Interestingly enough, the first lines from the next two Mistborn books are the one that really stood out to me. "I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted" and "I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages."
I think they don't count the epigraphs, because then then the first one for The Final Empire would've been "Sometimes I worry that I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am." and the first one for The Way of Kings would have been "The love of men is a frigid thing, a mountain stream only three steps from the ice. We are his. Oh Stormfather…we are his. It is but a thousand days, and the Everstorm comes."
"Ash fell from the sky" It is a great first line imo because it sets the tone and the mistery of the series: -Why is ash falling from the sky? -Did something bad happen? -Certainly the tone of the book must be dark since it paints a very depresive picture as the starting point. In just 5 words Sanderson has set the mood of a 3 book saga, it is not a generic sentence, it is not a long descriptive exposition and yet it transmits so much.
Agreed. Mistborn 1 isn’t perfect but the first line’s definitely not F tier imo and is honestly a great start as it already is. Had he made it more descriptive it would’ve probably been overbearing tbh.
Agreed, that line does much more for me than the Name of the Wind one. And getting the full page for Name of the Wind only knocked it down lower. Sometimes less is more.
To add to the Terry Goodkind narrative (and Austin, you will love this), Sanderson is quite critical and has openly spoken about his thoughts on Goodkind. I don't remember all the details, but Sanderson has a story where he wrote a fun little crossover arena battle royale scenario where he takes all the famous fantasy authors, and their characters and put them up against each other. It was silly and not serious and all the authors loved it. In it, he made a joke that a Terry Goodkind's character pops in but immediately, vanishes because "Terry Goodkind doesn't write fantasy" therefor he isn't supposed to be in the fantasy battle royale. APPARENTLY, this upset Goodkind enough, where he asked Sanderson to take the story down and ruined the fun story. I am of the opinion that just because somebody is dead doesn't mean you can no longer be critical of the person they were. Goodkind, at least publicly, was not a great person and unfortunately that's the legacy he left behind. Also his books are pretty mediocre apparently. EDIT: I found Sanderson's critical chat on Goodkind's story and the story I just brought up. Its from Episode 115 of The Intentionally Blank Podcast and its starts around the 44: 28 mark.
@niallcarrick6456 He wrote 2 cage matches. 1 that was just about a Goodkind character, the other about all characters involved in the cage match. Google these 2 things to find the stories 1. Sanderson suvudu how it really went down 2. Sanderson suvudu Vin Both are quite amusing (his knock on Rothfuss hits harder now considering it was written 13 years ago)
You saw this..oh thank goodness we were nice to you, we're not known for that 😂. Love your work, would love to have you on the pod sometime. What would be the best place to reach you?
I love how Sanderson turned The Way of King's first line into a meme. I wouldn't be surprised by now if I read "Szeth-son-son-Vallano wore white the morning he went to the grocery store".
I just rememberd another funny Goodkind story I heard recently on Sanderson's podcast. Back in his early days, Tor asked Brandon to write a goofy short story on their website, about different characters from their top authors crossing over with each other. Brandon wrote a single line about how Goodkind's characters couldn't make it, because they're above considering themselves fantasy characters. He later got a call from Goodkind's editor, saying Terry was really upset and demanded the line to be removed from the story.
Aw, I'm so glad you included the Eustace Clarence Scrubb line. It has long been one of my favourite opening lines. Along with The Hobbit and Harry Potter openings.
The only first line I remeber even after so many years is "A human body starts to decompose four minutes after death." It's a thriller tho, The chemistry of death, Simon Beckett. But my gods, it sets a tone so well.
What you said about Sanderson is exactly how I feel, I am relentlessly loyal to him because of his transparency, the way he deals with fans, what he does for everyone and then his amazing books and work rate on top of that.
Don't know if it counts as a book but here's how Watchmen (my favorite) starts: "Rorschac's journal, October 12th, 1985: Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face."
There is a definite English writing element to both Harry Potter and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. That almost prim ability of Brits to cut you to the bone whilst being tewibbly understated.
My personal favourite opening line is from a hundred years of solitude: "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
Honestly the first line of The Way of Kings prologue might be the best first line of all time. It got me so hooked into the book from the very beginning.
Recently stumbled upon your channel, and absolutely love it! Love the back and forth between you two, and great (and relatable for me) sense of humor. The opening of you guys yelling out the LOTR song gets me every time.😂 Fiancee and I are making our way through your back catalog 🤙
just started watching you guys and I’m an instant fan. haven’t read most of these books but your energy and enthusiasm for so many of them definitely makes me want to! Plus I love the back and forth haha
I was waiting for Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. "Ask me not if God exists, but why he's such a prick." His Nevernight one is also great "People often shit themselves when they die."
I love The Name of the Wind so much. Why did it have to be written by a scammer. WHY?!?!? Also, did Richard just mention Pendragon? As in Pendragon by D. J. MacHale? I loved that series! I’ve never heard anyone else ever mention it.
@@thinkinggingerbeard2556 firstly he hasnt released book 3 after 11 years, and every time someone asks about it he yells at them and is just generally rude to them. But that’s not why he’s a scammer, he’s a scammer because he told fans that if they cross a certain donation milestone he’s release the first chapter of Doors of Stone. Milestone was crossed, still hasn’t released it. It’s been like a year+. We can have the debate on whether he owes his fans book 3 (I believe he does), but people donated lots of money to get that chapter. He’s a scammer. I’m not reading anything from him again after I read Doors of Stone.
Please read the sword of shannara , it’s very close to lord of the rings but very different in its own way. There is a war, a quest , it’s got great characters and it’s the beginning of a huge series.
I’ve literally only read like two or three of all of these books so from an almost completely unbiased opinion, many of these ratings have no rhyme or reason 😂 but I very much enjoyed the energy y’all have
Throne of Glass is technically the first book of the series, but Assassian’s Blade should be read first in my opinion because its a prequel that sets up the series.
Another really good one is: "On this day of days there was an unfamiliar stirring deep inside the dozing heart of the Hayholt, in the castle's bewildering warren of quiet passages and overgrown, ivy-choked courtyards, in the monk's holes and damp, shadowed chambers." From The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
How is “Ash fell from the sky” worse than the like 3-4 books in B tier saying “The forest this morning was boring and bland”??? The most interesting of the environmental scenic first lines which are like a full 1/2 of B tier.
If there is one thing ive noticed is that first lines really set the tone for a story. I have a story where fighting is very prominent and some of the themes are centered around that and that was something I tried to do myself. The opening line or 2 is someone training for a fight though in my own not humble opinion I think its not bad. Not terry goodkind kind of not humble though, I dont have that level of unfounded confidence.
It's not a fantasy book per se...but my favorite opening line is from Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese: Salem was meant to be a new beginning, a place where the sharp scent of cinnamon and tea perfumed the air with hope; a place where the colors could be safe and alive within me.
Personally, I think you were a little unfair to Mistborn's first line. "Ash fell from the sky" isn't amazing by any means, but it still provides a little bit of intrigue. Why is ash falling from the sky? Where is it coming from? Is this normal for this world? And in general it sets a vibe. This is not a light-hearted, cheery story. I guess in my mind F tier means the line provides none of that. D tier at least, imo.
Incase you missed in your previous: Chapter one title: “A Contradiction in Prowess.” First line: “The morning brought a crispness in the still air that made him fill his lungs to their fullest.”
I really don't base books off of the first line. Thats almost as bad as judging a book by the cover. I base books off of who recommended them. The more I trust the person, the further I will read before I give up if I don't immediately get hooked.
Would love to argue the final empire ranking but yeah, Austin is righ haha. I kooked at my book and the prologue and chapter 1 both start with the same line.
... I liked "Ash fell from the sky." To be fair, I always pair it with the heading paragraph which is a first-person excerpt from a diary about an apparent "chosen one," questioning if he's the right person to save the world. Then, immediately after that excerpt, "Ash fell from the sky." Like, nah buddy, I don't think you were the right person.
SPOILER WARNING (Up to and including Book 4 of Stormlight) … … Ok I think we’re in the clear - I was talking about how we still know so little about Szeth, and we think he is (it mightve been announced already, not sure) the flashback character we will get in Stormlight 5, and hopefully will find out about his backstory, what Shinovar is like, etc!
Now that I think about it technically the opening of malazan is this, the one you read is just the opening of the prologue and this bit is slightly before that. I also like this quite a bit more than the start of the prologue too and would probably put it middle of s tier on your list, it’s similar to the wheel of time opening for me except it’s only for book one and instead comes back in a book in a different way. “Now these ashes have grown cold, we open the old book. These oil-stained pages recount the tales of the Fallen, a frayed empire, words without warmth. The hearth has ebbed, its gleam and life’s sparks are but memories against dimming eyes - what cast my mind, what hue my thoughts as I open the Book of the Fallen and breathe deep the scent of history? Listen, then, to these words carried on that breath. These tales are the tales of us all, again yet again. We are history relived and that is all, without end that is all.”
"The sunrise was the colour of bad blood. It leaked out of the east and stained the dark sky red, marked the scraps of cloud with stolen gold. Underneath it the road twisted up the mountainside towards the fortress of Fontezarmo - a cluster of sharp towers, ash-black against the wounded heavens. The sunrise was red, black and gold. The colours of their profession." -Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
2ToRamble Entire List Null and Void due to not even including the single greatest First Line of all time lol. The actual Greatest First Line comes from Book 12 of The Dresden Files, titled Changes. It goes as follows: I answered the phone and Susan Rodriguez said “They’ve taken our daughter.” I sat there for a long five count, swallowed, and said “Um. What?” That’s the best there is no competition lol
Way of the wind was a great book, until the end where Rothfuss tacks on the battle scene, contrived as it was, with a wingless dragon? Finding Dena there was also … convenient, to say the least. Was it his choice, or was it the publisher’s, we will never know, all to make a book appear like a traditional might want to appear? Wise Man’s was superior. The second time reading the pair, I found a new trope, the “how stupid can one man be” trope, and I gnashed my teeth … but … by the end, with the ups and downs, lows and highs, it, they, except for the dragon scene, left an impression deep in my soul, a mark of greatness. A mark of genius. In his latest interview with Grimdark, he discounts conflict/climax, preferring tension. Said it was tension that made a story, and knowing this (and how right he is), one can, might, understand why I believe, the dragon scene was a last minute fix the book, by some standard only the publishing industry would want, to help sell a book.
they’ve talked about it before. opening chapter had some really dark stuff and rich was not interested in reading more of a book where he wants the main character to die as soon as possible
it's true it's not a book for everyone (the whole first half of the first book is kinda traumatizing tbh), but the series has the best character arc I've ever read in Jorg
i hate to be that guy, but your reaction to the first line of a book isn't genuine if you have read the book. lol - That opening section by Rothfuss is actually better than Dickens "best of times worst of times" nonsense, yet the later will always be considered a literary classic lol.
Listening to these rankings, as an author, is anxiety inducing 😅. Opening lines are hard! I was somewhat conforted by the amount of disagreement in the comments though. Just goes to show, even if someone hates your line and gives it an F, others may love it.
I (austin) am more of a binge reader - some days 6-8 hours, others 0, but it probably averages put to around an hour a day. Mon-thursday won’t read at all but will then read 5 hours a day Fri-Sun for example. Definitely varies so much im a mess lol
Im sorry but the guy on the right really reminds me of that guy who does hilarious skits with millions of costumes😂 adrian? Idk his name but they look alike😂 Found him : adrian bliss
Never read Name of The Wind, but those lines you read were extremely boring imo and made me uninterested immediately. 😅 it's like get to the point, seems like it would waste time with lots of fluff.