The Liar's Key is my favorite out of the trilogy! We really see Jarlan grow as a character. He also goes into berserker mode but is conscious during. I thought that was a pretty cool event. You're my favorite booktuber Mr. Chase. You actually are the reason I started my own channel lol Great video!
Mark lawrence it is then, added to my TBR. As a middle eastern dude it took me 10 years to be immersed enough in Englisch, and then it took a Whole Pandemic to get me reading fantasy series (before then i did some standalones and a few classics). Anyways, I really am grateful for your booktube. It has become my favourite chanel :)
At least this pandemic has been good for something! Thanks so much for your kind words about the channel -- it's a lot of fun for me, but especially because of the engagement with viewers like you.
I haven't read any Mark Lawrence novel but I noticed that he is a big supporter of other lesser known authors all over social media. I appreciate his effort, he seems to be a really nice guy.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I have shied away from reading Broken Empire because it seems too brutal with too little redemption for my taste. But I have heard the Red Sister stuff is a bit more tame, so I might try that.
@@bernhardrenner5176 That works! I’ll be reading Red Sister at some point too. I do think people miss some of the redemptive aspects of Broken Empire, but it does have some brutal moments for sure.
Love that you give so much time to these books, because I think The Red Queen's War is Lawrence's hidden gem and is not getting half the attention it deserves. This has been one of my favourite books of his and I think he continues to improve as a writer with each trilogy he writes.
I completely agree that Lawrence richly deserves far more attention, both critically and in terms of readership. Some amazing insights into human nature in there!
I admire the existentialist sentiments you explore in this video and its relation to vikings and grimdark itself. I've read Prince of Thorns and started Prince of Fools, and so far, Mark Lawrence has really impressed me. Really enjoy your videos!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Of course! His writing is very complex and is able to achieve what some books three times the size can't. Thank you for becoming my 200th subscriber!
@@danielgoldman8017 You could start with either, I think. I haven’t read Book of the Ancestor yet, and though Lawrence wrote it later, it’s unrelated to Broken Empire, so you could start with it. I hear good things about it. Broken Empire is the more “controversial” with its polarizing protagonist, but I think it’s brilliant. Red Queen’s War should come after Broken Empire.
Very excited for you to finish this trilogy! The wheel of Osheim had some of the best scenes in any Mark Lawrence book (with my favorite scene overall in any Mark book). The narrative is speeds up quite a bit in all the best ways! Thank you for the review!
Thanks! I’d post more often, but two each week is all I can manage with family/work/writing/tennis. It’s great to know the videos are worth watching, though. I’ll keep doing my best!
I may have mentioned before, but I despised the main character in the first trilogy and DNF’d as a result. But I ended up trying him again with the Red Sister trilogy and that was an AMAZING trilogy. I have considered Red Queen’s War before, this certainly helps the case!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I’ve read the three main trilogies and Book of the Ancestor was my favourite, can’t wait to see what you think of that one. Looking forward to getting to The Girl and the Stars this year!
On Emperor of Thorns now, I was looking to buy this series but my bookstore didn't have it. I did pick up the Red Sister Grey Sister Holy SIster series though, so looking forward to that. Enjoyable but definitely feels like a bit of a step down from Malazan imo.
There isn't much (anything?) that compares to Malazan, to be honest, but I do think Lawrence is a brilliant and funny writer. I'm looking forward to Red Sister after I finish this trilogy.
The contrast between the main characters was almost jarring but enjoyable. While I understand peoples dislike for them I disagree and found them both compelling. It did take a bit to figure out the timeline compared to Thorns but the cameos were awesome. But overall the setting is very interesting. A little obvious perhaps but it made it just that more interesting to find out what happened. Have read the first two Sister books, again a very unique setting.
I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this trilogy. I liked the Broken Empire cameos too, and I’ve heard there’s a really good one in book three. I consider Lawrence underrated in the genre, and I’m really looking forward to picking up Red Sister once I finish Red Queen’s War.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I don't think he is underrated but that people are just turned off by Jorg. People tend to equate a character they don't like with bad writing.
To be honest, I was very wary of Mark Lawrence after what I have heard of the Broken Empire and the disgusting MC there. But, you gave such an intriguing review about this book, that I am almost persuaded to look into the first trilogy (as it seems it ties in with this one?) No spoilers needed but is the MC in the first trilogy really that bad? Is there redemption for him? If he is just thoroughly despicable I will unfortunately skip these trilogies. (I need some hope in my stories...)
Great questions, Vic! Jorg Ancrath is definitely one of the most villainous but also villainized protagonists in fantasy. He does some horrible things. That said, he is extremely complex and full of contradictions. His arc develops in such a way that, while never condoning his worst actions, you find yourself understanding and perhaps even pitying him. This happens often through some brilliant flashbacks. And, yes, while he’s never the “hero,” he does have some very important and cathartic redemption by the end, in my opinion. I think Broken Empire is extremely challenging and brilliant. It is not a celebration of villainy, but rather an amazing exploration of trauma and how it manifests. My two cents!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy thanks! And your opinions are worth much more than 2 cents! We appreciate your insights tremendously. I do believe you may have convinced me to move it up in my tbr... But no promises on finishing it, some books, no matter how masterfully crafted, is not worth struggling through. But thank you for the encouragement, my interest has been piqued again!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Update, Lawrence is now one of my favourite authors too!!! ^_^ I did read the first trilogy and I agree 100% with your take on him, and I even think people are unfairly harsh on Jorg thinking him a psychopath with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Not so. He is not a nice person, but by the end of the trilogy I think I understood him better and admired him in a way. The guts it took for Mark to write Jorg the way he did... I'm currently busy with The Liar's Key, actually started today, will check back in later ^_^
@@VicRibeiro777 That is so awesome to hear, Vic! I completely agree that Lawrence has some courage and vision to write a character like Jorg. I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying his writing so much!
I enjoyed the Red Queen's War trilogy but couldn't help shake the feeling it was partly a re-imagining of the Broken Empire trilogy for those readers who found Jorg Ancrath utterly abhorrent. For me, the Book of the Ancestor trilogy is his best work to date. If the opening paragraph from the first book in that series doesn't hook you then nothing will . Also, I'm intrigued you find his books have a strong sense of humour - that's not something I can honestly say I've picked up on ( I'm not suggesting for one moment Mark is incapable of humour ! ) That said, I do think there is a stark beauty to his prose at times. No-one comes close to Joe Abercrombie for wit and black humour in the grimdark arena, but it's all subjective, I guess.
I’m really looking forward to Book of the Ancestor! Regarding the humor, for me, Jalan Kendeth is one of the funniest characters I’ve ever encountered. I’ll grant that there’s less humor in Broken Empire. Each narrator sets the tone for the trilogy, and Jorg is most definitely a grimmer character, whereas Jalan turns his trauma into relatable humor. At least that’s how I read the fellow, and some of the lines in there, like when Kara tells him, “In the North we call that a tiny prick,” made me laugh out loud. Great to hear your take, as always!
@@AndrewsWizardlyReads Just waiting to see if my agent finds a publisher. If that ever happens, I imagine the three books would come out one at a time since I don't doubt the editor would want some changes in each one. We'll see!
The Liar's Key is my favorite out of the trilogy! We really see Jarlan grow as a character. He also goes into berserker mode but is conscious during. I thought that was a pretty cool event. You're my favorite booktuber Mr. Chase. You actually are the reason I started my own channel lol
Great video!
Thanks, Jordan! I agree about the berserker episode - very cool. I look forward to checking out your channel!
Mark lawrence it is then, added to my TBR. As a middle eastern dude it took me 10 years to be immersed enough in Englisch, and then it took a Whole Pandemic to get me reading fantasy series (before then i did some standalones and a few classics). Anyways, I really am grateful for your booktube. It has become my favourite chanel :)
At least this pandemic has been good for something! Thanks so much for your kind words about the channel -- it's a lot of fun for me, but especially because of the engagement with viewers like you.
I haven't read any Mark Lawrence novel but I noticed that he is a big supporter of other lesser known authors all over social media. I appreciate his effort, he seems to be a really nice guy.
Yes! I’ve noticed his efforts to support less known authors, and I agree he seems like a really decent chap. I suspect you might enjoy his books!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I have shied away from reading Broken Empire because it seems too brutal with too little redemption for my taste. But I have heard the Red Sister stuff is a bit more tame, so I might try that.
@@bernhardrenner5176 That works! I’ll be reading Red Sister at some point too. I do think people miss some of the redemptive aspects of Broken Empire, but it does have some brutal moments for sure.
Love that you give so much time to these books, because I think The Red Queen's War is Lawrence's hidden gem and is not getting half the attention it deserves. This has been one of my favourite books of his and I think he continues to improve as a writer with each trilogy he writes.
I completely agree that Lawrence richly deserves far more attention, both critically and in terms of readership. Some amazing insights into human nature in there!
Grim-daddy Lawrence gets better with every book. Been reading The Demon Cycle, but might head to Red Sister next.
So true! Once I finish Red Queen’s War, I’ll read Red Sister.
I admire the existentialist sentiments you explore in this video and its relation to vikings and grimdark itself. I've read Prince of Thorns and started Prince of Fools, and so far, Mark Lawrence has really impressed me. Really enjoy your videos!
Thank you! I become a bigger fan of Lawrence’s writing every time I read another of his books. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Of course! His writing is very complex and is able to achieve what some books three times the size can't. Thank you for becoming my 200th subscriber!
@@chaycereads3275 My pleasure! It’s an honor to be number 200!
I've not read a Mark Lawrence book before, but he sounds right up my alley! Dan
If you give Lawrence a try, I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on his books!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Oh for sure. What do you think Phil, should I start with Broken Empire or Book of the Ancestor? I have both on my shelf
@@danielgoldman8017 You could start with either, I think. I haven’t read Book of the Ancestor yet, and though Lawrence wrote it later, it’s unrelated to Broken Empire, so you could start with it. I hear good things about it. Broken Empire is the more “controversial” with its polarizing protagonist, but I think it’s brilliant. Red Queen’s War should come after Broken Empire.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy ok great! Thanks mate
Alright!! 👌
Great review as always.
Now we finish this journey at the Wheel of Oshiem.
Could there be a Broken Empire and Red Queen’s War discussion in our future? I’ll see you at the Wheel of Osheim!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I do believe it calls for one 😉
See you at the wheel 🙏
Very excited for you to finish this trilogy! The wheel of Osheim had some of the best scenes in any Mark Lawrence book (with my favorite scene overall in any Mark book). The narrative is speeds up quite a bit in all the best ways! Thank you for the review!
I’m also really excited for the finale! I look forward to that scene - you’ve got me curious!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy spoiler-ish
It involves two of of Marks Lawrence’s main characters having a nice conversation!
@@andyxz_8091 Ah, definitely curious in that case! Things have been heading in that direction, I think!
I loved Jalan's growth in this, and I'm more interested in reading Broken Empire now.
The two trilogies really do complement each other well. I’m glad you enjoyed this one!
Love the carpet. Very nice video Philip post more often please
Thanks! I’d post more often, but two each week is all I can manage with family/work/writing/tennis. It’s great to know the videos are worth watching, though. I’ll keep doing my best!
I may have mentioned before, but I despised the main character in the first trilogy and DNF’d as a result. But I ended up trying him again with the Red Sister trilogy and that was an AMAZING trilogy. I have considered Red Queen’s War before, this certainly helps the case!
I can’t wait to read Red Sister! I think you have mentioned your dislike of Jorg. Though I feel differently, I definitely get it.
I think the Liar's Key was my favorite of the trilogy for sure. I loved the tie-ins to the Broken Empire.
It’s a beautiful book, and I’m excited for Wheel of Osheim, not to mention the rest of Lawrence’s books!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I’ve read the three main trilogies and Book of the Ancestor was my favourite, can’t wait to see what you think of that one. Looking forward to getting to The Girl and the Stars this year!
@@tyraphillips6762 Book of the Ancestor is next for me among Lawrence's books. I'm definitely going to read them all!
On Emperor of Thorns now, I was looking to buy this series but my bookstore didn't have it. I did pick up the Red Sister Grey Sister Holy SIster series though, so looking forward to that. Enjoyable but definitely feels like a bit of a step down from Malazan imo.
There isn't much (anything?) that compares to Malazan, to be honest, but I do think Lawrence is a brilliant and funny writer. I'm looking forward to Red Sister after I finish this trilogy.
The contrast between the main characters was almost jarring but enjoyable. While I understand peoples dislike for them I disagree and found them both compelling. It did take a bit to figure out the timeline compared to Thorns but the cameos were awesome.
But overall the setting is very interesting. A little obvious perhaps but it made it just that more interesting to find out what happened.
Have read the first two Sister books, again a very unique setting.
I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this trilogy. I liked the Broken Empire cameos too, and I’ve heard there’s a really good one in book three. I consider Lawrence underrated in the genre, and I’m really looking forward to picking up Red Sister once I finish Red Queen’s War.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I don't think he is underrated but that people are just turned off by Jorg. People tend to equate a character they don't like with bad writing.
@@EricMcLuen Perhaps that’s a better way to put it!
To be honest, I was very wary of Mark Lawrence after what I have heard of the Broken Empire and the disgusting MC there.
But, you gave such an intriguing review about this book, that I am almost persuaded to look into the first trilogy (as it seems it ties in with this one?)
No spoilers needed but is the MC in the first trilogy really that bad? Is there redemption for him? If he is just thoroughly despicable I will unfortunately skip these trilogies. (I need some hope in my stories...)
Great questions, Vic! Jorg Ancrath is definitely one of the most villainous but also villainized protagonists in fantasy. He does some horrible things. That said, he is extremely complex and full of contradictions. His arc develops in such a way that, while never condoning his worst actions, you find yourself understanding and perhaps even pitying him. This happens often through some brilliant flashbacks. And, yes, while he’s never the “hero,” he does have some very important and cathartic redemption by the end, in my opinion. I think Broken Empire is extremely challenging and brilliant. It is not a celebration of villainy, but rather an amazing exploration of trauma and how it manifests. My two cents!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy thanks!
And your opinions are worth much more than 2 cents!
We appreciate your insights tremendously.
I do believe you may have convinced me to move it up in my tbr... But no promises on finishing it, some books, no matter how masterfully crafted, is not worth struggling through.
But thank you for the encouragement, my interest has been piqued again!
@@VicRibeiro777 My pleasure!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Update, Lawrence is now one of my favourite authors too!!! ^_^
I did read the first trilogy and I agree 100% with your take on him, and I even think people are unfairly harsh on Jorg thinking him a psychopath with absolutely no redeeming qualities.
Not so. He is not a nice person, but by the end of the trilogy I think I understood him better and admired him in a way. The guts it took for Mark to write Jorg the way he did...
I'm currently busy with The Liar's Key, actually started today, will check back in later ^_^
@@VicRibeiro777 That is so awesome to hear, Vic! I completely agree that Lawrence has some courage and vision to write a character like Jorg. I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying his writing so much!
I enjoyed the Red Queen's War trilogy but couldn't help shake the feeling it was partly a re-imagining of the Broken Empire trilogy for those readers who found Jorg Ancrath utterly abhorrent. For me, the Book of the Ancestor trilogy is his best work to date. If the opening paragraph from the first book in that series doesn't hook you then nothing will . Also, I'm intrigued you find his books have a strong sense of humour - that's not something I can honestly say I've picked up on ( I'm not suggesting for one moment Mark is incapable of humour ! ) That said, I do think there is a stark beauty to his prose at times. No-one comes close to Joe Abercrombie for wit and black humour in the grimdark arena, but it's all subjective, I guess.
I’m really looking forward to Book of the Ancestor! Regarding the humor, for me, Jalan Kendeth is one of the funniest characters I’ve ever encountered. I’ll grant that there’s less humor in Broken Empire. Each narrator sets the tone for the trilogy, and Jorg is most definitely a grimmer character, whereas Jalan turns his trauma into relatable humor. At least that’s how I read the fellow, and some of the lines in there, like when Kara tells him, “In the North we call that a tiny prick,” made me laugh out loud. Great to hear your take, as always!
Are you writing a fantasy book?
I’ve been writing a fantasy trilogy on and off for the last sixteen years or so. I think I’m close to being done!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy planning to self published all 3 at once as an omnibus?
@@AndrewsWizardlyReads Just waiting to see if my agent finds a publisher. If that ever happens, I imagine the three books would come out one at a time since I don't doubt the editor would want some changes in each one. We'll see!
Currently reading Prince of Fools, so i'll be back
You are welcome anytime! I hope you’re enjoying Prince of Fools!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy i am enjoying it, thanks!
I’m glad you like Lawrence. I am not a fan of his stuff
Is that you, Terry?
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I’ll never tell. (Yes)
He seemed overly edgy and reactionary in nature. (Help me please he’s taken over)
@@ReallyGoodandKind Ha ha! I’d help if I could (and if Terry would stop making me laugh)!