Sometimes you start a series, you even buy the whole lot of it because you are that confident you’ll love it (or the box set was cheaper) and for one reason or another you just don’t finish it… that’s what I’m going to rectify. The series that I’m in the middle of, are finally going to be finished. So, the question is, was it worth the wait?

Red Queen (Victoria Aveyard)

First Started: July 2022

Finally Finished: November 2024

Even though it was a while from start to finish, I’m glad I concluded this series. It was brutal, had some intense themes and politics that half the time I didn’t care about but it was interesting. I liked the special ability element rather than magic, and even though it was pretty dark most of the time, it had some really great elements in it that speak to real life situations and issues in the world around us. This series is long (each book becomes longer than the last) with four books in total, and some of the books like King’s Cage didn’t feel necessary or drawn out more than needed. However, it was still worth the read, and ultimately I did enjoy following the story from start to finish.

The Inheritance Games (Jennifer Lynn-Barnes)

First Started: November 2022

Finally Finished: October 2024

When I first read The Inheritance Games, I liked it well enough, but there was something that kept me away from it. I was convinced that I wouldn’t ever finish the series, but then I saw the audiobooks and I was hooked. I devoured the rest of the series, and The Grandest Game is on my radar to continue on with for sure. The puzzles are great, but end up a little convoluted. They are complex for the sake of it, and lead down lots of random avenues that felt like a waste of time, or stretched out for the sake of it. Having said that, it was still highly enjoyable. The dynamics between characters were interesting, and sometimes frustrating. It was a great series, and I regret not pushing through the initial ick feeling I got after the first book, but we’re here now and loving it.

Divergent (Veronica Roth)

First Started: May 2023

Finally Finished: October 2024

Thoughts:

This one is a little complicated for me. I didn’t read the books until after I had seen the films, so in my mind it’s difficult to seperate the two – though the plot lines and threads of characters and world building do serious converge in certain places. I actually enjoyed the books much more, though the cinematography of the world when it comes to dystopian is always amazing to see IRL. The characters made more sense in the books, the outcomes made more sense, and the motivations were clearer. The inside track of Tris’ inner dialogue helped so much with understanding her and the choices she made. The benefit of a book, rather than a film. It was an okay series, and I didn’t mind most of it, though I find it difficult to believe that I would read it again, personally.

Uncommon Heroes (Dee Henderson)

First Started: July 2022

Finally Finished: December 2024

Thoughts:

Military novels are not really something I have ever gravitated towards, but I loved a lot of Dee’s other books, so I bought this series a very long time ago and finally got around to reading it. The first two books were much of what I was expecting. While it wasn’t anything I would talk about in years to come, they were still interesting overall, and the highlights were absolutely the characters / romances. The final book was by far the best one. The story was wrapped up in 9/11 but (as a non-American) I thought it was handled well. I liked the spy aspect, which we hadn’t gotten in the first two books, and seeing the SEAL team again is always fun.

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There you have it. Sometimes it’s worth finishing, and sometimes you feel accomplished just being able to say you did it – despite if you enjoyed it or not.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace