I always set a goal of starting and finishing certain book series in a year. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I end up starting and/or finishing completely different ones. To me a series is anything that has more than one book. Duologies, trilogies, I lump them all together to make it easier to sum them up! So let's see what I managed to finish this year.
Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman
I finally finished this trilogy! I've been making my way slowly through the Dragonlance series, and this trilogy was a wonderful return of the Companions. Raistlin was my introduction to morally grey characters, and holds a special place in my heart. Seeing him back in action in the final book was worth the wait!
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
I read book one as a book club read and was fascinated by the use of wine magic. However, even though each new book in this series showed new forms of magic, the main character's development from book one crashed. While it was interesting to have secondary characters drawn to the forefront to have their stories told, it was a little inconsistent.
Black Hind's Wake by J.E. Hannaford
I heard about this duology from former book blogger Literature and Lofi. After his wonderful review of The Skin I picked up a copy and eagerly dove into book two upon completing it. If you want a new nautical fantasy to try, this is definitely one you should read.
The Alchemist by L.A. Wasielewski
I read book one, Dawn of Destiny, because the author is part of a wonderful group I've connected with over on book twitter. I found an enticing story with a main character just starting off on his journey. When I picked up book two this year and saw the amount of character development Ryris went through, I had to pick up book three and see where his story ended.
The Banshee's Curse Duology by A. K. M. Beach
I originally read the first in this duology back in 2021 when I received an ARC from the author. I loved the banshee lore and mystery surrounding the story. When I had the chance to read book two this year I eagerly accepted the ARC. Expanding the world and incorporating delightful gothic elements, this was a good conclusion to the duology.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
The first book of this trilogy threw me with such an unlikable main character back in 2021 that I wasn't sure I would continue. The only reason I picked up book two was a friend wanted to buddy read with me. After we finished the novel and began discussing it and all the intricacies around Rin and the world she lived in, I decided I need to know how Rin's story would end. It was brutal every step of the way, and while I learned to sympathize to some extent with Rin, I never truly connected or cared for the character.
Memoria Duology by Rachel Emma Shaw
I picked up book one, Last Memoria, in 2021 after hearing about it on book twitter. What I found was a world of dark fantasy and conflicted characters, and I enjoyed every minute of it. After becoming distracted by other books (as is always the case) I decided to go through my read books and figure out which duologies I still had to finish. I picked up Scars of Cereba and the narrative style was fascinating, adding an extra depth to the overall story I'd never seen done before.