Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: best / worst series enders

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic that the participants come up with a top ten list for.


This week is about the best and worst endings to series, and I'll give you some of both plus another category. It's actually kind of hard because there are many awesome series that are still ongoing or that are finished but I haven't gotten to the end of them yet. To be honest, the number of series I can't use because I still haven't read That Last Book makes this really hard >.<


Best series enders

Curse Workers series, by Holly Black

I know, you must be sick to the death of me blabbing about it in my TTT posts. I just really liked the ending, though I sure wouldn't mind more books about Cassel and Lila ;) 

Wicked Lovely series, by Melissa Marr


I really like the structure of this series. Books 1, 3, and 5 are about the 'main' couple while book 2 and 4 follow secondary characters but still relevantly figure into the whole thing. Book 5 just ties it all up nicely and I was satisfied with where the characters ended up.

Night Angel Trilogy, by Brent Weeks

I read the whole thing in a about a week and it's just... epic. The characters come so far and develop so much and the scope of it all is just... wow. I wouldn't have minded a bit more of an aftermath but I actually like that there's some openness at the end.

Soul Screamers series, by Rachel Vincent

I was really scared of how it would all end and it was certainly different from what I expected. I really liked it though. There was enough pain to make it all seem worth it but not so much that it left in me in book trauma.

Iron Witch trilogy, by Karen Mahoney

This is a really cool mixture of fairy lore, alchemy, demons, and romance. The ending rounded it off well and left me with a feeling of catharsis. This series is not getting enough love...

Demon's Lexicon series, by Sarah Rees Brennan

SRB's writing is hilarious. But she can also make you feel allll the heartache. Well, my heart was definitely sore by the end of the books, but I think the ending was realistic while still ending on a positive note.


Worst series enders

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games), by Suzanne Collins

This seems so harsh. I don't think I disliked this ending as much as many others did, but I just... the whole book wasn't really my thing. I don't remember it all that well because I only listened to it as an audiobook once, almost 2 years ago. But I think the first one was by far the strongest in the trilogy.

I dunno, there are also a couple other series enders I felt kind of indifferent about, or I'm not sure if they count because there are spin-offs. Off the top of my head, I can't think of an ending to a series I really hated.


Series enders that were 'bad' because I wish there was more


Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake
On the one hand, I like that it's a duology. On the other hand... somehow I got this feeling of unfinished business. I wish there was more. Or maybe I just want to go back into Cas' snarky brain.

If I Stay / Where She Went, by Gayle Forman

Again, not sure if this belongs in here. The ending was realistic and gave the reader a good idea of what Adam and Mia's lives might be like from there onwards. But I think Forman could just as well write another book that shows them 2 or 3 years down the road.

The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare

Now don't get me wrong. I liked Clockwork Princess. It made me cry more than once. But that epilogue... mpf. I liked the first part of the epilogue but then it was just all too... neat. It was really close to feeling cheating (not relationship-cheating), like having your cake and eating it too. Maybe I was just braced for more pain? Maybe I just want more Tessa / Will? I really enjoyed the glimpse of them I got in the 4th installment of the Bane Chronicles. And I know there will be several spin-offs more. But just... it won't be the same.


So... that's that. Do you have any glaring disagreements? Fist bumps? Also, link me up to your own posts so I can slam my head into my desk because of all the obvious choices I forgot about ;)

9 comments:

  1. Although I put Clockwork Princess on my list of best series enders ever, I still get what you're saying about the epilogue. It was a little too "everything for everyone" if you know what I mean.

    TTT @ Krista's Dust Jacket

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  2. I'm glad to hear that the Curse Workers series and the Wicked Lovely series are both great! I've been wanting to start both series for a while now. I have the first book-- White Cat for the Curse Workers series, but I haven't read it yet.

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  3. I haven't read any of these except HG trilogy, and Mockingjay wasn't my favorite either. I honestly think the whole series is not very strong, but if HG was just a standalone, it would have been pretty epic by itself.

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  4. Interesting. You're the first person to put CP2 on their worst list. I know the epilogue was neat, a little too neat, but I was quite happy with it. Mockingjay, however, definitely made my bad list. I'm glad to see Iron Witch on your list. Such a little-known series. I started the first book, but I haven't finished it or moved on to its sequels. Need to go back to that one. Great list!!

    My TTT

    Mary @ Mary Had a Little Book Blog

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  5. I really need to find time to finish the Night Angel and Curse Workers series...I read both of the first books and really enjoyed them but have yet to find the time to work the rest into my schedule. So many books, so little time.


    My TTT is here.

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  6. I feel you girl. I was so torn about CP2. I still don't know how I feel about that epilogue. At first I felt cheated too. And then I got thinking, well I don't want Tessa to be miserable, so I guess I'm ok with this? I don't know. I can't think about it. Totally agree with Soul Screamers! LOVE!

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  7. Definitely agree with you about Mockingjay! So sad that that's how an amazing series ended!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  8. I've sadly never read the Curse Workers series yet or the Soul Screamers series, but I will, hopefully sometime soon.
    I wish there was more to the Anna series too! I mean, I wanted Cas and Anna to end up together while at the same time, I know there will be no possible way that could happen. :l
    Great list Carmen & thanks for stopping by my TTT! (:

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  9. Oh my, all your picks for best series enders are STILL on my TBR shelf! The White Cat series, Soul Screamers, Wicked Lovely & the Demon's Lexicon are all high priority wishlist items...that I hope to get to in 2014 >.< The Iron Witch trilogy sounds amazing too!

    As far as your worsts, well, I was one of those who really loved Mockingjay! I'll admit that it's my least favorite out of the three, but only because it was SO heavy...and sad. I still need to read TID trilogy too but I've heard similarity from other trusted bloggers! Great picks hun ^^

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