The Never-ending Series

Lovers musings on ongoing series.

 

This weeks topic is The Never-ending series or serial.  Maybe our opinions are similar to ones that you have, or completely different.  Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Karen’s Opinion   Stop the madness!!!! Yes, I am one reviewer that is tired of the never ending series of books and characters. I don’t need to know about the janitors love life, the same janitor who bumped into your main character in book one, while he took out the trash. Trust me not every character needs their own book. If you don’t have an ongoing sub plot story arc to tie your books together being in the same group, or gang really isn’t enough to keep readers minds from wandering. As there are numerous series book that feel like different name was inserted, and all the same angst is ‘again’ playing out.  If you don’t have a subplot story arc to tie your series together, you are just milking the cow, because everyone loved your first book. I honestly feel that authors are running into Rocky XX trap. As the geriatric tattoo rocker, motorcycle riding, billionaire bad boy; runs off with the 80 year old naïve, sweet virgin, who didn’t know she loved kinky sex.. The problem is her cherry is rotten and she has fruit flies, because the series has been going on for that long. Please stick a period at the end of you series, and close the book. You are fabulous authors and you need to get some new ideas.

Robbie’s Opinion: Lord have mercy Karen! I’ve been waiting forever for someone to start this discussion! What’s up with this viral trend of stringing one really good book into a trilogy?? If it’s the same story line…wind it up in one book. Don’t give us these WTF cliffhangers that could have just as easily been tied up in a tidy little one book package. And as far as all these ancillary characters…if they’re interesting and complex characters…then write on, but like Karen said…spare me the janitorial staff. There are authors who know how to do a series.  Take J. R. Ward and BDB and yes! I’ll take the Brothers anytime!!! Other authors who comes to mind are J.D. Robb and the In Death series with Eve and Roark, Lee Child and Reacher, Diana Gabaldon with Jamie and Claire and of course,Tiffany Reisz who gifted us with those Original Sinners, Nora, Søren and Kingsley.  Readers may not love each book in these series’ with equal passion but what the books have in common is this: the characters are strong and complex and create the connection between the books. So…in the final analysis…there are characters who need to tell to stand up and tell their story in one book then get off the stage, and there are characters  who are so complex it requires as many books as the author can create to tell their story. Blessed be the author who knows the difference between the two!

Sally’s Opinion:  I don’t mind a good series as there are quite a few out there – Dream Man Series, The ‘Burg Series, Rock Chick Series, Colorado Mountain Series all by Kristen Ashley, or the Undeniable Series by Madeline Sheehan or better yet, the Reapers MC Series by Joanna Wylde, or better yet the Corps Security Series by Harper Sloan.  I’ve got a list that can go on forever.  If the first book is good and the secondary characters’ stories are hinted at in a great way, I look forward to knowing more about them.  I look forward to friends from Books 1 and 2 getting together or A friend from Book 1 finding someone outside of the main group of characters and bringing them into the fold.  However, I CANNOT stand when a book is unnecessarily stretched into a trilogy (or more) with the mother of all cliffhangers after each book.  I’m sure you all can list a bunch of these.  Please do not stretch the hero and heroine until the elasticity of the story is so worn it doesn’t come back together.  Please do not bring in a crazy ex girlfriend/boyfriend or worse, an insane one night stand that came out of nowhere just to make up a villain in Book 2. Last but not least, please DO NOT have him get “caught” cheating in some stupid, unoriginal, out of character (because he would never do that) way when he really didn’t cheat, but was made to look like he cheated so she would think that he cheated so that they can break up so that they can get back together in Book 3.  Yes, I purposely made that a run-on kinda nonsensical sentance.  At the end of the day, if the author is a good writer,I’ll read Books 1 through 25 and even the spin-offs!!