So, there was a pandemic. You may have heard. Finding myself with unexpected time on my hands, and sensing that many others were in a similar situation, I decided to set up my own RU-vid channel, to give me something useful to do, and hopefully provide something interesting and entertaining for others to watch.
I began with the improbable idea of being a parkour channel, demonstrating my physical prowess and all-round manliness. But since I had neither of those qualities, I quickly moved into film and book reviewing - as that is a thing I actually know something about. I discovered the BookTube community, and made at least one lifelong friend - my husband and soul mate.
At his suggestion I watched a few Van Life videos and was instantly hooked. So much so that I bought my own Campervan, and began a new life as a Digital Nomad, vlogging my experiences on the road.
I am proud to represent both the Disabled and the LGBTQ+ communities.
The only complaint you have is the reason I want my young teenage son to be able to read it. If it was “swarthy” with swearing, sex , etc… then I would not recommend to my son until he was older. To be honest - you’re completely OFF BASE. The story is told from a 3rd person perspective, sure; but about a 14-17 year old character. Your desire for swearing, sex, and other immoral areas is indicative of your own immoral desires and in no way reflective of the authors intended audience. Stop focusing on yourself in your mom’s basement. And look at what benefit this series may have for a younger generation of fantasy fans. In an age where fantasy is basically OF, I completely applaud this type of wrong style and completely condemn your desire for more lewd content.
I just did an introduction to the Deverry Cycle on my channel. I love this series, and as you said, it perfectly implements reincarnation. Katherine Kerr did an amazing job.
Excellent series! I recommend re-reading them. If anything it only adds to the experience. I was able to get the entire set for the Christmas just a few years ago.
You know, I didn't notice the lack of swearing until you just pointed it out. I have read these multiple times since I first read them as a teenager, and I suppose every time I do I am so swept away and enchanted by them things like that didn't grab my attention. They are probably my number one favorite book series, my Star Wars of the book world. I like the Will and the Word, personally. It was simple and straightforward and to me realistic because the magic is of a divine origin. It comes from being a disciple of Aldur (or Torak), so it would make sense that it would be so simple. Wouldn't gods have 'word and it is done' kind of powers? If you like swearing and violence in your fantasy novels, why don't you give Jenna Moreci's The Savior's Champion a try? I think she overdid it on the swearing and underdid it on the world-building but some people adored TSS. Ty for you book report. I enjoyed watching it.
It's not so much that I like swearing and violence. It's more that it jars me out of my immersion if people are purposely NOT doing it - because children might be reading! LOL. It's unrealistic. But I still enjoyed the books - made a whole video about them! I will always be a tough crowd, and I'm not apologising for that. I am a demanding reader, because I need total immersion, and emotional commitment in order to keep at it. I want the book to grip me by the throat and not let go. And I can't bear feeling patronised, pandered to, or spoken down to. (So, needless use of sex, violence, or swearing will piss me off too). I don't want it there just to tick a box. Use it when it makes sense - but don't stint, and keep it real. My favourite books of all time are the Deverry books by Katherine Kerr. I sincerely believe they are the BEST FANTASY BOOKS EVER WRITTEN! And they are criminally underappreciated and obscure. If you can find them, I recommend reading the first four in the cycle: Daggerspell; Darkspell; Dawnspell; Dragonspell. There are dozens more - and they are all one BIG story. But the first four books are very satisfying as a quadrilogy. They have plenty of "grownup" themes and writing, yet are not in any way forced. And the magic system is by far the best and most well thought through that I've ever encountered. I made a video about them, too. 😉😉 Thank you for watching. Kit. x
I think I have now read all of Fiest's books and the spin offs and this trilogy is my definite favourite of them all. Its been a while so I expect I will reread them very soon.
Well, technically they do have swearing, but it consists of them using any of the 8 or so God's name in vain. The Alorns (especially Barak) use the name "Belar" often in a way that one would say "JC" or "GD". Anyways, I am writing this as the video carries on and I am having a chicken or egg situation. Kurt Vonnegut had a writing style, especially in "Breakfast of Champions", of breaking the fourth wall as if to lean over to you to present context and the similarities the two were endearing to me when Eddings or Vonnegut would break the fourth wall. Thanks for the video!
I really enjoyed your humor in this video. You made me laugh out loud a few times even! You should reread these Three Investigators books. I read them when I was young and I actually may enjoy them more now that I am 67. Sort of works like a time machine for me. When I reread these I feel like the world is as it was back then and I don't have a care in the world. I really enjoyed your video.
My most favorite film of all. I've seen this many times to the point that I have come to appreciate numerous details the director and the writer have put into it. The latest thing I noticed was how Arthur Pope put his crown on Danny during the birthday scene dance, foreshadowing the choice he would make in the end. Even the framing of the scene foreshadows the split that would happen. Such a beautiful, thoughtfully made drama.
I couldn't agree more. And I too noticed the foreshadowing. Wish I'd thought to include it in the video! It's an excellent example of "good old-fashioned storytelling". No bells and whistles. No leading the audience round by the nose. Just masterful filmmaking and a talented cast and crew. I miss the kind of craftsmanship that went into the movies I watched as a kid. It's rare these days, thanks to everything being part of a "cinematic universe". Ah, the good old days! Thanks for watching. 😊😊
I think I first picked up a pre-loved copy of Dawnspell from a janky little market stall as a poor student. Not the first book in the series of course so I lacked a bit of context but I was immediately hooked and hunted down the rest of the series as quickly as I could and eagerly awaited each new release when they finally came. Honestly my all time favourite fantasy book series, criminally under-rated and over-looked in my opinion. It's so unique, the interweaving of reincarnations is executed flawlessly. Would absolutely love to see this adapted into a tv series, but don't think it will happen unfortunately as it's so under-rated and even if it were more popular it would be an epic undertaking to turn this into a cohesive, easily digestible show for the masses.
Thank you so much for watching, and it's always a delight to meet a fellow Deverry fan. I can't imagine starting at book three - it hurts my soul to even think about it - but I assume that you've since read the whole lot in the correct order. And, of course, I agree with everything you say in praise of them (and Kerr). I also agree that it would be a great (big budget, high production-value) TV series. I can't remember if I discussed it in the video, which is ancient. But I also agree that it won't ever happen, for the reasons you gave (and others). And I think that's a GOOD thing. No adaptation could do these books justice. Only ruin them - as have all the recent fantasy book adaptations. They would be dumbed-down, cut, censored, and wokified beyond all recognition. Far better that they remain on the page where they belong, to be enjoyed by discerning readers like us. Thanks again for watching. '😊😊
Nice tidy review. As for the lack of swearing and "shagging", i have to disagree. In this series, two of the main characters are children , Belgarion and C'Nedra, so surrounding them with that would have just come off as creepy. Tolkien doesn't use either in The Hobbitt and The Lord of the Rings, and they are unquestionable masterpieces and basically created the entire high fantasy genre. The highpoint of these 10 books is Eddings' characters. You truly befriend them, wish them well, and cheer for their successes. Like you so aptly said, its like sitting and listening to your grandfather tell you series of stories. Cheers
Thank you for watching and for your kind words. We'll have to agree to disagree about the self-censorship though. Who cares if two main characters are kids? They're adolescent and horny, and Polgara spends a lot of time keeping them from shagging anything with a pulse. And they're fictional characters anyway. I'm sure they can handle living in a world in which sex happens naturally and without shame - rather than the American puritanical version. (And anyway, it's not so much the lack of sex scenes as the fact that Eddings breaks the fourth wall by reminding the reader that he's censoring content in case children might read it. As he does, too, with the swearing, or lack thereof). I just don't like feeling patronised. And I didn't like it any better when I was a child either! Also, it's weird (and very American) to use the presence of child (or in this case adolescent) characters as a rationale for sex and swearing to be censored, yet having no worries whatsoever about gratuitous violence - of which there is plenty in these books. Think about all the violent deaths and disfigurements dealt out in these books - sometimes by the child characters - and ask yourself if it isn't just a little hypocritical to find the presence of sexuality too "creepy" or swearing too adult. Just my thoughts, of course. Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you liked parts of my video. Cheers. K.
Great video Kit! Thanks for posting! Ironically, I stumbled across my "entire collection" (or so I thought) up in my attic a few weeks ago. I only have the first 23 books. I didn't realize there were over forty of them. I discovered The Three Investigators around '70-'71, and became instantly addicted. They were my main literary focus until 1975 when I discovered the Conan novels. At any rate, I recently re-read the the twenty-three that I have. And most of them brought back that old nostalgic feeling from my childhood. So, I highly recommend revisiting them. Especially, the first eleven books. They really held up. Singing Serpent, Phantom Lake and Dead Man's Riddle were also fantastic. Personally, I found the other ones had lost their luster, and we're a bit challenging to get through. However, that's just my opinion. Others may still really enjoy them. I loved Laughing Shadow, Crooked Cat and Coughing Dragon as a kid. Just not so much as a 62 Year old. Don't ever lose your "inner child" my friend. Cheers!
I was often home sick as a kid in the early to mid 1970s and these books really helped me. I found a heap of them in the late 90s in a box for 50 cents!
Yay, London forever! I'm a north Londoner, Camden, born '76 so I knew these books and loved them. Thanks for the review, I'm going to reread them. Does anyone happen to know the name of a book from around the same time I think, I read it at school, about someone, I think it was a girl, who road on a motorbike and stole paintings. They'd roll up the paintings and put them in a tube to smuggle them out of the gallery, something like that. If anyone knows what i'm talking about id super appreciate knowing the title of the book.
The terror castle was a landmark on my childhood when I first read it around 1978/79 when I was 8/9 years old. I got it from my local library , several times actually and it really made an impression on me. At the time I had no references about Hitchcock or anything that the story is about but I loved it and along with Enid blytons books it became one of my favorite books at that age. I never forgot about it and I spent decades trying to locate that book again, particularly the Portuguese edition I read. About 45 years later now I finally got my hands on a copy and it was like going back in time. I’m an illustrator and I write as an hobby and I just completed my own adventure book of this style along with a retro adventure text game for the old ZX spectrum and I’m doing more. This terror castle novel was a major influence on my imagination. I got some of the other 1960s books recently and have yet to read them.
Love your review, love your taste, love these books! The first ever fantasy series I read. Still my absolute favorite fantasy series ever and I've read a lot ever since. I'm currently re-reading this series again. This book series has shaped me into who I am today and got me through my late teens/early twenties. And that was more then 15 years ago. Absolutely a must-read if you love fantasy. Thanks for the great review Kit!
Thank you so much. This is an awesome comment! I was already a fantasy fan when I discovered these, but they were the first truly grown-up fantasy I read, and I have found everything since to be inferior and childish by comparison. I'm still amazed at how obscure and unknown they are in the YT fantasy community, which makes comments like yours all the more pleasing. Great to meet a fellow Deverrian. :)
I too have such fond memories from my childhood reading...I read them all as they became available to me. I too found that the ones published in the late 70s on to be not as well written, perhaps it was just my age advancing and the need for something more intriguing and captivating, which led me to Clive Cussler books that always had the same mystery solving (Vixen 03, Iceberg, etc.) aspects to them with a more "grown up" theme to them. Because i was on a tract towards a maritime career and i always had a fancy fir the older more elegant automobile these "Dirk Pitt Novels" certainly appealed to me. The movie "Sahara" is one of Cusslers book adaptations...but no where near as good as the book...just like the movie "the three investigators and the mystery of skull island" (which can be seen on RU-vid). I highly recommend both series, i have exceptionally fond memories of the three investigators and the Dirk Pitt novels.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting. It's great to meet other people who grew up with these books. They seem to have touched a lot more kids lives than I realised when I made this video. Thank you. :)
Awww... I'm sorry. For personal family reasons I'm having to stay off YT for the time being, but Willy is still here, and I hope to restart the channel one day. Thanks for your support. :)
I feel similarly about the books, my dad had the first couple decades ago and when I was off school and possibly too young to read them i polished off the first one in about a 10 hour reading session and LOVED them There is no material id rather see in a decent budget TV series Imagine great actors playing multiple versions of a SOUL via reincarnation in different seasons of a show And Nevyn! Jill ! cullyn
Thank you so much for watching. Great to see someone else loving these books as much as me. (And there's no such thing as 'too young'. If you love what you're reading, you're ready to read it. I'd hate to think of people being denied such a great experience simply on the basis of their age). Glad you found them, and delighted you devoured them. As to a TV adaptation, I'm now having second thoughts. I wouldn't want them ruined - as they almost certainly would be. All the recent fantasy adaptations have been disasters, imo. lol
You mean Magician? Excellent book. But this video is about the Empire Trilogy, beginning with Daughter of the Empire. Did you mean that, or actual Riftwar proper, beginning with Magician? Either way, I hope you love it as much as I did. Enjoy! 😁👍
I have to tell you that the Kinema in the woods is a cinema like no other. It is magical and a small piece of beautifully preserved history. Its a true time warp experience executed without any pretence. You would love it.
I'm sure I would. Unfortunately, due to a packed schedule that day I was unable to return, but I do plan on visiting it properly for a romantic night out with my other half, without the cameras rolling. We're both seasoned film buffs, and it really does look like a magical place to enjoy movies. Thank you for watching.
I look in your face as you speak and I see a kindred spirit. Your genuine and excited delivery are refreshingly honest, and I'm certain that your channel will have grown by leaps and bonds. Just stay genuine and people will love it. Good work man, respect.
Roger, thank you so much. That is the nicest thing I've heard from a viewer in a long time. I'm so glad you liked my video. Unfortunately due to family problems I'm unable to continue with my channel at the moment, but I still get the occasional comment like yours that makes me want to return one day. Thank you!
It's a fantastic Christmas book for everyone. Didn't get a chance to read it this year. Best read while listening to Carols from Guildford 1966. My other fav Christmassy book is The Giant Under the Snow. Of course it's all fantasy tosh but of the best kind and so descriptive. I must go now. The wolves are running!
I still have most of them I also have all the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Brains Benton and a few other lesser known titles. My favorite Three Investigators book is the Whispering Mummy btw
I grew up in India in the 90s and these books were among my favorites. I later moved to the US in my teens and didn't see them in public libraries anywhere. Realized at some point that these books were like 30 years old, so nobody in America read them anymore. We got the used hand-me-downs back in India, but I'm grateful for that because these stories of kids my age exercising autonomy, seeking adventure, and matching wits with the adults were foundational to me becoming a young man. I'm gonna buy the entire set on ebay when I have kids so they can read them too.
When it comes to pronunciation of fictional names, i pronounce them as I first read them. The whole, “index of how to pronounce words in this book” is always totally ignored in all books that have them. Thanks for the index, but no thanks. Not interested. I am just starting to read this series and i am excited.
I tried to watch this but the unnecessary camera shifts are unsettling and ridiculous. Literally unwatchable. Pick a fucking camera and stick with it. You are not edgy or cool by switching your cams every 5 seconds. It is annoying as fuck.
Bob, Pete and Jupiter became my imaginary friends of sort when I started to read fiction and the series at the age of 11 (a tad late in development I guess) in Asia in the late 70s, thanks to my English teacher who demanded her students to read weekly. I still remember fondly the hard cover earlier edition of the The Investigators series in my school and public library. The series was more appealing to me (compared to the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series) due to the fascinating titles involving the supernatural -- heightening the sense of mystery and adventure. I am glad that I read the series as part of my early teens and there are many out there who have the same experience. This is awesome ...
I agree that these books are more appealing than Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys (although I read those too). I also agree that the titles are really good. Thank you for watching. 😊😊
Muy buen comentario, los dinosaurios de ésta película no son iguales a los hechos por harryhausen. De hecho los movimientos son más fluidos y los diseños tienen un toque diferente. Jim danforth se lució con el plesiosaurus y el chasmosaurus. Una hermosa película que transcurre en la prehistoria. Romanticismo de épocas pretéritas
Yes I also discovered these books in my youth and absolutely loved them, and escaped from my childhood reality with them. I now believe they played such a large part as to why I've always relied on logic and scientific value in my adult life.
