Listing the books while I watch so I can look into them later: Foundryside Warbreaker Traitor's Blade Jade City Red Rising Rage of Dragons Sword of Kaigen The Queen of Blood
When I got into reading again in the beginning of this year, I picked up Mistborn era 1 by Brandon Sanderson, by accident. Never heard of him, so I'm very lucky to have picked up such an accessible book for new readers. I do agree that Warbreaker is best to start though, the second mistborn book had some pacing issues imo, while Warbreaker is fast paced from start to end with some really interesting plot twists. I haven't read the other ones yet but am very interested in the Queens of Renthia series and Jade city!
Uhm... wait, the first 200-250 pages from Warbreaker are the slowest and least interesting/attention-keeping thing Brandon has ever written imo. No fights, no intensity, no magic system introduced yet to bring that layer of mystery and interest, slow plot movement, just some characters introduction and conversation... and that's about it. Nothing else
@@ГеоргиПеев-й3ы Have we read the same book? 😂 The prologue alone starts with showing the magic system. The introduction of the Gods was pretty interesting as well imo. That in combination with some plot twists throughout the book makes for quite an interesting story. You are right that the book is not action packed in the beginning, but for me that's not a necessary component to make something 'fast paced' or interesting for beginning fantasy fans.
@@JolienReads Alright, let me paraphrase this - Vivenna and Siri's point of views lacked any kind of a fantasy element and I was completely uninterested in them until they started to combine with other characters' plotlines. Even Lightsong's PoVs weren't enough to salvage it and they weren't quite spectacular themselves. And yeah, I agree that in its second half, the book was pretty good, the ending was worthy Sanderlanche. It was just that I almost gave up on the book in the first 200-250 pages. My interest had only been caught when Siri met the God-King and their encounter was what kept me in, as far as I remember. Action indeed is a factor contributing to the pace of the book - for example, everyone regards the final pre-Sanderson Wheel of Time books as sloggish, slow-paced while in the same time it HAS a lot of stuff happening, the plot is still going. It's just the lack of action that usually accompanies journeys that makes the books feel too slow. And even as per plot twists, foreshadowing, secret reveals, mysteries, I think even only The Final Empire by itself is still enough to outshine Warbreaker in that regard. In the end, I actually had an easier time getting through Elantris than Warbreaker - at least in Elantris I had a plenty of magic system mysteries to wonder upon, and I found the PoVs of Elantrians taken by the Shaod pretty intriguing. And Sarene was a pretty witty and interesting to read character
@@ГеоргиПеев-й3ы It's a little bit of a difficult discussion to have without going into spoilers, but I'll give it a try! Saying that Siri's and Vivenna's point lacked any fantastical elements sounds strange knowing where Siri is at the beginning of the book (in the first couple of chapters already. The story starts with her having to leave her homeland unexpected and marrying a God... Sounds pretty epic to me). You say that Siri and Vivenna don't meet any additional characters until page 200-250, Vivenna meets Denth and Tonk Fah at chapter 9, around page 100. I also suggest you have a look at how that chapter ends, pretty big cliffhanger right there! By page 100 you also have had chapters witht POVs from not only Siri and Vivenna, but also Vasher and Lightsong... I wouldn't call that a slow beginning OR being light on the fantastical elements... I agree that the ending is not as grand as the ending of mistborn era 1. That's one of the best endings I've ever read. BUT to get there you must go through 3 books, of which the middle one had some pacing issues and the world is much grander, making it a little bit more on the difficult side for a beginning reader (though still very manageable) while this is a standalone of only 580 pages. Same response for your mention of WoT. The 'slog' there is around 5 books long, books that are 1000 pages each and have more than 100 characters in them. I would not compare a 'slog' of that size with maybe 2 slower chapters in a standalone novel. I completely understand that you might not have liked the story, not every book will appeal to everyone. But I cannot understand that anyone would call this book slow.
I think that starting with Mistborn is definitely a better idea then starting with Warbreaker. For me Mistborn had better and more interesting characters, the world was more fleshed out. The plot twists and foreshadowing were just incredible. I think Warbreaker is more fun to read but it's pretty forgettable compared to Mistborn. Also i didn't like the ending in it while I loved the Mistborn one but it's just my opinion
I dove right into the deep end; picked up my first fantasy series, Malazan Book of the Fallen, last week! I'm halfway through Gardens of the Moon and absolutely loving it! I'm kicking myself for not reading more fiction before now; I used to think, stupidly, that "if I'm going to read, I'm going to read something that will make me smarter" and assumed fiction couldn't teach people anything; the only fiction I read were the works of Dostoevsky ..that assumption was totally fallacious: you can absolutely learn from fiction. One thing I've noticed would be how well suited fiction is for exploring morality and psychology.
With youtube channels like these, we dont need to rely so much on the amazon reviews lol. Warbreaker looks good. I have been waiting for that for months.
You read my mind!! One of my 2021 reading goals is to get into adult fantasy (more of a contemporary/adult fiction reader). Thanks for the suggestions!
When it comes to Sanderson, I almost think that The Final Empire is more approachable to SFF beginners than Warbreaker. Yes, The Final Empire is the first book of a trilogy. However, the story finishes up nicely and you can read it as a stand-alone. I might be wrong, but I feel that if one has experience either with fantasy for a younger audience or more contemporary books, they might not be used to many characters they'd have to follow closely. In Warbreaker, the stories of Vivenna, Siri and Lightsong are somewhat separate from each other. You have to follow each of them very closely to get the whole picture by the end. There are multiple points of views in The Final Empire, but if I remember correctly, the characters are more "together" in the first book, they're following one storyline, and the main characters are just Vin and Kel. On the other hand, the magic stuff in Mistborn is definitely more complex than in Warbreaker. Either way, both of these books are pretty good as the entry points to "adult" fantasy. The writing style is very digestible and clear. And the fact that Sanderson doesn't shine in the romance department might be helpful for those coming from YA. As long as they don't expect much of it there, it does read... early YA-ish?
@@giuliakenway6500 Yes, the first book has that feeling, doesn't it. 😊 I think it's particularly because of Vin, it fits her age and she is the main character. It's not as strong in the later books. Vivenna and especially Siri in Warbreaker give off similar feeling. Shallan does so too in The Way of Kings, at least a tiny little bit. Why I can't make my baby sister love Sanderson is just beyond me. 😄
@@MrHaganenoEdward yeah, I think that because it works on the basis of action/reaction it’s pretty easy to comprehend, while in Warbreaker, I just felt like not even the masters of the magic system really understand it.
Yeah and I think one of the main complaint about Warbreaker should be taken into account when recommending the books and that Vivenna’s point of view, a lot of people find it boring, so, I feel if you don’t know how great Brandon Sanderson’ sending are, you may not have enough motivation to finish the book.
I'd recommend Martha Wells' Three Worlds series that starts with The Cloud Roads. I had the first book and just got all the rest for christmas, and _wow_ I don't think I've ever read a series where each and every book was so good. Wells does an astounding job on creating a world that feels huge with all sorts of species that are very different from each other while remaining rounded and dimensional. None of the characters are human, but they're all fully functioning people with different cultures and backgrounds, needs and wants and its just enthralling. I'd say it sits right on the line between YA and AF. It reads as easily as YA, without ever diving too far into descriptions and (usually) from the view of the main character Moon, who has an outsider's perspective on the strange cultures you learn about, but who is also very knowledgeable about many things in a way that makes it very satisfying to be in his head sometimes. None of the characters are caricatures, though. As for the more "adult" side of the books, the characters have sex, but although its talked about in way that is not taboo in the least, the scenes do fade to black once we get there. You get some very interesting cultural worldbuilding as well when you hear the Raksura's views on sex (for fun, with anyone and sometimes for making babies) versus some of the other cultures you meet in the stories. All the main characters are adults and do live through some adult themes I can't bring up without spoilers, unfortunately. I don't think I'm doing a very good job of explaining myself properly, but I think its a very good series to transition into adult fantasy, if only because I had a lot of trouble categorizing it as one or the other its so seamless. I highly recommend the whole series to anyone who likes fantasy and would like to read about a world where you actually do see blue and orange morality done _incredibly_ well. And/or to anyone who would like to read about a world of various cultures where gender is a choice you make once you become adult, male and female are not the only genders around, all characters are probably pansexual unless proven otherwise and I can't think of an example where it is proven otherwise, having more than one partner is normalized in some of these cultures, etc. There's no deep dive into any of these, because it doesn't serve the plot, but its mentioned and is consistently assumed to be part of the backdrop. Wells has put on Wattpad two very short "prequel" stories about two of the main characters. So if you want to take a glimpse and see if it interests you at all, at least it's free! Both of those happen before the first book and are spoiler free.
I really enjoyed Robert Jackson Bennett’s other series too “The Divine Cities” - was one of the first fantasy series I tried and I loved it! Great list!
Warbreaker is actually my favorite Sanderson book, closely at followed by The Way of Kings and the rest of Stormlight. Really looking forward to future Warbreaker entries.
@@ebnovels i know so many books so little time, but have you ever done a video about old scfi ? Asimov, Arthur C Clarke. Bradbury ? among others. old but still great stories.
Hi El!! I haven't watched your videos in a while because life has gotten a little chaotic, but I just wanted to pop in with a comment because I finally am reading Sanderson!! I started The Final Empire and I love it so much. Last summer I remember watching your videos every day and hearing you talk about his books a lot and it made me really want to check them out. I read your book P&T in 2019 and adored it, so I put the Mistborn trilogy box set on my Christmas list this year! Anyways, thank you for bringing them to my attention! I love Kelsier and Vin😍
I love this list, Elle! I have Foundryside, Warbreaker, Jade City, and The Rage of Dragons on my "Fantasy Books for Newcomer to Adult Fantasy" recommendation, too! Glad we agree! Happy New Year! :)
I read the Queens of Renthia trilogy earlier this year and loved it. I am currently reading the standalone book she released this year, Race the Sands. It is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.
Ms. Brooks - i see a lot of tabs and notes sticking out of your book pages. I would love to know your notation process . What are you looking for when you highlight or note a page? Have you done a video about this? Anyway, i appreciate the content!
I really wish my library could get The Sword of Kaigen. I would even take the headache from reading (instead of listening) but they can't get it in any format.
I would still recommend the final empire over Warbreaker as a good starting point for adult fantasy, but that just may be my personal bias because it is my least favorite book on the Cosmere. Great video, really interesting and I think I found some new books to add to my TBR. 😊
@@seanobbb in the last 5 years Since I picked up the first book I’ve done 2 rereads of the whole thing. Everytime I seem to notice out appreciate new things and the way which Jordan’s foreshadowing is woven into the series. There’s one relationship that still baffles me, I think you’ll know it when you get to it 😁
The queen of blood is great book. I have read the whole trilogy and I hope more people will read The queens of Renthia series. Have you read The deepest blue by Sarah Beth Durst? The deepest blue is a standalone fantasy book which is set in the same world than the trilogy.
Ah, well, my problem with Warbreaker is that the first 200-ish pages were sooooo slow, so uninteresting that I barely kept my interest into it. If I hadn't read Mistborn prior (which was my introduction to epic fantasy and it blew me away) and I hadn't known what Sanderson can do, I would have just simply given up on it, thrown it away and probably even not even bother to dig further into Brandon's bibliography. And it's not that I don't mind slower parts - no, I actually appreciate when a good buildup happens - but my issue here is that there was no single fantasy element available for me hook and keep my attention, to keep my interest. The magic system was introduced and explained wayyyy further into the book, while for comparison, in Mistborn and the SA, we HAVE the respective magic systems introduced from the very beginning, from the opening scenes themselves. Even if we don't know how they work from the very start, we at least know about them, that mystery element is available for us and keeps our attention into the books... while Warbreaker lacked it. Yeah, the ending was a worthy Sanderlanche, it was pretty good but those opening pages, maaan. That was quite the difficulty to get through.
Great video, like always! I would recommend to people wanting to get into fantasy Nicholas Eames' "Kings of the Wyld" and "Bloody Rose" (The Band series). Both of these books are fantastic and will make you want to laugh and cry numerous times. They are such fun books to read, and are in my opinion easy books for adult fantasy beginners to get into.
Going a bit old school, I would recommend David Eddings' Elenium trilogy. While I think his Belgariad series are probably more young adult, I think the Elenium is slightly more advanced. For urban fantasy, I would recommend V.E. Schwab' Vicious and Vengeful two book series
2021 is the year I'm getting into adult/epic/dark fantasy and I think it's about time, since YA fantasy is my favourite genre and I'm 26 (I still love YA but I really want to get into adult too)
I am really excited about watching this video as i need help with this subject on reading books 📚 please stay safe and have a great reading in 2021 love John
I'm surprised I can't get into fantasy. Keep trying - theft of swords, first law (I know), and lies of locke l. Currently 110 pages into mistborn and IDK if I'll make it. I was recently gifted Sword of Kaigen by a friend who swears it will get me hooked. I've really been interested in rage of dragons, but I've got to be assured the series will be completed.ay try robin hobb, also.
Idk that I’d have recommended some of those to someone just getting into fantasy 😮 What do you normally like in books? Meaning what kinds of themes, plot lines, etc. If it helps, it took me awhile to get into Mistborn, and now it’s my favorite trilogy. It reads kinda like a tutorial for awhile!
@@ebnovels I think I'm going to stick with Mistborn for at least a chapter a day and see if it takes off for me. I enjoy a lot of Stephen King, police procedurals/detective mysteries, southern gothic, and classics. I grew up with Harry Potter. I loved Lotr, but I had watched part of the first movie at a friend's and I think it helped me picture it easier when I read it. Thanks for the response!
My first adult fantasy book was Game of Thrones, and the series went on to become my favourite of all time. However, sadly, I haven't found a lot of books like these and that's a disappointment.
There isn't much like a song of ice and fire but you should try reading stormlight archive I think the series is just as good as a song of ice and fire.
If you like grimdark, then I strongly recommend Joe Abercrombie which comes close to Game of thrones with the bonus that there are novels or trilogies with an ending. If you want another epic and huge series -> Wheel of time (again, it is a finished series)
I think Shannara falls into this category though it’s definitely not as popular as it was many decades ago because it’s little old school (though not bad, though maybe skip Sword of Shannara). Also some sword and sorcery books, like D&D Forgotten Realms some novels are pretty decent and not hard to get into. I also just read Voice of War by Zack Argyle which was also a very easy adult fantasy.
I’m desperately looking for a book series to read after the GOT’s & Witcher books. I’m not getting on with Brandon Sanderson books. I’m looking for a sword fighting type book. Any ideas PLEASE
do you have any adult urban fantasy recs ? Everyone recommends the Dresden files but I don't really like them , so I was looking for something different
The beginning feels extremely young, and I honestly was pretty underwhelmed for quite a bit, but the middle of the book has some of the best emotional punches I’ve ever read (most of which deal with very heavy themes)
I like using the sailor moon palette from colour pop 😂 And I like combining a milani liquid lip with a too faced liquid lip 💕 I’m thinking of doing the makeup and books tag again sometime!
@@ebnovels Yeah, I don't know why I didn't respond as well to Warbreaker. I just love the concept of trying to solve a magic city and why it no longer functions in Elantris. I do love Nightblood of course though. Nightblood is the shit
@@keyamazed1038I agree with you, I personally prefer Elantris over Warbreaker. And yeah, Warbreaker it’s also my least favorite cosmere book. I just didn’t find Vivenna point of view interesting at all, so when her POV would come up, I would put the book down and not pick it up for weeks. Another issue I had with the book is that the magic system is explained after the first half of the book I think and I don’t even think it was that well explained. And finally, my last issue with the book was Siri’s point of book, I didn’t fin it interesting until she started to interact with the god long.
@@ebnovels boundingintocomics.com/2019/03/25/science-fiction-and-fantasy-author-fonda-lee-decries-barnes-noble-stocking-j-r-r-tolkien-and-robert-jordan-books-we-are-competing-with-dead-guys/ She mad at Barnes and Noble for giving more shelve space to "Dead Guys" (JRR Tolkien, Robert Jordan) These "Dead Guys" earn that book shelve space and should be given the respect they worked for.
Me, who read literally hundreds of adult fantasy: *grabs popcorn*
I started Adult Fantasy with The Way Of Kings(also my first Sanderson), there's no turning back after that.
Same!!!
Hahah me too!
Way of kings was my first Sanderson and fourth fantasy book. First was The Blade Itself (first law) and same there there’s no turning back
It was in the first few for me, and I agree!
Me too! And yes I agree with that statement, he’s now one of my favorite authors 🙂
Listing the books while I watch so I can look into them later:
Foundryside
Warbreaker
Traitor's Blade
Jade City
Red Rising
Rage of Dragons
Sword of Kaigen
The Queen of Blood
When I got into reading again in the beginning of this year, I picked up Mistborn era 1 by Brandon Sanderson, by accident. Never heard of him, so I'm very lucky to have picked up such an accessible book for new readers. I do agree that Warbreaker is best to start though, the second mistborn book had some pacing issues imo, while Warbreaker is fast paced from start to end with some really interesting plot twists.
I haven't read the other ones yet but am very interested in the Queens of Renthia series and Jade city!
Uhm... wait, the first 200-250 pages from Warbreaker are the slowest and least interesting/attention-keeping thing Brandon has ever written imo. No fights, no intensity, no magic system introduced yet to bring that layer of mystery and interest, slow plot movement, just some characters introduction and conversation... and that's about it. Nothing else
@@ГеоргиПеев-й3ы Have we read the same book? 😂 The prologue alone starts with showing the magic system. The introduction of the Gods was pretty interesting as well imo. That in combination with some plot twists throughout the book makes for quite an interesting story. You are right that the book is not action packed in the beginning, but for me that's not a necessary component to make something 'fast paced' or interesting for beginning fantasy fans.
@@JolienReads Alright, let me paraphrase this - Vivenna and Siri's point of views lacked any kind of a fantasy element and I was completely uninterested in them until they started to combine with other characters' plotlines. Even Lightsong's PoVs weren't enough to salvage it and they weren't quite spectacular themselves.
And yeah, I agree that in its second half, the book was pretty good, the ending was worthy Sanderlanche. It was just that I almost gave up on the book in the first 200-250 pages. My interest had only been caught when Siri met the God-King and their encounter was what kept me in, as far as I remember.
Action indeed is a factor contributing to the pace of the book - for example, everyone regards the final pre-Sanderson Wheel of Time books as sloggish, slow-paced while in the same time it HAS a lot of stuff happening, the plot is still going. It's just the lack of action that usually accompanies journeys that makes the books feel too slow.
And even as per plot twists, foreshadowing, secret reveals, mysteries, I think even only The Final Empire by itself is still enough to outshine Warbreaker in that regard.
In the end, I actually had an easier time getting through Elantris than Warbreaker - at least in Elantris I had a plenty of magic system mysteries to wonder upon, and I found the PoVs of Elantrians taken by the Shaod pretty intriguing. And Sarene was a pretty witty and interesting to read character
@@ГеоргиПеев-й3ы It's a little bit of a difficult discussion to have without going into spoilers, but I'll give it a try! Saying that Siri's and Vivenna's point lacked any fantastical elements sounds strange knowing where Siri is at the beginning of the book (in the first couple of chapters already. The story starts with her having to leave her homeland unexpected and marrying a God... Sounds pretty epic to me). You say that Siri and Vivenna don't meet any additional characters until page 200-250, Vivenna meets Denth and Tonk Fah at chapter 9, around page 100. I also suggest you have a look at how that chapter ends, pretty big cliffhanger right there! By page 100 you also have had chapters witht POVs from not only Siri and Vivenna, but also Vasher and Lightsong... I wouldn't call that a slow beginning OR being light on the fantastical elements...
I agree that the ending is not as grand as the ending of mistborn era 1. That's one of the best endings I've ever read. BUT to get there you must go through 3 books, of which the middle one had some pacing issues and the world is much grander, making it a little bit more on the difficult side for a beginning reader (though still very manageable) while this is a standalone of only 580 pages. Same response for your mention of WoT. The 'slog' there is around 5 books long, books that are 1000 pages each and have more than 100 characters in them. I would not compare a 'slog' of that size with maybe 2 slower chapters in a standalone novel.
I completely understand that you might not have liked the story, not every book will appeal to everyone. But I cannot understand that anyone would call this book slow.
I think that starting with Mistborn is definitely a better idea then starting with Warbreaker. For me Mistborn had better and more interesting characters, the world was more fleshed out. The plot twists and foreshadowing were just incredible. I think Warbreaker is more fun to read but it's pretty forgettable compared to Mistborn. Also i didn't like the ending in it while I loved the Mistborn one but it's just my opinion
I dove right into the deep end; picked up my first fantasy series, Malazan Book of the Fallen, last week! I'm halfway through Gardens of the Moon and absolutely loving it!
I'm kicking myself for not reading more fiction before now; I used to think, stupidly, that "if I'm going to read, I'm going to read something that will make me smarter" and assumed fiction couldn't teach people anything; the only fiction I read were the works of Dostoevsky ..that assumption was totally fallacious: you can absolutely learn from fiction.
One thing I've noticed would be how well suited fiction is for exploring morality and psychology.
With youtube channels like these, we dont need to rely so much on the amazon reviews lol. Warbreaker looks good. I have been waiting for that for months.
Warbreaker is fantastic, I agree that it is a great intro into adult fantasy.
You read my mind!! One of my 2021 reading goals is to get into adult fantasy (more of a contemporary/adult fiction reader). Thanks for the suggestions!
When it comes to Sanderson, I almost think that The Final Empire is more approachable to SFF beginners than Warbreaker. Yes, The Final Empire is the first book of a trilogy. However, the story finishes up nicely and you can read it as a stand-alone. I might be wrong, but I feel that if one has experience either with fantasy for a younger audience or more contemporary books, they might not be used to many characters they'd have to follow closely. In Warbreaker, the stories of Vivenna, Siri and Lightsong are somewhat separate from each other. You have to follow each of them very closely to get the whole picture by the end. There are multiple points of views in The Final Empire, but if I remember correctly, the characters are more "together" in the first book, they're following one storyline, and the main characters are just Vin and Kel. On the other hand, the magic stuff in Mistborn is definitely more complex than in Warbreaker.
Either way, both of these books are pretty good as the entry points to "adult" fantasy. The writing style is very digestible and clear. And the fact that Sanderson doesn't shine in the romance department might be helpful for those coming from YA. As long as they don't expect much of it there, it does read... early YA-ish?
I personally found magic system in Mistborn to be way better explained and more tangible. I understood it way faster than the Warbreaker one.
I'm currently reading Mistborn and I agree that it feels slightly YA 😃
@@giuliakenway6500 Yes, the first book has that feeling, doesn't it. 😊 I think it's particularly because of Vin, it fits her age and she is the main character. It's not as strong in the later books. Vivenna and especially Siri in Warbreaker give off similar feeling. Shallan does so too in The Way of Kings, at least a tiny little bit.
Why I can't make my baby sister love Sanderson is just beyond me. 😄
@@MrHaganenoEdward yeah, I think that because it works on the basis of action/reaction it’s pretty easy to comprehend, while in Warbreaker, I just felt like not even the masters of the magic system really understand it.
Yeah and I think one of the main complaint about Warbreaker should be taken into account when recommending the books and that Vivenna’s point of view, a lot of people find it boring, so, I feel if you don’t know how great Brandon Sanderson’ sending are, you may not have enough motivation to finish the book.
I'd recommend Martha Wells' Three Worlds series that starts with The Cloud Roads. I had the first book and just got all the rest for christmas, and _wow_ I don't think I've ever read a series where each and every book was so good. Wells does an astounding job on creating a world that feels huge with all sorts of species that are very different from each other while remaining rounded and dimensional. None of the characters are human, but they're all fully functioning people with different cultures and backgrounds, needs and wants and its just enthralling.
I'd say it sits right on the line between YA and AF. It reads as easily as YA, without ever diving too far into descriptions and (usually) from the view of the main character Moon, who has an outsider's perspective on the strange cultures you learn about, but who is also very knowledgeable about many things in a way that makes it very satisfying to be in his head sometimes. None of the characters are caricatures, though.
As for the more "adult" side of the books, the characters have sex, but although its talked about in way that is not taboo in the least, the scenes do fade to black once we get there. You get some very interesting cultural worldbuilding as well when you hear the Raksura's views on sex (for fun, with anyone and sometimes for making babies) versus some of the other cultures you meet in the stories. All the main characters are adults and do live through some adult themes I can't bring up without spoilers, unfortunately.
I don't think I'm doing a very good job of explaining myself properly, but I think its a very good series to transition into adult fantasy, if only because I had a lot of trouble categorizing it as one or the other its so seamless.
I highly recommend the whole series to anyone who likes fantasy and would like to read about a world where you actually do see blue and orange morality done _incredibly_ well. And/or to anyone who would like to read about a world of various cultures where gender is a choice you make once you become adult, male and female are not the only genders around, all characters are probably pansexual unless proven otherwise and I can't think of an example where it is proven otherwise, having more than one partner is normalized in some of these cultures, etc. There's no deep dive into any of these, because it doesn't serve the plot, but its mentioned and is consistently assumed to be part of the backdrop.
Wells has put on Wattpad two very short "prequel" stories about two of the main characters. So if you want to take a glimpse and see if it interests you at all, at least it's free! Both of those happen before the first book and are spoiler free.
I'm currently reading Queen of Blood and was happy to see it on this list. Loving it so far. Really enjoy your reviews and insights.
I just started reading foundryside and I love it! Thank you for your recommendations. Couldnt have helped me more
I’m currently reading Queen of Blood because of you and I love it so much! I can’t put it down!
Started fantasy with mistborn splendid book
I really enjoyed Robert Jackson Bennett’s other series too “The Divine Cities” - was one of the first fantasy series I tried and I loved it!
Great list!
Warbreaker is actually my favorite Sanderson book, closely at followed by The Way of Kings and the rest of Stormlight. Really looking forward to future Warbreaker entries.
Thank you so much for these recommendations
You’re very welcome 😄
Love the way how concise you are with books. Covering the broad sweep of concept to breaking it down. Really enjoy your videos. Have a great new year!
A great new year to you as well!
@@ebnovels i know so many books so little time, but have you ever done a video about old scfi ? Asimov, Arthur C Clarke. Bradbury ? among others. old but still great stories.
these recs are all amazing!
I like and appreciate that you actually show us some books that are relatively less famous in this adult fantasy genre.
Well thanks! I appreciate the kind comment 😄
Ooooh excellent recommendations! I'm really looking forward to reading The Sword of Kaigen!
Warbreaker definitely got me excited for adult fantasy again! Such a great book!
Lightsong is my favourite character of Warbreaker.
I love Warbreaker so much! I think that’s a great rec!
i needed this !!!!! thank youuu ❤ more books for 2021 !!
Warbreaker and Jade City made me realize that I like intrigue novels!
Completely agree that Foundryside and Warbreaker are great places to start for adult fantasy
I recently rediscovered my interest in reading fantasy. I’ll definitely have to check some of these out!
Mistborn trilogy (1st era) was what made me fall in love with adult fantasy but Stormlight Archive was what made me love The Cosmere.
Hi El!! I haven't watched your videos in a while because life has gotten a little chaotic, but I just wanted to pop in with a comment because I finally am reading Sanderson!! I started The Final Empire and I love it so much. Last summer I remember watching your videos every day and hearing you talk about his books a lot and it made me really want to check them out. I read your book P&T in 2019 and adored it, so I put the Mistborn trilogy box set on my Christmas list this year! Anyways, thank you for bringing them to my attention! I love Kelsier and Vin😍
Interesting video, I've now downloaded Sword of Kaigen onto my Kindle, it sounds interesting.
Thank you for these recommendations. I haven’t read any of them, however, have now added three to my 2021 reading list. Happy new year!
I love this list, Elle! I have Foundryside, Warbreaker, Jade City, and The Rage of Dragons on my "Fantasy Books for Newcomer to Adult Fantasy" recommendation, too! Glad we agree! Happy New Year! :)
Awwww, hi Petrik. I love how both you and Elle have such similar reading tastes.
@@henrywayne5724 Hi, Henry! Thank you! Believe me, I love her taste in books, too! :)
Ah yay!!! Hopefully that makes people feel comforted knowing you think so as well, especially since your knowledge of the genres is second to none 😄😄😄
@@ebnovels you're far too kind! 😊
I loved Queens Of Renthia :) such a great story
farseer will also be perfect!
I read the Queens of Renthia trilogy earlier this year and loved it. I am currently reading the standalone book she released this year, Race the Sands. It is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.
Ms. Brooks - i see a lot of tabs and notes sticking out of your book pages. I would love to know your notation process . What are you looking for when you highlight or note a page? Have you done a video about this? Anyway, i appreciate the content!
I'm currently reading Red Rising and loving it so far.
I loved that first book! Glad you’re enjoying it too 😄😄😄
I really wish my library could get The Sword of Kaigen. I would even take the headache from reading (instead of listening) but they can't get it in any format.
Happy New Year Elliot! 😊 I've had Warbreaker on my shelf for a while. I really need to read it soon.
I would still recommend the final empire over Warbreaker as a good starting point for adult fantasy, but that just may be my personal bias because it is my least favorite book on the Cosmere.
Great video, really interesting and I think I found some new books to add to my TBR. 😊
Happy new year to u and ur husband!! 📖🎄🥳❄️ happy reading 2021!!!!
My first fantasy book was the Eye of the world, then the whole Wheel of Time series. I fell in love with the series luckily 😅
i'm on book 4, it's so good!
@@seanobbb in the last 5 years Since I picked up the first book I’ve done 2 rereads of the whole thing. Everytime I seem to notice out appreciate new things and the way which Jordan’s foreshadowing is woven into the series. There’s one relationship that still baffles me, I think you’ll know it when you get to it 😁
This is something I think only other Booktubers will appreciate the most... but I love your recent thumbnails!
Doesn't everyone appreciate a good thumbnail?
@@xavier01110 oh absolutely!
The queen of blood is great book. I have read the whole trilogy and I hope more people will read The queens of Renthia series. Have you read The deepest blue by Sarah Beth Durst? The deepest blue is a standalone fantasy book which is set in the same world than the trilogy.
Ah, well, my problem with Warbreaker is that the first 200-ish pages were sooooo slow, so uninteresting that I barely kept my interest into it. If I hadn't read Mistborn prior (which was my introduction to epic fantasy and it blew me away) and I hadn't known what Sanderson can do, I would have just simply given up on it, thrown it away and probably even not even bother to dig further into Brandon's bibliography. And it's not that I don't mind slower parts - no, I actually appreciate when a good buildup happens - but my issue here is that there was no single fantasy element available for me hook and keep my attention, to keep my interest. The magic system was introduced and explained wayyyy further into the book, while for comparison, in Mistborn and the SA, we HAVE the respective magic systems introduced from the very beginning, from the opening scenes themselves. Even if we don't know how they work from the very start, we at least know about them, that mystery element is available for us and keeps our attention into the books... while Warbreaker lacked it. Yeah, the ending was a worthy Sanderlanche, it was pretty good but those opening pages, maaan. That was quite the difficulty to get through.
Great video, like always! I would recommend to people wanting to get into fantasy Nicholas Eames' "Kings of the Wyld" and "Bloody Rose" (The Band series). Both of these books are fantastic and will make you want to laugh and cry numerous times. They are such fun books to read, and are in my opinion easy books for adult fantasy beginners to get into.
Going a bit old school, I would recommend David Eddings' Elenium trilogy. While I think his Belgariad series are probably more young adult, I think the Elenium is slightly more advanced.
For urban fantasy, I would recommend V.E. Schwab' Vicious and Vengeful two book series
2021 is the year I'm getting into adult/epic/dark fantasy and I think it's about time, since YA fantasy is my favourite genre and I'm 26 (I still love YA but I really want to get into adult too)
Love your videos, this is a great list!!! Thanks and happy New Years!
Ps-where did you get that sweater? it’s amazing.
Old Navy! 🤗
I am really excited about watching this video as i need help with this subject on reading books 📚 please stay safe and have a great reading in 2021 love John
So basically adding all of these to my 2021 tbr.
I want Jade City so badly
I am on a roll with being first everywhere ;)
I'm surprised I can't get into fantasy. Keep trying - theft of swords, first law (I know), and lies of locke l. Currently 110 pages into mistborn and IDK if I'll make it. I was recently gifted Sword of Kaigen by a friend who swears it will get me hooked. I've really been interested in rage of dragons, but I've got to be assured the series will be completed.ay try robin hobb, also.
Idk that I’d have recommended some of those to someone just getting into fantasy 😮 What do you normally like in books? Meaning what kinds of themes, plot lines, etc.
If it helps, it took me awhile to get into Mistborn, and now it’s my favorite trilogy. It reads kinda like a tutorial for awhile!
@@ebnovels I think I'm going to stick with Mistborn for at least a chapter a day and see if it takes off for me. I enjoy a lot of Stephen King, police procedurals/detective mysteries, southern gothic, and classics. I grew up with Harry Potter. I loved Lotr, but I had watched part of the first movie at a friend's and I think it helped me picture it easier when I read it. Thanks for the response!
Have you ever read the Shadowmarch series by Tad William's? I thought it was very interesting.
Real good beginner's read :)
Have you read the powder mage trilogy? I'm currently on the second book and it's so enjoyable!!! it has many novellas which are also super good.
My first adult fantasy book was Game of Thrones, and the series went on to become my favourite of all time. However, sadly, I haven't found a lot of books like these and that's a disappointment.
There isn't much like a song of ice and fire but you should try reading stormlight archive I think the series is just as good as a song of ice and fire.
If you like grimdark, then I strongly recommend Joe Abercrombie which comes close to Game of thrones with the bonus that there are novels or trilogies with an ending. If you want another epic and huge series -> Wheel of time (again, it is a finished series)
@@xavier01110 yes, that's definitely on my list. I read The Final empire 2 weeks ago and loved it too!
@@lostschedule51 I'm currently reading The blade itself. Am about 70% in and so far, its really good. Hopefully I'll love this trilogy.
@@lostschedule51 And yes, I've been wanting to read series like WoT and Malazan for really long too
Haven't started the video yet but just gunna say: Mistborn
awwww yisssss, Greatcoats!
Haha, your fav! 😄
I think Shannara falls into this category though it’s definitely not as popular as it was many decades ago because it’s little old school (though not bad, though maybe skip Sword of Shannara). Also some sword and sorcery books, like D&D Forgotten Realms some novels are pretty decent and not hard to get into. I also just read Voice of War by Zack Argyle which was also a very easy adult fantasy.
Yay! A video!
your hair
I’m desperately looking for a book series to read after the GOT’s & Witcher books. I’m not getting on with Brandon Sanderson books. I’m looking for a sword fighting type book. Any ideas PLEASE
Just finished Paolini’s “To sleep in a sea of stars” and I’m going about recommending it to anyone I can find.
Hence.....please read it 😂
@@who_the_fuck_is_riley5813 no cap, Paolini the GOAT in 2020
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
I think Codex Alera starts very YA, despite being shelved as adult.
do you have any adult urban fantasy recs ? Everyone recommends the Dresden files but I don't really like them , so I was looking for something different
Is sword of Kaigen easy to read? Cause I read the 1st chapter and it was pretty slow. Sound like a gr8 book tho
The beginning feels extremely young, and I honestly was pretty underwhelmed for quite a bit, but the middle of the book has some of the best emotional punches I’ve ever read (most of which deal with very heavy themes)
I started my adult fantasy reading with Wheel of Time. Just finishing Path of Daggers now (book 8]. I made my bed. Im committed lmfao
Uh, that's great ❤️
I thought Sanderson was actually YA when I first read him 😅
But for some reason he gets shelved in the adult section
It depends on which books are being shelved-some are YA, some are adult :)
Someone's getting into the Christmas Spirit.
:)
#NiceSweater
This may seem random, but I love your makeup today!! care to share what you are wearing?
Is there a specific makeup item you’re wondering about? :)
@@ebnovels eyeshadow pallate and lip color!! They look gorgeous, and thanks so much!
I like using the sailor moon palette from colour pop 😂 And I like combining a milani liquid lip with a too faced liquid lip 💕 I’m thinking of doing the makeup and books tag again sometime!
@@ebnovels thank you, and that would be awesome :)
I want to read Warbreaker just because I want to know what the deal with that beautiful hair on the cover is all about!
Would for you to read and review my book
Warbreaker is probably my least favorite Cosmere book. Elantris however was the shit. Blew Warbreaker out of the water for me.
Interesting, I’ve seen most people feel completely opposite about those two!
@@ebnovels Yeah, I don't know why I didn't respond as well to Warbreaker. I just love the concept of trying to solve a magic city and why it no longer functions in Elantris. I do love Nightblood of course though. Nightblood is the shit
@@keyamazed1038I agree with you, I personally prefer Elantris over Warbreaker. And yeah, Warbreaker it’s also my least favorite cosmere book. I just didn’t find Vivenna point of view interesting at all, so when her POV would come up, I would put the book down and not pick it up for weeks. Another issue I had with the book is that the magic system is explained after the first half of the book I think and I don’t even think it was that well explained. And finally, my last issue with the book was Siri’s point of book, I didn’t fin it interesting until she started to interact with the god long.
Sadly I won't read Fonda Lee due to a statement she made disrespecting the old pillars of fantasy writers.
Do you have a link to what was said?
@@ebnovels boundingintocomics.com/2019/03/25/science-fiction-and-fantasy-author-fonda-lee-decries-barnes-noble-stocking-j-r-r-tolkien-and-robert-jordan-books-we-are-competing-with-dead-guys/
She mad at Barnes and Noble for giving more shelve space to "Dead Guys" (JRR Tolkien, Robert Jordan) These "Dead Guys" earn that book shelve space and should be given the respect they worked for.
What Fonda said rubbed me the wrong way as well,but I don’t think it’s worth boycotting her works over.
@@bribli2177 agreed. And I think she could have been more diplomatic, but I understood her point.
@@bribli2177 it's just how I feel about it..