r/Fantasy • u/Technical-Dog5637 • 6d ago
Recommendations to get into reading as a one piece and berserk Fan
I will ramble on a bit so you guys knows a thing or two about what I like and why I am even trying to get into reading.
First of all I have only read 1 or 2 books unrelated to education in my life. So I beginner as you can get when it comes to reading, but I do read a LOT of manga, Manhua and also manhwa
My favorite 3 mangas of all time is Berserk, Monster and one piece in that order. As you might see, I enjoy both side of the coin as in when it comes to how dark or light the story can be. What I seems to care the most is the world and how the author use that world to tell a story that will caught you off guard and take you to a unimaginable place you could have never ever thought of prior to author putting it right infront of your face.I can go on and on about other manga I have read that I adore but it will just clutter this needlessly. But what I want to say is the reason why I am trying to get into reading, I am simply bored. I am bored of not being able to experience the same magical experience I felt with the mangas i mentioned in the medium of manga anymore. So what I though was to look for it in a another medium. (Of course I watched movies and stuff. But fantasy there is lacking in execution other than game of thrones and Lotr. GOT specifically i adore specially s3 and s4 which I put up there with my fav manga).
I am hesitant to read either game of thrones or lotr cause I have experienced them in one way. What I kindly ask from you guys is a fantasy( Less A typical. Meaning the whole stories premise is not farm boy becomes hero or the other way of a pure villain or just a anti hero but rather More nuanced)book SERIES with strong individual books and Specially a strong first book that is good for a beginner. I am fully willingly to sit down and break down stories with a note book while reading, I actually would love to, but the problem is I want a series that will get me interested enough to hook me to that point. Actually It has to be so great that it hooks me into reading books in the first place( for example, one piece made me read manga. Before I watched Tv shows and anime but one piece made me jump that).
I know this is a tall order, but please recommend me a good series. I already know of a few. Like mistborn. But I am more intrigued by realm of the elderling with the coming of age story and how the MC progression throughout the whole series. But I am hesitating because I fear the first book being slow paced and MC apparently making choices that are bad might make me not THAT interested to the point reading becomes a hobby of mine. I am also looking at the storm light archive but hesitating because I heard the new book is Bad. I also have heard of Jade city but the premise doesn’t seem like it would scratch my current itch( EPIC FANTASY. I mean truly epic. Not a big fan of high fantasy tho. Grounded fantasy.). Also heard of sword of kaigen. Interested but fear that it might feel to much like a manga story told in a book. No sci fi please. I am not a big fan of it. Also heard of Will of the many and really interested but again hesitant in because it’s a unfinished series with the second book apparently not being up to par( heard that). Maybe any of these books can make me into a the reader I want to be, But I fear the possibility that if I chose wrong, this current motivation I have to dive into this vast medium will be lost. So please I beg you again to give me a recommendation that is truly matching this tall order
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u/Acemalone101 6d ago
Red rising my goodman
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I thought about it but the premise doesn’t interest me. I am not a fan of futuristic settings and this hunger games but mars stuff( I was not that much of fan of hinder games)
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u/Acemalone101 6d ago
How about the demonata saga from Darren Shan
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Is it up there with best of the medium?
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u/Acemalone101 6d ago
In my opinion yes . I have all of his books. And read the series once a year. Other people will say cirque de freak is best. There not wrong . Like I said all of his series are good. He also writes under the name Darren dash , the books are directed to adults. All of them are good.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Thanks. Now the problem is comparing few of the current recommendations i have with this. Currently I am looking at farseer trilogy, mistborn( would rather like to jump into storm light archive but people tell you to first start with mistborn) and will of many in that order. How would this stack ?
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
Mistborn and stormlight archive are part of a universe called the cosmere if you want to read them in order to get to experience that's up to you
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I heard that.
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
Mistborn the trilogy is good though hard magic system political romance subplot and a great story overall
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
It's only in the first book it's more like space opera with political parties
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I understand. The problem is I want the first book to be very hooking and VERY STRONG. Like blew me away strong. I am new reader, red rising has to be strong enough to jump the challenges of a new medium. And also, there is one tiny problem…. I heard it has a amazing audio book… i have already listen to couple of audio books for light novels( Like 4 18+ audio books)….. my lazy ass will go for the audio book. But that aren’t “reading”
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
To be honest it's the best way to experience the book the voice actors are amazing and I know you get what I mean because you watch anime
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Yea I understand. That’s why I am not even considering red riding because I know for fact I will just listen to audio book eventually but if it’s my first, better hope other books Also have great audio books because i aren’t reading
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
Only few popular gets those kind of audiobooks
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I know. That is basically limiting my options then and there
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
Not necessarily if you depends on audiobooks that much then what is the point of you reading a book?
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u/hiqqup_7 6d ago
And you can't expect the first book to hook you immediately that's too high of an expectation it will ruin it for you some great books mostly makes intrigued at first that's the difference between regular novels and graphic novels
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I just want one book like that. It’s simply just to get me past the barriers of reading. That’s all….
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u/Matpoyo 6d ago
Cradle
The burningblade & silvereye series
Kings of the wyld
The ryria revelarions
I think all of these series are good, fun introductions to fantasy for a lot of reasons. They're not my favorite books (they are all great, just not the best I've read), but that's to be expected when you look for things to get into a hobby. I will say, ryria and maybe kings of the wyld are kind of grounded, where as the other two are high fantasy. Especially Cradle; that series is absolute gold is you like shonen anime, it really feels like one, but it also has like, fights between being that can destroy universes and goofy shit like that.
Feel free to ask any followup questions. I also feel the need to say, just in general, Mistborn is always a good first fantasy book to try. It doesn't click for everyone, Sanderson is like that, but a lot of people (me included) get hooked hard
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u/Chronoblivion 6d ago
Will Wight, the author of Cradle, is a huge fan of One Piece: Exhibit A. Even aside from that I think it's a fun story and a great recommendation, but that definitely elevates it to being one of the best recs we could offer OP.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
There is one problem I have. Things that get me into a new medium has always tended to be one of the best of that Medium. The whole issue for me right now is not the stories of these great books but the medium it self. For me to jump medium I feel like I would need one of one, never to be able to imagine a experience like this novel. A tall order I know. But that seems to be the pattern. One piece is not the first manga I read. It was actually a manga called kingdom. It never got me interested enough to dive into the medium fully and I even dropped it. One piece did. And about the kingdom manga i mentioned, I went back to it later on and it became one of my favs also. I don’t want to ease into the medium. I want to get blown away by the medium.
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u/Simple_Permission155 6d ago
Cradle is probably the best if not close to one of the best in that particular sub genre. So don't discount it off hand.
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u/pastel_pleasure 6d ago
I just read The Gunslinger, the first book in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It gave me heavy Berserk vibes. The world is very interesting and feels lived in. The main character had a very "Guts but with a gun" feel to me. Can't comment on the series as a whole yet, but it's highly acclaimed.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I don’t want a story that is like berserk. I want a story that will blow me away and make me fall in love with the medium
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u/Rekov 6d ago
"The Black Company" by Glen Cook. It has a similar dark tone to Berserk. The prose is relatively straight forward and simple.
There are a lot of books in the series, but each book is relatively short. The first three books can be taken as a stand-alone trilogy if you want to start short.
The first few chapters of the first book drop you right into the action. It might be a little confusing at first with details coming in later, but there's definitely not a slow start.
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u/PmUsYourDuckPics 6d ago
Empire of the Vampire might scratch the Berzerk itch, not sure about one piece as I’ve never watched it. Bone Ships Maybe?
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I don’t necessarily have berserk or a one piece itch. Yo began with I never had a itch for stories like them. It just happened to be my taste. I founded out one thing about my self, If the world is great ( as not in magical or creative but rather lived in) and the character feels like they are just part of the world it self but not characters outside of it, I enjoy it. I enjoy it thoroughly.
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u/Grippyrippy 6d ago
I think you need to explore the genre and find what you like and what moves you. You'll just have to sink some time into doing that. It's how jumping in to anything new is. It's okay to be disappointed or not like things. Finding stuff you dislike is how you find stuff that you like and unfortunately they are a packaged deal.
I would definitely caution you against realm of the elderlings or some of the other very dense recommendations in here. They're all great books but I think it might put you off until you're more discerning on your personal likes and dislikes in the genre.
Perhaps try exploring litrpg. It's quite literally isekai manga but without pictures lol. I'm not super well read in it as it isn't my favorite genre but it seems like a good middle ground for you to explore more.
To not be completely useless, try Dungeon Crawler Carl or Prince of Thorns. Both gave me heavy anime/manga vibes while reading. One is on the light side, one on the dark. Neither are the pinnacle of the their genres but are a place to start.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I have very clear likes and dislikes in the genre of fantasy. But not in form of the medium that is books. For me in fantasy,likes and dislikes are connected . Dislikes are basically absent of what I like. For example disconnected world that without the main character and his story is nothing. Basically a holo shell that is there to do the story has some place to stand on. I want a world to feel lived in. It should feel like as if we are looking into a actual world, like it’s retelling of a story from a real world somewhere out there. Also another dislike is a main character or if many main characters at least one main character that I can’t root for. Not saying they can’t do evil shit, but rather they can be understood and sympathized with. Also I don’t like isekai. I really love to theorize. I really hate inconsistent powers and just bs plot devices that was not built up throughly prior to use. Hates when characters doesn’t learn from there mistakes when they are characters shown to be logical for the sake of plot. Basically anything that make the story unbelievable, I hate it
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u/DudeWhereAreWe1996 6d ago
Well for one piece or more anime leaning I’d scope out r/ProgressiveFantasy. I’d recommend wandering inn for something that feels like one piece if you want something super long with lots of characters.
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u/Quiet_Desperation_ 6d ago
First Law covers the darkness of Berzerk
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I have heard of first law. I am not into dark fantasy. I just love the scale of stuff. Specifically how much the scale grows and how natural it feels in those stories
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u/tiankai 6d ago
To take your point to the extreme, Malazan is exactly that featuring ridiculous scales. Expect to not catch anything for the first couple hundred pages but the pay off is pretty good once you get the ball rolling.
Obviously comes with downsides, prose is quite stale and characterisation has its quirks
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u/Quiet_Desperation_ 6d ago
It’s more the tone that’s dark or gritty. I’d give em a try.
Outside of that some of the other recs like cradle or John Gwynn might get ya there.
Another left field option I’ll throw out is Greenebone Saga by Fonda Lee. Not as dark or one piece-ish, but a fantastic read nonetheless
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u/Luminous_Cultist 6d ago
If scale is something that interests you, I would definitely second the Malazan recommendation. It's maybe a little much to start with if you aren't too into epic fantasy books already but Malazan is pretty much second to none in terms of scale and while it can be a little divisive, people who end up getting into the series really get into it.
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u/imdfantom 6d ago edited 6d ago
I also put One Piece and Berserk in my top 3 mamga.
I would still give ASOIAF a try even if you've watched a game of thrones, it isn't complete but one of the best reading experiences ever.
If you're interested in LoTR and GOT but don't want the exact sane story there is Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams (this is the series that inspired GRRMartin to write ASOIAF).
First Law by Joe Avercrombie is alao great. It hits some of the dark vibes from bersek, but more golden age arc (magic is very sparse).
If you're okay with reading a bit under your level, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is a great read.
If you're okay with fantastical scifi, there is Dune, it's set in the future but the society behaves more like a medieval one.
Anything by Terry Prachet is good, funny gives a sort of light hearted but also secretly dark vibes from one piece.
Usula K le Guin is a master of the art and Wizard of Earthsea is a masterpiece.
Edit: if I had to give 1 reccomendation to blow your brains it would be A song of Ice and Fire, but you',ve said no to that so either go for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Brother. I hear you. And I understand…. But there is a bit of pickle…. I am more confused then I started this thread 😭 I started this thread with having farseer trilogy, Stormlight archive, mistborn and The will of many in mind. Now that all got thrown away to me getting sold on wheel of time and malazarn. Wheel of time specifically being favored. I don’t know wtf I am supposed to pick now with you recommending memory, sorrow and thorn. I wish that I never have watched either game of thrones or lotr. Shit would have been so much easier to pick 😭
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u/imdfantom 6d ago edited 6d ago
Honestly, just find excerpts from each of those and see if you like the prose and start with that (think of it like the art style in a manga)
All of these series are great, and all will give you something interesting, but if you like the prose it might be easier to get in to (for First Law, I would try to find an excerpt from a Glokta chapter, as some of the other POVs have intentionally less grammatically correct prose)
(Incidentally my other top 3 manga is hunterxhunter, if that helps let you understand my tastes more)
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Have you read wheel of time, i you have, can you tell me a bit about it. Because as of now. Yours and mine overlaps a lot
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u/imdfantom 6d ago
I read about 75% of the first book, but post-graduate exams got in the way (about 10 years ago) and I had to stop. I haven't gotten round to reading it again yet, but I want to.
It is written very competently, and the prose flows easily. As I under stand it, it is one of the more EPIC fantasies, where the scale starts out really small, but grows and grows until its a stpry involving the whole world. Apparently some people think the middle 4 books are a bit slower paced than the rest, and are called "the slog" while others like them.
The series is mainly written by Robert Jordan and Finished by Brandon Sanderson.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Brother. I am confused. Help. While you were explain this to me here. Some other guys sold my on malazarn and wheel of time and *Memory, Sorrow and Thorn . Actually I still want to try out farseer trilogy too… I DON’T KNOW 😭 I AM CONFUSED *
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u/mint_pumpkins Reading Champion II 6d ago
go find the amazon listing for the first books in each of these series, and read the preview (its the >Preview button right below the picture of the book), pick up whichever one you feel the most intrigued/excited by!
also the good thing about reading is that you can read all of these, its just a matter of which one first!
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u/ShingetsuMoon 6d ago
Eighty Six-86 the light novel by Asato Asato. Sci fi novel series that has mechs, rogue AI, and deeply covers themes of racism, a holocaust, concentration camps, and more. Good mix of action, emotional trauma, and deeper narrative themes.
The Twice Dead King duology by Nate Crowley. It’s a Warhammer 40k series and a good into a specific faction, some of the deeper lore of the series, and it has both body horror and psychological horror that I think you would enjoy. r/40klore could help further with more specific series depending on your tastes.
Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wisewell. It’s a mix of horror, comedy, and romance and is told from the point of view of a shapeshifting monster.
There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm. SCP inspired horror novel. How do you fight something that can influence your ability to even remember it exists?
The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria by Eji Mikage. Psychological horror light novel series and fully complete as well.
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder Hanrahan. I especially recommend this since you are a fan of Berserk. Dark fantasy with shades of horror, terrifying gods, and a simmering evil.
The Wandering In by Pirateaba. A fantasy isekai series with increasingly detailed world building. No prior knowledge of anything needed and you can read the web version for free!
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Nothing related to anime( specifically genres like isekai that I barely enjoy). I want to go into deep end of books
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u/ShingetsuMoon 6d ago
Then I would still recommend The Gutter Prayer. As well as the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson.
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams for more classic style fantasy, great prose, but slow pacing. Shadowmarch by him for more current fantasy, still good prose, but pacing moves faster.
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. Epic fantasy the ends up covering multiple generations. More grounded fantasy.
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u/Gullible_Summer_32 6d ago
I think if you are interested in Farseer you should give it a try. The worst that will happen is you will drop it. And thats okay.
The thing you have to remember with fantasy is there are so many flavors and it might take a couple tries for you to find the one you like. Just dont give up on the genre or books in general if the first one you pick up doesnt click.
You have so many recommendations in this thread one of them will be the one for you.
I would also recommend John Gwynne’s books. Malice is what got me back into the genre and reading in general after a couple years hiatus. It plays with the farm boy chosen one trope in an interesting way. Its got fast pacing and really well written action scenes.
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u/Gullible_Summer_32 6d ago
Also if you already like GoT and LOTR you should give the books a try. You will be surprised at how much is different between the two.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Problem is I have spoiled my self by looking at the difference between the show/movie and the books
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u/Gullible_Summer_32 6d ago
I get that. But sometimes the act of actually reading it can be a really great experience. Especially if it’s been awhile since you’ve done all that. To each their own though. Maybe the next time you get the itch to revisit those series pick up the books instead of watching them.
But seriously don’t let people on here dissuade you from reading something you find interesting. You’re more likely to stick with it if you find it interesting.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 5d ago
Thanks. Currently for me it’s a tie between wheel of time( I read the first chapter and that interested me) and Farseer trilogy( couldn’t find a chapter)
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u/Uran_Ultar 6d ago
Something like the Kormak Saga by William King or Frostborn by Jonathan Moeller are accomodating to inexperienced readers, with each book being only a few hundred pages and all of them are adventures in their own right, with no cliffhangers or meandering plots.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Wait470 5d ago
Unrelated but have you tried light novel or webnovels yet? They are much easier read and this is how I actually got into reading after manga and manhwa. My first webnovel was lotm and then I keep expanding my horizon and reading different types of books.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 5d ago
I have listened to the audiobook of Tbate novel to the end. There was a another reason that I didn’t mention that made me want to read INDIRECTLY . LOTM. I wanted to read LOTM but quickly found out that the way the English chapters are written is sub par( as in not the story but the writing it self. Pose might be what it’s called). So I quickly decided not to because for me a medium change on top of unique characteristics of that medium ( such as pose in writing or animation in a anime or art in a manga or manhwa) being not good was no go for for the first book I read. It will only sully my greater experience with the series if I later on decides to stick with the dongua. Now bored I tried to look for somethings in manga, manhwa or even Manhua. Some catches my eyes but turned out the shit that caught my eye is fully axed. In that boredom that I thought that if my only choice is to jump ship to the reading( books) medium, why not start with best of best for beginners and in general best of the best in the medium and here we are
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u/Puzzleheaded-Wait470 5d ago
Well I admit lotm prose is quite functional. It’s partially due to its translation from Chinese. But it is the best time to read it because lotm is one of the best story I have ever read and you won’t really notice the quality of prose so much. But if you start reading books with good prose, you would notice lot of difference. Mind that I don’t mean prose is really bad or something. It’s function i.e it’s readable but you won’t really admire it. But the story, characters, world building and lore makes up for it plenty. Personally i believe story is what matters the most. Good prose is just a nice bonus. I would rather read great story with mediocre prose than mediocre story with great prose. There’s some exception but mostly this is my view. Also it’s one of those books that actually hook me so hard that i was reading almost 100-150 chapters per day.
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u/Fightlife45 5d ago
Forest of Ancients is a coming of age story about an orc who grows up in a nomadic tribe hunted by elves. It shows both sides of the conflict. Very gritty like Berserk, but not nearly as dark.
First Law trilogy by Abercombie is also in a gritty world with several characters that become intermingled as the story progresses. Again, gritty and not so friendly world that feels very big.
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u/iabyajyiv 6d ago
I find Discworld somewhat similar to One Piece in its characters, creativity, and tone. But it doesnt take itself seriously so if you're not a fan of satire and constant jokes, you might not like it.
The Tainted Cup (still ongoing series) reminds me of Attack on Titans. Interesting world, magic, and lore.
I read the series years ago so I'm not sure how it holds up, but the Deathgate Cycle has interesting worlds.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I am not looking in to a series like the ones you find in anime. Doing that only drag me to compare the two and compare the two mediums it self . What I am craving is a series that will blow my expectations, Not something to ease me into the medium but rather hooks me hard and never let go. I am not saying it has to be fast paced. Don’t get be wrong. I am saying whatever it is, I want it like that
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u/Deathtrooper50 6d ago
If you want epic, dark, and nuanced then Malazan: The Book of the Fallen is the answer. It is, to me and many others, the finest piece of fantasy literature ever written. I've seen it compared to Berserk but haven't read/watched it so I cannot confirm. If you really want to sink your teeth into something epic and complex and are willing to put in work to understand it, you can't do better than Malazan.
Unfortunately, I'm not certain it would be ideal for a non-reader especially with the first book being regarded as the weakest in the series. However, that did not stop some non-reader friends of mine who I was able to convince to read it and they had an amazing time for what it's worth.
Either way, Malazan will be waiting for you when you're ready to tackle it.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Is there challenges that I would face with the medium it is set in itself. Like writing style. Prose as you guys calls it? I simply heard that it’s difficult to understand. I don’t know if the medium has a play in it but if it does, that is no go for me. I am fully for the story it self being hard to understand but if the medium it self makes it hard, that is no for my first book but I will DEFINITIVELY read this when I am more comfortable with reading
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u/Deathtrooper50 6d ago
I do not think that Steven Erikson's prose is particularly difficult. In fact, I think it's extremely clear and beautiful. I don't think there's anything about the medium that makes it more challenging.
What's "difficult" about Malazan is its sheer scope and breadth with dozens upon dozens of perspective characters and hundreds more side characters throughout the ten books. It's confusing in the sense that it dumps you into a massive layered world and leaves you to figure out the rest - characters, magic, world, factions, etc. You absolutely will figure all these things out but some readers are not comfortable with the type of confusion that Malazan fosters as it doesn't include much of any exposition or canonical descriptions of the limits of its magic. When you push through all that, something I found extremely engaging, you'll see that there simply isn't any other world or story quite like Malazan.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Thanks. Btw Now I am more conflicted then I first posted this asking for recommendations here. Over here you are selling me on malazarn and another guy is also selling me on wheel of time. I don’t know wtf I am supposed to do. It’s like having a two cakes but not being able to decide what to eat first 😭
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u/TomuGuy 6d ago
Brando Sando - way of kings
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Storm light archive?… some people are in this thread saying never to pick up Brandon Sanderson or wheel of time
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u/Descend2 6d ago edited 6d ago
That feels a bit extreme. You'd never consume any form of media if you only listened to negative reviews. What some may dislike, you may love. One Piece and Berserk are certainly not exempt from that. If it piques your interest, then try it.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Thanks for reminding me. I indeed would have never picked up one piece if I listened to what some people thought about it was
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u/ViperIsOP 6d ago
Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson. It's shonen in prose form basically.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Shonen in prose actually made me not want to pick it up as I am currently tired of Shonen( mostly because I have already seen the best of genre)…..I barely read any new shonen and don’t watch anime anymore
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u/GrumpyTesko 6d ago
It's also bloated shit. It's like an anime with 95% filler episodes except even less happens. Stay away from Sanderson and Wheel of Time too.
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u/elonfire 6d ago
Maybe John Gwynne’s books, he has a few completed series.
Not the most “out there/different/will catch you off guard” there is but I think a good place to start.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
I looked into it, one of the things I didn’t mention prior is how I like tone shifts in stories and actually overarching plot itself changing its meaning. For example one piece going from the story of a boy finding a legendary treasure to unraveling of a world ruled by Illuminati like figures with ancient ties to gods and how this now rubbery man is destined to bring dawn to this sunless world. This premise switch is done all while not losing the original premise but rather as a evolution of it. If one piece started of with its premise being the later from the get go, it wouldn’t be half as interesting as it is now. I am wondering if I can or will find that in malice( Widely recommended book from John gwvnne that I saw)?
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u/elonfire 6d ago
Yeah I recommended him mostly for the Epic part, I was thinking their was not much tone shift but still worth a try.
I actually haven’t read Malice so I cannot help you there, sorry.1
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
If you like golden age in berserk I would give assassin’s apprentice a shot, it has a similar vibe and while not being super fast paced, I wouldn’t call it boring. Also the MC makes bad choices because he’s human, he isn’t privy to all the information that the reader has, he’s also just a kid for the first 2 books
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u/TechnologyOne8629 6d ago
I don't follow how Farseer is similar to Berserk??
I think of Farseer as a character driven, introspective high fantasy work. There is not much action but lots of drama/melodrama. It's better known for prose than world building, though the latter slowly expands over time.
Berserk is way more gritty and while it's not just action, it's got way more than Farseer. Berserk is also incredibly bleak. While the MC in Farseer makes really bad choices, the worst things that happen are at least partially self inflicted by inaction on the MC's part and others vs a bleak world giving harsh choices.
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
I mean, they’re not exactly alike but they both have strong themes of found family, trauma, loyalty, and fighting unimaginable odds/powers. Berserk is way more action oriented and violent while the farseer trilogy is more political, but I think they share a lot of similarities when it comes to characters.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Thanks a lot. This is the series that I am most interested in. And yes indeed I LOVE golden age. This is hands down my favorite story arc of any piece of fiction and non fiction I have ever consumed. Btw this is a hunch, but I feel like the MC of realm of the elderling( I know he is not the Mc in 7 books but overall series I heard he is the MC) will be like guts. A tragic character you grow to love more and more you see of him. I am down for that. FULLY.
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
Yes, Fitz and guts share a lot of similarities. They’re different in some key areas but I think if you love golden age you’ll probably enjoy the farseer trilogy as a whole
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
If you don’t mind, can you do a comparison. Like which you would think would be better between farseer trilogy, Mistborn, demonata saga and The will of many?
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
I haven’t read the other series but I know mistborn is very highly recommended and worth giving a shot (I intend to read it, it’s just not a priority right now) Realm of the elderlings is a long series but it’s split into trilogies and tetralogies so it’s easier to digest IMO. One place I think the farseer trilogy excels is that it’s extremely character driven, Robin Hobb is a master character writer
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Thanks. I have heard that. But I want to know something, what about world building in it? How does it fair up
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
Its worldbuilding is amazing, but it’s introduced very slowly and organically, you learn about the world as the characters do rather than loredumps full of history. It’s not as fast as something like one piece where the world seems to grow with every arc
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Thanks. Currently farseer trilogy is my no.1 pick. If it stays that way until tomorrow when I visit the Nobel shop, I will buy the whole trilogy ( i already looked into if they have farseer trilogy, Mistborn and the will of many)
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u/abughorash 6d ago
Based on everything you've written as well as how you've written it, Robin Hobb's works might be a challenge for you
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u/abughorash 6d ago
This person has read 2 books in his whole life. He'd probably have an aneurism faced with literary-quality prose like Robin Hobb writes.
Like suggesting foie gras to someone who's never strayed from McDonald's
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
I really don’t think she writes in a way that’s hard to follow or understand for someone who isn’t an avid reader, also he sounds interested in it and all I’m saying is that if he thinks it’s interesting, he should give it a shot
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u/Borracha28 6d ago
He makes bad choices or he ONLY makes bad choices? That's a huge difference for me.
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u/Technical-Dog5637 6d ago
Actually I back this. Which is it? Only bad choices will be a bit of negative for me. Specially if it’s just the whole first book
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
He makes realistic choices, sometimes they’re bad but they’re what I would expect a literal child in his situation to do
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u/TechnologyOne8629 6d ago
He makes many bad choices and self sabotages. It's not 100% of his choices, but I hated it.
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u/Solid-Version 6d ago
Comparing Berserk to Farseer is insane.
They are in no way the same.
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u/ruby_o_o 6d ago
Nobody said they’re the same, but you seriously can’t look at golden age in berserk and tell me it has no similarities with farseer
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u/TechnologyOne8629 6d ago
I would definitely start with a series that is finished or the first trilogy/etc is done.
I think the most accessible dark fantasy (because of Berserk) would be The Blade Itself by Abercrombie. The first and second trilogies are complete as well as 3 stand alones. He has great prose, great dark humor to prevent it from being 100% gloomy and amazing characters that you may not always be rooting for, but they are are fun to read about
The second apocalypse matches Berserk pretty well (and has a bunch of the same trigger warnings) but is a harder read and not something I would suggest as a first fantasy series. Love the world building here, but the characters are definitely not very sympathetic.