Grimdark Fantasy + Berserk and Dark Souls | Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan

Рет қаралды 10,186

Күн бұрын

Hi everyone! Today's video will be a spoiler-free review of Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan. This is the first book in the Mistland series, and as some of you may know already, Eleventh Cycle is an upcoming grimdark fantasy inspired by Dark Souls and Berserk. If you are a fan of these three things, I believe this book will be suitable for you. Let me know whether you've read this book or not, or maybe you plan to get to it someday! :)
Also, ‪@VaatiVidya‬, you SHOULD read this book! :)
Pre-order Eleventh Cycle at:
-Amazon US: www.amazon.com/Eleventh-Cycle...
-Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/Eleventh-Cyc...
0:00 Intro
1:56 Review Starts
14:56 Content Warning & Ending
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#Eleventhcycle #darksouls #darksouls2 #darksouls3 #soulsborne #booktube #booktubesff #bookreview #grimdark #berserk

Пікірлер: 131

@ArdalanKian Жыл бұрын

Thank you SO SO SO much. I am showing this review to EVERYONE

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank YOU for writing such an amazing book, Kian! And for the kind words, too! 😁

@jordendarrett1725 Жыл бұрын

While I'm not a Souls player, I do really like Berserk, and this sounds awesome. Sounds like this author suceeded in exactly what he set out to accomplish.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

He definitely succeeded, imo. I think as long that you love Berserk and grimdark/epic fantasy, you should be okay with this! :)

@Tom960 Жыл бұрын

Thanks, I was unsure about this book but the review has convinced me pick it up

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! I hope you'll love it, Thomas! 😁

@dinocollins720 Жыл бұрын

The cover art is so sick!!!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

SO SICK! :D

@narakudream Жыл бұрын

Petrik! What a shirt! Niceeee. I am huge fan of you from Costa Rica. Thank you for your content and your recommendations, thanks to your recommendations my bucketlist is endless. Happy new year to you and your family; including the cute Choco-boy. Best wishes!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Mige! I appreciate your comment and happy new year to you and your family, too! Choco boy says hi back! :D

@SatanClauze Жыл бұрын

Exciting! I look forward to picking this up. That cover art is insane

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

The cover art is so badass!!! 🔥

@gregorykontaxis4885 Жыл бұрын

Look forward for that. Great review and great author!!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Gregory! :)

@butterflyamanda Жыл бұрын

I pre-ordered this straight away, the cover is stunning and your great review just makes me want to read it sooner!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you!! And that's superb. I hope you'll love it. I agree the cover is so stunning! :)

@thesmuli83 Жыл бұрын

Hi Petrik. Great review. I'm really looking forward to the book. I have ordered it.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Samuli! I hope you'll love it! :)

@LitoYLW Жыл бұрын

Excited to read this one! Thanks for the recommendation!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

You're welcome, Carlos! I hope you'll love it when you get around to it. Less than 2 weeks until it's out! :)

@nckoussis8949 Жыл бұрын

This one was fantastic for me! Really glad you liked it. Quickly became one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. I have a feeling in ten years that when people ask "who has the best characterization in fantasy" that Ardalan will be one of the first names listed.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Glad you loved it, too! The characterizations were excellent. Truly one of the best I've read! :)

@Lila_S. Жыл бұрын

First I heard about this book was with the cover revelation and DS influences was enough for a huge fan of fromsoft titles like me to be intrigued .. Glad to hear it lives up to most of my expectations. Thanks, Petrik!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

You're welcome, Lila! Right from the prologue, I think you'll find the Soulsborne influence oozing already. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it! :)

@johnmauro1230 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree. Eleventh Cycle is SO GOOD. Truly a revelation for me. Excellent review, Petrik!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you! It is amazing, John! I didn't expect it would be this good. I'm glad you loved it, too! :)

@Uppernorwood976 Жыл бұрын

I’m really intrigued by this book, been waiting to hear what Petrik thinks of it! Looks like it’s one more for my tbr in the near future…

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Certainly one to read in the future!

@MichaelSmith-zx5lw Жыл бұрын

Pre-ordered the paperback. I have KU but I want to support this author already. I AM ZO EXCITED FOR THIS

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Heck yeahhh! As a fellow Berserk fan, I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)

@thebrothersgwynne Жыл бұрын

Sounds like something I would devour! Brilliant review mate. Ed

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you!I think you'll love it, Ed!! 😀

@magellan1000 Жыл бұрын

Wow this sounds good, I’ll definitely check it out! Thanks for the review! 😃

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

You're so welcome, Joe! I hope you'll love it when you get around to it! :)

@magellan1000 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo thanks, I’m sure I will!

@junebug9359 Жыл бұрын

I’ve seen this book around and now I definitely will check it out

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Superb. I hope you will love it! 😁

@book_scent Жыл бұрын

I’m not a gamer, but the cover art alone got me interested, and I preordered the audiobook as soon as I heared you mention it 😁 I’m kinda in the mood for something darker, so this sounds perfect! I can’t wait 😍

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Woohoo! It's okay if you're not a gamer. I think you'll still love this one! :)

@book_scent Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Thank you, Petrik! Your recommendations have been on point so far (I really appreciate how you always point out what might/might not work for some in a book), so I'm sure it'll be another winner!!! :D

@rdf4315 3 ай бұрын

This sounds pretty good I'm going to have to check this book out, I love berserk it's my favorite manga of all time and I've been playing soulsborne games since demon's souls, with demon souls and bloodborne being my favorite so I'm going to definitely check this book out when I get a chance .

@PetrikLeo 3 ай бұрын

Then you must give it a try! It's quite mixed received. But if it clicked, like it did for me, then I think you will have an incredible reading experience! :)

@ThisIsJaysWorld Жыл бұрын

I was looking for something that blurs the line between fantasy and horror and this was recommended to me by someone who got the ARC and I'm so excited for it's release day

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Ah, this one fits the bill, imo! Thankfully, the release day isn't too long from now! 😁

@Heathennation1976 Жыл бұрын

CAN NOT WAIT....I had this book on pre-order from last time u mentioned it,February 1st it comes out,I've played Dark Souls and Love Berserker this is one of my most anticipated books to read I will start it when I get keep up the great content great video

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Oh wow, if you love those two, and I know you love grimdark fantasy, too, you will certainly love this! :)

@Heathennation1976 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo this guy also has this book out, The Fantastically Underwhelming Epic of a Dead Wizard and average Bard

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

@@Heathennation1976 yeah I haven't read that one yet!

@esmayrosalyne Жыл бұрын

I know absolutely nothing about Dark Souls and Berserk, but I am still EXTREMELY hyped for this book. And I don't know what this says about me, but hearing about how dark and disturbing it gets only makes me more excited to check it out, hahah. I've heard nothing but amazing things from the early reviews, so this book will be read as soon as possible!! Amazing review, I am so glad you found a new favourite so early on in the year Petrik!! 🤩

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Esmay!! No worries. Knowing or loving Dark Souls and Berserk are bonuses for readers who want to read this book. It doesn't get much darker and more disturbing than Eleventh Cycle, really. Let's see what you think about it! :)

@esmayrosalyne Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo That's great to hear. I will keep you updated!!

@dpeady78 Жыл бұрын

I’ve just started this, never played a Souls game but I am aware of their style etc. Hopefully I enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

No need to read the games to enjoy this! The book has received an incredibly mixed reception since its release, I hope you will end up loving it, Dan! :D

@safinan8008 Жыл бұрын

Hello 👋 good review of the book... happy weekend reading to you!! 🎧📚🌿

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Safina! Happy reading to you, too!

@alexandermendez4653 4 ай бұрын

I'm going to check this out. I love Dark Souls but its so stressful I've never been able to finish any of them. Maybe this will be a more enjoyable form of media to consume that kind of content. Also, a four armed knight on the cover? Absolutely. Edit: You inspired me. I'm going to beat DS3.

@PetrikLeo 4 ай бұрын

Can't deny, I'm glad you're interested in this book, but I will be happier to hear you tackle Dark Souls 3 to the end because of me. You can do it!!

@skullcrusher4169 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for justifying my Souls addiction.

@PetrikLeo 2 ай бұрын

ELDEN RINGGGG

@sukhvindersingh2579 Жыл бұрын

I will add it to my tbr list.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Awesome!

@yiShxng1996 Жыл бұрын

Summoning VaatiVidya...

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Hahaha that would be amazing! 😀

@luvBB4lyf Жыл бұрын

Wow this sounds so cool! I love the dark souls universe so I'm definitely going to give this a try, and the content warnings are why I haven't read Berserk, but i think i might be able to handle this novel format (rather than the graphic manga panels). But just to be safe can you tell me the chapter you mentioned with the graphic content? It's so interesting to see different works in different media influence each other, and across cultures too. Also amazing to see how someone's vision (in Berserk) can influence generations of creative minds across the world as well... Just for that I'm definitely going to pick this book up, despite being a bit nervous about the content warnings. Thanks for highlighting them and for this review petrik!!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words, and you're welcome! I think as long that you love the Dark Souls universe, or Berserk, you will have a blast reading this one. The world-building is so detailed and atmospheric. And yes, I love media around the world influence each other! 😁 Yes! I think beside this one chapter, everything inside should still be possible to be read for majority of adult fantasy readera. The chapter with the heaviest and explicit graphic scene is in chapter 55!

@luvBB4lyf Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo thank you!!!

@pherranine Жыл бұрын

this sounds just for me thanks so much for introducing people to different books you are very influential! i do have a question tho, does it work as a standalone? like does it end in a satisfying enough way?i hate waiting for the second book haha

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Glade! Hmm, I don't think it really works as a standalone. It doesn't have a cliffhanger ending, but I think the ending just makes it more exciting to read the sequel.

@fjuran1 Жыл бұрын

Petrik, great review. Already have this on my list, waiting for it to arrive. Would you say the content is more severe that Brian Durfee?

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Frank! I'll say this one is yes. Especially emotionally. So brutal. 😶

@kyleagawin Жыл бұрын

I’m definitely getting it after watching this! Would you compare it to Dreams of the Dying or would you say it’s more dark and with different themes? I finished DotD last year and loved it!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

I loved Dreams of the Dying, too! This one is up there in terms of quality, even better in some places, really. But the themes tackle are different. And it's darker and more violent than Dreams of the Dying. :)

@Paromita_M Жыл бұрын

Great review!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! 😁

@ssspaceman86 Жыл бұрын

I am VERY intrigued. However, lately they label very dark stories with mostly good characters as "Nobledark", and I've seen the Souls series fall into this category!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

What even is this.... there are wayyyy too many subgenre. 😂😂

@ssspaceman86 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo I think it's suitable, because it serves to distinguish from stories focused on the bleak and gray side of the human soul, those that tell of a bleak world in which, however, there is someone who still seeks the good. In my opinion, Malazan also falls into this genre nuance.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

@@ssspaceman86 If this ever becomes a norm in the industry, it will be good, though. I wanted to call this book dark fantasy because the main characters don't suit the grimdark subgenre, but the content and events definitely suit it. So yeah, if Nobledark ever became something widely accepted, then yes let's call it that!

@gripriparmwrestling Жыл бұрын

I can’t wait to read this

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

It's so awesome. I hope you'll love it! :)

@andrewhanson405 Жыл бұрын

You sold me on this Petrik. This book sounds like my kind of Grimdark. I just pre-ordered it on kindle and then saw Amazon offer it on audible for high discount due to Kindle purchase, so I also pre-ordered it on that, because I want to listen to it while I play fromsoft games. Thanks for putting this series on my radar!

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Andrew, and you're so welcome! Let me know what you think about it. I think it's amazing! :)

@AMF0504 Жыл бұрын

Alright, as someone whose been getting into the soulsborne series these past months and as someone who loves berserk, I can say Im sold.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Well then, you can't go wrong with this one. Right from the prologue, you will see what I mean when I say it's Dark Souls inspired. :)

@AMF0504 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo can’t wait to see it

@mattamant915 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful. Thanks for making me add to my TBR Petrik 🤨🤣

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

You're welcome, Matt! I hope you'll love this one as much as I did! :)

@historymax5479 Жыл бұрын

Nice to see you're having a good month. Of War and Ruin comes out in a week, so there's that review to look forward to as well. I was surprised to notice you still haven't reviewed A Clash of Fates on Goodreads, actually. I am currently taking a break from reading (well mostly, The Symphony of Wind seems to somehow keep finding its way into my hands when I'm not looking) to binge Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's really good so far. Incidentally, do you have any other anime recommendations that aren't dark like Attack on Titan but still have good characters, plot and action, like Fullmetal?

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Try reading Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger. That book is Full Metal Alchemist inspired fantasy. :)

@historymax5479 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Already did. It's magnificent.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

@@historymax5479 Ah that's good! I am struggling so hard with reviewing A Clash of Fates right now. I don't know why my writing just won't appear writing a review for that book. 🙃

@historymax5479 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo You'll get it. You are Petrik of House Leo, King of Booktube, after all. Well, unless you get crucified again like in Priest of Gallows 😂(read it two weeks ago).

@spyroskampanos7965 Жыл бұрын

Great review, another book to add to my TBR! Irrelevant question to the video, but do you know when Of war and ruin, by Ryan Cahill, will be released in physical format?

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Spyros! Unfortunately, no. Ryan Cahill isn't sure about it yet, too. Could be in February or even March!

@spyroskampanos7965 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Thank you for the quick reply!

@ethancoyle2193 Жыл бұрын

I will definitely be picking this up. Do you have any other recommendations for Dark Souls like/inspired books?

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

None of these are inspired by it, but Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, and supposedly Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe and The Second Apocalypse by R. Scott Bakker should be suitable for Dark Souls fans! :)

@HakolBeseder09 Жыл бұрын

Since Prince of Nothing/ Aspect Emperor is my favorite fantasy book. Most disturbing fantasy i read now you got me drooling over this Eleventh Cycle. When is the release date?

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Prince of Nothing is on my list this year, at least the first trilogy! Eleventh Cycle will be released February 1st! :)

@killerbee1974 Жыл бұрын

I'll look into this

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Awesome! 😁

@adamdarrar121 Жыл бұрын

I just ordered it for the cover 😂 glad the books dope though

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

I hope you'll love it. It's an absolutely love or hate book. 😂

@muxx2810 Жыл бұрын

You say it's great, I order it. Just pre-ordered on Amazon dunno when it will get delivered though.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

As long that you love grimdark, I think you'll love this. The book comes out on the 1st of February. 2 weeks from now! :)

@pappywinky4749 Жыл бұрын

where the hell did you get a physical copy of this!!?? I got the ebook and am waiting for it to come out, but it sounds right up my alley. Anything with adversity is what I want to read about. I spent my whole life confronted by it. By trauma and other difficult things to face. And reading about others who face this, and overcome it, is just that boost you need sometimes.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

The author sent a copy for me to read and review. 😁 I agree with what you said, though. Overcoming trauma and cruel adversity, especially when they're done right, is the kind of story I can't get enough of. I think that's why I'm allured to Berserk and Dark Souls, too. 😁

@pappywinky4749 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo definitely, there's nothing quite like beating that part you couldn't deal with with dark souls, finally beating that boss after 15 tries. That feeling of liberation that comes after is such a rush

@Almighty_Mage Жыл бұрын

I like grimdark, Berserk, and the Souls series. This book is too potent of a mix to not read so I am sold.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

I love all three and this clicked with me. I hope it will be the same for you. Seems like people absolutely love/hate this book. 😂

@wilsonguillory490 Жыл бұрын

I have to say I feel a bit led astray on this one, Petrik. I preordered the book based on your review and DNFd after about 50 pages. The book is in dire need of editing, with grammar mistakes and awkward diction in every other paragraph. The writing in general lacks polish, with the first chapter opening with an "as you know..." infodump and improving little thereafter. It has a shiny presentation, but it felt like I was beta reading for a friend rather than trying a major new s/p release. The notion that this is as worth my time as the best of traditionally published books of similar length like ASOIAF and Malazan seems laughable.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Really? Well, I have to disagree with you. And it's not just me, many who've read it absolutely loved it, too. It is your opinion and you have every right to think the book is trash. Not sure why you compared it to Malazan or A Song of Ice and Fire, though? I never mentioned these two in my review. I've read and loved Malazan Book of the Fallen and ASOIAF. This book is nothing similar to those two. Anyway, sorry the first 50 pages of this one was trash for you. I've had other people thanking me saying this is one of their favorite books already. So obviously, as always, it all depends on each reader. :)

@wilsonguillory490 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Yeah, so far the praise seems universal which is why I felt weird reading the book. "What am I missing?" It's always interesting seeing how opinions can differ, especially as I follow you since usually our tastes are pretty aligned. But then I remember one time I commented here on how you rated The Traitor Baru Cormorant a 1/5 and it's one of my favorite books of all time! I compared the book to those others because they're dark and of similar size (as individual books), and for me are benchmarks of excellence.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

@@wilsonguillory490 hahaha exactly! I know what you mean. I genuinely can't find anything likable about Traitor Baru Cormorant. Glad you and other readers loved it though!

@muhammadannasfarooq4561 Жыл бұрын

I'm torn between starting Eleventh Cycle and Of Blood and Fire.....which should I start with?

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Eleventh Cycle for something more grim. Of Blood and Fire for something more classic and traditional. 😃

@irocz5150 Жыл бұрын

TBR keeps getting more books.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

As always. xD

@morleywritesbooks Жыл бұрын

I'm curious... It'll probably traumatize me... but I'm foolish enough to still put it on my TBR.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

A few scenes here did get really dark, especially in THAT one chapter! I hope you'll still find the book suitable to your reading, Rachel! :)

@MrOrthiad Жыл бұрын

Can you read this as a standalone? I know this is meant to be a series, but still.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

I think so. Not really a standalone but there is no cliffhanger. The ending will make you excited for the next installment though.

@TeamCarbos Жыл бұрын

Hello Petrik! What did you think of all the spelling errors and grammatical errors? For me they made the book almost unreadable

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Honestly speaking, they can be distracting but didn't bother me too much. I think this is mostly because I've been reading ARCs for years. Many of them came with spelling errors and typos. I read an ARC of this, too, so I thought they were fixed in the final edition. I guess not, based on the mixed reviews it got. I hope this will be fixed in a future update because the book is indeed awesome, imo. :)

@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635 Жыл бұрын

Okay Is it dark fantasy or grimdark? These are two different things

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Grimdark fantasy. But these genre classifications are insanely annoying. Many grimdark fantasy are called dark fantasy outside US/UK readership.

@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo In general the difference between these two is that, while they are both dark and at times edgy, grim dark is WAY more dark and hopeless while dark fantasy is simply more gritty. That's why grimdark is so disliked. I just want to know how edgy it is

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

@@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635 and that definition too is sometimes disputed. Berserk is so often called grimdark in the West, in Japan and where I live it's simply called dark fantasy. Anyway, yeah this is grimdark. I mention dark fantasy at the end of the review because there are horror element to the book.

@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635 Жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Never heard anyone on the west reffer to Berserk as grimdark personally. But anyway, I may check out the book Have a great day