Just finished The Core (Book 5). I’m pretty nitpicky and I even stumbled upon a few negative reviews of the series as I was working through it. I found the whole journey thoroughly enjoyable and never even considered not finishing.
I’ve read it twice in full now and something made me think of it and I recall Brett wanted to write new books following the next generation of characters
This video was wild for me since it seems like if we changed the character names that you could’ve been talking about my experience with Lightbringer. Considering I felt exactly the same about that series trajectory, thanks for this PSA since I feel good about crossing this one off my tbr when I have thousands of other books and hundreds of other priority series on tap to try. While you no doubt made a great decision not reading the Lightbringer finale, selfishly I wish you had continued so I could hear your take on it. It failed so spectacularly that it’s hard to wrap my mind around, especially when the beginning was so so strong for me.
I love everithing in the beggining,the slow phase in the beggining the mistery of the corelings, the runes, but then suddenly everybody got powerups more than Naruto on the last war, if Peter V. Brett were more focus on the Arlen/Jardir event and devolped more on the runes and develpment of the knowledge from this, was gonna be better, then on other books deepdive on all the subjects from Krasia.
Just popping in to reccomend to you, Mike, that you pick up December Park, by Ronald Malfi. I will drink my own urine if the book doesnt strike home with you. Its the slice of life coming of age story that you love! Check it out. Just finished it myself and in many ways it reminded me of IT.
I liked book 1 and was excited for the rest of the series but I've struggled so much through the first half of book 2. After reading about Arlen and Leesha in book 1, that's what I was excited about seeing in book 2, them fighting demons and trying to figure out what was happening to Arlen because of the wards while growing closer. Instead, after a very long and slow section about Jardir, we finally get back to the main trio and we hardly get any insight into Arlen's thoughts and feelings because it switches POV's so much and it seems like his main purpose is to scowl and repeat that he is not the deliverer constantly. Leesha's goal of helping Arlen see that he's not going to create demon babies so that they can be together is forgotten quickly when she tries sleeping with another man and she acts like Arlen was holder her back and says him leaving was a weight being lifted. I don't like how their relationship was handled, book 1 added a romantic layer there that I found interesting and compelling and book 2 is like, oh you thought there was romance there, well jokes on you. Then there is my biggest issue, there is way too much SA in just the first and second books, which is extremely disturbing.
I really liked this series though by book four it was feeling a bit long. The last book was hard to get through but I was satisfied with the ending. The narrator on audible did a great job IMHO
personally i would say so. personal writing flaws aside, peter V brett's worldbuilding is pretty incredible. I'd recommend you read them if you're on the fence, gives you a lot to think about
I'll be honest, I only read the first book -- I know I loved it, but similar to your experience, I was starting way too many series at one time and found it difficult to complete each one. So this one just fell thru the cracks
I just got Black Prism as a Bday gift cause I had not tried this series. Now I am feeling I should move it way down the TBR as well as hold off on any Brett series.
Black Prism is amazing book though. IDK, I feel like the problems of Lightbringer series are blown out of proportion. Especially when you read them back to back it is not that bad. And man, the first book is just crazy good.
@Talking_Story don't get me wrong, I don't think it finishes nearly as strongly as it starts. But I don't feel it is a dnf material especially if reading back to back.
as the streaming thing becomes bigger i had to start doing that with tv series. ive started a LOT that ive just walked away from. some i just wiki the rest of the plot instead of wasting 8hrs. more often than not i do that with about anything that seems mildly worthwhile. not enough freetime in the life of an adult to mess with things that turn out to not be worth the effort
Great review! just the way you did this overview had me laughing so hard. I agree with you 100% it's just so fn funny. You got to rewatch your own review. Made my day. Thank you.
This feels so true.Finished lightbringer but not demon cycle. These series(lightbringer and demon cycle) feel like they were suppose to be fast paced trilogies but suffered by adding two books-worth of story threads that were either uninteresting or subversion of earlier foreshadowing.
Haha damn, I just bought this first book too! Luckily it was used. Could you read the first two and leave it or would that be too much of an unfinished story?
This is so weird. I adore this whole series. It's one of my all-time favorite, and I've recommended it to a ton of customers over the years and got very positive feedback from said customers. I have women friends who love it as much as I do and we talked about this notion that there's too much sex or abuse and I we all just feel it went well with the world and the cultures within. But like you said. Opinions will be different. Appreciate your videos, Mike!
Unfortunately, what I've heard about the Core is that at best it's an OK climax to the series - a definite step up from book from the last book but not anywhere near book 2 or 1.
100% agree re Peter V Brett and Brent Weekes. I did finish the demon cycle but my word had I lost all investment with the story and then characters. I nearly DNf’d the final book in Lightbringer 3 times but somehow pushed my way through it. I’d also add Licanius by James Islington to that list, as book 3 is sat on my shelf with 200 pages left to go and I can’t face finishing it off. That’s because book 2 was such a step down from book 1.
Yeah, as I mentioned on X, DNF'd at book 4. One thing you mention here is that the author may have said something about "if people think this series is about Arlen, they will be disappointed." Well, then don't name book one: The Warded Man because that title would lead a reader to think that's what it's about.
It's an authors job to be clear on plot and tone promises early on so that people know what to expect. This is why. Nobody likes to feel like they were tricked and strung along.
Yup, loved the first two books! Excellent concept! Did fall off after that, did finish it 'cause I wanted to know how it ended, kinda liked how Arlen's story played out in the end. Zero interest in the sequals though......
For me the Core was still worth reading, though I largely agree on your points. But I also held the series, even the first one, more in the category of "trash I like" than "best book ever" so maybe my standards for good enough for the series were lower. Would have been better to focus on the Arlen&Ahmann bro duo.
I liked the first book, but was very put off by the r*pe scene that happens during it. And then how the character seemed perfectly fine and went to have sex later on in the same book really rubbed me the wrong way. I decided to hold off on reading the next book in the series and glad I did, since it seems like it only got worse from there. Such a shame since the concept and writing were very good.
100% agree. I DNFd Desert Spear, but clearly Brett's problems portraying sexual trauma were foreshadowed in book 1. 😢 Sad to hear it didn't get better in book 3.
8:00 I'm a dystopian scifi author and my books are female focused. I too am sick of this virgin garbage and SA. My books are very graohic and dont throw any punches when it comes to females and how males treat them. That being said, sex is fun, its cool, its reproductive, but never is something as harmful as SA should be treated like the way it is in thei series of novels I just can't.
I got super into these books and then more and more things started to show up that either pissed me off or grossed me out for example that completely unnecessary lesbian relationship between Selina and Lesa that was so gross and so disturbing I had to put the book down for like a week yes there is a forced lesbian sexual relationship between a old woman and a berely legal young woman. Then you have book 6 the desert prince were literally the first two pages I wanted to hurl the book across the room I had to force myself to get through it and it was horrible. WTF happened peter puts so much unnecessary weird shit for no reason sometimes with no set up or explanation.
I read all five book of The Demon Cycle, and like some people, my interest waned as the series progressed. Book 1 is my favorite. I also read the novellas. The main reason for my issue with the books are the Krasians. They were interesting at first . . . I initially like Jardir. They soon wore out their welcome with me, and every time they came up in the books, I cringed. I pretty much forced myself to complete the series so a buddy and I could discuss it while at work. I would read the first book again, but I have no interest in the new series in that world.
Ha! I'm exactly the same - I never read the core, and I can't force myself to to read it altough I'm starting to want to re-read the first books and the short stories again - because I really liked the story, the setting and the main character of Arlen. I didn't like Jardir, but his point of view was interesting, and the story or his people and culture were great, but since part 3, I really didn't care for the series as much, and finally I got fed up at the part 4 - there were characters I really din't care about, the others I liked got "dismissed" and the story went really into weird topics I wasn't comfortable with, or just plain stupid - to the point reading about some people became frustrating and sad.... I just couldn't force myself to keep reading, but I will probably go back to the first 2 books just for nostalgia - and from what I hear of the new books, it really goes in a weird direction to the point of being a commentary on present times, if you know what I mean, instead of a fantasy novel and I don't care for that at all.... this series could've used what the Highlander movie could've used - a nice prequel - getting back to the first war with the demons... I don't care for the next generation of characters I stopped caring for in the original series.
I finished the series and enjoyed it. I was looking forward for the new series but heard that it's very YA (in the bad way). I might give it a try after all books are released.
Wait. This series is still going on??? I read the 3 books. The Warded Man was solid, The Desert Spear was incredible imo, and The Daylight War was freaking awful. Had no idea it kept going.
Appreciate the shout out - I remember experiencing the same with the first book being great, and slowly losing interest towards the end of book 3. Never have made it to book 4, and I think that’s when you and I talked about me dropping me it due to each progressive book getting worse.
I’m in absolute agreement and I remember getting to book 3 and just going “yeah nah bro” Erotica is cool and all but I liked it when the tattooed guy was beating up demons and stuff I don’t think I even finished book 3 - I vaguely remember some maze in the desert?
I finished the entire series, enjoyed parts of it (Arlen) a lot and other parts not so much but its something despite 5 years distance I have never gone back to and infact I have made space on my shelves by getting rid of the volumes I have. Not sure why but I have a very mid opinion of it after reading maybe the growing cast was the problem
I just feel like the patience and trust that the author earned from me in book 1, as well as my investment in Arlyns story, were taken advantage of. Besides book 1, every book left me feeling more disappointed and frustrated than the last. So sure, the author got me to buy his books-- masterfully stringing my good faith along as he nibbled at it slowly. But theirs a difference between how you manage to get people to turn the page. If you know what I mean.
Having finished both series, I do have to admit that I wouldn't recommend either. I agree with your take, it just wasn't enough for me to stop reading when there was only a book or two left. For me, Lightbringer fell off hard after 2 but I did think 5 was better than 4. Which is... something?
I really enjoyed the series as an audiobook, but the narrator for that series really brings it to life. His new series has different narrators and is from the perspective of olive and Darin which isn’t as engaging for me
The back half of this series confused me with it's direction. I was thankfully doing audiobooks for it and could ratchet it up to 2x or higher and blast through books 3, 4, and 5. I actually thought The Core was solid, because it was lots of Arlen and Jardir, but it was much too little much too late. I have a theory that this series would have been outstanding if it was condensed to a trilogy and all the unneeded stuff was just done away with, but that possibly Mr. Brett or his agent thought a trilogy wasn't enough space to expand the world/lore/etc. or that it would get lumped in with "all the other trilogies" out there. I'm not really sure what happened past book 2, but it hurts my heart a little, because book 1 was such a banger.
I DNF'd on book 3. Like you, I loved book 1. I liked book 2. For book 3, I just found myself not wanting to pick it up, time and time again. I finally realized I wasn't reading at all because of it. I don't read multiple books at a time, so after a couple of weeks of avoiding it I ended the misery for both of us. Skimming through reviews I realized it went downhill from there. It made me sad, too, as I had bought the entire series on the strength of the first book and, well, I was too hasty.
I Read the entire Demon Cycle series. I enjoyed the first four books. After the explosive conclusion to the fourth book. the momentum didn't carry forward into the final book. Maybe I'm not a discerning reader but I enjoyed the Light Bringer series too.
You've summed up my thoughts exactly here. A trilogy, more or less missing out books 3 and 4 would have been perfect. Book one, interesting, Arlen's Neo arc. Book two, another perspective; this is different. Book three, meh. Book four, what is this, GoT lite? Book five is inevitably more satisfying, providing an end, returning to the original characters for the most part but also hampered, having to wrap up the threads we didn't care about. I wouldn't say I'm done with PVB because he did show a lot of promise even if he lost his way on his commitment to writing five books.
Thank you for your review, you have just saved me thousands of pages of reading, I have read the first book and am most of the way through the second but have become increasingly uncomfortable with the level of sexual violence, I think I'm going to leave the series here.
I finished the series twice (in french and in english) and I agree mostly with you. Books 1 & 2 were amazing in my opinion. Book 3 & 5 are not that good overall. Book 3's pacing was horrible. I kinda liked the war in book 4. But books 3 & 4 had both good endings but too much secondary characters POVs and a lot of filler pages (and too much erotica). Arlen is hardly present in book 4. Who cares about Ashia, seriously? Liked Abban a lot but not his story after book 3. I think you'd like the Great Bazaar and Brayan's Gold short stories. They are set during the events of book 1. Anyways, love your content Mike, all love from Québec
Great review! I completely agree with your analysis of this series. First two books are really good, but the last 3 focused way too much on side characters. The last 3 books could have been condensed to 1. It could have been a really good trilogy. I half-heartedly finished it, but you made the right call stopping. Book 5 is on par with 3 and 4. I’m too much of a completionist. I need to get better at stopping book series when they become just okay.
I also didn't finish Lightbringer, lol. And I know a lot of people love the Wheel of Time series but I tried to read it twice and couldnt do it. Got to book 7 and just lost interest.
Funny how much i agree with what he said in the video about book 1, 2, 3 and 4 But even tho i agree with all of that the series didn't lose me at all. I really disliked the relationship between renna and alen and yes it was terrible and forced, but the universe is so amazing and there is so much more to the books than just the relation between the people. Book 5 and especially book 6 really turned things around for me and iam soooo happy i finished the series.
I stopped after book 3. I loved book 1 - apart from the Leesha bit, can this trope stop please? I trundled through book 2 feeling somewhat let down, and I forced myself to read book 3 - I'd got a nice personalised signed hardback version of it 😢. It went so downhill, and just went really cringe. Arlen and Renna's relationship and the way they talked to each other made me wanna be sick. Leesha became tedious. And Rodger and his dancing women just made me laugh, the image I had in my head was ridiculous. Also, can I get a 'diaphanous silks' for the people at the back?
Probably one of my top 'first' books in a series ever. My biggest issue with the series was how much content he recycled. He had absolutely no respect for my time as a reader. I don't need to read the same chapter through four different PoVs. I don't need half a book delving into the 'history' of an event that I know the end result of while also giving no new information or insights. I didn't like how cartoony the villain's and characters became. I don't need an event 'examined' from the past to justify something that happened, or to redeem a character in a dues ex machina style.
"This is where the series got super horny." Right? I loved the first two books and am currently reading The Daylight War. I was just complaining to my wife about this today. I'm no prude, but it doesn't add anything to the story at all.
i was very young when i was reading the series and it lost me at book 3. i was completely lost at 3 didn't understood what the book was doing and to this day haven't gone back.
I forced my way to the end of the series. Yeah no the last one is even worse than the one before. It's so sad, the first two books were one of my favorites books ever and then everything was just starting to fall apart.
Honestly as some one who finished the Demon Cycle and loved it yah, book 4 is a killer. Imagine the Wheel of Time slog condensed into one book. Now for me book 1 with that one scene made me hesitant to read the rest of the series, but then book 2 brought me back into it. I can understand not enjoying book 3 because I HATED Ineverah but by Brett exploring her backstory I came to understand her more and why she is the way she is. Not that I agree with her, but I can understand her. If Brett truely did say the series is not about Arlen hes right, its about the evolution of cultures, worlds colliding and melding in order to fight a common enemy. You see a culture that is really fucked up suddenly realize they've been doing things wrong and by the end of it they change. Arlen is just the catalyst for this cultural fusion to happen. Now I will agree the sex stuff is way too much at times. And the SA in the series is the main reason I struggle to reccommend it to people. But if you look past all the flaws its a very good series
He focused so hard on new characters that the book lost what made the books great, Arlen, Leesha and Rojer. The franchise never reached the heights of the first book.
I loved the demon cycle series so I'm surprised to find myself agreeing with basically everything you said here. Lol. I guess, for me at least, I ended up being invested in the new characters, even if I didn't like them at first.
He did Leesha so dirty. She was such a strong character and had so much potential and she was made so pathetic and male-obsessed. Renna was the worst character I've ever encountered. ARLEN BALES I LOVE YOU ARLEN BALES 🤮🤮🤮 The horror-elements of the 1st book were so amazing and I wish he kept more of that flavour as the series continued but as Arlen powered up it really waned. I agree it's one of the best first books ever. I gave up after Daylight War when the cliffhanger couldn't make me care.
Just finished 4 and 5 Books 1 to 3 where not that had. They where alright, what had me going was the whole deliverer battle, that was really good. 4 and 5, I don't know what the hell that was... The book left me so angry. So much potential, but both deliverers became side characters. Book 5 THE CORE, reckon there where only 5-6 chapters that had me nail biting in the core. 100 pages to go and we are focusing on leesha freaking paper... It gets so corny, so ugh... I hate leesha paper at the end of the book. Anyways
I’m still angry over what Brett did to Leesha in book 3, in book 1 she was legit my favourite character, in 3 however she just became a complete bitch and I really didn’t care if she died or not by the end of it
The Demon Cycle series definitely dipped a bit and became a wild ride in the last few books but it was trashy fun and was ridiculous but I still enjoyed it
I stopped after book one due the depiction of sex and at a time I actually enjoyed reading erotic fantasy and unhealthy romances. I was sad because I loved the magic and characters...
Fair. But Peter V. Brett learned... A lot less sexabuse in the next cycle. But don't forget the warded man was the best story in a very long fantasywait. To me its still worth reading all of the books, because we need to wotness Arlen and all of what happens.
I absolutely loved the first two books, so much so that the way the series moved didn't bother me as much as you did. I've re-read the series once, and skipped certain POV characters, and it flowed much better. I would argue that one of the biggest mood killer for me is book 3 with the flashback chapters. But anything involving with the desert people kind of tappered off in book 3/4
I liked the series although it did get worse as it went on. I struggled a bit with Core. I wouldn't DNF this as i still liked it. I struggle to DNF at all, my mind needs to know how things end. Even if I don't like it.
The First book i gave a 7,5, but i couldnt Finish the second. I actully really like the night angel trillogy. Okay the relationship is cringe, but the rest is realy good
Your intro spoke to me. I loved The Warded Man with my whole heart. I literally read it twice, back-to-back. Book 2 was a big letdown for me because I couldn't stand the Krasians and Jadir. I only finished reading it in case Book 3 sounded better. Unfortunately, everything I heard about book 3 made me realize I was done with the series. I can't think of a book series that disappointed me more. 😢
Arland was pretty much the only interesting character to me. I absolutely hated how he wrote women and what was her name? Leala? The female MC. She was the absolute worst. It’s like he wrote about humans that didn’t know how to human. I’ve never been so disappointed in a book series in my life because the first book was so good. At least the parts centred about Arland. They could throw that whole woman (Lela?) out for all I care. Just thinking about this book series makes me rage.
This is perhaps the most disappointing series I've read in a while. Such a fascinating world, and mythology, such a terrible execution, I'd say. While Lightbringer was frustrating at times, and did have a fairly disappointing end, the more I think about it the less it bothers me. In fact, I'd say I can even get behind the ending, if I'm in a certain state of mind. I think if the author continues the story in the world, it will actually be a good ending. It's just not a good OVERALL ending, at least that's my feel. But can't say the same for Demon Cycle. To me this guy simply has no idea how to develop a multibook story, no idea how to write compelling female characters, and is simply a tor7ur3 pROM fanatic.
yea he lost me when Leesha somehow was a better warder than Arlen. Showing her growth to being adept, fine, but being the best or even better than most? Not by a longshot
Just finished The Core (Book 5). I’m pretty nitpicky and I even stumbled upon a few negative reviews of the series as I was working through it. I found the whole journey thoroughly enjoyable and never even considered not finishing.
Hard brother I loved the whole series of the demon cycle
I’ve read it twice in full now and something made me think of it and I recall Brett wanted to write new books following the next generation of characters
I never gave up on it!!!! Verey good book
I chuckled a bit when I looked at the title of the video because I found your channel back in 2019 when looking for a review on The Warded Man.
Same
I loved the point of view from book too with Jardir
Book 3 was everything coming together from book 1 and book 2 I enjoyed it so much
Exactly it is a brilliant series. This guy is a Debbie Downer
This video was wild for me since it seems like if we changed the character names that you could’ve been talking about my experience with Lightbringer. Considering I felt exactly the same about that series trajectory, thanks for this PSA since I feel good about crossing this one off my tbr when I have thousands of other books and hundreds of other priority series on tap to try.
While you no doubt made a great decision not reading the Lightbringer finale, selfishly I wish you had continued so I could hear your take on it. It failed so spectacularly that it’s hard to wrap my mind around, especially when the beginning was so so strong for me.
I love everithing in the beggining,the slow phase in the beggining the mistery of the corelings, the runes, but then suddenly everybody got powerups more than Naruto on the last war, if Peter V. Brett were more focus on the Arlen/Jardir event and devolped more on the runes and develpment of the knowledge from this, was gonna be better, then on other books deepdive on all the subjects from Krasia.
Just popping in to reccomend to you, Mike, that you pick up December Park, by Ronald Malfi. I will drink my own urine if the book doesnt strike home with you. Its the slice of life coming of age story that you love! Check it out. Just finished it myself and in many ways it reminded me of IT.
Just comment to keep tab
Now I’m picking it up
Ayo
I liked book 1 and was excited for the rest of the series but I've struggled so much through the first half of book 2. After reading about Arlen and Leesha in book 1, that's what I was excited about seeing in book 2, them fighting demons and trying to figure out what was happening to Arlen because of the wards while growing closer. Instead, after a very long and slow section about Jardir, we finally get back to the main trio and we hardly get any insight into Arlen's thoughts and feelings because it switches POV's so much and it seems like his main purpose is to scowl and repeat that he is not the deliverer constantly. Leesha's goal of helping Arlen see that he's not going to create demon babies so that they can be together is forgotten quickly when she tries sleeping with another man and she acts like Arlen was holder her back and says him leaving was a weight being lifted. I don't like how their relationship was handled, book 1 added a romantic layer there that I found interesting and compelling and book 2 is like, oh you thought there was romance there, well jokes on you. Then there is my biggest issue, there is way too much SA in just the first and second books, which is extremely disturbing.
I really liked this series though by book four it was feeling a bit long. The last book was hard to get through but I was satisfied with the ending. The narrator on audible did a great job IMHO
THANK YOU fof this video. I have chosen to DNF the serie a little more than 100 pages in for exactly the same reason.
Are books 1 & 2 still worth picking up if no plan to continue beyond?
personally i would say so. personal writing flaws aside, peter V brett's worldbuilding is pretty incredible. I'd recommend you read them if you're on the fence, gives you a lot to think about
@@SinbadAkina Thanks! I have them on my shelf so will give them a shot!
@@CD287- yea, for sure dude
Iam so NO…not Sorry…I love these books😍…read it & love it !!!!
I'll be honest, I only read the first book -- I know I loved it, but similar to your experience, I was starting way too many series at one time and found it difficult to complete each one. So this one just fell thru the cracks
I just got Black Prism as a Bday gift cause I had not tried this series. Now I am feeling I should move it way down the TBR as well as hold off on any Brett series.
Black Prism is amazing book though. IDK, I feel like the problems of Lightbringer series are blown out of proportion. Especially when you read them back to back it is not that bad. And man, the first book is just crazy good.
Good to hear. It is a series I want to get too.
@Talking_Story don't get me wrong, I don't think it finishes nearly as strongly as it starts. But I don't feel it is a dnf material especially if reading back to back.
@@Rendref Awesome. I will hold off till I can set up time to do 1 a month or something like that. Thanks for the heads up.
I was certain this was going to be a favorite-of-all-time series after book 1. Unfortunately, my experience was the same as yours.
as the streaming thing becomes bigger i had to start doing that with tv series. ive started a LOT that ive just walked away from. some i just wiki the rest of the plot instead of wasting 8hrs. more often than not i do that with about anything that seems mildly worthwhile. not enough freetime in the life of an adult to mess with things that turn out to not be worth the effort
So if he wrote a new book, completely unrelated to the existing series that he has, would you read it?
Great review! just the way you did this overview had me laughing so hard. I agree with you 100% it's just so fn funny. You got to rewatch your own review. Made my day. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This feels so true.Finished lightbringer but not demon cycle. These series(lightbringer and demon cycle) feel like they were suppose to be fast paced trilogies but suffered by adding two books-worth of story threads that were either uninteresting or subversion of earlier foreshadowing.
Haha damn, I just bought this first book too! Luckily it was used. Could you read the first two and leave it or would that be too much of an unfinished story?
That’s what I wanna know lol or rather the first three
This is so weird. I adore this whole series. It's one of my all-time favorite, and I've recommended it to a ton of customers over the years and got very positive feedback from said customers.
I have women friends who love it as much as I do and we talked about this notion that there's too much sex or abuse and I we all just feel it went well with the world and the cultures within.
But like you said. Opinions will be different. Appreciate your videos, Mike!
Glad you liked it!
Unfortunately, what I've heard about the Core is that at best it's an OK climax to the series - a definite step up from book from the last book but not anywhere near book 2 or 1.
100% agree re Peter V Brett and Brent Weekes. I did finish the demon cycle but my word had I lost all investment with the story and then characters. I nearly DNf’d the final book in Lightbringer 3 times but somehow pushed my way through it.
I’d also add Licanius by James Islington to that list, as book 3 is sat on my shelf with 200 pages left to go and I can’t face finishing it off. That’s because book 2 was such a step down from book 1.
Oh wow i thought 1 was bad already😅
@@orangecardman7905 in Licanius?
@@bookreadingbilly8329 yea the Dialogs man i couldn‘t…
Yep, you are right in every aspect. Great video. 1-2. are great books. Let’s just let it be there.
Yeah, as I mentioned on X, DNF'd at book 4. One thing you mention here is that the author may have said something about "if people think this series is about Arlen, they will be disappointed." Well, then don't name book one: The Warded Man because that title would lead a reader to think that's what it's about.
It's an authors job to be clear on plot and tone promises early on so that people know what to expect. This is why. Nobody likes to feel like they were tricked and strung along.
As a bad reader i hated the last book because felt just like dropping your birthday cake. It broke my heart because this was my favorite series :(
I like Night Angel and Lightbringer. Lightbringer's ending wasn't an all time great but it wasn't bad.
Yup, loved the first two books! Excellent concept!
Did fall off after that, did finish it 'cause I wanted to know how it ended, kinda liked how Arlen's story played out in the end.
Zero interest in the sequals though......
For me the Core was still worth reading, though I largely agree on your points. But I also held the series, even the first one, more in the category of "trash I like" than "best book ever" so maybe my standards for good enough for the series were lower. Would have been better to focus on the Arlen&Ahmann bro duo.
Great t-shirt. Too sweeeeeet!!!
I liked the first book, but was very put off by the r*pe scene that happens during it. And then how the character seemed perfectly fine and went to have sex later on in the same book really rubbed me the wrong way. I decided to hold off on reading the next book in the series and glad I did, since it seems like it only got worse from there. Such a shame since the concept and writing were very good.
100% agree. I DNFd Desert Spear, but clearly Brett's problems portraying sexual trauma were foreshadowed in book 1. 😢 Sad to hear it didn't get better in book 3.
This topic is handled much better in the 3rd book with Renna
The story is great. But many male writers have trouble creating compelling female characters.
Favorite book of all time
For me atleast
8:00 I'm a dystopian scifi author and my books are female focused. I too am sick of this virgin garbage and SA. My books are very graohic and dont throw any punches when it comes to females and how males treat them. That being said, sex is fun, its cool, its reproductive, but never is something as harmful as SA should be treated like the way it is in thei series of novels I just can't.
Already at 101k subs!!!
I got super into these books and then more and more things started to show up that either pissed me off or grossed me out for example that completely unnecessary lesbian relationship between Selina and Lesa that was so gross and so disturbing I had to put the book down for like a week yes there is a forced lesbian sexual relationship between a old woman and a berely legal young woman. Then you have book 6 the desert prince were literally the first two pages I wanted to hurl the book across the room I had to force myself to get through it and it was horrible. WTF happened peter puts so much unnecessary weird shit for no reason sometimes with no set up or explanation.
I read all five book of The Demon Cycle, and like some people, my interest waned as the series progressed. Book 1 is my favorite. I also read the novellas. The main reason for my issue with the books are the Krasians. They were interesting at first . . . I initially like Jardir. They soon wore out their welcome with me, and every time they came up in the books, I cringed. I pretty much forced myself to complete the series so a buddy and I could discuss it while at work. I would read the first book again, but I have no interest in the new series in that world.
I gave up on this series as well. I loved the first book and the next two I read I started to fall off, I don’t think I even finished the third tbh.
Ha! I'm exactly the same - I never read the core, and I can't force myself to to read it altough I'm starting to want to re-read the first books and the short stories again - because I really liked the story, the setting and the main character of Arlen. I didn't like Jardir, but his point of view was interesting, and the story or his people and culture were great, but since part 3, I really didn't care for the series as much, and finally I got fed up at the part 4 - there were characters I really din't care about, the others I liked got "dismissed" and the story went really into weird topics I wasn't comfortable with, or just plain stupid - to the point reading about some people became frustrating and sad.... I just couldn't force myself to keep reading, but I will probably go back to the first 2 books just for nostalgia - and from what I hear of the new books, it really goes in a weird direction to the point of being a commentary on present times, if you know what I mean, instead of a fantasy novel and I don't care for that at all.... this series could've used what the Highlander movie could've used - a nice prequel - getting back to the first war with the demons... I don't care for the next generation of characters I stopped caring for in the original series.
I finished the series and enjoyed it. I was looking forward for the new series but heard that it's very YA (in the bad way). I might give it a try after all books are released.
Wait. This series is still going on??? I read the 3 books. The Warded Man was solid, The Desert Spear was incredible imo, and The Daylight War was freaking awful. Had no idea it kept going.
Haha, having dropped off from reading Brett and Weeks too, I feel validated!
Appreciate the shout out - I remember experiencing the same with the first book being great, and slowly losing interest towards the end of book 3. Never have made it to book 4, and I think that’s when you and I talked about me dropping me it due to each progressive book getting worse.
Your opening is so cool.
100% agree!
I loved the first book, was ok with the second and dnf'd the third for the exact same reasons you mentioned here.
Boooo you! The whole demon cycle series was amazing
I’m in absolute agreement and I remember getting to book 3 and just going “yeah nah bro”
Erotica is cool and all but I liked it when the tattooed guy was beating up demons and stuff
I don’t think I even finished book 3 - I vaguely remember some maze in the desert?
Absolutely agree. Loved the first book absolutely hated the rest, gave up part-way through the third.
I finished the entire series, enjoyed parts of it (Arlen) a lot and other parts not so much but its something despite 5 years distance I have never gone back to and infact I have made space on my shelves by getting rid of the volumes I have. Not sure why but I have a very mid opinion of it after reading maybe the growing cast was the problem
I just feel like the patience and trust that the author earned from me in book 1, as well as my investment in Arlyns story, were taken advantage of. Besides book 1, every book left me feeling more disappointed and frustrated than the last. So sure, the author got me to buy his books-- masterfully stringing my good faith along as he nibbled at it slowly. But theirs a difference between how you manage to get people to turn the page. If you know what I mean.
My book 1 is called The Painted Man. Must be the UK version.
Indeed. I have both.
Having finished both series, I do have to admit that I wouldn't recommend either. I agree with your take, it just wasn't enough for me to stop reading when there was only a book or two left. For me, Lightbringer fell off hard after 2 but I did think 5 was better than 4. Which is... something?
SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE THE SKULL THRONE, THE CORE DOESN'T GET BETTER.
Like you, I read through book 4, and though I tried to read book 5, I DNFed within the first chapter or so.
this is a great analysis
Thanks for watching!
I really enjoyed the series as an audiobook, but the narrator for that series really brings it to life. His new series has different narrators and is from the perspective of olive and Darin which isn’t as engaging for me
The back half of this series confused me with it's direction. I was thankfully doing audiobooks for it and could ratchet it up to 2x or higher and blast through books 3, 4, and 5. I actually thought The Core was solid, because it was lots of Arlen and Jardir, but it was much too little much too late. I have a theory that this series would have been outstanding if it was condensed to a trilogy and all the unneeded stuff was just done away with, but that possibly Mr. Brett or his agent thought a trilogy wasn't enough space to expand the world/lore/etc. or that it would get lumped in with "all the other trilogies" out there. I'm not really sure what happened past book 2, but it hurts my heart a little, because book 1 was such a banger.
I DNF'd on book 3. Like you, I loved book 1. I liked book 2. For book 3, I just found myself not wanting to pick it up, time and time again. I finally realized I wasn't reading at all because of it. I don't read multiple books at a time, so after a couple of weeks of avoiding it I ended the misery for both of us. Skimming through reviews I realized it went downhill from there. It made me sad, too, as I had bought the entire series on the strength of the first book and, well, I was too hasty.
No worse feeling than getting halfway through a series before realizing that you've been strung along
I Read the entire Demon Cycle series. I enjoyed the first four books. After the explosive conclusion to the fourth book. the momentum didn't carry forward into the final book. Maybe I'm not a discerning reader but I enjoyed the Light Bringer series too.
I'm with you, I enjoyed both series
Not quite sure why sex is a breaking point…
You've summed up my thoughts exactly here. A trilogy, more or less missing out books 3 and 4 would have been perfect. Book one, interesting, Arlen's Neo arc. Book two, another perspective; this is different. Book three, meh. Book four, what is this, GoT lite? Book five is inevitably more satisfying, providing an end, returning to the original characters for the most part but also hampered, having to wrap up the threads we didn't care about. I wouldn't say I'm done with PVB because he did show a lot of promise even if he lost his way on his commitment to writing five books.
I don't think I could have made it through book 5 ha ha
Thank you for your review, you have just saved me thousands of pages of reading, I have read the first book and am most of the way through the second but have become increasingly uncomfortable with the level of sexual violence, I think I'm going to leave the series here.
9:40 he basically did… back-burner the boys: create The Slog
I finished the series twice (in french and in english) and I agree mostly with you. Books 1 & 2 were amazing in my opinion. Book 3 & 5 are not that good overall. Book 3's pacing was horrible. I kinda liked the war in book 4. But books 3 & 4 had both good endings but too much secondary characters POVs and a lot of filler pages (and too much erotica). Arlen is hardly present in book 4. Who cares about Ashia, seriously? Liked Abban a lot but not his story after book 3.
I think you'd like the Great Bazaar and Brayan's Gold short stories. They are set during the events of book 1. Anyways, love your content Mike, all love from Québec
100% agree. Book 1 was soooo great. I was sold!!! Book 2 was ok, but after that... noooooo. I read all of them, and it was a huge waste of time. 😭
Great review! I completely agree with your analysis of this series. First two books are really good, but the last 3 focused way too much on side characters. The last 3 books could have been condensed to 1. It could have been a really good trilogy.
I half-heartedly finished it, but you made the right call stopping. Book 5 is on par with 3 and 4. I’m too much of a completionist. I need to get better at stopping book series when they become just okay.
Love the New World Order shirt!!! Another great video as always!
When Mike puts on NWO shirt, you know something is about to hit the fan lol
I also didn't finish Lightbringer, lol. And I know a lot of people love the Wheel of Time series but I tried to read it twice and couldnt do it. Got to book 7 and just lost interest.
Funny how much i agree with what he said in the video about book 1, 2, 3 and 4 But even tho i agree with all of that the series didn't lose me at all. I really disliked the relationship between renna and alen and yes it was terrible and forced, but the universe is so amazing and there is so much more to the books than just the relation between the people. Book 5 and especially book 6 really turned things around for me and iam soooo happy i finished the series.
I stopped after book 3. I loved book 1 - apart from the Leesha bit, can this trope stop please? I trundled through book 2 feeling somewhat let down, and I forced myself to read book 3 - I'd got a nice personalised signed hardback version of it 😢. It went so downhill, and just went really cringe. Arlen and Renna's relationship and the way they talked to each other made me wanna be sick. Leesha became tedious. And Rodger and his dancing women just made me laugh, the image I had in my head was ridiculous. Also, can I get a 'diaphanous silks' for the people at the back?
Probably one of my top 'first' books in a series ever. My biggest issue with the series was how much content he recycled. He had absolutely no respect for my time as a reader. I don't need to read the same chapter through four different PoVs. I don't need half a book delving into the 'history' of an event that I know the end result of while also giving no new information or insights. I didn't like how cartoony the villain's and characters became. I don't need an event 'examined' from the past to justify something that happened, or to redeem a character in a dues ex machina style.
"This is where the series got super horny."
Right? I loved the first two books and am currently reading The Daylight War. I was just complaining to my wife about this today. I'm no prude, but it doesn't add anything to the story at all.
Wow, I'm gonna read the series again, because I LOVED it 😂 gonna read now that I finished Wheel of Time and Stormlight Archive
How did you even survive 8 books of Malazan if PoV changess bothers you that much? lol
Very similar to how I reacted to the Anita Blake series, great start and turned into erotica.
i was very young when i was reading the series and it lost me at book 3. i was completely lost at 3 didn't understood what the book was doing and to this day haven't gone back.
You made the correct decision.
I read the first book and hated it. Nothing you said surprised me about the subsequent books in the series
I forced my way to the end of the series. Yeah no the last one is even worse than the one before. It's so sad, the first two books were one of my favorites books ever and then everything was just starting to fall apart.
It fell off faster than The Walking Dead ha ha
Honestly as some one who finished the Demon Cycle and loved it yah, book 4 is a killer. Imagine the Wheel of Time slog condensed into one book. Now for me book 1 with that one scene made me hesitant to read the rest of the series, but then book 2 brought me back into it. I can understand not enjoying book 3 because I HATED Ineverah but by Brett exploring her backstory I came to understand her more and why she is the way she is. Not that I agree with her, but I can understand her.
If Brett truely did say the series is not about Arlen hes right, its about the evolution of cultures, worlds colliding and melding in order to fight a common enemy. You see a culture that is really fucked up suddenly realize they've been doing things wrong and by the end of it they change.
Arlen is just the catalyst for this cultural fusion to happen.
Now I will agree the sex stuff is way too much at times. And the SA in the series is the main reason I struggle to reccommend it to people. But if you look past all the flaws its a very good series
Damn, I liked the Warded Man but if the rest of the books are not about Arlen and the main cast then I am out.
The Core was not good at all. I dont even really remember what happens in Skull Throne but I remember The Core was just not good at all
He focused so hard on new characters that the book lost what made the books great, Arlen, Leesha and Rojer. The franchise never reached the heights of the first book.
Can relate, loved the first couple of books but completely lost interest early in book four.
100% on point with this series. Tanked pretty bad.
I loved the demon cycle series so I'm surprised to find myself agreeing with basically everything you said here. Lol. I guess, for me at least, I ended up being invested in the new characters, even if I didn't like them at first.
He did Leesha so dirty. She was such a strong character and had so much potential and she was made so pathetic and male-obsessed. Renna was the worst character I've ever encountered. ARLEN BALES I LOVE YOU ARLEN BALES
🤮🤮🤮
The horror-elements of the 1st book were so amazing and I wish he kept more of that flavour as the series continued but as Arlen powered up it really waned. I agree it's one of the best first books ever. I gave up after Daylight War when the cliffhanger couldn't make me care.
God the love you Renna Bales love you Arlen Bales thing made me gag.
Just finished 4 and 5
Books 1 to 3 where not that had. They where alright, what had me going was the whole deliverer battle, that was really good. 4 and 5, I don't know what the hell that was... The book left me so angry. So much potential, but both deliverers became side characters. Book 5 THE CORE, reckon there where only 5-6 chapters that had me nail biting in the core. 100 pages to go and we are focusing on leesha freaking paper... It gets so corny, so ugh... I hate leesha paper at the end of the book. Anyways
I’m still angry over what Brett did to Leesha in book 3, in book 1 she was legit my favourite character, in 3 however she just became a complete bitch and I really didn’t care if she died or not by the end of it
Right?! Character assassination the opposite way of Arlen.
The Demon Cycle series definitely dipped a bit and became a wild ride in the last few books but it was trashy fun and was ridiculous but I still enjoyed it
the book kind'a rounds up in the end tho... but still a five part trilogy
I stopped after book one due the depiction of sex and at a time I actually enjoyed reading erotic fantasy and unhealthy romances. I was sad because I loved the magic and characters...
Fair. But Peter V. Brett learned... A lot less sexabuse in the next cycle. But don't forget the warded man was the best story in a very long fantasywait. To me its still worth reading all of the books, because we need to wotness Arlen and all of what happens.
I absolutely loved the first two books, so much so that the way the series moved didn't bother me as much as you did. I've re-read the series once, and skipped certain POV characters, and it flowed much better. I would argue that one of the biggest mood killer for me is book 3 with the flashback chapters. But anything involving with the desert people kind of tappered off in book 3/4
Leesha in book 2 was awful. She was my absolute favorite character in book 1.
I liked the series although it did get worse as it went on. I struggled a bit with Core. I wouldn't DNF this as i still liked it.
I struggle to DNF at all, my mind needs to know how things end. Even if I don't like it.
The First book i gave a 7,5, but i couldnt Finish the second. I actully really like the night angel trillogy. Okay the relationship is cringe, but the rest is realy good
Only series I've ever bailed on out of sheer disgust. The sexual assault stuff was just abhorrent
Loved book 1, but afterwards it felt like a complete different series and it completely went downhill sadly.
Your intro spoke to me. I loved The Warded Man with my whole heart. I literally read it twice, back-to-back. Book 2 was a big letdown for me because I couldn't stand the Krasians and Jadir. I only finished reading it in case Book 3 sounded better. Unfortunately, everything I heard about book 3 made me realize I was done with the series. I can't think of a book series that disappointed me more. 😢
Arland was pretty much the only interesting character to me. I absolutely hated how he wrote women and what was her name? Leala? The female MC. She was the absolute worst. It’s like he wrote about humans that didn’t know how to human. I’ve never been so disappointed in a book series in my life because the first book was so good. At least the parts centred about Arland. They could throw that whole woman (Lela?) out for all I care.
Just thinking about this book series makes me rage.
😂 I totally get it
I really enjoyed the first series of books but this new series i just can't enjoy no matter how much i want to
It happens
This is perhaps the most disappointing series I've read in a while. Such a fascinating world, and mythology, such a terrible execution, I'd say. While Lightbringer was frustrating at times, and did have a fairly disappointing end, the more I think about it the less it bothers me. In fact, I'd say I can even get behind the ending, if I'm in a certain state of mind. I think if the author continues the story in the world, it will actually be a good ending. It's just not a good OVERALL ending, at least that's my feel. But can't say the same for Demon Cycle. To me this guy simply has no idea how to develop a multibook story, no idea how to write compelling female characters, and is simply a tor7ur3 pROM fanatic.
yea he lost me when Leesha somehow was a better warder than Arlen. Showing her growth to being adept, fine, but being the best or even better than most? Not by a longshot
She's the best at EVERYTHING. I was waiting for him to say no one was as good at breathing as Leesha.
Thx for the tip will skip these