Buy Mistborn - The Final Empire: amzn.to/2LSNzqi Book 1 Buy First Law - The Blade Itself: amzn.to/312VvZo Book 1 Buy Full Mistborn Series: amzn.to/31btTBh Buy Full First Law Trilogy: amzn.to/2YwAQ2d
@Tomthebomb On it's amazon page, Blackwing (the first Raven's Mark book) is described by a reviewer as Joe Abercrobmie's writing in a high-fantasy Brandon Sanderson-seque world. There's far more magic than in The First Law, but the protagonist can't use it so it feels more alien and scarier. The world is bleaker as humanity is on the point of being wiped out by ancient, alien sorcerers known as the Deep Kings. They use their army of mind-controlled, once-human Dredg to lay siege to the last remaining cities that lay behind a magic-blasted wasteland of corrupting, toxic enchantment. I'd say that the tone is actually more hopeful than 'The First Law' as a whole, humanity sort of has a chance to survive, even though it is extremely slim.
Daniel Greene have you read Malazan? I assume yes, but you almost never mention the series or even a book from the series. I think they are one of the most complicated stories out there with fantastic characters that you recognize from their dialogue and thoughts, without actually being told who they are. Each character has their own personality in the writing that surrounds them. It’s truly brilliant in my opinion. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts, even if they are different than mine! Cheers!!
Probably what’s gonna happen to me. Currently reading mostborne then fire and blood followed by re reading songs after that I will get into first law. Hope it meets my expectations.
When Ninefingers transforms into the Bloody-Nine, Joe's writing of his fights is breathtaking. Book two when he fights the Shanka in Aulcus is some of the most gripping writing ive ever read.
Dialogues..., I started reading Mistborn this week (20% in), and oh my god, the dialogue is so bad!! It's driving me crazy, specially because I'm also rereading ASOIAF. The difference is like night and day. Please tell me it gets better.
Daniel Meurer nothing wrong with Mistborn’s dialogue to me and to most people. Maybe you just expect the dialogue to be more dramatic and intense, in which case you’re not going to get much of that from Brandon in general. Although I don’t understand what you’re problem actually is so I can’t say yes or no.
@@lordofdarkness4204 actually, I can't really tell you exactly what is wrong with it. It's just the way I feel reading them. Not only the dialogues, but how characters interect with each other and how they act while doing so. It feels unnatural to me, specially with Kelsier. The comedy is also really bad. I wish I had a technical explanation or something, and I'm not really good with adjectives neither. Anyway, as I said, I just started, and maybe I just need some time to get used to it.
@@meurer13daniel I felt the same way about mistborn era 1. It has a bit cringey dialogue. Mistborn era 2 on the other hand had way better dialogue, especially between the 2 main characters.
Can you try to bring some attention to James A Moore? He's a great author but recently has been diagnosed with cancer and his publisher is putting all Ebook funds towards cancer treatment.
I think ASOIAF and First Law are way different books. They're both two of my favorite works in fantasy. I LOVE Abercrombie. His humor and inner character pov stuff is incredible. Just read Best Served Cold.
And Dany-boy hasn’t even read the standalone First Law books yet. The best books, the best character work and probably the biggest world expansion, imo. It’s so good.
Joe Plumley if I had to pick one I would go with Best Served Cold (I love too many characters in that one. #TeamShenkt). I loved The Heroes as well especially how Abercrombie played with the battle scene narratives.
Connor McNamara The Heroes battles were the most easily visualized in a cinematic fashion battles I’ve ever read. Fuck I would love at least those points on that book to be faithfully adapted. It reads like a screenplay to me. You can’t avoid picturing the storyboard.
Joe Abecrombe is in a class all his own...hard to compare those two authors. They are just so different. Respect to you for even putting this out here.
I have always been a fan of thriller, horror, mystery. The more intense the better. I started The First Law series and it had what I’ve always missed in fantasy. That dark intensity that makes you squirm. So it’s thanks to you and Murphy Napier that I have found a new series to love. Thanks!
Spoiler I love ninefingers, but the cripple stands above all. I felt like I really came to love logen as a reader but in the last book I feel like I was made to dislike him. Still logen is one of my favorite characters in literature hands down.
@@Slayereyez I love Glokta, but The Bloody-Nine stands above all. I felt like I really came to love Glokta as a reader but I didn't find his character quite as interesting or cool as Logen. Still Glokta is one of my favorite characters in literature hands down.
@@coleton7048 yeah he does really come to life. "The Great Leveler" everything that lived was his enemy. He had about as much pity as the winter. LESS EVEN! Such a good character. Did u read Red Country? I loved it one of my favorite stand alone titles. If u haven't read it I dont wanna spoil it but say one thing for ninefingers fans. Say they love red country.
I have read both ASOIAF and The First Law. I read ASOIAF first, followed quickly by The First Law, and at the time I thought First Law just edged it out for me. Now that I have more distance, I can’t choose. Martin’s world is so freaking great and Abercrombie’s characters are so incredibly excellent, in the end I cannot put one over the other.
Stop it... Stop it. I am reading WoT cause of you Daniel... I also started Mistborn cause of you... And loving it by the way... Stop recommending stuff... I can't keep up XD
Hey Daniel, I love this versus kind of non-spoiler review. Can you make a lot of this? Like... LoTR vs Harry Potter, or LoTR vs ASOIAF or do the author comparison: George RR Martin vs Brandon Sanderson or do whatever you like.
Great comparisons. For me, Joe Abercrombie would get the readability point due to MUCH stronger prose and dialogue. Brandon Sanderson by his own admission doesn't think his prose and dialogue are his strong points and uses it more as plot devices to move the story along. It reads more like YA to me. So I understand your point on accessibility to a wider audience but doesn't mean it is more 'readable' to me personally. I think it is a bit unfair to give magic systems the same weight as character, plot, and setting. Due to you being a fan of hard magic systems you are basically giving a free point to Mistborn here. If you automatically give a point to the harder magic systems then that style of fantasy will always get a skewed edge. I understand it is your preference but the way in which the magic system is implemented doesn't make one type of fantasy better than another on that merit alone... in my opinion. All in all though I really enjoyed the video and you do a great job of explaining your reasoning... BUT..... First Law is better! ........ neener neener! Fight me.
TheKrazyGoob first off I have not read first law though after this video it is definitely on my list. When it comes to the magic system point I feel the point Daniel was making was the amount of use of the magic systems in each book. Because the magic system is such a key role and is used so well it had to get the point because the other magic system was not that integrated into the story. I don’t think he gave the point necessarily because he likes hard magic systems more but of how much and how well they were used in the story. P.S. I do think when it comes to fantasy the magic system is as important as character and plot though this is just my opinion when reading fantasy stories.
Strongly agree. I don't think an author should get points for dumbing down his language. Sanderson writes great stories, but he doesn't have great linguistic craft at all. I remember reading a sentence something along the lines of "and he knocked the sword out of her hand with his hand" and thought... wtf?! How did this get through editing? Abercrombie has fantastic style, and his books are crazily easy to read.
@@TheDrownedEarth I do not want to attack Sanderson's writing, he has these great ideas. He just doesn't have the same craft as Abecrcombie or even a debut like Scott Lynch.
@@TheKrazyGoob I definitely think you're allowed to be critical without attacking. I agree, Sanderson has a great stories to tell. I just wish he was a little better with the nuts and bolts of telling them!
I haven't read The Blade Itself (though it's definitely on my list) and I absolutely adored Mistborn, however, at times it read way too much like a YA series.
I literally just finished First Law (time to binge me some First Law vids!!!), it was good. I read ASoIaF what feels like a long ass time ago now but i'm going with my gut that ASoIaF is better. I admit I think the TV show has warped my perception in certain aspects but I remember characters such as the Hound having a believability that I never found with Logen.
Just bought the Mistborn era 1 trilogy and the first law trilogy. Almost done with The Final Empire and plan on finishing the trilogy and then moving to first law immediately after. It should be exciting to watch this video in about a months time when I finish both series
Daniel, JordanCon Britton here. Spoke to Paul Dose, guy who invented brilliant WOT board game. Told him you wanted an update. Expect him to text soon. Cheers Mate!
I find most, if not all of the main antagonists in the First Law Trilogy very likable. Mistborn is sub-par in comparison when it comes to character dynamics. Joe excels in engaging dialogues and even more enjoyable interior monologues like we see in our dear Glokta. But Mistborn is still a top tier fantasy series without a doubt.
I read First law trilogy it is a good grim dark series though the ending could have been better done with King Dan luther. Honest truth I think Song of Ice and Fire is darker if you've seen the early release chapters of Winds of Winter. Which are just messed up.
I don't think the comparison is usually which is darker, just which is better at doing a grim dark story. ASOIAF is an amazing story and the political storylines there I prefer, the characterisation is so amazing and as a student of history and a lover of fantasy I am in love with the series. The reason I think people will often rate First Law above it is not that it is darker, but that the key characters it delves into (And it deep delves into far less characters than ASOIAF) it does so unbelieveably well and realistically. The characters' progressions are so unexpected and welll crafted that they shock even the very experienced fantasy reader. I in many ways did not like the ending of First Law trilogy, I wish it had been different in so many ways but I have come to realise that if it ended the way I would have most liked the story would not be the almost unique take on the epic that it has become.
Great video! I’m looking forward to more of this. I love both these series. They’re so different, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to come up with the scores.
My problem with the point system is that character and plot should be worth a lot more than small things like magic system. Like it's not fair because some fantasy rely on magic system more than others.
I have read all of ASOIAF and I have read the first two books of the First Law trilogy(enough to compare the two in my opinion) and honestly I can’t choose which is better. I think when it comes to characters Glokta is better then any of ASOIAF’s characters but then it gets more mixed as I find it harder to rank the other characters against each other, so I’m not going to bother right now. Instead I want to judge the other things. When it comes to world building I feel like ASOIAF has a much more interesting and deep world. Then again I feel like I don’t know enough about the First Law’s world building to judge it fairly. But from what I’ve read so far I definitely think ASOIAF is better in this department.
I would say your points are very good. One thing I would say character wise is I think Joe does a better job in deep diving into the characters where he goes full on, but Martain is dealing with a much wider and more thouroughly explained world. I prefer Martain's history, worldbuilding, political intrigue and scope but I have never found anything as deep or surprising as Joe's character arcs.
I started Mistborn, but stopped shortly afterwards, although I cannot remember why. one of these days I really have to try it again, First Law was great, though. Glokta is fascinating.
NICE, I'm finishing book 7 of the the dark tower series and after that starting a buddy read of first law, and thanks to this video more hyped than ever
In these last 2 months of winter I have been on a reading binge. Completed kingkiller, first law, gentleman 's bastards, stormlight and mistborn. And in each of them has a very detailed comparison with ASOIAF. especially first law
@@Juan_Jose_Miraballes Wait till Winds of winter... Yeah I know I know... he won't ever be able to finish the saga and its not up to hype. Bit still I am a man of faith
What would be the most interesting start for a main character in a grimdark world with hard magic system? Thief, noble, inquisitor, prisoner in labor camp,..., please answer whatever you would like.
As much As I love Mistborn, I don’t think its even in the same league as something like First Law or ASOIAF. To me, its almost juvenile compared to them.
Ahmed juvenile is a bit of a strong word. For me I enjoy Mistborn so much more because I just find grimdark to be such a grid. Only so many scenes of extreme, graphic, violence I can read before I wonder why I’m bothering.
I thought Mistborn was just ok, the magic system was cool but they kept going over it again and again, also didn't really like the characters that much. The plot twists where pretty dope though. I also think another theme of First law was that characters didn't change, your perception of them changed as you learned more about them and they learnt more about themselves but they didn't actually change that much. They kept talking about how history moves in either cycles or circles I can't remember which because I listened to the audio book, but I think that was reflected in the characters.
The characters actually do go through transformations. It's just that they always take on a negative identity, or end up in a worse situation… [spoilers] Jezal from arrogant nobleman to sympathetic puppet-king. BSC: Shivers from optimistic warrior to cold-blooded killer Logen from running from his past choices, to realizing he can make better decisions (which is why in Red Country he starts out as a farmer "making things grow" & family man)
@@jake.presentsI sort of see your point that they become worst, but In my opinion they mostly just realise what they actually were like. in the beginning it was just my assumption of the story that lead me to believe Jezal would get better when he actually realised he was a coward. also I only read the three main books so idk about the spin offs.
Very impressed with this video . . 1 he looks like a younger version of me . . 2 talks a lot like me . . and 3 um Daniel has OBVIOUSLY wrapped his brain around those books . . . bravo buddy
Just my two cents... Plot - ASOIAF Characters - ASOIAF Setting - ASOIAF Themes - ASOIAF (but really close) World - ASOIAF Readability - ASOIAF (also really close) Magic System - tie I guess
@@Rian-zf7ye There's not even a plot in ASOIAF. We're all just following their little adventures. Quentyn had his own little plot and look what it did him. lol
I agree with the scoring but for some reason, The First Law still comes out on top for me. I think it's got to be the characters, I love Logen, Glokta, Jezal and Bethod. I've never been as excited for a book release as I am for A Little Hatred :D.
I’ve never really considered ASOIAF grimdark. It’s definitely dark, but the series has a ton of hopeful messages and a ton of the characters are pretty good people. First law is super bleak considering that the world is run by a bunch of maji trained by essentially God who only care about petty arguments between each other. Love both and hate people who need to argue about whats better
Also do be clear i don’t think this videos are arguing about which one is definitively better. What i’m talking about is the people who refuse to let you enjoy fantasy because they like other versions of fantasy
I would argue that First Law is in a way a response to the more grim/dark fantasy themes that GRRM was popularizing (morally grey characters, soft/ambiguous magic systems, limited POV chapter structure with different writing styles, subverting classic fantasy tropes). I prefer ASOIAF in it's depth of character, setting and history, but First Law has the benefit of being a finished and complete trilogy.
I liked mistborn, it was fun to read, smart magic system, aaand that is all I can recall, can't even remember any character names or what really was it about... first law was a trip, I loved every page, such a good story, such a smart presentation, can't stop phrasing it, the whole thing lives vividly in my mind
JA’s series Half a King bent my brain and gripped my heart… it was the first time I bought the whole series because I wanted to quote every other page.
Im my opinion there are several Grimdark elements in the Gentleman Bastards series. I read Scott Lynch around the same time as Joe Abercrombie and i find that Lynch is definitely stylistically closer to Abercrombie than GRR Martin
I don't know if I would call Joe Abercrombie the GOAT of grimdark. Don't get me wrong, Joe is wonderful in his craft, and I would recommend him to anyone wanting to try getting in to grimdark. But personally, I find that a lot of other authors brings things to the table that Joe doesn't. Like Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company, I really liked what he did with the unreliable narrator and how the story is written as a chronicle, though I understand why it is offputting to some people. Or Miles Cameron's Traitor Son Cycle, who as a medieval enthusiast is able to scratch that itch I have that is called medieval authenticity. Because of his knowledge and expertise on the subject. Or Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn trilogy, because you can't talk about grimdark without bringing up Warhammer 40K. And even if you are not familiar with the franchise, i would still recommend the trilogy, because it is so well written, and a great introduction to people who want to get into W40K.
Attila Black Company was great, loved it! I remember it more than I do First Law. Haven’t read the newest book of Black Company but heard it was weird and not the same as the others.
@@arnie0311 Well you can't really talk about grimdark without mentioning Glen Cook, he is the father of grimdark after all. And it is clear to see how it has inspired series like Malazan and others.
@@rileykuhl8011 I really liked it too, but i get some of the criticism it gets. The first book is pretty disjointed and sporadic, but I attribute it more to Glen Cook getting his bearings. Because IMHO the later entries get much more grounded and coherent. But I haven't read the newest entries either, and because of spoilers I won't get into, the books really can't be the same. But I am gonna pick em up someday.
Finishing up book 7 of WoT, then taking a break at halfway point. 1st law next, then Mistborn, then 2nd half of WoT. So that should keep me busy for the next few months. Thanks for the recommendations.
LOL, good question. As Grimdark, First Law is better on almost every level, I think that's roughly settled and an uncontroversial statement. In general..... it's harder to say. I find ASOIAF to be very inconsistent, but you could say that so is real life, so it has that added level of realism. George is better at politics. Joe writes in smaller scale, more intimate. There are fewer themes in First Law, but they're explored more thoroughly, I'd say (I also think Daniel didn't correctly identify the main themes). I could say a lot more, but that'd just be a whole review, I'm just responding to you. I think First Law and ASOIAF are equal, but in different ways. I love them both, ASOIAF is more accomplished, larger and grander, you can see that the author is a grizzled veteran and Joe begins as an immensely talented amateur (the Blade Itself was his first book). But in rereading both this year I've found that I enjoy First Law more than ASOIAF.
Ten years ago, a great expansive world with a well realized magic system would have captured my attention the most. I'm now in my mid-thirties and care much, much more about the inner world of the characters and their interactions. Magic can be simple and fuzzy, as long as it is not used abusively to advance the plot. So right now, for me, The First Law is one level above Mistborn (which is also good).
I learned about these 2 authors when some people were talking about "who could finish ASOIAF if GRRM never finishes it?" These 2 guys were by far the most common answer and I found that super intriguing.
I have tried to read the first book of the series first law but i really didn't like it all that much. It might become better later on but i can't compare it to ASOIAF. I'm sorry but i find that George's books are far superior .
That is exactly how i feel about Mistborn. I see alot of love for the series, i just dont get it..lol. Is it the magic system? I feel it must be, because i was so thoroughly bored half way through Mistborn i had to DNF it.
I consider asoiaf to be better and grimmer than First Law (and I read both). Mainly because in First Law characters have plot armor and you know they're gonna win in the end. In asoiaf, there's no plot armor and as there's characters on all sides, you know some are gonna lose. Moreover, asoiaf characters actually evolve, contrary to First Law ones.
Give me a completed series over an incomplete one all day any day. First Law over Asoaif. Also, you act like plot armor is bad like every story has it even Asoaif needs to keep its main cast alive for a ceratin amount of time to keep the world moving.
i dont think i can categorize why first law is better, i love brandon sanderson, ive read all his stuff. But, first law's dialogue and characters just fascinate me and have become part of my vernacular. im a character fan, and joes are perfect
I hate the fact that "magic system" is a metric by which books are judged. It's just a plot device, like any other. Abercrombie leaves Sanderson in the water in terms of literary skill.
i like these "vs" videos, but it's kinda hard for me to care unless i've read both of the competitors, just saying. guess that's on me and i just need to read more. And now for something completely different, please don't read Throne of Glass, you will hate it and then it will make you avoid YA even more. IF you feel you should read some popular YA read some Grishaverse books (Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows series), it's being made into a show and I think you will actually enjoy Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Brandon sanderson wrote seven books before publishing elantris. So talking about his amazing writing speed - if he spent the last ten years writing a book a year (standard rate) and publishing the other seven, that's (yep) seventeen books. How many has he written?
6 mistborn books, Elantris Warbreaker 3 books in reckoners series 3 books in stormlight archive Skyward The rithmatist Legion - 4 books White sand Alcatraz - 5 books Wheel of time - 3 books That makes 29. And that is not even considering the short stories and novellas like edgedancer or emperors soul.
Caveat. I am not fully through First Law (latter part of Hanged) and I enjoy it a hell of a lot. Here comes the but, but nowhere as much as aSoIaF. It is a good distraction while waiting for Winds, but it lacks the depth Martin's magnum opus has. I can feel the history behind every unique character, viewpoint and event in aSoIaF, while First Law is just excellent character drama. I have read aSoIaF to the state which it is in 3 times now, but I don't see a reason to reread First Law. At least not yet. Mistborn goes to my DNF files. I just haven't enjoyed PG fantasy in a long time.
Ps. I have an issue with how we use grimdark tbh .. most grimdark really isn't that grim or dark. I mean when I think grimdark I think corpse-grease and blood for the blood god.
Joe just has far more engaging characters and writing in my humble opinion. Although I do love the stormlight archives. Dalinar's character arc has been most entertaining to read.
I’ve never read First Law and probably won’t, grim dark is not my cup of tea. I love Mistborn, and it’s characters are some of my all time most favorite.
Comparison was not carried out in the proper way. Come on, comparing a Grimmdark fantasy against a magical modern fantasy on the basis of magic and world grandeur? Even lamest Magical Modern Fantasy stories will triumph in this. Two series are completely different and both are enjoyable. I am not demeaning your saying, I enjoyed your take and it helped to broaden my view but I feel these two should not be compared in these categories. Just my opinion
Same categories are used regardless of series though you make a fair point. I might have to adjust for each, but then I can be accused of rigging in favor if I adjust to much.
Not sure about magic systems (because Sanderson are spoiling us with those) but I think comparing world is OK. I would even give that point to First Law. Mistborn has "more different stuff" in it but because everything is connected to the plot you can get the feeling that "this is all there is" and that the rest of the world is just empty. When I read the First Law I got the feeling that there is things and places and stories in this world that I have yet to see, a similar (but not comparable) feeling as when you read Lord of the rings. However, this is also the reason I would give Mistborn the point for plot. Because of the way it ties every part of the of the world together during the course of the series. Not sure I phrased my argument perfectly but I hope you understand what I mean :)
I know my previous comment is like an hour old but I have changed my mind :P Or rather, I have reevaluated the question and my thoughts about the worlds :) Yes, I miss the feeling of there being "something more" (like the feeling that there is more than 4-5 cities in an empire spanning the entire world) in Mistborn but because of the way the "more different stuff" feels to fit in to the world even before we know everything and how it's technically impressive how Branderson weave it together I would have to give the point to Mistborn. So you may be right that because of that modern writers have had the chance to learn from everything that came before and how the need to do more/different stuff to stand out it may result in that the good modern authors/book will stand above older stuff. I will have to think about this some more :P
@Nicholas Berryman, yup both authors created novellas for each character and in both the authors revealed that those characters are particularly special to them. Sanderson even said that he has big plans for Lift in his upcoming books.
The first law is my first fantasy book and I love loved it. And here i thought I will never read a fantasy book!! But I wanted something different & it is the best decision I've made 💯💣
You really should have done a comparison with ASOIAF, since you appear to have a strong opinion on the matter. I really liked First Law, one of my favorite series, has some really strong points, good main characters. etc.... overall doesnt come close to ASOIAF, the world is so much smaller and less developed it's not even fair to compare the two imo. Think of the smaller characters, especially from the political scheming angle. In First law it's so rushed and without any nuance, the whole electing Luthar plot is painfully obvious and the "climax" of it is supposed to be the grand council, where the writers tells us there's a whole lot of scheming, and signalling going on, secret agreements coming to fruition (and good thing he told us, else how could we know?), but alas the only play that mattered was the one we know full well beforehand, Bayas putting forward Luthar's name, and Isher throwing his support behind him (which we also knew is coming), so everyone else went along. I love ASOIAF because even the very very small 3rd-4th tier characters are interesting as well, and when I read about them I feel like they might have a real impact upon the story.
Your video caught my eye because I have both these trilogies on my want to read list. I like the catagories you focused on. I commented today because you included Readability. Totally agree it is pivotal to a book. Does that include talent for wordsmithing, that is, writing? I look for language. This is important to me hence I am having problems right now reading Nevernight. I am supposed to adore this according to everyone but at the halfway point I am pushing myself to continue. I am searching for what is so entertaining to people. Keep thinking it must start on the next page so I keep going. When I am done I will probably pick up Mistborn and then First Law. Thanks for your analytical comparison to helped me a lot.
Interesting comment. I think readability is different from word smithing though they can be combined. I know several people have said Brandon lacks elegent word smithing (Prose are a bit pedestrian is the kind of comment I hear) yet I find his books (Despite their length) almost read themselves and I have re-read everything he has written multiple times and enjoyed myself every time. Some people who I would say are amazing word smiths are people like Pat Rothfus, I have never seen a more exquisitely written fantasy than his... sometimes it feels more poetic than prose. I wouldn't consider him as readable as Brandon though. Both of these series are amazing and VERY different, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and that through them you explore the rest of both authors' works because I have found them to be incredibly gratifying.
Buy Mistborn - The Final Empire: amzn.to/2LSNzqi Book 1
Buy First Law - The Blade Itself: amzn.to/312VvZo Book 1
Buy Full Mistborn Series: amzn.to/31btTBh
Buy Full First Law Trilogy: amzn.to/2YwAQ2d
@Tomthebomb On it's amazon page, Blackwing (the first Raven's Mark book) is described by a reviewer as Joe Abercrobmie's writing in a high-fantasy Brandon Sanderson-seque world.
There's far more magic than in The First Law, but the protagonist can't use it so it feels more alien and scarier.
The world is bleaker as humanity is on the point of being wiped out by ancient, alien sorcerers known as the Deep Kings. They use their army of mind-controlled, once-human Dredg to lay siege to the last remaining cities that lay behind a magic-blasted wasteland of corrupting, toxic enchantment.
I'd say that the tone is actually more hopeful than 'The First Law' as a whole, humanity sort of has a chance to survive, even though it is extremely slim.
Thank you for recommending first law. Just finished and I loved it.
Dan's fans? That would be alright, if you were ok with being called Dan. Which, if memory serves, you're not.
Daniel Greene have you read Malazan? I assume yes, but you almost never mention the series or even a book from the series. I think they are one of the most complicated stories out there with fantastic characters that you recognize from their dialogue and thoughts, without actually being told who they are. Each character has their own personality in the writing that surrounds them. It’s truly brilliant in my opinion. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts, even if they are different than mine! Cheers!!
How many spoilers are there.
ASOIAF used to be my favorite series. Until I found The First Law. You have to be realistic about these things.
Probably what’s gonna happen to me. Currently reading mostborne then fire and blood followed by re reading songs after that I will get into first law. Hope it meets my expectations.
Omg me too!!! I just started the first law 2 weeks ago and I’m half way thru the 2nd book!!!!
100%
Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he is the goat.
Casey Dakus yes
Glotka: 'You are too kind, Daniel.' _You_ _truly_ _are...If_ _we_ _were_ _to_ _meet_ _face_ _to_ _face, I_ _do_ _believe_ _your_ _skin_ _would_ _start_ _to_ _crawl_ .
Haha 😂
TheKrazyGoob 😂🤣🤣🤣😂
Daniel right now: Still alive, still alive.
Just sounds edgy
Glokta would probably really dislike most of us lol
First Law is not better than Ice and Fire, no way. I've not read either.....I don't even read.... Why am I here?
Anyway great video.
Make me chuckle.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Is that a challenge?
Mystic Valley
Read wheel of time...
@@ghostie8105 nah. I'll watch the movie.
I read the covers so I'm an expert.
When Ninefingers transforms into the Bloody-Nine, Joe's writing of his fights is breathtaking. Book two when he fights the Shanka in Aulcus is some of the most gripping writing ive ever read.
When he fights the feared, literally chills
My favorite was the first time when he fought the inquisition. "I do the killing fool"
I would give anything for a prequel about the north men and especially the Logen/Bethod story. The short story in sharp ends about them was amazing.
Sanderson's Worlds and Magic with Joe's dialogues and character is the dream.
shashemption that would make me yeet.
Dialogues..., I started reading Mistborn this week (20% in), and oh my god, the dialogue is so bad!! It's driving me crazy, specially because I'm also rereading ASOIAF. The difference is like night and day.
Please tell me it gets better.
Daniel Meurer nothing wrong with Mistborn’s dialogue to me and to most people. Maybe you just expect the dialogue to be more dramatic and intense, in which case you’re not going to get much of that from Brandon in general. Although I don’t understand what you’re problem actually is so I can’t say yes or no.
@@lordofdarkness4204 actually, I can't really tell you exactly what is wrong with it. It's just the way I feel reading them. Not only the dialogues, but how characters interect with each other and how they act while doing so. It feels unnatural to me, specially with Kelsier. The comedy is also really bad. I wish I had a technical explanation or something, and I'm not really good with adjectives neither. Anyway, as I said, I just started, and maybe I just need some time to get used to it.
@@meurer13daniel I felt the same way about mistborn era 1. It has a bit cringey dialogue. Mistborn era 2 on the other hand had way better dialogue, especially between the 2 main characters.
Can you try to bring some attention to James A Moore? He's a great author but recently has been diagnosed with cancer and his publisher is putting all Ebook funds towards cancer treatment.
What are some of his best books? I'd like to check him out and support this!
Lets hope it can be treated..
Glokta was worth at least 5 points
Absolutely.
Are there any fans of Logan and Bayaz?
@@Contractor48 I'm a fan of just about every character. They all are so well done.
I love Logan too.
@@Contractor48 the bloody nine is da bessst
I think ASOIAF and First Law are way different books. They're both two of my favorite works in fantasy. I LOVE Abercrombie. His humor and inner character pov stuff is incredible. Just read Best Served Cold.
half way through BSC now, it might be the best, funniest book ive ever read
And Dany-boy hasn’t even read the standalone First Law books yet. The best books, the best character work and probably the biggest world expansion, imo. It’s so good.
The heroes is one of my favorite books
Joe Plumley if I had to pick one I would go with Best Served Cold (I love too many characters in that one. #TeamShenkt). I loved The Heroes as well especially how Abercrombie played with the battle scene narratives.
Connor McNamara The Heroes battles were the most easily visualized in a cinematic fashion battles I’ve ever read. Fuck I would love at least those points on that book to be faithfully adapted. It reads like a screenplay to me. You can’t avoid picturing the storyboard.
The heroes and red country are some of my favorite books of all time
Man I’m so glad u clarified the First Law is the absolute goat of grimdark. It just is.
I believe fans of Daniel are called "Danny Fannies" or a "Danny Fanny".
Danny Fantom
@@LocallyConstantDuck That's a fan who acts like a detrimental shadow.
KerstinMamma that is so awful and cringeworthy.
Hahaha🤣
@@lordofdarkness4204 Indeed! 🤣
Joe Abecrombe is in a class all his own...hard to compare those two authors. They are just so different. Respect to you for even putting this out here.
"Why do I do this?" for every time you upload a video.
Glokta 😂
Just the presence of Glotka makes me give it to First Law. I am always excited when he comes into a scene.
I have always been a fan of thriller, horror, mystery. The more intense the better. I started The First Law series and it had what I’ve always missed in fantasy. That dark intensity that makes you squirm. So it’s thanks to you and Murphy Napier that I have found a new series to love. Thanks!
I'm a Logen Ninefingers type of guy, so it's weird watching Daniel praise Glokta the way he does when I feel that way about Logen instead. haha
Spoiler
I love ninefingers, but the cripple stands above all. I felt like I really came to love logen as a reader but in the last book I feel like I was made to dislike him. Still logen is one of my favorite characters in literature hands down.
@@Slayereyez I love Glokta, but The Bloody-Nine stands above all. I felt like I really came to love Glokta as a reader but I didn't find his character quite as interesting or cool as Logen. Still Glokta is one of my favorite characters in literature hands down.
@@coleton7048 yeah he does really come to life. "The Great Leveler" everything that lived was his enemy. He had about as much pity as the winter. LESS EVEN! Such a good character. Did u read Red Country? I loved it one of my favorite stand alone titles. If u haven't read it I dont wanna spoil it but say one thing for ninefingers fans. Say they love red country.
For me glokta and Logan are 10/10 characters just different sides of the scale.
say one thing about Coleton Donaldson say he's a Logen Ninefingers type of guy
I have read both ASOIAF and The First Law. I read ASOIAF first, followed quickly by The First Law, and at the time I thought First Law just edged it out for me. Now that I have more distance, I can’t choose. Martin’s world is so freaking great and Abercrombie’s characters are so incredibly excellent, in the end I cannot put one over the other.
Stop it... Stop it. I am reading WoT cause of you Daniel... I also started Mistborn cause of you... And loving it by the way... Stop recommending stuff... I can't keep up XD
Hey Daniel, I love this versus kind of non-spoiler review. Can you make a lot of this? Like... LoTR vs Harry Potter, or LoTR vs ASOIAF or do the author comparison: George RR Martin vs Brandon Sanderson or do whatever you like.
Agreed!!!!
Can't do George RR Martin vs Brandon Sanderson. Brandon Sanderson wins hands down cause he actually has finished a series.
I don't think we need these though
Great comparisons. For me, Joe Abercrombie would get the readability point due to MUCH stronger prose and dialogue. Brandon Sanderson by his own admission doesn't think his prose and dialogue are his strong points and uses it more as plot devices to move the story along. It reads more like YA to me. So I understand your point on accessibility to a wider audience but doesn't mean it is more 'readable' to me personally.
I think it is a bit unfair to give magic systems the same weight as character, plot, and setting. Due to you being a fan of hard magic systems you are basically giving a free point to Mistborn here. If you automatically give a point to the harder magic systems then that style of fantasy will always get a skewed edge. I understand it is your preference but the way in which the magic system is implemented doesn't make one type of fantasy better than another on that merit alone... in my opinion.
All in all though I really enjoyed the video and you do a great job of explaining your reasoning... BUT..... First Law is better! ........ neener neener! Fight me.
TheKrazyGoob first off I have not read first law though after this video it is definitely on my list. When it comes to the magic system point I feel the point Daniel was making was the amount of use of the magic systems in each book. Because the magic system is such a key role and is used so well it had to get the point because the other magic system was not that integrated into the story. I don’t think he gave the point necessarily because he likes hard magic systems more but of how much and how well they were used in the story. P.S. I do think when it comes to fantasy the magic system is as important as character and plot though this is just my opinion when reading fantasy stories.
Strongly agree. I don't think an author should get points for dumbing down his language. Sanderson writes great stories, but he doesn't have great linguistic craft at all. I remember reading a sentence something along the lines of "and he knocked the sword out of her hand with his hand" and thought... wtf?! How did this get through editing? Abercrombie has fantastic style, and his books are crazily easy to read.
@@TheDrownedEarth I do not want to attack Sanderson's writing, he has these great ideas. He just doesn't have the same craft as Abecrcombie or even a debut like Scott Lynch.
@@TheKrazyGoob I definitely think you're allowed to be critical without attacking. I agree, Sanderson has a great stories to tell. I just wish he was a little better with the nuts and bolts of telling them!
I haven't read The Blade Itself (though it's definitely on my list) and I absolutely adored Mistborn, however, at times it read way too much like a YA series.
You can be a fantasy series and a YA series :)
I literally just finished First Law (time to binge me some First Law vids!!!), it was good. I read ASoIaF what feels like a long ass time ago now but i'm going with my gut that ASoIaF is better. I admit I think the TV show has warped my perception in certain aspects but I remember characters such as the Hound having a believability that I never found with Logen.
logan reminds me of one punch man
so far
@@artemislogic5252 There is no Logan only Logen. First read book then comment.
Logen reminds me of wolverine lmao
Just bought the Mistborn era 1 trilogy and the first law trilogy. Almost done with The Final Empire and plan on finishing the trilogy and then moving to first law immediately after. It should be exciting to watch this video in about a months time when I finish both series
Daniel, JordanCon Britton here. Spoke to Paul Dose, guy who invented brilliant WOT board game. Told him you wanted an update. Expect him to text soon. Cheers Mate!
There's a Wheel of Time Boardgame?
I find most, if not all of the main antagonists in the First Law Trilogy very likable. Mistborn is sub-par in comparison when it comes to character dynamics. Joe excels in engaging dialogues and even more enjoyable interior monologues like we see in our dear Glokta. But Mistborn is still a top tier fantasy series without a doubt.
JA’s dialogue is second to none.
@@stuartbagley2586 Andrzej Sapkowski is just as good, if not better.
I read First law trilogy it is a good grim dark series though the ending could have been better done with King Dan luther.
Honest truth I think Song of Ice and Fire is darker if you've seen the early release chapters of Winds of Winter. Which are just messed up.
I don't think the comparison is usually which is darker, just which is better at doing a grim dark story. ASOIAF is an amazing story and the political storylines there I prefer, the characterisation is so amazing and as a student of history and a lover of fantasy I am in love with the series. The reason I think people will often rate First Law above it is not that it is darker, but that the key characters it delves into (And it deep delves into far less characters than ASOIAF) it does so unbelieveably well and realistically. The characters' progressions are so unexpected and welll crafted that they shock even the very experienced fantasy reader. I in many ways did not like the ending of First Law trilogy, I wish it had been different in so many ways but I have come to realise that if it ended the way I would have most liked the story would not be the almost unique take on the epic that it has become.
Not that I have read Mistborn, but... how dare you, Sir!
You made me laugh :)
Great video! I’m looking forward to more of this. I love both these series. They’re so different, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to come up with the scores.
Joe Abercrombie is Lord GrimDark.
My problem with the point system is that character and plot should be worth a lot more than small things like magic system. Like it's not fair because some fantasy rely on magic system more than others.
i just finished first law. And Glokta, Men, becomes one of my favorite character.
I have read all of ASOIAF and I have read the first two books of the First Law trilogy(enough to compare the two in my opinion) and honestly I can’t choose which is better. I think when it comes to characters Glokta is better then any of ASOIAF’s characters but then it gets more mixed as I find it harder to rank the other characters against each other, so I’m not going to bother right now. Instead I want to judge the other things.
When it comes to world building I feel like ASOIAF has a much more interesting and deep world. Then again I feel like I don’t know enough about the First Law’s world building to judge it fairly. But from what I’ve read so far I definitely think ASOIAF is better in this department.
I think it'll come down to how ASOIAF ends. As it stands, I like First Law better; but that could change if Martin's last couple books are amazing.
I would say your points are very good. One thing I would say character wise is I think Joe does a better job in deep diving into the characters where he goes full on, but Martain is dealing with a much wider and more thouroughly explained world. I prefer Martain's history, worldbuilding, political intrigue and scope but I have never found anything as deep or surprising as Joe's character arcs.
I started Mistborn, but stopped shortly afterwards, although I cannot remember why. one of these days I really have to try it again,
First Law was great, though. Glokta is fascinating.
The Bloody Nine is my favorite character of all time.
Can't wait to read both of these come the end of the semester.
Glokta is my favorite fantasy character ever hands down!
NICE, I'm finishing book 7 of the the dark tower series and after that starting a buddy read of first law, and thanks to this video more hyped than ever
My two favourite trilogies that I recommend to everyone. That was great to watch. Thanks
Lmao, thought this was gonna be Mistborn vs. Newton's First Law
Both First Law and ASOIAF are in my top 5 series of all time, but I do have to say ASOIAF edges out First Law.
What are the other top 3?
Both are in my top 5, but I believe that with recent books Abercrombie has overcame George Martin.
In these last 2 months of winter I have been on a reading binge. Completed kingkiller, first law, gentleman 's bastards, stormlight and mistborn. And in each of them has a very detailed comparison with ASOIAF. especially first law
@@Juan_Jose_Miraballes Wait till Winds of winter... Yeah I know I know... he won't ever be able to finish the saga and its not up to hype. Bit still I am a man of faith
@@souvikchakraborty8055 he will finish it and it will be up to the hype. But Abercrombie is still the king in my personal ranking
first law no contest
Agreed. Abercrombie will be appreciated in time. Logan is the most intriguing character in modern fantasy
What would be the most interesting start for a main character in a grimdark world with hard magic system?
Thief, noble, inquisitor, prisoner in labor camp,..., please answer whatever you would like.
@@sturgeon4430 Guts?
@@sturgeon4430 sounds interesting.
@@kenansabic2901 and who would you like as a protagonists?
Prisoner probably
As much As I love Mistborn, I don’t think its even in the same league as something like First Law or ASOIAF. To me, its almost juvenile compared to them.
Ahmed juvenile is a bit of a strong word. For me I enjoy Mistborn so much more because I just find grimdark to be such a grid. Only so many scenes of extreme, graphic, violence I can read before I wonder why I’m bothering.
I thought Mistborn was just ok, the magic system was cool but they kept going over it again and again, also didn't really like the characters that much. The plot twists where pretty dope though. I also think another theme of First law was that characters didn't change, your perception of them changed as you learned more about them and they learnt more about themselves but they didn't actually change that much. They kept talking about how history moves in either cycles or circles I can't remember which because I listened to the audio book, but I think that was reflected in the characters.
people don't change, you have to be realistic about these things...
The characters actually do go through transformations. It's just that they always take on a negative identity, or end up in a worse situation…
[spoilers]
Jezal from arrogant nobleman to sympathetic puppet-king.
BSC: Shivers from optimistic warrior to cold-blooded killer
Logen from running from his past choices, to realizing he can make better decisions (which is why in Red Country he starts out as a farmer "making things grow" & family man)
@@jake.presentsI sort of see your point that they become worst, but In my opinion they mostly just realise what they actually were like. in the beginning it was just my assumption of the story that lead me to believe Jezal would get better when he actually realised he was a coward. also I only read the three main books so idk about the spin offs.
Very impressed with this video . . 1 he looks like a younger version of me . . 2 talks a lot like me . . and 3 um Daniel has OBVIOUSLY wrapped his brain around those books . . . bravo buddy
Compare first law to a song of ice and fire!
Just my two cents...
Plot - ASOIAF
Characters - ASOIAF
Setting - ASOIAF
Themes - ASOIAF (but really close)
World - ASOIAF
Readability - ASOIAF (also really close)
Magic System - tie I guess
Kevin Croughan
I disagree with characters part and plot part. The rest I agree with you on
@@Rian-zf7ye There's not even a plot in ASOIAF. We're all just following their little adventures. Quentyn had his own little plot and look what it did him. lol
Abercrombie finishes books. I started Fire and Ice in the 90's. Plus Abercrombie is funny :)
I agree with the scoring but for some reason, The First Law still comes out on top for me. I think it's got to be the characters, I love Logen, Glokta, Jezal and Bethod. I've never been as excited for a book release as I am for A Little Hatred :D.
I see Vin. I click.
I’ve never really considered ASOIAF grimdark. It’s definitely dark, but the series has a ton of hopeful messages and a ton of the characters are pretty good people. First law is super bleak considering that the world is run by a bunch of maji trained by essentially God who only care about petty arguments between each other. Love both and hate people who need to argue about whats better
Also do be clear i don’t think this videos are arguing about which one is definitively better. What i’m talking about is the people who refuse to let you enjoy fantasy because they like other versions of fantasy
I would argue that First Law is in a way a response to the more grim/dark fantasy themes that GRRM was popularizing (morally grey characters, soft/ambiguous magic systems, limited POV chapter structure with different writing styles, subverting classic fantasy tropes). I prefer ASOIAF in it's depth of character, setting and history, but First Law has the benefit of being a finished and complete trilogy.
I love Mistborn and am starting to like First Law! I read Mistborn when it first came out and am listening to First Law at work!
Stephen does such a great job with all the characters voices omg it's great the audiobooks of 1stlaw
I literally couldn’t decide which one to get so I got the first book to both series..... now I’m stuck on which one to read first.....
The blade itself
I liked mistborn, it was fun to read, smart magic system, aaand that is all I can recall, can't even remember any character names or what really was it about... first law was a trip, I loved every page, such a good story, such a smart presentation, can't stop phrasing it, the whole thing lives vividly in my mind
Daniel put me on to Mistborn.. Loving it!
I haven't heard of "First Law Series " until I saw one of your videos. I read them, and I do agree it is better than "song of ice and fire".
The First Law has one thing going over ASOIF... it's completed.
JA’s series Half a King bent my brain and gripped my heart… it was the first time I bought the whole series because I wanted to quote every other page.
First Law is better than Mistborn and it's not close - fight me
If it wasn’t for Glokta, First Law is a 6/10 book - first punch thrown lol
@@Rian-zf7ye You and I in The Circle, now!
Im my opinion there are several Grimdark elements in the Gentleman Bastards series. I read Scott Lynch around the same time as Joe Abercrombie and i find that Lynch is definitely stylistically closer to Abercrombie than GRR Martin
Zam weazle Recently finished the first book and it was an amazing experience. Lynch doesn’t pull any punches.
I don't know if I would call Joe Abercrombie the GOAT of grimdark. Don't get me wrong, Joe is wonderful in his craft, and I would recommend him to anyone wanting to try getting in to grimdark.
But personally, I find that a lot of other authors brings things to the table that Joe doesn't.
Like Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company, I really liked what he did with the unreliable narrator and how the story is written as a chronicle, though I understand why it is offputting to some people.
Or Miles Cameron's Traitor Son Cycle, who as a medieval enthusiast is able to scratch that itch I have that is called medieval authenticity. Because of his knowledge and expertise on the subject.
Or Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn trilogy, because you can't talk about grimdark without bringing up Warhammer 40K. And even if you are not familiar with the franchise, i would still recommend the trilogy, because it is so well written, and a great introduction to people who want to get into W40K.
Got to give this a +1 first time I have seen the black company mentioned
Attila Black Company was great, loved it! I remember it more than I do First Law. Haven’t read the newest book of Black Company but heard it was weird and not the same as the others.
@@arnie0311 Well you can't really talk about grimdark without mentioning Glen Cook, he is the father of grimdark after all. And it is clear to see how it has inspired series like Malazan and others.
@@rileykuhl8011 I really liked it too, but i get some of the criticism it gets. The first book is pretty disjointed and sporadic, but I attribute it more to Glen Cook getting his bearings. Because IMHO the later entries get much more grounded and coherent.
But I haven't read the newest entries either, and because of spoilers I won't get into, the books really can't be the same. But I am gonna pick em up someday.
@@fidlr2904 Have you read the coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman?
To me, The First Law trilogy felt incomplete. There were lots of answers left hanging. Mistborn felt like a more complete story to me.
Finishing up book 7 of WoT, then taking a break at halfway point.
1st law next, then Mistborn, then 2nd half of WoT. So that should keep me busy for the next few months.
Thanks for the recommendations.
At least you finished Lord of Chaos this side of your break!
Wait, are you saying that First Law is better than A Song of Ice And Fire in general or is just better as a grim-dark?
LOL, good question. As Grimdark, First Law is better on almost every level, I think that's roughly settled and an uncontroversial statement. In general..... it's harder to say. I find ASOIAF to be very inconsistent, but you could say that so is real life, so it has that added level of realism. George is better at politics. Joe writes in smaller scale, more intimate. There are fewer themes in First Law, but they're explored more thoroughly, I'd say (I also think Daniel didn't correctly identify the main themes). I could say a lot more, but that'd just be a whole review, I'm just responding to you. I think First Law and ASOIAF are equal, but in different ways. I love them both, ASOIAF is more accomplished, larger and grander, you can see that the author is a grizzled veteran and Joe begins as an immensely talented amateur (the Blade Itself was his first book). But in rereading both this year I've found that I enjoy First Law more than ASOIAF.
First Law is probably better than the last 2 asoiaf books, at least.
@@EE12345 Nah, Dance is my favourite, and is the best in my opinion.
Ten years ago, a great expansive world with a well realized magic system would have captured my attention the most. I'm now in my mid-thirties and care much, much more about the inner world of the characters and their interactions. Magic can be simple and fuzzy, as long as it is not used abusively to advance the plot. So right now, for me, The First Law is one level above Mistborn (which is also good).
Hello Dan, have you heard of Skulduggery pleasant?
Doors are for people who lack imagination!
I learned about these 2 authors when some people were talking about "who could finish ASOIAF if GRRM never finishes it?" These 2 guys were by far the most common answer and I found that super intriguing.
I have tried to read the first book of the series first law but i really didn't like it all that much. It might become better later on but i can't compare it to ASOIAF. I'm sorry but i find that George's books are far superior .
That is exactly how i feel about Mistborn. I see alot of love for the series, i just dont get it..lol. Is it the magic system? I feel it must be, because i was so thoroughly bored half way through Mistborn i had to DNF it.
I have read mistborn and now I plan to start first law thank you
Glad i found yours mikes and merphys channels ye are the reason i decided to read more fantasy books especially sanderson and now Abercrombie
I consider asoiaf to be better and grimmer than First Law (and I read both). Mainly because in First Law characters have plot armor and you know they're gonna win in the end. In asoiaf, there's no plot armor and as there's characters on all sides, you know some are gonna lose. Moreover, asoiaf characters actually evolve, contrary to First Law ones.
Give me a completed series over an incomplete one all day any day. First Law over Asoaif. Also, you act like plot armor is bad like every story has it even Asoaif needs to keep its main cast alive for a ceratin amount of time to keep the world moving.
i dont think i can categorize why first law is better, i love brandon sanderson, ive read all his stuff. But, first law's dialogue and characters just fascinate me and have become part of my vernacular. im a character fan, and joes are perfect
Is that a wheel of time map in the background? So awesome!
I hate the fact that "magic system" is a metric by which books are judged. It's just a plot device, like any other.
Abercrombie leaves Sanderson in the water in terms of literary skill.
mistborn is too pg 13 for me
great series if you're into that but meh I just love that dark stuff and first law is for me.
I think every Sanderson work it's WA story, tbh
Not a huge Sanderson fan, but at least I finished Mistborn and enjoyed it somewhat. I quit halfway through "The Blade Itself."
i like these "vs" videos, but it's kinda hard for me to care unless i've read both of the competitors, just saying. guess that's on me and i just need to read more. And now for something completely different, please don't read Throne of Glass, you will hate it and then it will make you avoid YA even more. IF you feel you should read some popular YA read some Grishaverse books (Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows series), it's being made into a show and I think you will actually enjoy Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
He totally knows that and his hope is that this will get people to read them, that's why they are spoiler free.
Never read Mistborn, but I will now
Brandon sanderson wrote seven books before publishing elantris. So talking about his amazing writing speed - if he spent the last ten years writing a book a year (standard rate) and publishing the other seven, that's (yep) seventeen books. How many has he written?
6 mistborn books,
Elantris
Warbreaker
3 books in reckoners series
3 books in stormlight archive
Skyward
The rithmatist
Legion - 4 books
White sand
Alcatraz - 5 books
Wheel of time - 3 books
That makes 29.
And that is not even considering the short stories and novellas like edgedancer or emperors soul.
Its wierd how all the characters in the first law are near exactly were they started by the end.
Caveat. I am not fully through First Law (latter part of Hanged) and I enjoy it a hell of a lot. Here comes the but, but nowhere as much as aSoIaF. It is a good distraction while waiting for Winds, but it lacks the depth Martin's magnum opus has. I can feel the history behind every unique character, viewpoint and event in aSoIaF, while First Law is just excellent character drama. I have read aSoIaF to the state which it is in 3 times now, but I don't see a reason to reread First Law. At least not yet.
Mistborn goes to my DNF files. I just haven't enjoyed PG fantasy in a long time.
Mistborn isn’t pg but it’s not ya or adult it’s kind of in between
@@somekidwithaphone3345 to be fair mistborn felt like ya when i was reading it. Actually hated it so much. Wish i dnfd it.
Blue bird your wrong tho
@@somekidwithaphone3345 im right tho
Blue bird your wrong tho
Honestly, both Mistborn and the First Law deserve either movies or TV Shows.
Asoiaf got truly grim and dark was the last book with Ramsey. First law of trilogy is constantly grim and dark and even the stand alone novels
I currently reading The Blade itself 👌 because of your chanel and bc i read Half a King by the same author and enjoyed very much.
12:25 Mr. Phallicly Challenged strikes again
Ps. I have an issue with how we use grimdark tbh .. most grimdark really isn't that grim or dark. I mean when I think grimdark I think corpse-grease and blood for the blood god.
First law is a number one grim dark.
Joe just has far more engaging characters and writing in my humble opinion. Although I do love the stormlight archives. Dalinar's character arc has been most entertaining to read.
I’ve never read First Law and probably won’t, grim dark is not my cup of tea.
I love Mistborn, and it’s characters are some of my all time most favorite.
Comparison was not carried out in the proper way. Come on, comparing a Grimmdark fantasy against a magical modern fantasy on the basis of magic and world grandeur? Even lamest Magical Modern Fantasy stories will triumph in this. Two series are completely different and both are enjoyable. I am not demeaning your saying, I enjoyed your take and it helped to broaden my view but I feel these two should not be compared in these categories. Just my opinion
Same categories are used regardless of series though you make a fair point. I might have to adjust for each, but then I can be accused of rigging in favor if I adjust to much.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Fair point 👍
Not sure about magic systems (because Sanderson are spoiling us with those) but I think comparing world is OK.
I would even give that point to First Law.
Mistborn has "more different stuff" in it but because everything is connected to the plot you can get the feeling that "this is all there is" and that the rest of the world is just empty.
When I read the First Law I got the feeling that there is things and places and stories in this world that I have yet to see, a similar (but not comparable) feeling as when you read Lord of the rings.
However, this is also the reason I would give Mistborn the point for plot.
Because of the way it ties every part of the of the world together during the course of the series.
Not sure I phrased my argument perfectly but I hope you understand what I mean :)
I know my previous comment is like an hour old but I have changed my mind :P
Or rather, I have reevaluated the question and my thoughts about the worlds :)
Yes, I miss the feeling of there being "something more" (like the feeling that there is more than 4-5 cities in an empire spanning the entire world) in Mistborn but because of the way the "more different stuff" feels to fit in to the world even before we know everything and how it's technically impressive how Branderson weave it together I would have to give the point to Mistborn.
So you may be right that because of that modern writers have had the chance to learn from everything that came before and how the need to do more/different stuff to stand out it may result in that the good modern authors/book will stand above older stuff.
I will have to think about this some more :P
Witcher vs ASOIAF?
Yes please!
How about comparing two similar female fantasy characters? Perhaps Auri from King Killer Chronicles and Lift from the Stormlight Archive???
It is made easier by them both being the main character of their own separate stories. So Edgedancer vs The Slow Regard of Silent Things.
@Nicholas Berryman, yup both authors created novellas for each character and in both the authors revealed that those characters are particularly special to them. Sanderson even said that he has big plans for Lift in his upcoming books.
I love both. They are so different I am not sure I can compare them.
Definitely going to read both now!
The first law is my first fantasy book and I love loved it. And here i thought I will never read a fantasy book!! But I wanted something different & it is the best decision I've made 💯💣
You really should have done a comparison with ASOIAF, since you appear to have a strong opinion on the matter. I really liked First Law, one of my favorite series, has some really strong points, good main characters. etc.... overall doesnt come close to ASOIAF, the world is so much smaller and less developed it's not even fair to compare the two imo. Think of the smaller characters, especially from the political scheming angle. In First law it's so rushed and without any nuance, the whole electing Luthar plot is painfully obvious and the "climax" of it is supposed to be the grand council, where the writers tells us there's a whole lot of scheming, and signalling going on, secret agreements coming to fruition (and good thing he told us, else how could we know?), but alas the only play that mattered was the one we know full well beforehand, Bayas putting forward Luthar's name, and Isher throwing his support behind him (which we also knew is coming), so everyone else went along. I love ASOIAF because even the very very small 3rd-4th tier characters are interesting as well, and when I read about them I feel like they might have a real impact upon the story.
Still waiting for the ending of the alloy of law Mistborn stuff
Your video caught my eye because I have both these trilogies on my want to read list. I like the catagories you focused on. I commented today because you included Readability. Totally agree it is pivotal to a book. Does that include talent for wordsmithing, that is, writing? I look for language. This is important to me hence I am having problems right now reading Nevernight. I am supposed to adore this according to everyone but at the halfway point I am pushing myself to continue. I am searching for what is so entertaining to people. Keep thinking it must start on the next page so I keep going. When I am done I will probably pick up Mistborn and then First Law. Thanks for your analytical comparison to helped me a lot.
Interesting comment. I think readability is different from word smithing though they can be combined. I know several people have said Brandon lacks elegent word smithing (Prose are a bit pedestrian is the kind of comment I hear) yet I find his books (Despite their length) almost read themselves and I have re-read everything he has written multiple times and enjoyed myself every time. Some people who I would say are amazing word smiths are people like Pat Rothfus, I have never seen a more exquisitely written fantasy than his... sometimes it feels more poetic than prose. I wouldn't consider him as readable as Brandon though. Both of these series are amazing and VERY different, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and that through them you explore the rest of both authors' works because I have found them to be incredibly gratifying.