It seems like these days if an author doesn’t have a series in the works that is at least ten or more books, they can’t consider themselves a “real” author. I’m not referring to young adult series, since the longest series in that genre is possibly the House of Night series at ten+ books, including novellas. Trilogies seem to fit comfortably in the YA genre, with an occasional series topping out at six books. I’m talking about the series that go on and on with no apparent end in sight. Does J.D. Robb’s In Death series, currently at a whopping 35 books ring any bells? We all have a few of those series we are faithfully devoted to. These are books we’ve poured blood, sweat and tears into reading and we are determined to finish them out no matter what happens. A common phrase I hear in the blogging world is “Well, I’ve put this much time into it; I might as well finish ‘em.”
A book released this month, the sixth in a series that literally broke my heart at four books in. It’s an urban fantasy series based in Chicago, and the author did the unthinkable and killed off the hero. Up until then, I’d been a devoted fan. I’d bought all the books, whether in hardbound or e-book format, and I’ve recommended them to everyone I meet. When I finished the Book That Shall Not Be Named, I thought about it for weeks afterwards. I cried, I wailed and I stalked blogs and Goodreads for days commiserating with other readers who were as shocked and dismayed as I was. I felt betrayed.
I don’t know how many times I’ve checked out the fifth book from the library, only to bring it home, set it on my shelf and stare at it for three weeks. I couldn’t bring myself to read it. Now, with the newest release (book six) getting mixed reviews, I’m honestly not sure if I ever will. One of the plot lines I loved most about the series was about the tension between the hero and heroine. Then for the author to kill him off in the fourth book, to only grudgingly resurrect him in the fifth book (or so I’ve heard), to now in the sixth book have them in the same place romantically as they were in the first book… it’s a mess. And after the epic disaster of the fourth book, it seems like most readers have lost their enthusiasm for the series all together. I’ve been keeping the books on my to-read list just in case, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get over my feelings of betrayal. I have finally decided to ditch the series.
On the other hand, I’ve continued to read series that were long past their due date. The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich is the first that comes to mind. Yes, I’m one of those that have read all eighteen books. The books were highly entertaining up until about book six, and then it seems like Evanovich took a vacation or something until about book nine. Book nine to about book fourteen can be safely deemed semi-entertaining, but it just goes downhill from there. First of all, there’s this love triangle that has been going on for all eighteen books and Plum still hasn’t picked a guy. Not to mention the fact that Stephanie never progresses. She’s still working in the same dead end job that she’s terrible at, living in the same run down apartment building, and eating the unhealthiest food ever made and never gaining a pound. It’s like the characters in that series are ageless. The world around them may change, but the characters themselves do not.
Another series I killed off early on was the Anita Blake series by Laura K. Hamilton. I barely made it through the first book, but I persevered and ended up liking book two enough to continue. Until book nine, which took me ages to finish and it’s a miracle I did. Anita’s character changed in every book. She’d somehow discover some new power that was exactly what she needed to defeat the enemy and save the world. That is, until the next crisis arose and the process would be repeated all over again. Gag me.
So what’s the difference? Why do I kill one series after the fourth book, but continue to read all eighteen in a series that I become increasingly disillusioned with after each new read? What makes you kill off a series before it ends? Is it the author’s inability to continually deliver exciting material with each book? Do the characters lose a little of their fairy dust after awhile? Or is it simply a matter of all the new and exciting books constantly being released that distracts you from your old friends?
Whatever the reason, it’s always hard to part with books that have been in my life for an extended period of time. I think it’s appropriate to always try and take a moment to mourn the death of a series.
May they rest in peace.
An absolute series-killer for me is when an author kills (ha) a love interest. I don’t care if she/he does it for the “good” of the series or the characters or if she/he brings them back or whatever, if it happens, I’m done. I don’t respect an author that doesn’t respect their audience and screws with their heads that way. You and I have had this conversation.
I finally quit Lora Leigh’s Breeds series four or five books ago even though it had always been generally bad on balance because it had gotten – worse – utterly boring. She writes entire books around different characters and she was pulling them out of the woodwork, people I’d never heard of over others that I’d been waiting years for. With her already excruciating quality issues, I’m not wasting my money.
J.D. Robb, on the other hand…give me several hundred dollars and some time on a desert island and I’ll gladly catch up on the ten-ish books I’m behind on in that series.
Love this subject!
Does Lora Leigh self-pub? I read a review on GR that talked about all the editing issues in her book. That’s insane to me that she can get 20 books published in a series that 1) isn’t even good, and 2)is so poorly edited that it makes readers cringe.
I think I’ve decided that killing off a love interest is a deal breaker for me too. I’m a ROMANCE reader and there’s nothing that kills it quite like getting rid of the hero. I’m all about the happily ever after baby!
No, Leigh’s been Big-6 pubbed for many, many years. I think Berkley is her main publisher. There are a lot of rumors swirling about why there are issues, from her turning in manuscripts too late to be properly edited to her insisting on editing herself and a lot of other things in between. You’d think Berkley would step in because it’s become a very, very public issue that’s got to be costing them sales but the problem continues and not just in her Breeds series. She has several ongoing series that are 5+ books long.
That’s crazy to me that she is okay with publishing books that aren’t as close to 100% as they could be. I’d be embarrassed if I was the author, and I’d be even more embarrassed if I was the publisher! That’s just.. crazy.
Awesome post, lovely rant and soooo true. Thankfully I hadn’t read the book that shall not be named, I become emotionally invested in characters which is why I adore series. I haven’t read Janet’s books and they just fell much further down my wishlist. I always wait to judge a series by book two before I decide on a series and then stick with it. Sometimes a third or fourth book will be fall flat when it ends up being a bridge book. You want an awesometastic, read then check out the Greywalker series by Kat Richardson.!
I love series too, for that reason. The emotional investment. But in this particular case, I felt like the author took my emotional investment and stomped on it with ass-kicking boots.
I think I’ve decided that series are perfect at around the 6 or 7 mark. It’s just too hard to keep the story going and make it exciting every single time after that. I also love Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series, but she’s 20 some odd into it now and they’re all the same. Same story structure and plot, and the characters even started running together after awhile.
So, yeah. I love the 6 or 7 mark. Maybe 10 if the series is really good. I can’t think of one off the top of my head that is, but maybe it’ll come to me later. lol I’ll definitely check out the Greywalker series! I haven’t read them yet, and I’m always game for something new.
So you’ll be okay if Jeaniene Frost stops with Cat & Bones right now? I have to admit, the last one was sort of bleh though.
I’d be okay if it stopped. I love Cat & Bones, but I also think it’s okay for an author to stop a series before it goes down hill. The last book WAS kind of blah. Even the one before that was too. Once the original story arc ended, around book 4 or 5, it should have stopped. At least in my opinion.
I agree you kill off the hero or heroine and that is it for me, though in one series , I won’t mention because if you haven’t read it but something like that happened but she worked it out to where it still works . But I was so mad but since she still managed a HEA I stayed with the series cause I love it.
Now see I still love the Dark Hunters, though the last one wasn’t my favorite. I will stick with it unless they kill of one of my favorites, like Ash then that will be the end of that.
What’s the series you’re referring to? There’s another series where the hero or heroine was killed off?! I was talking about Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland series in my post, if that’s the one you’re also talking about. If not, then I might stay away from whatever series you are b/c I couldn’t handle it. lol
I think it’s great that you still love the Dark Hunters and will still read them. Barbara feels the same way about J.D. Robb’s In Death series. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I get bored too easily?
Oh, I wonder if Donna was thinking about the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I don’t know how big of a spoiler it is anymore, but she murdered one of the heroines but let her still be with the hero, in sort of a why-did-she-even-kill-her-then way. If that’s the one, I always wondered if Ward was playing with the readers and some of their fantasies about Vishous and another character and this was one way to keep it going.
Yea it was, just didn’t want to spoil it if there is someone under the sun hadn’t read it yet LOL, but I was so angry over that though I still love the series, that book I haven’t gone back to read again . Not sure why she did but I know I screamed why and that its so unfair really. The others get theirs in all ways possible.
Well like I said, the last one wasn’t my fave, next book I know I want to read badly and that’s Styxx’s so I am hoping the magic that I love so to speak will be in that one.
I totally agree about Evanovitch and the Stephanie Plum series (and made my opinion known on my Goodreads review on Explosive 18) — will I continue to read them? Probably. But I’ll get them in paperback at the used book store. Stephanie Plum has lost her spot on my pre-order list.
J.D. Robb’s In Death series, I’ll read as many books about Eve and Roarke as she wants to write, so long as the quality of the storytelling and the character progression keeps going strong.
Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra series — I devour those books as soon as they’re released and then wait impatiently for the next book to come out–absolutely fantastic series!
Lee Child is on “probation” with me after his last installment in the Jack Reacher series — I usually pre-order his books and read them in 24 hours once I get my hands on them — But The Affair, which came out last year–I’ve started it 4 times and STILL haven’t been able to get through it….if Wanted Man follows the same pattern, I might have to retire Jack Reacher (which makes me sad).
I have nothing but respect for Richelle Mead for ending the Georgina Kincaid (succubus) series after 6 books. It was definitely time. Any more, and I would have ended up hating Seth (and I wasn’t exactly liking him as much as I used to by the time it was all over)
I realize in a lot of cases, an established series is like a “cash cow” for authors — familiar characters in an already-built and developed world, with a good base of loyal readers who WILL buy the book. If authors are going to put the same effort into keeping our attention, sparking out imagination and providing solid stories that are realistic for the characters we’ve come to know and love, then I will pre-order every one of their books. If I start feeling that they’re “phoning” the books in and don’t care — or start kiilling of heros — well, I have plenty of other places to spend my hard-earned budgeted book cash!
I too get sad when I have to retire a series. I wish that there was some magic number of books that authors instinctively know they stick to and then stop after that. I also wonder if authors get bored of writing about the same characters as well. I wonder if that’s why some books in a series are a little lack luster compared to others.
I think you’re right about the cash cow comment, it’s probably fairly easy for authors to keep going with a series they’ve already established. And books fans are nothing if not devoted to their books and characters!