Yeeeeeah! More blacc people on BookTube. It’s just dope to see more on KZfaq. Hope it inspires more people to read and talk about it

I love seeing men reading and enjoying books

“Honor is dead sir, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Always nice to see a fellow black man who’s into fantasy ✊🏾

I’ve never had a TikTok, probably never will! So I’m glad you’re here, or I never would have found you. I’m halfway through my first read of Words of Radiance now! See you in the next video, I’m looking forward to it

I love how you placed an HP book in your top 5 ❤❤❤

Welcome to the BookTube community! So glad to see more brothers here.

Words of Radiance really is one of the GOATs, i read it during Covid and just balled my eyes out during the arena scene lol. Not even emotional, just pure appreciation for how much i loved it

I don't know if you did it intentionally but sitting down on the floor really added to the cozy feeling for me! It gave me a vibe of being at a friends place as kids sitting on the floor talking about our favorite things.

KZfaq keeps bringing this video up so finally decided to watch it.

Hero of ages absolutely killed me... I still think about the ending and I got so attached to all the characters. Brandon really did us dirty.

Happy KZfaq debut! Love your “prop books” and cozy fireplace 😊 very excited for more content on this platform. You’re going great friend.

A handsome man who loves to read and talks about books? Sign me up! Welcome to youtube! Loved your very first video on here! 🎉

I’m so glad you started a KZfaq channel man! Keep at it

My top 5 (personally) Fantasy books: 5: The Hobbit 4. The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian 3. Ill Met in Lankhmar 2. Elric of Melniboné 1. The Broken Sword

i said i wanted to get more into reading fantasy and then this video shows up 😂😂😂 the algorithm doesn’t mess around haha welcome to booktube!!

Bro such a good list!!!! I love Rage of Dragons, Sword of Kaigen, Harry potter, and Brandon Sanderson in General

I totally understand that feeling of nostalgia that keeps Prisoner of Azkaban in your second spot. I’m like that with Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I first read it when I was 10, and although I’ve read some amazing fantasy novels since then Inkheart still holds a special place in my heart. It’s where it all started!

Thank you for the video! I love reading fantasy but really don't have friends that share my interests. It's nice to see male readers as well as brothers that like to read! Because of you, my amazon cart is full again😊

Great picks! Its so hard to rank my favorites, but i love seeing others do it. Watching the list evolve over time as new books are added is fun too!

Aint nothing cooler than a black man reading fantasy books ❤🎉

2 minutes in and just wanted to say that I love the ambience you've created here and the genuine love for books. Keep that energy 🌟

So glad you are posting. I was telling my best friend that I wanted to start posting booktube videos to be a part of the community but am nervous about. This inspires me. Keep it up young man.

My MAN IS ON KZfaq LETS GO

welcome to book tube! I always like to recommend Malazan… it’s a series not for everyone, but for the people it is for it is almost always in their top 5 series. excited to see more videos!

Adding the 4 new to me ones to my wishlist right now. You are really making me want to finally start the Sanderson books I've been putting off!

Is this youtube premium? A black fine ass gentleman talking about books?? Omg. Immediate subscribe.

Good picks. I'm partial to Japanese-inspired fantasy, so I'll try out The Sword of Kaigen.

Welcome to KZfaq 😊 totally agree with Words Of Radiance, I loved it so much! The pacing was insane .

honor is dead... but I'll see what I can do!!!!!

I’m currently on Words of Radiance right now actually. So I’m excited. I have heard nothing but great things about this book

Happy to stumble across this video! Your enthusiasm is so grand. 4 out the 5 are on my tbr! I’m about to start Mistborn soon and now I’m stoked! Sword of Kaigan just got bumped up!

Made it over from booktok to support you over here as well. Love what you do, bro. Happy Reading.

Welcome to BookTube, Smitty! I love your booktok reviews so I’m really looking forward to this long form content! 🫶🏾📚

Hey man, came here from tiktok, just wanted to support you because you make amazing content. You are by far my favourite book content creator! Your authenticity and excitement is unmatched, don't change anything, you're incredible! My TBR is just your recommendations. All love, keep it up

I started reading Stormlight because of you (from BookTok) and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made?!?! Oathbringer is my favorite book of all time. I have never named a favorite book before but somehow…someway…Sando has done it again!

Let’s go! Great list Stormlight Archive is incredible, though Way of Kings is still my favorite.

Some old favorites and a couple of new ones. Thanks for the chat.

The Sword of Kaigen is my favorite book ever! Excited for recommendations from someone who gets it😁

Welcome to Booktube. You bumped Mist born up my TBR. This may sound crazy but I've been putting off Sanderson because I'm afraid he will do for fantasy what King did for horror. The hangovers are real! The bar is set so high other books just don't measure up. A series that I recommend is Rise of the Iliri by Auryn Hadley. Book one Bloodlust. It reignited my love for epic fantasy. The series is totally bingeable. There are trigger warnings on this one it won't be for everyone. Look forward to more videos. Consider doing the Book tube Newbie tag .

The Rage of Dragons is the best first book from an author I have ever read. It's wild how good it is

Not a booktokker, but it's good to see a new face on booktube, so hey dude, good to have you here. Favourite fantasy story, though it is a horror story too, is Cabal by Clive Barker. The movie adaptation, Nightbreed, leans way more into the dark fantasy side of things which creates a kind of tonal dissonance between the two works (especially with the kind of goofy, early 90's movie feel that it has,) but both are incredible in their own right. My favourite fantasy book, in terms of how it's written, is The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. I love an anti-war war novel and that book, with the characters, and the sequence where the character perspective changes every times someone kills someone else, is genuinely stunning.

I’m late to the party, but I’m so happy to have found this! I loved listening to you express how much you loved these books. I can feel the inspiration you’re describing, which is something no other genre can do like fantasy can. Welcome to BookTube! ❤

Nice to see someone make the jump from Booktok to Booktube! Your top four are also four of my favorite books of all time! Words of Radiance is my #2 after Storm of Swords, and the other three are very high as well! Haven't read Rage of Dragons yet, waiting for an announcement of book three. Sword of Kaigen is absolutely a masterpiece, always love to see it getting recognition.

Love it! With you videos you’re definitely going to put me on fantasy in a bit. Also love your voice, so calming, keep it up!

Really peaked my interest with your descriptions of these books! Added a few to my list particularly Sword of Kaigen

Love the video brother and happy to see you starting this!

i read sword of kaigen earlier this year and i completely agree. it was so good that i couldnt finish another book for a couple months after it

Welcome, love seeing more people joining and sharing their love of reading. I’ve subscribed and following on TT too. I’m not a huge fantasy reader but the first two books sound very interesting to me. Thank you for the video and I’m so glad you are here. Best wishes to you! 🙌🏽

Good for you man! Fantastic list, keep up the great work. I love seeing other guys sharing their love for reading, it's far too rare in my experience. Not sure if you are familiar with R.A. Salvatore, he created Drizzt the dark elf and his book series surrounding Drizzt and his party is unbelievable. Read it as a kid constantly and as a 35 year old man I recently listened to the entire series again. Just amazing.

So happy to see you on Booktube! Welcome my man. Excellent list. Ed

Making the crossover from your booktok to here! Extra content 🎉 Welcome Smitty! I have been following you on booktok for a while and honestly what a delight you are to the community! Your eloquence, your calm aura and personality, the love you have for the fantasy genre and the way you talk about books makes you and your content truly engaging and compelling to watch! I have read Rage of Dragons because of you, currently reading Fire of Vengeance and what a banger and I guess this is what have a platform is all about - giving underrated books a platform ❤ This is only the beginning! Wishing you much success, happiness and many good reads on your journey 📚 Also I need to had Hero of Ages is one of the best reading experiences I have ever had, I can’t remember crying that much with a book. Mistborn trilogy is a journey, a thing hard to accomplish and to feel with books these days 🥺

Great video. I’m not well acquainted with online book discourse, and hadn’t heard of your fifth, fourth, and second favorites but now I need to check them out. Look forward to seeing more from your channel and about your book opinions. (Although, all of the few booktubers I do watch love Brandon Sanderson whether they focus on speculative fiction or not, and I can’t seem to get invested in his work)

I'm new to your channel, and I love its format. There is no fluff, just straight-up book talk, siimple, informative, and to the point. I also now have more to add to my TBR, and I look forward to more videos from you!!

Dude epic top 5. WoR and HoA are in my top 10 as well. Would definitely recommend Warbreaker by Sanderson too if you haven’t read it yet; maybe my favorite magic system of his. Love Rage of Dragons too, Winter seems like such a great guy in the interviews I’ve seen of him.

Mine are, hmmmm… 1. Words of Radiance 2. Blood Over Bright Haven 3. Piranesi 4. Well of Ascension 5. The whole First Law trilogy, can’t pick’

Welcome to Booktube! Wow, great book recommendations right off the bat! Looking forward to seeing more of your book discoveries and recommendations going forward. Subscribed 👍🏽

Wait, wait, waittttt, we need a booktube newbie video!

I’m new to your videos, and I’ll be subscribing 😭 love the way you explain things and your voice I could listen to all day LOL, I’ll be trying out the books shown ! Great video!

Thank you for the suggestions!!

I am a mood reader, so I make a long range TBR and then change it. I am also a heavy library user, so I will also have holds come in to change things up. All that to say, Mistborn is on my physical book shelf and my TBR says I would read it this year. I was leaning toward completely abandoning that, but you are making me change my mind again. I think I might be ready to pick up Mistborn next month.

I haven't been reading much fantasy lately, but I watched this from start to finish because of your enthusiasm! It makes me want to pick up a book right this second. Looking forward to more videos. And love the library.

New here! I really love the way you talk about books. I love chasing the magical feeling. Currently finishing the Hero of Ages and wowwwww. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

Words of radiance is also my favorite book of all time. Great video man

YESSSSSSSS I trust the fantasy recs from you . I’m getting back into way more fantasy

Sword of Kaigen = brilliant Brandon Sanderson = Brilliant Great list! I also started way of kings several times and couldn’t get in to it and then during the pandemic I really got in to this story. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing. Bridge 4 tattoo is totally on my wish list and if you like quotes, read Joe Abercrombie, I highly recommend. Very dark but so amazingly done and memorable

Smitty!! excited for your YT content & journey! This was a great video. U definitely put me on to the rage of dragons which I loved & sword of kaigen (to be read lol)

Rage of Dragons was so good. I randomly got the audiobook for it without knowing anything and was blown away. Cant wait for book 3. Way of Kings is probably my top favorite fantasy books Ive read it a few times, but i havent finished any other book in the way of kings series im waiting for more books to come out cause I know ill binge the series and fall into a reading slump😂

Thanks for the suggestion on Evan Winter! It's a name I heard but never saw on a shelf, so going to try to order online.

Awesome choices! I have to say that I haven't read your number five and four, but I will as soon as possible. You got yourself another subscriber :) Looking forward to your next video.

Yay! Now you can do more in depth book reviews too, can’t wait for more videos! Welcome to KZfaq Smitty 🎉

You've encouraged me to read Hero of Ages. I've had it on my shelf for a while but hadn't had a chance to finish the series. I loved the first 2 books tho!

If you love fantasy, be sure not to burn yourself out on the epic stuff (I know I did). There's some shorter, pulpier fantasy that's just as good that also make great "in-between" reads. The Elric Saga, the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series, and Chronicles of Prydain are all quick and crazy good.

Seeing you here made my day! One of my favorites from TT now on YT.

Great vid, look forward to more!! Totally agree with "6 Stars, all gas!" RoW somehow still beats it for me somehow!

So pumped you're on youtube now! Welcome to the community really looking forward to your content! You've introduced me to all my 5 star reads of this year so far ^-^

Welcome to booktube, bro! Starting off with a banger, I absolutely subbed. You've got some awesome picks on there and Words of Radiance is definitely the best book I've read so far this year. Truly a SFF masterpiece, that one.

So happy to see you here Smitty!!! ❤

My top 5 fantasy books. 5. Words of radiance (SA) 4. The Bonehunters (malazn) 3. Golden son (red rising) 2. A memory of light (wot) 1. First law trilogy all three books.

Yessss!! We need more fantasy readers I feel like the genre is struggling at the moment but this is a killer list 🤌🏼👌🏼

What an epic top 5. Only thing is, I haven't read sword of Kaigen - but definitely will now!

idk if your a big audio book reader, but even if you dont buy the rage of dragons audio book i highly recommend using the "sample" feature to listen to 5 minutes of it the voice actor brings that book alive so well with his accent

Ok algorithm🤌🏽👏🏽💯 new subscriber! As a mom of 3 sons this does my heart good to see you on here young man! Keep it up!

Goated Reader, Glad you started a YT channel, about to subscribe with Post Notifications. Keep up the great work King !!

Pumped that you’re on YT, Let’s go! Now we got you on here and TikTok 👏

Been following you on TikTok for a while! You inspired me to start my book tube journey, I was so shocked to see you on KZfaq!

Brandon is my favorite author right now, having surpassed Bernard Cornwell in my heart. And the best thing, the man writes FAST 😁

Glad you started a booktube channel! Seem like a cool guy. You should show your bookshelves/collection, even if it’s not huge. You can start collecting and show the growth over time.

Personally oathbringer is my favorite but words is so so close behind it! Grate video! A recommendation : James Rollins moon fall saga. Very unique and interesting world. Not for everyone but I dig the 1st two books and am looking forward to the 3rd next year

Great list! Mistborn was one of my biggest gateways into fantasy! I was so ensorcelled by the magic system and the Sanderlanche that I barreled through the entire Cosmere right after HoA 😂.

just keep being authentically you man, love the vid!

Great list! I adored hero of ages, can't wait to start way of kings

I’m more bookstagram side of things but just came across your stuff here! Thanks for sharing, most of these are new to me tbh but I’m excited to check a couple of them out.

Excited for some long form content from you man!

You're doing great man! Keep these videos coming!

Subscribed. Love your perspective, love your enthusiasm. Pumped to see what you come out with in the future. You are going to explode on Booktube. For this to be your first video and already so confident in front of the camera, the sky is the limit for you. I'll be rooting for you, bro.

So, SO happy to see you on booktube! Immediately pressed the video and subscribed, love your content on TikTok!

Good job on the first vid and welcome to KZfaq! I never really jived with TikTok preferring long form so good to see creators coming over. This was a solid list. I like that you tied personal attachments to most of the books because they are your favorite, not necessarily the best or most accessible. Keep the personal touch going. I also liked the shade in the middle about authors not finishing their trilogies; i think we've all felt that at some point. Since you asked for constructive criticism as well, some more detail or examples when you are breaking stuff down would be good so we have a more solid understanding of your take, but I think that will come naturally as you get more comfortable. Overall, good job man. Looking forward to what you create. You have earned my sub.

Loved your tiktoks bro super glad you moved to KZfaq🙏🙏

Yay, I’m so glad to see you on Booktube! Instant subscribe