Ranking Every Fantasy Series
Вставка
- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- My ranking for every fantasy series I have even started. A lot of these are subject to change, but boy was this fun!
Patreon: / danielbgreene
Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/danielgreene
Discord Server: / discord
Twitter: DanielBGreene?lan...
Instagram: / dgreene101
GoodReads: / daniel-greene
WorldHoppers: / @worldhoppers8021 - Фільми й анімація
What’s you’re tier list? Include every series you’ve even started.
This is the final video I’ll be collecting data for a future video going over all the fantasy data.
We are tier list we are Bob. Wait..no. ahrm. Good list, happy you didnt trash Kingkiller too much leaving me with my sanity intact, I think.
If I included every book I've ever read I'd be here forever BUT The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne is by far S Tier for me
I think the Malazan Book of the Fallen only really gets spectacular after you've finished them and you can appreciate the way he strings the seemingly unconnected narratives together into a cohesive piece. Some things that seem inconsequential and that make little sense early in the series foreshadow things which happen much, much later on. It's really, really clever.
I still prefer Joe Abercrombie's writing style though. Especially during 'Best Served Cold' and 'The Heroes'.
@@gracelingaccountant John Gwynne is God Tier
@@astraliguana9485 Best Served Cold and The Heroes especially are utterly jaw-dropping
01:02 - The Riftwar Cycle - B
01:55 - Malazan - A
02:40 - Doc Savage - C
02:52 - The Powder Mage Trilogy - B
03:32 - The Dark Tower - A
04:08 - The Dresden Files - B
05:22 - The Witcher - S
06:04 - Lord of the Rings - S
06:14 - The Sword of Truth - D
06:16 - The First Law - S
07:59 - The Broken Empire Trilogy - C
08:42 - Harry Potter - B
09:51 - The Poppy War Trilogy - B
10:59 - The Licanius Trilogy - C
12:43 - Lightbringer Series - S
13:44 - The Stormlight Archive - S
14:40 - Gentleman Bastard Series - S
16:06 - Broken Earth Series - A
16:58 - Forgotten Realms - B
18:17 - The Kingkiller Chronicle - C
19:16 - A Song of Ice and Fire - A
20:19 - His Dark Materials - B
21:32 - Earthsea - A
22:02 - Black Leopard, Red Wolf - C (*quality A or S, enjoyment C)
23:47 - The Mistborn Era 1 - S
24:52 - The Mistborn Era 2 - B
25:34 - The Wheel of Time - S
Alternatively, by tier left to right
S Tier
05:22 - The Witcher
06:04 - Lord of the Rings
06:16 - The First Law
12:43 - Lightbringer Series
13:44 - The Stormlight Archive
14:40 - Gentleman Bastard Series
23:47 - The Mistborn Era 1
25:34 - The Wheel of Time
A Tier
01:55 - Malazan
03:32 - The Dark Tower
16:06 - Broken Earth Series
19:16 - A Song of Ice and Fire
21:32 - Earthsea
B Tier
01:02 - The Riftwar Cycle
02:52 - The Powder Mage Trilogy
04:08 - The Dresden Files
08:42 - Harry Potter
09:51 - The Poppy War Trilogy
16:58 - Forgotten Realms
20:19 - His Dark Materials
24:52 - The Mistborn Era 2
C Tier
02:40 - Doc Savage
07:59 - The Broken Empire Trilogy
10:59 - The Licanius Trilogy
18:17 - The Kingkiller Chronicle
22:02 - Black Leopard, Red Wolf
D Tier
06:14 - The Sword of Truth
Thank you so much for this list. He tends to ramble a bit and I lose interest.
Thanks so much for this! You missed mistborn 1 on S tier list :)
Thank you❤️❤️❤️
@@DameDatte fixed thanks
Thank you for this! Given his latest review, we can add the Green Book Saga to S tier.
Terry must be pleased that he has a tier all to himself. He really is in a league of his own!
sure is and full of himself too.
Well of course The Sword Truth doesn't rank well on this list. It's not really fantasy don't you know?
Cm Mosher It’s also complete garbage, which tends affect how well something fairs in a ranking video
@@TheRazCooper I have to agree but saying that is not as fun as being cheeky about how Goodkind doesn't see the series as fantasy.
It's decent.
I'm seeing a lot of back and forth with Name of the Wind, and I get how people say it draged, but I think that the way the story is told is the so new and unique to me with a character who is alone but not some dark depressed loner, one of my favorites but I see how it's not for everyone
facts
Oh the dark alone things not new if you’ve been reading for a while authors think they have something ne but it really isn’t although name of the wind solid s teir
@@matthewbaer4031 its kinda refreshing in fantasy though. Usually the main character isnt a prodigy who´s biggest problem is his overconfidence
To keep it simple the MC had everything going for him and more and he was a perfect person and everyone praised him and for me I got tiered of that and I stopped reading the book
Sometimes everything was going for him that it didn't make sense like how much his friends loved him
@@vector3366 i didn't feel it that way at all. Sure, things worked out at the end, but he had plenty of problems (scrounging money, the blond rich guy, etc). He was a really social person, that's all. He had plenty of social circles: the other students, the teachers, Denna, the bar attenders. The dashes of pretentiousness we do see in the book are in fact due to how the story is told: from his own point of view. A veil is drawn over all scenes which forces us to see him in a good light. The role of the reader is im fact to realize that he is really sure of himself, and can't see when he's gone over the edge. In fact, I believe in Day Three there'll be a present-day event where he realizes that, and humbles down.
I was at a Barnes and Noble with some friends looking at the fantasy section, and it was fun to see how many series I recognized from your videos. While there, I remembered your Recommendation for The Lies of Locke Lamora, so I hunted it down and bought it. I have consistently read to around midnight each night, and spent three hours this morning reading. It is legitimately so good, that I might put as one of my favorite books, even though I’m not done. Thank you so much for recommending this
EDIT: I am now finished with the book, and disregarding the Stormlight Archive since that will always be my favorite, this is my new favorite book/book series (though I hesitate to say series, since I have yet to read Red Seas under Red Skies or the Republic of Thieves yet)
You should make a tier-list of your tier-list videos.
Yes. Please.
Please do this!
i would love to rank this video
Tier list inception
Might as well at this point lol
Me, new to fantasy: S tier looks like a good reading list
Exactly
A song of Ice and Fire should be S but i kinda get why he puts it in A, the style changes in the 4th book, focusing only on one part of the world, many didnt like this but i think it works better as we see more back and forth between characters but i still kinda get why people dont like the 4th and 5th book compared to the first 3 but i think the opposite but yeah, Read A song of ice and fire
Start with wheel of time
Bite the pillow that book aint gentle...
@@siddhartha894 Martin himself didn't like that either. His book was too big, and they had to do something about it. Publisher suggested to him they do a volume I and a volume II, but martin said if it's 2 books each of them should end in a satisfying way which it wasn't. Finally someone told him to divide it geographically, and that's what they did. But most of the good povs ended up in one book, and they had to bring some Aria chapters to other book to make it better. But eventually Martin didn't like it very much and he said he would never do that again. It could be one of the reasons it's taking him that long to finish the series.
Can’t recommend The Witcher enough if u haven’t already read it
I get so much direction from your recommendations. I really respect what you have to say about these series some of which I have already invested so much of myself into. King killer being one of them. It grieves me to hear what you and some others have to say about it and it’s conclusion because I hold your insight in such high esteem. But I totally get it. Thank you Daniel and for where I should go next after I finish Lightbringer!!
Never watched a video of yours before. I have read 6 of the series you ranked here, was worried you were going to disappoint me when I saw the Wheel go all the way to the end. Then you said it is your favorite and I clicked subscribe, lol. May you always find water and shade sir.
S- Difficult to pronounce letter for some people. I say it's D-tier.
A- King of the alphabet. First and one of the best letters. Easy S-tier pick.
B- Also a strong letter. Gonna assign it to A-tier.
C- Somehow, I'm just not really feeling it with this classic. Gonna put it in B-tier.
D- Well this one was fun for a while. Now it's lost much of its charm. But, for nostalgia alone, I'll put this letter at C-tier.
Don't know if this wins best comment but it did make me chuckle. 😂😂
what about D's meme potential, it is by no means the best but it always a good time A-tier
@@jevonscantlebury9834 D's meme potential has unfortunately been eclipsed by H in the current meta.
C is a shit letter, it's trying to be a jack of all trades, not knowing if it wants to be an S or if it wants to be a K. Z-tier, I wish that letter never existed.
S is the easiest letter to pronounce
Series I forgot! Inheritance cycle, John Carter of Mars, Discworld, Narnia, and I should have broken up forgotten realms by story.
Daniel Greene I know you’re not a huge fan, but where would you put Narnia?
Spencer Askew forgot. I am ashamed.
no realm of the elderlings? damn!
What about the other book series from Brent Weeks - The Night Angel, have you read it?
eragon is b-a tier have not read the new though
Surprised not to see any Robin Hobb on here, based on the series in your list that I have read, and how you ranked them, I think you would enjoy her work. I kind of see her books as a sort of middle ground between ASIAF and Stormlight. Her characters are put through the absolute ringer, and she is a lot more graphic than Sanderson in some ways but nowhere near as graphic as martin. Her stories are very character and perspective driven too, which both Martin and Sanderson do well. I'm sure I am not the first to recommend her books but i seriously love them more than any other series apart from stormlight. Obviously everyone is different though
Edit: I've just realised this is an older video and you have now read Farseer because you included Fitz in your favourite characters video lol
Name of the wind is one of my top five fantasy stories ever LMAO. I love the writing style so much. It's the series that finally inched up above wheel of time for me, or at least tied it as favorite. Wheel of time, name of the wind, and Robin Hobb's books in Fitz's world
Agree 100. Absolute bangers that will give memories for life. Do you know if Hobb is writing anything after assassins fate? I hope she does. Cheers!
I liked those authors too have you read Howard Fast?
Robin Hobb connected me to my emotions as a reader than any other series, scene by scene...
Wow, yes same for me. Fitz is such a beautiful character.
Name of the Wind is easily better than 1/2 the books on this "S" tier list. Rather disappointed with the listing.
Daniel: "I know there's a lot of S tiers. there's going to be less!"
Wheel of time logo slowly appearing from under his face
This is both a good and dangerous list.
*Very dangerous*
/* Potterheads are on their way!
Maester Gryphon nah it’s not as good as the lord of the rings or the witcher, for me at least
Seeing the kingkiller chronicle going all the way down to C broke my heart. It impacted me in such a way i cant spend too much time without going back to it
Hard for people to like an anti-hero. Most notable antiheros are cast in a pleasant light and descend into darkness. The Kingkiller series is unapologetic about it.
The post apocalyptic science is magic premise was really well done imo.
He goes down seriously as a writer in my mind due to how bloody long its taken him to write each book. He wont even talk about when the third book is coming.
I read only The Name of the Wind and I think it's so terrible I can't even wrap my head around the fact that it got published in the first place, let alone that people actually liked it.
@@manuel5114 I think we should call that the 'Ready Player One Effect'.
I am so happy that you and I have the same taste in books. Bless you for where you put name of the wind
Fun and interesting video! I feel like in order to properly assess each series I've read in the past 20 years I'd have to dedicate decades to it... I admire you for so flippantly throwing them in different tiers :D
Im surprised you hadnt read Eragon. I thought every fantasy loving teenager read that book.
He had, but it's not his favourite fantasy book
Loved Eragon in my youth, but now, having read some real fantasy like Sanderson, I think it definitely can't compare
They are fantasy for people that don't like fantasy
Eragon, heard great things. Did the whole series. Easy C tier, maybe D. So hard to get through, so unimaginative, such a small world.
i tried, but couldn't get through it. was kinda boring
Name of the Wind is such a pleasure to read. So subtle, yet memorable. Its an S in my list. Maybe the best I've read in this genre.
Subtle? What was subtle about it? Kvothe is perfect at everything lol
It's awful. It's pure wish fulfilment, and he cannot write women. The only good thing is the quality of prose. It's like every fantasy trope stacked on top of one another.
@@trenchking08 I don't understand the people who say Kvothe is perfect at everything. He constantly gets himself into trouble with his temper and trooper tongue. His pride is a major fault that has changed potential powerful allies into powerful enemies. Yes, he is intelligent and skilled in many things to such a degree that he could even be called a savant; but he wastes his potential more often than not due to very human failings. I'd be surprised if you didn't know someone IRL that seems like everything comes easy to them but fails to realize their potential.
@@BetaJim22 I guess, for me, the second book was what solidified that thinking for me. He had personality flaws that were glaring and then some fae shows up and in his first time he is amazing??? Come on. Pride is his only flaw. Literally. And for characters like that having pride be the downfall is pretty overdone.
You would be surprised? You are telling me you know someone who is a world class musician, scientist, engineer, poet, and porn star? Because that is basically what Kvothe is. I dont know a single person that would meet one of those categories much less all at once.
@@trenchking08 It never says Kvothe is amazing in bed. That Fae is basically just a Nymphomaniac and only actually becomes infatuated with Kvothe after their "battle". It was his naming ability and his bluff of indifference to her sexual prowess that intrigued Felurian not him being a god of sex or anything. Even after spending what was probably years with Felurian none of the many girls he was with seemed to mention him being particularly gifted at sex. It is mentioned a couple of times that his fae experience intrigues girls but none of his relationships last long often ended (by the girl) after sleeping with him. People assume he's gifted at sex because he talks confidently about the subject and it's told in the first person view, but if you actually look into how others react after the experience and what they say it's nothing more than some expected embellishment and bragging of someone talking about their own sexual exploits.
The Name of the Wind is the best book I have ever had the pleasure to read. The writing style is beautiful.
The first one was good, but underwhelming. A few poetic quotes here and there but idk, sometimes I felt bored of the plot pace. And I dont blame Patrick, he was really young when started writing that book.
But Wise Man Fear is stunningly awesome, an insane improve from the first one.
@Vernon Roche His time in Tarbean, when he goes to Trebon and finds Denna, witness a living Draccus. Those parts of the book, I felt it was so slow or overused.
I was like: "Okay, I see, he had a hard time in Tarbean. Can we get through this already? Oh well, he's fighting Pike again."
@@Raphael-xb9co i thought kind of the dame with the "Last" part of the first book, that part with the draccus. Tarbean was excellent in my opinion. However, everyone has they're own perspectives on this matters
Their* sorry
I completely agree. Patrick writes with eloquent pose that oozes lyric.
FINE!
I´ll read The Witcher dammit
Hear hear
Sucs, its like percy jackson or ranger the author just made a lot of books with no intention in telling a linear story.
hahaha, enjoy. you wont regret it. I dont read much fantasy, but i couldnt put the books out of my hand once i started reading.
They’re amazing you won’t regret it.. plus it releases on Netflix this Friday woo!
@@gabrielcaetano6318 the story is linear from 3rd book to 7th book
Just wanted to say thanks. Starting to get into fantasy and reading more, this is a great guide. I've read some Witcher, A Song of Ice & Fire, started Harry Potter. Planning on soon doing Wheel of Time, Dark Tower, Lord of the Rings. So when I get through these, I can now go forward thanks to your tier list
Just found your channel yesterday, and it's so interesting seeing this list. I loved LOTR, currently reading Mistborn and loving, huge fan of ASOIAF but was totally shocked how you ranked the kingkiller chronicle. I absolutely loved those books.
Same here. It is one of my all time favorite fantasy series
I think they are very interesting but compared to the likes of ASOIAF & LOTR it feels little crude in terms of story flow & character development.
Hard to recommend to people when you remember there's several chapters in a row in book 2 on kvothe having sex with a fairy
@@_MARSyt Kvothe being in the fae, the story getting some interesting lore, with the sex being a byproduct to get him there.
@@johannilsson6395 True but you can't say it makes recommending book 2 to people like say, your mom, kinda weird lol.
Love this! I’m beginning to dip my toes into fantasy and this is a great way to get some quick opinions on a ton of series.
Disclaimer: information presented in this video is highly coloured by his opinions which he has stated, the following is an unbiased correction of his more biased opinions.
#1 Prince of thorns is just as good as the blade itself and belongs in S tier
#2 Promise of blood is quite probably the best flintlock fantasy ever and belongs in A tier if not S tier but I won't put it there for its niche sub genre
#3 Terry Goodkind is an aweful person and his book sword if truth isn't any better but at the same it doesn't deserve to be in D tier, it will be put into C tier just for the small nuggets of bronze in the muck that are the books.
#4 Poppy war has way more potential than he is giving it credit for and his exactly is it darker than the blade itself I don't understand, saying it's in B tier because its dark is weak reasoning from his side and the story deserves to be in A tier.
so for the book to be in S tier its title has to start with "The"
Dude, you really need to read Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon to finish Feist's original trilogy, The Riftwar Saga, a solid S from me as I feel it evolves to add other realms, planets, cultures and magics - especially given when it was written. I would also throw Sara Douglas' original Axis Trilogy and Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow andThorn in there for my faves
Add to that read the Empire Trilogy at the same time.
thats what im saying. And continue witht the series after
☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️ JEFFS COMMENT! YOU NEED TO FINISH THIS!! One of the best series of books I have ever read!!
1) I feel like I'm a few years behind you in terms of reading all these - Mistborn definitely kickstarted me into reading more modern fantasy, and I'm very excited to dive into Stormlight.... someday.
2) I thought you were going full Fantano outro with the "did you love it did you hate it at the end"
name of the wind on c is a crime
Fr i loved it
Should've been D
came here to say this
Nah; I think it deserves its place there, unless there was a C+/B- tier. The second book really disappointed me mainly due to the pacing. Kvothe as a character really doesn't resonate with me.
I could not finish it for some reason. so its a c for me too. well maybe better if i eventually get to finish it
Taking disagreements for granted... was super surprised by the Rothfuss treatment lol.
I’ve read much of the same stuff that you have, and it’s one of my favourite books in the genre.
absolutly agree
Yeah. Highly disagree with this ranking for Name of the Wind. Some of the most beautiful writing in fantasy.
Bryce Christiansen Kingkiller chronicles right? I’m waiting for the third book. The first two were SO GOOD
@@BryceChristiansen loved the books but i get it.. I usually skip the entire present when rereading because it's boring and hasn't been tied into the story at all - i too believe that rothfuss doesn't know how to finish it - he created characters i love but sometimes story elements seem a little all over the place and perhaps that's what makes it hard to tie together.. And since we are rating series not individual books it takes a big hit..
It seems like his issues with Rothfuss as a person are the true reflection of his Kingkiller ranking.
Name of the Wind a C tier? You broke my heart, Fredo.
Ranking all the Fantasy Series I have read. I've read so many it's hard to remember them all lol!
S: Lord of the Rings, Cosmere (Overall), Harry Potter, Wheel of Time, Stormlight Archive
A: Kingkiller, Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Song of Ice and Fire, The Witcher, Gentlemen Bastards, Mistborn, Bartemeaus
B: Dresdan Files, Dark Tower, Malazan, Lightbringer, Temeriare, Obsidian Chronicles, His Dark Materials, Earthsea, Narnia, Farseer
C: Inheritance Cycle, Shannarah, Charlie Bone, Redwall, Dragonriders of Pern
D: Wizard's First Rule, Broken Empire, Dragonlance, Thomas Covenant
You putting Lightbringer in S tier makes me very excited to continue with the series myself. I really enjoyed The Black Prism and I think the series has potential to be in my own favourites!
Every book in that series is a solid, enjoyable book. I'd argue each one is S Tier, but the latest is a LITTLE weaker, in my opinion, maybe a B+ book. But overall, I loved it.
Magician and the world of Midkemia really needs to be read in full to appreciate. There are 30 books in the extended series but there are a few side stories you can go without so it's more like 20. Very good read.
Shocked at your Kingkiller ranking, Dan! Its in my top 5 favourite series of all time alongside the likes of Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, Gentleman Bastards...
same reaction
Nah. Kingkiller just feels lazy. Also, it's never going to be finished because Rothfuss can't be bothered lol.
I'm absolutely in love with the Powder Mage universe, and I hope the TV adaptation gets picked up and becomes successful.
this is the first video of yours I came across. your placement of Goodking was my moral compass of you much I could trust you... and o boy I can definitely trust your recommendations
Puts Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, and Wheel of Time in S tier. You've earned yourself a sub good sir
Right
But Magician in B
But Name of the Wind in C tier ... ruins my opinion of this guy.
Love those books so damn much. You should check out the Graphic Audio audiobook versions of them, they rock.
Kyle Creamer yep I think that’s what I listened to. I listen to audiobooks while driving.
I've always found The Ranger's Apprentice and The Iron Druid Chronicles to be two of my favorite book series ever. I'd highly recommend!
The rangers apprentice is great but went on for way to long.
@@ajavierb2078 Yeah it's really good. But only the first 8 books or so. Can't quite remember but it starts to drag at that point...
Ah yes, I loved the lies of Locke lamora and was hella suprised no one really talks about it, solid series defn subscribed
I skipped to the end just to see The Wheel of Time placed exactly where I expected it to be.
if its not S tier i wil use balefire on Daniel.
@@fredrikgranstrom6743 Daniel knows what he's about, don't worry
Yup 😎
All the braid tugging should have at least pulled it down to A
@PushandillPushback I disagree but it just depends on the readers own taste and what to them makes it a good book. And me and. Daniel Greene both agree on it. While others might bot
Always enjoy your videos. I'm excited to pick up Stormlight after I finish Mistborn era 1. At some point I'd like to see you discuss Roger Zelazny's 10-book Chronicles of Amber series. The books are relatively short, in fact they've been combined into one big volume. Very engaging story. Solid A-tier IMO.
First full Daniel Green video I've watched. I got to say, he knows his fantasy. I would have bumped Dresden up to A, but that's it. Subscribing for sure.
As a fantasy writer myself, I feel like it's a level of praise when you include someone's books in your tier list
Never heard of journey of the soul but the trilogy looks interesting and ill definitely have to check it out now that I've looked up your books!
Read the introduction now, definitely got me hooked on the story with sword and magic training!
I guess I'll have to take a lunch break now to watch this video.
Without a doubt Malazan will move to S tier once you’ve progressed a bit further. It’s magnificent and I’ve been reading and rereading them for a decade and never been disappointed.
The end of malazan was not great, easily the worst part of the series in my opinion
It's even more rewarding when rereading the series
@@RJtheCoolGuy what heresy is this?
@@RJtheCoolGuy I respectfully but strongly disagree.
I think it’s a bit boring tbh . I’m on the 5th book rn . I really liked book 3 but I think for me it’s just not work the time
If there's one series I've read that has both been burned into my mind whilst also keeping the mystery of the plot, it has got to be
The Keys to the Kingdom, by Garth Nix. Reading it is kind of like reading a Narnia book, but looking back on it is like trying to remember a fever dream.
The worldbuilding in extremely dense and borderline confusing at times.
I love it.
Dude, plz keep updating this list! This is your best rank ever!!! Update this for Christmas plzzz
Old classics to recommend:
Anne McCaffery’s original “Dragonriders of Pern” trilogy (each book is its own story)
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s original “Dragonlance Chronicles” trilogy
David Eddings “The Belgariad” (very influential on Jordan)
Each of these authors had written many more books in their respective series.
Strongly agree on all counts.
I also really like "The Death Gate Cycle" by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. But I could be influenced by nostalgia since it was one of the first fantasy works I read.
I grew up with Dragonlance! It's like comfort food, for me.
Agreed. To mention a few. Here's a few more. Dragonlance legends, A blackbird in silver trilogy, everything by Terry Brooks, The mallorion( sequel to the Belgariad ).....
@@simonbellamy67 , DragonLance Legends was my first foray into that world. I read Legends before I knew about Chronicles.
Name of the Wind and Ice and Fire ranking triggered me.
me 2 xD
Mistborn trilogy over ice and fire ?! I mean come on
@@bigboy9153 I really love Sanderson but in a thousand years I can't understand having Mistborn in the same tier as Stormlight. One is clearly better in pacing and characters as well as voice. And the difference is enough that they shouldn't be on the same level. Brandon got better at writing as he went on, and it shows greatly.
@@bigboy9153 Ice and fire is fine in rank A, but Mistborn shouldn't be in the same tier as Stormlight no matter what.
@@schmidth He'll shift Malazan atop all once he reads book 5... Greatest book of all kinds ever written!
Me thinking he was going to put “The Name of The Wind” in S Class without thinking
Brandon sanderson better than patrick rotfhus
i’m sorry but name of the wind objectively is better, it’s just not really fantasy like Brandon Sanderson is
@@isaaka977 you can't say it's objectively better, it's all subjective. To me Brandon is better
Aye, he doesn't like The Name of The Wind-books. He thinks there's a lot of weirdness in the series's characters. I can totally see where he's coming from, but still would personally put it into... B probably. I liked both books, but can't go higher than that. I don't have problem with the characters that much, but I just hate the style where plot is jumping between future and past.
*cough* I would say Brandon Sanderson is OBJECTIVELY better than Patrick Rothfuss. He's literally a fantasy writer, who writes his books like those were examples how fantasy should be written from characters to magic systems and the world. Sanderson does it so well that some people could even say that's his weak point in a sense... Rothfuss frankly isn't in the same league.
I’m 11 and I loved the series even though the 3rd book hasn’t come out and if your wondering yes I did skip the delirium part but I know enough to know what was written but it amazed me how he put that in c teir and no I’m not a pervert I skipped all the bad parts but I have 2 brothers so I know what they were doing cause my brothers have friends ears and mouths and like to share gross 🤮 information
I recently discovered your channel and so far am enjoying the content.
With that said I swear I saw The Sword of Shannara in the titles at the beginning. Watched the whole video to see where you placed it. When it never came up I had to go back to the beginning to look again to see if it was there.
Daniel: Harry Potter is B Tier
Harry Potter gatekeepers: "Avada Kedavra!"
It's like I knew he was going to do it. 😂😂
No. We need someone like Daniel Greene in the Booktuberverse.
I consistently tell people when comparing Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter that LOTR is the better book series and Harry Potter is the better movie series. The story is great, the writing is only good.
@@jonm4206 Harry Potter is definitely NOT a better movie series. That's a very strange take
@@meurer13daniel agreed
Name of the Wind (and The Wise Man's Fear) are two of my favorite books ... I do wonder sometimes if Rothfuss knows how he's going to end it. But I love his writing style and I think his books are more character-driven than plot-driven, which is something I really dig. And Harry Potter a B?? Come onnn, lol. Also, I hope you're right about The Lies of Locke Lamora because I'm finding it hard to get into so far. But I'm going to read it to the end! :P
I swear, I forgot how many times I got angry at Locke while reading the book. Dude doesn't know when to fold 'em. I know it's part of the character, but... C'mon man, when everyone and everything tells you to bail out, you bail out. Else bad things happen...
Tbh I’d say I agree with the Harry Potter rank of B. It’s pretty good but I wouldn’t say it’s in A and certainly not in S
@@goldeviolets4314 Harry Potter is C at best, the world building is weak and the fact that each has the exact same pacing to all neatly tie up each story in a year is just silly
I get it about those two books. While the moment-to-moment writing is quite good and the story within each chapter is usually good, the actual plot is meandering at best and doesn't really have much structure. You could comfortably cut a third of each book out without it substantially changing the plot or the narrative, and that is a very real flaw- you just don't notice it while you're reading the book because it just reads so well.
I also get it about Harry Potter. They're not great books nor particularly well-written, but there was something special about them any book series that you read until the books physically start falling apart.
He Said that he already knows the ending
His Dark Materials done dirty. That’s the only series in this whole list which deserves to talked about in the same breath as Tolkien.
I say that as someone who loves many of the series here, but I enjoy them for what they are. And they are not on the level of Pullman.
So glad The Stormlight Archive is S-tier. 100% my favorite book series ever.
I know Fool Moon is a little rough but the Harry Dresden series is one of my favorites. As you get deeper in the series you can see Jim Butcher evolve as an author and the books just keep getting better. I have Dresden in my S+ tier, next to WOT.
The Magicians trilogy never gets any love. I think it's really unique within the genre in that it's sort of a meta fantasy, or a fantasy story about fantasy stories themselves
*His Dark Materials* is A for certain. Its world-building and best characters deserve it.
I haven’t read the fourth book because it came out a couple years later or so, I didn’t even realize there was a fourth book for years lol
@@widdershins5383 it is more of a second series following Lyra as she is a bit older, as far as I remember
I now know which ones to read, thank you!
If these are all the series you've read even one book of, you've missed out on (among others):
- Peter V. Brett - The Demon Cycle
- David Eddings
- Terry Pratchett
- Gormenghast
- Stephen R. Donaldson - The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
- Dragonlance
- Michael Moorcock - The Eternal Champion
- Conan
I was surprised Forgotten Realms was there but not Dragonlance
Yeah, why is Dragonlance nowhere to be found on any lists?
Thomas Covenant... would that qualify as Grim and Dark? I think so. But boy were we into it in art school in the early 80s!
Maybe that's why I could mever get into it. I felt depressed just reading it.
great pics
for me, the name of the wind feels like a fairy tale. I either dont recognize the flaws people point out or just dont care. It is one of the most enjoyable books i have ever read. Having said that, stormlight is probably on the top of my list, given that there are still books coming out.
I highly recommend you read daughter of the empire, which is a sort of companion trilogy to magician, it's a fantastic underdog political drama with an awesome female protagonist taking place on the other side of the rift war. The audio book is great, the lady's voice is super soothing
Why are you stressing out on the point that the protagonist is female? Do you need to announce the gender of the protagonist to get your message through that book is now worth more reading just because of that fact? Why is that information so integral for you to convey in the first place when in fact no one cares what gender a protagonist should have to build an actual story? Would you phrase what you said similarly if the protagonist was male?
@@cruisingwithoutsail6585 Jeez. He's being descriptive. Breathe.
Really appreciate this video. Just added quite a few of these series to my "to read" list. Taking a break from Wheel of Time (just finished book 4) to give The Blade Itself a read and completely agree on Glotka already (only a few chapters in). Agree with most of your rankings (Kingkiller is probably the only disagree). Love your channel though
Daniel: And I’ll put Malazan in...
Me: S-tier! Put it in S!
Daniel: ...A, solid A-tier.
Me: *YOU FOOL*
Critic Corner Cut him some slack. He's only read 3 books yet.
@@gloom_slug Funny, the further I got into the series the less I enjoyed it. Loved the first few books, but after 5 (I think it was 5 anyway) it just seemed to feel like more of a slog and less of enjoyment.
@@aesrys for me number 1 was the best... i loved the tempo... number 4-5-6-7 was very good also but the rest is sooooooo dragged out and tedious
@@oggedask Yeah, I agree. I really wanted to like it more because it started so strong and interesting but I just couldn't make myself finish the series. Got to book 9 I think.
Malazan diserves a S+ !!!
I love Rothfuss and Islington. They're some of my favorite books. But that said I think your criticisms of the books are incredibly valid for the most part. There are some really incredible shining moments in those books that carry them through some pretty glaring flaws. Rothfusses prose lets me forgive all else. And Islingtons general plot and the conclusion to Caedens storyline and character arc lets me overlook the fact that he completely whiffed on the climax for the big baddie of the series. Both are incredible books with incredible flaws. But the fact that they are still so highly regarded despite major glaring issues just goes to show how amazing some pieces of the stories are.
Witcher is king when it comes to character dialogue exchanges. Those emotional conversations between Geralt and Yennefer are so gripping.
mhm its interesting to see how different kinds of approaches can be great in their own way, Tolkien is no where near as good as Sapkowski when it comes to character dialogue but he personally shines with world building and long term events
plagiarized story
Ngl I’d rather watch paint dry. The author has some serious momma issues that come out in that. Geralt in general just comes across as the fantasy manifestation of a loser. He’s basically a hobo and his job isn’t actually important anymore but watch out! He’s a badass!. I feel like it was written by an aging electrician that hates his apprentice because he can tell he’s already going to be better than him. Idk how or why but I got to the fourth books third chapter before I finally said I can’t do it anymore. Also. He cannot write compelling women and I say this as a man that will openly admit I know nothing about women.
I'd be interested to see where Daniel would place Discworld now...
And here I thought I'd read a good amount of fantasy. Can't wait to start reading most of these series, thanks for the advice! Of what I've read, Song of Ice and Fire was definitely stronger in the beginning and slump in the middle of the series. Mistborn trilogy was and still is amazing. And Harry Potter, for me, will always be an amazing series.
Yaay! Cool! A 27-minute-long video! All I needed
Great list and I've read many of them. I'd possibly add - The Abhorsen Trilogy, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, The Empire Trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry, Night Angel Trilogy and I suppose Discworld deserves a mention, but since the range of books can be so different it's hard to characterize
I agree with you! Glokta is SUCH AN AMAZING CHARACTER AND I LOVE HIM SO MUUUUUCH!
His Dark Materials was absolutely written to be an instructional fantasy for young readers. It's explicitly an atheist/humanist answer to Narnia.
Well this helped me figure out my next few book.
Confused about king killer chronicles. But I’m new to all of this.
It would be interesting to see what you make of Michael Moorcock (I have seen a few mentions of Elric in the comments - I also loved the Hawkmoon books and Corum, and think that the Dancer at the end of time is one of the weirdest stories I have ever read), Another writer I don't see much talked about these days is Katherine Kurtz - the Deryni trilogy has one of the most interesting takes on magic I have seen.
First time I heard of "The Name of The Wind" was in one of your videos, you ranked fantasy books and you openly -as always- gave your not so favorable opinion of it. Read the comments and people were actually defending the book, so when I was bored I read the backcover introduction and decided to give a chance. Boy was that the best I have ever read. And I've read a lot. I've read Nobel prize winners, philosophic novels, classics, adult fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, science, etcetera. This book was so pure and so surprising, it was nothing the introduction promised. It was a joy, it is art. I enjoyed it even more than Hermann Hesse's books, or Ayn Rand's or Steve Job's biography or Harry Potter or Lord of Rings or whatever other book from whatever other genre. It truly is a masterpiece, I don't care about the "Mary Sue" critique of Kvothe or the lack of blockbuster-like plot twists. The fact the Rothfuss wrote such a "pure" and simple story about a guy with a lute and made me cry, laugh, shiver, rage and basically feel every emotion with a single story for me is GOAT.
Damn you stabbed my soul with putting Harry Potter at B 😭 I’m just so nostalgic because it’s the series that first got me reading for pleasure. I just can’t look at it objectively. But definitely agree with Witcher. It’s an amazing series
To call HP generic is an insult.
Name of the wind is so well written. I feel like sentence for sentence, Rothfuss may be the best writer. But the high level story telling leaves some things to be desired. Great list.
A Wizard of Earthsea was probably the book that drew me in the most.. ever. I was so absorbed I failed Spanish class because of it. 🙄😅
Read it twice during my childhood. No regrets!
Dark Tower were my first audio books and what made me realize I actually can keep reading as an adult. I'd say it's S tier in my heart. I've never felt more connected to a group of characters before
I love Dark Tower.
finished that series recently. god that last book hurt
@@theyescapedtheweightofdarkness in a good way or a bad way? (i just started the first book)
@@gostydaboi4274 good way.
Putting Kingkiller Chronicles in C is a crime imo! Easy S tier for me. This is one of the best book series I've seen in a while and I've read most series on your list...
Although I do agree that I very much doubt he is going to finish this series with just a third book, since there is just too much questions still unanswered.
Prince of Thorns is a hidden gem of a series! It's very dark, but I like these kind of books. I would put it in A-tier at least!
Lightbringer had awesome first couple of books, which where just incredibly good! But my hype for the series went down quite a bit since the last book. We'll have to see where it goes from here. Also not the biggest fan of Mistborn (would still put it in A at least).
The rest of the list is good. Maybe try also Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, the first book isn't great, but the series overall turns out really good. Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan is also quite good.
P.S. sry I'm bored :P
Magician was my intro to fantasy back in the early 90's and is my absolute favourite. I love all the books
wendy pridmore same I reread that book so often I just love it.
Watching these booklists recently makes me realize how different people's views on books very so greatly. Agreed with some of these that I've read but not all
Liked this video not to lose it.
I think I'll be needing to check this list once in a while
That’s a lot of damage
As someone who hasn't read a lot of fantasy but is absolutely in love with KCC and Pat's writing style, based on your ratings I'm even more excited to start what seems like a thousand-book journey into Sanderson's books, The Gentlemen Bastards, Broken Earth, and Wheel of Time. I just finished book 2 of The First Law trilogy and love this world, but I think Pat's great storytelling really spoiled me. KCC was the first fantasy series I've read since LotR and a bunch of R.A. Salvatore 10 years ago in high school and it just blew me away, even though I understand and agree with a lot of the issues people have with TWMF.
KCC biggest problem for me was it was very overhyped to me and I just didn't really see it. It was good even great but it's flaws really hurt it. That and I think it's too drawn out. Minor annoyances become a lot more notable when I feel like I've had to read about it way more than needed.
Dustin C I would personally not recommend the Gentlemen Bastards series, I tried reading the first book, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Some people might be different, but for me the dialogue was lacking and I didn’t really connect well with the characters
Okay, this is the first video from you, i read/tryed out like 60% of the books in this list and i agree with you on them (Expect kingkiller chronicles, definitly better than C-tier)
I will try out The Broken Earth, so thank you
Name Of the wind was awesome, The First Law trilogy 1 and the second trilogy is by far the best and you have to add all the stand alone books because they all add to the overall story.
There are a few series you really need to read:
The Belgariad, The Malorean, The Elenium, The Tamuli by David Edings
The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
The Runelords by David Farland
The Saga of Recluse by L.E. Moddesitt
The Tales of Alvin Maker by Orson Scott Card
I'm definitely seconding the David Eddings series. Those are great reads.
Codex Alera is great... I should re-read it
Codex Alera is a solid series, but the last two books are pretty weak, imo. But "Cursor's Fury" is one of my favourite books of all time.
Codex file is the series that introduced me to fantasy beyond YA. I was reading various YA fantasy to my kiddos and decided to try fantasy books for my personal reading. When one of my daughter’s got beyond YA Codex was her first “adult” fantasy she continued to be a avid fantasy reader.
Also the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, Greg Keyes
The Black Company, Glen Cook
OMG!! Who is this masquerading as my son?!?!?! No way would the real Daniel Greene, a sopn of mine, rate Harry Potter only a "B." We could debate "A" vs. "S," but no son of mine would rate Harry & Co. a "B." WHO ARE YOU????
Haha I was wondering whether Daniel would put HP as S or A and then when I saw him put it as B AND rank Broken Earth Trilogy above it I was...speechless :)
Sometimes a son has to revolt against his elders. He will see the light of truth in time.
@@germanikusxxxraphaelmoreau2369 i literally thought the exact same thing but with different wording. "see the light of truth in time" was a good touch haha
I think he is on the POT
For me Harry Potter is only C tier, but i read it when i was about 25. Im pretty sure if i had read it as a kid, the nostalgia effect and having read it with the wonder of a child to bring it to a completely different level, it could likely have been S tier. Like I see Naria as solid A tier, because of nostalgia, but if i put a more critial eye on it, i can find alot of issues.
I've been hunting for a book with only the memories of the first to chapters sorta.... is this is the video that finally helps me find I swear I'm a loose my mind!
I'm a massive fan of the Discworld series', and Across The Nightingale Floor, among a good few in the S and A tier here, definitely read them if you ever have the time!
I really like your content. But this is like the 3rd tier rankings video I've seen from you. Just a suggestion, maybe do things like "Fantasy Protagonists/Villians/Worlds/Magic systems ranked." It would also be cool to see some indie fantasy books get reviewed. IMO the indie fantasy genre has some hidden gems.
A little (or perhaps not so little) request..
In the future in the lists videos could you please add the details of the books mentioned?? like the title of the book, the series, and the author..makes it easier to search for them..
Thanks..huge fan..keep up the good work..
76 here and my reading of fantasy goes back a long way. It's sad that none of those stood the test of time. Off hand the "Dragons of Pern" comes to mind. Over the decades my taste kept changing. Only read 5 on your list; which leaves me with quite a reading list. BTW Really enjoy your videos.
Great video...love you're view and passion for the books. Bit surprised that Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle books didn't make it or Brent Week's Night Angel series, but you can't read everything =D
Ranking magic systems next?
Albino Deer actually yes.
Nice. Looking forward to that :D
Sanderson's gonna dominate that list's S and A tiers; never seen anyone draft magic systems as dynamic and cohesive as Brandon's.
Charles Nyana yeah, I was about to comment that. He’s the king of magic systems. The only system I know of that might rival Sanderson’s systems is Nen from HunterxHunter, but it’s a manga/anime so they rarely get compared.
@@tovekauppi1616 Daniel will proabbly put WOT there as well. And Lightbringer has a cool one too
You should read The Farseer Trilogy, and other stuff by Hobb. Very enjoyable.
This shit is z
Does it bet any better after The Assassins Apprentice? While it wasn't a DNF, it also didn't compel me to go on. Everytime there was a part that seemed like it would be fun and interesting it would skip that scene like it was omitted from the book by a rival editor that didn't want the book to succeed. I know lots of people love it, but it was pretty uneventful in my mind.
Good book but old school fantasy. Old school doesn’t get the love but I get it.
I got to assassin's quest and put it down. I'll eventually finish it but I'm on book 3 and I still don't care about a single character.
My favourite series of books.
I just came to see where he put The Kingkiller chronicles so that I get to understand his taste on fantasy books, I got my answer
Haven't read N K Jemisin's books yet, but it sounds like she is a true genius. Looking forward to purchasing her books soon. Great video!