Popular books that are NOT WORTH The Hype! 

Samantha Shannon herself actually feels the same way about the Priory ending! I can’t remember where I’ve seen her talking about it, but she basically said she wrote a different ending and the editor was so adamant it had to be cut down it made her feel insecure and she listened to them and trimmed down the ending. I think she was talking about how your should listen to your instincts when you know something is right and how editors don’t always know best. And she’s gonna write a sequel to it!

This might be controversial but any booktok recommendations is a big no for me. Read quite few to prove it to myself

I learned my lesson with Sarah j maas after queen of shadows where she destroyed her characters for shock value and a heavy orefetence for a couple and then she did the same in acotar haha but whatever. I'll just never read anything by her again. I'm over her writing and her manipulating the reader into liking alpha males.

So glad other ppl weren’t wowed by These Violent Delights. I got both books because I was so sure I’d love it and I could barely get through the first one. There was SO much telling instead of showing in the book. Huge chunks of text about useless backgrounds or descriptions that I think was supposed to be for the purpose of world building but just fell flat. And the writing style began to drive me crazy. Idk there was a lot more about it that I couldn’t stand and found myself rolling my eyes at certain sentences or descriptors, but all in all it was a huge disappointment 😭

I was worried that Priory would be on this list when I saw the title because I really have been wanting to read it! I’m glad to have heard your review didn’t make me not want to read it! Now I can go in with slightly lower expectations when I finally get to it 😊

I agree with the rushed ending in Priory, but overall I absolutely loved it. It's one of my favorite fantasy books. It made me cry and I didn't expect that haha I loved the writing style and the characters so much. I would recommend it to anyone looking for lyrical writing, slow burns and interconnected povs. Have patience, though, it's not a fast paced book (till the end), but I think that makes it even more special.

Honestly, Addie LaRue was so overhyped for me! My expectations were way to high going in to the book.

Priory is actually getting a sequel. The author is currently working on a prequel for the world. And she did say that she has ideas for the priory sequel but she's gonna take her time writing it.

I love how you’re being savage towards these books but in the kindest way 😂

It’s been a few years since I read Priory, but from what I remember, I absolutely adored one of the plotline (the princess part) and absolutely despised the other plotline (can’t even remember what it was because I blocked it out). It made for a really conflicted 3 star read because I would get so bored when the plots I didn’t like were featured, but absolutely devour the parts of the book I enjoyed.

For me it was "Shadow and bone" trilogy. Six of crows is one of my favourite series so I my expectations were high. I was so dissapointed. Some supporting characters (Genya, Nikolai, Aparatus, Bahra for instance) are so well-written but both main characters are so dumb. Like Alina not being able to make ANY decision. Like girl all the world counts on you. I was yelling at Alina and Mal to make up already. ("But we can't be together"). Darkling had such potential but alas. I liked him in book 1, but in books 2-3 he is so flat, his writing is bad. To add insult to an injury the ending didn't make any sense to me. No offence meant to series fans. I wanted to like it so much but alas.

I know what you mean about the SJM being bloated: I've never read it, but I walked past two copies on the bookstore shelf yesterday and the front one was literally half falling off the shelf. Gotta have some serious plot and scope to justify that doorstop status... (Saying this as someone who loves a good doorstop! A *good* doorstop.)

I completely agree on The Priory of the Orange Tree! Even though it was long I wanted more. I feel like Tane could have her own whole fantasy series. Or really the whole thing could have benefitted from being a series instead of a standalone where she tried to push so much world building, character development and plot into a single book.

I am no sure what's worse: to read the book you wanna like and it's okay like not good, not bad just okay or to love the book and to be dissappointed by the ending.

I love that you did this! I feel like there are some books that I have read that I didn't like it BECAUSE there was so much hype that I was expecting it to be one of my favorite books of all time. Going into it with that expectation ruined the whole thing. That's what happened to my with First Law. So I appreciate you talking about these books realistically! Thank you

I'm actually curious about Priory of the orange tree's word count in comparison to other fantasy novels. Yeah it's like 800 pages but it also had giant font and really big margins.

I agree, so much potential with the priory of the orange tree. What frustrates me the most is how much I remember and love the 75%.

Love these videos! They're always a good sense check after reading some of these very hyped books and then questioning myself when I don't fall head over heels for them. 😭 IMO, my overhyped set of books is the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. Everyone kept touting it as being so different and a unique YA and tbh I only ever found it to be okay.

samantha shannon said a while ago that she listened to her editor in making the ending more fast paced because they wanted to give the feeling of everything gearing up and rushing towards the end, kind of like how the characters felt the oncoming dread of the battle rushing at them, to sort of emulate the absolutely-no-time-left vibe, if that makes sense? i also thought the ending was way too rushed, and i stand by that, but knowing that it was an active choice sort of makes it more bearable lol. and i still really loved the book! the companion (i think?) that samantha shannon's been writing and said is close to being announced is supposed to be longer though, and i am really looking forward to reading it! i really love her writing.

The Guest List was the latest book where I don't get the hype. I DNFed after 30 %. I couldn't connect to the characters and in some cases actively hoped they would not leave that island alive. I also didn't finish the Spanisch Love Deception because I found it so repetitive and obvious. But that might be me, I just don't do well with contemporary romance.

I personally enjoyed Our Violent Ends more than the first book. I also listened to the audiobooks, because the I wasn’t connecting to These Violent Delights at first. So I definitely recommend trying out the audiobooks for that duology 😊

I totally agree with you on the Priory of the Orange Tree! That ending killed me, it was so bad. Like you said it ended in 5 minutes and you felt like being run over and half of the story missing. So disappointing!

I’ll be honest, Sarah J. Maas always disappoints me. Throne of Glass had so many 4 and 5* reviews, but reading it for the first time in 2021 I was actually shocked at how boring it was for a book with an assassin main character and deadly competition plotline. I was expecting YA Game of Thrones/Hunger Games, and I got a bland murder mystery that wasn’t even a mystery and had the worst and most obvious red herring I’ve ever seen. The romance was okay, but the love triangle side of things was ridiculously stupid. I felt like the side characters only seemed to think about romance and how pretty the MC was without any kind of further development or other loyalties/friendships/goals. The whole story was so disappointingly flat.

The biggest over hyped book for me rn is def Iron Widow😩 I really wanted to give it a chance cuz I love Xiran on RU-vid and follow them on Twitter but... I truly wonder if everyone read the same book I read with all the literary praise it's getting🧍🏾‍♀️. I listened to the audio book and if I had to take a drink for every time "girl" "being a girl" or any iteration of these, I'd be dead by chapter 5... and there's over 30 chapters of this nonstop. Also I felt like the way the narrator was reading it made it sound even more repetitive. The book read like a poorly constructed fan fic, world building was non existant, and the characters were not interesting. Zeitan is literally so two dimensional, i have no qualms with an angry protag, she's just too basic. l DNF about 41% in and I felt like so little actually happened and yet there were so many chapters?? I still wanna finish the book just so I can see it thru but my goodness it was a chore to listen to😩

I hope you do a video on under-hyped books!

UUh, I love the audio quality! ☺️

agree so so much with priory of the orange tree!!!! I was sooo disappointed about how fast the ending went. The build up was actually so good but it just fell so flat with the ending, i had to re read it because it all happened so quickly to make sure i got everything. definitely could of used another few hundred pages for the end.

Maas knows she's a one trick pony and she's trying to bring that back with the ending of HOSAB. She knows it was a bad book so she tried to hook the disappointed readers by bringing her old hit character. It's a cheap trick. Fortunately, it does not work on me and I won't continue.

I tried A Court of Thorns and Roses given how popular it was - let's just say I won't be reading anything else by Sarah J Maas. Also It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover - so unrealistic

Kings of the Wyld was one of my favorite of the last year. It is subjective of course, but I hope most will give it chance.

100% agree on Priory of the Orange Tree - once we were nearing the ending I assumed there would at least be a sequel because there was no way it could be wrapped up. And then it was over suddenly with no book 2 and I was so mad about it. Still have it on my bookshelf because the title and cover are so pretty

Kingdom of the wicked was wildly overhyped for me. Someone called it a Sicilian cookbook with some fantasy sprinkled in and I would agree. I really tried to give the series a shot and read kingdom of the cursed and cringed painfully through it. I have zero intention of reading the next book.

I really enjoyed Priory, but I can see your point. When I think back on the book, I rarely think about the ending. I still enjoyed the rest of the book enough that it would be a 3.75-4 start book for me (if I rated books). Having the ending of the story take place over another book and making it a duology could have been phenomenal. It has been the only book by the author I have read so far, but definitely won't be my last.

Merph sent me here! You just got a new subscriber. No questions asked.

The second book in the blood and ash series is not good but it definitely gets MUCH better! You should give the next one a shot.

I don’t like Sarah J Maas’s and Jennifer Armentrout’s writing. They just talk too much and explain and repeat things over and over and over again! Some people don’t mind that but it’s my biggest pet peeve. I just can’t. So I DNFed book one of both of the books mentioned.

I'd love an updated list for fave fantasy/romance novels! 😊

Bunny, The Silent Patient, Jade City, The First Law and The Shadow of the Gods are all very overhyped. I thought they were okay but not great, except for Bunny. I hated that book.

I know this isn’t about the actual content but I LOVE that blanket

Ope! Lol I loved kingdom of flesh and fire🙈, but agreeee with these violent delights!!!🙊

Completely agree on Serpent & Dove, I didn’t care for the romance and found the main character to be a bit insufferable. I couldn’t finish it. Like you said, sooo many other better options out there!

I'm sure the future library is going to be awesome but I'm going to miss the current cozy setup.

I really enjoyed the priory of the orange tree 🤗🙂

I tried hard with Serpant & Dove.... but I DNFed at 50 pages because I just couldn't get into it. These Violent Delights was also a DNF for me... yikes lol

Awesome vlog! Regan I just want to thank you for your review on House of sky and breath because you saved me from reading this book. Have you read the Wheel of Time series ?

For some reason, although I love fantasy and romance books, I have 0 interest in picking up "fantasy romance" novels 😂 Even though I love the presence of these elements, none of the popular ones have appealed to me all. I think I would rather just pick up an urban fantasy, which always feels like lower stakes to me and easier to enjoy. But I think the only one on this list I felt differently about was Priory of the Orange. It was a 5 star for me when I read it as soon as it came out, and I don't remember having any issues with the ending, but I do think my opinion might change if I reread it. Mostly because I felt like there was a big difference in quality and importance between some of the POVs. Like the women were super interesting, but other than tidbits of info from the men I just remember trying to rush through them.

Hahaha I’m the opposite of you when it comes to Jim Butcher!! I adore Dresden (but his voice sometimes irks me) but I DNF’d the Codex Alera book series. And with Priory, I enjoyed it but agree that it’s overhyped. I gave it a 4 I think but it’d benefit so much from being split into two books cos of the pace and scope. I am excited to read more from Shannon in that world though. :)

My picks would be The Silent Patient, A History of Wild Places, and Of Blood and Ash!

Totally agree with you in your commentary about Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, I still do not understand the many 5 stars or how hyped this book is because honestly nothing actually happens until the last 200 pages (book is 600+) for me it was very repetetive, but third book in this series is even worse...

I agree with so much of this!! the fact that From Blood and Ash is as popular as it is realy confuses me! it's not good writing

the way my jaw DROPPED when you said Priory of the Orange Tree! But I do understand

Definitely agree for Priory! The ending was bafflingly disappointing compared to the start

I got the free sample of blood & Ash and immediately knew I would not be purchasing the book… however I will say that I respectfully disagree with Kings of the Wyld. It has become one of my favorite books of all time& I can totally see where you’re coming from about not being connected to the characters but I think what did it for me was 1. The narrative style of an old man who just wants to go home was so funny to me & I loved it & 2. As someone who loves DnD this very much felt like a dnd campaign and was just very feel good idk

I honestly loved addie larue and these violent delights but maybe thats because i didnt really see all the hype behind it, i just saw 2 or 3 people recommend it and i decided to read it but afterwards, i saw how much hype its been getting and i kinda understand why people expected a lot more

I want more from Priory too but we are getting another book in the same world!

Your review of POTOT was word for word exactly how I felt about it when I read it two years ago. That ending was virtually non existent and what little plot there was at the end was such a cliche. All that buildup, all the wonderful world building, only to be left with such an anticlimax at the end. Legit when I got to the “big reveal” I was like “that’s it??”

I’m SO glad you mentioned Serpent & Dove. my thoughts exactly. I was just really underwhelmed

I love the Bone Season Series...but was disappointed by Priory. Tane was my favorite character but we got a lot more page time with Ead and Sabran, and I wish it was a more equal division between perspectives.

It would be Normal People for me. The summary at the back sounded so so good but it was not what I thought. I had to Dnf it. I physically couldn’t keep reading that. Another one has to be ToG but this one has to do with the fact that I read ACOTAR first and I could see the huuuuge difference in her growth as an author 😊!

The Red Queen trilogy was overhyped for me, couldn’t get through the first book. The main character drove me crazy and the plot was slow. I remember thinking the main girl could be this insane badass chick then.. disappointment. Whiny, victim main characters kinda annoy me at this point

On the point of HoSaB, you’re so right about the lack of female pov’s, especially since two of the male pov’s we didn’t even need and took up a lot of unecessary space on the book. There was at least one or two other pov’s from a female character we could have gotten from ugh. Also I feel like SJM tries to be all ‘feminist’ with Bryce’s character but for the majority of the book her whole personality revolves around other male characters. It’s so frustrating

I so agree about Priory (the only one I've read on this list)! Lots of elements were great but it fell short in other areas, which is so sad because like you I was ready to adore it A book I think is overhyped is Daisy Jones and the Six. Didn't like the main characters, couldn't keep track of any other male character, and the ending was lame. I'm happy so many people liked it, but I am not one of them 😅

I also didn't love These Violent Delights. I just couldn't engage with it and found the characters to be lackluster. I was so bummed because I love Shakespeare and Chloe Gong, from her tweets, seemed to have such a great grasp on the true meaning of Romeo & Juliet. But the execution of the book just completely fell flat for me. I ended up DNF'ing it.

I’m glad you mentioned “The priory of the orange tree”. I really, really did not have the best time with this book. The premise was great but the characters were not very deep. And that ending? Predictable AF.

I totally agree about Serpent and Dove.

I feel like I can't even read a lot of really hyped books on booktube and booktok, because a lot of people started these series from SJM and Leigh Bardugo as teens, and now there's nostalgia. But I feel like I'm too hold for the more YA ones now in my mid-twenties, so I just won't read them. I like YA, but I'm hesitant about authors that I don't already love

I agree with These Violent Delights. It wasn't bad, it was just an okay one for me. I haven't read the sequel yet, still deciding if I want to. I disagree with The Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, I absolutely loved it, but I do get what you're saying. There is a lack of plot through most of it. I felt the way you felt more for Crown of Gilded Bones. The ending was great, but the pacing through the rest of it was not good. But, I loved The War of Two Queens. It had a way better plot, and so many twists, and did not struggle for pacing. I can't believe how controversial it is!

Funnily enough I love all of the books you've mentioned that I've read lol. Haven't gotten around to priory and these violent delights yet, but I tend to go easier on east Asian inspired anything because I'm desperate to read about characters who look like me cause for so long that wasn't a thing (and I'm in my late 20s which is kinda sad). I HATE Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train with a burning fiery passion. I tend to love mystery books and even mystery thrillers, but I couldn't stand these. I need at least one character to root for and I despised every single one in each book. I only finished them to know what happened in the end. Truly painful.

Just finished Piranesi and was left feeling very underwhelmed.

For me it would have to be The Shadow of the Wind! I seriously wondered if I was reading the same book as everyone else. I've never seen anyone (that I follow) give it less than five stars, but it was literally one of the worst books I've ever read. 😬 I was so bored the whole time, I figured out the mystery at the very beginning, and the female characters were horribly written. I swear every time a female character was introduced she was first described by her breasts lol. I seriously don't understand how it is so popular.

1000000% agree with your thoughts on Kingdom of Flesh and Fire! those books are not good LOLLL but they're so popular it's wild

I agree that Priory was rushed. But it’s still my top favorite fantasy book of all time. I loved the female focus, it’s something we don’t get too much in fantasy until recently. The writing was so good that the book flew and I was left wanting more. 800 pages felt like 400. I’m excited for her next book in the same world. I also really enjoyed To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and the discussion of what it meant to be human, but most people hated it 😂😂

Totally agree with both Serpent and Dove, and Kingdom of Flesh and Fire. After I read both of these books I did not continue reading the rest of the series...

I will try any book that my library has because the more books checked out the more funding they get, which is the only reason I even tried these books. All the books feel like spectical over a solid story

I think my most recent over-hyped books are The Midnight Library (unmemorable and rather saccharine) and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (too much naval-gazing and a bit pretentious - I was so hoping to love this one, such a disappointment).

i totally feel you on the dresden files!! my dad and brother love them, but from my personal perspective it just took me out of the story whenever he would talk about any female character ever :/

I agree with literally every book you listed. Especially the first two and Priory of the Orange Tree.

I’m so sad priory is on your list! I loved it so much!

You just saved me at ton of money.

I agree with a loot of these but ill fight everyone on the priory hahaha

I am in the middle of the priory of the orange tree and I agree with you although not for the same reason. I feel like the book isn't giving me enough! That everything is underdeveloped and lacks depth. I would agree on the over a thousand pages or duology of 700-pages books!

While I don't usually judge a book entirely by its cover, every Sarah J. Maas cover I've ever seen has clearly communicated the genre, which isn't one I like. So I was quite fortunately missed by the hype for that particular series.

I really wish I could buy books like you guys, I really love reading books. If I tell my Parents they won't allow me to so I am saving up for it . I hope I can buy em soon ^^

I agree with you about,, To Sleep In a Sea of Stars so much! I love Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle and was so hyped for his Sci-Fi debut and it turned out to be one of the most disappointing books I've ever read.

Reagan constantly getting the title of house of sky and breath wrong is hilarious to me

Since you ask, Outlander and A Court of Thorns and Roses. I hated Outlander and would have thrown it if it hadn't been a library book. I just did not like A Court of Thorns and Roses, everyone keeps telling me that I have to read the next one but I just can't stand Feyra.

Plenty of these books you mention I agree with!

i agree with ur review on TVD! i sold my copies cause i fee like i dont wanna krep them

I liked the sequel, Bloody Rose, a lot more than Kings of the Wyld personally. Felt like there was a lot more character emotional development and whatnot, so I'd recommend it.

you’re the best

To me Six of crows doulogy are VERY overhyped. I genuinely do not trust people who say this doulogy are the best books they've ever read. SOC had potential but the main characters like Kaz was a overkill.

I've noticed alot of avid YA fantasy readers getting tired of it, and I had to do this, many are going to have to do this, and that is move out of YA and into more adult fantasy/epic fantasy. We are moving towards the same lull as we did when we got sick of dystopian novels (remember when everything was dystopian, like every novel was chasing the success of the hunger games).

I just got back into reading at the end of last year and when I first started picking out books to read I went straight for the 4 stars and above stuff on goodreads hahahah and let me say how I was SO WRONG in doing that. Why? Everyone's book taste is subjective. What you love, I might absolutely hate. I also didn't quite research what the books were about and ordered only the 'popular ones' that people were hyping up. It took me ten books to realize that I'm into romance fiction books and I ended up buying Joan Didion memoirs, and murder-mystery books because they are 'just sooooo good'. We'll see how those go. Example: I ended up getting The Love Hypothesis because people said it's amazing and I love romance so I decided to give it a shot. Safe to say I don't understand the hype. *spoiler* The plot was so cringey to me I even got second hand embarrassment. How are people giving it 5 stars?????? But yet again, it's not my taste and that's okay! If people love how Olive acted like a fifteen year old then alrighty. I think we should do more book research before we decided to spend out money AND time on them. Thank you Regan for sharing! I loved hearing your thoughts!

Im glad you do videos like this. Media, just for cash grab, over hyped bad books. Thanks for the warning.

Caraval / Once Upon A Broken Heart are absolute NOes for me. I cannot stand Stephanie Garber’s writing style & over the top “plot”: any trope you can think of written in the worst & most boring way possible.

I definitely feel that in Priory. The set up was so so good, but that final battle was so quick. It didn’t bother me as much as some people because battle scenes are generally scenes my eyes glaze over in fantasy (oops lol), but it still threw me off guard. Also I know people complain about the Sabran and Ead ending, but my main gripe with the ending is Tané deserved more development. I love my gays, but miss bad b got like no focus in the second half of the book :/

For me it was Project Hail Mary

I feel the same way about the Dresden Files! I tried to get into it, but the first book has such a “men writing women” vibe (IYKYK) when it comes to any female character that I couldn’t get through it

Yesss I love a controversial video!

I have a couple of deeply disappointing reads, and I love giving books high ratings so it breaks my heart to rate low! The most controversial has to be the Mistborn series- I just don't get it, to be honest. I found Sanderson's writing to be so bland, and if I had to listen to Vin complain one more time how she wasn't girly enough I was going to flip a table. one of my best friends loves the series and she doesn't understand how I was able to DNF halfway through book 3. I just couldn't do it anymore. Another is the first two books in the Rainwild Chronicles- I hated Dragon Keeper right away, gave it two stars, and initially thought book two was much better and gave it 4 stars. But, having finished the series, and seeing how good books three and four were... WHY did I have to spent THIRTY SEVEN HOURS reading about the same people on a stupid boat when so much interesting stuff happened in the last two books that could have been developed so much further? It's been weeks since I finished the series and I'm still mad about it. Like, the ending of book four wrapped up so quickly, whereas for basically two whole entire books we listened to a bunch of horny teenagers and dragons complain. the first two should have been combined, and much more time should have been spent on the climax and falling action of the series. the last one would be Sorcery of Thorns- I just don't have patience for any book where the villain actually rolls up twirling his handlebar moustache, and have that be the actual villain.