The Most Disappointing Books of 2023 (My Unpopular Opinions)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ส.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 227

  • @suzannemoore404
    @suzannemoore404 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

    You shouldn't lose any sleep about the books you didn't care for. Everyone has varying tastes and reading is so subjective. We appreciate you Petrik!❤

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you so much! Totally true, Suzanne! :)

  • @ahlamhossain7906
    @ahlamhossain7906 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +40

    We just want honest reviews, which you deliver beautifully. Thank you, Petrik

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Always! You're welcome. And thank you!

  • @bagbagsbags7425
    @bagbagsbags7425 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    I think negative reviews are very useful. Lowering our expectations before reading will actually lead to better experience, because if we end up liking them it will be a nice surprise.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Now that is a good point! I have certainly experienced that. Just recently actually with Cytonic. It was not as bad as I thought it would be.

  • @thebookborough
    @thebookborough 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

    I like seeing both positive and negative reviews because honesty comes with both. And I can't remember most of what I read in WoT 😅. The relationships were the worst part. Totally agree with Perrin's relationship, it made no sense whatsoever.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Very true on reviewing. That's why I still post them all on my Goodreads account. I just don't feel it's necessary to post too much on them, too, on my channel. Also, not a surprise regarding on Wheel of Time. There are way too many superflous details. xD

  • @vivekkhimself
    @vivekkhimself 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    Always fun to see a video like this once in a while, always reminds me of your transparency and honesty in your reviews and opionions.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      I don't like making it, but at the same time, I do believe it is necessary to post as long that it's not all the time. 😅 Talking about books I dislike too often actually gets me down.

    • @vivekkhimself
      @vivekkhimself 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@PetrikLeoyes yes, you've mentioned it previously as well. I also believe that you should do what satisfies you the most! Unrelated but did you join the SunEater server? People were trying to find ways to invite you but don't know what happened next. CR also comes by frequently. (Ignore if this is a repeated comment, I've been trying to send but it gets deleted.)

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@vivekkhimself I don't think I've been asked or invited! TH-cam comments don't allow links so that's probably why I haven't received any. That said, I don't want to feel like I'm intruding or something. 😂

    • @vivekkhimself
      @vivekkhimself 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo oh no! Yeah youtube dosen't allow the links. We always welcome you, you won't be intruding. I'll try to get you the link somehow. Thanks for the reply!

  • @PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
    @PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    Normally, any fantasy author would be thrilled to be mentioned in a video by you, Petrik. In this case, however, it’s a relief not to be mentioned! I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy The God Is Not Willing, but I wish you the best for your remaining books of 2023!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Thank you so much, Philip! Haha I guess that's true. 😂 I wish you the best reading, too!

  • @Lila_S.
    @Lila_S. 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Ah, the delicate line of reviewing- when you have to be truthful and don't want to be hurtful. It's hard and I applaud you for doing an admirable job, Petrik.
    I haven't read newest Fletcher, but I do have some fears about it because to me it felt he developed, as a writer, in other direction and that was a series he wrote years ago. And even I am not the same reader I was when I was reading it. I love him, but nothing really reached the same heights as Manifest Delusions for me. :(
    As for Malazan, it's one of my favorite series, and I love how it's wrapped up so I wasn't into other books set in the same world at all. I actually read interview or ama where Erikson explained his vision about Karsa not even being in the book about Karsa and many readers were all into his explanation, but I am on the fence.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much, Lila! It means a lot to hear that. And yeah, Manifest Delusions is so far the height of his writing, imo. That said, I have high hopes for the Obsidian Path trilogy, which I know is now finished! I had a great time reading Black Stone Heart! As for God is Not Willing, I know I'm on the unpopular opinion side. But I truly couldn't bring myself to feel immersed and compelled by the narrative, no matter how much I wanted to. :(

  • @esmayrosalyne
    @esmayrosalyne 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    You never have to justify why you choose to only share your favourite reading experience on your YT, there's enough negativity already in the world! That said, I do really appreciate the occasional disappointments list because that only helps getting to know your tastes better. Very sorry that Sanderson had some bummers in there this year, but hey, what can you expect when the man has written SO many bangers!
    And I hope I enjoy A War to End All more whenever I may get to it, but I have to admit the priority is not high 👀
    Thanks for sharing, Petrik!!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you so much, Esmay! Yeah that's true. I completely agree with you regarding the frequency of sharing negative reviews. It's only understandable that some books by Sanderson won't click with me. The guy writes way too many books at such a rapid pace hahaha. I hope you'll enjoy A War to End All more than I did! :)

  • @jameswitts3793
    @jameswitts3793 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I appreciate your honesty about the Malazan books
    I'm reading Forge of Darkness and I'm looking forward to something that isn't Book of the Fallen but in the Malazan world

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you, James! I hope you have better reading experience on Kharkanas trilogy than I did!

  • @lindafletcher1628
    @lindafletcher1628 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Thank you Petrik. It helps me to know what a reviewer likes/dislikes because I can compare my reviews to yours which allows me to invest time in reading/not reading your recommendations.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      You're so welcome! Yeah, that's why I think video like this is necessary once in a while! 😁

  • @andreabknight
    @andreabknight 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    You might find the audiobooks useful if you have a problem with the slower Wheel of Time books. Its worth getting through it as the pace picks up with the Sanderson books and the reward of completing wheel of time is massive- many people feel a sense of profound loss when there are no more books. I had to start an immediate re-read... 😆

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      If only I can do audiobook, I would've done it! But no worries. I will certainly persevere through the series. Two more slog books to go! :)

    • @andreabknight
      @andreabknight 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo Ah, ok I didn't realise you don't have access to the audiobooks!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@andreabknight no no, I have access to them. I just can't concentrate using them. 😂😂

  • @historymax5479
    @historymax5479 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I liked all 4 secret projects, but I see why they didn't agree with you. WOT 7 and 8 should've been combined with 6 and 9, respectively. The plots flow together and work much better that way. 10 should've been cut entirely. I do not envy you for the next 2 books, man. Also, when are you going to read Will Wight's new series, The Last Horizon? I've finished both books and I'm loving it! He even has bloopers at the end!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I haven't read book 9 and 10 of The Wheel of Time, but book 7 and 8 could certainly be reedited and combined into one book. I'm not sure when I will read The Last Horizon yet, though! I think I'll wait for more books first for this series! :)

  • @rajtheleepan
    @rajtheleepan 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Hey Petrik, ignore what ppl saying. There is always a liking to negativity in this world. One fantastic thing that i loved about your videos is positivity - the way you admire books - going in as detailed as appreciating cover artists. Let it be as is, please. Any book is a good book in my opinion. Cos, taste differs. There is a lot of effort being put in for one single book to come out to readers. We may like it or not - thats our personal opinion - just as for movies. Many hate Name of the wind series, mainly cos its incomplete - but that doesn make that a bad book iykyk. Its a classic example on how is a person's perception. For negative reviews, your goodreads review is good enough, like you said, i feel its unnecessary to post it all over again in your videos.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! As I said, I tend to spotlight books that I love than what I dislike on my channel. I post this kind of video only about twice a year. It's more like to inform what did not work for me for the sake of transparency rather than to really spotlight how much I dislike them all the time.

  • @zenthepoet.
    @zenthepoet. 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    Reading Disillusionment just dropped!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Disillusionment!? 😂😂

    • @brokenredflag
      @brokenredflag 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hi their😊

    • @zenthepoet.
      @zenthepoet. 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@brokenredflag always

  • @surpriseitsus9622
    @surpriseitsus9622 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I appreciate your opinions. Every booktuber I watch has both good and disappointing books, like Murphy, Mike, etc. Have a great holiday season. 🎄 ✨

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! I truly appreciate that! 😃

  • @kerisbookishcorner2864
    @kerisbookishcorner2864 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I do enjoy watching content on books people didn’t enjoy and why because sometimes those are books I would enjoy based on those reasons, since all tastes are different.
    I personally get just as much out of both positive and negative as long as there is a ‘why’ for both so I can figure out if I think it’s for me. 😊

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Very true! I can agree with that. It's when people say "this is trash" without any reason that I find the video a bit useless other than to hate. 😂

    • @kerisbookishcorner2864
      @kerisbookishcorner2864 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo yes I agree with that too!

  • @ulflilienthal8120
    @ulflilienthal8120 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Petrik, your content is great. Keep up the good work. Would much rather see more positive reviews anyway. One or 2 videos like this that hilight the 5-10 books that disappointed you the most and why would be helpful for those of us that share our taste on books and authors with you. In most cases if you are disappointed in a particular book I may still read it sometime, but may read via kindle or audible first before investing in a physical book for my collection.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! And yeah, I certainly don't plan to post a lot of videos like this per year. :)

  • @liviajelliot
    @liviajelliot 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I get you with Sunlit Man, I haven't read it, but the "expectations kills book" thing has happened to me in other books. I haven't read Robert Jordan (yet!) to comment, but I was surprised at "A war...", but I can get it. Sidelining main characters sometimes is not what readers are expecting! Great video, and thanks for the honesty!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you so much, Livia! Expectations and excitement can be beneficial or disadvantageous toward a book. 🤣

  • @brianlagrant9757
    @brianlagrant9757 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I liked all of Erickson's Malazan's book up to the last book, which I found kind of a slag to get through. Maybe it's just me, but I feel he became way too philosophical in is later writing; to the point where I had no idea what was going on anymore. Perhaps I'm just not smart enough to follow along, but I had to give him up, which is a shame because the early Malazan books are some of the best fantasy books I've ever read.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You're not too wrong on that. I feel The Kharkanas trilogy and also The God is Not Willing are plagued with that barrage of philosophical that hinders the pacing.

  • @safinan8008
    @safinan8008 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I did have a lot of disappointing books too this year, hopefully it only can get better. happy reading to you!! 🎉

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Good luck, Safina! Happy reading to you! 😁

  • @jacobwilliams1285
    @jacobwilliams1285 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Feel the same way about the Steven Erikson books. Tried, but couldnt get through. Now unlike you, I dont love the Malazan books either , but I found them more readable than his last week books ( same for Fall of Light yes)

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I still love Malazan Book of the Fallen VERY much. But yeah, the Kharkanas trilogy and The God is Not Willing... Not so much. :/

  • @focusrelax8838
    @focusrelax8838 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I really like the opinions you give, straightforward and simple.
    Question: you read so much so you have a large fantasy-sci-fi library in your memory and have you ever wondered to write a novel yourself?

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you! For your question, long story short, yes if time and financial favor me. :)

    • @focusrelax8838
      @focusrelax8838 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Like most of us :) and thansk for answering your viewers / fans questions

  • @ernstbrehm1135
    @ernstbrehm1135 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    You make great videos Petrik, that’s why I never miss one. Keep doing what you’re doing👍🏼

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      And I truly appreciate that, Ernst. Thank you so much! 🙂

  • @smithlady
    @smithlady 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Im soooo bummed you were disappointed by TGINW bc i was looking forward to it, but our tastes have differed in the past so im still hoping!!!
    I liked book 9 of WoT surprisingly but it wasnt a good series in my opinion. Have you seen how much Philip chase has been enjoying Janny Wurts’ Wars of Light & Shadow???

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeahhh I hope you will love it more than I did! MANY people loved it. I will be, FINALLY, reading Wars of Light and Shadow this month. A kind viewer sent me a copy of the first three books!

  • @cipriansirbu3699
    @cipriansirbu3699 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I haven't read The Sunlit Man yet,but I'm on the same page with Path of Daggers,I really struggled with it,bottom two,alongside Crossroads of Twilight. I don't wish to watch negative reviews,just be true with your opinions,which I know you are.
    P.S. I see a special edition of The Riyria Revelations behind you,hopefully you will show them to us in your next book-haul 😁.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you so much, Ciprian! Oh yes, I absolutely will showcase The Riyria Revelations special edition in my next book haul. I will take pictures of them and share them on my Discord soon first! :)

  • @vikillustrations
    @vikillustrations 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I have been stuck on the Path of Daggers for the second year now, just no will to keep listening... but now, oddly enough, you gave me motivation to get back to it, so thank you :D

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You can do it!! The second half is better, imo. 😁

    • @Rendref
      @Rendref 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Just start washing silk dresses while listening to it on at least 2.5 speed....

  • @fcsolis
    @fcsolis 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Those new Riyria books by Michael J. Sullivan look good on the the shelf. There's so much lackluster reception for Brandon Sanderson's Frugal Wizard and Sunlit Man. I'll probably read them regardless. Thank you.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you! I think they look pretty too. I hope you'll enjoy Frugal Wizard better than we all did! 😂

  • @BrianBell7
    @BrianBell7 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I feel you on the infamous slog. I remember finishing Knife of Dreams and saying “omg FINALLY another good WoT book!” Hopefully you can push through books 9 and 10 quickly enough to get back to enjoying what you started the series for. Another excellent video!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much, Brian! That's the plan. I will read book 9 next month. And then I only have the dreadful book 10 left to go through!

    • @alexvaldiers9788
      @alexvaldiers9788 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The problem IMO is that book 11 is good, 12 is amazing, 13 is okay and 14 is dreadful. It kinda doesn’t make it worth it to go through the slog.

  • @m.j.johnsonbooks7856
    @m.j.johnsonbooks7856 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Not sure if I’m ready for this video

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      It's.. PAIN. For me even more.

  • @mixedmattaphors
    @mixedmattaphors 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    "For me, it definitely started from, book number seven." Pretty savage takedown, lol. It is fun to see understated burns.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hahaha just being honest. 😂😂

  • @strangementalitypaperYT
    @strangementalitypaperYT 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    You don't have explain yourself or apologize. We can learn just as much from "negative" videos as we can from positive. Screw the tone police. You rock, Petrik!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you so much. I appreciate that! 😃

  • @ryan6d2
    @ryan6d2 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I like seeing videos you are passion about - negative or positive.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! 😁

  • @seanhalpin87
    @seanhalpin87 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    A wild unpopular petrik has appeared
    *throw Pokéball*

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Catch me if you can! 😂

  • @Hobbes985
    @Hobbes985 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    You’re so honest, Petrik, and therefore I trust your reviews so much, that I sometimes get burned by your reccs lol😂 for eg- I think Malice by John Gwynne is super overrated, but I really loved The Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin Hobb. Total opposite to you! Keep up the good work. We love your honesty and integrity.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hahaha I think that's normal! It will be stranger if my recommendation works 100%. None of us are the exact same individual after all!

  • @ryerye3147
    @ryerye3147 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I have a Did not/Could not finish shelf.. some I want to revisit as my taste matures. thanks for the great work as always

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      You're welcome! I have some books I DNF that I plan to visit again someday! 😁

  • @PeachyKeen10
    @PeachyKeen10 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    A tip for WOT books 9 and 10. You can skim (or even skip) Elayne's chapters because her storyline in those books has no effect on later books. That should make the books more bearable.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That is a good advice. I will take that into account. Elayne's chapters and Perrin's are the worst.

  • @Rendref
    @Rendref 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I felt absolutely the same way about Sunlit Man, that I just finished a week ago. Too much action, not enough character moments. I was also not a fan of how some of the Cosmere laws/magics were used in a new way that kinda starts to look like a softer use of everything, where anything is possible if we bent the rules a bit.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The too much action really is something I agree with. It felt like watching a flashy action movie with no substance.

  • @larryhodge3107
    @larryhodge3107 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    PoD was my least favorite WoT book by far. I liked CoS though I agree it was a big step down from LoC. In my opinion tSR, FoH & LoC are the best of the series and taken together they are the best 3 book stretch in fantasy. Those 3 books were so amazing that the lesser quality of the next 4 books felt worse than it actually was. None of the next 4 are as bad as people let on like they are; not on rereads anyway.
    I was reading them as they came out. My biggest issue with PoD wasn't what was in the book but what wasn't in it. There was something missing, lol.
    I had been waiting for a year to find out what happened after the ending of book 7 only to not get any details about a certain something in book 8 and then have to wait 2 more years to find out. It was torture, lol.
    But as much as it pains me to admit you will probably not like the next two books that much either since you don't like Perrin, Faile and Elyane. The slog in those books are two plotlines involving those characters. I won't get into it due to spoilers but even I, a WoT superfan, will admit those two plotlines drag on too long. If you don't like Perrin by now you won't suddenly like him in these books I don't think. In my opinion book 4 was the highlight for Perrin until book 11. Book 13 is also a very good Perrin book too. Even I'll admit there is no good Elyane book though there are a few good scenes from time to time.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I really love Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos. They were surprisingly incredible. But as you said, the next books after turned into something worse because of them haha. Urgh... Thanks for the encouragement. I will do my best. But yeah, you're right. Perrin, Faile, and Elayne are the worst of the series for me. It felt unfathomable. Even with the context of the series, Perrin is so obsessed with Faile despite their toxic relactionship. As you said, though, book 11 or 13 might redeem him but that's a LONG time hahaha.

  • @CoverswithCassidy
    @CoverswithCassidy 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Reading is so subjective, and personally I think a review talking about things that didn't work for you can sometimes be more helpful for a book finding its audience than a review just gushing about a book. I find ppl are very constructive in "negative" reviews and it helps me find what we have in common and dont have in common. As always though great reviews!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you! And that is true! But personally and comparatively speaking, I very rarely read a book due to reading or hearing negative reviews. Constructive review is a different story, but a totally negative review where it just talks harshly about everything inside a book (I've been guilty of this, too) never convinced me to try reading a book. That said, I do talk about the books I dislike as constructively as possible, most of the time on my monthly wrap-up, but well, not all my subscribers watch my monthly wrap-up hahaha. I don't know, this is something I'm still trying to do and juggle better. I want to make sure I can actually provide constructive criticism on a dedicated negative review rather than going on a full blown rant.

    • @CoverswithCassidy
      @CoverswithCassidy 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo I agree im not a fan of a rant review! But love a constructive "negative" review! I loved this video of yours. It felt very insightful to what did or didn't work for you!
      Instead of one book reviews cause I get those would suck to be negative only. I think something like this every couple months when you have enough to talk about would work well!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@CoverswithCassidy Something like this every few months sounds feasible. Maybe once a quarter. I'll think about this. Thank you so much, Cassidy! 😊

  • @bookmarkswithjason9445
    @bookmarkswithjason9445 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I just finished The Dragon Reborn, and it just didn’t work for me. I enjoyed eye of the world and adored great hunt, so this was disappointing. I had high hopes considering how well reviewed this installment is. Not a good sign being that I haven’t reached the slog yet.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      All I can say is best of luck. I found Shadow Rising to be one of the weakest of the series, but Fires of Heavean and Lord of Chaos rejuvenated my interest in the series! 😁

  • @tonycarel1785
    @tonycarel1785 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I for one am glad to see popular authors on the list! (Imop Brandon Sanderson is a little overrated and becoming too mainstream) great video thou

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Haha thank you! I tend to love Sanderson's books, but his rapid and many books doesn't mean he can keep on pouring great books. Especially when it's something as experimental as the secret project novels!

  • @ronaldwatson3862
    @ronaldwatson3862 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Most of those were pretty popular opinions I think, at least concerning the Sanderson and the WoT novels. No one likes to be disappointed, but we all feel it sometimes.
    My most disappointing books I've finished* reading in 2023 (My Really Unpopular Opinions):
    - A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. This is my only 1-star book that I finished reading this year. Horrible downturn to the Shades of Magic series. Worst Read in 2023.
    - Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. I thought I would love Flintlock Fantasy, but resolutions were so bad, and repeated exactly the same in 5/6 storylines.
    - The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan. The plot is so paper thin - go do a thing. no, you didn't do it right for the other books to happen, so go do it again.
    - Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson. My fingers are still wrinkled after reading 20+ boring bath and eating scenes.
    - The Black Prism by Brent Weeks. The MC is evil, slaps his teenage son and knocks him out, and this causes his son to now idolize (not hate) him. No joke. That happens.
    - The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter. The MC doesn't understand the rules of his own world, makes dumb decisions, faces zero consequences, everyone else suffers instead.
    Most of those books are beloved by the fantasy community, so clearly it's just me! It's interesting to see books some love, but others are disappointed by.
    * I put the disclaimer of "finished reading" because I had 3 DNF's this year that would qualify. But, they didn't get a full and fare shake. They were Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (DNF 3 pages in), The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (DNF 3 chapters in), and The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (DNF at 25%). I guess they were my most disappointing openings of 2023.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I will say half of my list are unpopular opinions, the rest are probably more varied. And from your list, I can only agree with A Gathering of Shadows. I gave that book 1.5 stars. I can't believe A Darker Shade of Magic, which I enjoyed, could lead to that. So much potential thrown away. The rest, as you said, you might be the only one disliking them hahaha.

  • @andreabknight
    @andreabknight 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Yay- Salty Petrik is back 😁

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Just a bit! Hahaha :D

  • @Morfeusm
    @Morfeusm 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    While Frugal Wizard was meh for me and it kind of reminded me of those old sci-fi magazine stories, my biggest disappointment of the year was definitely Perks of Being Wallflower. I mean it’s one of these mysterious things in universe how so many millions can love book so much and I find myself not seeing it at all.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I actually enjoyed watching that movie. But yeah, I don't have any motivation to try out the book. 😂

    • @LuckbeaSladey
      @LuckbeaSladey 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I felt this way about The Secret History. Very cool setting, very interesting idea, but fell so flat I just didn’t get the love for it. How you take in a book is so influenced and conditional on your experiences up to the point when you read the book, it could be they you’d have loved it had it been on your TBR at a different time in life.

  • @papaflow3116
    @papaflow3116 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    ***Notices the top of Meruem's head on T-shirt.... Smashes subscribe button***

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hahaha! Good catch! 😂

  • @angelaholmes8888
    @angelaholmes8888 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Here's my disappointing reads
    End of watch by Stephen king
    Camp zero by Michelle min sterling
    The reunion by kayla Olsen
    Normal people by sally Rooney
    A chain of iron and gold
    The flatshare by beth o'Leary misrule by heather walter sequel to malice
    Poster girl by veronica roth

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I haven't read any of them. Whew! 😂

    • @angelaholmes8888
      @angelaholmes8888 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo good for you 😉

  • @irmanizajamal6132
    @irmanizajamal6132 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    When I saw this thumbnail, I legit said out loud, "Yeay! Salty Petrik!" 😅

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Omg 🤣🤣

  • @DrMetalpin
    @DrMetalpin 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I think hearing negative reviews sometimes helps following understand a reviewer more than positive ones. Post occasional negative video reviews. Most people that follow TH-cam aren’t paying much attention to Goodreads. I have been on goodreads for many years, but honestly I never even think about it when I’m watching a content creator on TH-cam.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah, I definitely have realized this. I actually do post and talk about the things I dislike constructively on my channel, but most of the time they're on videos like this and also monthly wrap-ups. I think it's also because I started from Goodreads that I kept thinking most people who follow me here came from there. Apparently not... :D

  • @thatsci-firogue
    @thatsci-firogue 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I was more lukewarm on The God is Not Willing, it had enough redeeming qualities to keep it away from a Disappointing list for me but yeah, far from a favourite read of the year.
    My most disappointing read would R Scott Bakker's detective novel Disciple of the Dog.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeahhh... I was surprised to hear you didn't love God is Not Willing. Now I'm not surprised... 😂

  • @MCBGamer
    @MCBGamer 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I think negative reviews are useful. I enjoy the way you handle them already though. Please don't do more. A lot of content nowadays is so driven by ragebait and clicks it is just distressing. Not everything has to be negative and I truly think how you currently handle your channel and your Goodreads is phenomenal. It's a brightspot in an otherwise dark void.
    A sidenote: You have been an inspiration to me as have several other smaller book youtubers. Thank you for doing what you do.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I totally get that, and I'm so tired with negative contents too. That's why I post these kind of videos only about twice or three times per year. 😅

  •  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I actually really respect you for not trying to gain views from negative content - it’s so easy and cheap. All those ‘I read Fourth Wing so you don’t have to’ videos are pathetic: you have one life!!! Why read something you know is not your style???
    I’m so happy for content creators who aren’t trying to get engagement from roasting books, which is why you and Elle are some of my favorites

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you so much! 😊 I see way too many "I read 4th Wing so you don't have to" video popping up on my feeds. If I do read the book and I dislike it, and I post a review, it will be a standard book review. 😂 That said, i don't even know when that will happen. I rely on my reading mood to pick the books I'm reading!

    •  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo it’s normal to pick something and dislike it! I just find it weird to make a big deal out of it, with long videos mocking these books, or to actively go after books that you know you won’t like just to trash talk them, you know?

  • @pherranine
    @pherranine 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    omg petrik i hope i feel a different way about “the war to end all” i love manifest delusions and im even rereading the series to get to the last book 😅

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I did the same. I reread the entire series in preparation for it only to be left disappointed. I hope you'll love it more than I did!

  • @landonweldy5468
    @landonweldy5468 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I enjoyed winters heart but crossroads of twilight is definitely the worst (book 8 was bad too) but then followed up by one of the best in book 11. The slog is a slog but it’s all worth it in the end

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I will certainly persevere! :)

    • @gigglingchicken8444
      @gigglingchicken8444 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I just finished book 7. I actually liked book 7 a lot. I liked reading more about the political maneuvers and scheming.
      I am loving the WoT but because of the world, the politics, Mat, and a lot of the side characters. The other main characters I find can be very frustrating more often than not. I actually couldn't stand Mat until the Band of the Red Hand and now he has become my favorite. Rand is interesting too, but I just can't with his love haram.

  • @ayan5416
    @ayan5416 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Petrik would you think of it as heresy if one were to read the fan edit version of Whell of Time. Were they compile book 7 and 8 into one and 9 and 10 into one as whell?

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I haven't read book 9 and 10 yet so can't say anything on this. What is the fan edited version of Wheel of Time? I think this is the first I heard of it. 😅

    • @ayan5416
      @ayan5416 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo It's like those fan edits of The Hobbit or the Star Wars movies made by fans to either make it better or just diferent. I saw it on reddit once were a fan compiled those books like that. Altought I think it went to far since she said she compiled the last 3 books into one. It's easy to google on reddit and I think she let links to the books on pdf.

  • @NerdBookReview
    @NerdBookReview 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I really agree with you on The God is Not Willing. I loved the main series, I've re-read it twice since I finished it. I only gave this book a 6/10 and DNF the first Kharkanas book. I think Erickson has gotten too philosophical. It seems to be the writing style he enjoys the most but I liked the dirty gritty nature of the main series, I don't care as much about them waxing poetic about the nature of life. The Malazan marines in this one seem to stop every 5 pages to save someone and then when that person is astonished they say "we're malazan marines mam, it's what we do".
    Side note, after thinking about it a minute or three, the change to a more philosophical approach begins by about book 7 of the main series. Bonehunters is one of my favorite books ever and it is the last really gritty dirty book.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I did not expect someone will agree with me regarding The God is Not Willing here! 😂 But yeah, I think one of my main issues with the book is also how unmemorable and barely distinguishable are the Malazan marines from one another. After reading 10 books in BotF, it felt like most of the Malazan marines acted or behaved similarly. This is an issue that has started popping up since Reaper's Gale, but in here it was so noticeable. Also, although incredibly well-writren, the philosophical waxing by this stage of the series definitely gets in the way of the pacing, imo.

    • @NerdBookReview
      @NerdBookReview 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Plus no Karsa Orlong!?

  • @MarcAmAlb
    @MarcAmAlb 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I understand the need to talk about books that disapointed, but I also much prefer to talk about those that excited. 😉

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Same here, that's why I don't make a lot of videos like this. I think it's good to have a few though. Plus, I already talked about them on my monthly wrap-up as well. :)

  • @SenneW
    @SenneW 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The Path of Daggers is my next the Wheel of Time book. I'm nervous 😅.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It's better than A Crown of Swords, imo. But opinions differ. Best of luck!

    • @gordontheobald
      @gordontheobald 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      If you can make it through Crossroads of Twilight, it’s all good from there!

  • @Thxlbx
    @Thxlbx 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I value your reviews--posititve or negative. Review any book you want!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! I will keep this in mind for sure! 😊

  • @ahkkha4560
    @ahkkha4560 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The Salt n Spice in this episode *chefs kiss*
    I loved Sunlit Man....
    Dnf'ed the frugal wizard's one
    WoT I hate PoD I'm surprised that you enjoyed that more than book 7 honestly
    Finally Malazan, I hated the first book in his prequel trilogy, I couldn't finish it so haven't touched anything outside the main 10 yet.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Haha thank you so much! And yeah, I wouldn't say hate, but Forge of Darkness did not satisfy me at all. 😂 Elayne and Perrin's chapters in PoD certainly tested my patience, but fortunately, I enjoyed reading the rest!

  • @ithrahmunchswallow468
    @ithrahmunchswallow468 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I still have to get through 400 hours of Malazan before anything after is even on my horizon 🤪

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hahaha that's still a while!! Epic journey awaits you, though! 😊

    • @ithrahmunchswallow468
      @ithrahmunchswallow468 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo 😜

  • @ZOMGfantasy
    @ZOMGfantasy 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Salty Petrik strikes again!
    But only 6 disappointments over the full year? It sounds like a pretty good year of reading!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Oh there are MORE. But these disappointed me the most. 😂

  • @Olphas
    @Olphas 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    While Frugal Wizard was a little bit of a disappointment, especially after the high that Tress was for me, all in all I liked it. And the graphic design was phenomenal. With Sunlit Man I felt, that I just didn't know enough yet since I am not fully caught up with the Cosmere. I expected this, so I wasn't really disappointed. My only real disappointment this year was Redshirts by John Scalzi. I love Star Trek and liked other Scalzi books (Old Man's War for example) but this did not work for me AT ALL. Way too meta for my taste. And if felt sloppily written. I am no prose snob but the the amount of "A said, B said, A said, B said" was staggering and often annoyed me.
    Luckily my reading year was pretty good otherwise :)

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      As long that you have a great reading year, that's the most important thing. I haven't read anything by John Scalzi yet, so i can't give my opinion on his books. Too bad Redshirts was a miss, though!

    • @Olphas
      @Olphas 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo I think many people like it. Just not me 😁

  • @cilliansands6166
    @cilliansands6166 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Dude, I was so interested about what your opinion of TGiNW was going to be because, for some reason, it felt that Steven made a mistake returning to a world after ten years of lost momentum. I was hoping it was going to be great, but I kind of had a bad feeling about it. Some things should be laid to rest; Malazan is a staple series in fantasy and its popularity will never diminish...let it go, Steven.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      MANY people love it so I'm definitely on the unpopular opinion side when it comes to The God is Not Willing! But for me, I do think none of the books outside of the main series could reach the quality of the books in the main series.

    • @danielgwynne7266
      @danielgwynne7266 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo I think the majority of the hard core malazan fans consider kharkanas to be atleast both top 5 malazan books while witness seems to appeal a lot more to the normal fans.

    • @danielgwynne7266
      @danielgwynne7266 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeopersonally I feel that thinking any of Steve’s work outside the main 10 is worse than gotm is ridiculous

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@danielgwynne7266 Kharkanas is still better than Dust of Dreams at the very least, imo. But Gardens of the Moon is great on reread and better than Forge of Darkness. So feel free to think it's ridiculous. That said, I will agree I might end up enjoying Kharkanas much more on reread someday. So this is my opinion for now.

    • @danielgwynne7266
      @danielgwynne7266 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo I mean dust of dreams is my 3rd favourite of the main 10 behind 10 and 8.

  • @LuckbeaSladey
    @LuckbeaSladey 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Perrin was an early favorite of mine but gets completely forgotten and then comes back as a very bland character. I’m a big Egwene and Mat fan.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I'm starting to lime Egwene, which is a pleasant surprise. Mat and Rand have always been my favorites though! 😁

  • @jthespiceoflife
    @jthespiceoflife 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Thankfully not any books I planned on reading 😅

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Dodged a bullet! 😂

  • @ithrahmunchswallow468
    @ithrahmunchswallow468 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I don't really believe in negative reviews. There is something for everyone and there in lies the beauty 🎉❤

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      True. Every opinion is subjective. 😊

    • @ithrahmunchswallow468
      @ithrahmunchswallow468 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo having agreed to that, your tastes are remarkably close to mine 🙌🏼🤓

  • @breesway9749
    @breesway9749 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I don’t entirely understand wheel of time fans. Everybody gets something different out of the books and there’s really no common consensus among fans. I adored book 6 because I was really glad to have a book focused on Rand and how he responded to his new position of power. But after entering the slog and trying to figure out if fans felt the same way I did, I saw many people claim that the slog starts with Book 6!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The series is WEIRDLY received despite being one of the most influential fantasy series. 😂 Imo, there are many issues with the series, and it's a matter of which reader can tolerate or accept which issues. That's why the slog opinion differs a lot among readers but many agree book 9 and 10 are the weakest of the entire series. 😂

    • @coldkissofsteel
      @coldkissofsteel 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I have yet to get past book 3 of the WoT series. I really wanted to like it but couldnt. Then I tried Terry Goodkind's series. Really liked the first three books but couldnt get into the rest... and then I discovered A Story of Ice and Fire. After that series and The First Law series, I don't think I'll go back. WoT seems to be YA fantasy and GRRM/Abercrombie for adults. Respect the heck out of Jordan, just dont really like his books.

    • @breesway9749
      @breesway9749 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@coldkissofsteel to be totally fair, the wheel of time series gets a lot more adult and complex starting in book 4. The first 3 are fairly generic fantasy but 4, 5, and 6 really help the series mature. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are slow and carefully explore specific aspects for the world, but there is a shockingly low amount of plot development. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fairly standard fantasy, but it treats the basic fantasy aspects with respect while also going into ridiculous amounts of depth

    • @coldkissofsteel
      @coldkissofsteel 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Good to know. I own them all, and most are signed, so I might as well finish. And yes, I read my signed books, haha.

  • @curtjarrell9710
    @curtjarrell9710 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Two of my biggest disappointments this year are The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, and Malice by John Gwynne. Some books just don't work for everyone.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Oh wow. Those are some of my favorite books! 😁

    • @angeloashikafratti2107
      @angeloashikafratti2107 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I really didn’t like the lies of Locke Lamora 😢 but loved the faithful and the fallen saga.

  • @UNIDiver
    @UNIDiver 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Oh man, love the spines of the Riyria Revelations special editions.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The spines are beautiful. The cover art, too. I wished they didn't go with the blue color twice, though. Really felt odd!

    • @paulmcburney6874
      @paulmcburney6874 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Holy hell just saw those. No joke those are gorgeous.

    • @UNIDiver
      @UNIDiver 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo You can pre order damaged ones right now. You are right, the cover art is beautiful. Do they have any interior art work?

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@UNIDiver unfortunately no. Imo, they are actually very overpriced. They come with premium acid free paper and smyth sewn binding, but what you see here is what you get. There are new author's notes though but no interior illustrations felt like they cheapened out on the editions.

  • @TeamCarbos
    @TeamCarbos 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Frugal wizard read like a donald duck comic

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      LOL 🤣

  • @thelasthandbook6704
    @thelasthandbook6704 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Sorry Petrik, you're gettin' old. That's all there is to it. Each year from here on out the disappointments and overall crankiness only goes up and up. Someday you'll assume your final form as something akin to Anton Ego from Ratatouille

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Oh god that is an imagery. Does it mean the final form of Salty Petrik is Grumpy Old Petrik!?

    • @JCGalarza
      @JCGalarza 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Additionally, you'll keep collecting more copies of The Sword of Kaigen just to know your viewers can never get their hands on one for 600 in eBay for that gorgeous hard cover@@PetrikLeo

  • @misterknister23
    @misterknister23 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    NOOOO Petrik, i loved The God is not Willing, how could you??? just kidding, of course your opinion is fine :D

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Believe me. I really WANT to love it, too. 😢

    • @misterknister23
      @misterknister23 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yeah but you are right, if the books outside the main series didn`t click you should not continue, i liked all of them but why read it if there is so much outside . Like the Wandering Inn ;)@@PetrikLeo

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@misterknister23 hah! That is true. Starting Wandering Inn next year!

  • @berserker8884
    @berserker8884 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Man that's a bummber about God is Not Willing. I LOVED it and here is some of the reasons why (spoilers ahead). Stillwater is one of the best characters in the broader series IMO (I'm very surprised you didn't enjoy her. It seems like everyone loves her to death. But she is one of those Hellian type crazy mofo characters and maybe you don't enjoy those?). The themes were just as much on point as always, though much more narrow, as well as not explored that aggresively. But still very impactful stuff: global warming, consequences of one's past deeds (through both Damisk and Rant - implicitly Karsa), pride of a people and more. The story is contatined, powerful and written with amazing pacing. I mean the conflict is very clear very early on, the characters explode off the page within just a few paragraphs and all are fantastic IMO.
    Stillwater is incredible. Her deeply flawed and "curved" understanding of the world does not only lend itself to some of the funniest dialogue I've ever read, but it very interesting. She genuienly doesn't get it. But she pushes through and builds her own understanding that works for her. Her facing off the Hound in the end was brilliant. Throwing the stick like you would to a puppy... fucking CRAZY. Anyx Fro is a great companing of hers too.
    Spindle acts like THE Malazan veteran of this book and is perfect for this role. He is the Fiddler of this series in a sense (he is obviously different from Fiddler and has a different voice and all, but his role is of the veteran in a similar way to how Fiddler is too). Also his climactic scene about his bittersweet survival is a great revelation to the mystery of why he doesn't want to use magic and was very beautifully written. Erikson did a fantastic job of sublty including the mystery so that it isn't heavy handed and for the most of the book, one thinks it is just a character quirk. But then it is all brought home in a beatiful yet very sad way; it really hit me.
    The captain is interesting and has a great voice as well: a gentle weird man that is not afraid to get absolutely brutal in a fraction of a second. The whole Malazan group is exactly what I've come to expect from the Malazan army. But there is also a very cool twist that the new emperor introducted: literally everyone is a god damn mage! Plus, they now use mine fields, which is a brutal and obvious development of the army. So good, but so sad as well when we see Teblor blown to bits in the almost anticlimactic "battle". Also, the reveal in the end that Oams is indeed NOT a Claw but probably a Talon instead was so good. In the end, everyone was right to some degree haha.
    Rant and Damisk are amazing. Damisk has to face his past deeds of horror, murder and kidnapping. Truly fantastic grey character. Rant is great, because we get to witness a young victim of Karsa's mistakes trying to grapple with it all, grow and find their place in the universe. Is he defined by Karsa? This also implicitly further deepens Karsa's character so much.
    Also, compassion is still a pillar of the Malazan army as it always has been. Stillwater, Anyx Fro and Benger going out of their way to save Sarlis was a beautiful gesture and an incredible scene. Malazans turning from fighting Teblor to saving their lives in about 0.01 seconds was unbelievable and the way it was all handled brought me to tears (like Erikson has the ability to do so often and rarely any other auther can).
    So yeah, to sum up, this is a book with great characters, themes, connected to a greater narrative about the consequences of Karsa's deeds and is a powerful contained story. The narrative was also super FUN. The battles are unique and great as always and the world builing stuff never disappoints either. On the other hand the dialogue and lots of scenes are also super funny. I want to say so so much more too. Like how Erikson explores our connection with wildlife and provides a different view from say that of in Kharkanas (here it is more personal and intimate, while in Kharkanas he explores the consequences of "industrialization"). There are a lot of questions being raised about envirnmentalism in his books and I don't see that aspect talked about enough.
    P.S. about Kharkanas: it is more of Erikson's passion project I feel like and far more niche than even MBotF. I personally love it to death, but yeah it is a HEAVY read. Erikson is even less interested in "satisfying" the reader than usual. Niflrog made a great video on how Kharkanas "is not for you" (you standing for the most general Malazan reader) and I recommend checking it out.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I love hearing how much you loved The God is Not Willing! but when it comes down to it, you have stated one of the main reasons I did not enjoy The God is Not Willing. I did not find Stillwater as amazing as many Malazan fans think. I don't know why. She is the most interesting of the Malazan marines in this book, but I couldn't find myself invested in her. Rant and Damisk are the most intriguing parts of the novel, imo.
      To be fair, I already have some issues with Erikson's "voice" with the Malazan marines in Book of the Fallen since Reaper's Gale. So many of them sound like the same person with different actions. This isn't Erikson's downfall, too. It's due to the series having so many POV characters. There is a limit to how many distinct voices an author can give in the same series, imo.
      I also did not find any of the banters here hilarious or fun, which is an oddity because this is one of my favorite parts of Book of the Fallen. So yeah, overall, although I can see why so many people loved it, it just fell short for me. I have a feeling Kharkanas and this book would work much better on reread, and maybe it might happen in the future, but for now, my heart is stuck in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Your insights actually might improve my reread, though. :D

    • @berserker8884
      @berserker8884 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo thats fair! I do think that the marines fall into a similar "voice" to an extend, but I still found them to be distinct enough (this goes for Bonehunters too of course). However, I personally always found that to be a natural consequence of the fact that these people have been living in a group together for a long long time. They have an internal way of speaking and communicating. I think this is very intentionally written, because as soon as we cut away from the marines, we go into a totally different set of voices that always feel more distinct. And of course there is the truth that there is so many characters, it is difficult to have very distinct voices for all of them. If you didn't find it enjoyable, you didn't find it enjoyable. It is what it is haha.
      Kharkanas is a different beast altogether though. It is a tragedy, written in an intentionally poetic way. You will rarely get "cool" scenes or humor, barring the Jaghut, who are always hilarious. The prelude to Forge of Darkness spells it all out. It is possibly my favorite beginning to a book. Maybe a reread could help, but I doubt it.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@berserker8884 That's very true to all you said. I certainly plan to do a second read of the entire Malazan Book of the Fallen someday and see how I'll fare with Kharkanas and The God is Not Willing after that. Not sure when that will happen, though. But I enjoyed discussing these with you. Definitely will be something I remember when I read them again. 😁 Honestly, i had this impatient feeling, too, when I was reading because the series (both Kharkanas and Witness) aren't finished and I kept thinking "It's okay to not like them now. I can always reread them when the series is finished." 😂

    • @berserker8884
      @berserker8884 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo haha yeah I can see how them not being finished can influence a read too. Man I can barely keep myself from rereading them. It has been a little over a year since I finished MBotF and I'm dying to read it again. But I'm reading lots of other stuff and so I can somewhat contain my impulses haha.

  • @Heathennation1976
    @Heathennation1976 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    All books that I would never read just because you said they were that bad I will never tackle the rest of the Wheel of Time too many boring books in between and I'm not a big Brandon Sanderson fan so it doesn't surprise me that a lot of the books on this list are from him I like a more fast-paced action oriented fantasy it's really horrible to found out that you didn't like A War to end All,I was looking forward to reading that but to find out the main characters take a back seat is very disappointing I can deal with a slow pace as long as something is happening I said this numerous times on this channel though you read all the books that I wouldn't read another great video keep up the good work... and yes I like the negative review videos

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! I definitely won't fault you for not trying Wheel of Time anymore. I'm a Brandon Sanderson fan, but I think it shouldn't come as a surprise some of his books (there are a LOT) won't click with me, especially the experimental ones. :)

  • @amy_harboredinpages8272
    @amy_harboredinpages8272 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    3 out of 5 is a decent rating. .... and yes, I'm binge watching my favorite TH-cam creators! It's been a busy couple ... 3... 4... months! 😆 🤣 😂

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hahaha I realize that. Thanks for watching my videos! :)

  • @SamHarrison2099
    @SamHarrison2099 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    *chanting* SALTY PETRIK SALTY PETRIK

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I AMMM HEREEE 🧂

  • @mattset9335
    @mattset9335 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The Lost Paladin waits for you...

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Which book is that again? 😅

  • @WondorBooks
    @WondorBooks 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I just know this video is gonna mention WoT 😅

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      And you're absolutely right hahahaa!

  • @paulmcburney6874
    @paulmcburney6874 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Me: "It's completely fair. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that includes stating any negatives."
    Also me: "Did you just speak ill of our fantasy lord and savior Steven "Erikson" Lundin? Unsubscribed, Unfollowed, Unloved!"
    (joking, obviously)

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I know right!? I feel like I have blasphemed. I LOVE Malazan Book of the Fallen.

  • @sinnersdemise9054
    @sinnersdemise9054 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Hard disagree on The God is not Willing.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I don't think anyone will agree with me on it. I still feel like an alien for not liking it. 😂

  • @anothersarahreading9961
    @anothersarahreading9961 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Faele, most annoying character ever 👍👍

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I dislike this character to my veins. 😂

  • @dinocollins720
    @dinocollins720 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Salty Petrik!!! Yes!!! hahah

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Haha thank you, Dino!

  • @fjuran1
    @fjuran1 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Petrik, a little salty on this video, not too bad. Of course you can't love everything!!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      True! Thank you so much, Frank!

  • @sasapejcin3568
    @sasapejcin3568 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Saltiness at it's best! 😛😆😁

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Hahaha just a bit of salt! :p

  • @bigaldoesbooktube1097
    @bigaldoesbooktube1097 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This video was… disappointing 😆

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Fair enough 😂

  • @yassinemiri3555
    @yassinemiri3555 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I'll never press the dislike on you, "17:48" you are entitled to your opinion (which I value greatly and which I never disagreed with nor was disappointed by so far) You do your thing and if someone think differently they can always comment on the pros of reading a book that you've disliked (sell it to me) You also have admitted to do rereads and being honest about books that could have been read under better circumstances or reading moods (happened to me many times) so you give more than a fair chance to every book and you are not dismissive. So when you are vocal about your disappointment in this book or that book: I believe you !

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Thank you so much for the understanding! 😃 I truly appreciate that!

  • @neondemon5137
    @neondemon5137 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    7/10 is considered Mid, while 5/10 would be trash.

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I still think 7/10 is good! That said, the 7/10 is certainly a disappointment for me depending on the book. For Sunlit Man, I expected at least 9. 😂

    • @Belladonna_Q
      @Belladonna_Q 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Of course 7/10 is a good rating, it’s my default rating for good books that I liked, but they don’t represent anything more than being good/ok/fun. How on earth is 5/10 a bad rating? It’s exactly in the middle!

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@Belladonna_Q I will say 5/10 is disappointing but still readable. 4 and below is where thinga gets dicey. 😂

    • @Belladonna_Q
      @Belladonna_Q 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo For me, it's a book that didn’t make any impression on me, neither positive nor negative, it just flowed over me without leaving any impression and I’ll probably forget about it after a week. Or when the flaws balance the strengths. I rarely give 5/10 ratings, because I usually drop such books. I can't even hate-read them! ;-)

  • @bryson2662
    @bryson2662 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Terrible takes on Malazan stuff. Kharkanas is better than BotF and TGiNW is Middle of the road Malazan with incredible emotional moments.
    My most disappointing read this year was Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Honestly killed my interest in Sanderson

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I fully realize I'm close to being alone on The God is Not Willing, but Kharkanas being better than BotF is close to shocking to me. I mean, you're saying two books are better than the entire ten books? If you think so, then it's your opinion and there's nothing wrong with that. But personally speaking, it's a far cry from the greatness of Malazan BotF imo. I also know tons of readers, like me, who practically worship Malazan BotF and dislike Kharkanas, too. So, I'm not the only one on this! :)

    • @bryson2662
      @bryson2662 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@PetrikLeo to make an argument that two books can't be better than ten is making an argument that quantity is more important than quality. To be clear I was being disingenuous but I do think Kharkanas is one of the finest bits of literature available in fantasy and there is nothing like it anywhere. When it is finally finished I do think it has the potential to be better than BotF and that's my honest opinion.
      I know that, just like your TGiNW opinion, my opinion about Kharkanas is not popular 😂 but I hope someday it gets the attention I think it deserves

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@bryson2662 I disagree with you but I can't deny Kharkanas contain some of Erikson's best writing. Who knows, maybe the appearance of the third book will rejuvenate the series. I'm certainly not giving up on Kharkanas yet!

  • @brokenredflag
    @brokenredflag 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Hmm. I think you do a lot of deslike videos and i honestly like the happy ones. Remember that the more your chanel grows the more opinions will filter. Youl have to grow thick skin and choose your batles carefully. Their usualy not right. My recomendation, do what you wana do ALL THE TIME. Stick to this rule and you chould be fine❤ ps. I like frugal. 😊

    • @PetrikLeo
      @PetrikLeo  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I posted 3 dislike video this year. I don't think that's a lot. This is out of more than 100 videos. 😂

    • @brokenredflag
      @brokenredflag 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PetrikLeo oops. Let me rephrase: i dont understand why they say you dont do any negetive revews. Cuse you do. Miss understanding. Sorry bout that.❤️ i like your happy vids😌