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 ;)

Top Ten Tuesday: books I would like to see made into a movie

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's topic is the top ten books we would like to see made into a movie... in a world where movie studios don't butcher our precious books.


Honestly? I'm not even so crazy about books I like being made into movies. Not because of casting choices and the like but because when I read, that already is like a movie in my head. I also never imagine characters modeled on certain actors - they look a certain way in my head, but it's not like any real people I know.
That being said, here are ten books/series I would like to see made into a movie or TV series, in no particular order.

Laini Taylor - Daughter of Smoke and Bone
There actually is talk of a movie! But anyway, it'll probably be years until it comes out. The world building here is just so amazing - I would love to see Karou's Prague and the exotic places she goes to, as well as Eretz of course! The special effects/make-up would have to be out of this world amazing to pull it off though.

Kendare Blake - Anna Dressed in Blood
This would actually be cool as a series! It would mean more time to develop characters, plus new episodes could be written, for instance about some of the ghosts Cas hunted before he met Anna. It would be awesomely creepy!

Cassandra Clare - The Infernal Devices
I know it's been optioned with the same studio that made City of Bones, but again, it'll take forever until there's a movie - if there is. I would love to see it though! I'm a sucker for Victorian London :)

Erin Morgenstern - The Night Circus
Okay, this is pretty much impossible to make into a movie, partly due to the narrative style and how much it relies on language as a medium, but wouldn't it be epic? It would be like 12 hours but whatever - while I was reading, I so wished I could see the circus for real and walk among the tents!

Holly Black - The Curse Workers trilogy
I know I feature this series all the time in my top ten lists! But it just somehow has a cinematic quality to it. It would have to be sharp, with quick cuts, an a lot of light and shadows - sort of in the style of old film noir movies!

Stephen King - The Dark Tower series
Definitely would have to be a series, this is a couple thousand pages too long for movies. But god it would be soooo amazing! But Stephen King would have to have a lot of say on the set or it wouldn't work. Or maybe the scope is too big and the series is better off staying a book? Hm...

Kim Harrison: The Hollows series
Too epic for a movie - this would have a to be a series! I'd love to see Jenks, Rachel, and Ivy on the screen! And Kisten *gets all nostalgic* I don't think it'll happen though. I remember Kim Harrison saying a few years back that so far she always declined offers from producers and the like.

Lia Habel - Dearly, Departed
Steampunk costumes, airships, and zombie battles! I would love to see this amazing mixture of Victorian and digital age! It's somehow like being in the future and in the past at the same time. And it would be great visually!

Melissa Marr - Wicked Lovely series
There's also been talk of a movie or TV series but I have no idea where that's at. It's one of my top favorite fairie series though so I'd love to see it on the screen! The characters are some of my top favorites :)

Anonymous - The Book with No Name (the Bourbon Kid series)
This simply because it would be batshit crazy. Quentin Tarantino would have to direct it. It would be funny and gruesome at the same time.

I'm not sure that those are the top most amazing-est picks I could have made. In fact, I bet that I'll check out other blogs and think 'damn, how could I forget?!' - so link me up, and let me know what you think of my picks :)

Top Ten Tuesday: most memorable secondary characters

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 all about the favorite secondary characters we can't get out of our heads

I love secondary characters. Sometimes, they actually appeal to me more than the main ones. However, trying to come up with a top ten made me realize that sometimes it's actually quite hard to determine whether someone is a secondary character or part of the 'main character crew'. Because let's face it, there is usually more than just one main character, it's just that one of them is often the narrator.

Anyway, here are - in no particular order - some of my favorites

Jenks - The Hollows series, by Kim Harrison
Jenks is a pixy with a temper and one of the foulest (and funniest) mouths you can imagine. Also, he's got a wife and over 50 children populating Rachel's back garden! As her pixy sidekick, he's ace at disabling security so Rachel can do some reconnoitering. And he's also simply a good and loyal friend.

Uncle Mort - Croak series, by Gina Damico
He's a Grim reaper and the first one to keep Lex's temper in check. Also, he's got the craziest hair, a motorcycle, and a really cool house. He's also not averse to bending laws if he sees it fit. The kind of guy you want at your side when the shit hits the fan.

Magnus Bane - The Mortal Instruments / The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Claire
High Warlock of Brooklyn. Throws the best parties and has an extravagant fashion sense. Always getting involved in Shadowhunter business despite himself. I love his relationship to Alec (there should be more LGBT couples/characters in YA) and I think it's fascinating that he's in both series and in a way helps tying the stories together.

Sabine - Soul Screamers series, by Rachel Vincent
She's one of those cases where I'm unsure whether she'd count as a main character. At first, I hated her. But she and her blunt but honest statements really won me over. Even if she was hard on Kaylee, there was usually some truth to what she was saying. Best frenemies, I guess, but seriously - Sabine gets some of the best lines! Also, the girl is literally a Nightmare and feeds on fear. Not something you come across very often in YA.

Will - Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin
Again, is Will a main character? I can't decide. But I've always preferred him to Elliott. He's devoted to his siblings above all else, he's kind, and well... he's the type of guy I find attractive ^^' Dark, quiet, handsome, tattooed... with just a hint of danger.

Dani O'Malley - Fever series, by Karen Marie Moning
Dani's just badass. The youngest of the Sidhe-seers and the one with the highest fae bodycount. She's got superspeed, she's fierce, and she's still got that swagger that comes from feeling young and invincible. And still there are these moments when you realize that she's seen and had to deal with things that should be well beyond the scope of a 14-year-old. I really need to read Iced, the spin-off series that focuses on her.

Vlad - Night Huntress series, by Jeaniene Frost
Vlad's also got his own spin-off books but I haven't read  them yet. He's the Vlad Tepes. Dracula. Only without the cape. Instead, he can let other vamps go up in flames. Also, he's a snarky, kinda cynical anti-hero and he loves to piss Bones off. In short, he makes me laugh and he's protective of Cat, so I like him.

Adrian Ivashkov - Vampire Academy series, by Richelle Mead
Is he a secondary character? I think so, at least in the first couple of books. I'll be honest, it took me a while to grow to like him, partly due to the fact that he's constantly drunk in the beginning. However, I felt so sorry for him at the end of VA and I'm very glad he's in a way getting a 'second chance' in Bloodlines. He's a combination of genius, madness, and self-deprecation-masked-by-cockyness I find fascinating. There's a lot more to him than you'd expect at first.

Ziri - Days of Blood and Starlight, by Laini Taylor
Oh Ziri. How I cried for you in DoBaS. I hoped for your happy ending against hope, and of course my hopes were dashed. For now. But I love how Laini Taylor expanded his role in this sequel! I can't say more without spoilers but let's just say Ziri has a special place in my heart.

Barron Sharpe - Curse Workers trilogy, by Holly Black
I'll be honest: I don't like Barron. I feel kind of sorry for him... sometimes. But he's fascinating, and that's more important to me in a character than that they're likeable. He can erase or alter other people's memories, but there's a backlash against himself and he erodes his own memory, taking with it parts of his personality. If he didn't write it down, he wouldn't remember who he was. There's something tragic in that, as well as something pathetic and nefarious.

So that's my top ten! A close runner-up was Jackal from Julie Kagawa's The Eternity Cure because of his sarcastic remarks and reluctant change/development of character. I love how he pushes Allies buttons.
What do you think of my top ten? Do we share any picks? And what did you come up with? I'd love to get to know some new books/series I might like based on the secondary characters in them :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I wish could have had Sequels

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's topic is about books that were complete stories, but we wish we could have read more about those characters or set in that world.



Holly Black - Curse Workers Trilogy
I miss Cassel. I miss Lila. I just... I really miss that world. It was different from everything else in YA or Urban Fantasy that I've read so far. The ending was great... I just wish I could have seen more.



Melissa Marr - Wicked Lovely series
I love the world, I love the characters. I thought I was over it but then I read the anothology of her fairy stories where there are a couple short ones about side characters and there was that ache again... I need more of Seth and Ash and Niall and Irial *sigh*



Sarah Rees Brennan - Demon's Lexicon trilogy
Same as above. I'd love a short story or novella taking place a couple months after the ending. Just to see where everyone's at.



Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement
Perfect ending. But again, this book moved me and tore me up inside so much. And I'd just like to have a glimpse at the world and see how things are going. I miss it. I miss the writing and the emotions and what it all evoked in me.



Poppy Z. Bright - Lost Souls
I'd love to read more stories about Steve and Ghost and maybe to get a glimpse at Nothing and what he's up to. And just... more of the writing and the images it created in my head.



Stephen King - The Dark Tower
I will never forget that world and its characters. Never. So when the Wind Through the Keyhole came out I was so excited. I got it many months back but somehow I couldn't bring myself to crack it open yet because I'm also a bit scared. Soon though. Soon I'll be with Roland and Jake and Susannah and Eddie again.



Kai Meyer - Die Fliessende Königin
This is a trilogy I read when I was 13. And re-read a couple times. The world building is fantastic! It's set in a magical Venice at war with the Pharao. There are stone lions coming to life and thieves and magical mirrors... in short, it's magical and amazing. And over. But there's an English translation called The Water Mirror, if you want to check it out. The link above goes to that one.



Katja Brandis - Kampf um Daresh
No translation of this series (I think). I devoured both the original trilogy and the spin-off. I still want more. Amazing world building, great magic, great characters. I simply disappeared into this stories but I've read all there is and now it's over :(


Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre
Have you never wondered what happened with her and Rochester later? No? Tsk.



Laura Resnick - Chronicles of Sirkara
I read the first two books in German and thought the series was never finished. Many years later I found out that there was a third book! It just wasn't ever translated and it's out of print. I bought it used off amazon ^^ So worth it! The world building still haunts me often though and I remember the characters often.


I'm sure a lot of people will point out books to me that I could have included. But to be honest, there are SO many series that it was actually hard to find stuff that was a) a standalone or b) a finished series without a spin-off that I had c) already read all installments of and liked so much that I craved more despite it having a nice ending.
So. have you read any of the books/series I've included above? And what are your books you can't get enough of?

Review: Black Heart, by Holly Black

Published: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Hardcover, 296 pages

Goodreads description:
In a world where Magic is illegal.

Cassel Sharpe has the most deadly ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object - including a person - into something else entirely. And that makes him a wanted man. The Feds are willing to forgive all his past crimes if he'll only leave his con artist family behind and go straight. But why does going straight feel so crooked?

For one thing, it means being on the opposite side of the law from Lila, the girl he loves. She's the daughter of a mob boss and getting ready to join the family business herself. Though Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can't stop obsessing over her. Which would be bad enough, even if her father wasn't keeping Cassel's mother prisoner in a posh apartment and threatening not to let her leave until she returns the priceless diamond she scammed off him years ago. Too bad she can't remember where she put it.

The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning dangerously out of control. But if they want Cassel to use his unique talent to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? Or is everyone just out to con him?

Time is running out, and all Cassel's magic and cleverness might not be enough to save him. With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.


The following review is based on a copy I purchased myself.

Review:
(spoilers for the first two books, but none for Black Heart itself)

I enjoyed Black Heart immensely! It’s definitely a worthy conclusion to the Curse Workers trilogy. I would love another sequel or maybe a short story to see how things continue for the characters, but I was also content to see them where they were and leave the rest up to my own imagination.

At the end of Red Glove, Cassel tricked Barron into joining the feds to help the government against the mob worker families. Cassel himself promised to join the program after finishing school. That was the price he paid for his immunity after being used as an assassin without his knowledge. What I love most about Cassel is that he tries so, so hard to be good and make the right decisions. He loves his family, but he also wants to get away from the fate that seems to be already determined for him – a life of crime, desired by everyone for his rare transformation talent. A life as a tool, a pawn to the powerful. Cassel wants to find a way to use his talent for good ends, he wants a self-determined, independent life. All the while, he is tormented by guilt and cannot believe in his own goodness.

Joining the feds seemed like the lessest evil at the time, but things begin to go downhill pretty quickly. Lila has joined her father and taken the marks of a member of the Zacharov crime family. Even though there seems to be no chance for the two of them, Cassel cannot stop thinking about her. However, his greater problem is that Zacharov is holding his mum captive. The good part: she is wanted by the police and they certainly won’t find her in Zacharov’s apartment. The bad part: Zacharov is holding her hostage until Cassel can find and return the resurrection diamond to him, which she stole and then wanted to sell back to him. Too bad no one knows where the real stone is.

Meanwhile, Zacharov of course cannot know about Cassel’s involvement with the feds. He’d have Cassel’s mom, Barron, and Cassel himself killed immediately for that kind of ‘treason’. And anyway, the lines between good government and evil mobsters become increasingly blurred as the story continues… has Cassel made the right choice? Or is this a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire? Is there anyone at all he can trust?

There’s his roommate Sam, of course. But Sam is trying to piece himself back together after breaking up with Daneca – who is now seeing a mysterious new guy. Then there is a new character with unclear motives who asks Cassel for help, which he cannot deny even while he realizes she might be conning him…

One of my favorite minor characters is Cassel’s grandfather. He is the only family member who truly cares about Cassel, in my opinion. He tries to look out for him without intruding too much into his business and provides comfort and stability.

And Lila… I love Lila. She’s tough. She gets to do things other female characters in YA novels don’t get to do or can’t get away with. She’s a future mob leader! She’s also shrewd, and cruel at times. She knows what she wants and how to get it. She’s (nearly) fearless. In short, she’s something of a mystery and what I enjoy about her is also trying to figure her out, to separate her ‘real’ self (as far as we can glimpse it) from the picture Cassel makes up of her in his mind. I love the scenes between them, how they collide and repel one another but can never truly fight their attraction. Their chemistry is incredible, and there are also some steamy scenes.

I could ramble on and on about how much I love the world of this trilogy, but let me keep that aspect short. The fight for worker rights that got more coverage in Red Glove also plays an important part here. Governor Patton is really pushing for Proposition Two and has become too great a danger to be ignored any longer. I can’t really say more about it without major spoilers. Also the way worker kids are exploited for their talents plays an important role in the novel. I love how realistic and gritty the Curse Workers world is. If people with such talents existed for real, this is what it would be like. I also think it’s amazing how Holly Black interweaves the workers’ past and the fight for worker rights with the working camps of WWII and with the fight for minority rights that is still an issue today.

I love the pacing. This book is incredibly hard to put down, things start off interesting and it just escalates from there, leaving you breathless and quite desperate for Cassel’s situation. I also really like the way Holly Black implies that Cassel has a plan, but manages to keep up a first person narrative without Cassel actually divulging his plan to the reader. So it’s impossible to have an inkling of what he might do and whether it might work. It’s genius.

As is the prose! Amazing descriptions, turns of the phrase, witty ironic snarky remarks, banter… There are beautiful passages, but they sting. There are horrid passages, but you can’t help but admire the way they are crafted. It’s like a paranormal noir thriller of sorts. Holly Black’s writing punches a hole into your heart at times, but you will love her for it.

All in all I love this book to bits. The plot is incredibly well-crafted, the characters fully fleshed-out, the pace gripping and the prose sharp and unique. It’s full of twists and turns and uncertainties but things resolve nicely, though the reader has to figure out plenty on his/her own. It’s a great conclusion that also leaves an opening for the reader’s own imagination or a possible bonus story (please, Holly Black?). I can only recommend these books to anyone who loves their YA with a little more off an edge!

I could have gone on and one about Cassel and his attitude to his ability and to Lila etc etc but that would be more interpretation than review. I really seem to be unable to keep them short, but I blame Holly Black for writing a book that is too good to be written of(f) with just a few short paragraphs.

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What did you think of Black Heart? Was it a good conclusion of the series for you guys? Do you want more? You can also share your thoughts of the other books. I love your comments :)