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A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about series I won’t be finishing. I threw caution to the wind and revealed a couple unpopular opinions. I thought I’d put it all behind me. And then, as I was watching videos of other people’s lists, I realized I forgot a couple. And then I remembered even more after that.
So here I am, writing an unplanned second part to that initial post. And… there are a couple more hot takes on here I know people won’t like. What can I say? I’m just a toxic person. Though admittedly, I don’t dislike all these series. Just some of them.
And now, it’s time to tear some books to shreds.
I read Angelfall about four or five years ago and liked it well enough. I had originally planned on continuing, but the plot of the second book sounded too similar to the first one. I love rereading old favorites, but I really don’t want to read a rehashing of a so-so story. Eventually, so much time passed that I completely lost interest. And that marked the end of my days with this series.
I really enjoyed The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue back in 2017. In fact, it made my best list that year. I was initially excited for The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, but then the reviews started coming out. It turns out Lady’s Guide is pretty much the same story as Gentleman’s Guide. I’ve also heard Felicity’s character takes some hits. I really don’t want the sequel to taint my view of the first book, so this is where I must part ways with the Montague siblings.
I can’t believe I forgot to include this series on my first post. I was a big fan of the first three books once upon a time, but hated Restore Me with every fiber of my being. It ruins Juliette and Warner’s characterization, muddies the world-building done in the original trilogy, and does away with the lyrical writing I’d liked. Needless to say, my desire to finish this series has been shattered.
This is another one I’m surprised I forgot on my first post. I read the first book back in 2014 and really didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t care about the characters and was irritated by the made up slang. But that I was year I refused to DNF anything, and so I read the whole thing. I actually started the second book but finally caved and decided it wasn’t worth pushing myself through just because of hype. And so, I ran far, far away from this series.
Flowers in the Attic is another read from The Year of No DNFs. The only reason I forgot it is because reading it was so traumatic, I blocked the memory of it. Somebody on Bookstagram was raving about this series, so I gave it a shot. Not only is it poorly written, but it’s basically about incest. No, thank you. This series should be locked in an attic for good.
This series is probably the most controversial on my list. People love Rick Riordan, and I totally understand why. He writes action-packed stories populated with diverse characters. I just really didn’t like the first book of this series. Part of it is me— I am very much not the target audience. But I also found Apollo to be really annoying. I’m sure I would’ve found him funny if I was ten, but I’m twenty-six. Finishing this series is a trial I’m not willing to take on.
I actually planned on catching up with this series, but now it’s been so long since I read The Iron Trial and I have so many other books I’d rather read. I’ve accepted that it just isn’t going to happen. I do still recommend this series. It subverts the chosen one trope in a really cool way. Alas, it would take magic to get me to finish this series.
I really didn’t like The Glittering Court. I pushed through it to find out what Tamsin and Mira had been up to, only to discover I wouldn’t find out until their books. I’d been planning on reading their novels, but it’s been so long. I don’t feel like it’s worth taking the risk that the series as a whole could just not be my thing. For all I know, it’s a glittering pile of shit.
Out of all the series on this list, this is the one I could be persuaded to pick back up. I liked the first book well enough, but haven’t felt any motivation to continue the series. So, for now, I’m leaving it behind as dust and bones.
What are some series you’ve decided not to finish? Is there any series on this list you think I should finish? Let me know in the comments!
Strange Storyteller 