I was reluctant because of the hype, but I finally did last year and it’s GREAT. If you like tight squads, memorable characters, heists, and next-level scheming, you’ll love Six of Crows.
I highly recommend Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. It has the best magic system and action sequences I have ever read in a book. The "mystical creatures" (if you can call them that) are also incredibly interesting, nothing like the usual elves/fairies/orcs you find in high fantasy. I can't even describe how much I enjoyed that trilogy.
im a new fantasy reader but out of all the books i tried the Mistborn series is my fav, it's just so good, so epic, the pinacle of fantasy writing (not that I would know but thats the feeling I was left with)
Some of my favorite fantasies are the Raven Cycle, Priory of the Orange Tree, the Inheritance Cycle, the Old Kingdom series, LOTR, and The Poppy War/ The Dragon Republic (ps love ur channel so much 💜)
@@Stxrria the prequel to the old kingdom series, Clariel, has a main character who is implied aroace (basically she doesn’t want romance and wants to live by herself guarding the forest) and there’s no twist in the end where she *finds love* and *lives happily ever after* so I’d recommend that!
@@ckjohnson53 Really thanks heh, to be honest I don’t really like romance books because of the way they turn out at the end so it makes me happy that’s there’s a aroace main character 💖
Definitely the Witcher series, it has some of the best character and relationship work that the genre has to offer imo. Its tone is quite dark and a lot of politics packed in it, which is also a plus for me. I'd also recommend the Wheel of Time written by Robert Jordan, some amazing world-building and very interesting magic systems. Mistborn from Brandon Sanderson is also one of my favourite. The world is not as grand as WoT or most epic fantasy but the lore is deep and interesting, the character work is also compelling and just overall very well-written.
I recently finished reading the Mistborn Trilogy. It is possibly the most impressive and expertly written fantasy I have ever read. The magic is portrayed very rationally; it almost fells like a branch of science instead of random nonsense. All of the characters acted like real people with believable actions and motivations. The plots were completely original with few to no flaws or plot-holes. I enjoyed reading Mistborn more than any other book series.
For adult fantasy I highly recommend Mistborn, The name of the wind, the lies of lock lamora and The fifth season. All of those titles are on my favorite books list. As for ya fantasy, I recommend The diviners series and The last magician (both of those are historical fantasy), Strange the dreamer and the Spellslinger Series (the last one ia soooo underated)
@@EcopiuM when it was first published, it categorised as an adult fantasy book. since then, there is contreversy about it, but most people (including me) and most of the editions see it as an adult novel.
I highly recommend The Lord of the Rings, a must read for every fantasy fan. I also recommend The Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan), lots of influences from Eastern philosophy there and a unique form of magic. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy also has a really interesting magic system based off of thermal energy.
Yep. If you haven't read Tolkien yet, you are missing the fundamentals of the genre. Even if LOTR is not your favorite, it's the most influential and possibly greatest work of fiction in the 20'th century.
I was thinking the same thing. Most of the elements in contemporary fantasy come from The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings, so reading the roots of fantasy gives you a different perspective on YA (and non YA) fantasy books
I finally read a Darker Shade of Magic recently and absolutely loved it. I ordered the 2nd and 3rd books and can't wait for them to come in to finish the series.
I loved the Inkheart series when I was younger and I think our tastes might be similar now so if you want to dive into middle grade/early YA for fun that would be a great series to go for! It’s honestly still one of my most favorite series of all time 😍
omg this is EXACTLY how i feel about the Shades of Magic series -- the first one really didn't stand out to me, but the second and third absolutely blew me away. Also the Gilded Wolves -- what an amazing book I love so much
I see others suggested it already, but Mistbron and Lies of Locke Lamora seem like something you can enjoy. You can also give Witcher a try, however it's quite dark. Two first books are short stories, many of them are quite loose retellings of fairy tales,. They follow the same characters, so they don't read entirely as short stories, and then the next books get more political and epic. It's praised mostly for the character work, and the humor, sadly, a lot is lost in translation. Still, highly recommend!
The Winternight Trilogy is like god-tier folktale fantasy. The first book started a bit slow but it's MORE than worth it. Those books literally made me fall back in love with reading.
I really loved six of crows (still working on the sequel) and the gilded wolves sounds like something I would just love!! Thank you for recommendation, I literally just finished the sample and can’t wait to get to read more.
i love what you said about shadow and bone being the blueprint because i feel the exact same way! a lot of fantasy books modeled themselves after it tbh. I love the series, and it also holds a very special space in my heart due to it being my reintroduction to reading and the first books booktube made me pick up.
What I got from this: Leonie prefers fantasies with straight forward writing and heists in worlds inspired by our own. Recommending for you: An Unkindness of Magicians
Unique magic systems- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. That's by far one of my favorite unique magic systems in any fantasy EVER. Absolutely my favorite. (Also Enemies to Lovers? Which is your jam?)
I love Uprooted! If you want more fairytale magic, check out The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Magic mostly to do with communicating with animals and nature, but you do get a kind of sense of Arthurian magic too.
Hey girl. Have to say, just finished to read UPROOTED yesterday because of your recommendation on another video, and I liked. A lot. The magic descriptions are amazing. Some of my favs fantasies are Lord of the Rings, Elantris, and A Batalha do Apocalipse (a brasilian book). Love your videos. Stay safe
If you want to try some good high fantasy books……I would definitely recommend “The poppy war” by RF Kuang. She’s an awesome author, her world building, character’s everything is just ✨chef’s kiss ✨
you‘ll love mistborn series by brandon sanderson!! absolutely fell in love with it, it‘s a world where people have the ability to burn certain metals and according to the metals they can burn they get certain powers. the main character is a bit morally gray and it‘s all about a rebellion, a war and there is some romance in it. full of adventures and plot twists 10/10
I have a recommendation for you: "Ship of Magic" by Robin Hobb. It is adventurous, very character-focused (so much character growth over the trilogy!), characters with very nebulous morals (pirates), a mystery surrounding epic creatures, lots of sea-faring adventures, and I think it represents different women really well.
I really recommend the Wheel of Time series (adult). If book 1 doesn't sell you, book 2 will. The prose is really atmospheric but not overly flowery. Daniel Greene was the one who actually convinced me to read it and I do not regret it at all! (There will also be an TV series soon, so it would be fun to get on the hype train now)
I read the Shadow and Bone trilogy this year for the first time and I loved it 😅 Alina can be annoying at times, but the world is still really cool and Nikolai and the Darkling are such amazing characters (and I may have a crush on both of them 🙃) I understand that the tropes in that book may be overdone for people who read lots of ya fantasy, but that's not my case, until last year all I read was contemporary (with the exception of Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire, but they don't have most of those tropes) so Shadow and Bone was still original for me
You should give the king killer chronicle a go, it's a really good fantasy about the owner of a "hotel/bar" in the middle of nowhere who was once considered a hero and a legend by many, the story is about how he ended up in that position. The book has an amazing power system but what made me fell in love with it was how the author make small things such crossing a bridge or walking around the city so enjoyable, there's really a magic feeling to it.
I’m 31 and just read the Shadow and Bone trilogy for the first time and really enjoyed it. I didn’t find Alina cloying at all actually. I’m not generally into fantasy, but wanted some escapism, so I gave it a try. I ended up reading the trilogy in like a week and immediately purchased 6 of Crows, which was decent, but like you said, the pacing was a bit slow. I just started Crooked Kingdom today and I’m enjoying it so far!
Great video, Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab are some of my favorite fantasy authors. I read The Gilded Wolves last year and I really enjoyed. So I've a recommendation based on that: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. It's an adult high fantasy book that has a magic system based on tech; and the plot is about a heist, so I think you would like it!
I haven't read as much fantasy as I would like, but my favorite series is the Stormlight Archive. Some other favorites include Lord of the Rings, Mistborn, and The Lies of Locke Lamora (not sure how I would rank the entire Gentleman Bastards series, but the first book is just so good that I had to put it here)
If you enjoy character centered plot and dont mind some dark fantasy elements then the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is excellent in terms of a character centered adventure story.
it's shocking to me to find someone with the same favorites except I still haven't read The Gilded Wolves and The Ninth House, will definitely give them a go! I recommend Strange The Dreamer and The Queen's Thief series which are also my faves! love the channel
Strange the Dreamer!!! The Queens Thief!!! Those are my absolute favorites!🥺 top tier taste right here. I recommend you, my friend, The False Prince (although it’s more juvenile fiction) and Eventide (strange the dreamer but more fairy tale). Plz send more recommendations my way😩
I’ve loved this video so much !! I was looking for new fantasy books to read in english and your video made my day. The last one seems really, really interesting and I just had no idea it existed, so... thank you 😊 love your videos !
Which one of them would you say is most similar to The Name of the Wind? I loooved The Name of the Wind but I'm finding it hard to find something that has the same vibe :/
@@sofias7302 I just read mistborn and I 1000% percent recommend it. It's not that similar to name of the wind but is sooooooo fucking good, u gotta give it a shot.
I've read all but Gilded Wolves and Uprooted! SoC is also my favorite!! I remember you mentioned that you didnt love The Bear and the Nightingale, which blows my mind because it seems right up you alley. Set in a mythical Russia, laden with fairytales, enemies to lovers romance, daaaaaark complex themes, amazing characters. Maybe it was just a right book wrong time sort of thing lol. But I have Gilded Wolves on my TBR and cant wait to crack into it!
I felt it when you said about teenager problems in YA books. I just entered my twenties and I couldn't read books for a while now, and I always have this fear of missing out on all the feels that books give to the fullest just because I'm over the age. For example I read the folk in the air series recently and I was so disappointed in not reading it earlier. My younger self would have loved it but when I read it I felt like reading a children's book. I have a long list of YA books to cover and I don't have the time!!!!! Aaaaghhhhh!!!!!!
I was in my 30s when Folk of the Air came out. I'd teach it in my secondary school classes because the writing and plot is SO superior to the average YA fiction. It could be good preparation for the Shakespeare requirements everyone struggles with as the culture is very Tudor and the characterization reminded me very much of the Bard himself! As a professional, I cannot say I found it in the least childish. I have heard this objection before, but I am curious as to what it is based on? Jude is far more mature than the average fantasy heroine and the book deals with very adult concerns with all the political angles. I'm sure you have a reason you felt it was 'too young', but would you mind explaining precisely what it was so I can take that into account with my students? Thanks. 🙂
I can't vouch for the translation, but there is the French series called The Mirror Visitor, there are four books in total and I think at least the first 2 ones are out in English. It's the story of Ophelia, who live on the Arc of Anima (a floating celestial islands governed by the spirits of immortal ancestors) she has the power to "read" the past of objects and has the ability to travel through mirrors. When she has been promised to a man, she has to go to him on the Arc of the Pole and turns out he's not exactly Prince Charming. It's not so well known on the English booktube but quite the contrary on the French booktube, haha.
I think there's already a comment recommending it... but Mistborn series by Brendan Sanderson! It sounds like it would be right up your alley - epic fantasy, an amazing "magic" system that I think is completely original but others who have read more than me feel free to correct me. The foreshadowing, the mystery, the adventures, everything about it! I could not put it down
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson will always be one of my favorite fantasy books not because I think it is the best, but because it is the first adult epic fantasy I ever read and it really opened up my eyes to the possibilities of reading books in the adult epic fantasy genre. It caught my eye by having a woman on the cover and was so colorful... I debated buying it for a long time because I didn't even understand the synopsis on the back, but I'm so glad I went for it. (I also love that it is a standalone.) So I totally understand why the Grisha trilogy is so special to you. :)
The Lies of Locke Lamora is basically Six of Crows... but more complex and real. You don't get the subjective perspective because the series is on third person, but there is so much character development with that "slow burn" when it comes to the main plot... so, basically the perfect combination. It is still very fun to read, a lot of twists and the main character's personality is more of a combination between Kaz, Jasper and Nikolai from Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows. There are so many emotional short scenes and some very impactful moments that just make you want more and more. Also, if you pay attention, there are scenes that might seen unimportant, but they can make you question your own value and moral system. So... this would be my first recommendation for you.
So, my suggestion is an old series. Mary Stewart's Merlin Series, starting with The Crystal Cave. Read it as a teen and it started me believing in magic. Mixes history and myth. An absolutely gorgeous story. No smutt.
My favourite fantasy series is The Saga of The Borderlands. The magic system is pretty soft, which you seem to like, and the prose is exquisite. It was originally written in Spanish, and that's the language I read it in, so I hope the translation is good
I loved the Grisha trilogy as a teenager (and still do). It was one of the first High fantasy series I read and I loved it because it was different than I was used to. I also love Six of crows. Now even more than as a teen. It's so different from the first series.
I don’t know if you’ve read it but I’d recommend The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater for you. It follows a group of super interesting characters who have some of my favourite dynamics ever, features a magical forest and a quest for a dead welsh king and is overall really beautifully written and hilarious.
Some of my all time favourite fantasy books on this list too! I probably have too many to list but ADSOM, Six of Crows duology, Strange the Dreamer duology, City of Brass trilogy, Cruel Prince trilogy, Bear & the Nightingale trilogy, Nevernight Chronicles, His Dark Materials, Carry on etc haha
Read The Coward by Stephen Aryan. I picked it up randomly at the library and I'm so glad I did! It's a fun and fast-paced fantasy/adventure with great characters.
I feel pretty much the same about all of these books, except for the gilded wolves, which I hated :’) For me the characters were too in your face in their depictions and more tell not show, and all of the “twists” were set up in such a way they were really hard to miss if you read fantasy a lot (worst example, when a room is described as having no other entrances but it did have a mirror, and mirror-travel is kinda predictable I guess, so it was super obvious where the intruders would come from) leaving no tension or mystery to me. Anyway, I get why you love it (your enthusiasm even made me reconsider if we were talking about the same book) but I really just didn’t work for me.
Pal I just read Gilded Wolves and I loved it! I thought it was awesome how connected everything is and I actually liked that the magic system wasn’t cut and dry lol I think those blurred edges add to the whimsy and mystery of the magic as a force
If you like high stakes and heists, Fool's Gold by Jon Hollins is a pretty good read! The blurb describes is as Ocean Eleven meets The Hobbit, and it's really fast paced. It's on the longer end, each book in the trilogy is around the 500 page mark, but well worth it!
“Freeze framing my current fantasy taste” YES HAHA. Also, now I’m interested to read The Gilded Wolves 👀 A great high fantasy book I’ve recently read is The Poppy War. Honestly, SO GOOD. 😍
I just started reading a middle grade fantasy series, I’m only on the first one but it’s good so far and maybe you would enjoy it. It’s called The Keeper Of The Lost Cities by Shannon Messenge
If you haven’t read them yet, you should totally read the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden! They seem like the kind of books you would enjoy; I read the first two and reading them felt like being sucked into a fairy tale! And the series is set in medieval Russia!
Six of Crows would definitely be on my list as well. I love it so much. I really need to read Shadow and Bone, I want to but just haven’t gotten to there yet. I d e f i n i t e l y recommend trying Sanderson at some point - Mistborn is a great entry to the cosmere, Stormlight Archive is very very epic fantasy and has a big learning curve but once you’re past it then it’s brilliant. A Winter’s Promise is also one I would recommend - it uses magic very interestingly and I was quite impressed how it wove into the plot.
The last time I read a fantasy book was the first half of 2018... I was actually surprised how long it has been! It's not really my genre as you see :D But maybe I should get out of my comfort zone? I used to like fantasy books when I was in secondary school, so maybe that's why I don't choose it now, since it takes me back to this cringy times when I was 12-14 and was reading books like Twilight... But I'm into this dark academia theme, so I'm happy to try Ninth House... I've heard so much about this book on booktube and have heard so much different opinions that I just feel like I have to read it and have my own point of view :D
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (has a band of characters, its witty sarcastic really the best) Strange the dreamer by Liani Taylor (musical writing and gripping story) Eragon by Christopher Paolini (great magic system, great band of characters, very fulfilling story)
i haven't read the guilded wolves or six of crows yet (i'm a fake booktuber, it's cool) but i'd definitely be curious to hear your thoughts on the grim lovelies duology by megan shepherd.. it just kind of has a similar vibe to me with the real world based setting, kind of weird, loose magic system, some heist-like shenanigans, etc!
I've never heard of the gilded wolves so now I'm really interested to see what I'd think of it!! I also have still never read a darker shade of magic but I love SOC and the grisha trilogy so really need to read the rest of the books on this list!
I think you should check out the Book of the Ancestor Trilogy from Mark Lawrence. I think it's a great bridge between YA and Adult fantasy. The characters and character dynamics shine sooo bright it's ridiculous. The character dynamic between the MC and the multiple antagonists are basically what drives the plot of all three books of this series. The only area that it lacks is adventure. Until the last book, you won't get to see a lot of the world. Also, the trilogy starts with a very character focused book with a slower pacing, but as the series continues it gets more and more plot driven.
Idk I read The Grisha Trilogy when I was 21/22 and it didn't feel too young. I think the first book is more typical YA than the other two. For example, Alina's insecurities about other girls being pretty does get challenged later on. I 100% agree about The Gilded Wolves, it's a great book and deserves more love. I love Uprooted too and I think Spinning Silver is even better. I'd recommend Sorcery of Thorns, it's a character focused novel with magical books and Spin the Dawn, which has mythology, fairytale inspired magical world that felt unique and a great quest in the second half.
If you haven’t already read it then I think you would really like The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. It’s a historical fantasy set in medieval Russia and steeped in Slavic folklore. It has strong fairytale vibes and it’s very atmospheric and character driven :)
Why is nobody recommending The Raven Boys to you in these comments? It has everything you like: - Complex characters working together on a quest - Magical, whimsical and dark forest - Character driven - Inspired by Welsh mythology - Also about witches and the occult
If you haven't already you should read the Truthwitch series by Susan Dennard! The world-building is great, the characters are amazing and there are so many interesting and complicated dynamics, it follows two female best friends, there enemies to lovers romance and tons of adventure as you follow various characters throughout the Witchlands (which is the world). SO so good!! and underrated.
You should definitely read the winternight triology! It’s set in the countryside in a fantasy Russia, it’s got a fairytale feel and it’s adult fantasy that’s kind of on the edge with ya
Sooo passionate Leonie!!! Hahaha love. OH, I HAVE a recommendation! Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson! I think you probably will like that book (based on your explanation of the thugs-badass-group thing).
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is one of the best fantasy ive read recently. Definitely getting Uprooted. Right now Im reading The Fionavar tapestry trilogy and its beatutiful. a classic! quite sad and oh so magical!
Definitely recommend twelve houses series. It's a high fantasy with a lot of adventure. I'm very bad at describing things so that's all I'm going to stick with otherwise I would totally confuse you or give you too many shoulders. First book is called Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn and there's four books in the series. Another series I recommend that has a lot of adventure is a low fantasy series called the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. There's a lot of books in the series though with more coming out. I think there's 11 or 12 out now. It's my all time favorite book series. The main character is a coyote shape shifter and there's fae, werewolves, vampires, witches in it as well and then each book has a new enemy which sometimes includes a different kind of creature. First book is called Moon Called. There's also a spin off series called the Alpha and Omega series that's main characters are werewolves.
I think a few people mentionned it already, but you should try the mirror visitor by Christelle Dabos ! I loved it, it is really well written, the world is so strong and the Magic system is really new and interesting
Leonie have you read the school for good and evil it is a very great book series that I have personally fallen in love with and I feel that it doesn’t get much recognition it is a beautiful story and really stretchs the boundary of what people think good and evil characters are and should be. There is also a greyness to it like you could read it in multiple different ways and it is truly beautiful. And I would love to hear your opinion on it
Okay, you and I have the exact same taste in books I’ve decided so I reallyyy need to read The Gilded Wolves now! I agree with every. other. book. on your list haha so good 👏🏻
I reread the first two ADSOM books in April/May before to read the third one (I still have to read it) and I loved them just as much as I did the first time ! They are definitely not the most original books out there, true, but I love the idea and the world so much, it's kind of a comfort read. Also, I may or may not be in love with Kell 🙈 I never finished the Grisha trilogy but I read the first 2 books twice, and they're really cliché and quite cringey, but oh my are they fun to read ! What I love most in fantasy are characters, as a_ great cast can make the most boring plot enjoyable if the banter is 10/10. I also love the magic and whimsy, these worlds that are so unlike our own boring one, and so fun to explore. And last, I'd say adventure, because who doesn't love adventure ?
I know I'm super super late to this video, but I wanted to recommend the Magic ex Libris series by Jim C. Hines. The main premise is Libriomancers, who possess the ability to pull anything out of a book that physically fits through the pages. It's super cool, and I like to recommend it to people whenever I can. Also, new subscriber, hello! I love what I've seen of your videos so far!
Aarrggg I’m reading A Conjuring of Light now and I freaking adore it 😍😍😍 I’m usually not a character driven reader but honestly so far I love Holland and this is the first time I’ve loved that sort of character ❤️❤️❤️ I hope to pick up the Guilded Wolves, I’ve heard very mixed reviews but I’ve found that the people who’s tastes are similar to mine are on the positive side
you should read " His Dark Materials" I recommend that trilogy to everyone it's unbelievably awesome I love it so much it has everything you could ask for - adventure, romance, philosophy, opposing the authority. It's basically THE BEST
I was just thinking, I want to escape reality and read a fantasy series. And then I saw this video!! Perfect timing! I read A Darker Shade Of Magic and had the same thoughts as you and didn’t keep reading the other two books. But this really made me want to pick up the others! Thanks 🌟🌟🥰
Everyone on booktube just talks about Six of Crows. I feel like I need to read it now.
Same
You should...you won't regret
i watch so much booktube that i actually got spoiled for those books :(
Please read it I promise you won't regret it 💕
I was reluctant because of the hype, but I finally did last year and it’s GREAT. If you like tight squads, memorable characters, heists, and next-level scheming, you’ll love Six of Crows.
I highly recommend Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. It has the best magic system and action sequences I have ever read in a book. The "mystical creatures" (if you can call them that) are also incredibly interesting, nothing like the usual elves/fairies/orcs you find in high fantasy. I can't even describe how much I enjoyed that trilogy.
Aleo Vera omg yes! also the magic feels so scientific!
im a new fantasy reader but out of all the books i tried the Mistborn series is my fav, it's just so good, so epic, the pinacle of fantasy writing (not that I would know but thats the feeling I was left with)
Sassy Owl you should try six of crows! i bet you would like it, the thrill of an impossible heist is just as present as in mistborn!
@@mati_deborealbooks I agree, Six of Crows is amazing
I highly recommend the audiobook for Mistborn too! It's amazing
Leigh Bardugo and Rick Riordan are two of my favorite authors of all time!
Vhkxjsjs bokuto profile pick hehheh
@@luisaweiss9331 it’s Oikawa lol
@@kyleesmith4727 wait I didnt wrote Oikawa?- my brain is just thinking about Bkuto lmaoo
I ment Oikawa
@@luisaweiss9331 lol it’s cool
Police are are not working today or Friday Friday at work so so we will check
Some of my favorite fantasies are the Raven Cycle, Priory of the Orange Tree, the Inheritance Cycle, the Old Kingdom series, LOTR, and The Poppy War/ The Dragon Republic (ps love ur channel so much 💜)
Do you know any without romance?
@@Stxrria the prequel to the old kingdom series, Clariel, has a main character who is implied aroace (basically she doesn’t want romance and wants to live by herself guarding the forest) and there’s no twist in the end where she *finds love* and *lives happily ever after* so I’d recommend that!
@@ckjohnson53 Really thanks heh, to be honest I don’t really like romance books because of the way they turn out at the end so it makes me happy that’s there’s a aroace main character 💖
Definitely the Witcher series, it has some of the best character and relationship work that the genre has to offer imo. Its tone is quite dark and a lot of politics packed in it, which is also a plus for me. I'd also recommend the Wheel of Time written by Robert Jordan, some amazing world-building and very interesting magic systems. Mistborn from Brandon Sanderson is also one of my favourite. The world is not as grand as WoT or most epic fantasy but the lore is deep and interesting, the character work is also compelling and just overall very well-written.
I recently finished reading the Mistborn Trilogy. It is possibly the most impressive and expertly written fantasy I have ever read. The magic is portrayed very rationally; it almost fells like a branch of science instead of random nonsense. All of the characters acted like real people with believable actions and motivations. The plots were completely original with few to no flaws or plot-holes. I enjoyed reading Mistborn more than any other book series.
For adult fantasy I highly recommend Mistborn, The name of the wind, the lies of lock lamora and The fifth season. All of those titles are on my favorite books list.
As for ya fantasy, I recommend The diviners series and The last magician (both of those are historical fantasy), Strange the dreamer and the Spellslinger Series (the last one ia soooo underated)
Mistborn isn't adult
@@EcopiuM when it was first published, it categorised as an adult fantasy book. since then, there is contreversy about it, but most people (including me) and most of the editions see it as an adult novel.
@@ayaasaf9382 Sanderson himself sees it as a young adult introduction to his works.
I always feel conflicted recommending the name of the wind but it’s just. so good.
I highly recommend The Lord of the Rings, a must read for every fantasy fan. I also recommend The Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan), lots of influences from Eastern philosophy there and a unique form of magic. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy also has a really interesting magic system based off of thermal energy.
Yep. If you haven't read Tolkien yet, you are missing the fundamentals of the genre. Even if LOTR is not your favorite, it's the most influential and possibly greatest work of fiction in the 20'th century.
I was thinking the same thing. Most of the elements in contemporary fantasy come from The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings, so reading the roots of fantasy gives you a different perspective on YA (and non YA) fantasy books
I agree wth your recs. Also love Sanderson a lot!
I finally read a Darker Shade of Magic recently and absolutely loved it. I ordered the 2nd and 3rd books and can't wait for them to come in to finish the series.
I loved the Inkheart series when I was younger and I think our tastes might be similar now so if you want to dive into middle grade/early YA for fun that would be a great series to go for! It’s honestly still one of my most favorite series of all time 😍
Inkheart is awesome. One of my favorite elements from these books is that magic comes from actual books.
Omg yes Inkheart is one of my favourites too! I’m planning on re-reading it this summer and I’m already super excited :D
Nik Wolf I re-read it last Christmas and it was so comforting to slip into that world again!
Andres Ramirez definitely!
Yes!!! It's so amazing ♥️
omg this is EXACTLY how i feel about the Shades of Magic series -- the first one really didn't stand out to me, but the second and third absolutely blew me away. Also the Gilded Wolves -- what an amazing book I love so much
Every time someone mentions SoC, I want to reread it
I see others suggested it already, but Mistbron and Lies of Locke Lamora seem like something you can enjoy. You can also give Witcher a try, however it's quite dark. Two first books are short stories, many of them are quite loose retellings of fairy tales,. They follow the same characters, so they don't read entirely as short stories, and then the next books get more political and epic. It's praised mostly for the character work, and the humor, sadly, a lot is lost in translation. Still, highly recommend!
I want to read Uprooted! And also, to recommend a fairytale-y fantasy, the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden!
The Winternight Trilogy is like god-tier folktale fantasy. The first book started a bit slow but it's MORE than worth it. Those books literally made me fall back in love with reading.
I really loved six of crows (still working on the sequel) and the gilded wolves sounds like something I would just love!! Thank you for recommendation, I literally just finished the sample and can’t wait to get to read more.
i love what you said about shadow and bone being the blueprint because i feel the exact same way! a lot of fantasy books modeled themselves after it tbh. I love the series, and it also holds a very special space in my heart due to it being my reintroduction to reading and the first books booktube made me pick up.
What I got from this: Leonie prefers fantasies with straight forward writing and heists in worlds inspired by our own.
Recommending for you: An Unkindness of Magicians
Ohh thank you, Rachael!
Unique magic systems- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. That's by far one of my favorite unique magic systems in any fantasy EVER. Absolutely my favorite. (Also Enemies to Lovers? Which is your jam?)
I love Uprooted! If you want more fairytale magic, check out The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Magic mostly to do with communicating with animals and nature, but you do get a kind of sense of Arthurian magic too.
Hey girl. Have to say, just finished to read UPROOTED yesterday because of your recommendation on another video, and I liked. A lot. The magic descriptions are amazing. Some of my favs fantasies are Lord of the Rings, Elantris, and A Batalha do Apocalipse (a brasilian book). Love your videos. Stay safe
Videos like this is why Six of crows and the shades of magic series are now on my TBR ^^
If you want to try some good high fantasy books……I would definitely recommend “The poppy war” by RF Kuang. She’s an awesome author, her world building, character’s everything is just ✨chef’s kiss ✨
you‘ll love mistborn series by brandon sanderson!! absolutely fell in love with it, it‘s a world where people have the ability to burn certain metals and according to the metals they can burn they get certain powers. the main character is a bit morally gray and it‘s all about a rebellion, a war and there is some romance in it. full of adventures and plot twists 10/10
I have a recommendation for you: "Ship of Magic" by Robin Hobb. It is adventurous, very character-focused (so much character growth over the trilogy!), characters with very nebulous morals (pirates), a mystery surrounding epic creatures, lots of sea-faring adventures, and I think it represents different women really well.
I really recommend the Wheel of Time series (adult). If book 1 doesn't sell you, book 2 will. The prose is really atmospheric but not overly flowery. Daniel Greene was the one who actually convinced me to read it and I do not regret it at all! (There will also be an TV series soon, so it would be fun to get on the hype train now)
I read the Shadow and Bone trilogy this year for the first time and I loved it 😅
Alina can be annoying at times, but the world is still really cool and Nikolai and the Darkling are such amazing characters (and I may have a crush on both of them 🙃)
I understand that the tropes in that book may be overdone for people who read lots of ya fantasy, but that's not my case, until last year all I read was contemporary (with the exception of Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire, but they don't have most of those tropes) so Shadow and Bone was still original for me
I haven't read any ve schwab books yet but you've convinced to bump her books up on my tbr 💖😊
Do it! Definitely worth it 🙌🏻
You should give the king killer chronicle a go, it's a really good fantasy about the owner of a "hotel/bar" in the middle of nowhere who was once considered a hero and a legend by many, the story is about how he ended up in that position. The book has an amazing power system but what made me fell in love with it was how the author make small things such crossing a bridge or walking around the city so enjoyable, there's really a magic feeling to it.
Uprooted is one of my all time favorite fantasy books. Noami Novak's other novel is also really great: Spinning Silver!
Okay I need a part 2 of this.
I’m 31 and just read the Shadow and Bone trilogy for the first time and really enjoyed it. I didn’t find Alina cloying at all actually. I’m not generally into fantasy, but wanted some escapism, so I gave it a try. I ended up reading the trilogy in like a week and immediately purchased 6 of Crows, which was decent, but like you said, the pacing was a bit slow. I just started Crooked Kingdom today and I’m enjoying it so far!
i’m so glad you mentioned the gilded wolves because that’s one i’ve been meaning to read for a while!! wonderful video 💗
Great video, Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab are some of my favorite fantasy authors.
I read The Gilded Wolves last year and I really enjoyed. So I've a recommendation based on that: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. It's an adult high fantasy book that has a magic system based on tech; and the plot is about a heist, so I think you would like it!
One of my fav trilogies is His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, it’s also a fantasy I love it so much!
bought uprooted during this video. It was the only one I didn't own yet!
Thanks, much love,
amy
You make me so excited for the Gilded wolves series! The mythology and riddles sound like sth I should love! Definitely need to get my hands on it ☺️
I haven't read as much fantasy as I would like, but my favorite series is the Stormlight Archive. Some other favorites include Lord of the Rings, Mistborn, and The Lies of Locke Lamora (not sure how I would rank the entire Gentleman Bastards series, but the first book is just so good that I had to put it here)
If you enjoy character centered plot and dont mind some dark fantasy elements then the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is excellent in terms of a character centered adventure story.
Currently half-way through the second book and really enjoying it.
Agreed👏🏼👏🏼
I loved Six of Crows duology. 😍 Planning to read the Grishaverse trilogy this month.
it's shocking to me to find someone with the same favorites except I still haven't read The Gilded Wolves and The Ninth House, will definitely give them a go! I recommend Strange The Dreamer and The Queen's Thief series which are also my faves! love the channel
Strange the Dreamer!!! The Queens Thief!!! Those are my absolute favorites!🥺 top tier taste right here. I recommend you, my friend, The False Prince (although it’s more juvenile fiction) and Eventide (strange the dreamer but more fairy tale). Plz send more recommendations my way😩
I’ve loved this video so much !! I was looking for new fantasy books to read in english and your video made my day. The last one seems really, really interesting and I just had no idea it existed, so... thank you 😊 love your videos !
My favorite fantasies are Name of the Wind, Game of Thrones, Witcher, Ember in the Ashes, Harry Potter, Legendborn, and Jasmine Throne
Which one of them would you say is most similar to The Name of the Wind? I loooved The Name of the Wind but I'm finding it hard to find something that has the same vibe :/
@@sofias7302 I just read mistborn and I 1000% percent recommend it. It's not that similar to name of the wind but is sooooooo fucking good, u gotta give it a shot.
@@maliusribeiroborges7578 Thank you for the recommendation! 🤗 I actually own the first Mistborn book, so I will probably read it very soon😊
@@sofias7302 great, you're not gonna regret it, I'm sure. btw leave your thoughts when you finish it, I would love to hear them.
@@maliusribeiroborges7578 I'll definitely do that😊
I've read all but Gilded Wolves and Uprooted! SoC is also my favorite!! I remember you mentioned that you didnt love The Bear and the Nightingale, which blows my mind because it seems right up you alley. Set in a mythical Russia, laden with fairytales, enemies to lovers romance, daaaaaark complex themes, amazing characters. Maybe it was just a right book wrong time sort of thing lol. But I have Gilded Wolves on my TBR and cant wait to crack into it!
The bear and the nightingale was extremely slow moving and there wasn’t actually a romance happening yet in the first book.
I felt it when you said about teenager problems in YA books. I just entered my twenties and I couldn't read books for a while now, and I always have this fear of missing out on all the feels that books give to the fullest just because I'm over the age. For example I read the folk in the air series recently and I was so disappointed in not reading it earlier. My younger self would have loved it but when I read it I felt like reading a children's book.
I have a long list of YA books to cover and I don't have the time!!!!! Aaaaghhhhh!!!!!!
I was in my 30s when Folk of the Air came out. I'd teach it in my secondary school classes because the writing and plot is SO superior to the average YA fiction. It could be good preparation for the Shakespeare requirements everyone struggles with as the culture is very Tudor and the characterization reminded me very much of the Bard himself! As a professional, I cannot say I found it in the least childish. I have heard this objection before, but I am curious as to what it is based on? Jude is far more mature than the average fantasy heroine and the book deals with very adult concerns with all the political angles. I'm sure you have a reason you felt it was 'too young', but would you mind explaining precisely what it was so I can take that into account with my students? Thanks. 🙂
I can't vouch for the translation, but there is the French series called The Mirror Visitor, there are four books in total and I think at least the first 2 ones are out in English. It's the story of Ophelia, who live on the Arc of Anima (a floating celestial islands governed by the spirits of immortal ancestors) she has the power to "read" the past of objects and has the ability to travel through mirrors. When she has been promised to a man, she has to go to him on the Arc of the Pole and turns out he's not exactly Prince Charming. It's not so well known on the English booktube but quite the contrary on the French booktube, haha.
Do you know of any other French translated books you would recommend? I love the Mirror Visitor books and I’m dying to read the third!
@@BlinkFly I'm so sorry, I'm French but I mostly read in English so I don't have a lot of recommendations in the same genre.
I think there's already a comment recommending it... but Mistborn series by Brendan Sanderson! It sounds like it would be right up your alley - epic fantasy, an amazing "magic" system that I think is completely original but others who have read more than me feel free to correct me. The foreshadowing, the mystery, the adventures, everything about it! I could not put it down
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson will always be one of my favorite fantasy books not because I think it is the best, but because it is the first adult epic fantasy I ever read and it really opened up my eyes to the possibilities of reading books in the adult epic fantasy genre. It caught my eye by having a woman on the cover and was so colorful... I debated buying it for a long time because I didn't even understand the synopsis on the back, but I'm so glad I went for it. (I also love that it is a standalone.) So I totally understand why the Grisha trilogy is so special to you. :)
The Lies of Locke Lamora is basically Six of Crows... but more complex and real. You don't get the subjective perspective because the series is on third person, but there is so much character development with that "slow burn" when it comes to the main plot... so, basically the perfect combination. It is still very fun to read, a lot of twists and the main character's personality is more of a combination between Kaz, Jasper and Nikolai from Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows. There are so many emotional short scenes and some very impactful moments that just make you want more and more. Also, if you pay attention, there are scenes that might seen unimportant, but they can make you question your own value and moral system.
So... this would be my first recommendation for you.
So, my suggestion is an old series. Mary Stewart's Merlin Series, starting with The Crystal Cave. Read it as a teen and it started me believing in magic. Mixes history and myth. An absolutely gorgeous story. No smutt.
You sold me on trying out The Gilded Wolves! Have you read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik? Its the same whismy, soft magic system as Uprooted.
My favourite fantasy series is The Saga of The Borderlands. The magic system is pretty soft, which you seem to like, and the prose is exquisite. It was originally written in Spanish, and that's the language I read it in, so I hope the translation is good
I loved the Grisha trilogy as a teenager (and still do). It was one of the first High fantasy series I read and I loved it because it was different than I was used to. I also love Six of crows. Now even more than as a teen. It's so different from the first series.
Heya, een Nederlandse booktuber! :D. Ik heb Uprooted en de Grisha Trilogy nog ongelezen in de kast staan, looking forward to reading it :)
I saw your video recently. Picked up Bone and Shadow. Almost done with it and I’ve been enjoying it so far. Thank you for the recommendation.
Please read some Brandon sanderson... Especially Mistborn to start with... I would love to know your reaction..
I don’t know if you’ve read it but I’d recommend The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater for you. It follows a group of super interesting characters who have some of my favourite dynamics ever, features a magical forest and a quest for a dead welsh king and is overall really beautifully written and hilarious.
Uprooted sounds like something I would love
This is so random but i love your ~aesthetic~, what camera do you use? And do you use some sort of filter or color edit your videos? ❤️
Some of my all time favourite fantasy books on this list too! I probably have too many to list but ADSOM, Six of Crows duology, Strange the Dreamer duology, City of Brass trilogy, Cruel Prince trilogy, Bear & the Nightingale trilogy, Nevernight Chronicles, His Dark Materials, Carry on etc haha
Read The Coward by Stephen Aryan. I picked it up randomly at the library and I'm so glad I did! It's a fun and fast-paced fantasy/adventure with great characters.
I feel pretty much the same about all of these books, except for the gilded wolves, which I hated :’) For me the characters were too in your face in their depictions and more tell not show, and all of the “twists” were set up in such a way they were really hard to miss if you read fantasy a lot (worst example, when a room is described as having no other entrances but it did have a mirror, and mirror-travel is kinda predictable I guess, so it was super obvious where the intruders would come from) leaving no tension or mystery to me. Anyway, I get why you love it (your enthusiasm even made me reconsider if we were talking about the same book) but I really just didn’t work for me.
Pal I just read Gilded Wolves and I loved it! I thought it was awesome how connected everything is and I actually liked that the magic system wasn’t cut and dry lol I think those blurred edges add to the whimsy and mystery of the magic as a force
If you like high stakes and heists, Fool's Gold by Jon Hollins is a pretty good read! The blurb describes is as Ocean Eleven meets The Hobbit, and it's really fast paced. It's on the longer end, each book in the trilogy is around the 500 page mark, but well worth it!
I love the name of the wind serie its not finished yet but i love it so much
1. you’ve convinced me to give a Darker Shade of Magic a try
2. FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO LOVES THE GILDED WOLVES YAAAYYYYY
“Freeze framing my current fantasy taste” YES HAHA. Also, now I’m interested to read The Gilded Wolves 👀 A great high fantasy book I’ve recently read is The Poppy War. Honestly, SO GOOD. 😍
yesss please i need more people to read the gilded wolves! And I reeeeaaally want to read Poppy War, I've heard nothing but great things!
I just started reading a middle grade fantasy series, I’m only on the first one but it’s good so far and maybe you would enjoy it. It’s called The Keeper Of The Lost Cities by Shannon Messenge
If you haven’t read them yet, you should totally read the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden! They seem like the kind of books you would enjoy; I read the first two and reading them felt like being sucked into a fairy tale! And the series is set in medieval Russia!
Finally, someone that really liked Uprooted! This evil forest really did scare the shit out of me!
Six of Crows would definitely be on my list as well. I love it so much. I really need to read Shadow and Bone, I want to but just haven’t gotten to there yet.
I d e f i n i t e l y recommend trying Sanderson at some point - Mistborn is a great entry to the cosmere, Stormlight Archive is very very epic fantasy and has a big learning curve but once you’re past it then it’s brilliant. A Winter’s Promise is also one I would recommend - it uses magic very interestingly and I was quite impressed how it wove into the plot.
The last time I read a fantasy book was the first half of 2018... I was actually surprised how long it has been! It's not really my genre as you see :D But maybe I should get out of my comfort zone? I used to like fantasy books when I was in secondary school, so maybe that's why I don't choose it now, since it takes me back to this cringy times when I was 12-14 and was reading books like Twilight...
But I'm into this dark academia theme, so I'm happy to try Ninth House... I've heard so much about this book on booktube and have heard so much different opinions that I just feel like I have to read it and have my own point of view :D
Hearing your opinion on A Darker Shade of Magic convinced me to give the second book a shot :)
Wheel Of Time - AMAMAMAMAZING
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (has a band of characters, its witty sarcastic really the best)
Strange the dreamer by Liani Taylor (musical writing and gripping story)
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (great magic system, great band of characters, very fulfilling story)
i haven't read the guilded wolves or six of crows yet (i'm a fake booktuber, it's cool) but i'd definitely be curious to hear your thoughts on the grim lovelies duology by megan shepherd.. it just kind of has a similar vibe to me with the real world based setting, kind of weird, loose magic system, some heist-like shenanigans, etc!
ohh i'm gonna check that out, thank you!
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White. it's a weird fantasy retelling of the king arthur legends and it's great.
I've never heard of the gilded wolves so now I'm really interested to see what I'd think of it!! I also have still never read a darker shade of magic but I love SOC and the grisha trilogy so really need to read the rest of the books on this list!
you are so prettyyy💕💕 and same thing happened to me with book 1 of a darker shade of magic
I think you should check out the Book of the Ancestor Trilogy from Mark Lawrence. I think it's a great bridge between YA and Adult fantasy. The characters and character dynamics shine sooo bright it's ridiculous. The character dynamic between the MC and the multiple antagonists are basically what drives the plot of all three books of this series. The only area that it lacks is adventure. Until the last book, you won't get to see a lot of the world. Also, the trilogy starts with a very character focused book with a slower pacing, but as the series continues it gets more and more plot driven.
Idk I read The Grisha Trilogy when I was 21/22 and it didn't feel too young. I think the first book is more typical YA than the other two. For example, Alina's insecurities about other girls being pretty does get challenged later on.
I 100% agree about The Gilded Wolves, it's a great book and deserves more love.
I love Uprooted too and I think Spinning Silver is even better. I'd recommend Sorcery of Thorns, it's a character focused novel with magical books and Spin the Dawn, which has mythology, fairytale inspired magical world that felt unique and a great quest in the second half.
Ninth House sounds pretty amazing to be honest!
I love your energy! Super funny and adorable!
If you haven’t already read it then I think you would really like The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. It’s a historical fantasy set in medieval Russia and steeped in Slavic folklore. It has strong fairytale vibes and it’s very atmospheric and character driven :)
Why is nobody recommending The Raven Boys to you in these comments?
It has everything you like:
- Complex characters working together on a quest
- Magical, whimsical and dark forest
- Character driven
- Inspired by Welsh mythology
- Also about witches and the occult
If you haven't already you should read the Truthwitch series by Susan Dennard! The world-building is great, the characters are amazing and there are so many interesting and complicated dynamics, it follows two female best friends, there enemies to lovers romance and tons of adventure as you follow various characters throughout the Witchlands (which is the world). SO so good!! and underrated.
You should definitely read the winternight triology! It’s set in the countryside in a fantasy Russia, it’s got a fairytale feel and it’s adult fantasy that’s kind of on the edge with ya
I feel like I don't hear too much about The Gilded Wolves on booktube but the way you describe it makes it sounds really good!
Sooo passionate Leonie!!! Hahaha love. OH, I HAVE a recommendation! Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson! I think you probably will like that book (based on your explanation of the thugs-badass-group thing).
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is one of the best fantasy ive read recently. Definitely getting Uprooted. Right now Im reading The Fionavar tapestry trilogy and its beatutiful. a classic! quite sad and oh so magical!
Would you recommend reading spinning silver before uprooted?! Are they connected? Thanks
@@gperrey9223 hi! No they are not connected at all. I liked Spinning Silver better
Definitely recommend twelve houses series. It's a high fantasy with a lot of adventure. I'm very bad at describing things so that's all I'm going to stick with otherwise I would totally confuse you or give you too many shoulders. First book is called Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn and there's four books in the series.
Another series I recommend that has a lot of adventure is a low fantasy series called the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. There's a lot of books in the series though with more coming out. I think there's 11 or 12 out now. It's my all time favorite book series. The main character is a coyote shape shifter and there's fae, werewolves, vampires, witches in it as well and then each book has a new enemy which sometimes includes a different kind of creature. First book is called Moon Called. There's also a spin off series called the Alpha and Omega series that's main characters are werewolves.
One of my fave fantasy series is fallen kingdoms
I think a few people mentionned it already, but you should try the mirror visitor by Christelle Dabos ! I loved it, it is really well written, the world is so strong and the Magic system is really new and interesting
Leonie have you read the school for good and evil it is a very great book series that I have personally fallen in love with and I feel that it doesn’t get much recognition it is a beautiful story and really stretchs the boundary of what people think good and evil characters are and should be. There is also a greyness to it like you could read it in multiple different ways and it is truly beautiful. And I would love to hear your opinion on it
Okay, you and I have the exact same taste in books I’ve decided so I reallyyy need to read The Gilded Wolves now! I agree with every. other. book. on your list haha so good 👏🏻
I reread the first two ADSOM books in April/May before to read the third one (I still have to read it) and I loved them just as much as I did the first time ! They are definitely not the most original books out there, true, but I love the idea and the world so much, it's kind of a comfort read. Also, I may or may not be in love with Kell 🙈 I never finished the Grisha trilogy but I read the first 2 books twice, and they're really cliché and quite cringey, but oh my are they fun to read ! What I love most in fantasy are characters, as a_ great cast can make the most boring plot enjoyable if the banter is 10/10. I also love the magic and whimsy, these worlds that are so unlike our own boring one, and so fun to explore. And last, I'd say adventure, because who doesn't love adventure ?
I know I'm super super late to this video, but I wanted to recommend the Magic ex Libris series by Jim C. Hines. The main premise is Libriomancers, who possess the ability to pull anything out of a book that physically fits through the pages. It's super cool, and I like to recommend it to people whenever I can. Also, new subscriber, hello! I love what I've seen of your videos so far!
Aarrggg I’m reading A Conjuring of Light now and I freaking adore it 😍😍😍 I’m usually not a character driven reader but honestly so far I love Holland and this is the first time I’ve loved that sort of character ❤️❤️❤️
I hope to pick up the Guilded Wolves, I’ve heard very mixed reviews but I’ve found that the people who’s tastes are similar to mine are on the positive side
omg holland is my fave!
Try "The Traveler in Black" it's a collection of interconnected short stories written by John Brunner.
you should read " His Dark Materials" I recommend that trilogy to everyone it's unbelievably awesome I love it so much it has everything you could ask for - adventure, romance, philosophy, opposing the authority. It's basically THE BEST
I’ve only read Northern Lights in the trilogy, looking forward to completing it!
I recommend the Revenant series by Amy plum, The Mercy series by Rebecca Lim, And Wolf pact by Melissa de la cruz! Their amazing fantasy’s
I was just thinking, I want to escape reality and read a fantasy series. And then I saw this video!! Perfect timing! I read A Darker Shade Of Magic and had the same thoughts as you and didn’t keep reading the other two books. But this really made me want to pick up the others! Thanks 🌟🌟🥰