book (whose biggest crime is being too bloated) it devolves into the guy telling the main character she tastes like honeydew every 2 seconds.
What on earth
@@user-mu5sl4vh7m it's an actual poem. from an actual book. a popular one in fact! serpent and dove by Shelby Mahurin. 300,000 ratings on goodreads
Sounds like true love ❤
@@KALtheLostie108 Kal 😭😂😂
@@valliyarnl 😄😄
As a male reader, I actually found Fourth Wing really good. I moved right on the Iron Flame after finishing it. (Which was also a good read). Your hypothesis was correct, they are fantasy books with romance in them.
Is it just me or does Caraval sound like Tangled: The Remix?
Now that you mention it
There are a lot of people that like it, but when I read it... It was the responsible older sister trying to keep the ungrateful "Jesus take the wheel" younger sister alive in both their abusive home and the crazy carnival. I was begging the MC to let the sister experience the consequences of her own actions pretty early on in the book. The author tried to make it make sense in the second book, but... DNF.
Fourth Wing: great ideas, absolutely terrible execution. The author badly needed an editor at the very least. It was truly painful to read even though I was interested in the idea.
We’re gonna read it next month 🤓
I read it in English (not my first language) and was happy that it was an easy read😂
Absolutely agree. Idea is great and that’s it. Every character has no personality in them, not mentioning the development. Just a 2d cupboard image. And it’s horny, in a bad way. I regretted I had read it
@@pani_Yevheniia I also regret having read it. The worst thing was that every interaction between the main “couple” - especially the sex scenes - were so forced and unearned as to almost feel uncomfortable. I am not a huge fan of multiple sex scenes as it is, but at least stories like ACOTAR have some heart to it? It will be so fun seeing the expressions Austin and Rich make when they try to discuss the “plot” 😆 Really looking forward to it actually
@@Fantasyandmusiclover hahaha, can't wait to see their reaction too!
Not only did the romantic and sex scenes feel forced, but the whole world and other relationships between all the characters seemed so fake. I had so many questions regarding it. You know, like in that meme with Sheldon "Why? why?" only without "that's why" part.
I expexted it to be somewhat like the Nevernight, with decent worldbuilding, brutal plot and good written smut, but I've got a low quality fanfic.
When I see it's high rating on goodreads I feel gaslighted
Avid Romantasy, fantasy, and romance reader here. I’ve read a few of these, My two cents:
ACOTAR - I swear if you don’t read the second book, this ACOTAR slander will not stand. (Seriously every book gets better) D tier.
The Bridge Kingdom - enjoyed it, wasn’t memorable. Yes that cover is atrocious. The sequel covers aren’t any better. C Tier.
Daughter of No Worlds - I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It’s more fantasy based rather than romance based. But the romance was definitely a subplot. Really well written, and the plot surpassed my expectations from the synopsis. A tier
Fourth Wing - you guys say ACOTAR was the best 4/10 book you’ve read? This will be the best, most entertaining 1/10 you’ll ever read. I’ve made two of my exclusively-epic-fantasy friends read this, and both of them hated how much they couldn’t put it down. Good luck. A Tier for couldn’t-put-it-down-ness. -F for literally everything else.
From Blood and Ash - I’m sorry but I couldn’t stand this book. I know so many people worship this series, but good lord it was like listening to two 15yos create and intensify meaningless drama. Somehow such a thing as too much angst. F tier
Gild - bad. Just bad. Glorified abuse bad. I heard it gets better, and is “rectified”, but it was just icky to me, and had really bad writing. F Tier
One Dark Window - my god. This book has lived rent free in my head. I’ve read Mistborn. I’ve read Red Rising. This book has superseded both of them as one of the coolest worlds I’ve ever read. The magic system is so unique, the characters actually feel real, especially in the second book. The synopsis is so cookie cutter and boring compared to the plot and atmosphere. The thing that did it for me though was the prose/poetry. It felt like I was inside an original Grimm fairytale. One of the most underrated books I’ve read. So. Good. S TIER
Since this video and my subsequent comment made me think of One Dark Window, you now have to endure some quotes from the book.
“A heart of gold can still turn to rot. What he wrote, what he did, was all done for naught. His Cards are but weapons, his kingdom now cruel. Shepherd of folly, King of the fools.”
“When the shadows grow long, when our names turn to dust, what we loved, what we hated, will spoil to rust. All will be forgotten, save one truth unshaken… what did we do when the children were taken?”
“They came in the night, the black and red horde. They burned down my castle, put my kin to the sword. The usurper was crowned, though my blood had not dried. But he did not account for the turn of the tide. For nothing is safe, and nothing is free. Debt follows all men< no matter their plea. When the shepherd returns, a new day shall ring. Death to the Rowan’s… Long live the King.”
Youre getting us hyped for Fourth Wing with that 1/10 rating 😂
I dare you guys to read Lightlark. I've seen so many roasts of it and would be curious to hear your thoughts.
Also, the second "e" in Weres isn't pronounced.
Yea I had that same thought lol, pronouncing it "ware-ees" makes it sound like some play on faeries which is very cringe, but just "wares" is fine
@@yremogtnomnad Lol, I agree.
7 minutes into this video, Richard can’t even grasp the plot and love interest of the first book 😂 I’m laughing so hard, this is going to be gold. I love fantasy and fantasy romance!
Being a middle aged man having read 0 of the 18 romantasy books under discussion constantly judging the critical faculties of Austin and Richard who have read 1 out of 18 of these books generally pitched towards women is peak internet.
😂😂
I love Assassin's Apprentice, please tell me you're reading Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings soon.
Our patrons have been doing a book club on it every month, we have yet to read but Im sure theyll force us too eventually 🤌
You guys are hilarious. XD I really love your content and as a Romantasy (more fantasy side with romance) reader it was fun to hear initial opinions based on synopsis. I actually cant stand when books start off with great plot only for second half turning to smut and plot goes out the window. Its so important to keep plot going and not disregard story for all out romance haha.
Divine Rivals was an eassssy 5 star read.
One dark window you guys would like the providence card system and the nightmare character.
Thanks from Australia
Appreciate you watching!!
Having not read any of these myself, this was such an entertaining episode
I've read 7/14 (50%) of these. *sigh*🤦🏽♀️ I know. I ask myself "Why?" everytime. 😫 I REALLY need to stop taking book recs from some people.
85% of them were mid, so they belong in C or D tier.
Some of them had good concepts or intriguing plots but fell flat due to poor wordbuilding, cardboard characters, terrible writing & crappy plot execution.
Some of them were drags (i.e. Powerless) while I had fun laughing at others (i.e. Fourth Wing).
Daughter of No Worlds belongs in A. It was the best out of the bunch (3.5*).
You guys were spot on (70% right) about most of these.
Hey not bad for only reading one of these 😂
@@2ToRamble Not bad at all 😂
In Fourth Wing, the fact that Violet is "brittle" is because it is implied that she has Elhers Daylos Syndrome. (Not sure how to spell it) The author, herself, has this brittle bone disease. Also, I loved the whole Caraval trilogy and the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy which is it's spin off. I really want to read A Fate Inked in Blood. Great video, you guys! I would love to see you read Fourth Wing and Caraval!
I'm pretty sure they have read fourth wing, but weren't a fan
We will be resding Fourth Wing next month!
@@CosmereReviews No, they said they'll reading it next month.
Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome is a connective tissue disease, so it makes you more prone to joint dislocations and subluxations. It can also affect other soft tissue body systems, like your cardiovascular system.
The disease I’ve heard described as brittle *bone* disease is osteogenesis imperfecta, which does cause very-easily-broken bones!
@@krthompson7519 My apologies! Thank you for clarifying that for me.
Some of these blurbs are insane😭😭
I couldn’t get through the first page of fourth wing, like I’m actually so amazed so many people got through it😭✋🏾
I think the reason why epic fantasy readers ( myself included) don’t like romantacy is that it tries to hard to be serious. When you read those blurbs it always these paragraphs that try so hard to be serious, but really aren’t. Epic fantasy doesn’t tell you the stakes/book is serious, it just is. Idk if articulated that super well but that is my two cents
I see what youre saying!
This entire video was hysterical, but the ending was truly the cherry on top of this sad sundae 🤣
I have only read a handful of these, but I'd say you guys have a pretty good romantasy quality radar hahaha. Also, apparently book 1 in the Gild series is the unfortunate hurdle you have to get over to get to the good stuff, but hey... at least the premise is cool!
Thank you!! and yea Gild had such a cool premise despite it’s very low score!
WHOOOOO Fourth Wing! Don't judge me :P
Loved the vid guys!
Thank you!
I’ve been staying away from Romantasy… BUT you guys may have unironically convinced me to try some of these books
You should try the Daughter of No Worlds series. The romance is a subplot and there’s a lot of plot.
@@asmaahmed7954 thanks for the recommendation! I’ll have to give it a shot
A Fate Inked In Blood: Did everything right but doesn't hit as hard as it's supposed to. The plot twist is predictable but you're okay with it because the build-up to it is good. It's one of the books where your opinion of it increases as time goes by.
ACOTAR: This is similar to The Wheel of Time, where the series as a whole is amazing but breaking it down into separate books diminishes its story. Mass does an incredible job of setting up your expectations in the first 3/4 of the book and then completely turning your expectations in a direction you didn't see coming. While it doesn't seem like it, she has complete control of the story.
Fourth Wing: It's basically watching a kinda good reality show. It's bad, it's cringy, but you're here for it. Yarros puts all your favorite romance and fantasy troupes in a story and somehow makes it work. You don't know how but it does. Yes, analyzing the book on a technical writing level reveals how okayish it is but listen it's not listed as a contemporary lit book nor Sanderson, Martin, or Jordan. You knew what you were getting into. There's some character growth and development in the story but not much. It's more of a survival story, in the sense that, you have a 20-something adult who knows herself on a basic level but is thrown into this hostile environment and has to survive. The whole first book is about her surviving till graduation and the connections she makes along the way. The second book is where the fantasy is because the wider plot is flushed out (sorta) in in. Also, Yarros knows what her fans want and she more than happily gives it to us.
Bride: Is a story that indulges my 14-year-old self. Although I would say it's more sci-fi than fantasy. The vampire/werewolf aspect is a genetic mutation, not magic. It's also politically heavy. It was better than I thought it was going to be.
Once Upon A Broken Heart: Best to leave it to the audience it was intended for. Has a lot of once upon a time vibes, nothing is really explained and the character is very much a teenager with her impulsiveness and cognitive thinking. The plot is way fast so not a lot of breathers in between action beats.
Jennifer L. Armentrout: Her contemporary romances are much better.
Oo curious what Rich will think of your WOT to ACOTAR series comparison
HOOWLOOOOOLING DAAARK!!!
I have read A Fate Inked in Blood and I really loved it, I don’t like romantasy but this one was incredible. Bjorn can get it 🥵😂
Bride was a surprisingly good read. I really want a sequel. Ali Hazelwood is really good at writing romance and this was such a surprise because usually she writes contemporary romance but I think I’m just gonna love everything she writes.
Caravel is so good I really enjoyed it. That whole trilogy was fun. It does feel like I’m reading a Panic! At the Disco album which I love.
When you read fourth wing I’ll give it another go. I DNFed at chapter 5 but for you I’m willing to put myself through it. It’s heavily implied that Violet has ehlers-danlos syndrome.
I also DNFed From Blood and Ash, it sucks because her Lux series (sci-fi) is so good even if the covers are awful.
As soon as I heard you say Kingdom of the Wicked I thought oh yeah that’s the Italian one, it’s all I know about it 😂
Guild was an indie published romantasy originally. I DNFed it 😂 I didn’t get that far in to know how bad it is though.
Once Upon a Broken Heart was so good, I need to carry on this trilogy but book 1 is so good. This is the sequel trilogy to caravel but you don’t need to read caravel to understand it, but you’ll get a little background on the prince of hearts.
As someone who loves fantasy, romance and fantasy romance i have some opinions. But want to say i am an audiobook listener for the most part and i don't care about "bad writing" if I'm entertained and having a good time. I dont take my reading too seriously and my opinions are probably wrong but oh well.
ACOTAR-honestly enjoyable. I read it way back before TikTok was a thing and made it explode. Is it overhyped? Yes. Is it still a grand old time? Yep. Her Throne of Glass series will always be superior to me but isn't as "spicy" so is offputting to a lot of people seeking romance.
Fourth Wing- Went in expecting the hype to be way overdone, but I had an absolute blast. Is it peak fantasy? No. But we love a good dragon and war college situation especially with a character who is extremely at a disadvantage against all others.
Divine Rivals- actually one of the most overhyped books in my opinion. The plot and romance were so boring and i had literally no desire to pick up the second despite a fun twist at the end.
From Blood and Ash- this and the prequel series are some of the most addicting trash i've ever read. I listened to this whole series in such quick succession that i cannot tell you where one ends and the next begins. They were so addicting but as i have more time away from the series i cannot tell you why for the life of me.
One Dark Window- actually such a great and interesting world and magic system. Deserves all of the hype it has and almost none of it had to do with the romance. Not a perfect duology at all but so interesting and fresh and enjoyable!
Gild- i say i came for the spice (which you barely get at all until a few books in) and stay for the trauma. This character goes through so much and is so frustrating to follow but had tremendous and realistic character growth in my opinion. There are some really strange plot points and the first book is very offputting for a lot of people because almost nothing good happens to our character. But as a whole the first four that I've read are actually pretty good.
The ending was great! :D
So I went to the comments after Richard's initial thoughts of what Fourth Wing split with the fantasy/romance, and boyyyy I can't wait to see his reaction after you guys read it next month 😂😂😂
Also pleaaaseee read more romantisy 😂 just for the reaction in general ❤❤
Edited to add after seeing the GR rating reaction : OH THEY DONT KNOWWWW 😂😂 but you will soon 😂😂😂😂😂😂 (I gave it a 3 just to counter act the rating lol but it is a 4 for enjoyment, just a 2 for everything else).
As someone who read many fanfiction. Gild is not that rapy xD for all the warnings it had I was shook (by how tamed it was lol)
But it is bad. Nothing happens. 🤣
I love e a good fantasy, and a good romance of its well written. If any that the fantasy elements are well done and the romance is good please let us all know. I’d love a great epic fantasy with a up front romance that doesn’t take away from the story and vice versa.
I’ve heard of Bridge Kingdom. Good things supposed to be pretty good. Ignore the covers lol
Love the ending 😂
If you looking for more normal, i.e. not super hot, characters in Romantasy, I'd recommend checking out T. Kingfisher's Paladin's Grace (series The Saint of Steele). Typically all of these MCs are average and usually older people in a fantasy world, usually each book flips perspectives so both male and female POV.
As someone who has read all the books except for "Bride," I felt personally offended by the ranking of "Divine Rivals"! It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, whether it's epic, classic, contemporary, or romance. Ranking it lower than "The Daughter of Nowhere" and "The Bridge Kingdom" should be a crime! Those books have almost no plot, and their pacing and prose are nowhere near as good. The same goes for "One Dark Window." It has one of the most unique magic systems I’ve encountered in newer fantasy books, though it’s a bit lacking in romance. 😂
"Caraval," for instance, is nice, but I think it’s not dark enough for its plot idea. "Once Upon a Broken Heart" is more of a fairytale in a fantasy book, which I love and is one of the best books I have read for quite some time.
"Fourth Wing" is a fun, no-brainer story with some grammar and spelling mistakes, if I recall correctly, but it’s a great guilty pleasure. It has a mix of darkness and mind-numbing romance with suspense, making it a great fantasy romance book.
The books you chose are quite difficult to judge. Some have a real plot, while others are essentially trashy romance/sex scene books disguised as fantasy. It’s like comparing trash TV romance to a good romance movie.
Great video idea, anyways 😂❤
Thank you for watching and being our source of someone who has actually read these, hope we did a half-defent accurate job 😂
@2ToRamble I love your videos and your podcast in general, but your romance videos are very entertaining! 😆 So you guys have done a great job! 👍🏻
Fourth wing is more like hunger games instead of Harry Potter, except all of the candidates to be dragon riders are volunteers, except for violet
Funnily enough, Divine Rivals is probably the best written book on this list.
Daughter of no worlds is actually a good series more fantasy than romance tbh romance is lighter in it and second book is very war driven. Divine rivals is actually a good book too…
Meanwhile, i finished Mort since last video, amazing book
WOO! Glad you enjoyed it
So question about romantasy genre? What's the definition? I heard it's "the romantic and Fantasy elements of the story are of equal importance". Because by that definition, surely Brandon Sandersons has published 2 (maybe 3 ) romantasy books at least, Yumi, Tress definitely hit the above definition, and an argument could be made for Warbreaker? Just genuinely curious about this
I’ve always heard it explained as this:
Romantic Fantasy - fantasy is the main plot, or at least takes the majority of importance. Just any ol’ fantasy, but with a noticeable romantic subplot. If there’s a sex scene, it’s fade to black or very vague.
Fantasy Romance or “Romantasy” (I know, the naming is confusing) - romance is the main plot, or at least takes the majority of importance. Or think of it as a romance story set in a fantasy world. Lots of angst, 99% of the time has (detailed) smut or “spice”
I really like this definition, I think youre right! Was talking about this w/ Rich the other day
I feel like there is a podcast/video in that 🤣 subversive-subgenres, is Yumi romantasy? Is the hobbit YA?@@2ToRamble
@@nordamoddev1038 WRITING THIS DOWN NOW THANNK YOU!
Roman C Kit didn't become a fantasy zombie to be disrespected in D tier like this.. smh
How to train your dragon.
Dorky male main character with female cool chick who likes him right?
Can I just say that my father always said that the longer the preview correlates to the crappiness of the film. I didn’t read this book but if you are a “shield maiden” and you dream of stabbing people in the back there is already a problem.
I’ve heard Bride is supposed to be a bit satirical.
Ahh
I feel like you really really need a mouse!
The romance in Fourth Wing is so good!
Weres... You don't pronounce the second e. Just a short form of multiple werewolves. Do you hate it less? 😅
That does help lol
Bride dead last is 1000% accurate
Fourth wing is one of the biggest pieces of shit that I’ve ever read. I would not recommend putting yourselves through that dumpster fire lol.
🤣🤣🤣
A fate inked in blood has a good premise and okay start but goes to garbage👎👎👎
acotar is a masterpiece compared to fourth wing... hands down one of the worst books i have read so far🫣 i beg you to read it, cause it's so bad everyone has to experience it
We read it. Video coming soon 😂