Thank you Squarespace for sponsoring today's video: www.squarespace.com/danielgreene Sun Eater: bookshop.org/a/89948/9780756419264 Stormlight: bookshop.org/a/89948/9780765365279
Christopher, your series made me realize my love of prose. Before your series I really just read Sci Fi and Fantasy, and even in that realm I had read some great prose (Dune, LOTR), but for some reason I didnt really realize that prose was so important to me, maybe because they were just much older books. Because of your series i have gone in search of books with beautiful prose and have now read a huge range of literature from Frankenstein to Lonesome Dove to Hemmingway to Dostoevsky to now working through Cormac McCarthy books. All very different, but all have been great reads and have made my love for prose grow even more. And going back and re reading your work, the prose holds up with the best of them. Thank you for inadvertently getting me into classic literature, and for writing this series. I have been told as a fan of prose, and of your series i must read Gene Wolf, and so that is next on my list.
@@ChrisCoyotee I'm similar in that prose is almost the most important aspect of a book to me. Love all the books you mentioned and definitely recommend Gene Wolfe (specifically Book of the New Sun but all of his works are good). It's not only the best prose I've ever read (by far!), but it's probably the best overall writing. It's a bit of a challenging read because of this, but it's well worth it (and worth a re-read). I'm not exaggerating when I say that after reading Gene Wolfe it's difficult to go back to a more "normal" style of writing. Make sure you take your time with it and I hope you enjoy it! Edit: @Daniel Greene Have you read The Book of the New Sun series? If not, WHY THE F NOT?! Get to it man, it will change the way you think about writing.
I met Christopher Roucchio at Dragonsteel 2024 and he was incredibly kind, talked about his characters with me, and even answered all my dumb questions. He also talked me into $250 in signed books lol. Daniel Green shook my hand then slowly rode up the escalator blowing kisses while I thanked him for getting me into Wheel of Time. It was a magical experience!
I’ve realized I haven’t watched many newer tv shows for like 10 years either. I made a reference to Deadwood to my cousin the other day and never felt so old
Wow I remember these types of videos. Reminds me of the old days of your channel! Good to see this again! I actually haven't heard of Sun Eater before but I am interested now
31:25 As a man of faith who also loves science, science fiction, and fantasy, I deeply appreciate your balanced remarks on the representation of conservative ideology and religion in fiction 😊
Sun Eater by far is going to be a top-tier series when its done. For anyone who's interested I would recommend reading books 1-3 back to back, if you can't commit to that, do 1-2 back to back. Book 1 is essentially a prologue, you don't get a true feel for the series until book 2. And my god book 3 "Demon in White" is just purely cinematic, its a top 5 book for me.
I'm having to force myself to get through Book 1. It feels so meandering and goalless. I'm on Chapter 28 and the universe just feels like worse Dune. The characters are thin because [SPOILERS] the author knew they weren't going to linger. I am reading this constantly wondering why the book is so well-liked Edit: I'm coming back a few days later to amend this for future viewers. I stand by everything I said above, but the book does pick up significantly in the latter half. It's more exciting and more plot-driven. Also, now that I'm rereading this, I realize I never gave a shout out to the prose of the book, which is quite good (even during the boring first half).
@@TheBigMeetch this is really common. Remember that it's a narrative told from the perspective of Hadrian, and he's a spoiled rich kid with a penchant for moody drama in that book. He grows up real quick, and also that author gets a lot better. Push through - it's really worth it. And I say that as someone who frequently claims "Orthodox Dune" as my religion. ;)
@Kaladin0622 I guess fluff for me is a scene that lasts forever and ever. And the suneater series has a few in later books that I swear we were in one place taking part in the same conversation for chapters and chapters. Stormlight I feel that at least fluff is different and moves the story along.
Stormlight had me hooked almost immediately. Sun Eater took me about three tries to get into, but I am into it. Currently reading The Lesser Devil and am about to start my re-listen of Rhythm of War in prep for Wind and Truth. And I intend to catch up on Sun Eater next year. At the end of it all, two great series of stories is a win for everyone. Edit: Now having finished The Lesser Devil I’m definitely starting up Howling Dark after Wind and Truth.
@@jacksonmcmillen3209Just finished Howling Dark the other day. It along with WaT were “I’m almost done, screw sleep” type of books. Which is a very good thing.
Haven’t watched a long form video in a long time but this was really captivating. As someone who’s up to date with Stormlight and not started Suneater this put it right up to the top of my TBR. Great video 👊
On a SEMI related note, i picked up red rising on the recommendation of the Goblin (not sevro) and i LOVED it, and my girlfriend picked it up as her first audiobook because of me 😁 Youre Doin Good Work Goblin!!
Loving this (about 14 mins in). Two of my favorite series and I’m fortunate to have known and jumped on the Diamond Editions of the Sun Eater series. So far, very much with you on your perspective that you’re sharing. Tons of great points in here - appreciate you putting it together!
Kingdoms of Death broke me but is wrong that I still loved it! I had to pick up Ashes of Man straight away as I needed to know how it unfolded whereas I’d had a break between the other books. So great! Reading Tales 3 now and then Disquiet Gods soon. That’s not to say I’m not hyped for Wind and Truth!
It's weird how much this video was basically made for me. I fell into the Booktube rabbit hole for the first time in December, seeking opinions that would convince me whether to dive into Stormlight or not. I soon found myself won over by the likes of Petrik Leo, Merphy Napier, Matt's Fantasy, Book Guy, and others (and ironically it took me a while to stumble upon Daniel, whom I've more recently been enjoying a lot). Through these channels, I learned about a ton of series I'd never heard of before (Discworld, Malazan, Elderlings, Dandelion Dynasty, just to name a few), seeing as I've spent the past fifteen years reading primarily non-fiction. Through it all, I came to two big conclusions: first, that Stormlight probably isn't for me - at least not yet (maybe that could change as the series finishes in the future); and second, that I really want to read this Sun Eater series. Video after video got me utterly intrigued by Sun Eater, and then the many interviews with Ruocchio (including Daniel's!) solidified that I was simply hooked on him as an author and as a person. If anyone's surprised by these conclusions, a big part of it came down to the timing -- I started learning about Stormlight at the same time that many mixed and negative reviews were starting to pour in for Wind and Truth. So I will admit that part of me is unhealthily curious how different this Stormlight v Sun Eater video might've been, had it been recorded post-W&T. Either way, fun video!
Well timed. These are the two big series that I’m reading in parallel right now. I’m through the first 3 books of Sun Eater and just finished Part 1 of WoK.
I finished book 6 about a month ago. My mind is blown. His prose are amazing, and it is weird reading the chapter releases for Winds of Truth, because I feel it. I feel how amazing Ruocchio is at this. It is so epic on the grandest scale. I am forever in Daniel's debt for telling me to read Suneater.
@@D3usEX. My sentiments are the same. I finished the first book after taking multiple break in between and am in the middle of the second. But, booktube will continue momentum around the series as long as it gets clicks. I often feel like when people tell me to read two books before it gets good, then the author should have started to the story from there, especially if it's a chore to read. From what I have read, the title feels like a draft heavily influenced by Shadow of the Torturer and Dune. Nevertheless, I still keep the remaining books of the series on my shelf LOL.
This was a fun video. Delayed watching this because my first instinct was “who cares?” The modes of storytelling, narrative framing, and stylistic choices make it really difficult to compare which series would “win”. Happy to say I was wrong, this is a surprisingly great format to discuss the merits of each story. I’d love to see more. Personally, I like to evaluate books in terms of re-readability, to quote Gene Wolfe “good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure”. They both qualify but I think Suneater wins on that front (style, themes, references, etc. just a denser story overall), that being said, I’ve reread Stormlight 3 times for sheer entertainment.
Great video! I think I agree with every point. I have yet to read Kingdoms of Death. I have braced myself! Haha! However, right now I am rereading Rhythm of War in preparation for Wind and Truth. So, that will have to wait a bit!
I'm a quarter of the way through Ashes of Man. Ruocchio is my favorite author now. Kingdoms of Death was the most emotionally traumatizing thing I've ever read, loved it!.
I had no intention whatsoever of ever reading Suneater as it didn't seem up my alley, but man this video made me so interested, I can't wait to read it! As for the vs, I'm extremely biased in anything Stormlight, it's my absolute favourite and I doubt I will ever read anything that will dethrone it in my eyes.
He tends to favour quantity and anything resemblinf WOT, but let me tell you: SE has less stuff, but the stuff it does has unparelled quality. It's SE and ASOIAF>Dune>WOT>Realm of the Elderlings>SA for me
@sesshowmarumonoke ASOIAF, WoT and Realm of the Elderlings over SA?! Couldn't be me, particularly not Elderlings, I spent most of the time debating if I should skip full chapters. Can't speak on Dune as I haven't waded in those murky waters yet.
Hah, this video is timely given I am reading... exactly those two series right now! I just started suneater 2 hours ago thanks to you, it seems like something I will absolutely love. Funnily enough, I am also re-reading Stormlight (mid Oathbringer rn) in preparation to Wind and Truth :D
I think you did our boy Hadrian a little dirty in the 1v1 vs Kaladin. The Undo-Button is only half of the fun: if he can do the same thing to a shardblade as he did to the space laser at the end of Demon in White, I think he has a legit shot
I think your analysis was 100% correct. But I think a better comparison/competitor to Suneater would have been Red Rising. A better match for Stormlight would have been First Law since they both have a lot of the same themes, just with wildly different approaches. But I absolutely LOVE the book-battle videos! Keep em coming, man!
As a person from only Stormlight Archive, this make me want to get to Sun Eater more. A friend had recommended me the series and I said I'll put it on the TBR list. But now I will put it at the top of my TBR list for next year.
I’m halfway through empire of silence and I’m honestly so bored I’m struggling to read more. I LOVED the story before he woke up from cryo, but now it’s a different book and I’m so unimpressed. Does it get better?
Welp, now I have something to add to my 2025 reading list. Never even heard of Sun Eater until this video, yet it sounds like the book I've always wanted to read.
Stick with it after that book, it gets a lot better. The 1st book is kinda painful really, because its a lot of background story and pretty rough character growth of the main character. That and laying details of the world. Its not an amazing book but the story gets better with the next installments dramatically.
1 Stormlight = 3 Mistborn. And there's like 10 pictures in each Stormlight book, and those are each worth at least a thousand words, plus the notes on them. Crazy.
Here in good ole tiny Finland we tend to measure books by the page count. Their thickness by the centimeters. Serialized books conspire to swell about the waistlines of their bulk. Sometimes I think many of the authors have had the same plotline courses: Start high or low, then push for ascent or descent. Then lay low, then lower, even lower, then push ever higher with the protagonist having earned their cunning laurels. I still keep reading, but somehow I still feel empty, because it is the same story, albeit compelling. Aristotle armwrestling with Campbell, both with shit eating grin on their radiant faces.
I recently decided to give "Sun Eater" another shot! I first tried diving into it last year with the audiobook, but I had to put it down. It wasn’t that the story wasn’t great; it was just that the UK narrator didn’t quite click for me. I have a bit of a visual impairment, so while I love reading, I often prefer audiobooks because they take the strain off my eyes-I can sometimes struggle to see the whole page and have found myself rereading lines more times than I can count! Anyway, I realised there was something about this series that really intrigued me, so I picked up the Kindle version instead. I have to say, my inner narrator is way better suited to the task, and I’m enjoying the story so much more this time around!
Hey @jakecarlstad6192! I definitely will if the chance comes up. I’m able to get his narration for the later books, but unfortunately, not for the first one. It’s a bit frustrating, but I’m hopeful! 😊
@sneeuwball8933 I've used an reader for over a decade. It does improve matters However, my visual impairment is no field of vision on the left side in both eyes, so, no matter how big the text is i can easily lose my place - because I can't see the begining of the line I'm reading. Hence, why I repeat lines that I've just read. In fact, making the text bigger can be worse. Because it's the field of vision in both eyes, I have a blind spot in the centre of my vision. Resulting in the middle of some longer words being in that blind spot.
Somehow get the American audiobooks. I’ve seen several UKnians on the Sun eater subreddit somehow trick Amazon into giving them the US version. Apparently the quality difference is massive.
Just curious about your take on writing style...which author's style of writing, their word usage and descriptive powers, do you prefer? Are their styles comparable? I've read the Stormlight Archive but have not read Sun Eater, yet. I can see a clear difference in style between Sanderson and Abercrombie, for example.
So I originally watched this video a few weeks ago as a SA fan, rooting for my favorite book series. I had never read Sun Eater before. When you described these books as being so close in quality and even giving a couple points to Sun Eater, I thought there’s no way. I’m sitting there like “You have the audacity to give overall story to Sun Eater over SA. This HAS to be a joke.” I decided that I should at least check it out because of this video. Well…. Um. 3 weeks later and I’m now almost done with Demon in White. This might actually be the best book I’ve ever read. Holy cow. Going back and rewatching this video after my perspective shift is pretty hilarious.
This was perfect, I’m about to do a Stormlight re-read in preparation for the new book drop…but now I’m thinking I’ll pick up SunEater. Would love to see a Red Rising vs video. Thanks bro! You da man!
I'll have to look into the Sun Eater series. I went through about a 2-year reading drought because of how pissed off I was at what Butcher did in Battleground. In the last month, I've finally started reading again, with my reread of Stormlight, to be ready for Wind and Truth. I then have to read all the secret project books and The Lost Metal, which may require a reread of Mistborn era 2. But after that, or maybe somewhere in the middle, a good long series to sink my teeth into sounds interesting.
problem in saying how roshar would react to an orbital bombardment is how you arent factoring cultivation OR Odiums responce to said threat. Either or both could swat a fleet out of the sky should they wish.
Sun eater series jumped to my top3 series of all time without a doubt, and much to my surprise, after not liking the first book so much... yet the next 5 are SO much better. This epic will stay with me for ever. I hated the main character at the start, but the journey he goes thought is so satisfying is imposible for me not to love him despite still not agreeing with him most times.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Halfway through Dust of Dreams. I'm only doing the core 10 before I return to Suneater. Then I'll consider going back to Malazan or give Gentlemen Bastards a try.
All right, I have to admit. I have suneater on my Kindle, ready to go. However, I'm currently working through oathbringer for a second time, to prep for December. Seeing Daniel even suggest they are of the same level, I will need to hop on that next....
Hold on I just thought of something. Being that Spren are manifested from the cognitive realm, would that mean that Roshar or that entire planet is somehow closer to the cognitive realm? Like some sort of warp or breach in the fabric of their reality? Or do they bleed into the world because of the portals and bridges into that realm? For instance Spren are rare to the Shin. Is that because they don’t have a door into that realm on their lands?
This was awesome! I agree with the winner but I have a bit of a different view on Hadrian as a character and if we bump into each other at Dragonsteel would love to chat about it.
I am currently reading Empire of Silence and only read the 1st book so far of Stormlight Archives, and I so far, I love stormlight Archives better, but I haven't finished Empire of Silence so far yet. It actually is starting slow for me as far as Suneater goes.
@daniel greene have you read Lois Bujolds Vorkosigan saga? I too am a massive wheel of time fan and the only series that scratched the itch for me - particularly around the quality of dialogue which Jordan does par excellence - is Bujolds work.
Thank you Squarespace for sponsoring today's video: www.squarespace.com/danielgreene
Sun Eater: bookshop.org/a/89948/9780756419264
Stormlight: bookshop.org/a/89948/9780765365279
And thank you to Dani for making a awesome video. I'm gonna be buying the Suneater books and Way of Kings from my local shop in 2025.😎
Can you please read the Warhammer fantasy book series Gotrek and Felix Series
Has sun eater finished yet? I thought there is one more book no? Or did I imagine that
The real victory is being invited to the ring with the current reigning champion in the first place.
You will beat him.
You r already better than Sanderson, if you ask me. Overexplaining doesn't beat a vague, frightening, unknowable god.
Christopher, your series made me realize my love of prose. Before your series I really just read Sci Fi and Fantasy, and even in that realm I had read some great prose (Dune, LOTR), but for some reason I didnt really realize that prose was so important to me, maybe because they were just much older books.
Because of your series i have gone in search of books with beautiful prose and have now read a huge range of literature from Frankenstein to Lonesome Dove to Hemmingway to Dostoevsky to now working through Cormac McCarthy books. All very different, but all have been great reads and have made my love for prose grow even more.
And going back and re reading your work, the prose holds up with the best of them. Thank you for inadvertently getting me into classic literature, and for writing this series.
I have been told as a fan of prose, and of your series i must read Gene Wolf, and so that is next on my list.
@@ChrisCoyotee I'm similar in that prose is almost the most important aspect of a book to me. Love all the books you mentioned and definitely recommend Gene Wolfe (specifically Book of the New Sun but all of his works are good). It's not only the best prose I've ever read (by far!), but it's probably the best overall writing. It's a bit of a challenging read because of this, but it's well worth it (and worth a re-read). I'm not exaggerating when I say that after reading Gene Wolfe it's difficult to go back to a more "normal" style of writing. Make sure you take your time with it and I hope you enjoy it!
Edit: @Daniel Greene Have you read The Book of the New Sun series? If not, WHY THE F NOT?! Get to it man, it will change the way you think about writing.
I just bought 5 audiobooks of sun eater series, cant wait to discover your style.
I met Christopher Roucchio at Dragonsteel 2024 and he was incredibly kind, talked about his characters with me, and even answered all my dumb questions. He also talked me into $250 in signed books lol.
Daniel Green shook my hand then slowly rode up the escalator blowing kisses while I thanked him for getting me into Wheel of Time. It was a magical experience!
I like how you continually make references to TV shows that ended over a decade ago.
Don't make me feel old please.
I’ve realized I haven’t watched many newer tv shows for like 10 years either. I made a reference to Deadwood to my cousin the other day and never felt so old
Love the video, but I could have gone all day without hearing the phrase "Sanderson's Girth"
😂
This is legit, we need these kind of videos more
Loved your discussion on the themes of both of theses series! Your perspective on Suneater's themes is something that I think a lot more people need
These were some of my favorite classic goblin vidoes great to see them come back
Oh my gawd like the exact video I wanted to watch. We need a First Law vs Bloodsworn saga next!
Am I the first only one who thinks First Law is boring and overrated?
@@knowledge7923 Its the internet, your never the only one who believes a wildly unpopular opinion. Hope that helps.
@@knowledge7923 i wouldn't say boring, definitely overrated tho
@@knowledge7923it is an evil story
@@johncampbell2123 Have you personally asked every single person that's read First Law?
Wow I remember these types of videos. Reminds me of the old days of your channel! Good to see this again! I actually haven't heard of Sun Eater before but I am interested now
31:25 As a man of faith who also loves science, science fiction, and fantasy, I deeply appreciate your balanced remarks on the representation of conservative ideology and religion in fiction 😊
Howling Dark and Demon in White might just be the best back to back books I’ve read in any series.
agreed
I will read them because of their titles. I know. Silly
@@folkertdejong6974 Hell no! His titles go hard
Agreed best one two punch probably ever
Love these videos - bring back The Breakdown next! These first ten minutes make me reminisce about those videos
This was my attempt to combine them :)
@ it’s working well! All the best.
Sun Eater by far is going to be a top-tier series when its done. For anyone who's interested I would recommend reading books 1-3 back to back, if you can't commit to that, do 1-2 back to back. Book 1 is essentially a prologue, you don't get a true feel for the series until book 2. And my god book 3 "Demon in White" is just purely cinematic, its a top 5 book for me.
And have a box of tissues around for book 4, and maybe a nice person to hold you while you cry after reading it. ;)
Great way to put it sir!!!
I'm having to force myself to get through Book 1. It feels so meandering and goalless. I'm on Chapter 28 and the universe just feels like worse Dune. The characters are thin because [SPOILERS] the author knew they weren't going to linger. I am reading this constantly wondering why the book is so well-liked
Edit: I'm coming back a few days later to amend this for future viewers. I stand by everything I said above, but the book does pick up significantly in the latter half. It's more exciting and more plot-driven. Also, now that I'm rereading this, I realize I never gave a shout out to the prose of the book, which is quite good (even during the boring first half).
@ i can see that! Tbh, the second book is waaaaaaay better
@@TheBigMeetch this is really common. Remember that it's a narrative told from the perspective of Hadrian, and he's a spoiled rich kid with a penchant for moody drama in that book. He grows up real quick, and also that author gets a lot better. Push through - it's really worth it. And I say that as someone who frequently claims "Orthodox Dune" as my religion. ;)
I'm a massive Stormlight fan, so I'm glad to see it win, but seeing how much love you obviously have for Sun Eater has convinced me to give it a try.
Fantastic video Daniel!! I love both series so damn much and you hit many nails on the head.
Suneater easier to get into, stormlight better world building. Yet suneater is more exciting. But stormlight is never boring.
@@NoblePeril they both good.
Just read both.
I LOVEEEE stormlight. But stormlight has a LOT more fluff
@Kaladin0622 I guess fluff for me is a scene that lasts forever and ever. And the suneater series has a few in later books that I swear we were in one place taking part in the same conversation for chapters and chapters. Stormlight I feel that at least fluff is different and moves the story along.
I will say Suneater > Stormlight for pacing but CR does have a bad habit of making battle scenes three times as long as they need to be.
You got me reading the Suneater, and now it's one of my favorite series of all time. Love it. Thanks Daniel.
My two favorite series of all time. Just waiting for the finales to come out to crown a winner. Glad you covered them here.
Kaladin has already demolished an opponent who constantly is reborn. He embarrassed him so badly he renamed him 😅
Yo this is funny but could you pop a spoiler warning on it?
Bro spoiler? 😢😢😢
Yo who??
Did you fckin spoil something
Stormlight had me hooked almost immediately. Sun Eater took me about three tries to get into, but I am into it. Currently reading The Lesser Devil and am about to start my re-listen of Rhythm of War in prep for Wind and Truth. And I intend to catch up on Sun Eater next year.
At the end of it all, two great series of stories is a win for everyone.
Edit: Now having finished The Lesser Devil I’m definitely starting up Howling Dark after Wind and Truth.
Howling Dark is where the series claws its nails into you, hope you enjoy it!
@@jacksonmcmillen3209Just finished Howling Dark the other day. It along with WaT were “I’m almost done, screw sleep” type of books. Which is a very good thing.
@@GabrielSyler33 haha yeah it had me staying up way too late
I've been putting off Sun Eater due to not wanting to be disappointed, but I think you've got me.
This video is awesome, thanks Daniel!
Upon watching this video and carefully analyzing the points you made, I have come to the conclusion that the winner should be S-
Ok Daniel, I've read the first book of Suneater and did not plan to read further volumes. You sold me on trying book 2 ;)
my favorite so far, currently on kingdoms of death
Haven’t watched a long form video in a long time but this was really captivating. As someone who’s up to date with Stormlight and not started Suneater this put it right up to the top of my TBR.
Great video 👊
On a SEMI related note, i picked up red rising on the recommendation of the Goblin (not sevro) and i LOVED it, and my girlfriend picked it up as her first audiobook because of me 😁 Youre Doin Good Work Goblin!!
Never saw the old verses videos. Great idea.
Super fun! Thanks Daniel
Loving this (about 14 mins in). Two of my favorite series and I’m fortunate to have known and jumped on the Diamond Editions of the Sun Eater series. So far, very much with you on your perspective that you’re sharing. Tons of great points in here - appreciate you putting it together!
I read both. I will always be Stromlight first guy but the Sun Eater is pretty cool as well.
Congrats on the words written!
Just started sun eater on audio. Already halfway through book 1 and I can tell it’s gonna be one of my favorites!
@@coryhartley6135 book one is a shadow compared to where the rest of the series goes.
@ that’s so awesome because I’m actually really liking book 1! I’m almost done with it. According to this book 2 is one of the best and I can’t wait
@@coryhartley6135 Book #2 is much deeper and darker. And book #3 is epic from beginning to end!
22:25 I'm just picturing whoever is holding the laser pointer trying desperately not to laugh
Kingdoms of Death broke me but is wrong that I still loved it! I had to pick up Ashes of Man straight away as I needed to know how it unfolded whereas I’d had a break between the other books. So great!
Reading Tales 3 now and then Disquiet Gods soon.
That’s not to say I’m not hyped for Wind and Truth!
Never thought I'd hear Daniel talking about 'Sanderson's girth'...
It's weird how much this video was basically made for me. I fell into the Booktube rabbit hole for the first time in December, seeking opinions that would convince me whether to dive into Stormlight or not. I soon found myself won over by the likes of Petrik Leo, Merphy Napier, Matt's Fantasy, Book Guy, and others (and ironically it took me a while to stumble upon Daniel, whom I've more recently been enjoying a lot). Through these channels, I learned about a ton of series I'd never heard of before (Discworld, Malazan, Elderlings, Dandelion Dynasty, just to name a few), seeing as I've spent the past fifteen years reading primarily non-fiction. Through it all, I came to two big conclusions: first, that Stormlight probably isn't for me - at least not yet (maybe that could change as the series finishes in the future); and second, that I really want to read this Sun Eater series. Video after video got me utterly intrigued by Sun Eater, and then the many interviews with Ruocchio (including Daniel's!) solidified that I was simply hooked on him as an author and as a person.
If anyone's surprised by these conclusions, a big part of it came down to the timing -- I started learning about Stormlight at the same time that many mixed and negative reviews were starting to pour in for Wind and Truth. So I will admit that part of me is unhealthily curious how different this Stormlight v Sun Eater video might've been, had it been recorded post-W&T.
Either way, fun video!
Well timed. These are the two big series that I’m reading in parallel right now. I’m through the first 3 books of Sun Eater and just finished Part 1 of WoK.
Due to this video I dove head first into suneater and love it
Suneater is so underrated. The series should be selling out worldwide, it’s that good.
I finished book 6 about a month ago. My mind is blown. His prose are amazing, and it is weird reading the chapter releases for Winds of Truth, because I feel it. I feel how amazing Ruocchio is at this. It is so epic on the grandest scale. I am forever in Daniel's debt for telling me to read Suneater.
I wish I could get into Suneater, barely mid way 2nd book and it feels like a chore to read.
@D3usEX. I personally wasnt hooked until book 3 its when things really start speeding up
@@D3usEX. this is where it get good try to push your way through you need to read about the halfmortal he is damn good
@@D3usEX. My sentiments are the same. I finished the first book after taking multiple break in between and am in the middle of the second. But, booktube will continue momentum around the series as long as it gets clicks. I often feel like when people tell me to read two books before it gets good, then the author should have started to the story from there, especially if it's a chore to read. From what I have read, the title feels like a draft heavily influenced by Shadow of the Torturer and Dune. Nevertheless, I still keep the remaining books of the series on my shelf LOL.
This was a fun video. Delayed watching this because my first instinct was “who cares?” The modes of storytelling, narrative framing, and stylistic choices make it really difficult to compare which series would “win”. Happy to say I was wrong, this is a surprisingly great format to discuss the merits of each story. I’d love to see more. Personally, I like to evaluate books in terms of re-readability, to quote Gene Wolfe “good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure”. They both qualify but I think Suneater wins on that front (style, themes, references, etc. just a denser story overall), that being said, I’ve reread Stormlight 3 times for sheer entertainment.
Daniel greene: the first person to ever describe brandon sanderson as consise.
As an audio book listener, it's always interesting to hear how people pronounce weird fantasy names
I only picked up Sun Eater because of your channel. Best reading decision I’ve made all year. It’s goated
Great video! I think I agree with every point. I have yet to read Kingdoms of Death. I have braced myself! Haha! However, right now I am rereading Rhythm of War in preparation for Wind and Truth. So, that will have to wait a bit!
I'm a quarter of the way through Ashes of Man. Ruocchio is my favorite author now. Kingdoms of Death was the most emotionally traumatizing thing I've ever read, loved it!.
Great video.Make more of this type of videos 😊
I had no intention whatsoever of ever reading Suneater as it didn't seem up my alley, but man this video made me so interested, I can't wait to read it!
As for the vs, I'm extremely biased in anything Stormlight, it's my absolute favourite and I doubt I will ever read anything that will dethrone it in my eyes.
He tends to favour quantity and anything resemblinf WOT, but let me tell you: SE has less stuff, but the stuff it does has unparelled quality. It's SE and ASOIAF>Dune>WOT>Realm of the Elderlings>SA for me
@sesshowmarumonoke ASOIAF, WoT and Realm of the Elderlings over SA?! Couldn't be me, particularly not Elderlings, I spent most of the time debating if I should skip full chapters. Can't speak on Dune as I haven't waded in those murky waters yet.
i wonder what will happen if Daniel ever reads a Warhammer 40k book
Considering a lot of them sport middling prose, not much.
Hah, this video is timely given I am reading... exactly those two series right now!
I just started suneater 2 hours ago thanks to you, it seems like something I will absolutely love. Funnily enough, I am also re-reading Stormlight (mid Oathbringer rn) in preparation to Wind and Truth :D
I think you did our boy Hadrian a little dirty in the 1v1 vs Kaladin. The Undo-Button is only half of the fun: if he can do the same thing to a shardblade as he did to the space laser at the end of Demon in White, I think he has a legit shot
Okay fine, I'll try Sun Eater.
I think your analysis was 100% correct. But I think a better comparison/competitor to Suneater would have been Red Rising. A better match for Stormlight would have been First Law since they both have a lot of the same themes, just with wildly different approaches. But I absolutely LOVE the book-battle videos! Keep em coming, man!
sanderson's girth made me laugh. appreciate it. needed it today
Love the books, love the video, just... so much love!
As a person from only Stormlight Archive, this make me want to get to Sun Eater more. A friend had recommended me the series and I said I'll put it on the TBR list. But now I will put it at the top of my TBR list for next year.
I’m halfway through empire of silence and I’m honestly so bored I’m struggling to read more. I LOVED the story before he woke up from cryo, but now it’s a different book and I’m so unimpressed. Does it get better?
I literally finished Empire of Silence an hour ago.
I knew.
My brother, just go ahead and roll into Howling Dark. I'm excited for you
@ unfortunately I can not. I’m reading with the kickstarter Diamond editions, so I probably have to wait till next year.
Would love to see more of these!
I love statistics, I love books, STATISTICS ABOUT BOOKS? that's heaven.
Welp, now I have something to add to my 2025 reading list. Never even heard of Sun Eater until this video, yet it sounds like the book I've always wanted to read.
Read all of Howling Dark over the weekend. Probably going to read oathbringer next as part of my pre WaT reread
Great Video Daniel
I picked up Empire of Silence because of you, Daniel; it’s in my backlog and I can’t wait to dig into it
Stick with it after that book, it gets a lot better. The 1st book is kinda painful really, because its a lot of background story and pretty rough character growth of the main character. That and laying details of the world. Its not an amazing book but the story gets better with the next installments dramatically.
Love em both. Great video!
Thanks!
i had a hard time getting into Sun Eater. Maybe ill try again latter.
12:00 Okay, so tell me: what are those other series I should be reading before Sun Eater in order to appreciate the references?
Dune, Book Of The New Sun and Hyperion are the 3 central ones imo
1 Stormlight = 3 Mistborn. And there's like 10 pictures in each Stormlight book, and those are each worth at least a thousand words, plus the notes on them. Crazy.
Here in good ole tiny Finland we tend to measure books by the page count. Their thickness by the centimeters. Serialized books conspire to swell about the waistlines of their bulk. Sometimes I think many of the authors have had the same plotline courses: Start high or low, then push for ascent or descent. Then lay low, then lower, even lower, then push ever higher with the protagonist having earned their cunning laurels. I still keep reading, but somehow I still feel empty, because it is the same story, albeit compelling. Aristotle armwrestling with Campbell, both with shit eating grin on their radiant faces.
I recently decided to give "Sun Eater" another shot! I first tried diving into it last year with the audiobook, but I had to put it down. It wasn’t that the story wasn’t great; it was just that the UK narrator didn’t quite click for me. I have a bit of a visual impairment, so while I love reading, I often prefer audiobooks because they take the strain off my eyes-I can sometimes struggle to see the whole page and have found myself rereading lines more times than I can count!
Anyway, I realised there was something about this series that really intrigued me, so I picked up the Kindle version instead. I have to say, my inner narrator is way better suited to the task, and I’m enjoying the story so much more this time around!
The American narrator Samuel Roykin is one of the best narrators in the business. I recommend listening to a sample of it
Hey @jakecarlstad6192! I definitely will if the chance comes up. I’m able to get his narration for the later books, but unfortunately, not for the first one. It’s a bit frustrating, but I’m hopeful! 😊
You should really try an e-reader. You can adjust the text size, line space and font to create something that makes reading much easier.
@sneeuwball8933 I've used an reader for over a decade. It does improve matters However, my visual impairment is no field of vision on the left side in both eyes, so, no matter how big the text is i can easily lose my place - because I can't see the begining of the line I'm reading. Hence, why I repeat lines that I've just read. In fact, making the text bigger can be worse. Because it's the field of vision in both eyes, I have a blind spot in the centre of my vision. Resulting in the middle of some longer words being in that blind spot.
Somehow get the American audiobooks. I’ve seen several UKnians on the Sun eater subreddit somehow trick Amazon into giving them the US version. Apparently the quality difference is massive.
Just curious about your take on writing style...which author's style of writing, their word usage and descriptive powers, do you prefer? Are their styles comparable? I've read the Stormlight Archive but have not read Sun Eater, yet. I can see a clear difference in style between Sanderson and Abercrombie, for example.
Do Red Rising and Sun Eater! I feel like that would be awesome comparison considering their similarities at the start their respective journey’s
44:15 i highly doubt the Shards involved would allow that to happen tbh.
Every time someone ask Hadrian if he truly died…it’s PERFECT every time.
So I originally watched this video a few weeks ago as a SA fan, rooting for my favorite book series. I had never read Sun Eater before. When you described these books as being so close in quality and even giving a couple points to Sun Eater, I thought there’s no way. I’m sitting there like “You have the audacity to give overall story to Sun Eater over SA. This HAS to be a joke.” I decided that I should at least check it out because of this video.
Well…. Um. 3 weeks later and I’m now almost done with Demon in White. This might actually be the best book I’ve ever read. Holy cow. Going back and rewatching this video after my perspective shift is pretty hilarious.
Yup he was way too kind to Stormlight fs
Love these videos!!
Onlookers gasped as reddit mods were confronted with constructive criticism. Godspeed Daniel
I didn’t even watch the full video yet but just here to say Sun Eater wins in whatever argument! I’m that obsessed with this series ❤️
What are those books Suneater references? I would like to read them before getting into Suneater
This was perfect, I’m about to do a Stormlight re-read in preparation for the new book drop…but now I’m thinking I’ll pick up SunEater. Would love to see a Red Rising vs video.
Thanks bro! You da man!
I'll have to look into the Sun Eater series. I went through about a 2-year reading drought because of how pissed off I was at what Butcher did in Battleground. In the last month, I've finally started reading again, with my reread of Stormlight, to be ready for Wind and Truth. I then have to read all the secret project books and The Lost Metal, which may require a reread of Mistborn era 2. But after that, or maybe somewhere in the middle, a good long series to sink my teeth into sounds interesting.
problem in saying how roshar would react to an orbital bombardment is how you arent factoring cultivation OR Odiums responce to said threat. Either or both could swat a fleet out of the sky should they wish.
Sun eater series jumped to my top3 series of all time without a doubt, and much to my surprise, after not liking the first book so much... yet the next 5 are SO much better. This epic will stay with me for ever. I hated the main character at the start, but the journey he goes thought is so satisfying is imposible for me not to love him despite still not agreeing with him most times.
Sigh. Alright. I’ll read them both! (should have seen this coming given you were the one who got me into Malazan 😅)
Like you indicated for this type of video; I had not heard of Sun Eater before. Will pick it up.
This makes me want to pick up Suneater. I'm a hard BrandoSando fan too.
Should have been Red Rising vs Sun Eater ngl
That undo button the mc in sun eater has, someone tell me:
Is this a timeloop story? I looove time loops.
Nope, not a time loop, but the story has a heavy emphasis on the concept of time (not really a spoiler btw)
I've only read the first SUneater, but I can't wait for more. Just as soon as I finish Malazan.
See you in 1-3 years depending on where you are in it :P
@@DanielGreeneReviews Halfway through Dust of Dreams. I'm only doing the core 10 before I return to Suneater. Then I'll consider going back to Malazan or give Gentlemen Bastards a try.
All right, I have to admit. I have suneater on my Kindle, ready to go. However, I'm currently working through oathbringer for a second time, to prep for December. Seeing Daniel even suggest they are of the same level, I will need to hop on that next....
Would like a suneater vs red rising comparison. It feels like the differences are much more subtle
Hold on I just thought of something. Being that Spren are manifested from the cognitive realm, would that mean that Roshar or that entire planet is somehow closer to the cognitive realm? Like some sort of warp or breach in the fabric of their reality? Or do they bleed into the world because of the portals and bridges into that realm? For instance Spren are rare to the Shin. Is that because they don’t have a door into that realm on their lands?
This was awesome! I agree with the winner but I have a bit of a different view on Hadrian as a character and if we bump into each other at Dragonsteel would love to chat about it.
Was so so on SE after book one but the last third and ending of book 2 solidified it as one of my all time favorite series.
I am currently reading Empire of Silence and only read the 1st book so far of Stormlight Archives, and I so far, I love stormlight Archives better, but I haven't finished Empire of Silence so far yet. It actually is starting slow for me as far as Suneater goes.
Love Suneater. I don't think it grew beyond Dune, but it did to something different. Paul would be proud.
May have just started Suneater because of this.
Damn you Daniel! I’m still waiting for the Sun Eater paperbacks to become affordable 😭
Welp, editing mistake messed up the order of my points in the world part of the video. Sorry about that. 3am editing.
@daniel greene have you read Lois Bujolds Vorkosigan saga? I too am a massive wheel of time fan and the only series that scratched the itch for me - particularly around the quality of dialogue which Jordan does par excellence - is Bujolds work.