My Unfinished series: Keep Reading or DNF it #7

 

Hi guys! It’s time to talk about some more of my unfinished series. This is the seventh post, and the next one will probably be the last. I haven’t started or finished any series since last time, so my current number of unfinished series is stil 55. I’m want to at least get it down to 50, so here’s hoping I’m in the mood for some DNF’ing today!

31. The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Books Published: 2/2 Books Read: 1/2

Synopsis: In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

My thoughts: Listen, if I’m going to read a book about a girl marrying a murderous king to end his reign of terror, I 10/10 want her to stab him with the pointy end of a sword – not fall in love with him. So don’t ask me why I loved this book, I just did. And thank the gods Shazi didn’t stab Khalid. No one is allowed to stab Khalid. I need to read the second book and make sure no one stabs anyone they shouldn’t be stabbing.

Verdict: Keep Reading

32. The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin

Books Published: 3/3 Books Read: 1/3

Synopsis: Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilization’s bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman’s vengeance. And worst of all, across the heartland of the world’s sole continent, a great red rift has been been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

My thoughts: I know I say this about every single book, but I actually really liked The Fifth Season. It’s a great book, it has amazing characters and an interesting plot, but I hate the world it’s set in. It’s fantasy, but with really heavy dystopian influences and dystopians aren’t my thing. They’re too bleak and dreary for my taste. Basically, if this book was a color – it’d be the grey of ash and rubble.

Verdict: DNF

33. The Conqueror‘s Saga by Kiersten White

Books Published: 2/3 Books Read: 1/3

Synopsis: No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way. Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets. Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

My thoughts: I’m not usually a big fan on historical fiction, but I love anti-heroines and Lada is as ruthless as they come, so of course I loved this book. How could you not love a book with a protagonist who says things like this: “On our wedding night I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied.” 

Verdict: Keep reading

34. Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire

Books Published: 3/5 Books Read: 1/5

Synopsis: Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced, they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

My thoughts: I love the idea behind this book, but I was a little underwhelmed by the execution. There wasn’t anything I disliked, I just wanted a little bit more of everything. More world-building, more character development, more story. But it’s only a novella, so it’s probably unfair to expect it to have the scope and depth of a novel. I’ve heard amazing things about the next two books and I’m still in love with the idea of all these different worlds you can stumble into, so I do want to continue the series.

Verdict: Keep Reading

 

 

35. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes & Michelle Rowen

Books Published: 6/6 Books Read: 1/6

Synopsis: In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface. As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

My thoughts: Oh look, it’s another multiple POV’s YA fantasy series about warring kingdoms, princes and princesses, I wonder how many series like this I’ve actually started. I quite liked Falling Kingdoms, so I’d probably keep reading this series if I hadn’t heard so many terrible things about the following books. I have no interest in investing my time in a 6-book series when I know there’s a good chance it won’t deliver a satisfying conclusion.

Verdict: DNF

Total Score – Keep Reading: 19 DNF: 16 My Number: 53

That’s all for today! I’d love to hear what you guys think! Have you read any of these series? Do you think I’ve made the right decisions?