Be sure to check out the Legends and Latte's Kickstarter for the Deluxe Hardcover! www.kickstarter.com/projects/wraithmarked/legendsandlattes?ref=7bebei
I really don’t have the same taste in books as you do, but I like watching your channel because I love hearing about different types of books & it gives me all the cozy & wholesome vibes ☺️❤️
I LOVE most of the same types of books that Merphy does, so she’s my absolute fave, but I get what you mean. I am that way with Jack Edwards. I can’t stand most of his choices! 😂 But there are some people that their love of reading is so infectious and I Iove to watch them.
I listened to the audiobook of fourth wing during my examphase to have some easy, cringy, fantasy imput and while it's not good, it gave me exactly what I needed at the time
I loved fourth wing, but I don’t think you’d enjoy it at all. It’s more of a spicy romance heavy book with interesting fantasy elements (in my opinion). I think it has a really high rating because it really worked for people who generally love that type of story. Most of the fantasy leaning people who have read it, haven’t enjoyed it because they read it because of the hype and not necessarily because they enjoy that kind of book.
Yeah, if you are into Sarah J Maas and her style of fantasy where you have a strong female lead in a fantasy world that is somewhat interesting in its magic but never gone into in huge depth and that lead is definitely gonna fall in love with someone she shouldn’t and that’s gonna be a lot of the plots driving force, then you’ll like it. I honestly think Yarros might have done Maas’s schtick better than Maas. It was at least as good maybe better.
I follow you because you speaking extemporaneously about books is fun to listen to. You've got a good voice, good cadence, and the enthusiasm and asides make your channels great fun.
Fourth Wing feels like the author started writing a YA book, but then decided to shift gears and write a NA series. It was a fun and easy read. I think the world itself has potential, depending on where the author takes it. I don't think it is a book you would like, but I would also love to see a vlog where you read it 😅.
Exactly this. I enjoyed it for what it was. I basically turned my brain off and just enjoyed the ride lol Veryyy YA feeling and easy to grasp. So for anyone who is afraid of fantasy but wants to dip a pinky toe in - Fourth Wing is for them lol
I don’t understand the point of NA. Like isn’t that just every other book outside of YA. From what I’ve seen of NA, they are just YA books pretending not to be.
I just now finally got my hands on Tress from the library and it was the most amazing book. I was just utterly lost in that book in the best possible way.
I mean, I add 99% of the books you like to my TBR... so... yeah. Also, your sense of humor is right up my alley and why you're one of my go to BookTubers. You always make me smile and the recommendations have been great as well!
At the very least, Booktok helps me know which books to skip... Fourth Wing is getting pushed like Sarah J Maas like Colleen Hoover and thanks, I know what not to do now.
I'm reading The Wager right now and I am loving it. I ended up picking it up because of you. As for the Fourth Wing, if you go into it with the idea of having fun, I think you would like it. It reminded me a lot of Divergent and Hunger Games but with dragons.
I laughed and laughed while reading Fourth Wing. The dragon rider training and particularly how she handled death was so ridiculous I felt like I was in a Monty Python sketch. And the Japanese creators of Ninja Warrior deserve royalties. Yet, I was entertained. Glad so many people love it.
@@missallisnow I laughed so hard. She watched one episode of Ninja Warrior and thought she was a creative genius. Pretty sure I saw the Jumping Spider and a version of the Log Jam in there.
The Frugal Wizards Handbook For Surviving Midevil England was an absolute hit for me 💯 but I understand that it's not to everyone's tastes. Also I know the long title is a fun play on a current trend for a lot of Japanese isekai light novels, and it is fun lol but every single time I see it mentioned on booktube everyone always stumbles on the name 😵💫 just say it a few times off camera and you'll be fine Murph
The Dandelion Dynasty is unhinged and I loved every second of it 😂 Legends and Lattes wasn’t for me, but I’m happy for everyone who liked it Yellowface was such a fun time for me. The way she explored the idea of who gets to tell what stories was intriguing, fun, and chaotic. I’ve read all of her works and Kuang has yet to disappoint. She’s definitely an auto buy author for me
I can’t get passed the cover of Legends and Lattes, it just seems ridiculous 😂 I’ve read the reviews though and people seem surprised (as you mentioned you were) at how good it was. I’m intrigued.
The cover is silly. But the book itself is like a warm cup of hot cocoa on a chilly autumn morning on your first day off after a 9 day stretch at work. I was in the exact same boat as you, the cover threw me off a little and it always getting displayed near the DnD stuff I thought it was going to be silly and mediocre but just funny enough to have gotten popular in a “let’s read a transcription of someone’s DnD one-shot” kind of way. But I slowly got intrigued then eventually saw my local library had it on the Libby app. I was between books in a longer series and wanted a little break from it so I picked it up. Then I just couldn’t put it down. I was reading it on my breaks at work, while I walked to my car, I’d sit down in my car in the parking lot and keep reading until I’d glance at the clock and notice crap I have to get home. I almost started over and read it again when I finished. But I restrained myself to just re-reading a few scenes I really enjoyed and getting to the next book on my list.
I've finished the first Red Rising trilogy and I liked it very much, despite I hated the ending of Morning Star. I've also finished Sharp Ends and the last story from it, Made a Monster, had an ending which was my jam😁. But I understand that the next Red Rising books are very grimdark so I can't wait to read them.
Great video as always. I like this kind of topics but there's something bothering me. Am I the only one seeing the resemble with the cover of "You're not supose to die tonight"? I mean Merphy... The cover? No? Just me? Alright. Love y'all. Keep up the good work!
I follow you with pretty vastly different taste 😂 but I enjoy how passionately you speak about books & you make me want to branch out, I have tried a few new genres because of you. Right now I’m watching Hunter Hunter because of you (and absolutely loving the chimera ant arc). In general I’m more open to manga bc of you!:)
Also, you have EXTREMELY similar taste to my husband so I showed him your channel and we like to talk about your videos & I feel I can know more about his taste via watching you!
Fourth Wing was an enjoyable read for what it was. I went in completely blind. I read the book right at the beginning of the hype, so I had no expectations, and I think that's why it worked for me. I also just LOVE dragons, and I enjoyed the dragons personalities in this book. I'd say if you're at all curious, definitely give it a try. It's an easy fast read.
I say definitely read the Fourth Wing. It’s got some “spicy romance”, but I don’t think nearly as much as others are making it out to be. The spiciness isn’t essential to the plot (I skipped a couple segments), but I otherwise LOVED the plot and premise
I think you should read fourth wing. I enjoyed the audio book. I don’t like romance so I didn’t enjoy the smut but I ended up loving the story and look forward to the next book. Just try it !
Yeah, the narrator of Fourth Wing did SO well at making it fun and funny! There was just something about the sassy-ness of the characters and moral complexity of the world. I'm invested in seeing where the story goes. The romance is fine but it's not my main reason for reading.
It’s an understatement. Even Elliot Brooks says it’s bad. Let’s state the facts: weak prose. The main character is more a child not an adult and it’s important bc it’s a smut book. Very much it is. Full with plot holes and not logical errors. And that was the basics. Why hyped? Smut book. Only Maas fans read it and rated it. And they tend to be obsessed to things. That’s it.
@@nicoleneedschocolate have to agree. Until this point she mostly has the same taste as me. So it’s a no for her. I read acotar and I didn’t dnf at 1st book like her I suffered more… so figured it out. She dnf that at 1st book. I agree with her. That’s a no too. I just had too much time, I read more books than her (I started before her.)
I'm here from "Shades of Orange" channel - I've read many books from Rachel's reviews. I just finished "The Rig" by Roger Levy - wow! I'm going to read it again. I hope to read some from your reviews as well.🤙
Merlot, hype this book. For me, what a thriller is suppose to be. 'The Siberia Job'. It masterfully combines historical context, heart-pounding adventure, and high-stakes suspense, all wrapped up in a well-written narrative. If you're in for a thrilling read, this is your pick.
I would like to see your reaction to fourth wing. It does fall in the romance tropes and “miscommunication drama” but I think the magic system and dragons were cool.
I was skeptical about Legends and Lattes... I am currently over halfway through the book. It is a great palette cleanser from reading a bit of darker sci fi and fantasy recently.
I'm here to encourage you to read Fourth Wing - I was afraid of the hype too, mostly because I am usually not at all into enemies to lovers, but... Fourth Wing for me is not about the enemies to lovers trope, even though it has one in it and not about the one (two, maybe? don't remember) spicy scene. For me it is about a disabled character, who has chronic pain, kicking asses despite her being disabled. For me it is about a pure friendship too, and about dragons being protective but wholesome. For me it's about a fine man too, who supports a disabled character not by babying or telling 'you are weak for that, you need protection', but by making adjustments that help her grow, who hands her weapons because he thinks she is fully capable, because he acknowledges that she has to work ten times harder to achieve the same result as a healthy person. He doesn't baby her, but instead trusts her. Maybe it's just me getting emotional about that because I have a disability too - different kind, though -, but still, for me this book is important because of this representation. And for those, who say this is just too much spice - where, what? Where a disabled character expresses her feelings in her POV narration, like any healthy 20yo would?
YES! I loved that book and read it in a couple of days (I seriously would have read it in a single sitting if I could, but work got in the way…. And a need to sleep). I read it on the cusp of burnout and it legitimately sparked a frenzy of reading in me. No joke, I read like 16 books in the same month. It’s not normally something I’d read (when I first looked at it), but now I’m looking for more and more books like it. It’s good. Yes, it has romance and a smidge of smut, but why does that have to be so bad? I mean, we’re in the twenty-first century in a post Barbie world. It’s okay to like/enjoy romance and it’s okay to not.
THANK YOU! whenever i see complaints about it being "too horny", I'm like, where?!?! They had sex like 2 or 3 times in the entirety of over 500 pages. The rest is, like you said, normal 20 year old thoughts.
In terms of romance, have you read any Beth O'Leary or Lex Croucher? O'Leary writes romance/contemporary books in a way that reminds me a bit of Frederik Backmann - my favourites are the Flatshare and the Switch, although I think The No Show might be more your thing. Croucher writes regency era stories with queer and POC characters that sometimes involve romance. I wonder if either of them could help to find your taste in romance?
It’s definitely going into my want to read! I can’t stand the good reads reviews though. They’re saying it’s not good just because they’re are no women in the book. Is this really an issue for the book?
@sashakeiv2703 the first book I guess there aren't a ton of female characters. But, that book is basically a huge prologue to the series, it reads more like a history book than a fantasy book, then from Wall of storms onward it morphs into a more "traditional" fantasy
A book series that I really enjoy in the last few months is "skulduggery pleasant". I suppose it leans more into teen/YA as an audience but its a genuinely fun read. Planned through well, an engaging world, really interesting characters and a good way of tackling more complicated topics, like gender identity, sexuality and destiny.
I read all of the Green Bone Saga - "The Jade books" and was very disappointed based on all of the UA-cam hype. I've always enjoyed a good mobster/mafia story, so I liked that aspect of these books but I felt that NONE of the protagonists had any redeeming qualities. I read a lot of grim dark novels and even the worst of those characters have some positive qualities at times. I did not get that out of any of these characters except the main antagonist and one of the members of the Kaul family. I could have stopped at book one, but I wanted to see it through to the end, always hoping I would find something to like about the characters. I'm glad I'm not the only person who didn't enjoy this one!!
I won’t lie I love watching rant reviews so I kind would like to see you vlog 4th wing. But the nice part of me doesn’t want to make you suffer just for the enjoyment of others.
Fourth Wing is… exactly what you expect it to be, I think. I have NO IDEA why it’s so popular, except I do? I found it entertaining but in a train wreck kind of way, so I really enjoy reading vlogs of it from booktubers with similar taste to myself. I like y’all but it’s a little funny to watch y’all suffer 😂
I read it because of a friend, and I get why people like it*. I think there are a lot of people that have a deep desire to just read something that is… light, in the way that you do not need to think too hard. It was kinda like a fanfic. The people are so… trope-based that you really know EXACTLY what to expect, and therefore you can focus on other things of the story, especially the romance. The rest of the world is dependent on not thinking about it too close, so… you really are not asked to think about anything that close. *I belong to the people who do not like it, its just not my cup of tea. I also really enjoy watching the commentary, because its really really funny to not be alone in the suffering.
@@annikania2682 I've seen it EVERYWHERE. I kind of enjoy romance based books (but things like ACOTAR just...NAH), but I can loose track of reading or getting bored of something very easily (and if the writing does not convince me, I get even more bored). Is it worth it? Why do you say is "trope-based"? ^^
@@herestia_photography i would say: Don‘t read it if you did not enjoy ACOTAR. It is very similar. (I read ACOTAR because of said friend too, and I really disliked that book, fourth wing was better, because Violet is… not the worst main character, but it’s like comparing a 0/10 to a … 2/10 here. I am sorry. ACOTAR is just not for me. At all.) BUT: this book is a romance novel with a thin paint coat of fantasy. And now we come to tropes: The boys are walking cliches. Take the following two concepts: hot badboy, hot and a-hole badboy. You have your love interests! Congrats! Everything romance happens in a very predictable way (think: enemies to lovers, but executed very simply). The love-V (god! A proper triangle would have made the book much better) does not work as it is clear that hot, only-mild-ahole badboy will win. It’s YA with erotica slapped in the back, but the actual text and world are very…. Early 2010s YA. It gets compared to divergent for a reason, and OH BOY that’s not a compliment for me. But: my ultimate advice is; Amazon (at least German Amazon) has about the two first chapters as a „look into the book“-option. Read them. Make an impression if the writing style. The worldbuilding does not get deeper, and the tone stays the same. The only truly good thing is that it reads very well. And I grew kinda fond of violet. I HATE that it’s always „oh she’s so small and fragil uwu“, but she is okay, she reads like a h*rny 15 year old (she’s 20), but I was okay with that. But really: don’t. You are not missing out. Read something else.
@@annikania2682yea I agree people want to read something light and uncomplicated but Fourth Wing’s world building was so convoluted I wouldn’t considering it easy listening. I have been trying to read it for a month but I keep running into plot holes that piss me off so much I have to put the book down.
Fourth Wing is an interesting one and I would love to see your opinion on it. It walks a really weird line, because the first half of the book is pretty good in my opinion. If you like the idea of deadly dragon rider college, this one is very well thought out and paced so that way you are always interested in what will happen next. I wouldn’t say it is YA or adult, probably somewhere in between. The second half is odd. I wouldn't say it is bad, but you feel that she was rushed or had to do rewrites or something. The next book Iron Flame is out and I've been enjoying it so much more than the ending of Fourth Wing. Again, showing that the author did think through the idea, but maybe had some issues with the ending of the first book. Idk, you may like it? Lol
Yes, please read Fourth Wing! I am reading it right now and I really want to know that I am not alone in feeling the way I do about it. It feels so very YA even though the characters are meant to be in their twenties. I don't understand the hype and massive success of this book and I would love to know your thoughts!
@1:10 Okay...probably the reason why "Fourth Wing" was mentioned so often is because of sales...it's a legitimate "Best Seller." Lots of people have bought copies--my wife has it on Kindle. If you glance at your newspaper's Sunday "Bestseller" list, that book will probably be there.
you are so not missing out with fourth wing. It´s very much YA, not like other girls, puppy love vs dark lust with a sprinkle of "soft fantasy so the details are a little vauge and I´m confused"
I'm going to recommend two series that are outside of your normal genres. The first is The Holmes On The Range series. It's an amazing series set in the 1800s Old West and focuses on an illiterate but brilliant and ornery cowboy and his slightly more educated, very charming, younger brother who happen across a magazine featuring a Sherlock Holmes story and are inspired to be more than poor cowboys. It's so good and the character development and the plots are just...amazing. (I keep saying that, I know. lol) But these books are just that good. So far the second and the sixth are my faves but I love them all. The second series that I recommend is Robert Galbraith's (JK Rowling) Cormoran Strike series. It's a modern-day mystery series set in England with another ornery, brilliant main character (Cormoran Strike) who is so complicated and weirdly charismatic. It's a mystery, a slow-burn romance, and a thriller- all in one. I devour these books the minute they come out.
Well, Dandelion Dynasty and Legends and Lattes have now been added to my TBR. My next epic phase will probably start with the first and my next brain break will be the latter. Have a good day!
Oprah now admits her favorite book is "The Kid Gallagher Story " by Robert C Bauer. She loves the short story at the back of the book called "Haddum Had A Harem ". It is becoming a collectable and also a best seller...in Iowa!
I made a deal with a close friend: She really wanted me to read fourth wing, because she SERIOUSLY loved it. The book is kinda very far away from my normal taste. So, we struck a deal: I read fourth wing, you read the first book of the imperial radch series (my current read). That deal is why i finished fourth wing, and did not throw the book into a river after two chapters (believe me, i wanted to). After a while it was kinda enjoyable, in the way reality tv is, its very trope-based YA with spice. IT IS YA. This is not adult fantasy. It was… funny? Ha! I lied, I still suffered. It was really easy to read, though. I think if i were a different person i would love it, but i am me. It was a surprisingly fast read, for being quiet a thick book. I think you could get a very interesting experience out of reading it.
More books to add to my TBR. The only one I've read is the Jade trilogy and I thought it was good. Not something that blew me away and makes rearrange my top 10 tho.
I really enjoyed Fourth Wing. I usually don’t enjoy viral content or spicy romance books but I think it had enough of a fantasy plot to catch my eye. It’s def not a 10/10 like tik tok believes but I think it’s a solid 7/10
I’m not a fan of fantasy or romance at all. I keep trying out romances but…nah. I can’t bring myself to read Fourth Wing. It’s everywhere but even just the blurb annoys me, so no way I’ll get through the book. The Wager has been on my list for ages and I’m SUPER excited for it.
I have seen you recommend Wager several times, if you liked that book, you should read Endurance, the story of Shackleton and his crew surviving. It is a better book.
I have to say, while i enjoyed Legends and Lattes, I didnt enjoyed as much as everyone else seemed to. I comsume a lot of "cozy" content. And LL didnt feel to special to me (which makes me sad 😢)
Any fantasy book recommendations without romance and violence in it? I'm looking for a book that has no love stories (like couple love and romance) and gore violence. But a book about any other LOVE and COMPASSION AND KINDNESS are welcome
I think Fourth Wing would just be a hate read for you. And there are much better books out there to spend your time with. I felt the same way about the Adventures of Amina al Sarafi. It was enjoyable but didn't blow my socks off. I liked the first book in Red Rising and then didn't like the second book so I dnf'd the series. Jade City was a 2 star read for me. I have The Grace of Kings on my tbr and I'm excited to start the series.
4th Wing I think all the initial reviews were 5 stars and hard to find a bad review, so book tubers were all checking it out and discovering it was more of a bad romance? definitely not something you would enjoy but a funny rant video. Currently 57K ratings on GR and by far majority are 5 stars
Since you are so good at DNFing books you don't like, I have a hard time believing you will get through Fourth Wing. Because the fantasy setting requires suspension of disbelief, the rest HAS to be internally consistent and make some sense. Here, there is none. I think the balanced way to describe this book is 'heavily divisive,' but honestly, I don't know how this got by an editor.
For fourth wing, people are saying you wouldn’t be into it but you have been into romance before idk maybe you would? You’re not the kind who cares if things are written amazingly or has flowery writing either so that wouldn’t bother you too much I think. I do think you’d like the dragons so idk maybe you won’t hate it. I mean I enjoyed it so 🤷♀️ but then that shouldn’t mean much because romance easily wins me over.
I was really excited for fourth wing, just from reading the synopsis of it, but I didn’t realize it was a NA until it got to that point in the book, so I really hated the (what seemed like random) horniness expressed by the main character at the beginning. That, and to me, it just felt like the entire thing was the author projecting herself into the main character being all badass and sprinkling a little “oh, but she’s short and at a disadvantage” in there thinking it would make her relatable or root for her that I just thought was ridiculous. It also would kind of explain why any banter between side characters felt like filler, and I skipped though any interactions between MC and her classmates bc it just felt so unimportant. It felt like a NA in a magical and dragon-military setting. And I was so disappointed because I wanted a dragon-military setting that happened to have some NA (or just none but if author wanted it, then she wanted it) The last 10-20% of the book was the only time I thought it was somewhat good, and the plot was actually progressing somewhere, without having to hear any of the MC’s angst or annotations over how hot someone was
Be sure to check out the Legends and Latte's Kickstarter for the Deluxe Hardcover! www.kickstarter.com/projects/wraithmarked/legendsandlattes?ref=7bebei
I should add here the kickstarter of Good Omens graphic novel. Official by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s legacy owners.
I really don’t have the same taste in books as you do, but I like watching your channel because I love hearing about different types of books & it gives me all the cozy & wholesome vibes ☺️❤️
Same! I hate horror and dark gruesome stories and love romances, but the vibes here are so cozy I keep coming back.
I LOVE most of the same types of books that Merphy does, so she’s my absolute fave, but I get what you mean. I am that way with Jack Edwards. I can’t stand most of his choices! 😂 But there are some people that their love of reading is so infectious and I Iove to watch them.
I listened to the audiobook of fourth wing during my examphase to have some easy, cringy, fantasy imput and while it's not good, it gave me exactly what I needed at the time
☠️
I loved fourth wing, but I don’t think you’d enjoy it at all. It’s more of a spicy romance heavy book with interesting fantasy elements (in my opinion). I think it has a really high rating because it really worked for people who generally love that type of story. Most of the fantasy leaning people who have read it, haven’t enjoyed it because they read it because of the hype and not necessarily because they enjoy that kind of book.
Yeah, if you are into Sarah J Maas and her style of fantasy where you have a strong female lead in a fantasy world that is somewhat interesting in its magic but never gone into in huge depth and that lead is definitely gonna fall in love with someone she shouldn’t and that’s gonna be a lot of the plots driving force, then you’ll like it. I honestly think Yarros might have done Maas’s schtick better than Maas. It was at least as good maybe better.
Same i loved it but she would hate it lol
Yea I love fantasy and romance so I loved it. but if you are just a high fantasy reader you probably wouldn’t enjoy it
"at least as good maybe better" than sjm isn’t a compliment at all 💀
I read it because I coworker who knows I read fantasy recommended it to me. She just said it was a fantasy book. WORST BOOK I've read this year.
Dandelion Dynasty goes places you don’t expect, but it really is fantastic and ends in a wonderful way. Definitely worth the hype.
Absolutely worth the hype!
I follow you because you speaking extemporaneously about books is fun to listen to. You've got a good voice, good cadence, and the enthusiasm and asides make your channels great fun.
Fourth Wing feels like the author started writing a YA book, but then decided to shift gears and write a NA series. It was a fun and easy read. I think the world itself has potential, depending on where the author takes it.
I don't think it is a book you would like, but I would also love to see a vlog where you read it 😅.
Exactly this. I enjoyed it for what it was. I basically turned my brain off and just enjoyed the ride lol Veryyy YA feeling and easy to grasp. So for anyone who is afraid of fantasy but wants to dip a pinky toe in - Fourth Wing is for them lol
I totally agree. I thought it was a mash up or multiple YA tropes with some steamy scenes to push it into the adult category. It was a fun, easy read!
I don’t understand the point of NA. Like isn’t that just every other book outside of YA. From what I’ve seen of NA, they are just YA books pretending not to be.
I just now finally got my hands on Tress from the library and it was the most amazing book. I was just utterly lost in that book in the best possible way.
I mean, I add 99% of the books you like to my TBR... so... yeah.
Also, your sense of humor is right up my alley and why you're one of my go to BookTubers. You always make me smile and the recommendations have been great as well!
At the very least, Booktok helps me know which books to skip... Fourth Wing is getting pushed like Sarah J Maas like Colleen Hoover and thanks, I know what not to do now.
I'm reading The Wager right now and I am loving it. I ended up picking it up because of you. As for the Fourth Wing, if you go into it with the idea of having fun, I think you would like it. It reminded me a lot of Divergent and Hunger Games but with dragons.
❤ I loved the whole thing! Enjoy
The Wager!! I wouldn't typically "rate" a Non-Fic but it was too good to not give a 5⭐
Read Lonesome Dove, just cause I finished it and it’s sequel the past month and I can’t stop thinking about it 😍
If you loved Arcane, you should read Ruination. It's as great as the series!
I love this type of heads up content. I find it really insightful
I laughed and laughed while reading Fourth Wing. The dragon rider training and particularly how she handled death was so ridiculous I felt like I was in a Monty Python sketch. And the Japanese creators of Ninja Warrior deserve royalties. Yet, I was entertained. Glad so many people love it.
I almost cried when Violet had to get up the Warped Wall 😂
I listened to the audiobook and everyone was looking at me like I was crazy it made me laugh so much
@@missallisnow I laughed so hard.
She watched one episode of Ninja Warrior and thought she was a creative genius. Pretty sure I saw the Jumping Spider and a version of the Log Jam in there.
Legends and Lattes is on my TBR! There has been so much hype around it and it just sounds like a good time.
have a coffee and croissant near by when you read it! 😉 omg one of the characters is the cutest!!
@@the_eerie_faerie_tales I love Thimble so much
@@LordPerrin yes! The most adorable little baker ever 😊
Awesome book. Let us know what you think of it!
So much of the specialness is in the second trilogy of Red Rising.
The Frugal Wizards Handbook For Surviving Midevil England was an absolute hit for me 💯 but I understand that it's not to everyone's tastes.
Also I know the long title is a fun play on a current trend for a lot of Japanese isekai light novels, and it is fun lol but every single time I see it mentioned on booktube everyone always stumbles on the name 😵💫 just say it a few times off camera and you'll be fine Murph
I enjoyed it as well. I understand the issues others have, but I still love it
Really enjoyed Legends and Lattes which was a huge surprise to me. I started reading it slower just to make it last longer.
I really enjoyed Fourth Wing. Its a guilty pleasure read. If you are a Twilight girlie or an ACOTAR girlie Fourth Wing will be a good time for you.
The Dandelion Dynasty is unhinged and I loved every second of it 😂
Legends and Lattes wasn’t for me, but I’m happy for everyone who liked it
Yellowface was such a fun time for me. The way she explored the idea of who gets to tell what stories was intriguing, fun, and chaotic. I’ve read all of her works and Kuang has yet to disappoint. She’s definitely an auto buy author for me
I can’t get passed the cover of Legends and Lattes, it just seems ridiculous 😂 I’ve read the reviews though and people seem surprised (as you mentioned you were) at how good it was. I’m intrigued.
The cover is silly. But the book itself is like a warm cup of hot cocoa on a chilly autumn morning on your first day off after a 9 day stretch at work. I was in the exact same boat as you, the cover threw me off a little and it always getting displayed near the DnD stuff I thought it was going to be silly and mediocre but just funny enough to have gotten popular in a “let’s read a transcription of someone’s DnD one-shot” kind of way. But I slowly got intrigued then eventually saw my local library had it on the Libby app. I was between books in a longer series and wanted a little break from it so I picked it up. Then I just couldn’t put it down. I was reading it on my breaks at work, while I walked to my car, I’d sit down in my car in the parking lot and keep reading until I’d glance at the clock and notice crap I have to get home. I almost started over and read it again when I finished. But I restrained myself to just re-reading a few scenes I really enjoyed and getting to the next book on my list.
I stayed up all night reading Yellowface and really enjoyed it. Happy Place is on my TBR list but Book Lovers is my favourite Emily Henry book.
TikTok has a trend right now to do 5 under hyped, 5 that deserve the hype and 5 that are underrated. Id love to see that from you!
I've listened to quite a few books narrated by Travis baldree. I didn't even know he also wrote books. I'm definitely gonna check it out
I've finished the first Red Rising trilogy and I liked it very much, despite I hated the ending of Morning Star. I've also finished Sharp Ends and the last story from it, Made a Monster, had an ending which was my jam😁. But I understand that the next Red Rising books are very grimdark so I can't wait to read them.
Iron gold is very slow but dark age is the best of the series. Just started lightbringer today
Were you trying to cosplay the girl on the cover of "You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight"? Because you totally are! 😂❤
Great video as always. I like this kind of topics but there's something bothering me. Am I the only one seeing the resemble with the cover of "You're not supose to die tonight"? I mean Merphy... The cover? No? Just me? Alright. Love y'all. Keep up the good work!
I would really appreciate some chapters in a video like this one 😁
Thanks for chapters ❤
I enjoyed Fourth Wing! I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, especially vlog style!🤩
If you liked it you wouldn’t like the rant Merphy would make. 😂😂
Ayyyy Merphy with the great booktube content as always!
I follow you with pretty vastly different taste 😂 but I enjoy how passionately you speak about books & you make me want to branch out, I have tried a few new genres because of you. Right now I’m watching Hunter Hunter because of you (and absolutely loving the chimera ant arc). In general I’m more open to manga bc of you!:)
Also, you have EXTREMELY similar taste to my husband so I showed him your channel and we like to talk about your videos & I feel I can know more about his taste via watching you!
Fourth Wing was an enjoyable read for what it was. I went in completely blind. I read the book right at the beginning of the hype, so I had no expectations, and I think that's why it worked for me. I also just LOVE dragons, and I enjoyed the dragons personalities in this book.
I'd say if you're at all curious, definitely give it a try. It's an easy fast read.
Yesyesyes do a review on Fourth wing please, ending will blow your mind)))
Currently reading Legends & Lattes. It only came out last year, but given the hype I saw for it, I can understand it seeming longer.
merphy’s hair is so voluminous its giving shampoo commerical fr
I LOVED fourth wing, but i also don’t share your taste for books, i just love listening to you and your perspective on books i wouldn’t read normally
I say definitely read the Fourth Wing. It’s got some “spicy romance”, but I don’t think nearly as much as others are making it out to be. The spiciness isn’t essential to the plot (I skipped a couple segments), but I otherwise LOVED the plot and premise
I think you should read fourth wing. I enjoyed the audio book. I don’t like romance so I didn’t enjoy the smut but I ended up loving the story and look forward to the next book. Just try it !
Yeah, the narrator of Fourth Wing did SO well at making it fun and funny! There was just something about the sassy-ness of the characters and moral complexity of the world. I'm invested in seeing where the story goes. The romance is fine but it's not my main reason for reading.
Similar taste or some reason hopefully. 😂😂😂 Your non-scripted videos are just hilarious. Almost dropped the tea.
don't read Fourth Wing. Its too hyped.
It’s an understatement. Even Elliot Brooks says it’s bad. Let’s state the facts: weak prose. The main character is more a child not an adult and it’s important bc it’s a smut book. Very much it is. Full with plot holes and not logical errors. And that was the basics. Why hyped? Smut book. Only Maas fans read it and rated it. And they tend to be obsessed to things. That’s it.
And beyond that, it is 100% not to merphy’s taste. She might technically be in the right demographic for it, but it is NOT for her. 😂
@@nicoleneedschocolate have to agree. Until this point she mostly has the same taste as me. So it’s a no for her. I read acotar and I didn’t dnf at 1st book like her I suffered more… so figured it out. She dnf that at 1st book. I agree with her. That’s a no too. I just had too much time, I read more books than her (I started before her.)
It's soooo bad. I'm flabbergasted by its high ratings.
Even Peruse Project roasted it and she's usually very positive
I'm here from "Shades of Orange" channel - I've read many books from Rachel's reviews. I just finished "The Rig" by Roger Levy - wow! I'm going to read it again. I hope to read some from your reviews as well.🤙
I'm so glad you are willing to read books that aren't your type-- I enjoy hearing about it and seeing if I'd be interested!
You’ve convinced me to read The Dandelion Dynasty. By the way, I really love your videos❤
Merlot, hype this book. For me, what a thriller is suppose to be. 'The Siberia Job'. It masterfully combines historical context, heart-pounding adventure, and high-stakes suspense, all wrapped up in a well-written narrative. If you're in for a thrilling read, this is your pick.
Ohhh, and maybe I had one too many merlots
I would like to see your reaction to fourth wing. It does fall in the romance tropes and “miscommunication drama” but I think the magic system and dragons were cool.
I thought of you while I read Tress Of The Emerald Sea because of the multiple uses of the word “undulate!” I’m glad you could enjoy it despite that 😂
I was skeptical about Legends and Lattes... I am currently over halfway through the book. It is a great palette cleanser from reading a bit of darker sci fi and fantasy recently.
My favourite book. But then again I didn't read much in my life.
I'm here to encourage you to read Fourth Wing - I was afraid of the hype too, mostly because I am usually not at all into enemies to lovers, but...
Fourth Wing for me is not about the enemies to lovers trope, even though it has one in it and not about the one (two, maybe? don't remember) spicy scene. For me it is about a disabled character, who has chronic pain, kicking asses despite her being disabled. For me it is about a pure friendship too, and about dragons being protective but wholesome. For me it's about a fine man too, who supports a disabled character not by babying or telling 'you are weak for that, you need protection', but by making adjustments that help her grow, who hands her weapons because he thinks she is fully capable, because he acknowledges that she has to work ten times harder to achieve the same result as a healthy person. He doesn't baby her, but instead trusts her. Maybe it's just me getting emotional about that because I have a disability too - different kind, though -, but still, for me this book is important because of this representation.
And for those, who say this is just too much spice - where, what? Where a disabled character expresses her feelings in her POV narration, like any healthy 20yo would?
YES! I loved that book and read it in a couple of days (I seriously would have read it in a single sitting if I could, but work got in the way…. And a need to sleep). I read it on the cusp of burnout and it legitimately sparked a frenzy of reading in me. No joke, I read like 16 books in the same month. It’s not normally something I’d read (when I first looked at it), but now I’m looking for more and more books like it. It’s good. Yes, it has romance and a smidge of smut, but why does that have to be so bad? I mean, we’re in the twenty-first century in a post Barbie world. It’s okay to like/enjoy romance and it’s okay to not.
THANK YOU! whenever i see complaints about it being "too horny", I'm like, where?!?! They had sex like 2 or 3 times in the entirety of over 500 pages. The rest is, like you said, normal 20 year old thoughts.
In terms of romance, have you read any Beth O'Leary or Lex Croucher? O'Leary writes romance/contemporary books in a way that reminds me a bit of Frederik Backmann - my favourites are the Flatshare and the Switch, although I think The No Show might be more your thing. Croucher writes regency era stories with queer and POC characters that sometimes involve romance. I wonder if either of them could help to find your taste in romance?
Dandelion dynasty is easily a top five series of all time for me. Its unbelievable how incredible it is. He ended it PERFECTLY.
It’s definitely going into my want to read! I can’t stand the good reads reviews though. They’re saying it’s not good just because they’re are no women in the book. Is this really an issue for the book?
@@sashakeiv2703 uh...there are a ton of women characters, I'm not sure what series they read, but the most important character (debatable) is a woman.
@sashakeiv2703 the first book I guess there aren't a ton of female characters. But, that book is basically a huge prologue to the series, it reads more like a history book than a fantasy book, then from Wall of storms onward it morphs into a more "traditional" fantasy
well thanks for the honest review! I already put it in my cart :D cant wait for it to show up
@@seanhalpin87
I picked up The Wager after one of your videos and I loved it.
A book series that I really enjoy in the last few months is "skulduggery pleasant". I suppose it leans more into teen/YA as an audience but its a genuinely fun read. Planned through well, an engaging world, really interesting characters and a good way of tackling more complicated topics, like gender identity, sexuality and destiny.
I read all of the Green Bone Saga - "The Jade books" and was very disappointed based on all of the UA-cam hype. I've always enjoyed a good mobster/mafia story, so I liked that aspect of these books but I felt that NONE of the protagonists had any redeeming qualities. I read a lot of grim dark novels and even the worst of those characters have some positive qualities at times. I did not get that out of any of these characters except the main antagonist and one of the members of the Kaul family. I could have stopped at book one, but I wanted to see it through to the end, always hoping I would find something to like about the characters.
I'm glad I'm not the only person who didn't enjoy this one!!
I won’t lie I love watching rant reviews so I kind would like to see you vlog 4th wing.
But the nice part of me doesn’t want to make you suffer just for the enjoyment of others.
Yellow face plot sounds similar to About the author by John Colapinto
Hyped that is so worth it is tatsuki Fujimoto's work!
Fourth Wing is… exactly what you expect it to be, I think. I have NO IDEA why it’s so popular, except I do?
I found it entertaining but in a train wreck kind of way, so I really enjoy reading vlogs of it from booktubers with similar taste to myself. I like y’all but it’s a little funny to watch y’all suffer 😂
I read it because of a friend, and I get why people like it*. I think there are a lot of people that have a deep desire to just read something that is… light, in the way that you do not need to think too hard. It was kinda like a fanfic. The people are so… trope-based that you really know EXACTLY what to expect, and therefore you can focus on other things of the story, especially the romance. The rest of the world is dependent on not thinking about it too close, so… you really are not asked to think about anything that close.
*I belong to the people who do not like it, its just not my cup of tea. I also really enjoy watching the commentary, because its really really funny to not be alone in the suffering.
@@annikania2682 I've seen it EVERYWHERE. I kind of enjoy romance based books (but things like ACOTAR just...NAH), but I can loose track of reading or getting bored of something very easily (and if the writing does not convince me, I get even more bored). Is it worth it? Why do you say is "trope-based"? ^^
@@herestia_photography i would say: Don‘t read it if you did not enjoy ACOTAR. It is very similar. (I read ACOTAR because of said friend too, and I really disliked that book, fourth wing was better, because Violet is… not the worst main character, but it’s like comparing a 0/10 to a … 2/10 here. I am sorry. ACOTAR is just not for me. At all.)
BUT: this book is a romance novel with a thin paint coat of fantasy. And now we come to tropes:
The boys are walking cliches. Take the following two concepts: hot badboy, hot and a-hole badboy. You have your love interests! Congrats! Everything romance happens in a very predictable way (think: enemies to lovers, but executed very simply). The love-V (god! A proper triangle would have made the book much better) does not work as it is clear that hot, only-mild-ahole badboy will win.
It’s YA with erotica slapped in the back, but the actual text and world are very…. Early 2010s YA. It gets compared to divergent for a reason, and OH BOY that’s not a compliment for me.
But: my ultimate advice is; Amazon (at least German Amazon) has about the two first chapters as a „look into the book“-option. Read them. Make an impression if the writing style. The worldbuilding does not get deeper, and the tone stays the same.
The only truly good thing is that it reads very well. And I grew kinda fond of violet. I HATE that it’s always „oh she’s so small and fragil uwu“, but she is okay, she reads like a h*rny 15 year old (she’s 20), but I was okay with that.
But really: don’t. You are not missing out. Read something else.
It’s WORSE than I expected!! I couldn’t even enjoy it in a “it’s so bad it’s good” kind of way, it’s just frustrating to read!
@@annikania2682yea I agree people want to read something light and uncomplicated but Fourth Wing’s world building was so convoluted I wouldn’t considering it easy listening. I have been trying to read it for a month but I keep running into plot holes that piss me off so much I have to put the book down.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one crazy about red rising. I hated Darrow's monologue
Ohh I need that Legends and Lattes edition 😍
Fourth Wing is an interesting one and I would love to see your opinion on it. It walks a really weird line, because the first half of the book is pretty good in my opinion. If you like the idea of deadly dragon rider college, this one is very well thought out and paced so that way you are always interested in what will happen next. I wouldn’t say it is YA or adult, probably somewhere in between.
The second half is odd. I wouldn't say it is bad, but you feel that she was rushed or had to do rewrites or something. The next book Iron Flame is out and I've been enjoying it so much more than the ending of Fourth Wing. Again, showing that the author did think through the idea, but maybe had some issues with the ending of the first book.
Idk, you may like it? Lol
Totally getting. That legends & latte book
Yes, please read Fourth Wing! I am reading it right now and I really want to know that I am not alone in feeling the way I do about it. It feels so very YA even though the characters are meant to be in their twenties. I don't understand the hype and massive success of this book and I would love to know your thoughts!
I still need to read Fourth Wing as well but im in two minds about it. I loved Legends and Lattes.
fourth wing keeps coming up like the ACOTAR books have been. I didn't like ACOTAR but I'm still tempted to give fourth wing a look see.
@1:10 Okay...probably the reason why "Fourth Wing" was mentioned so often is because of sales...it's a legitimate "Best Seller." Lots of people have bought copies--my wife has it on Kindle. If you glance at your newspaper's Sunday "Bestseller" list, that book will probably be there.
Can't wait for you to try Berserk one day Merphy
I’m fairly sure she never will. It’s absolutely and entirely not up her alley.
@@odile8701 Never hurts to try, lol. She's already read Vagabond and Vinland Saga, so I'm giving it a chance
Fourth Wing vlog, Fourth Wing vlog, Fourth Wing vlog! I need to see you rant about it!
you are so not missing out with fourth wing. It´s very much YA, not like other girls, puppy love vs dark lust with a sprinkle of "soft fantasy so the details are a little vauge and I´m confused"
I'm going to recommend two series that are outside of your normal genres. The first is The Holmes On The Range series. It's an amazing series set in the 1800s Old West and focuses on an illiterate but brilliant and ornery cowboy and his slightly more educated, very charming, younger brother who happen across a magazine featuring a Sherlock Holmes story and are inspired to be more than poor cowboys. It's so good and the character development and the plots are just...amazing. (I keep saying that, I know. lol) But these books are just that good. So far the second and the sixth are my faves but I love them all. The second series that I recommend is Robert Galbraith's (JK Rowling) Cormoran Strike series. It's a modern-day mystery series set in England with another ornery, brilliant main character (Cormoran Strike) who is so complicated and weirdly charismatic. It's a mystery, a slow-burn romance, and a thriller- all in one. I devour these books the minute they come out.
It's interesting how we can love a book that not everyone else does or vice versa. It's so subjective.
Merphy, you’re 75% sure you won’t like Fourth Wing, I’m a 100% sure you won’t like Fourth Wing 😂😂
I wasn't really sure about "Legends and Latte", but I think I'll give them a shot ^-^
Not a physical novel but a web novel that is really good
“Shadow Slave”
It sounds far more edgy than it is.
Well, Dandelion Dynasty and Legends and Lattes have now been added to my TBR. My next epic phase will probably start with the first and my next brain break will be the latter. Have a good day!
Oprah now admits her favorite book is "The Kid Gallagher Story " by Robert C Bauer. She loves the short story at the back of the book called "Haddum Had A Harem ". It is becoming a collectable and also a best seller...in Iowa!
I personally loved Fourth Wing, but based on some other reviewers I don’t think you will. As much as I love your rants, don’t suffer through it.
Song of Destiny is a book I’m hoping matches the crippled god in stakes of this is how you finish an epic series.
I made a deal with a close friend: She really wanted me to read fourth wing, because she SERIOUSLY loved it. The book is kinda very far away from my normal taste.
So, we struck a deal: I read fourth wing, you read the first book of the imperial radch series (my current read). That deal is why i finished fourth wing, and did not throw the book into a river after two chapters (believe me, i wanted to). After a while it was kinda enjoyable, in the way reality tv is, its very trope-based YA with spice. IT IS YA. This is not adult fantasy. It was… funny? Ha! I lied, I still suffered. It was really easy to read, though. I think if i were a different person i would love it, but i am me.
It was a surprisingly fast read, for being quiet a thick book. I think you could get a very interesting experience out of reading it.
What did your friend think of your book?
Where did you get the green cover version of Dandelion Dynasty? I want that version of the set, but the only one I can find are the dull black covers.
More books to add to my TBR. The only one I've read is the Jade trilogy and I thought it was good. Not something that blew me away and makes rearrange my top 10 tho.
I really enjoyed Fourth Wing. I usually don’t enjoy viral content or spicy romance books but I think it had enough of a fantasy plot to catch my eye. It’s def not a 10/10 like tik tok believes but I think it’s a solid 7/10
Red Rising book 1 just reminded me of the old emo album by From First to Last called Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count
i will have to check these out. interesting books. thanks
I’m not a fan of fantasy or romance at all. I keep trying out romances but…nah. I can’t bring myself to read Fourth Wing. It’s everywhere but even just the blurb annoys me, so no way I’ll get through the book.
The Wager has been on my list for ages and I’m SUPER excited for it.
I have seen you recommend Wager several times, if you liked that book, you should read Endurance, the story of Shackleton and his crew surviving. It is a better book.
The premise of Fourth Wing gave me a Skyward vibe at first, but it's definitely a romance, and I know you're less of a romance reader than I am.
Loved the video❤
Nightmare walker? Merph? HAHAHAH
I have to say, while i enjoyed Legends and Lattes, I didnt enjoyed as much as everyone else seemed to. I comsume a lot of "cozy" content. And LL didnt feel to special to me (which makes me sad 😢)
I just finished reading They Call Her Sofia by Doris Ladino and LOVED it!!
LOVED Tress :)
Anybody else notice she looks the girl on the cover of ‘You’re not supposed to die tonight’? Even the same color shirt.
Any fantasy book recommendations without romance and violence in it? I'm looking for a book that has no love stories (like couple love and romance) and gore violence. But a book about any other LOVE and COMPASSION AND KINDNESS are welcome
I think Fourth Wing would just be a hate read for you. And there are much better books out there to spend your time with. I felt the same way about the Adventures of Amina al Sarafi. It was enjoyable but didn't blow my socks off. I liked the first book in Red Rising and then didn't like the second book so I dnf'd the series. Jade City was a 2 star read for me. I have The Grace of Kings on my tbr and I'm excited to start the series.
4th Wing I think all the initial reviews were 5 stars and hard to find a bad review, so book tubers were all checking it out and discovering it was more of a bad romance? definitely not something you would enjoy but a funny rant video. Currently 57K ratings on GR and by far majority are 5 stars
Since you are so good at DNFing books you don't like, I have a hard time believing you will get through Fourth Wing. Because the fantasy setting requires suspension of disbelief, the rest HAS to be internally consistent and make some sense. Here, there is none. I think the balanced way to describe this book is 'heavily divisive,' but honestly, I don't know how this got by an editor.
I will pass on these books but I will recommend the Midnight Library by Matt Haig , really good book n I’m currently reading it
For fourth wing, people are saying you wouldn’t be into it but you have been into romance before idk maybe you would? You’re not the kind who cares if things are written amazingly or has flowery writing either so that wouldn’t bother you too much I think. I do think you’d like the dragons so idk maybe you won’t hate it. I mean I enjoyed it so 🤷♀️ but then that shouldn’t mean much because romance easily wins me over.
I was really excited for fourth wing, just from reading the synopsis of it, but I didn’t realize it was a NA until it got to that point in the book, so I really hated the (what seemed like random) horniness expressed by the main character at the beginning. That, and to me, it just felt like the entire thing was the author projecting herself into the main character being all badass and sprinkling a little “oh, but she’s short and at a disadvantage” in there thinking it would make her relatable or root for her that I just thought was ridiculous. It also would kind of explain why any banter between side characters felt like filler, and I skipped though any interactions between MC and her classmates bc it just felt so unimportant.
It felt like a NA in a magical and dragon-military setting. And I was so disappointed because I wanted a dragon-military setting that happened to have some NA (or just none but if author wanted it, then she wanted it)
The last 10-20% of the book was the only time I thought it was somewhat good, and the plot was actually progressing somewhere, without having to hear any of the MC’s angst or annotations over how hot someone was