I really really loved Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. I'm a huge fan of Anime and K-Drama. And love their romance style as well. So this book was definitely for me.
Do you think it’s because he’s being more experimental with the secret projects? I think a lot of times readers like to put authors in a box and if they try to branch out into new styles canvases often come away disappointed
they are just extras he didn’t initially write them to publish them so see them as extras you can enjoy. well or not, but this possibility is the same with all books
Oh definitely, you can feel the fun he had writing these books, they are light little "writing breaks" for him to take mini-breaks from his bigger projects, they shouldn't be held on the same level as his serious projects.
Another fantastic video; thanks Matt! In Sanderson's defense I feel like the last few books you haven't enjoyed haven't been your thing: shorter stories, romance, anime influence, modern fantasy, Sanderson humor. When Sanderson gets back to his bread and butter you'll be back on board I bet!
Loved this book for almost all the reasons you hated it, which is how preference works. Love romance, love slow stories, don't care what cultures inspire my stories. However, the one argument you made that I think holds no water was Wit as the narrator. Yes Painter's world is dark but it is LITERALLY dark, as in only one star in the sky. I wouldn't assume a book would have grimdark aspects because it is set in a place with little light. Beyond that the book never tries to give the impression of being more grimdark either. The first time we see Painter on duty two other Nightmare Painters are just laughing and enjoying themselves on the job. So I find the idea that Wit is too whimsical for this story a bit silly.
Don't you hate it when you dislike something everyone else loves? Personally, it makes me feel like I have gone crazy. For instance, I got my hands on John Wick 4 to rent and I turned it off. It was so BORING, yet most people gave it glowing reviews. Same with Everything Everwhere All At Once. These two movies really let me down, but everyone else loves them.
In contrast, this will be the book I use to introduce new folks to Sanderson from here forth. Not the huge investment of a series, cool action without ever being a fight, awesome twists, beautiful imagery (if lacking prose), and full of puns. Also Sanderson writes anime-esque work. Hard magic systems with giant swords and unique worlds full of intrigue. This is exemplary of that style. 4.5/5 for me.
i think it depends on what type of reader you want to introduce to sanderson, for me personally this book was a disaster and if this was my first of him, it would be also my last
Personally would not recommend this as the first book, since it has a LOT of cosmere references about investiture that are exciting for Sanderson readers but probably very confusing for a first time book. Just my opinion, maybe some people like the mystery and would take it as a challenge to get into the Cosmere, but I wouldn't assume so
Not only appreciated, a necessity for me! Once I feel a TH-camr is riding the algo too much, with integrity out the window, it’s an instant un-sub. Keep up the good work Matt - love this channel!
I came to Stormlight from wheel of time. I absolutely love stormlight and can’t wait for the next one. That being said I agree that not all Sanderson books are for me. Thank you for your honest review.
I haven't been interested in a single thing he has wrote since Rhythm of War. I think my tastes have evolved a bit, but it also seems like Sando seems to be taking directions that I'm not interested in like being more whimsical etc
The whimsical part is only for Secret Projects 1 - 3, so you might like SP4 which he told is similar to how he writes other books. SP 1-3 were mostly discovery written and he wanted to intentionally write it Whimsical.
Seems like something I'll enjoy. Sad that you didn't like it. After finishing The Magicians it feels like a fresh breeze or a pallette cleanser to me. Thanks for the review 🙂
I find that my tastes are almost orthogonal to yours. Which is to say that I can't tell from your numerical ratings anything about whether I will like or dislike a book. (Correlation coefficient ~ 0) Normally, that would result in my moving on to another reviewer. But I remain a subscriber because you do what a good reviewer should, which is to describe a book in a way that I feel like I will have at least an idea of whether I will like a book after listening to you. And a major part of that is that you're honest about what you like and don't like.
I think the middle of the book definitely dragged, it needed some new places I think (maybe cos I read the opening almost a year ago and internalised it so the settings weren't 'new'). but then, the twists in this i did not see coming and it really elevated it. I think it's one of the best twists he's ever written, and I was really fascinated with the ideas of AI and art and duty.
If I had a nickel for every anime style story where: -a boy from a bustling city and a girl from a small town who often performs religious ceremonies swapped bodies periodically -each gained a new appreciation for their lives -fell in love -the guy's relationship with a female coworker was improved because of things the girl did in his body -and there were funky things going on in the sky I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
I appreciate the honest review. I found humor that the things you did not like about the book were the literal inspirations of the book. It really shows how different things appeal to different people. The inspirations that did not resonate with you, resonated strongly with me. Keep telling your truth! Good critical review. While I disagree with your score, we are all aware reviews are subjective.
I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it ended up being a little bit of a slow setup, but then the mystery aspect pulled me in, once we got the setting established. I definitely dont think think Hoid's narration would work for a new cosmere reader, but it worked for me. Subscribed for the honesty. It's refreshing to get a well thought out opinion, even if I disagree.
One of your first videos I watched, Matt, gave memory sorrow and thorn a less than stellar rating. While I disagree, it was that video that really turned me on to your channel. Why would I watch videos that only affirm my own preferences? Keep my scope narrow and jaded? Your honesty is refreshing, and doesn’t keep me from reading books that I want to read. Quite the contrary. In fact I have read many books by new authors and gained so much bibliophilic wealth that it makes me smile now to think on it. I always look forward to your videos! Take care brother!
Me subscribing because honestly, I agree. I wasn't impressed by The Lost Metal either after loving the first 3 books in the Mistborn Era 2 series. I've loved a lot of Sanderson's work but again, I agree, there's been a lot of misses for me too lately.
Your review just reminds me that we can’t box in our favorite authors. It’s the same with music. A bunch of people stopped listening to The Beatles after Sgt Pepper’s. They started experimenting with their sound and some fans just didn’t like it. It just wasn’t for them.
People need to accept that some of us simply aren't into anime, I swear it's treated like a severe mental deficit if you aren't comparing every fantasy to berserk or constantly raving about spirited away
And this is how tastes are different. I loved this book, because it was different, because it was such a slow burn with a great payoff. It might havekicked lost metal from my No1 Cosmere Spot.
In all honesty, this is one of the best books Sanderson has ever written. Out of his over 70 published books, it's very easily in his top 10. I've read 38 books this year (2023) and Yumi is my 2nd favorite book of the year. It was very close to 1st place. It just barely got nudged out by The Will of the Many (by James Islington).
This was a really helpful review, thank you for being so in-depth and authentic to yourself! I didnt like secret project #2, but this one sounds like my kind of book 😅 Sanderson writes women really well (compared to most fantasy writers!) and I like how he writes romance, plus I grew up watching Inuyasha and this sounds just like it haha. Hopefully secret project #4 will be more to your taste!
I have been dying for Sanderson to write a full romance novel, and thankfully he listened to his wife who had been begging him to write one, so I was excited going in. And he completely blew me away. He is literally the first man I've ever read who could write top tier romance and I want him to do more so badly. I adored this novel. Its okay that Matt didn't, romance isn't his thing, but if it is your thing then you are in for something amazing
Frugal wizard was great... the 3 secret projects so far have been some of his best, which is a serious feat for mostly standalone stories on the shorter end for him. I find it wild that you didnt like frugal wizard
I enjoyed Tress but don’t think it was on the same level as Mistborn or even Warbreaker honestly. I loved his witty humour in Tress but it completely missed the mark for me in Frugal Wizards. I just couldn’t get into it & set it aside half read, maybe I’ll go back to it one day and finish it?.. I think I’ll start Stormlight once book 5 comes out, I hope that it will be as good as people say it is! Perhaps it’s true that Sanderson is a little overhyped, but his books are fun & easy to read, which I appreciate so I’ll continue to give them a try 😌
I love Sanderson. I like anime. I loved 'Your Name'. I loved FFX. But this didn't do it for me. I agree with your review. Maybe I'd add another star because it wasnt that bad, barely passed the 'entertainment test', but I got the same feeling: 'I suspended the First Law Trilogy for this?'
I loved this book. I think you have to be in a very specific time of you life/mindset to truly see how beutiful it is. Easily tops most of Brandons works IMO
One of the reasons I follow you is you have your taste (wich isn't like mine) but you are honest about a book, Sanderson is very good but there are stuff I dislike (specially with his characters, specially when they try to be snarky/quiping *Shallan*).
I'm currently reading this book and admit I clicked on your video for "rage bait" reasons but I really appreciate HOW you criticized it. "This book wasn't written for me." I can't ask for more than that.
I’m about halfway through and while I enjoy it, it actually seems really derivative of your usual anime. It’s really similar to a movie called Your Name (which is actually fantastic) and I haven’t seen too much that really sets this one apart. It’s pretty slow too. Halfway through the book and I still don’t really know what the plot of the book is which is rare for something by Sanderson. I have some theories of where this is going to go that I’m excited for, but so far it’s not quite reaching the heights I was hoping for. At the moment I’d be somewhere between 3-4 stars, but it could still be 5 stars if the last half of the book starts to blow me away
@@izzya8132 I really enjoyed it, though the problems I had with it before still make me like the last half a lot more than the first half. I ultimately think it’s around a 4.5 stars. The ending is fantastic of course, even if it’s got some pretty heavy exposition dumps near the end. I’m glad it at least explained it though otherwise I would have been completely lost!
I actually loved the book, thought I got connected to the main character here more than most his books. But still subscribed due to you good faith review.
For people who enjoyed this I highly recommand "Your Name", the animated movie that inspired this book. I think a younger me would have loved this novel, but it is ok as a palet clenser ( currently reading). Can you please let me know if the humor is as grating in other Sanderson's books like in this one? P. S. I love "The Dandelion Dynasty" so please go and continue the series. The last few chapters of "The Veiled Throne" have a more quiet, lower stakes moment so please keep that in mind.
As someone who can’t stand the humor in most Sanderson books, I really didn’t find this one THAT bad, aside from a couple scenes that were really cringe inducing. Most of the “funny” stuff is over after the halfway point
Great review, Matt. Don't change your opinion because people say that you are in rage just to get more views in the videos. All the subscribers that know your work in TH-cam knows that you are a passionate and honest fantasy enjoyer. That said, when I heard "this has a lot of anime and japanese or korean influence", my eyes glowed. I think this book may be for me. At least we can hope that Sanderson correct the course in Stormlight.
I think he's just trying different stuff that isn't working for me. I suspect when he goes back to writing epic fantasy it will be every bit as good as his other stuff I enjoy.
Nope loved the book i usually am not a YA guy but this one's totally different from traditional YA The setting the story everything is just beautiful.😊
Dude did you even read the book ? Its like tress of the emerald sea now if u don like that book u will not like this one too , but if u do just don slander it without reading on someone else's opinion.
Hmm didn’t know Hoid was the narrator here as well. Like you said it fit Tress perfectly but not sure how many times you can effectively go back to that well.
I'm jumping back into reading and was curious about Sanderson's standalone. What really drew me in was you mentioning Steven Erikson. I love gardens of the moon and deadhouse gates and currently reading memories of ice. Can you talk about that or his more recent works?
I don't read Sanderson, I've started to, but then DNF the books, but the possibility that something will come up that I will actually enjoy exists. If, however, I read a friggin romance fantasy conglomeration all is lost, I'll know then that I will not even attempt to read anything by him. I truly hate romance or really just gratuitous sex scenes, just hate it. So yeah, thanks for the heads up Matt.
Oh I totally agree with your review. This was so bloody slow. And Tress for me was really slow as well....no idea what's going on with the special projects books, but I seem to not be liking any of them because they are a total slog to get through.
I’m halfway through and I like it more than the last secret project, but I don’t love it. I’m not invested in the nightmare plot at all, but I like the main characters, though they veer into YA territory a bit much for my taste. Feeling like a 3.5 for me, but hopefully I like the second half more. His YA Skyward series worked well, at least the first two books, with the shorter format, but I agree he excels in longer form. Reading WoT 13 and though not his original story, I prefer this writing style over his more light-hearted approach. Edit: Finished it. The second half is definitely a step up from the first half and while it's not my favorite fantasy story, I liked the direction of the story and think I'll settle around 4 stars. The end got me a little emotional. Can understand why some wouldn't like this book, but imo is much better written than Secret Project #2
Just finished the book and saw your review. Expected a poor -if not outright moronic- reason for 2/5 but you made really good points that I all agree on. It was short. It had a lot Japanese/Korean culture. It was a romance book. It had cool gimmicks. It wasn't the same scope as a Stormlight book. Hoid was out of place. And yet I rate it 4.7/5 This book had nearly everything that I wanted in a book. The magic, the 2 main characters, the romance, the quality, and the focus of the book being on those characters. Sad you couldn't enjoy it, but hey, people are unique. Great review. Will check out the rest of your stuff.
this book has signs of HUGE improvement from brandon in character writing - character arcs, character relationships, characters that actually feel like they belong in the settings they live in... brandon literally would not have been skilled enough to write this book ten, even five years ago. knocked way of kings off the pedestal as my favorite sanderson novel. before the year of sanderson i really thought brandon was stagnating and i was growing bored of him, but these experiments have been so fresh and skilful, i'm reinvigorated on brandon. honestly wish you hadn't read it dude
Hi there. How are you doing? I'm sorry that book didn't work out well for you. Maybe since I'm a big fan of anime it may work out better for me but I will take your criticisms or keep them in mind. Meanwhile, this week I have started reading while listening to the 21st volume in the A Certain magical index light novel series which has been amazing. I am also listening to the audiobook version of go west with giraffes which also has been absolutely unbelievable. It tells the story of a young orphan boy living during the 1930s who comes across two boringo giraffes who survive a hurricane and he winds up traveling with them across the United States to the San Diego zoo. His interactions with these two giraffes are extremely entertaining. If you love animals you should give this one a try. I love the a certain magical index series which was made into an anime because it has a really fun mixture of magic and science with a little bit of accidental romance mixed in. The romance isn't a part of the main focus of the story but there are lots of accidental scenes that let you know that the characters care about each other.
Thanks for the review Matt! I was really looking forward to reading this one. I usually wait for a positive book review before reading something so it's a bit rough to start with this one, but it just means I can read all the dozens of other books on my list!
Don't worry Matt. You can't lose me as a subscriber. I don't subscribe to anyone. If this were Ready Player One, I guess you would say I don't clan up.
Don't worry about losing subs, Matt. If they don't want to see negative content, that's their problem. Being nice just for views and subs doesn't make us better reviewers.
Thanks! I don't really care, but it does rub me wrong when people say I give negative reviews for an ulterior motive. Because there is no benefit to be giving negative reviews!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I hear the same thing all the time. Reviews are for readers. It's not a reviewers job to help an author sell books nor is it our job to help them become better writers. You read a book, didn't like it and told us why. If you had nothing but positive reviews, you'd probably just hear that you're being too nice just for views. Anybody who listens to this review should be able to tell that 1) you did actually read it and 2) you're being honest.
To be fair, I haven't read much Sanderson. I did like the Mistborn trilogy, but feel it was also a bit overhyped. I read The Rithmatist and enjoyed it, but I think he might have been built up a bit more than is maybe warranted? I am still waiting to start Stormlight as I am about six books into WoT and not sure I want to start another massive series.
As someone who enjoyed the movie Your Name and many of the other references Sanderson was going for, I saw what he was doing, and the final crescendo was pretty good, but the worst part for me was the ultra cringey stuff between the characters, especially in the first 1/3. He acknowledges that he was trying to stretch, to write more romance, but the way he wrote it... it just didn't work for me. I think your review is solid. There's too much group think online about opinions, especially subjective ones. Good on you for being honest!
I mean it was just a standard cost of an ebook, so not like you got ripped off. If you backed the physical copy, they are worth every penny and you can likely sell them for more than the original value (Once they've sold out).
I also thought it was slow and the pacing actually reminded me a bit of Brandon's first book Elantris. But I also really enjoyed Elantris and they both had tremendous endings. It helped going in for me that I knew this would be a romance as I watched some videos where Brandon mentioned that SP1 was more an adventure like Princess Bride, SP2 was whacky, SP3 had the most romance, and SP4 was more action packed like his other books. I'm sorry that romance ain't your jam, but I hope SP4 is more up your alley so it will be at least 2/4 for you and then next year you'll get Stormlight 5. Also Brandon seems to love to write different types of genres into his fantasy books so it makes sense that he eventually wrote an anime book. I love anime so it was funny to see even if parts were a bit tropey.
Interesting! I actually had been thinking this one was missing the Sanderson mid book slump (he's my favorite author but I can admit that). BUT I also love romance and its about all the very subtle interactions over time, so I can see that if this isn't your thing, then it would seem super slow. Tress and Yumi were definitely for the girls, and Tress helped me get a lot of my female friends into Sanderson. Even if it isn't everyone's favorite, definitely recommend to non-Sanderson readings as a gateway book to the rest of the cosmere
@@Spoonishpls @Spaansgard I actually still really loved SP3. I just didn't get invested in the romance until literally the halfway mark because I felt like Painter was a very passive character up until that point. Tress I think is well liked by most of his fans including me. Tress is probably his best standalone.
Now I'm curious which characters these characters feel like. That will definitely affect how much I like it. If they're like Sarene and Raoden I'll probably feel neutral about the romance. I didn't really care much for most of the romances in Mistborn, Khriss and Kenton was mwa but I did enjoy the one in Warbreaker (Siri and Susebron) for the most part. I mostly enjoyed the friendship part though, that was fun.
I have zero lock on what you like in books. 😂 I can't believe you like Frugal Wizards more than this one. Different folks I guess. I guess it makes sense if you don't love anime/Japanese types of stuff. I honestly didn't feel like this book had any more romance overtones than basically any of his other books.
I find it interesting that you said you think characters are Sanderson's weakness, because I always thought that they were his strongest. Now, the characters in Yumi, while I did love it, were not his strongest characters. But I don't think I could say that standalones as have strong of characters as Stormlight Archive or Mistborn Era 1. Kaladin and Adolin, in particular, from Stormlight Archive really stood out to me, as well as Dalinar. Way of Kings, especially, felt like an exploration of characters and not so much a plot focused book, not that there wasn't any plot, just that it felt like it focused more on the individual characters.
Sanderson has been going down for a while now. It started with the second Mistborn series and the last two books of the Reckoners. Even Rhythm of War was meh
Ty for this review. I only have 1 question i need answered so I can decide if I want to read this or not. Did u like the flirtatious romance between elen and vin in the first mistborn book?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewso, lol. okay so im definitely reading this book then, cuz i wanted more of that in the first book, i really liked their dynamic. so now im convinced i’ll enjoy this book as well 🙃
@@FranzBinder20 what elen and vin? Why what was cringe about it? I loved it. I found it a pleasant change of pace for someone so jaded and cynical and suspicious to be able to have a cute "puppy dog" romance with another sort of cynical jaded fella but her under the safety and guard of an alias which in fact let her reveal herself safely, and her revealing herself "falsely" but truly, allowed elen to open up, and i also enjoyed their flirtatious kind of back and forth jesting or ribbing(not sure the word) kind of banter, and i remember on my first read thru of mistborn being more interested in how their relationship would develop than the main story arc.
I love Sanderson. I will always be a fan of the Cosmere, and will be here to the end. However, I HATED this book. I hate saying it because I respect Brandon, but I feel saying it any other way would be a lie. This book definitely has an audience, and I know many enjoyed it. Brandon even claimed it was his favorite of the secret projects. But it was not for me. If I was to rate it on Goodreads, I'd give it a 1 out of 5. However, as an aspiring author myself, I would never tarnish a books rating like that just because of my personal opinion. So I am leaving it unreviewed on there. Still felt like needed to get my opinion out there somewhere though, lol. Really hope Brandon reels me back in with SP4.
All I can hope for Sanderson is that Stormlight book 5 is amazing like the rest. Because if book 5 is bad like these recent books, I might just stop reading him altogether. Though I do trust that Sanderson won't mess up stormlight.
@@kocunar1 To be clear, I haven't read this book yet. But the entirety of mistborn era 2, tress of the emerald sea, and the frugal wizard were middling to bad for me, so I don't have much hope for this one.
I haven't read it yet but I was disappointed with project 2, so I certainly wasn't stopping my read to get to this instantly. I think for me Sanderson has regressed a lot. Not only in publication order sense but within each series. I loved The Final Empire but books 2 and 3 of era 1 were definite steps down for me. Same with Stormlight, I loved book 1 but each book has gotten weaker for me personally. I know he is a huge MCU fan and the inconsistent tone is a struggle for them as well. Mixing funny moments into serious books can be good, Abercrombie and Erikson pull it off very well. Sanderson tends to have the MCU issue where a goofy quip at the wrong time ruins the moment. I know you will probably piss people off with this but I appreciate the honest review. Thanks.
Pretty bummed that I didn’t enjoy this book. It just wasn’t a story that fit my tastes. I’m happy for people who did enjoy it, and I’m not saying it’s an objectively “bad” book. Just not for me. I enjoyed Tress more, but still was underwhelmed. I guess I’m just more into the Stormlight types of books. Oh well, from what I’ve heard about SP4 I think I will enjoy it more. Still love Brandon and the Cosmere.
like that your always honest. I also loves secret project 1 and didn't like secret project 2. Will be interesting to see what I think of this one as I do like fantasy romance as well as epic fantasy and I love anime. Will be reading after current book. 😀
This is the first video of yours that I have seen but I already appreciate and respect the hell out of you and I am a min in your review. I love being able to trust reviews because of demonstrated integrity. I absolutely LOVE sanderson I Don't think I like anyone as much or ever gave but I understand everyone has their own style and what they like and I would rather you be straight and we have apposite opinions then someone who shills for anyone or anything just because it is popular. I hope you see this and know that ecwn though some dipsticks leave for you being a rational human being those who stay likely have a great deal of respect for you as an individual.
I think the fact that your are in the middle of a good story in another story could be influencing your impression of other books. At least that's what's happening to me at the minute, I'm on book 4 of malazan and i feel like I'm wasting my time if i don't just continue the story
I felt the book had a very slow start as well. It was funny to hear you describe the various things this felt like to you having reading the postscript, you hit it exactly. Overall I did enjoy the book but I'm an anime fan 🤷♀
I guess that this was just not for you. I personally like anime a lot, and in anime the power of love and friendship is hype 😂, it can work if written well, but I'm nervous because even though Brandon has shown improvement for his romances lately, a book that has romance as the main thing from Brandon makes me nervous. Though I think the premise sounds like "your name" and I loved that movie so we'll see
Get his ass
Wow😅😅
Lol
I laughed so hard at this 🤣
Bro you can't hate him this much 😭
Like I kept watching thinking it was going to be a joke intro but it kept going
I really really loved Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. I'm a huge fan of Anime and K-Drama. And love their romance style as well. So this book was definitely for me.
This book is honestly incredible. Easily one of the best standalones Sanderson has ever written.
seriously
I LOVED it, as well as Tress
❤
Definitely one of my favorite books he's written, period. Easily better than any of the Mistborn books.
What a rebuttal.
Do you think it’s because he’s being more experimental with the secret projects? I think a lot of times readers like to put authors in a box and if they try to branch out into new styles canvases often come away disappointed
they are just extras he didn’t initially write them to publish them so see them as extras you can enjoy. well or not, but this possibility is the same with all books
He wrote them for his wife not to publish. I am glad he published them. I love tress and frugal wizard.
Oh definitely, you can feel the fun he had writing these books, they are light little "writing breaks" for him to take mini-breaks from his bigger projects, they shouldn't be held on the same level as his serious projects.
@@doctordonnanoble hey i actually think you nailed it. its also awesome that we fans of him can get the chance to read them.
Another fantastic video; thanks Matt! In Sanderson's defense I feel like the last few books you haven't enjoyed haven't been your thing: shorter stories, romance, anime influence, modern fantasy, Sanderson humor. When Sanderson gets back to his bread and butter you'll be back on board I bet!
Automatically know that Elliot Brooks will praise this to the moon and back. FFX is one of her favorite stories of all time (mine too)
Loved this book for almost all the reasons you hated it, which is how preference works. Love romance, love slow stories, don't care what cultures inspire my stories. However, the one argument you made that I think holds no water was Wit as the narrator.
Yes Painter's world is dark but it is LITERALLY dark, as in only one star in the sky. I wouldn't assume a book would have grimdark aspects because it is set in a place with little light. Beyond that the book never tries to give the impression of being more grimdark either. The first time we see Painter on duty two other Nightmare Painters are just laughing and enjoying themselves on the job. So I find the idea that Wit is too whimsical for this story a bit silly.
I’m so hyped for Matt’s Romance Book Reviews, Matt’s Top 100 Romance Books, and 50 Romance Booktuber’s Favorite Romances
Don't you hate it when you dislike something everyone else loves? Personally, it makes me feel like I have gone crazy. For instance, I got my hands on John Wick 4 to rent and I turned it off. It was so BORING, yet most people gave it glowing reviews. Same with Everything Everwhere All At Once. These two movies really let me down, but everyone else loves them.
It's just a difference in preference, fundamentally
In contrast, this will be the book I use to introduce new folks to Sanderson from here forth.
Not the huge investment of a series, cool action without ever being a fight, awesome twists, beautiful imagery (if lacking prose), and full of puns. Also Sanderson writes anime-esque work. Hard magic systems with giant swords and unique worlds full of intrigue. This is exemplary of that style.
4.5/5 for me.
i think it depends on what type of reader you want to introduce to sanderson, for me personally this book was a disaster and if this was my first of him, it would be also my last
Personally would not recommend this as the first book, since it has a LOT of cosmere references about investiture that are exciting for Sanderson readers but probably very confusing for a first time book. Just my opinion, maybe some people like the mystery and would take it as a challenge to get into the Cosmere, but I wouldn't assume so
I enjoyed it overall but found the tone/voice odd at time. I find Brando Sando’s conversational writing style somewhat abrasive.
Honest reviews are VERY much appreciated, Matt!
Not only appreciated, a necessity for me! Once I feel a TH-camr is riding the algo too much, with integrity out the window, it’s an instant un-sub.
Keep up the good work Matt - love this channel!
see it the same.
Well, there goes my chance at winning the tbr contest 😂
Lol naw it just means the winner this month will miss a few!
I came to Stormlight from wheel of time. I absolutely love stormlight and can’t wait for the next one. That being said I agree that not all Sanderson books are for me. Thank you for your honest review.
Yes, sanderson indeed writes anime in novel form. This was it all along, just think about it.
Final empire is a great shonen anime
When you picture pretty much any Sanderson action sequence, it’s straight up Anime. Or at least would translate effortlessly to that format.
I haven't been interested in a single thing he has wrote since Rhythm of War. I think my tastes have evolved a bit, but it also seems like Sando seems to be taking directions that I'm not interested in like being more whimsical etc
The whimsical part is only for Secret Projects 1 - 3, so you might like SP4 which he told is similar to how he writes other books. SP 1-3 were mostly discovery written and he wanted to intentionally write it Whimsical.
Seems like something I'll enjoy. Sad that you didn't like it. After finishing The Magicians it feels like a fresh breeze or a pallette cleanser to me. Thanks for the review 🙂
Wow, I liked this way more than Tress 🤣
I find that my tastes are almost orthogonal to yours. Which is to say that I can't tell from your numerical ratings anything about whether I will like or dislike a book. (Correlation coefficient ~ 0) Normally, that would result in my moving on to another reviewer.
But I remain a subscriber because you do what a good reviewer should, which is to describe a book in a way that I feel like I will have at least an idea of whether I will like a book after listening to you. And a major part of that is that you're honest about what you like and don't like.
I think the middle of the book definitely dragged, it needed some new places I think (maybe cos I read the opening almost a year ago and internalised it so the settings weren't 'new'). but then, the twists in this i did not see coming and it really elevated it. I think it's one of the best twists he's ever written, and I was really fascinated with the ideas of AI and art and duty.
I loved this book, I thought of Your Name and I loved the Japanese culture in the game
If I had a nickel for every anime style story where:
-a boy from a bustling city and a girl from a small town who often performs religious ceremonies swapped bodies periodically
-each gained a new appreciation for their lives
-fell in love
-the guy's relationship with a female coworker was improved because of things the girl did in his body
-and there were funky things going on in the sky
I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
I appreciate the honest review. I found humor that the things you did not like about the book were the literal inspirations of the book. It really shows how different things appeal to different people. The inspirations that did not resonate with you, resonated strongly with me. Keep telling your truth! Good critical review. While I disagree with your score, we are all aware reviews are subjective.
Thanks so much, I super appreciate your kind words!
Thats unfortunate. I'm not done, but I'm absolutely loving it. Also not a good start for the TBR contest 😅.
I really enjoyed this book.
I felt like it ended up being a little bit of a slow setup, but then the mystery aspect pulled me in, once we got the setting established.
I definitely dont think think Hoid's narration would work for a new cosmere reader, but it worked for me.
Subscribed for the honesty.
It's refreshing to get a well thought out opinion, even if I disagree.
One of your first videos I watched, Matt, gave memory sorrow and thorn a less than stellar rating. While I disagree, it was that video that really turned me on to your channel. Why would I watch videos that only affirm my own preferences? Keep my scope narrow and jaded? Your honesty is refreshing, and doesn’t keep me from reading books that I want to read. Quite the contrary. In fact I have read many books by new authors and gained so much bibliophilic wealth that it makes me smile now to think on it. I always look forward to your videos! Take care brother!
Me subscribing because honestly, I agree. I wasn't impressed by The Lost Metal either after loving the first 3 books in the Mistborn Era 2 series. I've loved a lot of Sanderson's work but again, I agree, there's been a lot of misses for me too lately.
Your review just reminds me that we can’t box in our favorite authors. It’s the same with music. A bunch of people stopped listening to The Beatles after Sgt Pepper’s. They started experimenting with their sound and some fans just didn’t like it. It just wasn’t for them.
People need to accept that some of us simply aren't into anime, I swear it's treated like a severe mental deficit if you aren't comparing every fantasy to berserk or constantly raving about spirited away
And this is how tastes are different. I loved this book, because it was different, because it was such a slow burn with a great payoff. It might havekicked lost metal from my No1 Cosmere Spot.
In all honesty, this is one of the best books Sanderson has ever written. Out of his over 70 published books, it's very easily in his top 10. I've read 38 books this year (2023) and Yumi is my 2nd favorite book of the year. It was very close to 1st place. It just barely got nudged out by The Will of the Many (by James Islington).
This was a really helpful review, thank you for being so in-depth and authentic to yourself! I didnt like secret project #2, but this one sounds like my kind of book 😅 Sanderson writes women really well (compared to most fantasy writers!) and I like how he writes romance, plus I grew up watching Inuyasha and this sounds just like it haha. Hopefully secret project #4 will be more to your taste!
I have been dying for Sanderson to write a full romance novel, and thankfully he listened to his wife who had been begging him to write one, so I was excited going in. And he completely blew me away. He is literally the first man I've ever read who could write top tier romance and I want him to do more so badly. I adored this novel. Its okay that Matt didn't, romance isn't his thing, but if it is your thing then you are in for something amazing
The second he described the painter, I screamed, "That's an Inuyasha plot!"❤ I am definitely going to read this. Thank you for your honest review.
Frugal wizard was great... the 3 secret projects so far have been some of his best, which is a serious feat for mostly standalone stories on the shorter end for him.
I find it wild that you didnt like frugal wizard
I enjoyed Tress but don’t think it was on the same level as Mistborn or even Warbreaker honestly. I loved his witty humour in Tress but it completely missed the mark for me in Frugal Wizards. I just couldn’t get into it & set it aside half read, maybe I’ll go back to it one day and finish it?.. I think I’ll start Stormlight once book 5 comes out, I hope that it will be as good as people say it is!
Perhaps it’s true that Sanderson is a little overhyped, but his books are fun & easy to read, which I appreciate so I’ll continue to give them a try 😌
I love Sanderson. I like anime. I loved 'Your Name'. I loved FFX. But this didn't do it for me. I agree with your review. Maybe I'd add another star because it wasnt that bad, barely passed the 'entertainment test', but I got the same feeling: 'I suspended the First Law Trilogy for this?'
I loved this book. I think you have to be in a very specific time of you life/mindset to truly see how beutiful it is. Easily tops most of Brandons works IMO
One of the reasons I follow you is you have your taste (wich isn't like mine) but you are honest about a book, Sanderson is very good but there are stuff I dislike (specially with his characters, specially when they try to be snarky/quiping *Shallan*).
I'm currently reading this book and admit I clicked on your video for "rage bait" reasons but I really appreciate HOW you criticized it. "This book wasn't written for me." I can't ask for more than that.
FF9 though is one of my favourite unfolding and immersive plots I’ve came across in any type of story medium
FFX u mean
@@isaiuchiha1490 😆🤷🏼♂️
I’m about halfway through and while I enjoy it, it actually seems really derivative of your usual anime. It’s really similar to a movie called Your Name (which is actually fantastic) and I haven’t seen too much that really sets this one apart. It’s pretty slow too. Halfway through the book and I still don’t really know what the plot of the book is which is rare for something by Sanderson. I have some theories of where this is going to go that I’m excited for, but so far it’s not quite reaching the heights I was hoping for. At the moment I’d be somewhere between 3-4 stars, but it could still be 5 stars if the last half of the book starts to blow me away
Curious to hear what you thought of the last act, if you did end up reading it.
@@izzya8132 I really enjoyed it, though the problems I had with it before still make me like the last half a lot more than the first half. I ultimately think it’s around a 4.5 stars. The ending is fantastic of course, even if it’s got some pretty heavy exposition dumps near the end. I’m glad it at least explained it though otherwise I would have been completely lost!
I actually loved the book, thought I got connected to the main character here more than most his books. But still subscribed due to you good faith review.
For people who enjoyed this I highly recommand "Your Name", the animated movie that inspired this book. I think a younger me would have loved this novel, but it is ok as a palet clenser ( currently reading). Can you please let me know if the humor is as grating in other Sanderson's books like in this one? P. S. I love "The Dandelion Dynasty" so please go and continue the series. The last few chapters of "The Veiled Throne" have a more quiet, lower stakes moment so please keep that in mind.
It's not QUITE as grating as other books, but still got on my nerves a bit.
As someone who can’t stand the humor in most Sanderson books, I really didn’t find this one THAT bad, aside from a couple scenes that were really cringe inducing. Most of the “funny” stuff is over after the halfway point
You love cradle, which is anime incarnate lol
I'm not a big romance fan, but I'm very excited to get this on the 11th and will likely devour it
What can I say...I'm consistently inconsistent! Lol
The 1-2 punch would be a negative review for Drawing of the Three. Then my TBR answers are DOA 😂
That review comes out Thursday.
Great review, Matt. Don't change your opinion because people say that you are in rage just to get more views in the videos. All the subscribers that know your work in TH-cam knows that you are a passionate and honest fantasy enjoyer. That said, when I heard "this has a lot of anime and japanese or korean influence", my eyes glowed. I think this book may be for me. At least we can hope that Sanderson correct the course in Stormlight.
So Matt, do you think Sanderson is getting worse, or do you think that as a reader you’re metaphorically aging out of Sanderson?
I think he's just trying different stuff that isn't working for me. I suspect when he goes back to writing epic fantasy it will be every bit as good as his other stuff I enjoy.
Nope loved the book i usually am not a YA guy but this one's totally different from traditional YA
The setting the story everything is just beautiful.😊
"this one's totally differnt from traditional YA"... Every adult says this when trying to justify enjoying children literature.
Dude did you even read the book ?
Its like tress of the emerald sea now if u don like that book u will not like this one too , but if u do just don slander it without reading on someone else's opinion.
@@fetohepofkhelt Who is Don?
Don't 😂
I disagree about Tress being lower quality than a stormlight novel. But one out of three isn't a great sucess rate for the secret projects.
You like what you like in your reading. It is sad that you lose people because of your dislike on books you review. Thank you for your honesty Matt👍
Thanks Kathy!
Hmm didn’t know Hoid was the narrator here as well. Like you said it fit Tress perfectly but not sure how many times you can effectively go back to that well.
Consistent Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews *W*
It's always bothered me that too many BookTubers gush over almost every book they read. Keep it honest!!!
I'm jumping back into reading and was curious about Sanderson's standalone. What really drew me in was you mentioning Steven Erikson. I love gardens of the moon and deadhouse gates and currently reading memories of ice. Can you talk about that or his more recent works?
I have a video where I do a full series breakdown for all things Malazan. TH-cam search "Matt Malazan breakdown"
I don't read Sanderson, I've started to, but then DNF the books, but the possibility that something will come up that I will actually enjoy exists. If, however, I read a friggin romance fantasy conglomeration all is lost, I'll know then that I will not even attempt to read anything by him. I truly hate romance or really just gratuitous sex scenes, just hate it. So yeah, thanks for the heads up Matt.
LOVED THIS BOOK!
Oh I totally agree with your review. This was so bloody slow. And Tress for me was really slow as well....no idea what's going on with the special projects books, but I seem to not be liking any of them because they are a total slog to get through.
What kind of romance novels or fantasy stories with romantic side plots that you have enjoyed?
Realm of the Elderlings and Mistborn come to mind.
I’m halfway through and I like it more than the last secret project, but I don’t love it. I’m not invested in the nightmare plot at all, but I like the main characters, though they veer into YA territory a bit much for my taste. Feeling like a 3.5 for me, but hopefully I like the second half more. His YA Skyward series worked well, at least the first two books, with the shorter format, but I agree he excels in longer form. Reading WoT 13 and though not his original story, I prefer this writing style over his more light-hearted approach.
Edit: Finished it. The second half is definitely a step up from the first half and while it's not my favorite fantasy story, I liked the direction of the story and think I'll settle around 4 stars. The end got me a little emotional. Can understand why some wouldn't like this book, but imo is much better written than Secret Project #2
I love this book, i cry a lot. Its my favorite project
I respect every opinion.
Even the wrong ones !
(nice review by the way)
Just finished the book and saw your review. Expected a poor -if not outright moronic- reason for 2/5 but you made really good points that I all agree on. It was short. It had a lot Japanese/Korean culture. It was a romance book. It had cool gimmicks. It wasn't the same scope as a Stormlight book. Hoid was out of place.
And yet I rate it 4.7/5
This book had nearly everything that I wanted in a book. The magic, the 2 main characters, the romance, the quality, and the focus of the book being on those characters. Sad you couldn't enjoy it, but hey, people are unique.
Great review.
Will check out the rest of your stuff.
this book has signs of HUGE improvement from brandon in character writing - character arcs, character relationships, characters that actually feel like they belong in the settings they live in... brandon literally would not have been skilled enough to write this book ten, even five years ago. knocked way of kings off the pedestal as my favorite sanderson novel. before the year of sanderson i really thought brandon was stagnating and i was growing bored of him, but these experiments have been so fresh and skilful, i'm reinvigorated on brandon. honestly wish you hadn't read it dude
I dislike romance and anime, and am not a fan of Final Fantasy, and I still really enjoyed this, a lot more than Tress. But good, fair review!
Hi there. How are you doing? I'm sorry that book didn't work out well for you. Maybe since I'm a big fan of anime it may work out better for me but I will take your criticisms or keep them in mind. Meanwhile, this week I have started reading while listening to the 21st volume in the A Certain magical index light novel series which has been amazing. I am also listening to the audiobook version of go west with giraffes which also has been absolutely unbelievable. It tells the story of a young orphan boy living during the 1930s who comes across two boringo giraffes who survive a hurricane and he winds up traveling with them across the United States to the San Diego zoo. His interactions with these two giraffes are extremely entertaining. If you love animals you should give this one a try. I love the a certain magical index series which was made into an anime because it has a really fun mixture of magic and science with a little bit of accidental romance mixed in. The romance isn't a part of the main focus of the story but there are lots of accidental scenes that let you know that the characters care about each other.
Thanks for the review Matt! I was really looking forward to reading this one. I usually wait for a positive book review before reading something so it's a bit rough to start with this one, but it just means I can read all the dozens of other books on my list!
this was a great book for the young audience, the lost metal was great...you have something with sanderson style😂
Don't worry Matt. You can't lose me as a subscriber. I don't subscribe to anyone. If this were Ready Player One, I guess you would say I don't clan up.
There we go!
I completely disagree but I have to sub due to your honesty. Hard to find that on book tube recently
Don't worry about losing subs, Matt. If they don't want to see negative content, that's their problem. Being nice just for views and subs doesn't make us better reviewers.
Thanks! I don't really care, but it does rub me wrong when people say I give negative reviews for an ulterior motive. Because there is no benefit to be giving negative reviews!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I hear the same thing all the time. Reviews are for readers. It's not a reviewers job to help an author sell books nor is it our job to help them become better writers. You read a book, didn't like it and told us why. If you had nothing but positive reviews, you'd probably just hear that you're being too nice just for views. Anybody who listens to this review should be able to tell that 1) you did actually read it and 2) you're being honest.
To be fair, I haven't read much Sanderson. I did like the Mistborn trilogy, but feel it was also a bit overhyped. I read The Rithmatist and enjoyed it, but I think he might have been built up a bit more than is maybe warranted? I am still waiting to start Stormlight as I am about six books into WoT and not sure I want to start another massive series.
I think this is actually my new favourite book, after SoS
As someone who enjoyed the movie Your Name and many of the other references Sanderson was going for, I saw what he was doing, and the final crescendo was pretty good, but the worst part for me was the ultra cringey stuff between the characters, especially in the first 1/3. He acknowledges that he was trying to stretch, to write more romance, but the way he wrote it... it just didn't work for me. I think your review is solid. There's too much group think online about opinions, especially subjective ones. Good on you for being honest!
This book was no where near Way of kings, but way ahead of Tress!
Thank you for an honest review. I loved this book.
Really regretting having Kickstarted this stuff. Damn you FOMO!
I mean it was just a standard cost of an ebook, so not like you got ripped off. If you backed the physical copy, they are worth every penny and you can likely sell them for more than the original value (Once they've sold out).
That’s my plan!
Welp, not a great start in the TBR contest 😂
It's basically just a pass, since virtually everyone missed it!
I also thought it was slow and the pacing actually reminded me a bit of Brandon's first book Elantris. But I also really enjoyed Elantris and they both had tremendous endings.
It helped going in for me that I knew this would be a romance as I watched some videos where Brandon mentioned that SP1 was more an adventure like Princess Bride, SP2 was whacky, SP3 had the most romance, and SP4 was more action packed like his other books. I'm sorry that romance ain't your jam, but I hope SP4 is more up your alley so it will be at least 2/4 for you and then next year you'll get Stormlight 5.
Also Brandon seems to love to write different types of genres into his fantasy books so it makes sense that he eventually wrote an anime book. I love anime so it was funny to see even if parts were a bit tropey.
Interesting! I actually had been thinking this one was missing the Sanderson mid book slump (he's my favorite author but I can admit that). BUT I also love romance and its about all the very subtle interactions over time, so I can see that if this isn't your thing, then it would seem super slow. Tress and Yumi were definitely for the girls, and Tress helped me get a lot of my female friends into Sanderson. Even if it isn't everyone's favorite, definitely recommend to non-Sanderson readings as a gateway book to the rest of the cosmere
@@Spoonishpls @Spaansgard I actually still really loved SP3. I just didn't get invested in the romance until literally the halfway mark because I felt like Painter was a very passive character up until that point. Tress I think is well liked by most of his fans including me. Tress is probably his best standalone.
Now I'm curious which characters these characters feel like. That will definitely affect how much I like it. If they're like Sarene and Raoden I'll probably feel neutral about the romance. I didn't really care much for most of the romances in Mistborn, Khriss and Kenton was mwa but I did enjoy the one in Warbreaker (Siri and Susebron) for the most part. I mostly enjoyed the friendship part though, that was fun.
Haven't read this one yet, no high expectations. Watching nontheless curious about Matt's opinion.
I have zero lock on what you like in books. 😂 I can't believe you like Frugal Wizards more than this one. Different folks I guess. I guess it makes sense if you don't love anime/Japanese types of stuff.
I honestly didn't feel like this book had any more romance overtones than basically any of his other books.
The difference here is that the romance plot is the dominant storyline, whereas the other books it's just one of a huge number of plots.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews ah I guess that's true.
Thank you for the honesty.
I find it interesting that you said you think characters are Sanderson's weakness, because I always thought that they were his strongest. Now, the characters in Yumi, while I did love it, were not his strongest characters. But I don't think I could say that standalones as have strong of characters as Stormlight Archive or Mistborn Era 1. Kaladin and Adolin, in particular, from Stormlight Archive really stood out to me, as well as Dalinar. Way of Kings, especially, felt like an exploration of characters and not so much a plot focused book, not that there wasn't any plot, just that it felt like it focused more on the individual characters.
I enjoyed so much that I finished in one sitting.
Middle grade books be fast like that.
i dont like romance in any type of media... but idk man even i started to like this book the same way as triss
Nah it was a great book and a breath of fresh air.
Sanderson has been going down for a while now. It started with the second Mistborn series and the last two books of the Reckoners. Even Rhythm of War was meh
Ty for this review. I only have 1 question i need answered so I can decide if I want to read this or not. Did u like the flirtatious romance between elen and vin in the first mistborn book?
Nope!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewso, lol. okay so im definitely reading this book then, cuz i wanted more of that in the first book, i really liked their dynamic. so now im convinced i’ll enjoy this book as well 🙃
@@TalkingTorah613 Wow really?! I found this romance so horrible and cringe, I couldn't believe that an adult could write something like this.
@@FranzBinder20 what elen and vin? Why what was cringe about it? I loved it. I found it a pleasant change of pace for someone so jaded and cynical and suspicious to be able to have a cute "puppy dog" romance with another sort of cynical jaded fella but her under the safety and guard of an alias which in fact let her reveal herself safely, and her revealing herself "falsely" but truly, allowed elen to open up, and i also enjoyed their flirtatious kind of back and forth jesting or ribbing(not sure the word) kind of banter, and i remember on my first read thru of mistborn being more interested in how their relationship would develop than the main story arc.
Interesting perspective
Its getting 5s akl over goodreads
I love Sanderson. I will always be a fan of the Cosmere, and will be here to the end. However, I HATED this book. I hate saying it because I respect Brandon, but I feel saying it any other way would be a lie. This book definitely has an audience, and I know many enjoyed it. Brandon even claimed it was his favorite of the secret projects. But it was not for me. If I was to rate it on Goodreads, I'd give it a 1 out of 5. However, as an aspiring author myself, I would never tarnish a books rating like that just because of my personal opinion. So I am leaving it unreviewed on there. Still felt like needed to get my opinion out there somewhere though, lol. Really hope Brandon reels me back in with SP4.
It was Matrix mixed with Lies of P.
Just finished it. I agree with you , I should have enjoyed it. Unlike you, anime and manga are my jam, but I found this story to be so so.
All I can hope for Sanderson is that Stormlight book 5 is amazing like the rest. Because if book 5 is bad like these recent books, I might just stop reading him altogether. Though I do trust that Sanderson won't mess up stormlight.
I love these recent books! But to each their own
Well Yumi and the Nightmare Painter might be my favorite book of his, so it's all subjective
@@kocunar1 To be clear, I haven't read this book yet. But the entirety of mistborn era 2, tress of the emerald sea, and the frugal wizard were middling to bad for me, so I don't have much hope for this one.
I haven't read it yet but I was disappointed with project 2, so I certainly wasn't stopping my read to get to this instantly. I think for me Sanderson has regressed a lot. Not only in publication order sense but within each series. I loved The Final Empire but books 2 and 3 of era 1 were definite steps down for me. Same with Stormlight, I loved book 1 but each book has gotten weaker for me personally. I know he is a huge MCU fan and the inconsistent tone is a struggle for them as well. Mixing funny moments into serious books can be good, Abercrombie and Erikson pull it off very well. Sanderson tends to have the MCU issue where a goofy quip at the wrong time ruins the moment. I know you will probably piss people off with this but I appreciate the honest review. Thanks.
Appreciate the review Matt. I don’t think this one is up my alley either.
Pretty bummed that I didn’t enjoy this book. It just wasn’t a story that fit my tastes. I’m happy for people who did enjoy it, and I’m not saying it’s an objectively “bad” book. Just not for me.
I enjoyed Tress more, but still was underwhelmed. I guess I’m just more into the Stormlight types of books. Oh well, from what I’ve heard about SP4 I think I will enjoy it more. Still love Brandon and the Cosmere.
like that your always honest. I also loves secret project 1 and didn't like secret project 2. Will be interesting to see what I think of this one as I do like fantasy romance as well as epic fantasy and I love anime. Will be reading after current book. 😀
This is the first video of yours that I have seen but I already appreciate and respect the hell out of you and I am a min in your review. I love being able to trust reviews because of demonstrated integrity. I absolutely LOVE sanderson I Don't think I like anyone as much or ever gave but I understand everyone has their own style and what they like and I would rather you be straight and we have apposite opinions then someone who shills for anyone or anything just because it is popular. I hope you see this and know that ecwn though some dipsticks leave for you being a rational human being those who stay likely have a great deal of respect for you as an individual.
Thanks so much...you are too kind!
Valid opinion. I loved the book! 👍🏼
I think the fact that your are in the middle of a good story in another story could be influencing your impression of other books. At least that's what's happening to me at the minute, I'm on book 4 of malazan and i feel like I'm wasting my time if i don't just continue the story
I felt the book had a very slow start as well. It was funny to hear you describe the various things this felt like to you having reading the postscript, you hit it exactly. Overall I did enjoy the book but I'm an anime fan 🤷♀
I guess that this was just not for you. I personally like anime a lot, and in anime the power of love and friendship is hype 😂, it can work if written well, but I'm nervous because even though Brandon has shown improvement for his romances lately, a book that has romance as the main thing from Brandon makes me nervous. Though I think the premise sounds like "your name" and I loved that movie so we'll see
What other books do you hate so I can add them to my read list.