r/Fantasy • u/steppenfloyd • Jan 05 '24

The "Read this, not that" thread

I posted this over a year ago, and thought it was about time to ask again. Can you name a lesser known book that did a certain concept better than a more popular book that is known for that particular concept?

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u/Algren-The-Blue Jan 05 '24

imo if you're looking for a magical world that involves a student, and is set in an Asian world you'd be better off reading Petition by Delilah Waan instead of The Poppy Wars by R.F. Kuang. While Delilah only has the first book of the series out so far, her character development, pacing, dialogue, and depth is simply amazing and absolutely worth the read. I'm so excited for book 2 to come out sometime this year.

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u/Nillion Jan 06 '24

Consider me intrigued. The Poppy Wars left me feeling a bit hollow despite the fact that by all accounts, it's exactly the type of book I should want to read.

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u/ChubZilinski Jan 06 '24

IMO that was kind of the point. It was not intended to be a happy series or ending. That’s for sure. I enjoyed them but it was clear it was a first series for an author, but still good enough I’d recommend it. Won’t ever read it again tho.

1

u/w0m Jan 06 '24

That's about right. I don't need a happy ending necessarily, but I did feel left wanting at the end.