I’ve recently gotten into reading. I realised how much I love fiction, and a couple of tropes. So I’m here asking maybe some of you know any books that have them.
I love it when the story focuses more on world building rather than character. The theory crafting I can do in my head, or just before I sleep, is priceless.
Here I’ll contradict myself by saying a character development related point, but the more important one. I’d like to read more works that show some mysterious big-bad first as a rivalry, later as a friend. They soften up with the MC and we they become friends or allies or whatever. We get to see a BBEG of sorts’s friendly and weak side. I get that it’s a bit childish, but I lost my mind of how cool of a character they made the first time I read it. Now, it was in a manga, so I’d love to read an example that made this best or first.
Thank you in advance, even if you just name some genres or authors.
If you like world building then check out Brandon Sanderson and his cosmere related books. They all play out within the same cosmere and all build upon that same world with different stories. I started with Mistborn and think that is still my favourite but it is a hard decision as there is a lot of good books / series.
You could also try Stephen Kings - The Dark Tower and then go down the rabbit hole of a plethora of other books that all happen within the same world and have various different connections to The Dark Tower books and midworld.
N.K Jemison - The Broken Earth trilogy was pretty decent in terms of building the world it was set in and I think is pretty highly regarded for that element.
If you want a bit of space operas then I think Simon R Greens - Deathstalker books are really great and build a whole quirky universe for itself.
Maybe check a few of those out :)
Cosmere feels like it focuses on politics. If I’m right I’d rather not read it. I’m not even interested in real life politics.
I heard a buch of praise for Stephen King and someone else also said the dark tower. I think I’ll give it a shot.
Couldn’t find a wrong word for The Fifth Season, it got on my list.
I don’t think Deathstalker is for me.
Still, thanks! I’m probably set for a long while.
I thought dark tower was okay, but it was a bit too surreal for me towards the end.
Might I recommend the Mortal Engines quartet? They’re kinda YA, especially the first one, but the setting is as far as I know completely unique, and beyond amazing. I really don’t want to spoil the first few moments of realization, so I’m just going to put the first two passages below.
Also, many of the BBEGs are cool af and (spoiler for the later books) as least one matches your request exactly, while others match it pretty well.
Honestly I love the characters, they work so well. Especially Tom, he’s the most normal everyday lead I’ve ever read in a fantasy/sci-fi book, and yet all his actions are totally believable.
My only complaint is that book 2 is kind of frustrating in places.
First two passages:
I thirst for befriending “bad” guys, so you sold me. Rest of the text was wasted /j. I won’t even read reviews, I trust you stranger.
Please get back to me with your impressions, especially on the “befriending bad guys” side. I’d love to know (even if you end up disliking it)!
Best I could do was to bookmark your comment. If I remember I will, but for obv reasons I can’t make promises.
No worries, I don’t expect anyone to remember random internet stranger number seven thousand one hundred and eight. But, just in case =D
Hello, it’s me again. With a book club-like update. Just finished the 2nd book, Predator’s Gold. However I’ll just say it straight on, it was bad. The plot armor driven plot didn’t subside. I remember you saying that you liked the 2nd least, so I guess… same. I honestly don’t feel like reading the next two.
I don’t think I’ll over-analyze this one, but I’ll just say that it was so uninteresting and boring that I’ve put off the last chapters for days, read them one by one. And the big drop at the end, the climax, was, again, complete nonsense. >!Tom survived getting shot point blank in the chest. The stalker 2.0 got autobalanced (tf2 reference) in the middle of killing the MCs. Hester did something so unreasonable that it is in no way justifiable as a tantrum. One of the most feared predator cities just killed themselves. And the drop of Hester being pregnant is irritating, very “book end” of it, but also let’s think about it. For the 2nd half of the book they weren’t even close to each other, except for when They came back from the “prison” and when Tom was dying. So there are two options: Hester had intercourse with a dying(unconscious) guy (peak fiction?), or they tried for baby when they were speeding back to the city, when it was clearly uncomfortable for the both of them. I won’t read back, but IIRC they were both filled with guilt and barely talked. Or did they have fun in the early chapters? In that case, good to know a city can move half a world’s length within a couple of months (before pregnancy is noticeable or a hindrance)! !<
I’ll think this is the end of my journey with this one, overall it wasn’t bad, I’m just disappointed a bit. And definitely not interested enough to continue. However, if you say that the next two books are good (AKA way better), I can imagine myself reading them and writing up the first two as setup.
Hello, thank you for the update!
Oh boy I didn’t even notice the pregnancy plot hole you pointed out. I read the second book once as a kid and never again.
I’m really sorry to have put you through that D=
The third and fourth books are indeed completely different, but I hesitate to suggest reading them because of your experience so far. My personal ranking is 4 > 1 > 3 > 2. I do think they go interesting places as they have more traditional fantasy scope and characters, so the world is fleshed out a lot. But it is still more of the same…
Anyway, thank you so much for the time taken to review them. I liked your analysis. Do you have a favorite book to recommend?
haha, don’t be :D I’m happy that I met this world. It’s just not that good.
I don’t have a favorite book. I’m very new to reading books. 21st century childhood got to me as well. But I’m enjoying it so far. Might even me a better form of media than series. While I’m also not native, and for whatever reason I don’t read in my mother tongue, but english. For that reason I struggle with vocabulary. One good thing I can definitely say about Mortal Engines is that the language is simple, I barely had to look stuff up.
I can tell you manga or smth tho.
I’m not much of a manga reader, but I never say no to recommendations.
I’m amazed you’re getting into reading the way you are. Props to you.
Well, just finished reading the first book. I took my sweet time lol. If I have to give a one sentance review I’d say that “I’d like to like it”. The ending was very good, and I’m looking forward for their andventures. However all of part one and the first half of part two were spiteful.
The main characters survived everything with plot armor, they all should have died. >!When they got thrown off a multi story moving city, soft ground is a bullshit excuse, there weren’t even injured. Later Kate asked the antagonist about his secret evil plans, and were just sent away, Tom got “killed”. You could argue they just got lucky or “you wouldn’t be reading about them if nothing extraordinary happened”. But you can’t even argue that a terminator just shut down, it’s batteries emptied, JUST when it was about to kill Hester. And Tom was praised, he got bitch slapped, and almost died!!< I also feel like the charscter development was a little bumpy, but it’s talking about scenarios that I never faced before or ever thought about, so instead of criticising it maybe I should learn from it? Still, at the end characters started dropping like flies, it was supposed to be emotinal, but because of the above mentioned reasons it didn’t feel impactful. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. The writer wrapped things up so well, that I’m looking forward of the next piece.
Long wall of text over. I was expecting some high fantasy sort, with the bbeg criteria, but I didn’t know that a post-post-apocalyptic world goes this hard. While none of my negatives have any weight if you factor in the fact that this is probably a kid’s book.
Shaw reminds me of Silksong…
Hey, thank you so much for the wall of text!
Yes, most of what you mentioned is what I was vaguely including with the term “YA.” I’ve read a lot of it so I’m very inured to the silly tropes and unlikely and dramatic deus ex machinas. It’s great to hear your negatives because I’m seeing my own blind spots!
I think your criticism is valid. I don’t think it’d be correct to call any impression-based criticism invalid. Doesn’t mean one can’t also learn from it. Additionally, the negatives might make sense in context of it being YA, but that doesn’t make them weightless imo.
I liked the second book the least by far, but maybe it’ll be different for you. I’m sorry the BBEG wasn’t up to snuff, I was absolutely convinced. Maybe books 3/4 will do it but it’s mostly in the same vein. I’m glad you still enjoyed it!
I’m not familiar with Hollow Knight, but if you say there’s similarity maybe I should be…
Lol, my last line was a joke. A shot in the dark hoping you might get it. In the game Hollow Knight, there is a character called Hornet. She’s getting a whole game, called Silksong. Anyways, the game only has sounds as voiceacting and Hornet says “Shaw” a lot. (You can try searching “Hornet Shaw” on Youtube if you’re curious, but I warn you of the brainrot, the community is insane)
I already started with book#2. Was just planning on reading it a bit when I noticed your reply. It’s written way to well for me to just drop it. I’ll (try to) drop by when I’m done.
I do agree that it does get weaker towards the end, I think after King got hit by the car in real life the writing for this series went down hill. I enjoy the first 4 books the most, then it is a steady decline however it never reaches bad for me still and I have still read through it multiple times.
I also enjoy the majority of his books though and a lot of the ones that tie into this universe are amazing books in their own right but the fact they build into a bigger world than that which exists within the books themselves appeals to me a lot.
I will also look into your suggestion :p
Oh yes I’m a sucker for sprawling, disjointed worldbuilding. It’s what ended up pulling me into fan fiction. Maybe I should try dark tower again. I’ll put it back in the “maybe” pile.
No worries, I hope you find something you enjoy.
I would say that I personally can’t stand politics in the real world or in stories so I am with you on that and I don’t believe any of the cosmere stuff focuses on politics at all. Dune is something politic heavy and whilst I made it through it eventually it took me four or five tries and I probably wouldn’t return.
I highly recommend trying out at least the first mistborn book to see if you like it if you get to a point where you are in need of something else to read after you’ve worked your way through some other suggestions.
Happy reading :)
It’s possible I missjudged it. Not like I read the whole thing to say that. I can tell that you enjoyed it, so it can’t be bad. I’ll look into it, but no promises :p
Haha no that is fair and yes I enjoyed it a lot, I just don’t think it is very political so wanted to make that point in the hope you don’t miss out on a great world ;p
it’s on my radar. I just go so many so good options now, didn’t even got around looking into all of them yet. I tought I’d get like 1-2 comments or not even. Thank you.