DRESDEN FILES VS. MALAZAN 

How would you compare these two epics? Agree with the outcome?

Me. having read neither : gets popcorn

Prediction: Daniel will still somehow manage to name WoT the GOAT

The right answer to this question, as readers of Malazan have said since the old Malazan forums is thus: Read Dresden between Malazan books.

This might just be the most apples to oranges comparison I've seen outside of literal apples and oranges; Malazan requires you to work peel away layers to get to the juicy meat of the story, while Dresden is easier to sink your teeth into, but has a solid core.

I'm a simple man. I see Dresden Files. I click.

how about for the next verses video could you do "The Sword of Truth" Vs "The Fifth Sorceress"

"Malazan dogs do not remind me of my childhood dog" what you mean your childhood dog wasn't a set of seven gigantic hounds made from the essence of Darkness itself that on occasion take it upon themselves to rip apart Ascendants?

Dresden is one of the single best character studies in any medium. The emotions I felt when Michael tells Dresden he's a good man, after Harry had been lying and hiding things, was intense. The breadth of his development, loss, triumph, and pain is impressive. But at the end of the day, Malazan might be one of the most ambitious stories ever told. I recommend both series any time someone asks what they should read.

On the relations category, I think you're underselling how many amazing duo friendships Malazan has. Whether its Quick Ben and Kalam, Tool and Toc, Trull and Onrack, Tehol and Bugg, Fiddler and Hedge, Karsa and Samar Dev, Helian and her bottle, there are so many memorable duos with memorable friendships in Malazan. Erikson's romances are admittedly not all that great but his friendships are top class.

This sounds like someone trying to pick a best food between steak and ice cream. Honestly, whether you like Dresden or Malazan better says more about your tastes and preferences than the material.

Totally agree! While I might find Dresden a more enjoyable read, Malazan is a better read. I was personally hooked right away in Gardens, but I get that it can be difficult. MOI was the wow book for me.

This is like comparing apples and sushi, they do VASTLY different things, and both are good at what they try to achieve. A fun casual romp that lasts a week (dresden) or a one-year hardcore commitment (malazan)

A series that will consume my entire soul and that I won’t understand until book 7? Sold

Just saying, the Chain of Dogs made me cry, no other story has made me cry.

I’m intrigued with this Dresden “sex appeal”

I really liked the AUDIOBOOK of the Dresden Files. James Marsters (he played Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has a great voice for Dresden.

I just love how much you came around on Malazan. It's just a series you really have to take your time on and can't rush! But boy is it worth it

So painful, but I agree. I’ve read both series: Honestly I had more fun with Dresden, ...but Malazan altered how I see the world.

When Erikson drops OCHRE and POTSHERD so much he damn well deserves to win prose

These videos you have been doing lately are really compelling and cool. You seem to be having fun daniel and its enjoyable to see u gush over these many tittles youve read! Keep up the good work D, you are doing well!

Well despite everything, theres one thing the fanbases of both series can agree on: "Oh it gets really good you just need to get through the first 2000 pages"

Started Dresden Files because of you Daniel. I'm on Book 10 now. This has gotta be one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. I'm planning on reading Malazan next year (Wheel of Time this year).

In all of his Malazan vids, Daniel has not even mentioned Fiddler once! Does he hate Malazans main character (or whatever you want to call him)?🤨We demand answers!

I'm so glad that I subscribed to this channel. I am always reading and it has gotten difficult to figure out what I want to read next. I'm currently reading Malazan and absolutely love it.

Bob "I have spoken" Dresden "Dam it Bob, Come back here and tell me more!"

Loved the scoring/percentage system you did at the end, makes it easy to understand that the video is more about the difference between what the series offer instead of which series is better

Malazan for me was a beautifully written, confusing, and depressing story that tried to capture an entire world. Dresden Files is a popcorn-style magic-noir detective movie. I admire Malazan for what it did but Dresden was a heck of a lot more fun to read.

Malazan is like the Citizen Kane of epic fantasy.. it raises the bar so high

Yay!! I have been itching for some more Dresden content. 👌🏻

Man I miss these! The first video I saw was Drizzt vs. Lan and I've been hooked on your channel ever since.

Honestly videos like this just make me happy because I'm reminded of how great both series are. I agree with the outcome I think - Dresden is a hugely fun series with a lot of heart, while Malazan is a sheer work of art that raises fantasy to its peak literary potential. So different, but so much to love about both!

I think if you reread Dresden a second time you will probably be impressed by the depth of the side characters, they get less focus then in Malazan(obviously) but it is kinda shocking how many of the side characters are really well realized.

Dresden - 78% Malazan - 82% Based on the average of Daniel's scores for each category.

This gonna be good. I'm making my way through both right now

Dresden Files vs Hellblazer would've been an amazing match. Probably done to death by now, but I would love to hear your take on it.

I'm so looking forward to reading The Dresden Files! Thank you Daniel!

When I discovered Booktube, I was super confused, because Dresden also is the Capitol of a federal state in Germany😂😂 well, now I know better

Wasn't sure watching this given that I've read the Dresden series few times now, but am just about to embark on Malazan for the first time (and don't want anything ruined!) but excellent work reviewing without spoiling a thing! Even more excited for Malazan. Thanks Daniel!

I started dresdin because of you and I'm on book 3, i got my fiance into it. Now I need to start malazan. Hopefully this video doesn't spoil them!

Thanks for posting! I will watch and share the hell out of any Dresden Files video you create. Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Mab.

Congrats on the 200k subscribers. Haven't watched any of your videos in some time.

From the video I get the idea that if you grade them on an academic level, Malazan wins. If you grade it on an enjoyment level, Dresden wins.

Ahhh, this is so hard. Malazan and Dresden do different things and I love all of it.

Love your channel!

This is interesting, it has made me consider trying Malazan again

i agree with you on, most points, but the ease of Dresden gives it a big edge.

I'm reading Dresden now and it's great, I started Malazan some time ago but got intimidated by it .. I didn't go far in the first book. but i'm going to read it after this. This was a great video mate... it's even more enjoyable when one is high. PEACE

Man I've gotta say I agreed with you a lot. Like for the prose part, all I have to think about is Itkovian at the end of Memories of I've. My eyes got misty at things from Dresden. But there's things in Malazan that just stay with you.

I only read the first Dresden, however this has gotten me to say that I'll catch up eventually. As for Malazan, I've been debating and if I ever read it, I might wait until after I read other fantasy epics beforehand

When I saw the title my immediate though was - there is no comparison. You address that part early and go on to provide a professional compare/contrast of the two series. You do a excellent job, even if some of the theatrics are a bit annoying. I agree with your assessment 100%. Would ask if you consider dialogue ie. conversation between characters, to be part of style or a different subset and, to me, re-readability as a "category". Re-reading Malazan is a must and is enjoyable each time, now on my 4th time through, Dresden is a pleasure to read but re-reading...? I will brag a bit here. I am 70 and have been reading SciFi, Fantasy, alternate fiction etc., for 50+ years and had a library of over 3000 volumes, before too many boxes and too many shelves got hauled too many places. Really enjoy the younger readers view point. Keep reading and review some of the classics from Van Vogt or Sturgeon.

I'm sure you made some great points. For me, it boils down to this. I just had such tremendous FUN reading Dresden! I loved every moment of it! Reading Malazan was such a drudgery of confusion for me that I gave up after book two or three. I just couldn't deal with more drudgery waiting for it to finally "get good" at around book five, six, or seven.

So what i love about Dresden and what im finding that i love in stories in general is something i can only describe as Intimacy. Feeling as if i know the characters, feel them and their struggles. Dresdens story is intimate. Its a story of a person just trying to do his best in a world with no easy answers. Its a story of a someone who keeps having to make the hard choices and feel consequences of the decisions he felt was right. And i think thats what i love over grand epic fantasy that tells the story of worlds over centuries. Just my cup of tea is all

When I saw the "Before you read Dresden Files" it reminded me a little bit of Devil May Cry with a bit of early Supernatural and Doctor Strange. Can't wait to get my hands on them

Both legendary in its own right love both series 😍

My view on the Malazan series is that it is more following a world encompassing event through numerous pov:s rather than following particular characters. You just follow the maelstrom and see how everyone tries to deal with it

This is a seven course feast vs fairy floss. Both are highly accomplished technical feats but one is an archeologist familiar with hundreds of cultures over tens of thousands of years, and the other is a small town Yankee who assumes their views are universal.

I miss “enjoyment factor” in your category list. I blazed through Dresden files and the books literally kept me up reading instead of getting enough sleep, I started the first Malazan book and while I can see the appeal and the quality, I put it down for other books because I just didn’t enjoy reading it. I *will* pick it up again and give it another try and I’m pretty sure that once my life, currently badly out of whack, returns to normal, that I will be able to appreciate it. But during the current crisis mode world is in I just couldn’t push myself to read more of it.

Ask people on the r/Dresdenfiles subreddit about their favorite characters in the Dresden Files. You'll see their lists and that will be enough to show how great Jim Butcher is at creating characters... Through a first person narrative. Sure, we meet them through Dresden, but they're still way too well realized for simply reducing them to their relationship with Dresden. I would take quality over quantity any day.

This be like compareing eating pizza with takeing a hot shower

Happy weekend reading to u!! 📖🎬🎬

Me just reading the title before the video starts...these 2 series couldn't be more different....we'll see where Daniel goes with this.

every time daniel talks about Malazan, my to-be-read list shakes in fear

Malazan vs The Wheel of Time

I don’t read or really care for fantasy in general. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m subscribed and binge watching the channel

You had a leonburger??? What a cutie, absolute dream doggo, I love them so much 😭❤️

Quick Ben would wreck Dresden.

well given that i am a hardcore fan and reader of Malazan, i belive now it's time to start with Dresden.... thanks for this video

2 of my favs? hell yeah!!

I found Dresden before he was popular. Found Malazan after it was completed. Love them both, haven't finished either yet, but working on it. I'm a mood reader, so I either mood read the dense epic high fantasy, or the easier digestible epic low urban fantasy. They give such different feels but on epic scales, impossible for me to chose one over the other. They're both equally amazing.

Lessons I've learned from watching Daniel Greene videos about Malazan: Anomander Rake is a fucking BADASS

Dresden's magic system is told in a way that's just convincingly real. It is extremely easy to suspend disbelief. Perhaps because I can so easily relate to being that lone bachelor working on his technical hobby crafts in the basement.

0:00 After watching Wandavision episode 8 and waiting for the finale :D

Having just finished Changes....I loved that "He changes" comment lol. Cos wow

I hope the purpose of this piece was to motivate the reader to read both. The wise individual will come to the understanding that both series are drastically different, well done, and both being worthy to be read. I, personally, will start Dresden sometime in March and will embark onto Malazan in about 2 years. Yes, I do have that much on my bookshelves/TBR just staring at my awaiting to be read.

I'd been seeing this recommended for a while now and I'm not surprised the argument on worldbuilding was "built a world vs used the real world" where in a simplistic view its true. In a reality of the two series however it's vastly simplifying one for the benefit of the other. The story of Dresden takes place in a contemporary modern world with magic beings interspersed in it, this is true. Malazan created a world and history that the story is based in, this is also true. But Malazan created only 1 world where the story takes place in. Dresden has - as of current counting - 4 separate worlds that the story is moving in simultaneously, we see it from Harry's perspective because he's a modern human who lives in Chicago (rip), but he regularly takes trips into the NeverNever, he's seen courts of the Sidhe. We've seen the Goblin Court, we've seen a modern Valhalla, we've even seen the place that is most important. Just because Dresden Files takes place primarily in the modern world does not mean it is set in the modern world, the modern world is a backdrop to the larger scale of a larger "verse" than I've seen in a lot of Fantasy. And we're getting multiverse stuff soon too. So the argument of saying one is a portrait vs a world is very flattering to your preference to larger fantasy, Dan. But it shows your lack of vision. Dresden Files is similar to a piece by Michaelangelo, a large single piece with a huge array of things going on in it that might not have full connection to the theme of the piece. Malazan is similar to a piece by Jan Van Eyck, large in scope, large in theme, but revolving around a single message and the theme is darker than average. You really can't compare the two in any sense other than personal preference.

If the Malazan hounds reminded you of your childhood dogs, you'd likely not have survived your childhood.

Funny this came out - I'm reading entire Discworld series again and started Wheel of Time (starting book 3) but was stuck on deciding on third series to binge in 2021 and decided it had to be one or the other of these 2 very series. I went with Dresden Files as felt it would be digestible enough reading between WoT books more than Malazan as I understand it's one of these "read it and only it to keep track of everything" kind of series. I'll pick it up when I'm don't with Dresden and WoT but likely that ain't gonna be this year lol. Think 2022 will be Malazan/Witcher for me.

Im 500 pages away from finishing WoT and I just want to say thank you.. Just thank you

Well... I adore the Dresden Files, exactly for all the reasons you gave it wins, but now I'm curious about Malazan so I'll have to add it to my TBR. BTW, as someone who voluntary has put down money to own Dresden, Discworld, Murderbot you may appreciate the other series who I have parted cold hard cash for: the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. A scifi series with astonishing delightful character work.

I guess I'll have to pick up this Malazan book.

Daniel, have you done a best top 10 individual book? Whether it's a standalone or a book in the series

Enjoyed the video though would argue against the premise that they’re even similar enough to compare like this

Also I've never identified so deeply and personally with a character as I have with Harry Dresden, so even if I come to the same overall conclusions as you after Malazan, Dresden will still be my favorite

I read purely for enjoyment and Dresden Files is my comfort series. I've tried reading Malazan multiple times and just lose interest in book 1 or 2. I'll try to power through with an audiobook next.

I think a Sandman Slim vs Dresden Files could be a fun video. I started Sandman Slim as a filler for Dresden waiting for the next book, but there are some parts of it that I enjoyed more than Dresden.

Currently trying to decide which series to use my audible subscription on

For me, Dresden is my "comfort food". Harry Dresden is my favorite character in any media form I have ever consumed. The side characters are fully realized and absolutely fantastic. Dresden Files also has some of my favorite villains in any media. I have "read" through the series once, and have "listened" through it about 5 times. Deciding to listen through a book is like sitting down and watching a favorite TV show. Just makes me feel good. This video almost seems like, which restaurant is better? The high-dollar restaurant with 5 course meals that is obviously delicious, or the best burger and fries you have ever eaten or your favorite pizza? Most of time time, I just want my comfort food, not some expensive exotic meal.

Being about halfway through gardens of the moon and going to start proven guilty as soon as gotm wraps I might be too early in both series to really contrast them, but so far I agree with all your points except prose. Malazan is beautifully written but it’s very light on descriptions (at least in gotm) which takes away a bit from the experience imo

New subscriber here, love your content. Huge Sanderson and Abercrombie fan, but started with Dragonlance. Interested to see how you'd review that series. It's a classic, book 1 is dated but some great stories and characters in the series.

Danielle, I’m starting to believe you wait for Merphy to upload, Then upload

where can i get that illustrated overview of the magic systems in MBOTF?

Curious, I love Dresden Files, so this Malazan (that I've never heard of) just got added to my read soon list, thanks!

I like dresden I have read not all books but sometimes he is just annoying when he is taking all blame when not necessary and being chauvinistic, like the one where one character turns vampire bcoz of her own mistake and he still blames himself for what happened to her other than that I loved everything

This is a freakin blow out

So you happened to compare my 2 favorite series and I won't rant on your points. I agree with most and let's be honest it is a sliding scale not a balancing scale. I read (and reread) both for different reasons and get massive enjoyment from both. Both have made me tear up and laugh. Btw the way, have you read the Sandman Slim series? Haven't seen you comment on it.

I'm about to start Dresden. Taking a break from WOT. Nice band on your apple watch btw.

I haven't read either so obviously I have no clue which one is "better," but to me personally The Dresden Files seems more interesting. I'm excited to give them both a shot someday, though.

Make malazan tier ranking!!

Seems like most Mezla fans adore Dresden - great break from the longer epics