What brought fantasy to its current popularity? I think the great milestones: 1977 Star Wars 1997 Harry potter 2001 LotR movies 2011 HBO Game of Thrones.
The Sword of Truth was my first fantasy series, introducing me to an entire new reading experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no idea there was any controversy while reading it. I was obsessed. Give it a shot. You just might be surprised.
SoT was my first adult fantasy series too. At the time I loved it, and Richard was my favorite character. I think the controversy is Mostly because Terry goodkind is such an arrogant meme lol, and he kinda 'stole' a bunch of tropes. I'd have to reread it as an adult to make up my mind
Feist has sold more than 20 million copies of his Riftwar Cycle, which he recently concluded after thirty volumes. Great series also, well worth reading if you enjoy fantasy.
The hatred towards The Sword of Truth series is aimed more at Goodkind than at the books themselves, I feel. The first four or so books were quite good. Interesting story line and he doesn't shy away from having truly horrible things happen to his characters. I feel that he's quite good at writing characters that you can really care about. Sadly in the latter half of the series his personal political views gets liberately sprinkled throughout the story. Where he has certain characters spout his toxic nonsense in a huge monologue for page after page. And this happens several times throughout the series. So all in all, you'll be fine reading the first couple of books and will most likely enjoy them.
I read the first 3 before even knowing the hate it got and I really enjoyed them...never got to reading the rest but if I get enough time I might just give it another go
Fully agree with everything said here, including the other reply - I enjoyed the first few books, had no idea about the controversy until I had already dropped the series on my own. Well said!
I'll another who enjoyed the early entries, for their quirkiness/absurdness, then abandoned the series for reasons you mention, and have no desire to resume it.
Interview with the Vampire is a stunning stand alone book. Please read it. I read a couple more of the books and they’re ok, but none come close to the first one, in my opinion, and you don’t need to read more to enjoy Interview.
I used to adore the Sword of Truth series, though it's so many years since I read it (at least a decade) that I don't know if would still love it. At the time it was coming out though I would read the early books over and over again. I understand the criticisms and agree with some of them but it was very gripping and has very memorable characters. That said, the series went drastically down in enjoyability as it went on, and when the sequel series came out I gave up on it.
I’m surprised that the Shannara series by Terry Brooks isn’t on here. There are over 30 books in that series, and most were NY Times bestsellers. While he isn’t popular on booktube due to recency bias, I would say most fantasy fans over 35 have at least read the original Shannara trilogy. I’d have thought it easily would have made the top 10.
@@314159vedic I know. It has never been marketed or officially categorized as YA. However, it is definitely not R-rated either, which leads me to speculate that whoever made the list that this video is based on may have omitted it due to it perhaps not being "adult" enough. I am not weighing on on whether or not that is accurate, just offering a possible reason as to why a 37 million copy-selling series was conspicuously not on a list of top-selling series that starts at 10 million sold.
I feel like Dragonlance or the Malazan books would have been somewhere on this list. I'd be curious to see where they land. My youngest son is named Raistlin. The love for that series runs deep in this house lol
I believe Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire now have over 100 million books sold in each series. The order is correct, but the numbers need updating.
Sword of Truth, I’ve read it alas least twice and really enjoyed them. And Yes the criticisms of him and his work are valid. It still doesn’t stop the books from being tasty like fast food...
I adored Sword of Truth! I think the books have some wacky and wonky elements to them but I wouldn’t call any of them bad until book seven or eight. I think he was great character writer. Especially Nicci comes to mind.
Great video very enjoyable, but I am not sure about the exclusion of Le Guin's work, whilst I know Earthsea was developed initially as YA I would argue it went way beyond this origin and Le Guin is a more sophisticated writer than some of the others that are on the list. That said, I don't know if its sales would make the list anyway!
Hello Johan. It's nice to hear The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice has sold over 80 million copies. I highly recommend the first 3 novels, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned. Queen... is the most awesome of all, a wildly ambitious tale about the origins of vampirism itself in a blood-soaked history spanning 6,000 years, filled with unforgettable characters. Happy reading.
Raymond E. Feist has sold 15 million plus books. Given that most of the books he's written (but not all) are part of the Riftwar Cycle, he probably has sold over 10 million in that series alone. Not sure where this channel got its numbers though, so maybe they have a better idea.
An interesting video! I have read at least some of the books in all of these series except for two (Outlander and Interview with a Vampire). You asked about Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. I tried it before I ever heard about any "controversy" in regard to Goodkind or his writing. I read 2 and 1/2 of the books before giving up. I enjoyed some of the first book and did not like much about the second. I tried the third hoping it would be more like the first, but it was worse. Repetitive, derivative, bloated, and full of cringe-inducing sado-masochistic sexy times. At least that's how I experienced it.
I agree with Philip. I read the first book in the late 90s when I started teaching 3rd grade. We did SSR every day after lunch. (Silent Sustained Reading, or as the students said “shut up, sit down and read”) I wanted to model reading a chapter book for them, to prove they could finish one. After reading something near their level they decided it wasn’t a true representation given how fast I could read. I only read these particular books during SSR, no home reading. So I selected Wizard’s First Rule. It wasn’t terrible, but it was very derivative, especially of LOTR. My opinion was, meh. Knowing there were more the kids decided I should read the second one. Within the first 3 chapters I couldn’t read any more. It felt like a tired rehash of the first book. This sparked a discussion of why and when you DNF a book. Seeing me read them were great lessons for my students. Many years later I learned of the controversy around Goodkind, but I had long before decided I wasn’t going to read anything else by him. I’d rarely tell someone not to read a book. Almost all books will appeal to some people, but I would never recommend these books.
Well, some of these are no surprise, and it truly is no surprise that Tolkien tops the list. I'm delighted that Terry Pratchett made the list as well. However, a few of my favourite fantasy series are not here ...Jack Vance's magnificent Lyonnesse Trilogy, and all the trilogies by Joe Abercrombie, for starters. I wonder if some of these made the 'best' list because they've been dramatised, either as a TV series or as movies? I think some of these got a boost and much wider audience ...Game of Thrones, Outlander ...by having been turned into a TV series. It would be interesting to compare the book sales BEFORE the series was aired, and afterwards.
Would be interesting to see how many copies of each series were sold within the first 10 years of their release. I know some have an advantage of just being on the shelves longer and others have the advantage of adaptations bringing in more fans, but still
Good point, and possibly relevant with relation to LOTR, but I can tell you as someone who has worked in the publishing field, very few books maintain any kind of relevant sales after the first couple of years. Sure, some books become classics and continue to sell year after year, but there are many very good books that go out of print after their initial printing. There are so few books that continue to sell year after year and decade after decade, that it's hard to even quantify what special qualities they might possess. As a fantasy book, LOTR is unique in how long it has endured and how many new editions have been printed. Does this give it some kind of unfair advantage in an all-time best-selling list like this? Sure it does. But maybe your favorite series will achieve that same distinction someday. More than likely, it will not.
@wolfetom10 I completely agree! All I'm getting at is acknowledging how many copies these top 10 series have sold and am wondering how well they did initially. Since they did so well, they're all still being bought, but I'm wondering how well that initial first few years were
Great video! I’m slightly surprised Stormlight Archives hasn’t broken the top 10 yet, soooo good. But hard to argue against any of the 10 on there! Go buy it everyone!
ASOIAF is the reason why I don't read series that are not completed and over 5 books. My reading time is limited and there are so many choices that I want to pursue.
WoT and ASOIAF are the two series that made me a person who will only read trilogies and then only if they are finished. I have both of those series in the original hard cover.
I totally agree. The very least that needs to happen is the author needs to finish the series ...or be the kind of author (like Joe Abercrombie) whom you KNOW will finish the series. Who wants to be left dangling because the author has either lost interest or lost control? I know I don't.
@@jannertfol I agree. I like Michael J Sullivan's method. He writes all the novels at once then releases them over time. Still if a series isn't finished there are so many out there that I want to read that are finished. My TBR has over 20 completed trilogies on it that I want to get to... I'll be just fine.
Because of this video, I am reminded of 3 series that I didn't finish since I was reading them as they got published. Will need to start them over. Thanks for the reminder 😊
@@libraryofaviking One was the Dark Tower and I agree it was great! The college books took priority. Sigh. Thank you for making my winter reading list a nostalgic yet new one all at the same time 😊
I’m on the last book of the sword and truth series and I really enjoy it. The writing is good. Characters are good. Don’t let other people dictate if you try a series out. Or anything for that matter. Make a judgment for yourself.
I kinda liked Sword of Truth books when I read them as a kid. Now that I’ve read hundreds of other fantasy books I see that they’re very similar to other books and pretty mediocre in characters, writing style, and plot. I had two big issues with the books that might drive you crazy: the endings are all out of nowhere deus ex machina that don’t feel earned and almost every book has a surprise gratuitous sex scene (I’ve heard you talk about how you’re not a big fan of those). I like when characters have chemistry and romance but if there are love scenes I prefer the fade to black stuff, especially because I mostly listen to audiobooks and an old guy narrating those is soooo awkward. I would love to hear your reviews of the books though. Just be prepared for like 2 chapters in every book you’re gonna wanna skip. 😅
His prose is good, and for a while I was hooked ...but I got SO fed up with Kvothe! He is such a Mary Sue character! Nothing is ever too hard for him. He's beautiful, smart, talented, instantly masters every skill he needs, learns languages at the drop of a hat, everybody falls for him-except his enemies, of course. The first book was pretty bizarre in this regard, but by the time he was saving the entire universe AND bedding the fairy queen on his summer vacation from school in book two, I had to quit. I will not be reading the final book if Rothfuss ever gets around to finishing it. It's a pity, because Rothfuss is talented at worldbuilding. But his characters definitely need work, if they are going to be the least bit believable. Something has to challenge them besides their own talent and enterprise.
I'm guessing that recency bias is why some of these books are not talked about on booktube (most popular booktubers are 25-35). Wheel of Time & A Song of Ice & Fire sales likely SHOT up when their tv shows started. I hope the Dark Tower series gets picked up by HBO or AMC or even Showtime. It seems that Amazon is not interested in "explicit" fantasy series (i.e. Lord of the Rings & Wheel of Time)
Surprised there's no David Gemmell on this list, perhaps because there was no real series but lots of stand-alone books, a real master of fantasy though.
He had a few small series and all the drenai stuff legen, Wayland and all that add up to a decent sized series but he was never as popular as the more Tolkeinesq or tolkein inspired.
I’ve read at least some of all but 2 these series, finished several. Like you still waiting to see if Kingkiller Chronicles finishes. I’m thrilled to say I finally finished The Wheel of Time a few weeks ago. I started it in the mid-nineties. Had a few times I went back and reread stuff after a hiatus. I even used the first few books for reading groups when I taught 5th grade in the early 2000s along with LOTR. I spent the last 5 years listening to it on audiobook. Kate Reading and Michael Kramer do a fantastic job. Eventually I would like to try listening to Rosamund Pike read I think the first 2 so far as well. Definitely near the top of my all time favorite series. Was elated to have finished, but sad as well. Had to go dig out my “Post Book Depression” shirt from Daniel Greene. Hard to believe I won’t have any more new adventures with the Emond’s Field 5 and all the others. Reread and/or relisten is definitely in my future.
Just a side note, Don Quixote has sold an estimated 500 million copies. Of course, publishing your novel in 1605 gave Cervantes a head start! Is it fantasy? Hm....well...? Not easy to answer, really. Anyway, love the channel, keep it up!
@@EmyN Technically it was. The first part was published in 1605. The second part was published in 1615--it's a true sequel. Most available versions just put them both together.
Do you know if numbers like “90 million copies” is the total number of books sold? Because I would be interested to know if like, Wheel of Time 1 has like 50 million copies and the rest of the 14+ books had 40 million combined or something
I saw somewhere recently that both WoT & ASOIAF are now both over 100 million copies sold. Most are still showing them at 90 million but all those are older lists.
I don’t think LOTR is underrated - I think they’re pretty universally acknowledged as both great classics and best fantasy series of all time. Tolkien is very highly regarded in the literary world.
I read the book "The Name of the Wind", the book has been translated into Bengali in Bangladesh. I have read about 130 pages. I like reading the book very much. So I decided to read my page and give a review on it, inshallah.
Missing feist in the list i think. Personally i enjoyed goodkinds books. I read for the story not the person behind it, as i cant really judge if i dont know the person in real life. I started with dark tower, and after finishing i went on to the sword of truth. Give it a shot 😄
The name of the wind is one of the best books i have ever read, wise mans fear was very good but not as good as the first book. Such a shame the third book never appeared. Have never read diana gabaldon, but like historical fiction as well as fantasy so will have to try her.
You will enjoy Gabaldon - either the Outlander series or her Lord John books - if you like fantasy, military history, late 18th century history in Europe and the USA, and don't mind some realistic romance (not overly sweet BS) thrown in.
Regarding Terry Goodkind, I only heard about any controversy after I stopped reading the series. I haven't read enough different fantasy authors to be able to discern what he supposedly "stole" and in reality, even if I did know I wouldn't be concerned as long as it was well written. I mean, what is it about fantasy that would require the elements and storylines to have to be unique? Does that apply to detective novels or romance as well? Anyway, I found the first books to be really good (don't remember how many), then I felt that he got sort of tangled up in trying to explain/reason about the same "important concept" (which I won't divulge here) over and over again, so I grew tired of it eventually.
I think apart from its literary quality, another reason Lord of the Rings have sold such massive number of copies is that it's a really old series. Published some 50-60 years before the other series in the list came to see the light of the day. So it has got half a century worth headstart on the other competitions. But yup, still a great series. One series to rule them all 🤓
The Sword of Truth started out much better than it ended (perhaps why only the first book has a film adaptation). It got very, very dark, with a rather perverse and brutal turn into torture. Too bad because the magic system was intriguing, but the stomach churning ick factor makes me recommend against reading it.
Outlander is my favorite fantasy series and I think you (and maybe your wife) would enjoy it. The historical fiction is well-researched and she acknowledges in the notes at the end when she takes artistic liberties with historical fact. I learn things from her books and she is excellent at character-building and creates a really immersive world. Especially if you read her Lord John series as well. I consider her the GRRM of historical fantasy (they live close by and are friends) - except I am near certain that Diana Gabaldon will complete the Outlander series. Keeping my fingers crossed for the ASOIAF series. Only warning is people won't like her books if they are uncomfortable with frank, realistic (but not obscene) descriptions of sex (including homosexuality in the LG books) and depictions of the aftermath of sexual assault. She is working on what was planned to be the final book now. Read the first book in the Outlander series or start with the first Lord John book. If you enjoy either you will probably love the entire series.
Not the biggest fan of the show. It just felt like smut, and this is coming from a history buff. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the books were better
I like smut because sexuality is part of life. But the books are far more nuanced because the smut is all what you make it in your head. Gabaldon is comfortable with kink though so people who aren't probably won't like her books.@@MsFiercePierce
My husband also dislikes it. His answer was “a little whimsy goes a long way.” He also dislikes Douglas Adams, and I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying Adams’ works. I’m like WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! 😂
Idk much about Terry but Douglas Adams is a legend. His humour is quirky and awkwardly humourous. He literally writes an entire build up just for one joke and it lands well enough excellently. @@georginatoland
Well I read The Sword of Truth recently and I don't get the hate. I like the role of magic in this world...all present but nowhere overwhelming, the different aspects of magic as well like that there are counterparts of it. The story itself is OK, but of course not anywhere near to LOTR. But its still enjoyable imo and I had a great time reading it.
It hurts me to see the mistborn series on the top instead of the stormlight archive (i love mistborn, it just that SA is bigger than MI and Brandon himselft said that he wants to be remember for SA)
As amazing as Anne Rice’s Vampire series is - and they were VERY popular in the 80s-90s when I was in college - her best series is the Mayfair Witches. The Outlander series was extremely popular in their day, but unless you love romance, I would say skip them. Nothing in this world would make me read Robert Jordan, but that is because I am very picky about epic fantasy. I got burned out during the whole Chronicles of the Unbeliever era by Donaldson, and I am bored by anything by Tolkien. (I have high hopes for Robin Hobb tho. She’s on my TBR for 2024.) I’m embarrassed to say that I never got into the Game of Thrones books when they were first published. But here in the burning ashes of the TV show, I’ve reevaluated them. They are quite good.
I LOVE the Mayfair Witches. I'm currently doing a re-read of the first book of that series. George R. R. Martin is the only author that has made me chuck a book across a room.
@@314159vedic I confess that I was given the first book in GoT in hardback when it was first published. I didn’t warm up to it at all and so I gave it away. I imagine that copy would be worth big bucks today. 😞
Loved this list- thank you so much! A few surprises I think🤔 So glad to see the dark tower in this! I read it at least 8 years ago & now I seriously have to re read it asap. And Sword of truth- don’t you think it’s slightly humorous considering the plagiarism Goodkind is accused of !? 😂 ‘truth’!? In all seriousness though, plagiarism is beyond terrible. Have seen a review that totally blasted the book and how much he copied, and apparently wasn’t brilliantly written . I had no idea of all the controversy surrounding the book prior to watching the review . I’ve not read it. Anyway, thank you so much! Really enjoyed this & Perhaps I will try read more from the list soon now
This isn't accurate. Terry Brooks Shannara series has sold 37 million copies, and like Anne Rice's books which you included here, it's all different eras that work as one giant whole.
@@314159vedic he was one of mine too, I love his books, I still read them today, twenty years after I first started. He's got a charm that outweighs his weaknesses, in my opinion
I won't intentionally start reading a series that isn't finished. I've had too many authors not finish their series that I now won't even begin a series until it's finished. I've been tricked a few times, sort of, where a book was a one-off and got a sequal, or seemed like a one-off and turned out to be part of a series, but I will not intentionally start a series that isn't finished. I also think that a video game will ruin Mistborn, and while I used to want a TV or Movie adaptation of Mistborn, I now think it is better if they don't.
Haters are going to hate. I have read all of these top 10 series and many more fantasy books; and The Sword of Truth series is a good one like all the rest. Terry Goodkind took inspiration from Professor Tolkien just like all the rest of these authors.
Seems like you forgot some of the best selling ones.. Harry Potter: 600 millions copies total (when adding all the books in the serie), 120 millions for the first book alone. Also The Little Prince 200 millions copies
You made a major mistake here (and I love Tolkien, so seeing him as your number one, though incorrect, was appreciated - in addition, the Lord of the Rings is one book [published in three volumes], and is not a series). However: J.K. Rowling's most popular Harry Potter series sold over 500 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling fantasy book series of all time.
I DNF’d Wizards First Rule (the 1st Sword of Truth book). Years later I decided to give it another try and DNF’d it again. I think it’s really terrible in almost every way, probably the worst adult fantasy book I’ve ever read. It’s unoriginal, very poorly written, and some parts are just ridiculously dumb that it’s actually unintentionally comical. And when I read it I wasn’t even aware at the time what a bad guy Terry was, so that didn’t influence my opinion.
4:50 - Everyrhing in its proper context…Goodkind was one of the hottest writers in the 2000s. We loved him. Many people and many of friends read him and loved him. I just think he has aged poorly with the last generation.
I wonder if buying a book always equals reading it. I got Lord Of The Rings a long time ago and I had a really hard time with it. English is not my native language but that is usually no problem at all. But this one … I had no access to the internet then, only a small dictionary and often I could not even find Tolkiens words in there. The first one of Anne Rice‘s vampire books is memorable but each one after that gets worse. Same with Laurell K. Hamilton‘s Anita Blake, those books degenerate into sad porn at some point. Barbara Hambly should have stopped after the second book of the Asher Series. (As a rule of thumb I would conclude, no more than 3 books with the same vampires.) Anyway, the larger the series the less likely it seems that all the books in one are really really good. And I suspect, especially with the longer books, that quite a few of them are just collecting dust in some shelf after they are bought.
What about Harry Potter which sold 600+ million copies? Isn't it considered a "fantasy series" according to your likings? It is easily the #1 fantasy series in terms of "the best selling" books. Don't try to snub it.
I read wizards first rule was awesome but I think everyone hates it because they’re left leaning so they’re not the sharpest tool in the shed… but the only problem I had with the book was being long but the wizard zedd I loved & intelligent commentary.
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I‘m going to call LOTR the Daddy of Fantasy from now on 😂😂
What I don´t understand is why you didn´t call it that way before watching this video. I mean, it has always been THE daddy.
What brought fantasy to its current popularity?
I think the great milestones:
1977 Star Wars
1997 Harry potter
2001 LotR movies
2011 HBO Game of Thrones.
The Sword of Truth was my first fantasy series, introducing me to an entire new reading experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no idea there was any controversy while reading it. I was obsessed. Give it a shot. You just might be surprised.
SoT was my first adult fantasy series too. At the time I loved it, and Richard was my favorite character. I think the controversy is Mostly because Terry goodkind is such an arrogant meme lol, and he kinda 'stole' a bunch of tropes. I'd have to reread it as an adult to make up my mind
Kahlan Amnell is my favorite character. I loved this series. I even liked the shitty tv series 😂
Feist has sold more than 20 million copies of his Riftwar Cycle, which he recently concluded after thirty volumes. Great series also, well worth reading if you enjoy fantasy.
So glad Anne Rice made it on this list!! She’s my favorite author!
Really surprised not to see the Drizzit Series on here. Has sold over 35 million copies and is an amazing story.
The hatred towards The Sword of Truth series is aimed more at Goodkind than at the books themselves, I feel. The first four or so books were quite good. Interesting story line and he doesn't shy away from having truly horrible things happen to his characters. I feel that he's quite good at writing characters that you can really care about. Sadly in the latter half of the series his personal political views gets liberately sprinkled throughout the story. Where he has certain characters spout his toxic nonsense in a huge monologue for page after page. And this happens several times throughout the series. So all in all, you'll be fine reading the first couple of books and will most likely enjoy them.
I read the first 3 before even knowing the hate it got and I really enjoyed them...never got to reading the rest but if I get enough time I might just give it another go
Fully agree with everything said here, including the other reply - I enjoyed the first few books, had no idea about the controversy until I had already dropped the series on my own. Well said!
I'll another who enjoyed the early entries, for their quirkiness/absurdness, then abandoned the series for reasons you mention, and have no desire to resume it.
Yep, I agree 100%
Hope one day Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings makes this list!
Crazy to think Harry Potter has sold close to all these series combined!
when you said Twilight , I almost spit out my drink. Well done.
😂😂
The Mistborn adaptation was so close. Sanderson said that he saw people in Mistcloaks reading lines, but stuff happened and it's all dead now.
That's because they've been making horrible fantasy adaptations and interpret that to mean audiences don't want it
It's very sad 😭
Have patience, they’re looking for a studio partner that adapts the whole cosmere for years to come.
Interview with the Vampire is a stunning stand alone book. Please read it. I read a couple more of the books and they’re ok, but none come close to the first one, in my opinion, and you don’t need to read more to enjoy Interview.
I used to adore the Sword of Truth series, though it's so many years since I read it (at least a decade) that I don't know if would still love it. At the time it was coming out though I would read the early books over and over again. I understand the criticisms and agree with some of them but it was very gripping and has very memorable characters. That said, the series went drastically down in enjoyability as it went on, and when the sequel series came out I gave up on it.
I’m surprised that the Shannara series by Terry Brooks isn’t on here. There are over 30 books in that series, and most were NY Times bestsellers. While he isn’t popular on booktube due to recency bias, I would say most fantasy fans over 35 have at least read the original Shannara trilogy. I’d have thought it easily would have made the top 10.
It has apparently sold around 37 million, so yeah. Might be considered YA?
@@GuardianKnightoftheRealm his Sword of Shannara series isn't YA
@@314159vedic I know. It has never been marketed or officially categorized as YA. However, it is definitely not R-rated either, which leads me to speculate that whoever made the list that this video is based on may have omitted it due to it perhaps not being "adult" enough.
I am not weighing on on whether or not that is accurate, just offering a possible reason as to why a 37 million copy-selling series was conspicuously not on a list of top-selling series that starts at 10 million sold.
I agree, Shannara is amazing! I wonder why it isn’t on here.
I feel like Dragonlance or the Malazan books would have been somewhere on this list. I'd be curious to see where they land. My youngest son is named Raistlin. The love for that series runs deep in this house lol
Well sure you had to name him that when you saw the hourglass pupils ⏳
It would be cool to see a video like this but with number adjusted with proportion of sales/# of books to see if it would change
I believe Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire now have over 100 million books sold in each series.
The order is correct, but the numbers need updating.
Sword of Truth, I’ve read it alas least twice and really enjoyed them. And Yes the criticisms of him and his work are valid. It still doesn’t stop the books from being tasty like fast food...
I adored Sword of Truth! I think the books have some wacky and wonky elements to them but I wouldn’t call any of them bad until book seven or eight. I think he was great character writer. Especially Nicci comes to mind.
Great video very enjoyable, but I am not sure about the exclusion of Le Guin's work, whilst I know Earthsea was developed initially as YA I would argue it went way beyond this origin and Le Guin is a more sophisticated writer than some of the others that are on the list. That said, I don't know if its sales would make the list anyway!
Hello Johan. It's nice to hear The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice has sold over 80 million copies. I highly recommend the first 3 novels, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned. Queen... is the most awesome of all, a wildly ambitious tale about the origins of vampirism itself in a blood-soaked history spanning 6,000 years, filled with unforgettable characters. Happy reading.
I’ve been reading the first novel and it’s almost mesmerizing. It can be considered philosophical maybe.
The first novel was incredible. I would suggest stopping there. She started to go off the rails with the Lestat books.
@@bbarnhouse9022I completely agree. Interview is far and away her best.
I really like Sword of Truth! I am not a fan of Goodkind himself. But I enjoy his books.
It's a shame that the Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist hasn't sold enough to be in this list as that series really do deserve more acclaim.
Riftwar is in my tbr!
Great series, Jimmy the hand is still one of my fave characters from any series.
Raymond E. Feist has sold 15 million plus books. Given that most of the books he's written (but not all) are part of the Riftwar Cycle, he probably has sold over 10 million in that series alone. Not sure where this channel got its numbers though, so maybe they have a better idea.
Considering sources claim magician alone has sold 10 million copies, he might need an update.
The Throne Of Glass series and Inheritance series got me into fantasy books along and became a good part of my life
An interesting video! I have read at least some of the books in all of these series except for two (Outlander and Interview with a Vampire). You asked about Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. I tried it before I ever heard about any "controversy" in regard to Goodkind or his writing. I read 2 and 1/2 of the books before giving up. I enjoyed some of the first book and did not like much about the second. I tried the third hoping it would be more like the first, but it was worse. Repetitive, derivative, bloated, and full of cringe-inducing sado-masochistic sexy times. At least that's how I experienced it.
Thank you for sharing your experience and for watching! Your comment is definitely putting me off reading it anytime soon.
I agree with Philip. I read the first book in the late 90s when I started teaching 3rd grade. We did SSR every day after lunch. (Silent Sustained Reading, or as the students said “shut up, sit down and read”) I wanted to model reading a chapter book for them, to prove they could finish one. After reading something near their level they decided it wasn’t a true representation given how fast I could read. I only read these particular books during SSR, no home reading. So I selected Wizard’s First Rule. It wasn’t terrible, but it was very derivative, especially of LOTR. My opinion was, meh. Knowing there were more the kids decided I should read the second one. Within the first 3 chapters I couldn’t read any more. It felt like a tired rehash of the first book. This sparked a discussion of why and when you DNF a book. Seeing me read them were great lessons for my students. Many years later I learned of the controversy around Goodkind, but I had long before decided I wasn’t going to read anything else by him. I’d rarely tell someone not to read a book. Almost all books will appeal to some people, but I would never recommend these books.
Sword of truth= worst book I have ever read
Honestly sometimes I think I've read different books. The series is full of indipendant strong women??? Kahlan, Cara etc. Each to their own :)
@@kevinhove6893I totally agree. It’s so bad that it’s really hard to believe that it’s popular.
Nah, Harry Potter alone has as many sold copies as all ten of these series combined that’s crazy
Did you watch the intro of this video? :)
8:14 - Anne Rice was THE author when it comes to vampires. In the 90’s she hit her crescendo when many of her books were adapted to movies.
Well, some of these are no surprise, and it truly is no surprise that Tolkien tops the list. I'm delighted that Terry Pratchett made the list as well. However, a few of my favourite fantasy series are not here ...Jack Vance's magnificent Lyonnesse Trilogy, and all the trilogies by Joe Abercrombie, for starters.
I wonder if some of these made the 'best' list because they've been dramatised, either as a TV series or as movies? I think some of these got a boost and much wider audience ...Game of Thrones, Outlander ...by having been turned into a TV series. It would be interesting to compare the book sales BEFORE the series was aired, and afterwards.
Would be interesting to see how many copies of each series were sold within the first 10 years of their release. I know some have an advantage of just being on the shelves longer and others have the advantage of adaptations bringing in more fans, but still
Good point, and possibly relevant with relation to LOTR, but I can tell you as someone who has worked in the publishing field, very few books maintain any kind of relevant sales after the first couple of years. Sure, some books become classics and continue to sell year after year, but there are many very good books that go out of print after their initial printing. There are so few books that continue to sell year after year and decade after decade, that it's hard to even quantify what special qualities they might possess. As a fantasy book, LOTR is unique in how long it has endured and how many new editions have been printed. Does this give it some kind of unfair advantage in an all-time best-selling list like this? Sure it does. But maybe your favorite series will achieve that same distinction someday. More than likely, it will not.
@wolfetom10 I completely agree! All I'm getting at is acknowledging how many copies these top 10 series have sold and am wondering how well they did initially. Since they did so well, they're all still being bought, but I'm wondering how well that initial first few years were
Interview with the Vampire and the Vampire Chronicles are one of my absolute favorite series! I hope you enjoy them!
Great video! I’m slightly surprised Stormlight Archives hasn’t broken the top 10 yet, soooo good. But hard to argue against any of the 10 on there! Go buy it everyone!
ASOIAF is the reason why I don't read series that are not completed and over 5 books. My reading time is limited and there are so many choices that I want to pursue.
WoT and ASOIAF are the two series that made me a person who will only read trilogies and then only if they are finished. I have both of those series in the original hard cover.
I totally agree. The very least that needs to happen is the author needs to finish the series ...or be the kind of author (like Joe Abercrombie) whom you KNOW will finish the series. Who wants to be left dangling because the author has either lost interest or lost control? I know I don't.
@@jannertfol I agree. I like Michael J Sullivan's method. He writes all the novels at once then releases them over time. Still if a series isn't finished there are so many out there that I want to read that are finished. My TBR has over 20 completed trilogies on it that I want to get to... I'll be just fine.
Because of this video, I am reminded of 3 series that I didn't finish since I was reading them as they got published. Will need to start them over. Thanks for the reminder 😊
This comment makes me happy 😊
@@libraryofaviking One was the Dark Tower and I agree it was great! The college books took priority. Sigh. Thank you for making my winter reading list a nostalgic yet new one all at the same time 😊
I enjoyed your list. These are really good books. This list differ from most book tube list.
I hope to see the stormlight archive and red rising in the list the next time you make this sort of video
I’m on the last book of the sword and truth series and I really enjoy it. The writing is good. Characters are good. Don’t let other people dictate if you try a series out. Or anything for that matter. Make a judgment for yourself.
I kinda liked Sword of Truth books when I read them as a kid. Now that I’ve read hundreds of other fantasy books I see that they’re very similar to other books and pretty mediocre in characters, writing style, and plot. I had two big issues with the books that might drive you crazy: the endings are all out of nowhere deus ex machina that don’t feel earned and almost every book has a surprise gratuitous sex scene (I’ve heard you talk about how you’re not a big fan of those). I like when characters have chemistry and romance but if there are love scenes I prefer the fade to black stuff, especially because I mostly listen to audiobooks and an old guy narrating those is soooo awkward. I would love to hear your reviews of the books though. Just be prepared for like 2 chapters in every book you’re gonna wanna skip. 😅
Rothfuss prose is unmatched in fantasy so I guess you should try it ! :)
His prose is good, and for a while I was hooked ...but I got SO fed up with Kvothe! He is such a Mary Sue character! Nothing is ever too hard for him. He's beautiful, smart, talented, instantly masters every skill he needs, learns languages at the drop of a hat, everybody falls for him-except his enemies, of course. The first book was pretty bizarre in this regard, but by the time he was saving the entire universe AND bedding the fairy queen on his summer vacation from school in book two, I had to quit. I will not be reading the final book if Rothfuss ever gets around to finishing it. It's a pity, because Rothfuss is talented at worldbuilding. But his characters definitely need work, if they are going to be the least bit believable. Something has to challenge them besides their own talent and enterprise.
@@jannertfol Can't argue here.I liked book 1 but I haven't read Wise Man's fear though 😁
R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt stuff had my gf and I HOOKED back in the day, but I rarely hear about it on "BookTube".
Well, I'm definitely recommending The Name of the Wind for the patreon read along.
👀
I don't know. I just find it difficult to classify Interview with the Vampire as a fantasy series.
I'm guessing that recency bias is why some of these books are not talked about on booktube (most popular booktubers are 25-35). Wheel of Time & A Song of Ice & Fire sales likely SHOT up when their tv shows started. I hope the Dark Tower series gets picked up by HBO or AMC or even Showtime. It seems that Amazon is not interested in "explicit" fantasy series (i.e. Lord of the Rings & Wheel of Time)
Surprised there's no David Gemmell on this list, perhaps because there was no real series but lots of stand-alone books, a real master of fantasy though.
He had a few small series and all the drenai stuff legen, Wayland and all that add up to a decent sized series but he was never as popular as the more Tolkeinesq or tolkein inspired.
I’ve read at least some of all but 2 these series, finished several. Like you still waiting to see if Kingkiller Chronicles finishes. I’m thrilled to say I finally finished The Wheel of Time a few weeks ago. I started it in the mid-nineties. Had a few times I went back and reread stuff after a hiatus. I even used the first few books for reading groups when I taught 5th grade in the early 2000s along with LOTR. I spent the last 5 years listening to it on audiobook. Kate Reading and Michael Kramer do a fantastic job. Eventually I would like to try listening to Rosamund Pike read I think the first 2 so far as well. Definitely near the top of my all time favorite series. Was elated to have finished, but sad as well. Had to go dig out my “Post Book Depression” shirt from Daniel Greene. Hard to believe I won’t have any more new adventures with the Emond’s Field 5 and all the others. Reread and/or relisten is definitely in my future.
Just a side note, Don Quixote has sold an estimated 500 million copies. Of course, publishing your novel in 1605 gave Cervantes a head start! Is it fantasy? Hm....well...? Not easy to answer, really. Anyway, love the channel, keep it up!
It’s also not a series
@@EmyN Technically it was. The first part was published in 1605. The second part was published in 1615--it's a true sequel. Most available versions just put them both together.
@@theimaginarium Yeah, but you know what I mean
@@EmyN true.
Do you know if numbers like “90 million copies” is the total number of books sold? Because I would be interested to know if like, Wheel of Time 1 has like 50 million copies and the rest of the 14+ books had 40 million combined or something
Great video, but kind of missing the Witcher series
Definitely wizards first rule is a must❤
I saw somewhere recently that both WoT & ASOIAF are now both over 100 million copies sold. Most are still showing them at 90 million but all those are older lists.
What is the source of your count of sold copies? Just interested to know. ❤
I didn’t expect LOTR bring number 1. Completely agree. I feel like is so underrated. But so is interview with the vampire
I don’t think LOTR is underrated - I think they’re pretty universally acknowledged as both great classics and best fantasy series of all time. Tolkien is very highly regarded in the literary world.
Some of the stuff on this list.. i haven't even heard of them. Wild stuff man. Gotta try to read outlander.
Is this numbers for only hard copies sell or are you counting ebooks and audiobooks too?
I read the book "The Name of the Wind", the book has been translated into Bengali in Bangladesh. I have read about 130 pages. I like reading the book very much. So I decided to read my page and give a review on it, inshallah.
I need to make time to read The Dark Tower books !
Missing feist in the list i think. Personally i enjoyed goodkinds books. I read for the story not the person behind it, as i cant really judge if i dont know the person in real life. I started with dark tower, and after finishing i went on to the sword of truth. Give it a shot 😄
The name of the wind is one of the best books i have ever read, wise mans fear was very good but not as good as the first book. Such a shame the third book never appeared. Have never read diana gabaldon, but like historical fiction as well as fantasy so will have to try her.
You will enjoy Gabaldon - either the Outlander series or her Lord John books - if you like fantasy, military history, late 18th century history in Europe and the USA, and don't mind some realistic romance (not overly sweet BS) thrown in.
@@literary_bitesbig fan of Patrick O'Brian so I am sure military history and a bit of light romance won't be a problem.
I look forward to reading it!
"Twilight" had me rolling 😂😂
Regarding Terry Goodkind, I only heard about any controversy after I stopped reading the series. I haven't read enough different fantasy authors to be able to discern what he supposedly "stole" and in reality, even if I did know I wouldn't be concerned as long as it was well written. I mean, what is it about fantasy that would require the elements and storylines to have to be unique? Does that apply to detective novels or romance as well?
Anyway, I found the first books to be really good (don't remember how many), then I felt that he got sort of tangled up in trying to explain/reason about the same "important concept" (which I won't divulge here) over and over again, so I grew tired of it eventually.
I think apart from its literary quality, another reason Lord of the Rings have sold such massive number of copies is that it's a really old series. Published some 50-60 years before the other series in the list came to see the light of the day. So it has got half a century worth headstart on the other competitions.
But yup, still a great series. One series to rule them all 🤓
Não entendo o que você fala,mas reconheci cada livro.
Felicidades.
I read the first Outlander book years ago, but loved how it ended that I refuse to read the others. It's just a standalone in my world😂
Pfffft my type of person 😂
Can’t believe stormlight archive isn’t on there
The Sword of Truth started out much better than it ended (perhaps why only the first book has a film adaptation). It got very, very dark, with a rather perverse and brutal turn into torture. Too bad because the magic system was intriguing, but the stomach churning ick factor makes me recommend against reading it.
Outlander is my favorite fantasy series and I think you (and maybe your wife) would enjoy it. The historical fiction is well-researched and she acknowledges in the notes at the end when she takes artistic liberties with historical fact. I learn things from her books and she is excellent at character-building and creates a really immersive world. Especially if you read her Lord John series as well. I consider her the GRRM of historical fantasy (they live close by and are friends) - except I am near certain that Diana Gabaldon will complete the Outlander series. Keeping my fingers crossed for the ASOIAF series. Only warning is people won't like her books if they are uncomfortable with frank, realistic (but not obscene) descriptions of sex (including homosexuality in the LG books) and depictions of the aftermath of sexual assault. She is working on what was planned to be the final book now. Read the first book in the Outlander series or start with the first Lord John book. If you enjoy either you will probably love the entire series.
I cant for the life of me see outlander as any kind of fantasy book.
@@GuunbaNo, they’re really not fantasy. They’re historical drama with a bit of time travel thrown in.
Not the biggest fan of the show. It just felt like smut, and this is coming from a history buff. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the books were better
I like smut because sexuality is part of life. But the books are far more nuanced because the smut is all what you make it in your head. Gabaldon is comfortable with kink though so people who aren't probably won't like her books.@@MsFiercePierce
9:30 why isn’t Terry writing style for you? What’s his style you don’t like?
My husband also dislikes it. His answer was “a little whimsy goes a long way.” He also dislikes Douglas Adams, and I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying Adams’ works. I’m like WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! 😂
Idk much about Terry but Douglas Adams is a legend. His humour is quirky and awkwardly humourous. He literally writes an entire build up just for one joke and it lands well enough excellently. @@georginatoland
Well I read The Sword of Truth recently and I don't get the hate. I like the role of magic in this world...all present but nowhere overwhelming, the different aspects of magic as well like that there are counterparts of it. The story itself is OK, but of course not anywhere near to LOTR. But its still enjoyable imo and I had a great time reading it.
The witcher series sold, as of 2019, 15 million copies. How is it not on the list?
It's actually more than 100 million+ copies for Wheel of Time and may have maintained its lead over ASOIAF for all these years.
It hurts me to see the mistborn series on the top instead of the stormlight archive (i love mistborn, it just that SA is bigger than MI and Brandon himselft said that he wants to be remember for SA)
I'm suprised Dune didn't show up here, is it considered only for Sci-Fi instead?
I love the dark tower series! Read it 6 times lol and omg I love Anne rice . Read that whole series a few times
As amazing as Anne Rice’s Vampire series is - and they were VERY popular in the 80s-90s when I was in college - her best series is the Mayfair Witches.
The Outlander series was extremely popular in their day, but unless you love romance, I would say skip them.
Nothing in this world would make me read Robert Jordan, but that is because I am very picky about epic fantasy. I got burned out during the whole Chronicles of the Unbeliever era by Donaldson, and I am bored by anything by Tolkien. (I have high hopes for Robin Hobb tho. She’s on my TBR for 2024.)
I’m embarrassed to say that I never got into the Game of Thrones books when they were first published. But here in the burning ashes of the TV show, I’ve reevaluated them. They are quite good.
I LOVE the Mayfair Witches. I'm currently doing a re-read of the first book of that series. George R. R. Martin is the only author that has made me chuck a book across a room.
@@314159vedic I confess that I was given the first book in GoT in hardback when it was first published. I didn’t warm up to it at all and so I gave it away. I imagine that copy would be worth big bucks today. 😞
Loved this list- thank you so much! A few surprises I think🤔
So glad to see the dark tower in this! I read it at least 8 years ago & now I seriously have to re read it asap.
And Sword of truth- don’t you think it’s slightly humorous considering the plagiarism Goodkind is accused of !? 😂 ‘truth’!?
In all seriousness though, plagiarism is beyond terrible. Have seen a review that totally blasted the book and how much he copied, and apparently wasn’t brilliantly written . I had no idea of all the controversy surrounding the book prior to watching the review . I’ve not read it.
Anyway, thank you so much! Really enjoyed this & Perhaps I will try read more from the list soon now
Thank God, I almost cried when you said twilight 😅 dude Tolkien better be on the top
This isn't accurate. Terry Brooks Shannara series has sold 37 million copies, and like Anne Rice's books which you included here, it's all different eras that work as one giant whole.
My introduction to fantasy was The Sword of Shannara.
@@314159vedic he was one of mine too, I love his books, I still read them today, twenty years after I first started. He's got a charm that outweighs his weaknesses, in my opinion
Cool list, but with 1 gripe. Mistborn. I think its past time we started considering this series Young Adult. I'd even consider Stormlight YA.
I won't intentionally start reading a series that isn't finished. I've had too many authors not finish their series that I now won't even begin a series until it's finished. I've been tricked a few times, sort of, where a book was a one-off and got a sequal, or seemed like a one-off and turned out to be part of a series, but I will not intentionally start a series that isn't finished. I also think that a video game will ruin Mistborn, and while I used to want a TV or Movie adaptation of Mistborn, I now think it is better if they don't.
Have i missed the witcher with 15 million copies??
I liked the sword of truth series. he gets kind preachy in the last books, but was still good. Sad the show was cancelled.
Haters are going to hate. I have read all of these top 10 series and many more fantasy books; and The Sword of Truth series is a good one like all the rest. Terry Goodkind took inspiration from Professor Tolkien just like all the rest of these authors.
Interview with the vampire has a movie adaptation, that's the adaptation. We don't talk about the TV show
I Am wondering why Harry Potter was not mentioned
Did you watch his intro? Adult Fantasy only!
0:27 here
😂
Potterheads are so numb
🗿
I DNF’d Interview with a Vampire in high school, I wonder what I would think about it now.
Are you excluding extremely long series? Shannara, Dragonlance, Riftwar, and Legend of Drizzt all sold more than the first several on your list.
Maybe he doesn't consider them "adult" fantasy?
Seems like you forgot some of the best selling ones.. Harry Potter: 600 millions copies total (when adding all the books in the serie), 120 millions for the first book alone.
Also The Little Prince 200 millions copies
I've tried five times to listen to Wheel.of.time book one
And it's just not for me which is disappointing
I love the series thoigh
You made a major mistake here (and I love Tolkien, so seeing him as your number one, though incorrect, was appreciated - in addition, the Lord of the Rings is one book [published in three volumes], and is not a series). However: J.K. Rowling's most popular Harry Potter series sold over 500 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling fantasy book series of all time.
If we take it outside of the realm of books, One Piece takes the first spot with around 520M sales.
That's insane!
Sword of truth is really good and accessible. That was the first book in fantasy I read after lotr.
Read Goodkind and stopped at first chapter. Horrid writing.
Anyway,why no HP?
I DNF’d Wizards First Rule (the 1st Sword of Truth book). Years later I decided to give it another try and DNF’d it again. I think it’s really terrible in almost every way, probably the worst adult fantasy book I’ve ever read. It’s unoriginal, very poorly written, and some parts are just ridiculously dumb that it’s actually unintentionally comical. And when I read it I wasn’t even aware at the time what a bad guy Terry was, so that didn’t influence my opinion.
What is Brandon’s net worth? Some source say 6 million dollars and some 60m$
I’d bet probably closer to 60 then 6
Isn't harry potter series most sold fantasy though?
And lotr 2nd most sold fantasy?
Yeah HP has sold 600 million + copies, but This video was about Adult Fantasy, though the title is misleading
How can you choose the top 10 book series??????? 😮😮😮😮😮😮
Of course that Harry Potter is number one by sales, but maybe this top is for adult fantasy.
4:50 - Everyrhing in its proper context…Goodkind was one of the hottest writers in the 2000s. We loved him. Many people and many of friends read him and loved him.
I just think he has aged poorly with the last generation.
I wonder if buying a book always equals reading it. I got Lord Of The Rings a long time ago and I had a really hard time with it. English is not my native language but that is usually no problem at all. But this one … I had no access to the internet then, only a small dictionary and often I could not even find Tolkiens words in there.
The first one of Anne Rice‘s vampire books is memorable but each one after that gets worse. Same with Laurell K. Hamilton‘s Anita Blake, those books degenerate into sad porn at some point. Barbara Hambly should have stopped after the second book of the Asher Series. (As a rule of thumb I would conclude, no more than 3 books with the same vampires.)
Anyway, the larger the series the less likely it seems that all the books in one are really really good. And I suspect, especially with the longer books, that quite a few of them are just collecting dust in some shelf after they are bought.
Outlander is barely fantasy. It’s more historical drama with a bit
of fantasy thrown in.
What about Harry Potter which sold 600+ million copies? Isn't it considered a "fantasy series" according to your likings? It is easily the #1 fantasy series in terms of "the best selling" books. Don't try to snub it.
I read wizards first rule was awesome but I think everyone hates it because they’re left leaning so they’re not the sharpest tool in the shed… but the only problem I had with the book was being long but the wizard zedd I loved & intelligent commentary.