It's that time of the year again. I swear I blinked and 2021 flew by. At the start of the year, I made a list of book series I wanted to finish before the end of the year. You know….this one here….and despite my best efforts, I did not finish all the books. Ok, ok I did say I would try not to get distracted. Emphasis on try.
So which ones did I actually finish you ask?
The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater
This was a series I first read back in 2009 and I fell in love with the characters. When my book club announced they would be reading Shiver this past year I jumped at the chance to revisit the series. Now I will say that I am still madly in love with Sam. And the first book, Shiver, still kept me entertained. However, as I continued the series I found myself thinking things like, “Wow these two characters are horrible together. This is an unhealthy relationship. This is not a good example of love.” So perhaps being a little older did influence how I felt about some of the later books. However, I would still go back and read them again. Sam and Grace are one of my favorite couples in fiction and the werewolf lore from this series is wonderfully original.
Interested in a closer look at the series? Check out the book reviews!
Splintered by A. G. Howard
Looking for a macabre retelling of Alice in Wonderland? Then look no further than the Splintered series. This was a random find over on Audible. Splintered is dark and edgy, repainting Wonderland in a bloody and violent light. And the magic of Wonderland breeds off chaos and destruction. Alisa must learn to embrace her chaos and balance her human life with her netherling one. Of the four, Splintered is my favorite. The second book deals more with real world young adult drama, but the third shifts gears once again and takes readers back to Wonderland and all its savage glory. The last book is a collection of short stories that wraps the series up with a neat bow.
Interested in a closer look at the series? Check out the book reviews!
Leveling Up by K. F. Breene
So this series has not been finished, but I have read everything that has been published so far. This was a book club find and I'm so glad the girls picked it! The Leveling Up series is hilarious and quirky. It's also one of those rare books with the main character over thirty. There are some spicy bits as romance is involved. Normally when this happens the book becomes a hard pass for me, but the personality of the characters kept me reading.
Interested in a closer look at the series? Check out the book reviews!
The Hollows by Kim Harrison
If there was one series I was going to finish this year, it was going to be The Hollows. As soon as Kim Harrison announced The Hollows would pick up once again with American Demon I set my sights on rereading the previously published books. I cried when the last Hollows book came out. Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks are my favorite team in fiction. Their dynamics are out of this world, and Kim Harrison created such a realistic yet unique urban fantasy world. There was no way I was going to pass up the chance to revisit one of my favorite worlds. Now I am eagerly awaiting Trouble with the Cursed.
Interested in a closer look at the series? Check out the book reviews!
The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowksi
Ok...I have mixed feelings about this one. The Witcher series started off strong. The short story collections, Sword of Destiny and The Last Wish, are great clips of Geralt and his companions. The first two novels, Blood of Elves and Time of Contempt, have a good balance between politics and action. The main characters of the series are fascinating characters to follow. When the story follows them. Baptism of Fire started to lose me, diving into politics more than character arcs, but I kept reading. I knew what the series could be and I maintained hope that the next book would pick up again. I hate to say it, but I should have stopped at Baptism of Fire. The series takes a hard left into war and politics. There are long stretches of plot that do not involve the main characters. I know there is one more short story collection that was released after the series concluded, but for me, this is the end of the road.
Interested in a closer look at the series? Check out the book reviews!
Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire
This one snuck up on me. I thought I had finished the series and then I discovered I missed two whole novellas! My original post captured Across the Green Grass Fields, but apparently, I skipped over Come Tumbling Down as well. Not my best moment. Sorry guys. This is another delightfully dark fantasy, that toes the line with gore and violence. Readers are given just enough of a taste to rile you up, but it never goes over the top. Each of these novellas is a captured moment and the amount of creativity invested in the various worlds is remarkable.
Interested in a closer look at the series? Check out the book reviews!
The book series I did not finish will make it onto my 2022 post. Let's see if I can finish them this time. What book series did you finish in 2021?