Series I Actually Finished

I'm not a huge fan of series, but publishers, unfortunately, are. I like standalone novels best, duologies are fine, trilogies are okay, quartets (?) are tolerable, and anything above four is anathema (however, I make a few exceptions, as you'll see). 

What follows are ten of my favorite series. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a sampling of series I liked enough to finish. Next week, I'll be taking a look at some series I dropped like a hot potato, so be sure to check back for that. All covers are linked to Goodreads.

Beartown, by Fredrik Backman

Beartown, Us Against You, and The Winners

Even though Fredrik Backman is my favorite author, it took me a long time to pick up his Beartown series because of the heavier themes it deals with. However, I ended up loving it (of course) and I'd highly recommend this powerful series!

Bladesmith, by Tricia Levenseller

Blade of Secrets and Master of Iron

It's no secret that I'm a Tricia Levenseller fan, and this duology was superb! One of them (I can't remember if it was the first or second) also had the most memorable kissing scene I've ever read (in a really good way).

Cursebreakers, by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, and A Vow So Bold and Deadly

I remember the third one being my favorite, as it focuses on Grey and Lia Mara, who are my favorite characters.

Graceling Realm, by Kristin Cashore

Graceling, Fire, Bitterblue, Winterkeep, and Seasparrow

I love this series so much, especially Graceling and Seasparrow.

Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 

I mean, obviously, right?! At seven books, this is the longest series on my list, but I have to admit it was worth it. I'm still flabbergasted at the way J.K. Rowling planted the seeds of future revelations in each book. Truly a masterpiece of storytelling. Character development? Not so much.

Lineage of Grace, by Francine Rivers 

Unveiled, Unashamed, Unshaken, Unspoken, and Unafraid

This series imagines the fuller stories of each of the women in Jesus Christ's genealogy in Matthew 1 of the Bible. I read one per Christmas for five years in a row, and it was a lovely Advent series.

Middle Earth/The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King

I read all three books within two months during the Covid lockdown. Granted, that was my second time reading them; the first time I was twelve, and it took me much longer.

Storm Keeper, by Catherine Doyle

The Storm Keeper's Island, The Lost Tide Warriors, and The Storm Keepers' Battle

I just finished this series last month and it was so good! If you're looking for a magical Middle Grade series with strong friendships and intergenerational relationships, I'd highly recommend this!

The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons, The Tropic of Serpents, The Voyage of the Basilisk, In the Labyrinth of Drakes, and Within the Sanctuary of Wings

To be fair, I have not read Book 3.5, Book 6, or Book 6.5, but those are peripheral to the main series, which consists of Books 1-5 listed above. I will forgive this series for being so long because of its wonderful writing, strong character building, and engaging storyline. This series reminds me a lot of the Emily Wilde books, so if you like that series, you'll probably love Lady Trent and her dragon studies!

The Scholomance, by Naomi Novik

A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate, and The Golden Enclaves

I was hooked on this series. I even preordered the third book (I almost never preorder books) because I couldn't wait to see how it ended! Highly recommend this one.

Have you read any of these series? What are your feelings on series in general? How long is too long?? Let's chat in the comments!