Reading books series recommended by BookTok so you don’t have to: Reviews by an English lit PhD student

Like most people, TikTok became my saving grace throughout the numerous lockdowns in this pandemic. Need a laugh? TikTok. Need a break? TikTok. Need book recommendations? Apparently, also TikTok. Though is took me almost 6 months before I stumbled across what has affectionately come to be known as BookTok, I have thrown myself fully into the world, which for me translated to fantasy and high fantasy new adult fiction. 

Always on the hunt for new reading material, I spent the last three months with my nose stuck in a book, usually the latest BookTok reccomendations. Today I have for you my honest opinions on the most hyped BookTok series so you can filter out what is worth picking up and what is not. 

Shadow and Bones by Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha verse got a lot of attention in recent months as the popular series was adapted into a Netflix show. This universe incorporates so many fantasy tropes that I adore, a will-they-or-won’t-they story line, class structures, feudal systems disguised as progress, enemies-to-lovers couples. The initial trilogy starts off strong and engulfs the reader immediately in the first book. While the second and third book do not measure up in the same way, the writing noticeably improved as it goes on, which for someone who has devoted their life to literature, is vital. 

The world Bardugo has created is undoubtedly one of fantasy, adventure and intrigue. But as far as hypes go, and as much as I enjoyed the world and the show, the hype overdid the effect. Maybe had I not seen the praises raining down on the books from BookTok, my expectations would not have been disappointed (even if only slightly). Indeed, the Six of Crows duology which came after the initial trilogy gripped my attention more. Overall, here are my stats:

• Lives Up to the Hype? Not fully.
• Recommend? Yes.
• Writing Quality? Somewhere between the pithiness of Harrison Ford as Han Solo and the teen drama and hard cutting comebacks of One Tree Hill. 
• How to read? Start with the Shadow and Bones trilogy before moving onto the Six of Crow duology and then watch the Netflix show. 

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

This was the first of the series that I picked up purely because of BookTok and oh my, was it a great introduction. This storyline had everything I could ever want in high fantasy. From lovable assassins and questionable morals to shape-shifting Fae and world consuming threat of war, everything was there, perhaps unsurprisingly as the series spans eight books with many of the later ones numbering over 500 pages. But more than that, I cannot praise the writing quality enough. Maas is clearly skilled in her ability to weave worlds and controversial characters without compromising on the wordsmithery. 

Taking place in a fantastical universe where magic has disappeared and the promise of darkness looms, an orphan-turned-assassin falls into a world of deception, death and all round disaster. And while you think she’s wholly unequipped to deal with this, her skills as an assassin and her sharp tongue and cutting wit put everyone else to shame. 

• Lives Up to the Hype? Honestly, I think this one is under-hyped!
• Recommend? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes again. 
• Writing Quality? While in no way Tolkeinian, Maas’ writing reminds me of Middle-Earth…just with more sparkle. 
• How to read? Start with Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire, and then go back to The Assassin’s Blade. It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but here’s why. The stories in The Assassin’s Blade were actually written before Throne of Glass was ever published, so both narrative and publishing chronology would say to read it first. However, the central characters and plot of The Assassin’s Blade is much more impactful and heartbreaking once you know what happens in the first three books. From here, keep going forward in order all the way to Kingdom of Ash. Do not skip Tower of Dawn, I know you’ll want to, but do not do it. It’s essential. If you do not think you can stop reading after Heir of Fire to go back to The Assassin’s Blade, feel free to read it after reading all the books. That’s what I did originally and quite liked the ability to stay in the world after the storyline ended for a little longer. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Also by Maas, BookTok went wild over this series, especially with its latest addition to the series being released earlier in 2021. Part of what makes this one so popular is the very decided departure from young adult into new adult. While it still maintains elements of the fantastical and just a little unrealistic and overly romanticised story arcs, the series also includes its fair share of violence and what is affectionately referred to in the PG world as ’spice’ – I’ll leave that to your imagination to decipher.  

What starts off as a reimagined story of Beauty and the Beast turns into a tale of courtly deception and intrigue in this world of vicious and power-hungry Fae. While the trope of mythology and fairytales rewritten for adult audience is always enjoyable, the books lost their speed as the series goes on. Interesting, though not my favourite, the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, almost works better as a stand-alone piece, however, the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury, which is my favourite, depends so heavily on the first. All in all, entertaining and would read again, but did not leave me with the same feeling of changing my perception of my favourite fantasy worlds that the Throne of Glass series did. 

Lives Up to the Hype? Overhyped but in an entertaining way.
Recommend? I enjoyed the world and the books but they don’t measure up to the Throne of Glass series. 
Writing Quality? Think the feel of a Disney classic wrapped in the brutality of the Hunger Games. So not that brutal at all but enough to surprise the Disney reader.
How to read? This one is quite simple actually. Read them in order. I wish I could tell you not to read A Court of Frost and Starlight because quite honestly, it was terrible, but it’s relevant information for A Court of Silver Flames. 

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Honestly, there’s very little I can say about this series. While the concept of a feudal system mixed with vampires lore was intriguing, I could not get passed the writing quality that I had me wanting to rip my hair out. I’m genuinely unsure if this is personal preference or the writing is just this bad (I am leaning towards the latter) but this series ranks as the most popular series I see all over BookTok. The friends-to-lovers-to-enemies story arc is amusing but paired with the immaturity of the main character and cringe-worthy writing that made me feel I was reading a 14-year-olds diary, I struggled to get through the trilogy. In all honesty, I could not finish the final book. Unlike most trilogies, the writing astonishingly gets worse as the series goes on. 

Lives Up to the Hype? Not at all. I genuinely do not understand the hype around this book.
Recommend? No. While entertaining, I would not recommend this to my friends.
Writing Quality? This was my biggest gripe with this book and the series as a whole. It is sincerely and frustratingly terribly written. The dialogue feels shallow and like I’m reading bad fanfiction as opposed to a publishable work of fiction. As interesting as the world is, the writing feels like a middle-schooler wrote it and even then only got a C+ in their English Lit final.
How to read? Nothing special, a traditional series.

Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

Lives Up to the Hype? No, but it was fine.
Recommend? If you’re looking for a quick romance novel with some elements of the mystical and mythological, sure, go for it! 
Writing Quality? While not as middle-school-esq as the above, I would only qualify this as high-school, though I say this with more affection than anything. 
How to Read? This is technically a trilogy, but I enjoyed the first book as a stand-alone rather than a trilogy as I did not feel the urge to stay in the world any longer.