Those of us who are avid readers know the most infuriating question that we are constantly asked. What is your favorite book? Asking us to chose just one book as a favorite from amongst the plethora of titles that we have read is never an easy task. Each book has a special meaning and in their own different way, are our favorites. That’s why when people ask me what my favorite book is, I always have trouble answering that question
But, a question I am able to answer quite frequently is in regards to my favorite series. Unlike singular books, saying what a favorite series is is easy because I can group several of my favorite books together. Also, I can judge a full series more than I can just a singular book.
So that is the topic of today’s post, my top five favorite book series’. Now a coupe of caveats first. First, I’m not including series that only have one book released so far. Yes, I know that there will be more coming out, but as of right now there is only. So sorry Crescent City, House of Earth and Blood was spectacular but it is still only one book Secondly, if a series hasn’t been finished yet, they are still eligible for this list. With those few caveats out of the way, it’s onto the list itself, starting with number 5.
5. Six Tudor Queens By Alison Weir
Out of all of the series on this list, this one is the most unique. British historian Alison Weir took the task upon herself of writing a novel about each wife of Henry VIII. When it comes to this era, the majority of the books are either about Henry himself, or all of the wives are in one book. But this is one of the first instances where I’ve seen each wife get their story and in traditional Weir style, she knocks it out of the park with each book.
Five books have been released so far which detail the lives of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Kleve and Katheryn Howard. Each book is a mixture of wonderful historical accuracy and brilliant storytelling. Weir shines a light not only on the Queens time as Queen, but also on their lives leading up to being crowned Queen.
With each book, Weir paints a unique picture of each Queen. Each woman’s hopes, dreams, true feelings of Henry and their thoughts as the end of their days approached. It’s such a unique style of writing, especially for this genre and topic. It got me interested in this period of history so that says a lot about the quality of the books and love for them.
4. Robert Langdon series of books by Dan Brown
We stay with the historical themes as move onto a man whose books have drawn some controversy in the past. Dan Brown’s series of books involving Harvard Symbologist Robert Langdon are some of best researched fiction novels I have ever read. Brown’s blend of history, architecture, art, symbols, codes and a helping of conspiracy theories are a perfect combination.
Brown has released 5 books in the set, each dealing with a different theme. Angels and Demons deals with the Illuminati and is set in the Vatican. The Da Vinci Code is probably his best known work and deals with the possibility that Jesus had a bloodline that was kept secret by the Catholic Church. The Lost Symbol is set in Washington D.C and deals heavily with the themes of the Freemasons. Inferno deals with the looming specter of a global plague and also features Dante’s Divine Comedy as a center piece. Finally, there is his newest one, Origin which deals with humanity itself and the question of where we came from and where we are going.
Brown’s blend of fast paced storytelling, intrigue, mystery and action all help to set up wonderful payoffs at the end. The real life art and architecture he uses also allows you to visually put yourself in the shoes of Langdon and you start to believe that you are actually there. Combine this with brilliant characters, led by Langdon himself, and what you get is a series of books that captures the imagination and also makes you think just a bit. You wonder if the story he is telling could really be true and if there really are these secrets hiding out there, just waiting to be discovered.
3. The Emperium Trilogy by Claire Legrand
Putting this series where it is was an extremely tough choice, but those who know me quite well will understand. Also, this particular series isn’t finished just yet.
When people ask me to recommend fantasy books of the YA genre, my answers are consistent. anything by Sarah J. Maas and this set of books. Legrand’s Emperium Trilogy is a set of books that I have described as some of the best books I have ever read. They are creative, imaginative, have terrific development and have a good amount of emotion in them
The books that have been released so far, Furyborn and Kingsbane, weave a fantastic narrative that spans nearly 1,000 years. The books have fantastic characters, some of the best world building I have ever seen in books and story that leaves you breathless, keeps you on your toes and shatters your emotions.
The story is told through two points of view and expertly switches between the two points of view of Rielle and Eliana. These two share many similarities and yet they are also very different. Corien is a fantastic villain and someone whose true motivations aren’t truly known just yet The main characters are supplemented by fantastic side characters that dovetail fantastically with the leads. The world building includes small notes, quotes and historical writings that give just that little bit of added insight into the world. The pantheon that is added at the end of each book, the history and the people itself create a full bodied world that allows you to be fully immersed.
The story leaves you breathless. It’s fast paced, slow paced, packed with action, romance, intrigue and drama. It’s filled with many twists and turns and leaves you guessing. It’s one of the few series where I have came very close to actively throwing one of the books. A truly outstanding series and one that I can’t recommend enough.
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Those who know me will not be surprised that a series by Sarah J. Maas has made this list. This was Maas’ second series and in the opinion of most fans, her best one. ACOTAR stretches the bounds of her writing and straddles the boundaries of being considered Adult fiction. The writing definitely evolves from Throne of Glass and it evolves in a good way.
ACOTAR so far has three books and one novella. A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin and the novella, A Court of Frost and Starlight. And as usual, Maas delivers an excellent story, wonderfully crafted characters and a beautifully crafted and fully developed world.
As with Throne of Glass, ACOTAR’s story starts off as one thing, but quickly develops into a much broader and over arching story. The story is filled with twists and turns, emotional moments, action packed moments and even some comedic moments. Maas has a way of making even the most serious of characters have their lighthearted moments. The story weaves its way through so many various threads, but it never seems over complicated or overloaded in terms of plot points.
The characters are an excellent blend of lovable heroes and villains that you truly detest. Characters such as Feyre, Rhysand, Tamlin, Morrigan, Amren, Cassian and Azriel are all uniquely crafted and have their own quirks and personal traits. This unique blend of characters truly feel like a family for most of them, Tamlin being the exception. But the sense of closeness that those in the Night Court have is one of the major strong points of ACOTAR.
ACOTAR truly is a masterclass in writing and is another one of those series that I never hesitate to recommend.
1. Throne of Glass
The fact that Throne of Glass is on the top of my series list will come as absolutely no surprise. People who know me and frequent readers of this blog will know that I heap bundles and bundles of praise upon this series. Not only that, but this was the series that really got me hooked on the fantasy genre so it does have some sentimental value as well.
The series sticks to some of the classic YA troupes but at the same time, it does spring some surprises on you. The story starts off as one thing, but then evolves into a much larger story, starting that Maas tradition. The books in order, The Assassin’s Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn and Kingdom of Ash. Each of these book contain their own fantastic stories and brilliant moments, while also assisting in the broader storyline. The story is emotional, tense, full of intrigue, action, romance and even some humorous moments. The story as a whole leaves you breathless and often times makes you cry, cheer and even get angry. While reading this particular series, I have always run the full gamut of emotions. There were multiple occasions where I almost threw the book I was reading out the window. But that just shows you that I was invested in the story and in the characters.
As for the characters, some of my favorite characters in all of fiction come from this series. There’s Aelin, Rowan, Manon, Dorian, Aedion, Lysandra, Chaol, Lorcan, Elide, all of these main protagonists help make the story beautiful and brilliant. Each character has their own unique personality, their own traits, their own quirks, they are all different and play a part in the story. They are supplemented by a bevy of excellent side characters that help the main characters to grow. Excellent villains give our heroes someone to go up against.
There is so much more I could say about this series. But, my very first blog post was on Throne of Glass so I won’t go into too much more detail. Suffice to say, it is easily my favorite series and it’s not even close.
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