My Top 20 Best Fantasy Debut Novels! (As of 2021)

Рет қаралды 13,550

Күн бұрын

Hi everyone! Today's video will be about the top 20 best fantasy debut novels I've ever read, as of 2021! This is the biggest video I've ever done on this channel so far. And it goes without saying, there are still a lot of fantasy debut novels I haven't read. However, out of all the ones (more than 50 fantasy debut novels) I've read so far, I think this is the best 20 of them all!
Let me know what you think of these books if you've read them. If not, do you spot any that you want to read here? And let me know which fantasy debut novels are your favorites!
I've done a full spoiler-free review for all of the books mentioned:
0:00 Intro
1:48 The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2:48 She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
3:32 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
4:30 Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
6:28 The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
7:34 The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
8:41 The Forgetting Moon by ‪@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS‬ : www.goodreads.com/review/show...
9:50 We Are the Dead by Mike Shackle: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
11:02 The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
12:14 The Shadow of What was Lost by James Islington: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
13:48 Malice by John Gwynne: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
16:12 The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
17:02 The Hand of the Sun King by J.T. Greathouse: • Best Fantasy Debut of ...
17:52 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
19:21 The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
21:18 Jade City by Fonda Lee: • Why You Should Read Th...
22:55 Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
24:34 Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas Lietzau: • Dreams of the Dying (E...
25:47 Blood Song by Anthony Ryan: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
27:16 The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Пікірлер: 259

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

One correction on this video, Jade City is Fonda Lee's fantasy debut, but it's not her first published novel. I misremembered it! Sorry for that! 😂

@TheBookCure 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, yeah. You just wanted to make sure to get it in there 😉

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure My subconscious betrayed my logical thinking okay!? 😂

@DragoniaX2000 2 жыл бұрын

I seen you mention Jade City and you even made me believe. Until I looked at my shelves and seen 3 other books on my shelf. lol

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

@@DragoniaX2000 hahaha! Sorry, Travis! Didn't meant to mislead. I totally forgot that Zeroboxer is her debut! 😅

@luminyam6145 2 жыл бұрын

I am glad you included it, it provided more evidence of our similar tastes in books and I am going to try it.

@jimgorman3600 2 жыл бұрын

As a newbee to Fantasy books, after 25 years of reading thrillers and mysteries, I appreciate your channel so much. Your reviews and lists are very helpful in guiding me toward the best of Fantasy. I already added several of these to my first TBR list, as I just started reading Fantasy books this past June.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Ah thank you so much! I'm glad this channel is useful to you. On the other hand, the moment I'm going to read more thriller and mysteries, I shall be asking you for recommendations! Readers have to help each other out! 😊

@amandapelland 2 жыл бұрын

Same here, new to the fantasy genre and love Petrik's channel!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

@@amandapelland thank you so much, Amanda! 😊

@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for mentioning my book. I also loved Anthony Ryan's debut too. Strangely I haven't read the others. Shame on me.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome, Brian! I think Blood Song is his best work, but if you do get to the sequels, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on them as a writer! :)

@itsmejellydee 2 жыл бұрын

"we are going to read their dreams" is such a nice sentiment. thanks for the recommendations!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

It's true, right? 😊 And you're welcome. Thanks for watching!

@neeratron 2 жыл бұрын

There's a strange joy in watching someone passionately speak about the books they love.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Hahah thank you! I generally love watching peoole talking about thingd they love! 😄

@poorunsuspectinghunk 2 жыл бұрын

I looove watching your recommendation lists! They always encourage me to explore books out of my usual comfort zone

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad to hear that, Bella! :)

@neeru84 2 жыл бұрын

What a great list!!! I always look forward to your "Best Of" videos to refresh my wishlist.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Neeru! Two more "Best of" video to come this month! :)

@TheBookCure 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome list, Petrik! I love that you give so much time to debut authors, because it really helps the rest of us decide what to read. The Name of the Wind would probably take my number one spot as well ❤️

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Sarah! I love reading debut, or almost any fantasy series that looks interesting to me really... but there seems to be a lot of excitement surrounding a debut that made me want to check them out! 😂 I'm glad The Name of the Wind would've taken your number one spot, too!

@filiplazov5895 Жыл бұрын

I started reading Malice and couldn’t stop until I finished A Time of Courage, it exceeded my expectations.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

Glad you loved the entire series, Filip! It's one of my top favorite series of all time! 😄

@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy 2 жыл бұрын

It’s always awesome to get recommendations from you, Petrik! I will definitely be reading some of these next year, like Rage of Dragons, Song of Achilles, and several others you mentioned. And I will never be tired of hearing you praise The Faithful and the Fallen, my friend! Thanks for the excellent video!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Philip! I have a feeling you'll really love The Song of Achilles. Madeline Miller's writing is so beautiful, and I'm sure you can offer insights on Iliad and Trojan War! 😁 And I'm always happy to talk about The Faithful and the Fallen and anything by Gwynne! 😄

@emroyka 2 жыл бұрын

Basically added all the novels I haven't yet read yet on this list to my TBR! Thank you for your nuanced thoughts on these debuts Petrik! Especially the notion that debuts are the author's dream come true!📚📚📚

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Woohoo! Thank you for watching. I'm glad you agree with that sentiment. Also, I hope you'll love all the books you haven't read here! 😄

@monicamejia1687 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for all your recommendations. I love fantasy but don’t know much about it. This comes really handy. All the best for 2022!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome, Monica!! Glad that it's useful! 😊

@dinocollins720 2 жыл бұрын

This is an amazing list. So many good books on here. I need to read book song next. It's been on my tbr for a while now

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Dino! Blood Song is incredible. I hope you'll love it! 😁

@wesb2823 2 жыл бұрын

"Kings of the Wyld" is awesome! Love the characters and the dialog. Malice and Lies of Locke Lamora are next in line to read and I'm looking forward to starting them. Great channel and content Petrik! My TBR is looooong now after this video!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Kings of the Wyld just has everything I love. The same goes for Malice and The Lies of Locke Lamora, too! Enjoy them! 😊

@ellynbarclay3121 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic selection! Read and loved the majority of these with blood song, she who became the sun and hand of the sun king being some standouts for me. Need to get to a lot of the self published books and shadow of what was lost has been on my tbr for so long so might put it to the top of my tbr now!❤️

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Ellyn! Glad to see some of these are on your favorite list, too! I really hope you'll love The Shadow of What was Lost. I thought it's really good! :)

@luminyam6145 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, this was just an outstanding video. I have been wondering what to read and not all youtubers like the same types of books that I do. I have already read some of the books on your list and I am definitely going to try some others. Thank you.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome, Lumiya! So wonderful to hear that my video is helpful to you! 😊

@nl3237 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this! Will be treating myself with this video this week-end.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Thank you for watching! :)

@safinan8008 2 жыл бұрын

Like ur top 20 books video!! Happy reading to you!! ☃️❄️📖🎥🎬

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Safina! :)

@suzieirby2137 2 жыл бұрын

I agree with you on Name of the Wind. Fabulous. I would read it again right away, but there's so many on my TBR! Perfect wrap up....Thank you.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Suzie! There's this urge to reread Name of the Wind again, but as you said, our TBR pile is ridiculous! xD

@psychobunnyjones5247 2 жыл бұрын

I'm not really sure how I stumbled onto your channel but I picked up Malice because of you. I am forever in your debt. I absolutely loved that series ❤

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you stumbled upon my channel and loved Malice! :D

@JessieMaeBooks 2 жыл бұрын

One of the best recommendation lists I’ve seen! Thank you so much for this Petrik!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Aww thank you so much, Jessie! I appreciate it! 😊

@a1cha0s 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video! I'm so excited to read The Forgetting Moon and the rest of the series in 2022. 1000% agree with you on The Name of the Wind being at the top.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Glad you agreed The Name of the Wind stays at the top. And yeahh, the Five Warrior Angels series will be completed next year. So looking forward to reading The Forgetting Moon and The Blackest Heart again! :)

@crystalsingh7325 2 жыл бұрын

Very interesting list Petrik. I have not heard about many of these. Will check some out in the new year!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Crystal!! Hope you'll love them! :)

@hasanmir 2 жыл бұрын

As a massive fan of The Faithful and the Gallan, and of Bloodsong, I am really excited to check out some of the recommendations on this list!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I hope you'll enjoy the rest that you haven't read!

@cynthiawiley5228 2 жыл бұрын

Your list is pretty top notch. I've read a few of the books you've mentioned and I'm pretty sure I have the rest on my kindle since I can't stop shopping kindle's daily deals lol. Got many of them on sale. I was surprised you chose The Name of the Wind for your number 1. I don't think I've seen a video of you talking about it. But I'll agree it's an excellent book. I remember getting it years ago I think around 2008 or 2009. I even bought the illustrated anniversary edition when it was released I enjoyed it that much. Anyways, from your list I really enjoyed Kings of the Wyld. I think it was a refreshing new take on fantasy and how the author sorta Incorporated music to the book. Also, the heroes here were not young but older. Then to top it off it had a good dose of humor thrown in. Can't wait for book 3 to be released.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, Cynthia! I don't think I talk about some of my top favorite books/series enough on this channel. Either because they're so popular already, or just because I don't have the opportunity yet. But yes, I love The Name of the Wind so much! And I completely agree regarding what you said on Kings of the Wyld. It's refreshing to have main characters that are older! 😁

@MichaelSmith-kw9hz 2 жыл бұрын

Nice Job ... Love your channel. I’ve read most of your list already, lot of my favorites. Thank you for the videos !!!!! Always look forward to them.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Michael! Always appreciate your comment!

@AntonisMatakos 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing list! I have read some of them and will definitely try to read all the rest as soon as I can. But here's an idea: You gave us a top-20 fantasy debut list but only a top-10 standalone list! What about a second top-10 list of standalone fantasy books ?

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Antonis! Oh of course, it's in the works. I have a few more addition to the standalone list, but I think I want to find more standalone books before making another video on that! :)

@raireads 2 жыл бұрын

I've read a few of this list and really enjoyed them, most of the rest of the list was already on my TBR and the two or three I hadn't come across before are now going onto the TBR! We have very similar tastes so I trust your recommendations!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

That's great to hear, Rai! Hopefully my recommendation will keep on clicking with you! 😁

@hollysreadingrambles5490 2 жыл бұрын

I love your book list/recommendation videos. I really want to start so many of these as well as continue on with the poppy war series! Great video, as always, Petrik🥰🥰

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much as always, Holly! I hope you'll love the continuation to The Poppy war!

@hollysreadingrambles5490 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo you’re welcome and thank you🥰

@kittyshiv 2 жыл бұрын

awesome vid! thanks so much for sharing

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, Kit! And I'm so happy to hear you loved The Shadow of What Was Lost, too! :)

@LifeasMonae 2 жыл бұрын

I read the first 3 books on this list and really enjoyed them. I was sold on the crimson queen when you said it had good prose! Was even more excited to see it’s included in kindle unlimited. The shadow of what was lost has been sitting on my shelf since the summer of 2020 😭😭 and the name of the wind even longer than that. Love this video. I agree with a lot of them, have quite a few collecting dusts in my shelves, and will be reading all the others, especially sun of the hand king and the gutter prayer.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! The prose on The Crimson Queen is soooo good! I think you'll love it. Definitely give The Shadow of What was Lost and The Name of the Wind a try, the sooner the better! And the other books you haven't read, too, of course! :)

@afantasybabble6222 2 жыл бұрын

Many great books. Love both Song of Achillies and Blood Song. Some of my favorite debuts are: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Ohhhh I have The Golem and the Jinni and The Bear and the Nightingale on my TBR. I will make sure to get to The Bear and the Nightingale, no more postponing. I've been postponing this series for so many years! 😂

@JolienReads 2 жыл бұрын

I'm very glad to see that Blood Song by Anthony Ryan is so high on your list, it's one of my favorite books of all time 😄 We Are the Dead is now on my wishlist haha, it sounds very cool. I don't know if you have read the Grim Company by Luke Scull, but I think that is a debut novel as well and I really enjoyed that trilogy.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Blood Song is one of my favorite books! What an incredible debut. Also, I haven't read Grim Company yet! I know about the series though!

@ONSYAM 2 жыл бұрын

The Gutter prayer was GREAT!! thanks for promoting it, i would never have find this book if not for your channel. and now i am picking up jade series, seems you love this series so much lol

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome! I love The Gutter Prayer, and yessss! Definitely give The Green Bone Saga a read. I love it SO MUCH! :)

@crhuble 2 жыл бұрын

For the longest, I’ve seen you on Goodreads reviewing almost every book i read or want to read. Finally found my way to your channel. This is my first video of yours and i got so many good recommendations! We share a lot of the same tastes (I, too, love the battle school trope) Thank you from your new subscriber!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Thank you so much for subscribing to my channel, too!

@sannidhiym3573 2 жыл бұрын

Have read two of these and absolutely loved them. And most of the rest were already in my TBR (the ever-growing, never-ending TBR) but this video definitely put them to the top of the list😍

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Only two so far!? You have a lot of superb books waiting for you. Don't worry, though, I totally understand the struggle of managing the TBR pile! 😂

@sannidhiym3573 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Definitely need to work on getting to these. But, evidently, if I don't binge read a series , I take forever to complete them 😅😅😅 So my list of unfinished series has been dragging me away from even starting the new ones🙈🙈 Doesn't help that some days, I'm just in a Mystery / Thriller mood 🧐 And I forgot to include 'The Song of Achilles' 😅 Makes it a whopping three 🤓😂 ( The other two are 'Blood Song' and 'The Hand of the Sun King' 💚💚)

@UncleMonk23 2 жыл бұрын

This is a great list and I have read most of them and had some reservations about others but I respect your opinion and your reviews are very thorough that I may still give them a chance just because I value your opinion…but I must say I am more than a bit surprised and a little disappointed Senlin Ascends didn’t make your list of 20 debut novels…It would be close if not be in the Top 10 for me…Love your channel keep up the good works 👍🏻

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Bob! Yeah, Senlin Ascends was pretty close to making it! I think if it's a top 25, it would've been there!

@oldforestroad 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome list Petrik! I do want to read "The Forgetting Moon", and also "Dream of the Dying" - love Enderal.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Let me know your thoughts on them after you read them, especially on Dreams of the Dying. Will be interesting to hear the thoughts of those who played the game already! :)

@ernstbrehm1135 2 жыл бұрын

Great video Petrik, Thank You, once again! 👍🏼 I hope you’re doing well, health wise!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Ernst! I'm doing well. Well, I'm always tired but who aren't? 🤣

@alynam82 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, Name of the Wind was really good. Regardless of the criticisms. I started with the 10 yr edition, so I'm sure that helped the experience but still, like you said, his writing was engaging and I just had fun with the Kvothe antics and adventures. Great list overall, and I really liked your intro. That was a great point you made, about the debut is special because it is the author's dream being realized (not exact quote, but close enough)

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Anthony! I'm glad you agree with my sentiment on how special a debut is. And yes, I love the artworks on The Name of the Wind 10th anniversary dition, I think it enhanced the experience of the book even more! But even without them, it's already such an amazing narrative on its own! :)

@Speed202 2 жыл бұрын

I have a lot of these on my TBR pile. I am often torn with the Blade Itself because it's a big setup and world-building novel for the events of the 2nd and 3rd installments. I remember reading it and being disappointed by all the expectations I had from the hype. So, I forced myself to finish it and felt like Before They Are Hanged and Last Arguments of Kings were able to move the story along so well because of the Blade Itself. Great video....thanks Petrik.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I do agree that on my first read of The Blade Itself, I was slightly surprised by how much of it was a setup for he next two books. I didn't have any hype back then when I read it, though, so it didn't disappoint me. On reread, I was able to appreciate the characterizations even more! And yeah, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings were amazing! :)

@AlanaLocke 2 жыл бұрын

Found your channel out of nowhere and im glad i did! Ive been wanting to expand on fantasy book series and this vid was perfect!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you found my channel, Alana! Hopefully the books will be great for you! 😄

@Michael_L_Morrison 2 жыл бұрын

Great list! I added some to my TBR. My likes from your list are The Rage of Dragons, The Forgetting Moon, We Are the Dead, The Blade Itself, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Poppy War, Kings of the Wyld, and Blood Song. Malice is a book I mostly liked, but I had some problems with it. The Shadow of What Was Lost and The Name of the Wind were misses for me. BUT . . . I do like hearing about why people liked the books I didn't like. Thanks for sharing.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Michael! We can't all love the same book anyway. I'm glad that despise that we still have some similar favorites! And I agree with you. Hearing people like the books I dislike sometimes can be useful! Sometimes even putting them in a better light. 😄

@amandapelland 2 жыл бұрын

I bought Blood Song by Anthony Ryan a while ago and it's been on my TBR for far too long. Thank you for the push. The Name of the Wind was my first book I read after getting back into reading, loved it. Just wish Rothfuss would finish the final book in the series. Great video on your top 20 best Fantasy Debuts.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Amanda! If you love The Name of the Wind, I have a feeling you'll love Blood Song, too!

@brightest07 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for all the videos

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! 😊

@joerosa9017 2 жыл бұрын

Love the video! Still disagree on Rothfus finishing, but I'm also pretty stubborn, so

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Joe! I will be super happy for Doors of Stone to be released, i still have hope! 😄

@niebieskie2 2 жыл бұрын

Great list!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Olga! 😄

@rod383 2 жыл бұрын

Great video Petrik! You really knocked it out of the park.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Rod! 😄

@fraterahava 2 жыл бұрын

LOVE your content dude! keep it up .. if you can do a top 10 fantasy series that are not so long it will be nice

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! You might get what you're looking for within this month. I'm compiling a list of top 10 fantasy trilogies to post this month! 😁

@fraterahava 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo you got me back to reading for fun .. thanks dude

@martijnrendering1442 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Petrik, I'm bummed that I did not find Kings of Paradise on the list. I am currently reading it and it is amazing in my opinion. Thanks for the other recommendations!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I had issues with one of the POV in Kings of Paradise. But the sequels to Kings of Paradise are absolutely amazing. Kings of Ash is my favorite of the trilogy! 😄

@L.L.MacRae 2 жыл бұрын

The Gutter Prayer was by far my favourite book I read in 2020!!! Absolutely adored it :D Never had a book make me lean forward in my seat like this! Locke Lamora and Jade City both epic reads and firm favourites, too!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

The Gutter Prayer was so mindblowing! I agree so much, too, regarding Locke Lamora and Jade City! :)

@daniellehill1253 Жыл бұрын

I love your videos. Thanks, Petrik.

@PetrikLeo Жыл бұрын

No, thank YOU so much, Danielle! 😊

@thesmuli83 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. Lots of really great books on your list. I would find a few books to add🤓

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I hope you'll like them, Samuli! :)

@polarcubby 2 жыл бұрын

I very much agree with you on place 1 and 2 (might switch them around though, I probably love Blood Song more).

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Can't fault you on that, Blood Song is an amazing book! :)

@esmayrosalyne 2 жыл бұрын

Love this video Petrik, this is an amazing list of books! I hadn't even realized that some of these were the debut novels tbh haha. Also, thank you for reminding me about We Are the Dead, I read that a few months ago and I really need to continue! Brian Lee Durfee's series also really intrigues me, I love me a good prophecy :)

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Esmay! It's always a nice surprise to find out that some of these amazing books turned out to be debut! I think you'll enjoy both We Are the Dead and The Forgetting Moon! :)

@esmayrosalyne 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Probably wasn't clear in my comment, I already read (and enjoyed) We Are the Dead, just need to get to A Fool's Hope :) Very intrigued to see where the story is going!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

@@esmayrosalyne oh sorry, I meant to write A Fool's Hope! 😅

@estelaeva8403 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for another video, Petrik!! Ahhh So many books to read😍 I want to read blood song but I’m reluctant because of how people feel about the next books in the series. Should I still read it as a series? Is it really that disappointing? 😔

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome, Estela! I think you should treat Blood Song as a standalone novel. That's really the best way to approach the book and series, imo. Nothing that comes after it ever reached the height of Blood Song. :')

@teezka 2 жыл бұрын

I loooove Kings of the Wyld. One of my most favourite book. Can't wait for the third installment even though I didn't like Bloody Rose as much as I hope to. Right now I'm reading Jade city because of you so I'm curious if I'll like it as much as you do :)

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

The Band is such a wonderful series. Here's hoping the third book will come out not long from now! And yes! I love The Green Bone Saga so much! :D

@BooksWithBenghisKahn 2 жыл бұрын

Great list! I’d add Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky to it for me for sure in my top-5.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Benjamin! Oh my god, I really have to get to that series. Heard many great things about it!

@marilynsilver2477 2 жыл бұрын

Without your off the beaten path recommendations, I wouldn’t have read so many wonderful books out there. I haven’t read dreams/dying, Rage of Dragons, Bone Shard, Hand of the Sun king, she who became the Sun, blood sone, forgetting moon, redemption. But they’re all on my TBR. I’ll get to Hand of the Sun king and bone shard daughter this month. All the others I enjoyed very much.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Travelling down the off beaten path is fun! Seems like you still have plenty of my favorites to read, Marilyn. Fingers crossed you'll love them all when you read them! 😄

@larryladeroute971 2 жыл бұрын

Great picks. My order would be different but close enough. Only one that troubled me was 'The Hand of the Sun King'. Thought it should have been at the 20 spot - did not think it was more than a three star read.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I love The Hand of the Sun King so much, Larry! It just resonate with me so well. But if you feel it's a 3 stars read, you're never wrong to feel that way! :)

@kevinfrey5755 2 жыл бұрын

Easily one of my favorite releases of 2021 that also happens to be a debut (self-pubbed too) is City of Reckoning by Brianna Da Silva. It is both personal and epic in scope, everything I love about fantasy novels. Having gotten familiar with your tastes from watching your channel, I really think you would enjoy it. Definitely check it out if you are able to.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I haven't heard of this book before, Kevin. Thank you for putting it on my radar! :)

@apostolosk6670 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video 👌👌👌

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! :)

@AlexandraL05 2 жыл бұрын

Yey for The Lies of Locke Lamora 🤩 I only read it last year but I can't stop thinking about it. As for the best bromance, I don't know. I'm still torn between Locke & Jean and Royce & Hadrian. Impossible to choose 😁

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I love The Lies of Locke Lamora so much. I really need to reread this series, hopefully when Thorn of Emberlain comes out! 😂 You're right, though. Locke & Jean vs Royce & Hadrian is a tough choice!

@wjamimah7772 2 жыл бұрын

Blood Song was soooooooo good! I loved it! I too didn’t love the follow up books like I loved Blood Song and tho both were like 3 stars for me compared to how stellar Blood Song was they felt so far off. You’re making me want to reread Blood Song now I’ve gifted that book to several people as well.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Agree so much, Wjamimah! I don't think I've ever heard anyone prefer the second and third book to the first book. I think it just goes to show how immensely and widely loved Blood Song is. I've read it twice, and it seems like another reread will happen someday! 😄

@TheBookishMom 2 жыл бұрын

While I had some mixed feelings about She Who Became the Sun, I still really enjoyed it overall! I am very interested in what happens next in the series. Bone Shard Daughter is fantastic for sure! I picked up book 2 but haven't read it yet! Kings of the Wyld may be my favorite on this whole list, just one I can read and re-read over and over and still enjoy!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad that you enjoyed She Who Became the Sun overall! I thought it was pretty good. Hopefully Bone Shard Emperor will be even more awesome than the first book, seems like Elle loved it so much! And agree totally regarding Kings of the Wyld. I love that series! 😄

@TheBookishMom 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo I saw that Elle loved bone shard emperor so that has me more excited for sure! I actually finally read bloody rose and loved it as well, so hopefully we will get book 3 of the band soon

@LSGunter 10 күн бұрын

I want to thank you for introducing me to the work of Nicolas Lietzau. Dreams of the Dying is the best book I've read so far this year.

@PetrikLeo 10 күн бұрын

Dreams of the Dying is haunting and terrific. Glad you loved it. I cannot wait for the sequel! Should be out this year!

@michellem5902 2 жыл бұрын

After many years of not reading, I decided I wanted to read The Faithful and the Fallen series. My husband had been collecting books to read and I told him, "I am reading this set!" (he had not read it yet) I immediately fell in love with this series. I have completed all of the Banished Land series. I am searching for another series. Nothing seems comparable :).

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Good decision! The Banished Lands Saga provides one hell of an adventure! 😊 So glad you loved, it, too. Hopefully your husband will feel the same after reading it!

@elementsurprise7147 2 жыл бұрын

I'm gonna watch this in the midyear of 2022. Maybe then I'll be finished with your book recommendations of 2021, Petrik

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

You can do it, Element! xD

@andrewf7732 2 жыл бұрын

Nice list. I'll have to add some of these to my ever expanding TBR :) However, I hated Kings of The Wyld. I'm a bit surprised it is something you love so much since the book is full of deus ex machina, which in a recent video you say is a trope you hate. That was one of my main problems with the book, but mostly the humor didn't work for me at all. I feel like that book is a love or hate because it's a very different type of story for fantasy, almost parody.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I think your last sentence pretty much explained why the deus ex machina in Kings of the Wyld doesn't bother me. Eames has mentioned several times that the book shouldn't be taken too seriously because that's really what he wants, it's mostly a comedy book, and he wants the readers to just have fun while experiencing some serious moments, too. However, if the humor didn't work already, it's quite likely that readers won't enjoy it, so what you felt is pretty understandable! :)

@XanderWhat 2 жыл бұрын

My favorite, other than The Blade Itself, is probably Senlin Ascends

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Great choice! I love them both so much for different reasons! 😄

@xeroeddie 2 жыл бұрын

Just read both of them for the first time. They're so good!

@TheSassyLibraryFox 2 жыл бұрын

So many great books on your list! "The Song of Achilles", "The Poppy War", "The Lies of Locke Lamora"... I loved them all and they are among my faves too. =) I'm so glad you liked "Beyond Redemption" because it's still on my TBR.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, friend! I wonder whether you'll love Beyond Redemption or not. That book is very grim. 😂

@jodistibbard4625 2 жыл бұрын

Just finishing The Forgetting Moon at the moment. I love it. It is neck and neck with Joe Abercrombie’s The Wisdom of Crowds as my favourite book of the year. A huge compliment coming from me.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

It's such an underrated book isn't it? Can't believe how few people are reading The Forgetting Moon. The Blackest Heart, its sequel, is even better! :)

@jodistibbard4625 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo I love his channel as well so funny. The I will remove that in editing, when none of his videos are edited just cracks me up.

@cabmangray1423 2 жыл бұрын

My plan is to finally star Malice in January. I have all four sitting just waiting for me to get off my duff. Looking forward to it.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Ohh yess! Hopefully The Faithful and the Fallen will be a hit for you. You know how much I love this series 😂

@shintaishoogaisha123 2 жыл бұрын

First Law trilogy and She Who Became the Sun (along with Dune and The Witcher series) are actually on my tbr for the year

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful. Both are superb, I hope you'll love them! 😊

@PamsShenanigans 2 жыл бұрын

that edition of The Song of Achilles is GORGEOUS!!!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

It's so pretty. I couldn't resist! 😂

@trill_nathan 2 жыл бұрын

I think Fletcher is going to finish Manifest Delusions after the Obsidian Path and City of Sacrifice, so that should be pretty soon. Really happy to see you shoutout Beyond Redemption, I need more people reading his work. My favorite debuts would be Dreams of the Dying, Beyond Redemption, and Rage of Dragons at the moment.

@olivertanner8531 2 жыл бұрын

I tried reading the book but god damn. If you are a native German speaker the names are just pure cringe. I had to put it down after a few pages.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

That's the right path, I think. Finish the other two series first before going back to finishing this one that he's struggling with! I love Manifest Delusions, I kinda wished he'll finish the series first before moving on to other things but well, it's his writing! :D

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

@@olivertanner8531 Yup! This is a known thing. I've heard from many German readers that this series is unreadable if you're fluent in the language!

@trill_nathan 2 жыл бұрын

@@olivertanner8531 Ah that's fair, I would recommend trying Black Stone Heart then, it does not have any of that.

@olivertanner8531 2 жыл бұрын

@@trill_nathan absolutely will. His books are probably right up my alley as far as grimdark goes. I just happened to try this one first because it's on this pedestal for darkest of Grimdark so i was intrigued. I think i would enjoy Beyond Redemption a great deal if i could get past the names. I'll probably try again next year with the expectation that i will have to just ignore the German words. But until then i might try City of Sacrifie or Black Stone Heart.

@poorunsuspectinghunk 2 жыл бұрын

Ooo also I'm late, but I remember when you recommended The Riyria Revelations and said it was one of the fantasy series with greatly-written female characters. I was wondering if you had a list of that too? 👀

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I do have a list of favorite female characters, but I don't think I have a list on "greatly-written female characters" yet. I need to think about it! I will probably just do a list of "favorite heroines" one day, though! :)

@poorunsuspectinghunk 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeothat's great thank you! I'll be watching out for it 😌

@bridgetanne 2 жыл бұрын

Don’t feel bad because I also haven’t read The Bone Shard Emperor yet despite adoring the Bone Shard Daughter 😅

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Yayyy!! I have a friend!! 😂 Hopefully both of us will love Bone Shard Emperor when we read it, Bridget!

@ezriderzzr7104 2 жыл бұрын

The blade itself is without a doubt the greatest debut novel iv'e ever read (in my opinion), although the poppy war is a close second, the name of the wind, i thought was a good book, possibly, just bordering on being a great book, i certainly don't understand the fanatical hype behind it, there's quite a few books her that i haven't read, so thanks for this list it'll keep me going for a while. On a side note, the audiobook version of "The blade itself" is read by Steven pacey and is an absolute masterpiece, probably one of the best narrations of a book i've heard, superb.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

The characterizations on The Blade Itself is definitely one of the best to ever exist in a fantasy debut! I've heard so many great things abotu Steven Pacey's narration, maybe when I give the series another reread, I'll try the audiobook! :)

@ezriderzzr7104 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo I would highly recommend it, it's even better (again in my opinion) than the genius of Roy Dotrice on "A Song of Ice and Fire" or Stephen Fry's Harry potter narration.

@urigatt6815 2 жыл бұрын

Kings of the Wyld is SOOOOOOOOOOO good!! I can't wait to see more from Eames:) Hoping you'll like my debut one day too 💙

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely loved Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose! Can't wait for Outlaw Empire. I look forward to checking out your debut someday, too, Uri! 😁

@yobebooo 2 жыл бұрын

I did not know that Kings of the Wyld had Final Fantasy references! My brother and I grew up in those games. I will have to move it up my never ending TBR list!

@yobebooo 2 жыл бұрын

Also.. so happy to see Blood Song!! Love that book so much

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Oh... Kings of the Wyld has a LOT of reference to Final Fantasy on top of having parts of its worldbuilding inspired by it. There's Firaga, a character named Barrett, and many more! xD

@muttineni03 2 жыл бұрын

Just yesterday I've bought We are the dead by Mike Shackle after reading your review on GR, I hope I like it.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

It's such a good book and series! I really hope you'll love it, too! :)

@lisacole6037 2 жыл бұрын

I've got a few of those on my tbr. I love The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Blade Itself. And The Song of Achilles blew my mind. It is beautiful. Looking forward to Circe. But, wow, I did not like Jade City. Everything about it annoyed me. And The Poppy War was meh. But I'm glad so many people enjoy those series. Thanks for another interesting video.☺☺

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I totally disagree with you regarding Jade City and The Poppy War, obviously, but I'm glad we can agree on The Lies of Locke Lamora, Blade Itself, and Song of Achilles. Circe is great, too! Not as good as Song of Achilles, though, imo. :)

@lisacole6037 2 жыл бұрын

@@PetrikLeo Thank you for taking the time to reply. I hope I enjoy some of your other faves when I get around to them. So much reading to do.

@nancywolf1467 2 жыл бұрын

I read TNOTW well over 10 years ago & it stuck with me. It’s the book that drew me into fantasy.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I just can't get over that book. I love it so much! :')

@angelamccollister 2 жыл бұрын

I love both WoT and Licanius.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

GOOD! We need more readers enjoying both series! 😂

@axtell500 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Petrik, sorry to nitpick but didnt Fonda Lee release some sci fiish books before her Greenbone Saga like Zeroboxer etc and going by the rules you mentioned at the start. Thanks for the list anyways 8-)

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Yup! Don't be sorry. You're absolutely right. I just remember a few minutes ago, too. I pinned the comment already. I made a mistake there, it's completely my bad! I misremembered it! 🥲

@brycesummers1020 2 жыл бұрын

If you could only pick one series to keep while the other one goes, which one would you pick and why: Bloodsounder’s Arc or The Raveling?

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Out of those two? I'lll keep The Raveling. Beautifully written, prose like that (once you read it you'll understand) in fantasy is hard to find.

@zoeg1647 2 жыл бұрын

Any recommendations for reads which include a battle school/academy?

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I have a lot, but I haven't made a video about it yet. From the top of my head, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, The Poppy war by R.F. Kuang, The Hand of the Sun King by J.T. Greathouse, Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe, and more. :)

@TMH713 2 жыл бұрын

Man I wish John Gwynne had hit with me but it just didn’t. The Faithful and Fallen does end very well, but I was only invested in a couple of the characters, and thought the main protagonist was very boring. I am going to give his Bloodsworn series a shot though.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Arghh it;s such a shame, but I'm glad you still liked the series despite having some issues with it. Here's hoping Bloodsworn Saga will click better with you! :)

@angelaholmes8888 2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely loved the rage of dragons The poppy war was so epic to me unfortunately I didn't enjoy the other two books The blade itself is a good read I can't wait to read the bone shard emperor

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

The Rage of Dragons gave me so much adrenaline rush. And I look forward to reading the Bone Shard Emperor, too! :)

@michaelgierok2689 2 жыл бұрын

First again!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Well done! :)

@misspenneylane 2 жыл бұрын

My never-ending TBR pile just got so much longer.... :P

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

That's good! 😆

@AnOdetoFiction 2 жыл бұрын

You're MISSING OUT KO! READ THE BONE SHARD WAR NOW PLS! It's so good, better than the first book I think.

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I think you meant The Bone Shard Emperor, Lia. 🤣 Yes, I will! After the book arrived I will read it ASAP! 😄

@amandawilbur451 2 жыл бұрын

You are killing my tbr, my life and my bank account Petrik 😭 in a good way though!

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

I'm happy that I'm killing your TBR and bank account in a good way, but hopefully not your life, Amanda! 😂

@R1glet 2 жыл бұрын

garden of the moon

@PetrikLeo 2 жыл бұрын

Great choice! But that's not his debut novel; its his fantasy debut. Steven Erikson has released two books under the name Steve Rune Lundin before he published Gardens of the Moon! That being said, I did made the mistake of including Jade City as a debut novel, too, even though it's not.