High Fist Dylan

Sometimes a Degen. Sometimes a Scholar.

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Ended last year by finishing RotE and only just now remembered that means I have a pinned tweet to update. Here's my new top 5 fantasy series:

1. Malazan
2. A Song of Ice and Fire
3. Realm of the Elderlings
4. The First Law
5. Stormlight Archive

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

My favorite games Q1 of 2026

Guess 3 was my lucky number. These all kinda made it by default because I really haven't done much gaming this year, but I still at least liked all of them. GoW3 was especially a great wrap up to that Trilogy, gotta get to the new entries soon

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

My favorite games Q4 2025

Ended last year very strong. BL3 was some of the most fun I'd had with an FPS in a long time, and P3R/Life is Strange were both some of my favorite stories ever told in a game.

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Finished (Reread)

The Waste Lands is really two books in one. While I'm not crazy about the unraveling of a paradox that takes up the first half, I do love the journey through the twisted city of Lud that makes the second. Overall still a really strong entry in The Dark Tower

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Been making an effort to read more Nonfiction this year, and after my current one on the Salem Witch Trials I've got a pair of books by a marine biologist I wanna read. And considering my next China Mieville book is "Kraken," I guess the ocean is the theme of April for me

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

@SpiritKin_ Haha, yeah that fucker had me for a minute too

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

@ihasacrayon Yeah Imo. Tons of great new characters and reveals about the Anasurimbor, surrounding the most terrifying military fantasy campaign I've ever read.

Last two books are rough though, like way too disgusting at points tbh. I still liked them overall but it's gonna be hit or miss

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Finished The Second Apocalypse

The most depraved series I've ever read, but also one of the best. Watching the Dunyain weave their web, the slow unveiling of the Consult, and how both of these things affect the world and characters make for some of the best fantasy out there Imo

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

For my thoughts on TUC specifically, it'd probably be my favorite entry in the series if that first act wasn't just so fucking disgusting. The Battle of Golgotterath was stunning though, and I did really like the ending. Very hopeless but also very fitting

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

The last four books I read

Nice to get some variety in. Got a western, some nonfiction, and Mieville's surrealist war novella here. But of course the fantasy novel was my biggest highlight with The White-Luck Warrior probs being my favorite book so far this year

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Finished (reread)

TFoH is a bit weird for me, because it comes in between my picks for Jordan's two best books, and feels a bit underwhelming in comparison. The last 150 pages are fucking stellar, one of his best climaxes, but the road to get there is a bit of a chore Imo

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

@KotoStylez Yeah was really cute, pretty funny too. I been reading more Second Apocalypse which is bleak as shit so taking a break for this was a nice reset haha

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Finished

A touching novella about a person retreating to nature to rediscover theirself, and befriending a robot of all things. Got led here while looking for some optimistic Sci-Fi, and while this was probs more cozy than what I was looking for, I still had a great time with it

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

@zbogus77 They're worth a shot Imo. If you go in expecting First Law quality you're probs gonna be disappointed, but there's still enough of Abercrombie's cynical humor and distinct characters that you should at least find them fun

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Finished

The last little bit of First Law that I hadn't read. Felt like a collection of bonus scenes for Age of Madness, nothing too special but fun for what it was. Will have to get to The Devils in the upcoming months so I can be fully up to date on Abercrombie again

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

@zbogus77 That last story was def my favorite too, especially the Glokta & Tallow scenes. And yeah, I liked Shattered Sea for the most part, wasn't crazy about the last book though

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Wanna join the cool kids mocking GRRM/HBO for doing their 50th Westeros spinoff but I know I am too weak and will be there watching every subseries day 1

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Was working on a slow reread of WoT, matching books with each season of the shows release. That plan is now quite thoroughly fucked so I guess I can just reread them whenever I want. On Fires of Heaven rn, slow start to this one but I do remember the back half being pretty good

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Also recently finished this

Mieville's delightfully bizarre take on an urban Alice in Wonderful. A very charming adventure, but a bit lengthy for a YA book so I was a bit burnt out by the end. If I could go and give this to 13 year old me I know I would've loved it though

[High Fist Dylan @Dylan_Dire]

Finished

Really love a lot of the new characters here, Sorweel works great as an outsider PoV on Kellhus and all the new Anasurimbor are as captivating as ever. Also loved Bakker's nightmarish version of the Mines of Moria. Final act of Second Apocalypse off to a great start