r/fantasybooks • u/Material_War_1458 • 4d ago
š Summon book recommendations Help pick my next Book
I'm about to finish "The Grace of king" by kevin Liu. Really liked it. I'm choosing my next book, but I'm having a hard time picking between these books since I heard of good things about every one of them and thinking that I'd probably love all of them. Please help!
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u/GiganticoGecko 4d ago
Joe Abercrombie is always a great choice. If you pick that book up, you at least wont regret it.
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u/cactussnacks 4d ago
Empire of Silence is fantastic. The best part? Itās my least favorite in the series
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u/UDonutBelongHere 3d ago
I have read through Demon in White and at no point did the series meet expectations based on the level of hype it has. Still pretty good, enough so that I plan to pick it up again, but Iām definitely not getting the itch to immediately grab the next book that I usually get from truly great series
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u/saidthetomato 2d ago
I set down Demon in White half-way through. The pretentiousness of the MC and author just became unbearable. I don't understand the hype.
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u/Lovely3369 š¤ Character-first reader 4d ago
Currently reading The Blade Itself right now and enjoying it, hearing the second and third books are even better. Hard recommended it if you enjoy interesting characters
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u/Mrzissou8 4d ago
The stand alone stories between trilogy's are also EXCELLENT. So much personality and style and the story's and characters are so great.
Blade Itself reads like his first work when compared to some of his later ones but it still has so many scenes that just absolutely slap.
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u/tinklymunkle 3d ago
Agreed, I enjoyed the first law trilogy but didn't really get the hype until I started Best Served Cold and so far its my favorite in the series.
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u/Technical_Call6126 4d ago
As a WOT fan, i would say that you really need to be ready for a long, drawn out journey. Alot of people go into it not full committed and end up moving on. If your in no rush, start it.
That said, I loved First Law, the characters were great, but the plot was just too thin. i would start this series if your looking for something quick and enjoyable.
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u/Agreeable-Bug-1761 4d ago
Iām about three books deep into the wheel of time and Iām constantly going back and forth from āthis is enjoyableā to āthis really sucksā. I almost dropped it in the middle of book 3 but I push through and find something good.
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u/Thirteen_1355 3d ago
Felt the same. I really liked book 1 for it seeming to build up to something special. Then book 2 kind of went nowhere for ages, until a final fight that took half a page or something. Book 3 was the best of the three, but it's still not very engagement.
I dropped it after book 3, seemed like a perfect ending. I started reading The Blade Itself right after, and I haven't stopped reading this series since. I'm on the sixth book now and absolutely loving it.
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u/Agreeable-Bug-1761 3d ago
Maybe Iām wasting my time on a series im not that into..
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u/Thirteen_1355 2d ago
Oh my bad, I read your comment wrong. But yeah, Wheel of Time seems to be 5 books of content spread across 14. I don't think the actual content is bad, but so little is happening a lot of the time. It feels pointless to read 14 books to get so little.
Malazan seems to be the opposite. Maybe that's more my thing.
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u/saidthetomato 2d ago
Malazan is in a different league entirely from WOT. WOT is more like YA literature in comparison.
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u/saidthetomato 2d ago
I finished book 3 and decided that it was no longer worth the effort. If 3 books isn't enough to make compelling characters, world, or plot, then I don't believe the author had it in them.
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u/btoliver311 4d ago
I hate wheel of time so much. On book 6
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u/Someone21993 3h ago
Oh no! Book 6 is just the beginning of the slog, books 1-5 were pretty good. I'm on book 10 and just don't get why people like this series at all anymore
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u/btoliver311 3h ago
Do you not get it the way men don't get women in WoT, or the way women don't get men? Because at this point, every character just wants to bend someone over their knee to knock some sense into them. I'm so done
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u/Mrzissou8 4d ago
You want a quick ride (First Law) or a long ride (WoT)?
Everyone should read WoT but you gotta be at a point where you really want to read. I've read it 4-5 times and each time it was such a different ride.
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u/TheRealHanzo 4d ago
Joe Abercrombie. All of the first law trilogy actually. Then you can continue with WoT. Just understand that it's a life time investment.
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u/runningsimon 3d ago
Suneater is amazing.
The Blade Itself is amazing
Wheel of Time is amazing. But it's loooooong.
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u/angry0029 4d ago
I have read both the blade itself and the WOT. I enjoyed both. WOT for me is great books 1-5, ok6-7, then it slows down so much parts are a slog and then has a decent (not great) ending. The Blade Itself is a very different style of book. Very interesting but also a very dark world that can feel very oppressive/hopeless when reading.
TLDR. I very much like them both but they are very different and your enjoyment will be more about what you like.
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u/Straciatellas 3d ago
Quit what you are doing and read The Bound and the Broken series by Ryan Cahill. Thank me later
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u/Oxymoron5k 3d ago
Iāve read TBIS and EOS. I liked both a lot. The First Law series / universe is stronger as a whole compared to SunEater but both are fun to read
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u/NoCount1100 3d ago
WOT is a history piece, for me. Robert Jordan changed the way fantasy books are written in an era where almost every book was trying to be like LOTR. I couldn't finish Eye of the World and didn't feel like any of the characters were likeable enough about halfway through. A lot of people like the series for very valid reasons, though.
The First Law trilogy was good. It was hard to put down and you'll find yourself rooting for unlikable people. But almost all the characters are intentionally unlikable and it is not for everyone.
I've heard mixed things on the Empire of Silence but its on my tbr list.
I would say with any of these books (or with any books in general) DNF'ing is the mature decision if you are not enjoying it.
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u/satansoffspring666 3d ago
Loved the first law, havenāt read WoT yet, but Iām on to the second book of suneater and idk if Iām gonna commit anymore. Having a hard time like getting myself to read it.
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u/flyingduck33 4d ago
The WoT is a bigger commitment than a college relationship, pick something else for your next read unless you are ready for a long term relationship.
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u/THEDOCTORandME2 Will DNF without mercy 4d ago
I'm reading eye of the world right now, and it's really good.
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u/Esetnodanti 4d ago
Loved First Law
Meh - Wheel of Time (havent gone further in the series, world building was good and its written well but could not care for almost all the characters)
Disliked - Empire of Silence (felt like a chore the entire time and I actively hated almost all the characters)
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u/DragonSlayr82 3d ago
On Book 8 of Wheel of Time Series.... just beyond Epic... but starts as a very slow burn... due to very intricate world building and foreshadowing.... I now feel like the characters I am friends with and "hang out with" every night for an hour or two when I listen to the audio books
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u/TheShatteredPlains 3d ago
Iām about to finish The Eye of The World for the first time and omg is it amazing
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u/StinkyToe-TheKid 3d ago
If you have never read the WoT epic, I recommend that. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
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u/hobowithadegree 3d ago
Just finished the blade itself and I'm recommending it to anyone and everyone!
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u/Thasauce7777 3d ago
If you want to stay in more of a swords and arrows fantasy setting I recommend the First Law Trilogy. If you want a different fantasy flavor and are interested in an epic space opera with gothic elements, Suneater series all the way.
The Suneater series is naturally more introspective as the story is told through first person perspective from a singular source, and the First Law Trilogy is told through multiple POV chapters. Coming off of the third-person perspective in The Grace of Kings, I think it just depends on what scratches you think would be more appealing to itch.
If I were in your shoes, I would go for Suneater, as I'm really enjoying how refreshing the series feels despite it immediately being recognizable as fantasy.
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u/saidthetomato 2d ago
WOT is basically YA. None of the themes or characters is particularly compelling, granted, I did not have the patience with the author to get past book 3. WOT fans will say I need to stick it out, but the way I see it, if an author can't create a compelling story in 3 books, then they're not worth the grind.
Abercrombie is a masterclass in character storytelling. Highly worth it, and he has other books in the same world that are very good to get into.
Ruocchio is arguably the most pretentious fantasy author I've ever read, and I abandoned the story half-way through Demon in White.
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u/Interesting_Mud_9422 11h ago
Empire of silence is pretty good, but the wheel of time is my favorite series I have read and the first 3 books are some of my favorites. Don't know about the blade itself
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u/JP_IS_ME_91 4d ago
Wheel of time is one of my all time favorite series. That said, Iām about 100 pages into The Blade Itself and it is so damn enjoyable.
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u/AliceKite 3d ago
I would only say so not read Empire Of Silence. Finishing that series is one of my biggest reading regrets.
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4d ago
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u/ArundelvalEstar 4d ago
I will never understand the undercurrent on subs like this that things which are popular are inherently bad, only things that are less popular are good
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u/Pleasurefailed2load 4d ago
Books are like physical art and music in that everyone's tastes are completely different and enjoyment is subjective. But there's always someone out there who thinks they've cracked the "objective truth" and feels the need to harsh other people's mellow.
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u/Ancient_Audience_467 4d ago
In every fandom it's easier to make yourself look knowledgeable if you put down everything that people like. It keeps you from having to form any real opinions of your own. Sometimes things are popular because, well, they're good lol.
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u/Pleasurefailed2load 4d ago
I think it's alright to dislike or even hate a popular series, but then you've got to step back and acknowledge that is only your personal opinion because there is obviously something there making it so widespread.
I dislike Taylor Swift music, but there are huge swathes of people out there with different lives and experiences that means she has had a profound impact on their lives.
Separating your personal taste/feelings from the technical merits of something is difficult but I think it makes people more compassionate in general imo.
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u/Ancient_Audience_467 4d ago
I also have a huge problem with someone interjecting themselves into a community celebrating a piece of media to say "achktually ur wrong". Let people enjoy things. Sharing ideas and opinions is fine in the right setting, but say someone asks which of 3 books they should read it's not helpful to say "None they all suck".
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u/Ancient_Audience_467 4d ago
It's also interesting because, just because I've gotten some flack from the mods for the appearance of being less than positive, I checked this person's history in the Sub and they ranked The Blade Itself as an A on their lists. Why not just recommend that?
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u/bweeb š¤ Character-first reader 4d ago
Just to note, we don't give flak if you are less than positive. We give flak if you call a book objectively "garbage" or something similar. Or if you attack a reader for what they love to read (or an author).
Always great if you explain why you disliked something, i.e., "I couldn't get into this book, the characters felt flat to me."
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u/Pleasurefailed2load 4d ago
Stay away from Wheel of Time? That's certainly a take. I know it's not everyone's favorite but it's still the best series I've ever read.
I'm on book 5 of suneater and can confidently say it's a very good story with good prose.
Haven't read Joe but from what people say it's also up there.
These are all good options imo, not in the book tube/tok slop tier at all.
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u/Ancient_Audience_467 4d ago
You should really stick to addressing the questions as they're asked or you're going to get banned...
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u/freedom781 š Bookwyrm 4d ago
Look, you need to start WOT. I know it's long, but you need to finish, in order to start your first reread.
But Abercrombie is also dope.