Friday, June 9, 2017

Books that Conquered the Sequel Slump





Sequels: equally the most loved and hated by book lovers everywhere. Sometimes they are a fantastic, mindblowing addition, and sometimes it'd be better off if they weren't ever made. Today I thought I would look through some of my favorite sequels and share them with you all, so below I present to you just a few of the sequel that I felt were just as good - if not better! - than the first book. (And in the next month or so I plan to feature some of my least favorites... so stay tuned!)


The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)The Doll's House (The Sandman #2)Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: I loved The Name of the Wind and I thought that the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, continued on this trilogy beautifully! I am still patiently awaiting the third installment, though I don't mind when authors take their time with a series -- I'd rather the book be exactly what they want it to be than rushed to a finish because fans are breathing down their necks.

The Sandman Vol. 2: Technically this came out as a comic initially, but since I read the Sandman graphic novels as individual volumes, I have to say that volume two was even more exciting than the first one, Preludes and Nocturnes. The Sandman series was the first graphic novel series I ever read, and to this day it remains my favorite; it is incredibly inventive and impossible to put down.

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: I'm not quite if this one needs an explanation! Sanderson is a master at world-building and character-development, and his expansion on his world and the plot of this series was astounding. I can't wait for Oathbringer (#3) this fall!



Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic, #2)Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2)


Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: I love these characters. ❤  I love the dynamics, the story, everything. Crooked Kingdom was such a fantastic addition. As much as I would love to have more in this world, I am incredibly satisfied with this duology. Review.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab: So I liked A Darker Shade of Magic, but I wasn't quite on board. I didn't like Lilah that much in the first book - I actually found her quite annoying - but the second book is when I fell in love. The characters became stronger, the world became more wide-ranging and complex, and the magic system flourished. Definitely stick around for book two. Review

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray: The Diviners was fantastic, Lair of Dreams was also fantastic. That's all I have to say. (Also, the third book is coming this fall!)

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: I really loved ACOTAR when I first read it. I had been going throw a pretty rough patch in my life and it really helped me through things and helped me have an outlet for all my difficulties. I wasn't sure if future books could be as good as I hoped ...and then I read ACOMAF, and I realized that the first book was nothing compared to this one. Review

Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman: Illuminae was brilliant and fortunately Gemina completely lived up to all expectations!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer: I went into Cinder, book one, extremely skeptical because nothing about it seemed that interesting to me... and I ended up really enjoying it! I then decided to dive into Scarlet and found it to be a solid addition.



What do you think of these sequels? What are some of your favorites?

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5 comments:

  1. I liked Scarlet, too, even though I've heard a lot of people say it was too slow after Cinder. But I enjoyed it, and the books just keep getting better!

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    1. Yeah, I can see where some would say it was slower, but I just think it was able to able more dimensions to the story itself. I'm glad to hear that, I can't wait to continue on!

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  2. I haven't read any of these books, but all the series starters (I already read Cinder and loved it) are on my TBR. I'm glad some authors improve their series as they continue.

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    1. Ooh, well you're in for a treat with any one of these that you decide to read!

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  3. Ohmygosh yes! Crooked Kingdom & ACOWAR ♥ However, they also put me in a terrible book hangover LOL. Not quite over Crooked Kingdom's!!!

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