Elliot apologizing for not liking ppl's faves is always funny to me. She means so well and doesnt want to come off rude because the internet is full of overly sensitive fan boys.
Me too, it was a solid cosy read but not that memorable. I think the pandemic played a large part in how popular it was - it was a low stakes comfort read and that's what many people needed
My pattern with Malazan is usually this: "ugh...I can't remember what happened in the last book." "okay, intriguing start" "wait, who is that guy?" "okay I think have a grasp on things" "god wtf, am I gonna have to give up on this?" "Ah now I'm back in business after looking at this powerpoint summary some guy did online" "huh...hold on what did the powerpoint say? This guy has a different name now?" "what is that again? Googles term + malazan" "oh shit, now things are getting real!" "I can't stop reading this." "What an ending! I better give myself a break" repeat ad nauseum
Valid point. If everyone gives it high scores and you wouldn't, it's easier to Nope out of rating it instead of dealing with internet drama of "how dare you not give 5 stars to the 2nd book I've ever read?" Crowd.
"Maybe the Dark One should win" 🤣 I love these types of videos because it helps provide a diversity of opinions on overhyped books. Would also like to see the opposite 😊
I’ve more or less concluded like 95% of books I’ve read are just pretty good. Which in some ways is comforting as a writer. Something that isn’t your cup of tea is someone else’s.
Everything I read has merits and faults and it requires my individual judgment and interpretation to determine which are which. I must accept that many readers do not share my background, but that doesn’t make a book good or bad based on some divine metric. The first novel I wrote was largely cliche in hindsight, but my readers who don’t have my background love it because they don’t have the same frame of reference. That book is more for them than it is for me.
for the poppy war, I feel like Rin flipflopping felt real and authentic, rin is struggling with what she has done, but when confronted by others, like most people we try to defend our actions in a effort to feel better or save face etc... its hard enough to try and cope with our poor choices and seld doubt, criticism so people tend to get defensive when others question us in the same way. so I guess for me it works it
I absolutely agree with what you said about the Poppy War, but I continued the trilogy and just continued to not like it all the way through... Also some books that I feel this way about are Babel, Jade City (though I haven't continued the trilogy, I do just feel "meh" about this first book), and Ninth House.
Honestly I feel you. Some books I feel get just overhyped but a lot of books that are loved by many might just not be someone else's cup of tea and that is totally fine. For me Babel was this kind of book. I get the message and I think it is important but the way the message was delivered just didn't work for me at all 🙈
Haha! I respectfully disagree on Malazan and Wheel of Time, which is weird, because I usually mostly vibe the same as you 😊. However, I appreciate your opinion and always look forward to your thoughts 👍😀
I actually had no idea Foundryside was that big of a deal on the book socials tbh. I picked it up randomly months ago during one of my bookstore adventures, got a coffee, and ended up reading nearly half of it there in the store because I enjoyed it so much. I unfortunately have no more space in my home for physical books, which makes me cry, so I didn't buy it there but I did download it on kindle once I got home later. I haven't read the other books yet but I will eventually.
THANK YOU! The inner monologue of every character felt like the same person. No matter who it was, how immature or how wise they were all suddenly philosophers bemoaning the plight of man. I made the same post on reddit and thankfully most Malazan fans agreed.
I think for me, part of my enjoyment of a book is my mood. I definitely felt the same way about the books you mentioned. I either started them and didn't finish, or I read them and didn't move on to the next book. For me, Jade City is a good example. It was ok. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it enough to read the 2nd book.
Always love to hear your thoughts and honesty! And yes! I would love to hear a part 2 to this and the other ones you plan to do ( eg books people don’t like but you think are ok etc). I find it frustrating (?) & possibly untrue (?) when people all rave about a book yet perhaps they are simply trying to ‘fit in’ ( does that make sense!?) . Thank you so much again. Really love your content & you !
me three. I've read Mistborn and Way of Kings. I tend to find any book where the emphasis is on the "magic system" instead of the prose is just not going to connect with me.
I LOVED Way of Kings, but after book two I started to sense an "algorithm" or formula to his writing. I've seen it mentioned before that his characters can seem NPCish, which I can definitely see. I sadly lost interest in Stormlight Archive but I plan on reading them later in life LOL. I have most of his books so I'll see how they go...
I actually agree with you on Fourth Wing. I have no clue why that book is so popular. But Foundryside is one where I think the juvenile gets much better in the second book, so I think you could give it a try. LOVED this video! I like hearing you talk about books that you didn't like lol.
I agree with you on The Poppy War, but would also say Mistborn (I read all three and never understood the love), and Gilded Wolves. I am currently on the second book of the Farseer trilogy and giving side-eye to all the glowing reviews, but I am putting my faith in everyone who has promised me that it improves.
For Foundryside it’s more the world and the atmosphere- I always wanted to go back to the world whenever I wasn’t reading and yes the magic system is fascinating!
For me, it’s the Green Bone Saga. I read Jade War… and I just couldn’t go further. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love anything. I listened to the audio book, so maybe that was the issue. Also; I really can’t stand gang wars. I wanted to try it, hoping it would change my mind. It didn’t. Might be a really unpopular opinion
I dnf Jade War. I felt like the first book was setting up for something big, and then the second book didn't do the big thing, it was just more build up. I guess what was happening was the main point, but it just wasn't for me. If I'm not won over by the first book or the first half of the second, I think it's pretty clear the series isn't for me and I should cut my loses.
These are well loved, but they are all under 3 stars for me: Book Lovers, Get a Life Chloe Brown, Under the Whispering Door, The Sorcery of Thorns, Normal People, The Very Secret Society...
I was just having this conversation about Malazan yesterday 👀 You articulated the issue with the characters’ inner thoughts/voice really well. Definitely agree that books get either way over hyped or completely trashed (both a bit unfairly) so this was a refreshing, nuanced take on some popular books
I had the same experience regarding Poppy War and its sequel that I passed on the final. Empire of Silence doesn't have astronomical review scores, but the book tube ratings are consistently positive. But, I've found the one-star reviews usually are spot on regarding my feelings.
I love The Wheel of Time. I do agree that some of the characters can be really annoying, but the scenes between the characters held my interest and kept me entertained. I really liked the way the plot developed through the series as well. I couldn’t get into Malazan at all. I made it through the first book, but I couldn’t finish Deadhouse Gates. I was enjoying it at first, but then there were these separate groups of characters all moving through the desert, and I kept getting confused about who they all were, and where they were going and why. I liked your analogy of a child being dropped off and left to fend for itself as opposed to the author not holding your hand. I got just over half way through the book, and it was such a slog that I wasn’t enjoying it at all. So I decided to stop.
I never bash people for not loving Malazan. I've read the whole series plus six more in that world. They can be a chore. I just think Malazan has some of the best scenes I've ever read... I also didn't like Poppy War... But I think the book, for me, that falls in this category is freaking Gentleman Bastards. I do not understand the love for that series.
Interestingly I also didn't really vibe with foundryside and the poppy war. With foundryside I had the same issues. For the poppy war I just didn't like where it was going and the magic system
Fun fact, Fourth Wing is the first release from the new imprint, Red Tower Books. All the books released are focused on being new adult romantasy (fantasy romance). Where the romance and fantasy plot are both the main focus.
I feel like you about The poppy war. I read it during a buddy read, a lot of my friends really liked it and I was like... meh. I get the appeal. It's not for me. Another one would be The rage of dragons, I felt meh about it too and everyone on booktube seems to love it.
I haven't read any of these, but I'm still interested in Foundryside as well as other books by Robert Jackson Bennett. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It always helps to hear detailed analyses about why one person might not have liked a book since that may be the reason another enjoys it!
The final book in the Foundryside trilogy was a big let down for me but his book The Troupe is one of my favorite standalones books of all time. Cried like a baby at the end, it has a beautiful ending/message.
I did the same with Robert Jordan--dnf'd after the 4th one. I also just did not like or care about the characters enough to continue. I felt the same about Poppy War. I did not like any of the characters enough to continue and was not compelled to find out what happened.
Hey, Elle. I doubt you remember me, but I just wanted to say that it was a joy to listen to you discuss books again (I've been away for a while). Your flow is great and is helping me get through some gnarly code... even as you make me laugh with your characterizations. Thanx! ❤
Could not agree with you more on the Melazan I never want it to fall in love with any book more, but I simply didn’t care about anyone in the story 😩 Same with the poppy war
100% agree with you about Wheel of Time! I started out optimistic but grew to like it less and less, and almost can't stand it now (although channeling is awesome). I think I actually made it through book 5 before I forever DNFd the series. I think if I'd read it as a teen I would've loved it.
What you said about Book 4 of WOT is what I feel reading through book 2 now. I was struggling to find a reason to continue. Some friends convinced me pick up the audiobook instead so I'll give it a shot that way.
Oh god you are being very nice about the Poppy War, I couldn’t stand this book. I honestly didn’t care about any of the characters because they were all insufferable to me. So whenever something bad happened to them I was like “good riddance!”. Also Rin drove me crazy, after doing so much to get accepted into the school and being chosen by a teacher, she just DOESN’T listen to her teacher! What’s the point then?? God I’m getting heated again about this
Every time I think of this book, I get so heated. I had heard some many great things about this book that once I finished, I had a mini existential crisis that I didn't actually like reading anymore. I heard such great things, and I thought it was so horribly written. I was like, "Dang, I guess I don't actually like reading fantasy anymore..". Then I remembered all of the other books I've love and realized this book was just trash. I'm glad people love it. Love what you love, but I am baffled by how this is considered a good book. I just do not get the appeal at all.
For me, it was Babel and Poppy War that was this for me. I'm glad that others seem to like them so much, but I couldn't connect with the plot or characters, especially the characters. And they read like a text book or instruction manual. 😑 Also, most of the "tik tok darling" contemporary romances read like this for me, everything from The Hating Game to Beach Read. Not horrible just meh.
i love when people have different opinions about certain things and then go into concise, well-thought detail explaining why they have those opinions. i believe that everyone in this world is unique, with their own interesting perspective on all things. i like this video and i respect your opinions and i appreciate your willingness to share them with me
The Shadow Rising drove me insane. It's got a COUPLE of REALLY GREAT MOMENTS and sequences that blew me away and I feel like that's what sticks with people but BOY I was glad to finish it.
Almost everyone I know who tried to read WoT but failed gave up around book 4 or 5. I took a long break after book 4, and I only restarted because the TV series gave me the motivation.
Poppy War was one that came so highly recommended that I thought was pretty awful. In addition to the points Elliot makes, other issues include very uneven and immature writing, characters acting in completely baffling and nonsensical ways, and worst of all, the fact that literally ALL the characters and especially the main character are completely unlikable.
Well I loved malazan from the get go. Doing a re-read right now. I honestly think "Gardens..." is underrated by the Malaz-fans. But hey, nothing is for everyone. If I were to do one of these videos, I'd start with "I don't get why people are reading Sanderson" and then promtly get banned from the internet. Read 6 of his books, Elantris was the only one that was somewhat interesting.
Based on your reviews, I think our tastes overlap. None of these appealed to me except maybe Wheel oT - I’ve read the first two. We always have to decide what to read and what not to read : so we read some crap (or at least start reading it) and equally miss out on some books we could have loved. Like life itself really.
I read Foundyside and the rest of the trilogy. I truly enjoyed this book series. I feel that the last book is the payoff for the magic system. The use of these glyphs to alter reality was a fun concept for me. To me the characters are much better developed further into the story. I gave it 4 1/2 stars. Just my opinion
Could you do a video where you add favourites to your favourites? Basically, I’d like to have more books similar to fireborne. I liked this video a lot. Have a great day.
After The Poppy War trilogy and Babel I'm convinced now that this author just isn't for me. Maybe her character writing will improve in the future, who knows, but for now, I will ignore the inevitable hype her next books will get.
"Maybe the dark ones should win." 😂😂 The only one I've read is Fourth Wing and I DNFed that because I just didn't care. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking it was just fine.
I get that people love Wheel of Time but I couldn't finish the first one. I had to bail out after what felt like 300 pages of just hanging out in the village. Even Tolkien got things moving by 100 pages. There's no way I'd make it to book 4, let alone ten more or however many after that.
Honestly, as someone that read WoT back to back and liked the series, i wouldn't say to anyone to push through to certain books if you don't vibe with it. Not every book is for everyone. (i say the same for people that don't enjoy lotr) I do need to reread the series since i can't remember what events happened in Shadow Rising. WoT blends together for me so don't know what happened in individual books. (i do want to say i only learned recently the fandom had a "slog" term. I never noticed that when i read them. 😂)
Yeah, I haven't used my Goodreads account in years & don't go by the average ratings for books on Goodreads. Godkiller, for example, is a fantastic little read - but on GR it's only got a 3.94 rating. Like what?!? Godkiller is definitely FAR superior to many generic fantasies out there (even Sarah J-blimmin Maas has an extremely high rating - ugh lmao) Same with Babel - I thought it intelligent and a good read, but I really did not like the last 80-odd pages especially. Your Fourth Wing book review made me laugh many laughs XD I will not be reading this book!
You and I have such similar tastes that it took all my power not to remove books like Gardens of the Moon off my list because I’m like “hey stop it maybe you’ll still like it” 🙆🏽♀️ Like I actually really enjoyed Foundryside BUT only once I got over the writing and the conversation which you seem to have pointed out as well. But the fact that you didn’t LOVE The Poppy War is kinda shocking to me I didn’t expect that. Keeping me on my toes heh
Here I am on book 9 of Malazan and thinking about a reread 👀👀. I understand totally though that it's definitely a style that doesn't mesh with everyone. I don't really think I've ever recommended malazan to someone lol
I read it 3 times already. But what she says here is almost true. What the problem is: she read only 2 parts. So… her opinion is not really valid. You know exactly what happens in Memories of Ice. Exactly that she lists missing.
@@nazimelmardi I love Malazan, but it isn't for everyone. And if someone goes through 2 books and feel it isn't for them, then they are totally free to say whatever they want, because book 3 and beyond does not suddenly change the style that she didn't like about the first 2.
I adored WoT when I was younger to the point that I read a book a year and then re-read the first 4-5 books a few times, just because I was afraid that I'd end up without any more WoT to read and I didn't know what I'd do with myself if that happened. As I got older, I started to notice everything that was wrong with the books, and the characters started annoying me more and more the older I got, especially Nyneve, whom I used to love. I remember loving the 4th book when I first read it and I still think it's the best of the first 4, I absolutely understand why people love it. There are some of the most tantalizing discoveries in that book and hints regarding the world and the history of the world that make you want to know more if you're the kind of person who loves discovering lost knowledge in books. And also, the 4th book is where Rhuidean happens and that's still one of my top 5 moments in all the books I've read, ever. However, I remember feeling so disappointed last time I read it that such cool stuff was written in a book where all the main characters are so annoying and that I'm forced to follow them if I want to discover all the cool stuff about the world. So.. yeah. I still adore Jordan's world, I just really dislike the characters now.
I so agree with your thoughts on WOT. The characters just grind on my nerves. Also I could live the rest of my life without ever getting another book based on a magic school or academy or whatever. That is such an over saturated concept.
100% with you on Malazan. I don't know why I was supposed to care who won because I couldn't click with any character. Still haven't moved on to book 2.
I heard so many good things about Foundryside. I got it at the library and it sat on my end table for like 3 months before I finally just gave up and returned it. I'm glad everyone seems to love this book but it was not for me and I'm glad to see I wasn't alone lol.
There are so many books my friends like, that get rave reviews, that I just don’t understand, Gideon the Ninth and Beasts made of Night to name a few. But the one book that I hope improves because I think it has potential has gotta be Iron Widow. Xiran seems like such a fun and cool person in their videos but that didn’t come through in their book. A big part for me is that I love seeing the world building in fantasy novels and that may not be high on the pecking order for them (for which we will remain sworn enemies). But it was the codependency on similes, the lack of female friendships, and the Bury Your Gays troupe that let me down so hard. Yet everyone else loves the book. It makes me feel like I’m missing an integral part. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one on the outside like looking in.
As for high average ratings, I suspect I'm not alone in giving things that are "fine" a four star rating when dealing with a rating system with no half stars available. It just feels a bit mean to give something a three star rating on goodreads when there's nothing really wrong with it.
That may be true. I personally have no problem rating a “fine” book 3 stars. In a 5 star rating system a 3 star would be average. For me a 4 star is something I really loved but not perfect. A 5 star is really rare and needs to hit all the buttons for me. My most common rating is 3 stars. Now 2 stars or less is when I really dislike something. Those tend to be rare too because those I often DNF before finishing.
@@whisper_dvm5157 Yeah, my four stars aren't that high. They're mostly "I liked it and I don't have any major problems with it" Sometimes they're "I loved it, but there's that thing I can't really overlook."
I picked up a book called The Lies of Locke Lamora after someone gushed about how incredible it was. Jeesh. I was interested in the side characters more than the two lead characters. I hated it. So boring and the fantasy elements were so slight I just closed the book and gave it to a used bookstore. I didn't even want to try to haggle the bookstore owner, I just wanted it away from me ASAP.
Do you have a favorite book that does the inner voices really good?? I find that most of the time the characters all sound the same. Also I laughed so hard I almost snorted my soda out of my nose when you said maybe the dark one should have won. I did like the Jordan books but I read them back in the 90’s when they first came out so maybe that’s why. But yah I think Rand is annoying too !!
I feel the same way about the "Wheel of Time" characters. I couldn't find a single one I liked so gave up on the series after three books. Kept waiting for it to grab me, or for at least one character to intrigue me, but it just never happened.
I read up to book three of The Wheel of Time. Rand is the only character that I was interested in learning what would happen to him and then he was hardly in book three, which irritated me. So I decided to take a break before picking up book four. Now, it's been at least ten years and I've still not continued with the series, lol.
One of my biggest unpopular opinions: I think the Poppy War trilogy is way over-hyped and precisely thought Rin's characterisation was an absolute train wreck. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So if it's what you most disliked about it I'm afraid it most definitely does NOT get better with books two and three. 😅
My memory of Wheel of Time is that the story started going downhill right after book four and kept getting worse until book eight (where I gave up). And yeah, pretty much the whole cast either always being insufferable or becoming insufferable was the biggest drag on that series.
We're all different in what we like to read and some of us are mood readers too. My unpopular opinion is that Mistborn is very boring...the concept was fantastic, the magic system is awesome and it started off very interesting. It took me ages to finish the series , it just didn't grip me and I couldn't connect with the main characters. That being said, I'm still curious about the second era books and will most probably pick them up. To each his own, it would be a sad world if we all liked the same stories, the poor authors would have a terrible job keeping everyone happy 😅
I feel similarly to you about Mistborn. Everyone seems to rave about it but it was just…fine. But I hate to be a quitter so I’m trying to decide whether to pick up the 2nd book.
Overall I enjoyed The Poppy War, but I didn't feel the need to continue the series right away. I think I took a year or two off before reading the 2nd book. I did read the 2nd and 3rd books back-to-back, but I'd overall give the series maybe a 3.5 if I rated books. Thanks for the video!
it's completely fine to have own opinions about certain books, I wouldn't be wondering like "oh I don't like this book that much, but it has 4.something high rating!!!" It simply means there are lot of other people who like it.
yeah! totally agree, I don't like YA, Iam not the right audience, but I dont feel like, oh wow this ya book has higher rating but "it's just fine" book
Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James for me. On the one hand, the world-building is incredible. It has a very surreal, almost dream-like tone to it. The action scenes are very well written. And the performer for the audio book is A+. However, the story is too....meandering. There are too many tangents, time-skips that you don't realize until halfway through the chapter. Events sort of blur together and the main plot gets completely lost. I've heard that the book gets incredible once you get past these humps and the story streamlines, but I could never get to that point. As much as I enjoyed the narrator and the world, it's hard for me to enjoy a story when there's a giant question mark over my head the entire time. I never finished and sometimes I feel tempted to try again, but then I remember how obtuse the reading experience was for me. I'm really glad people enjoyed his book and that a sequel is out. More Afro-Fantasy is always welcome in my eye, but this particular one just wasn't for me.
Let me pick some fights i guess... I read six of crows duology and thought the books were fine i guess the hype just got to me. Wait there's more 😅 Read strange the dreamer and I liked it but again i struggled through so much of the book. I started the sequel and its already more interesting but the lyrical writing is not for me. Put it on temporary dnf for now.
Omg I've never heard someone else feel the same way as me about The Shadow Rising!! Yessssss I totally agree! Everyone says "You need to read shadow Rising!!" And then it just sucks
@@worlddd7777 it was just boring. I felt like nothing happened. WoT fans act like there's all these amazing action packed moments throughout the series, and then I read the specific moments they loved, and they just feel dated. I think a lot of the WoT love is nostalgia, it just largely doesn't hold up to modern fantasy. For the shadow rising, I got to where Rand went out to the desert and did his vision quest with Mat, and I didn't understand any of it. Everyone's told me "oh you'll understand on a re-read, it's doing really cool stuff!" And I'm like, well I want it to make sense now. It's not fun for me while I'm reading it if everything is gonna make sense "eventually" and I'm sure as hell not going to read 14 books all over again, so... I dunno. To each their own, I just didn't enjoy it at all. I did like the first three books though, but they're still quite dated.
@@spencercorpuz Interesting, i still havent decided if Wheel is good or not, but i must say opinion is very divided on it. There are some absolutely fantastic ideas in it, but not sure if they are implemented well. If u think 14 books is too much, try reading just prologue for Warhammer 40.000 universe, which is 60 books longs. Total madness haha
i'm feeling this way about the shadow of the gods by john gwynne. it's fine, but it's certainly not as great (to me) as the reviews would have you believe. i'm honestly surprised that few people have talked about the actually prose of the book in reviews as i'm finding it very convoluted and overdone.
The way he insisted on using 'thought cage' instead of the word 'mind' was annoying. Plus I took one look at the map and knew it was going to be underwhelming, as the map was so empty as to have no sense of scale.
@@bernadmanny omg yes, that's infuriating. of all the things he feels the need to rename for originality and it's the human mind? i haven't even taken a second look at the map, it's so unmemorable to me. my biggest gripe is gwynne relies too heavily on commas to the point sentences are like 6 clauses long and nonsensical.
Omg "Malice" by John Gwynn is the most average, banal, and inoffensive work of fantasy I have ever read. I know that's basically blasphemy here in this corner of booktube, because of course John Gwynn is king of epic fantasy apparently and can do no wrong and deserves to have golden statues of him erected in his honor in every park and and square, but that's serious how I felt about Malice. The book was a 2.5 star read from start to finish and I have ZERO motivation to continue on with that series lmfao XD Was not good enough for me to be interested in what happens next, but was not bad enough for me to even consider hate-read the next book like I do on occasion with some series.
When I first read the series I made it to book 3 and had the exact same thoughts as you just pointed out. Picked the series up again and started over last month and I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s just fun fantasy and that’s okay.
Elliot apologizing for not liking ppl's faves is always funny to me. She means so well and doesnt want to come off rude because the internet is full of overly sensitive fan boys.
Honestly I felt this way about Legends and Lattes. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. It was okay.
Agree!
Me too, it was a solid cosy read but not that memorable. I think the pandemic played a large part in how popular it was - it was a low stakes comfort read and that's what many people needed
My pattern with Malazan is usually this:
"ugh...I can't remember what happened in the last book."
"okay, intriguing start"
"wait, who is that guy?"
"okay I think have a grasp on things"
"god wtf, am I gonna have to give up on this?"
"Ah now I'm back in business after looking at this powerpoint summary some guy did online"
"huh...hold on what did the powerpoint say? This guy has a different name now?"
"what is that again? Googles term + malazan"
"oh shit, now things are getting real!"
"I can't stop reading this."
"What an ending! I better give myself a break"
repeat ad nauseum
Sounds accurate.
I think rating books, especially publicly, has become influenced by peer pressure.
Valid point. If everyone gives it high scores and you wouldn't, it's easier to Nope out of rating it instead of dealing with internet drama of "how dare you not give 5 stars to the 2nd book I've ever read?" Crowd.
@@adrianpillai6645 Honestly why I have a hard time wanting to read super popular books. 😅
"Maybe the Dark One should win" 🤣 I love these types of videos because it helps provide a diversity of opinions on overhyped books. Would also like to see the opposite 😊
I’ve more or less concluded like 95% of books I’ve read are just pretty good. Which in some ways is comforting as a writer. Something that isn’t your cup of tea is someone else’s.
Same honestly. Which is one of the reasons i don't do ratings for things i read (other than the fact i don't believe in rating systems in general).
So much plainly poor writing that gets a pass from so many.
Everything I read has merits and faults and it requires my individual judgment and interpretation to determine which are which. I must accept that many readers do not share my background, but that doesn’t make a book good or bad based on some divine metric.
The first novel I wrote was largely cliche in hindsight, but my readers who don’t have my background love it because they don’t have the same frame of reference. That book is more for them than it is for me.
Tonberry. 💚
'Invisible life of Addie LaRue' - I liked it, it was fine, but it's far from blowing me away as much as the rest of the world seemed to be..
This is so helpful. Half the time everyone absolutely loves a book, i feel like the weirdo for not really feeling it.
for the poppy war, I feel like Rin flipflopping felt real and authentic, rin is struggling with what she has done, but when confronted by others, like most people we try to defend our actions in a effort to feel better or save face etc... its hard enough to try and cope with our poor choices and seld doubt, criticism so people tend to get defensive when others question us in the same way. so I guess for me it works it
I absolutely agree with what you said about the Poppy War, but I continued the trilogy and just continued to not like it all the way through... Also some books that I feel this way about are Babel, Jade City (though I haven't continued the trilogy, I do just feel "meh" about this first book), and Ninth House.
Honestly I feel you. Some books I feel get just overhyped but a lot of books that are loved by many might just not be someone else's cup of tea and that is totally fine. For me Babel was this kind of book. I get the message and I think it is important but the way the message was delivered just didn't work for me at all 🙈
Haha! I respectfully disagree on Malazan and Wheel of Time, which is weird, because I usually mostly vibe the same as you 😊. However, I appreciate your opinion and always look forward to your thoughts 👍😀
I actually had no idea Foundryside was that big of a deal on the book socials tbh. I picked it up randomly months ago during one of my bookstore adventures, got a coffee, and ended up reading nearly half of it there in the store because I enjoyed it so much. I unfortunately have no more space in my home for physical books, which makes me cry, so I didn't buy it there but I did download it on kindle once I got home later. I haven't read the other books yet but I will eventually.
THANK YOU! The inner monologue of every character felt like the same person. No matter who it was, how immature or how wise they were all suddenly philosophers bemoaning the plight of man. I made the same post on reddit and thankfully most Malazan fans agreed.
I think for me, part of my enjoyment of a book is my mood. I definitely felt the same way about the books you mentioned. I either started them and didn't finish, or I read them and didn't move on to the next book. For me, Jade City is a good example. It was ok. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it enough to read the 2nd book.
Always love to hear your thoughts and honesty!
And yes! I would love to hear a part 2 to this and the other ones you plan to do ( eg books people don’t like but you think are ok etc). I find it frustrating (?) & possibly untrue (?) when people all rave about a book yet perhaps they are simply trying to ‘fit in’ ( does that make sense!?) . Thank you so much again. Really love your content & you !
Your video on Fourth Wing was easily the best video I’ve ever watched on TH-cam.
Thanks for explaining why I DNFed Malazan. I'd like to see more of these videos.
I feel this way about Brandon Sanderson. What I've read has left me feeling like, "This is ok...I guess." Same with Rothfuss.
I'm with ye there.
me three. I've read Mistborn and Way of Kings. I tend to find any book where the emphasis is on the "magic system" instead of the prose is just not going to connect with me.
@@TBRKyle try reading Sanderson's book Tress of the Emerald Sea.
It's probably his strongest book -prose wise, and is a super fun whimsical adventure
Omg THANK YOU. I felt like I was the only one who found these two rather… eh.
I LOVED Way of Kings, but after book two I started to sense an "algorithm" or formula to his writing. I've seen it mentioned before that his characters can seem NPCish, which I can definitely see. I sadly lost interest in Stormlight Archive but I plan on reading them later in life LOL. I have most of his books so I'll see how they go...
I actually agree with you on Fourth Wing. I have no clue why that book is so popular. But Foundryside is one where I think the juvenile gets much better in the second book, so I think you could give it a try. LOVED this video! I like hearing you talk about books that you didn't like lol.
I agree with you on The Poppy War, but would also say Mistborn (I read all three and never understood the love), and Gilded Wolves. I am currently on the second book of the Farseer trilogy and giving side-eye to all the glowing reviews, but I am putting my faith in everyone who has promised me that it improves.
*cough*it doesn't 😂. I rage quit at beginning of book3 and this from someone that actually liked books1 and 2 of Farseer.
I started Babel & then DNF’d it cuz, it was ‘just fine’ & I didn’t want to commit to 550 some pages of just fine.
Love your eye makeup!
"Maybe the Dark One should win." I love it. 🤣 I'll be quoting that for a while now.
For Foundryside it’s more the world and the atmosphere- I always wanted to go back to the world whenever
I wasn’t reading and yes the magic system is fascinating!
For me, it’s the Green Bone Saga. I read Jade War… and I just couldn’t go further. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love anything. I listened to the audio book, so maybe that was the issue. Also; I really can’t stand gang wars. I wanted to try it, hoping it would change my mind. It didn’t. Might be a really unpopular opinion
I dnf Jade War. I felt like the first book was setting up for something big, and then the second book didn't do the big thing, it was just more build up. I guess what was happening was the main point, but it just wasn't for me. If I'm not won over by the first book or the first half of the second, I think it's pretty clear the series isn't for me and I should cut my loses.
I just started reading this and I don't think I can keep going with it.
@@saphael77 the first half of the first book is rough. But i persevered and the third book was five stars for me. Series just kept getting better.
These are well loved, but they are all under 3 stars for me: Book Lovers, Get a Life Chloe Brown, Under the Whispering Door, The Sorcery of Thorns, Normal People, The Very Secret Society...
Yesssss
I was just having this conversation about Malazan yesterday 👀 You articulated the issue with the characters’ inner thoughts/voice really well. Definitely agree that books get either way over hyped or completely trashed (both a bit unfairly) so this was a refreshing, nuanced take on some popular books
I had the same experience regarding Poppy War and its sequel that I passed on the final. Empire of Silence doesn't have astronomical review scores, but the book tube ratings are consistently positive. But, I've found the one-star reviews usually are spot on regarding my feelings.
I love The Wheel of Time. I do agree that some of the characters can be really annoying, but the scenes between the characters held my interest and kept me entertained. I really liked the way the plot developed through the series as well.
I couldn’t get into Malazan at all. I made it through the first book, but I couldn’t finish Deadhouse Gates. I was enjoying it at first, but then there were these separate groups of characters all moving through the desert, and I kept getting confused about who they all were, and where they were going and why. I liked your analogy of a child being dropped off and left to fend for itself as opposed to the author not holding your hand. I got just over half way through the book, and it was such a slog that I wasn’t enjoying it at all. So I decided to stop.
I never bash people for not loving Malazan. I've read the whole series plus six more in that world. They can be a chore. I just think Malazan has some of the best scenes I've ever read... I also didn't like Poppy War... But I think the book, for me, that falls in this category is freaking Gentleman Bastards. I do not understand the love for that series.
Interestingly I also didn't really vibe with foundryside and the poppy war. With foundryside I had the same issues. For the poppy war I just didn't like where it was going and the magic system
Fun fact, Fourth Wing is the first release from the new imprint, Red Tower Books. All the books released are focused on being new adult romantasy (fantasy romance). Where the romance and fantasy plot are both the main focus.
I feel like you about The poppy war. I read it during a buddy read, a lot of my friends really liked it and I was like... meh. I get the appeal. It's not for me. Another one would be The rage of dragons, I felt meh about it too and everyone on booktube seems to love it.
I haven't read any of these, but I'm still interested in Foundryside as well as other books by Robert Jackson Bennett. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It always helps to hear detailed analyses about why one person might not have liked a book since that may be the reason another enjoys it!
The final book in the Foundryside trilogy was a big let down for me but his book The Troupe is one of my favorite standalones books of all time. Cried like a baby at the end, it has a beautiful ending/message.
Thanks for this book talk. I think you hit the nail on the head with your comments on “The Poppy War “
Book 2 easy early DNF, author off my list.
😭I pushed through the entire trilogy, all the while feeling like I was losing my mind reading all of the positive reviews and recommendations.
@@JamelSingleton I felt the same way but book 2 ended up a DNF
I did the same with Robert Jordan--dnf'd after the 4th one. I also just did not like or care about the characters enough to continue. I felt the same about Poppy War. I did not like any of the characters enough to continue and was not compelled to find out what happened.
Hey, Elle. I doubt you remember me, but I just wanted to say that it was a joy to listen to you discuss books again (I've been away for a while). Your flow is great and is helping me get through some gnarly code... even as you make me laugh with your characterizations. Thanx! ❤
Could not agree with you more on the Melazan I never want it to fall in love with any book more, but I simply didn’t care about anyone in the story 😩
Same with the poppy war
100% agree with you about Wheel of Time! I started out optimistic but grew to like it less and less, and almost can't stand it now (although channeling is awesome). I think I actually made it through book 5 before I forever DNFd the series. I think if I'd read it as a teen I would've loved it.
Yes please do a part two to this video
What you said about Book 4 of WOT is what I feel reading through book 2 now. I was struggling to find a reason to continue. Some friends convinced me pick up the audiobook instead so I'll give it a shot that way.
They only get more boring. Several books are just 800 pages of traveling
Oh god you are being very nice about the Poppy War, I couldn’t stand this book. I honestly didn’t care about any of the characters because they were all insufferable to me. So whenever something bad happened to them I was like “good riddance!”. Also Rin drove me crazy, after doing so much to get accepted into the school and being chosen by a teacher, she just DOESN’T listen to her teacher! What’s the point then?? God I’m getting heated again about this
Every time I think of this book, I get so heated. I had heard some many great things about this book that once I finished, I had a mini existential crisis that I didn't actually like reading anymore. I heard such great things, and I thought it was so horribly written. I was like, "Dang, I guess I don't actually like reading fantasy anymore..". Then I remembered all of the other books I've love and realized this book was just trash. I'm glad people love it. Love what you love, but I am baffled by how this is considered a good book. I just do not get the appeal at all.
Haha same, Rin is the single worst thing about The Poppy War, but beyond that I just can't agree with the hype and praise that trilogy has received.
For me, it was Babel and Poppy War that was this for me. I'm glad that others seem to like them so much, but I couldn't connect with the plot or characters, especially the characters. And they read like a text book or instruction manual. 😑 Also, most of the "tik tok darling" contemporary romances read like this for me, everything from The Hating Game to Beach Read. Not horrible just meh.
Sad to hear you didn't love Fourth Wing. I absolutely LOVE it!
Your videos are just crazy good
i love when people have different opinions about certain things and then go into concise, well-thought detail explaining why they have those opinions. i believe that everyone in this world is unique, with their own interesting perspective on all things. i like this video and i respect your opinions and i appreciate your willingness to share them with me
The Shadow Rising drove me insane. It's got a COUPLE of REALLY GREAT MOMENTS and sequences that blew me away and I feel like that's what sticks with people but BOY I was glad to finish it.
Almost everyone I know who tried to read WoT but failed gave up around book 4 or 5. I took a long break after book 4, and I only restarted because the TV series gave me the motivation.
Yes part 2 please 🙏🏾 😊
Poppy War was one that came so highly recommended that I thought was pretty awful. In addition to the points Elliot makes, other issues include very uneven and immature writing, characters acting in completely baffling and nonsensical ways, and worst of all, the fact that literally ALL the characters and especially the main character are completely unlikable.
Well I loved malazan from the get go. Doing a re-read right now. I honestly think "Gardens..." is underrated by the Malaz-fans. But hey, nothing is for everyone. If I were to do one of these videos, I'd start with "I don't get why people are reading Sanderson" and then promtly get banned from the internet. Read 6 of his books, Elantris was the only one that was somewhat interesting.
Based on your reviews, I think our tastes overlap. None of these appealed to me except maybe Wheel oT - I’ve read the first two. We always have to decide what to read and what not to read : so we read some crap (or at least start reading it) and equally miss out on some books we could have loved. Like life itself really.
I read Foundyside and the rest of the trilogy. I truly enjoyed this book series. I feel that the last book is the payoff for the magic system. The use of these glyphs to alter reality was a fun concept for me. To me the characters are much better developed further into the story. I gave it 4 1/2 stars. Just my opinion
Could you do a video where you add favourites to your favourites? Basically, I’d like to have more books similar to fireborne.
I liked this video a lot. Have a great day.
After The Poppy War trilogy and Babel I'm convinced now that this author just isn't for me. Maybe her character writing will improve in the future, who knows, but for now, I will ignore the inevitable hype her next books will get.
The Divergent series. The world building was so lacklustre and often just didn’t make any sense at all!
"Maybe the dark ones should win." 😂😂 The only one I've read is Fourth Wing and I DNFed that because I just didn't care. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking it was just fine.
I was REALLY hoping that The Green Bone Saga was on this list. Lol I just do not get the fanfare over it.
I get that people love Wheel of Time but I couldn't finish the first one. I had to bail out after what felt like 300 pages of just hanging out in the village. Even Tolkien got things moving by 100 pages. There's no way I'd make it to book 4, let alone ten more or however many after that.
This kind of videos are great remainders of why idont take most of the booktubers opinions seriously
Honestly, as someone that read WoT back to back and liked the series, i wouldn't say to anyone to push through to certain books if you don't vibe with it. Not every book is for everyone. (i say the same for people that don't enjoy lotr)
I do need to reread the series since i can't remember what events happened in Shadow Rising. WoT blends together for me so don't know what happened in individual books. (i do want to say i only learned recently the fandom had a "slog" term. I never noticed that when i read them. 😂)
Yeah, I haven't used my Goodreads account in years & don't go by the average ratings for books on Goodreads. Godkiller, for example, is a fantastic little read - but on GR it's only got a 3.94 rating. Like what?!? Godkiller is definitely FAR superior to many generic fantasies out there (even Sarah J-blimmin Maas has an extremely high rating - ugh lmao)
Same with Babel - I thought it intelligent and a good read, but I really did not like the last 80-odd pages especially.
Your Fourth Wing book review made me laugh many laughs XD I will not be reading this book!
You and I have such similar tastes that it took all my power not to remove books like Gardens of the Moon off my list because I’m like “hey stop it maybe you’ll still like it” 🙆🏽♀️ Like I actually really enjoyed Foundryside BUT only once I got over the writing and the conversation which you seem to have pointed out as well.
But the fact that you didn’t LOVE The Poppy War is kinda shocking to me I didn’t expect that. Keeping me on my toes heh
This is how I personally feel about The Fifth Season trilogy. I didn't hate it, it just left me feeling so gloomy
Same here! Just finished it, and I thought I was the only one
This is how I feel about ACOTAR and Chain of Gold. I tried to get into it but couldn't.
Here I am on book 9 of Malazan and thinking about a reread 👀👀. I understand totally though that it's definitely a style that doesn't mesh with everyone. I don't really think I've ever recommended malazan to someone lol
))) That's so funny. I quite enjoy the Wheel of time. But also will not recommend this.
I read it 3 times already. But what she says here is almost true. What the problem is: she read only 2 parts. So… her opinion is not really valid. You know exactly what happens in Memories of Ice. Exactly that she lists missing.
@@nazimelmardi I love Malazan, but it isn't for everyone. And if someone goes through 2 books and feel it isn't for them, then they are totally free to say whatever they want, because book 3 and beyond does not suddenly change the style that she didn't like about the first 2.
I love all your videos, but this was especially useful for my TBR!
Definitely do a part 2!
Me and Name of the Wind. I was bored. And then I tried A Wise Man’s Fear and was *super* bored. I absolutely will not read that series again.
I adored WoT when I was younger to the point that I read a book a year and then re-read the first 4-5 books a few times, just because I was afraid that I'd end up without any more WoT to read and I didn't know what I'd do with myself if that happened. As I got older, I started to notice everything that was wrong with the books, and the characters started annoying me more and more the older I got, especially Nyneve, whom I used to love.
I remember loving the 4th book when I first read it and I still think it's the best of the first 4, I absolutely understand why people love it. There are some of the most tantalizing discoveries in that book and hints regarding the world and the history of the world that make you want to know more if you're the kind of person who loves discovering lost knowledge in books. And also, the 4th book is where Rhuidean happens and that's still one of my top 5 moments in all the books I've read, ever.
However, I remember feeling so disappointed last time I read it that such cool stuff was written in a book where all the main characters are so annoying and that I'm forced to follow them if I want to discover all the cool stuff about the world. So.. yeah. I still adore Jordan's world, I just really dislike the characters now.
Oh, Nynaeve is one of the best. Loved how she managed her final task at Aes Sedai test so much. One of my favourite moments of the series.
With Malazan, it's focus is always themes through the lens of subverting the fantasy genre
It's a lot to get used to and not for everyone
"Maybe The Dark One should have won?" LOL😂😂
I so agree with your thoughts on WOT. The characters just grind on my nerves. Also I could live the rest of my life without ever getting another book based on a magic school or academy or whatever. That is such an over saturated concept.
100% with you on Malazan. I don't know why I was supposed to care who won because I couldn't click with any character. Still haven't moved on to book 2.
I heard so many good things about Foundryside. I got it at the library and it sat on my end table for like 3 months before I finally just gave up and returned it. I'm glad everyone seems to love this book but it was not for me and I'm glad to see I wasn't alone lol.
There are so many books my friends like, that get rave reviews, that I just don’t understand, Gideon the Ninth and Beasts made of Night to name a few. But the one book that I hope improves because I think it has potential has gotta be Iron Widow. Xiran seems like such a fun and cool person in their videos but that didn’t come through in their book. A big part for me is that I love seeing the world building in fantasy novels and that may not be high on the pecking order for them (for which we will remain sworn enemies). But it was the codependency on similes, the lack of female friendships, and the Bury Your Gays troupe that let me down so hard. Yet everyone else loves the book. It makes me feel like I’m missing an integral part. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one on the outside like looking in.
As for high average ratings, I suspect I'm not alone in giving things that are "fine" a four star rating when dealing with a rating system with no half stars available.
It just feels a bit mean to give something a three star rating on goodreads when there's nothing really wrong with it.
That may be true.
I personally have no problem rating a “fine” book 3 stars. In a 5 star rating system a 3 star would be average. For me a 4 star is something I really loved but not perfect. A 5 star is really rare and needs to hit all the buttons for me. My most common rating is 3 stars. Now 2 stars or less is when I really dislike something. Those tend to be rare too because those I often DNF before finishing.
@@whisper_dvm5157 Yeah, my four stars aren't that high. They're mostly "I liked it and I don't have any major problems with it"
Sometimes they're "I loved it, but there's that thing I can't really overlook."
My 'okays' are A Darker Shade of Magic, the first three WOTs (the only ones I read), The Queens of Renthia trilogy and Strange the Dreamer.
annnd my popular DNFs are the Fifth Season and Ninth House.
I picked up a book called The Lies of Locke Lamora after someone gushed about how incredible it was. Jeesh. I was interested in the side characters more than the two lead characters. I hated it. So boring and the fantasy elements were so slight I just closed the book and gave it to a used bookstore. I didn't even want to try to haggle the bookstore owner, I just wanted it away from me ASAP.
I very much agree with you about Fourth Wing. 😅
Do you have a favorite book that does the inner voices really good?? I find that most of the time the characters all sound the same. Also I laughed so hard I almost snorted my soda out of my nose when you said maybe the dark one should have won. I did like the Jordan books but I read them back in the 90’s when they first came out so maybe that’s why. But yah I think Rand is annoying too !!
I feel the same way about the "Wheel of Time" characters. I couldn't find a single one I liked so gave up on the series after three books. Kept waiting for it to grab me, or for at least one character to intrigue me, but it just never happened.
I read up to book three of The Wheel of Time. Rand is the only character that I was interested in learning what would happen to him and then he was hardly in book three, which irritated me. So I decided to take a break before picking up book four. Now, it's been at least ten years and I've still not continued with the series, lol.
One of my biggest unpopular opinions: I think the Poppy War trilogy is way over-hyped and precisely thought Rin's characterisation was an absolute train wreck. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So if it's what you most disliked about it I'm afraid it most definitely does NOT get better with books two and three. 😅
My memory of Wheel of Time is that the story started going downhill right after book four and kept getting worse until book eight (where I gave up). And yeah, pretty much the whole cast either always being insufferable or becoming insufferable was the biggest drag on that series.
Part 2 please and thank you.🙂
We're all different in what we like to read and some of us are mood readers too. My unpopular opinion is that Mistborn is very boring...the concept was fantastic, the magic system is awesome and it started off very interesting. It took me ages to finish the series , it just didn't grip me and I couldn't connect with the main characters. That being said, I'm still curious about the second era books and will most probably pick them up. To each his own, it would be a sad world if we all liked the same stories, the poor authors would have a terrible job keeping everyone happy 😅
I feel similarly to you about Mistborn. Everyone seems to rave about it but it was just…fine. But I hate to be a quitter so I’m trying to decide whether to pick up the 2nd book.
I generally find most of his books plodding and dull
Piranesi and The final girl support group were great disappointments for me. Love this kind of videos!
Overall I enjoyed The Poppy War, but I didn't feel the need to continue the series right away. I think I took a year or two off before reading the 2nd book. I did read the 2nd and 3rd books back-to-back, but I'd overall give the series maybe a 3.5 if I rated books. Thanks for the video!
it's completely fine to have own opinions about certain books,
I wouldn't be wondering like "oh I don't like this book that much, but it has 4.something high rating!!!"
It simply means there are lot of other people who like it.
yeah! totally agree, I don't like YA, Iam not the right audience, but I dont feel like, oh wow this ya book has higher rating but "it's just fine" book
Love this!
Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James for me. On the one hand, the world-building is incredible. It has a very surreal, almost dream-like tone to it. The action scenes are very well written. And the performer for the audio book is A+.
However, the story is too....meandering. There are too many tangents, time-skips that you don't realize until halfway through the chapter. Events sort of blur together and the main plot gets completely lost. I've heard that the book gets incredible once you get past these humps and the story streamlines, but I could never get to that point. As much as I enjoyed the narrator and the world, it's hard for me to enjoy a story when there's a giant question mark over my head the entire time. I never finished and sometimes I feel tempted to try again, but then I remember how obtuse the reading experience was for me.
I'm really glad people enjoyed his book and that a sequel is out. More Afro-Fantasy is always welcome in my eye, but this particular one just wasn't for me.
Name of the Wind is this for me. I have this reaction to lots of books people recommend.
Let me pick some fights i guess...
I read six of crows duology and thought the books were fine i guess the hype just got to me.
Wait there's more 😅
Read strange the dreamer and I liked it but again i struggled through so much of the book. I started the sequel and its already more interesting but the lyrical writing is not for me. Put it on temporary dnf for now.
Omg I've never heard someone else feel the same way as me about The Shadow Rising!! Yessssss I totally agree! Everyone says "You need to read shadow Rising!!" And then it just sucks
Interesting, there are so many things that happen in that book, what specifically u didnt like
@@worlddd7777 it was just boring. I felt like nothing happened. WoT fans act like there's all these amazing action packed moments throughout the series, and then I read the specific moments they loved, and they just feel dated. I think a lot of the WoT love is nostalgia, it just largely doesn't hold up to modern fantasy. For the shadow rising, I got to where Rand went out to the desert and did his vision quest with Mat, and I didn't understand any of it. Everyone's told me "oh you'll understand on a re-read, it's doing really cool stuff!" And I'm like, well I want it to make sense now. It's not fun for me while I'm reading it if everything is gonna make sense "eventually" and I'm sure as hell not going to read 14 books all over again, so... I dunno. To each their own, I just didn't enjoy it at all. I did like the first three books though, but they're still quite dated.
@@spencercorpuz Interesting, i still havent decided if Wheel is good or not, but i must say opinion is very divided on it. There are some absolutely fantastic ideas in it, but not sure if they are implemented well.
If u think 14 books is too much, try reading just prologue for Warhammer 40.000 universe, which is 60 books longs. Total madness haha
i'm feeling this way about the shadow of the gods by john gwynne. it's fine, but it's certainly not as great (to me) as the reviews would have you believe. i'm honestly surprised that few people have talked about the actually prose of the book in reviews as i'm finding it very convoluted and overdone.
The way he insisted on using 'thought cage' instead of the word 'mind' was annoying. Plus I took one look at the map and knew it was going to be underwhelming, as the map was so empty as to have no sense of scale.
@@bernadmanny omg yes, that's infuriating. of all the things he feels the need to rename for originality and it's the human mind? i haven't even taken a second look at the map, it's so unmemorable to me. my biggest gripe is gwynne relies too heavily on commas to the point sentences are like 6 clauses long and nonsensical.
Gwynne is way overrated. I can't get the energy to hate his books, but they are certainly not for me.
Omg "Malice" by John Gwynn is the most average, banal, and inoffensive work of fantasy I have ever read. I know that's basically blasphemy here in this corner of booktube, because of course John Gwynn is king of epic fantasy apparently and can do no wrong and deserves to have golden statues of him erected in his honor in every park and and square, but that's serious how I felt about Malice. The book was a 2.5 star read from start to finish and I have ZERO motivation to continue on with that series lmfao XD Was not good enough for me to be interested in what happens next, but was not bad enough for me to even consider hate-read the next book like I do on occasion with some series.
When I first read the series I made it to book 3 and had the exact same thoughts as you just pointed out.
Picked the series up again and started over last month and I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s just fun fantasy and that’s okay.
First Law trilogy, Poppy War, Kingkiller Chronicles, Wheel of Time fall here for me.
i felt this way about the caraval series