Is it time to stop forcing yourself to finish mediocre series? In this fiery, bookish episode, we’re diving into over 20 book series where the first book is the best one—and yes, we're naming names 👀. Whether you're a fantasy fan, romance reader, or sci-fi binge addict, we're here to save you time, money, and reading energy by spilling the truth about series that peak at book one.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:54 – Series we’ve read where Book One is the strongest (but the rest is still good!)
08:36 – Series we’ve read where Book One is the best (and the rest gets worse)
16:16 – Series where we only read Book One and it works as a standalone
18:11 – Our theories on why series often peak with Book One
25:18 – Series we haven’t read, but we’ve heard you should stop after Book One
27:25 – A wild card: Dune by Frank Herbert—whether to continue depends on what you want
Books Mentioned:
📚 Book One is the strongest, but the rest is still good:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Pines by Blake Crouch
📉 Book One is the best—skip the rest:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
🛑 We only read Book One—it works as a standalone:
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Dune by Frank Herbert
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
👂 Haven’t read, but heard you should stop after Book One:
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
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