Series will always be my highest priority as well, but I figure mixing in some of these from time to time will be a nice reset. I always want to know who the narrator is anyway, so I figure I may as well pass the info along! Thanks for watching my friend!
My feelings about The Sword of Kaigen: the parts that were good were so good. The parts I didn’t care for, suffered in contrast! There are some very abrupt tonal shifts. Sometimes I can get behind abrupt tonal shifts, but they didn’t work well for me in that book. However, the book still has a lasting impact, and I still recommend it! I forgot to mention the Tad Williams book in my standalones video!
I'm very interested to see how well The Sword of Kaigen works for me. Even folks that don't particularly love it have said it's worth the read, so it will happen for sure.
I thought of you and Allie (another member of the server and Outlander megafan,) when I saw Porter's name. I will definitely at least check out Outlander as a series at some point, but there are other things that are a larger priority, and experiencing this narrator in a standalone will give me a sense of her. Thanks for watching as always Kaitlyn!
In the Southsea area of Portsmouth in the UK there is a road called 'Ocean at the End of the Lane'. The road does actually end at the sea! It is really only a bus lane, being only long enough to accommodate two buses in a row. Gaiman was born in a nearby town (Portchester).
I love The Last Unicorn, The Princess Bride, and you know I love The Neverending Story! All the fantasy of my youth. I love the movies and books of all three, and there are differences. I want to rearead The Last Unicorn at some point. The Ocean at the End of the Lane audiobook was THE audiobook that made me a believer in audiobooks!
The Princess Bride and Sword of Kaigen are both on my shelves that I need to pick up. I think you're right about On Stranger Tides, that's one of the reason's that had put it on my radar.
@@BaldBookTuber Jim Dale and the Harry Potter series were probably one of my first experiences with audiobooks. He is great. I highly recommend the quirky TV show Pushing Daisies, which included fun narration by Jim Dale.
I’m like you in being woefully inexperienced with fantasy standalones-I have most of these on my tbr too and am particularly excited to get into GGK which will provide what I hope is worthy material for Simon Vance’s greatness!
I loved Strange and Norrell- took a while to get into but loved it so much that I was sad when it ended. It is a relaxing book to read- what I call a 'cup of tea and slippers' book (I'm British :-))
Awesome video Scot! The Prestige is actually a fairly appropriate comparison for the Night Circus. I love the book. Strange & Norrell and Library at Mount Char are both on my list. Gaiman’s narration is amazing I think.
This video sparks joy. About half my top 10 is here including my favorite stand alone ever. Let me know when you are reading On the Stranger Tides, I want to try Powers soon, so if I can I will fit it in
(insert Princes Bride GIF here) Yeah! The Princes Bride is a great and hilarious book, like the movie. I’ve got the deluxe edition on my wishlist, and definitely want to re-read it. Lord of Light isn’t strictly fantasy, but isn’t strictly sci-fi either. If you insist on only one category, it’d probably have to be sci-fi, but I reckon it can sit easily in either/both. Hope you like it! 🙂
Lots of classic standalone on here. I have owned The Mists of Avalon forever and have yet to read it, I didn't know about the controversy until I joined book tube and did a bookshelf tour and someone informed me. A more modern one I didn't see on this list would be Priory of the Orange Tree if you like dragons everywhere, it does start quite slow for the first like 20-25% but it starts really taking off after that.
Thanks Rodger! I actually had Priory of the Orange Tree on this list for quite a while, but it seemed like everyone I knew who had read it was pretty lukewarm on it. Glad to see that you ended up enjoying it! I see that Samantha Shannon is releasing a prequel to the story this year - will you be reading it on release? Looks like Feb 28th.
@@BaldBookTuber So I am currently reading priory at this moment (I'm like 35% in) so things could change but I think so far it's like a 4 star experience, not my favorite thing of all time but I am enjoying the world with the hidden sect of mages and the warring factions of dragons. I saw that prequel, probably won't get to it exactly on release but I will def get to it sooner rather than later if the back half of Priory is great (especially since I got suckered by the beautiful Broken Binding editions and will own it either way lmao)
Sword of Kaigen is my favorite stand alone novel. I was looking for that emotional hit since Hobb and I found it for sure! Mists of Avalon was one of my first big epic fantasy books I read decades ago and it blew my mind to read the Arthurian tales from the women's point of view. It's so hard to reconcile the wonderful experience I had with the terrible person the author was.
@@BaldBookTuber Yes! Wang deals with the aftermath of tragedy and war in the best way I've read since Hobb. I still can't believe she got me so emotionally hooked in one novel.
That's great to hear - I had heard that it felt like a video game at some point in the story, and A)I really don't know what that means and B) that isn't exactly what I want. But based on your description, and several reviewers I trust loving it, I need to push it up!
Tim Powers is amazing and On Stranger Tides is a good book. Disney did license it for the Pirates... franchise but took very little from the actual book except some plot points. I personally think both Declare and The Anubis Gates are better Powers books but you gotta start somewhere. I found Ocean At The End Of The Lane pretty creepy but it is both well written and well narated.
Appreciate it Raf! Anubis Gates is likely where I'll start with Powers, but when I looked into it, it looked like it was part of a series, so it didn't count for this particular video. Appreciate the additional info on the adaptation for On Stranger Tides. Creepy is fine with me. :) Have a good one man.
Ooh fantasy standalones are something i need to get to once I've caught up with all the series 🤣
I love that you always tell us who the narrator is
Series will always be my highest priority as well, but I figure mixing in some of these from time to time will be a nice reset. I always want to know who the narrator is anyway, so I figure I may as well pass the info along! Thanks for watching my friend!
My feelings about The Sword of Kaigen: the parts that were good were so good. The parts I didn’t care for, suffered in contrast! There are some very abrupt tonal shifts. Sometimes I can get behind abrupt tonal shifts, but they didn’t work well for me in that book. However, the book still has a lasting impact, and I still recommend it!
I forgot to mention the Tad Williams book in my standalones video!
I'm very interested to see how well The Sword of Kaigen works for me. Even folks that don't particularly love it have said it's worth the read, so it will happen for sure.
Davina porter is an amazing narrator! I hope you enjoy her!
I thought of you and Allie (another member of the server and Outlander megafan,) when I saw Porter's name. I will definitely at least check out Outlander as a series at some point, but there are other things that are a larger priority, and experiencing this narrator in a standalone will give me a sense of her. Thanks for watching as always Kaitlyn!
I am planning on reading War of the Flowers this month! Jimmy made it sound pretty damn good!
Awesome! You'll have to let me know what you think!
Great list. I noticed some of Chas' favourites there too. 😉
For sure! I know Chas is a huge Gaiman fan, and Ocean is his very favorite. Thanks Chadia!
In the Southsea area of Portsmouth in the UK there is a road called 'Ocean at the End of the Lane'. The road does actually end at the sea! It is really only a bus lane, being only long enough to accommodate two buses in a row. Gaiman was born in a nearby town (Portchester).
That’s really cool. Of the books on this list, this is one that I am most eagerly wanting to get to.
Yes please. For me, 100% Sword of Kaigen is getting read, and maybe The Night Circus. Great video.
Thanks Theo! Both books could go either way for me, so that's exciting!
I love The Last Unicorn, The Princess Bride, and you know I love The Neverending Story! All the fantasy of my youth. I love the movies and books of all three, and there are differences. I want to rearead The Last Unicorn at some point. The Ocean at the End of the Lane audiobook was THE audiobook that made me a believer in audiobooks!
Your seal of approval on so many of these tells me I'm on to something Johanna! Thanks as always my friend!
The Princess Bride and Sword of Kaigen are both on my shelves that I need to pick up. I think you're right about On Stranger Tides, that's one of the reason's that had put it on my radar.
Thanks Jane, and thanks for being a huge part of the inspiration for this video! I appreciate you!
Princess Bride has been on my TBR for decades... one of these days...
Dude - same! I need to quick procrastinating and make it happen one of these days! Thanks for the first watch and comment sir!
@@BaldBookTuber Jim Dale and the Harry Potter series were probably one of my first experiences with audiobooks. He is great. I highly recommend the quirky TV show Pushing Daisies, which included fun narration by Jim Dale.
I haven't watched that show yet, but it's one I've always been interested in and never got around to. Good to know!
I’m like you in being woefully inexperienced with fantasy standalones-I have most of these on my tbr too and am particularly excited to get into GGK which will provide what I hope is worthy material for Simon Vance’s greatness!
Always good to see a fellow Vance appreciator - dude is amazing.
I loved Strange and Norrell- took a while to get into but loved it so much that I was sad when it ended. It is a relaxing book to read- what I call a 'cup of tea and slippers' book (I'm British :-))
I have certainly enjoyed what I’ve read of it, and will get back to it at some point. Thanks Andrea!
Awesome video Scot! The Prestige is actually a fairly appropriate comparison for the Night Circus. I love the book. Strange & Norrell and Library at Mount Char are both on my list. Gaiman’s narration is amazing I think.
Great to hear, and thanks my friend! i really hope The Night Circus is up my alley, because it seems like it will be.
I really want to get to some more standalones, really intrigued by Lord of Light and War of the Flowers! Great list my man!
Thanks my dude! Lord of Light definitely has me intrigued for sure!
This video sparks joy. About half my top 10 is here including my favorite stand alone ever. Let me know when you are reading On the Stranger Tides, I want to try Powers soon, so if I can I will fit it in
Sounds good my friend! We’ll make it happen!
(insert Princes Bride GIF here)
Yeah! The Princes Bride is a great and hilarious book, like the movie. I’ve got the deluxe edition on my wishlist, and definitely want to re-read it.
Lord of Light isn’t strictly fantasy, but isn’t strictly sci-fi either. If you insist on only one category, it’d probably have to be sci-fi, but I reckon it can sit easily in either/both. Hope you like it! 🙂
Good to hear my friend, and thanks for watching! I just need to find room in my crazy TBR for all these awesome books waiting for me!
@@BaldBookTuber The struggle is real. 😆
Lots of classic standalone on here. I have owned The Mists of Avalon forever and have yet to read it, I didn't know about the controversy until I joined book tube and did a bookshelf tour and someone informed me. A more modern one I didn't see on this list would be Priory of the Orange Tree if you like dragons everywhere, it does start quite slow for the first like 20-25% but it starts really taking off after that.
Thanks Rodger! I actually had Priory of the Orange Tree on this list for quite a while, but it seemed like everyone I knew who had read it was pretty lukewarm on it. Glad to see that you ended up enjoying it! I see that Samantha Shannon is releasing a prequel to the story this year - will you be reading it on release? Looks like Feb 28th.
@@BaldBookTuber So I am currently reading priory at this moment (I'm like 35% in) so things could change but I think so far it's like a 4 star experience, not my favorite thing of all time but I am enjoying the world with the hidden sect of mages and the warring factions of dragons. I saw that prequel, probably won't get to it exactly on release but I will def get to it sooner rather than later if the back half of Priory is great (especially since I got suckered by the beautiful Broken Binding editions and will own it either way lmao)
Sword of Kaigen is my favorite stand alone novel. I was looking for that emotional hit since Hobb and I found it for sure! Mists of Avalon was one of my first big epic fantasy books I read decades ago and it blew my mind to read the Arthurian tales from the women's point of view. It's so hard to reconcile the wonderful experience I had with the terrible person the author was.
If you're saying this hits the feels as hard as a Hobb book, I better bring it higher up the tbr! Thanks Jennifer!
@@BaldBookTuber Yes! Wang deals with the aftermath of tragedy and war in the best way I've read since Hobb. I still can't believe she got me so emotionally hooked in one novel.
That's great to hear - I had heard that it felt like a video game at some point in the story, and A)I really don't know what that means and B) that isn't exactly what I want. But based on your description, and several reviewers I trust loving it, I need to push it up!
Tim Powers is amazing and On Stranger Tides is a good book. Disney did license it for the Pirates... franchise but took very little from the actual book except some plot points. I personally think both Declare and The Anubis Gates are better Powers books but you gotta start somewhere. I found Ocean At The End Of The Lane pretty creepy but it is both well written and well narated.
Appreciate it Raf! Anubis Gates is likely where I'll start with Powers, but when I looked into it, it looked like it was part of a series, so it didn't count for this particular video. Appreciate the additional info on the adaptation for On Stranger Tides. Creepy is fine with me. :) Have a good one man.
Jake put A Brightness Long Ago on my list. Not sure when I'll get to it though.
His love for GGK is infectuous - it’s an author I really need to get to.
@@BaldBookTuber Tigana was great, that’s all of his I’ve read.
@@BaldBookTuber all a part of the plan
You’re executing it to perfection dude.
@@jakebishop7822 Could change your channel name to the GGK Prophet lmao.