Hi Jonathan, greetings from South Africa. You are like a breath of fresh air when it comes to fantasy book reviews and recommendations. Although I do like some of the popular and well known authors and books recommended by most other channels, it is a pity that few people talk about the other lesser known authors and books. I believe you are on the right track with your channel and I also like the unassuming way in which you do your videos.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for watching! You just made my day. I’m really glad that there are other people out there interested in these books.
@DustySmith1
5 ай бұрын
I read the Chronicles of an age of darkness by Hugh Cook a while ago - 100% the most underrated fantasy series and one of my favourites
@TiredandGrouchy
Жыл бұрын
Terry Brooks stuff is awesome! I love kingdom of landover!
@rogerhuggettjr.7675
Жыл бұрын
I only read Landover because I liked Shannara and thought it had to be good if it was from Brooks. I had seen this book's cover a decade earlier and passed on it thinking it was a parody like Aspirin's Myth books or Piers Anthony's Xanth and I wasn't in the mood for that style at the time. While it's barely serious, it was enjoyable and interesting.
@WestChamber21
2 жыл бұрын
I really want to try Runelords now. Maybe even Kevin J Andersons series… My possibly favorite series I feel doesn’t get talked about enough is The Chronicles of the Black Company series. It’s famous and regarded as one of the beginnings of Grim Dark, but I feel is underrated and not talked about enough.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
It is interesting how there are several books with large fandom‘s, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it because those fandom‘s are not big online. Runelords is a series that was a New York Times best-selling series, but it has almost no notoriety on the booktube. I will put the chronicles of the black company on my list!
@andrewday8150
Жыл бұрын
Currently reading the Wake the Dragon trilogy because of your reviews and thanks to this video, I'm extremely excited to read Talion: Revenant. You're creating outstanding content. Keep it up!
Great video Jonathan! I’ve been meaning to read Landover, and you’re right it’s not really talked about on Booktube. None of these really are, so thank you. Nick Martell sounds like an author I might like.
@fmc291
Жыл бұрын
Great list. I really enjoy hearing about book series that fly under the radar. Personally I am shocked that many KZitemrs don’t talk about The Last Unicorn or anything by Peter S Beagle.
@ColonelFredPuntridge
Жыл бұрын
_The Weirdstone of Brisingamen_ by Alan Garner _The Grimm Legacy_ by Polly Shulman _The Children's Country_ by Kay Burdekin _John Dough and the Cherub_ and _The Enchanted Isle of Yew_ by L. Frank Baum (yes, _that_ L. Frank Baum)
@thehuntyadler
2 жыл бұрын
I bought Runelords on your recommendation and 100% loved it. I agree with what you said on the magic in Runelords. Told all my fantasy book reading friends to buy it.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
That's so nice! I'm glad you enjoyed it! That makes me really happy. I hope you enjoy the other books in the series, particularly 2-4.
@katymann6621
2 жыл бұрын
I just discovered your channel and I am very interested in your recommendations! I have never heard of the runelords and just bought a copy 😁
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
I hope you like it. It has my favorite Magic System and awesome worldbuilding.
@Syssn3ck
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, you deserve more views and subscribers!!
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
Aw, thank you for watching! I really enjoy talking all about books!
@bionicbobt
2 жыл бұрын
Good suggestions! I had read both the Brooks and Farland novels and enjoyed them, but I will have to check out the others. If you liked the original satire elements of Magic Kingdom, you should check out Piers Anthony's XANTH series. The first 3-5 are excellent, though after that the quality begins to decline with each additional entry, as there are I think well over 40 related books in the series.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve seen the Xanth novels, but I’ve never found the first one in any used stores. I’m going to have to go to ABE books and get it soon. A lot of the cover art was done by my favorite cover artist: Darell K Sweet!
@bionicbobt
2 жыл бұрын
@@jonathankoan yes, the covers were awesome. I think Michael Whelan did some of them too. The Xanth series was huge in the early 80s, (I am showing my age lol) but does not seem very well known now. I would be extremely curious to hear your review of A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON, as I wonder if it has aged poorly? If the modern reader would find the central plot premise still amusing or offensive?
@SinghRohit007
11 ай бұрын
@jonathan I bought all 8 Runelord books based on your suggestion.Reading the first one.
@jonathankoan
11 ай бұрын
Oh my! That’s wonderful! I hope you enjoy them, they really are special, particularly the first few.
@SinghRohit007
11 ай бұрын
@@jonathankoan I'd keep you posted. :) However, I think the rune magic is similar in concept to the Bone Shard magic (Bone Shard came later).
@callinicobo5991
2 жыл бұрын
Very interesting, but unfortunately only Terry Brooks is published here in Italy, in your list. "The misplaced Legion" by Harry Turtledove is a really good tetralogy, but nobody talk about it.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
It’s unfortunate the others aren’t published there, but you might be able to buy them used through a distributor like abebooks.
@khomo12
Ай бұрын
Thank you!👍👍👍🤖🚀📚🐲
@spiremetrobooks5753
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Jonathan, my underrated list includes The Lightbringer series, Viridian Gate Online (LitRPG), Battle Royale, and Shadow Ops by Myke Cole. My understanding is that Myke got cancelled. Michael A Stackpole is my favorite Battletech author. It is what I grew up on and really got me into SciFi as a child.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve head of the Lightbringer series, but I haven’t heard of the others. I’ll have to check them out sometime. I knew Stackpole was an extensive battle tech author. He used to be one of the most prolific Sci-Fi mass market paperback authors of the 90s and 2000s.
@spiremetrobooks5753
2 жыл бұрын
@@jonathankoan Shadow Ops is described as military fantasy meets X-Men. VGO is one of the well done versions of kid stuck in a video game a la Sword Art Online. Premise is the world is about to be destroyed and a Mark Zuckerburg type character has pushed through development a system that will upload your consciousness into a MMO RPG. What choice do you make? A what do you do in the world when 'Mark' has now declared himself Emperor.
@LifeOfCraig
Жыл бұрын
I’ve not read Landover but it sounds like you would enjoy the anime Reincarnated as a Slime. Very similar premise and very well made
@jonathankoan
Жыл бұрын
I will have to check that out. Thanks for the recommendation.
@globulr3246
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your video ! I just discovered your channel while reading The Sum of all men, I am very intrigued by how this story will continue in the following books... I love a saga that no one talks about: the kingdoms of thorns and bone by greg keyes
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching! I’ve heard about that series by Greg Keyes. He wrote some great Star Wars books that I liked. I’ll have to keep a look out for his series. And it’s so interesting that the Runelords series isn’t more well known. It sold a lot of copies, but hasn’t caught the interest of Booktube or Goodreads.
@globulr3246
2 жыл бұрын
@@jonathankoan I have to say i had never heard of it but i picked it up because I'm a fan of darrell k sweet cover arts ^^ I think it may be that booktubers are more geared towards more modern fantasy in general
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
@@globulr3246 I picked it up because of Darrell K sweets artwork as well! His style of fantasy artwork is exactly the style that I like the most.
@globulr3246
2 жыл бұрын
@@jonathankoan yeah ! I would like to see more of this style in today's publications
@annakobuk3618
2 жыл бұрын
"The Book of Words" trilogy and "A Sword of Shadows" series by J.V. Jones and "Lyonesse" trilogy by Jack Vance are my favourite underrated series. Now I am amazed by myself because both included pretty graphic events and I read them while being really young. However, they are good books in my opinion.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve heard of them both but haven’t read them. I’ll have to put them on my list.
@strangementalitypaperYT
Жыл бұрын
Would you consider the first arc of The Runelords to be its own series?
@jonathankoan
Жыл бұрын
Almost. It’s very different from the second arc. But they are connected. So they both still work well together, just arc 1 is much better to arc 2.
@chevalierdulys
2 жыл бұрын
regarding Farland, it's really shame that he died so soon. Do you think that series is concluded? It seems a new book was going to be release but never was? Seems the story was not finish? Is that correct? do you think with chaosbound has a nice conclusion?
@chevalierdulys
2 жыл бұрын
btw, thank your for your videos. really interesting series. btw, in the description section you say anticipated series but it's underrated? :) if you want underrated series you got Michael Scott Rohan with 6 novels the winter of the world (1986) or Dennis McKiernan (The Iron Tower Trilogy and sequels). First this author try to write a sequel of LOTR but when the estate of tolkien said - yeah - no. He changed stuff and start writing his own universe. It has like 15 novels and although many people consider him a copy hack he really develop his world and it become really interesting high fantasy. If you enjoy LOTR I bet that one would be in the same vein. John Marco trilogy is also highly underrated.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
@@chevalierdulys I’ll have to look at that series. I’ve not heard about it yet. Regarding the Runelords, the last update I saw from Farlands channel said that he was just about done with the first draft and was ready for edits. They could release it as is and/or hire a ghostwriter, but I’m not sure the fandom or the publishers want that. I think it should happen, but I don’t think his sales warranted it. And thanks for the heads up on the description, I’ll go fix that now.
@reneedenigris
2 жыл бұрын
Great video. Can you please write in your blurb the author and title of books. It will be much easier to look up these books. You keep moving around book cover. I can't read it.
@jonathankoan
2 жыл бұрын
I understand that. That is an interesting idea to do. Part of the reason I did not include the author and title in the description is I didn’t want people to click on the video, read what the top-five were, and then click away. I wanted people to actually have to watch the video and listen. But I’ll include it here for you. 5. Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell 4. Talion:Revenant by Michael Stackpole 3. The Wake of the Dragon Series by Kevin J Anderson 2. Magic Kingdom of Landover Series by Terry Brooks 1. Runelords by David Farland.
@sarugard9115
Жыл бұрын
i dont get why would cursing would be a negative in your books dialogue is better if theres cursing
@jonathankoan
Жыл бұрын
I answered it in a previous comment, but I’ll answer it again here. It mostly comes from my worldview that swearing is wrong and therefore not something that should be glorified or encouraged or displayed, especially in media. I totally understand that other people and writers use foul language and that I can’t stop them, but I don’t want to be encouraging it as that would to against my convictions. That’s why I applaud books that don’t have them, because they can tell an engaging story without me needing to deal with the moral quandary over my beliefs.
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