This was a fantastic review, Allen! Definitely understand how difficult reviewing this book must’ve been for you and you hit it out of the park. Very excited to read this one!
I'm reading this now for a vlog, and I absolutely love it. It's so refreshing to see an author who so blatantly wears his influences on his sleeve and even though this is old fashioned, there's something really contemporary about it. I think it's the violence and utilitarian prose.
My only disappointment is that the book is not available yet. Thanks for the review! Even taking into account your potential biases, your review increased my desire to read the book.
Allen is excited about a book with Vikings 📣 I repeat: Allen is excited about a book with Vikings 📣 this is not a drill people. I’m so happy for Phillip and excited to read this 🎉
Wow. You covered everything I could want to know about this book. I'm really looking forward to reading this. I haven't read a classic fantasy style book in a long time.
Well, you had me at "Tolkienesque." But I did stick around, and you've made my anticipation even greater, which is saying something. It's not surprising, from someone as thoughtful as Philip taking as much time as he did. Thanks for a thorough and balanced review.
Excellent review, Allen! I was already hyped but this made me very excited. I can't believe you're only the four star strumpet. Over compensating because Philip's your friend 🤪
Yea, this definitely amps up the excitement. I'm not a veteran of the fantasy genre, so I'm stoked to read a story that's different from much that I've read. I'm looking forward to the history, the lore, the norse-inspired vibe that may be reminiscent of John Gwynne's Bloodsworn.
This was so good!!! I took a whole bunch of notes last night, so I could watch this, but I have very similar things to say. I think I was more of the target audience for this Tolkienesque type of fantasy, and I did not tire of all the inns. I just needed more elves! 😁
Great review! Love the transparency with everything but appreciate the candor. I'm definitely more excited after this review - especially because of the Tolkien comparisons. Thanks!
Your book biases aside, this is a good review. As a long time viewer I can say with confidence you have a specific 'way' you like to see fantasy done. Glad Phillip's work met your standards.
Fine, its been a few months since I read a book with a holy war... After watching and listening to Philip for a few years now, wow, am not surprised his passion shows in his work. Filling up my cart for later this month.
Great review! I trust your reviews & yes, I will pre-order & will be listening to the audio. Yes, this review flipped me from wait & see to pre-order. Monsters & vikings & dwarfs- oh my!
Really looking forward to reading this book! Love the Art Nouveau/Arts and Craft-style Stained Glass Look on the "The Way of Edan" Cover! The face reminds me of the faces on the figures found on the Northumbrian "Franks Casket" (and other depictions of the Germanic Hero Wayland the Smith), the Orange Background gives me a feeling of sunset/sunrise (especially with the leaves coloured blue-ish, as if viewed right before sunset/after sunrise), and the colour also hints of the Buddhist Influence Professor Philip Chase have spoken of (and the leaves could remind one of Lotus Petals): As such I am reminded of the Greek-Indian fusion of the Hellenistic Period (which among other things, highly influenced Buddhist art with Greek Classical Style), if the Greeks had been replaced with Medieval Anglo-Saxons!
Woo hoo this sounds like everything I expected it to be. You're preaching to the choir but snapped up the pre-order about 2 minutes in. I'll be sure to pick up the audio for a re-read! Super review, consider me hyped.
I love that review so much! You nailed it! Can't wait to read this book and see who will be my favourite characters! 😍 Also, rich history and complex dynamics between cultures and people always fascinate me, but I wouldn't have expected any less from Dr. Fantasy. 👌 I'm currently rereading Two Towers with the hubby (it's his first time!) and he loves all those slow random parts (I'm really talking about Treebeard complaining about the loss of his treewives or whatever) and I just really need this story to move forward so I can get to my favourite parts. So I totally understand, because I still loved LOTR overall. Return of The King wouldn't have been as epic and as emotionally rewarding without those boring cringy parts in the two first installments. It is what it is. Still a masterpiece. Both can be true. 🥴 Fun fact: my husband sighs everytime Gandalf or Galadriel or any characters with some sort of authority underlines someone's lineage (Aragorn son of Arathorn, Gimli son of Gloin). I guess there's hope for him. 😂
Thank you for the wonderful, thoughtful, and honest review. I love the honesty in covering your thoughts, and the fact that your thoughts are likely influenced by friendship. My best friend is an author and I definitely understand and appreciate that influence. And...think it is just as it should be. :o) Looking forward to the series!
Roughly 2:25 into the video, "this is an excellent book and you should buy it". Cut; Print; Done, onto the next review, lol. I did watch the rest. Very good review/analysis. I can't wait to get this upon release. Thank you.
I've been eagerly awaiting early reviews and you did not disappoint!! Now, I am not going to lie, I was feeling a bit nervous about the Tolkienesque style (because I don't tend to enjoy that more classic style too much), but you definitely allayed my concerns here. It sounds like Philip offers enough new exciting things to enjoy, so I can't wait to dive in. I have full faith in Philip to tell a banger of a story! And a sorceress with lightning bolts?! HOW COOL!! The magic here sounds fascinating, I can't wait to be entranced by it. Thanks for the brilliant review! And have fun/good luck with recording the audiobook, you are going to kill it for sure 🤩
I can't wait for this book. Exellent review. If you are interested in dwarfs I suggest to try Markus Heitz, he have a very good 5 book series with dwarfs as protagonists.
“He’s such a big tool he should have a sponsorship by Craftsmen.” Hahahaha! Thanks for that!! I already could not wait. Now you’ve gone and made it worse. 😠😊 This is a great review. Enjoy Rome!!
Kudos Allen! We appreciate your honesty, striving for objectivity and impartiality in a tough spot. Great review. We are all so excited to read this book, and hear your narration of it.
I am so excited to read this. The anticipation is building so much with every announcement and video, and this is just a fantastic review! And of course, I'm just as hyped for the audiobook as the initial release!
Man, Allen! You've got me hyped even more than I already was. Loved the review. Excited to get my eyes on this and hopefully hear the audiobook as well.
Fantastic review, Allen. I’ve been excited for Philips book for a while now just like so many of us in this community. And, I cannot wait to hear AUDIO ALLEN!
Awesome review! I will definitely listen to the audiobook and read it physically as well. Since mine and Philip's tastes align super well, I expect this will be a 5 star for me. And yes, I am tempering my expectations, because I always do for everything like this, but I am mostly very optimistic. Very excited to read about these themes, cultures, enjoy the beautiful prose that stylistically contrasts the brutal cinematic battles. This is honestly one of the many reasons why Malazan is my favorite series, so your review got me even more excited!(don't worry, I am not comparing this book to Malazan that directly, just in some stylistic things you mentioned and the focus on theme).
Just finished it, had a good time although I agree I wasn't as invested in Dayraven as I'd hope to be, I also felt it got a bit too descriptive for the first half of the book but the second half the plot & pace picked up really well. I immediately started the 2nd book so congrats Philip, I'm thoroughly enjoying my time in Eormenlond 😀
Well, that sounds absolutely fantastic! Great review, Allen. Now. How long are you giving Dr. Fantasy until you publish your actual review? Two weeks after his book's released? A month? I'm hoping for a duet review, with Jimmy, of your (dis-)honest thoughts on The Way of Edan. (that would make an awfully funny video).
I disappeared off the bookternet and stopped reading for a while but have slowly been trying to interact and read more. The latter has mostly been through audiobooks so you know I’ll be picking TWoA up as soon as it’s available!
As long as you do a full boy band cover of the song in the audiobook, I don’t think anyone will have anything to complain about. 🤷🏼♂️😂 But seriously, I’m so excited for this. Hearing how Tolkienesque it is just confirms again that I’m going to enjoy it. I can’t wait. -T
Very nice discussion. I love Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's writing. Interesting to hear about the writing style because that is the most important to me while reading. I believe another of Dr Chase's influences is Le Guin so the anthropological nods (with the rituals) sound kind of apt? Noo not graphic battle scenes - one of my pet peeves in fantasy 😭. I'm scared now. Oh the spells are being chanted like say mantras that are said to gain power if recited collectively? Nice. Have you read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams? Wonder how this book compares to that. Once again, really nice review. Thank you 🙏🏽. 4* is a very good rating!
The only thing I'm NOT looking forward to is the olde English/poetry esque stuff that I didn't care for in Tolkien. The rest of the things mentioned, I am super stoked about. I am open to be surprised by the songs and to actually enjoy it, without waiting for it to be over. It's all about how it's implimented, and I have faith in dr fantasy
Hahaha, I believe nothing dear sir. You're bought! Nah, just kidding. Looking forward to the book, curious what Philip wrote and this might just be the first audiobook I buy. I'm also curious about your voice acting :)
