The problem with that thread is I’m not as likely to start a series when other people are saying it starts to suck before the end.
I’d much more like to hear about book series’ that stayed good, or are still in progress and are still good.
For this thread I’d like to say that the series must be at least a trilogy.
I’ll start with one from the other thread that some have given up on, and some haven’t. The Dresden Files. It got a little dark/gloomy in Ghost Story, but after that it picked up again. I will be buying the next book as soon as it comes out.
Another that’s still on going is the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. Can’t wait for the next in the series.
Finally both the Mercy Thompson and the Alpha and Omega books by Patricia Briggs. They’re 2 separate series’ but set in the same universe and with some cross over of characters between them. I will buy the next book in either series the day it comes out.
Yeah, I really like urban fantasy whether it’s wizards, werewolves, vampires, fairies… I don’t care.
This thread is for any genre though, so what do ya got?
Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series, and even the Robert Goldsborough continuations
All of Robert E, Howard’s story series (Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Francis X. Gordon), and even most of their continuations by others (although I stopped reading the Robert Jordan Conan stories)
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (although I stopped reading Tolkien’s Middle-Earth output after Book of Unfinished Tales)
Robert Heinlein’s Future History series
Cordwainer Smith’s Instrumentality/Rediscovery of Man series
I always think this sort of thread is more interesting if folks give commentary: laundry lists are not as interesting IMO.
So: Temeraire, by Naomi Novik, holds pretty solid until the end. There’s a clear villain–Napoleon–and by the end, he gets his. It’s not surprising, but it’s pretty satisfying. Ancillary Justice and its sequels. The story arc isn’t 100% clear at the beginning, but by the end the main character, and the society she lives in, have undergone a clear change.
If you like the Briggs/Mercy Thompson series you will most likely like the Faith Hunter/Jane Yellowrock series. There is the Hallows series by Kim Harrison and the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.
IMHO all these series flow well from one book to another and are pretty consistent with the storyline.
There are quite a few, but one that I finished relatively recently: Stephen King’s Dark Tower series (at least the original seven books). Unlike some readers, I hated the first book, thought the second was okay, and really liked the later books.
The Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Daniels feels like it could have easily been written by Ms Briggs. Instead of a coyote in with a pack of wolves there is a Native American shapeshifter with a seethe of vampires. Problems are guaranteed.
The Hallows Series by Kim Harrison has all the horror actors; werewolves, witches, vampires, fairys, elves, and pixies, along with normal people. They are trying to keep society going after almost wiping out the normal humans. Our girl is a witch.
Ilona Andrews has the Kate Daniels series. Kate is a magic using badass that gets hooked up with shapeshifters after the world is almost destroyed by magic.
All of Harry Potter, of course, although I liked Order of the Phoenix least of the series. Too much whining by Harry.
All the Belgariad by Eddings. At least the five originals - they were loaned to me by a co-worker. They are an easy read, so it was not that much of a commitment.
All, or almost all, of the Left Behind series (God help me). I haven’t done the prequels, or the YA novels, so maybe that doesn’t count. But there are limits to my patience with milking a series a million words after its “Best Used By” date.
All the Ian Fleming James Bond novels, even The Spy Who Loved Me. Some of the non-Fleming ones too, but those definitely don’t count.
All of the Tarzan novels by Burroughs, except I think there was a juvenile one that I have never seen. All the Pellucidar ones too. Although it probably doesn’t matter - after the first few in both series, they are all much of a muchness.
I believe that I have read every Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple that Agatha Christie ever wrote.
All the Lensman books, all the Skylark books - I would almost say “of course”. Same for Sherlock Holmes.
I have also read the primary novels in Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent series, including the two alternate ending novels. None of them IMO rose to the level of the first - Drury got more than a little heavy-handed in his characterizations. I prefer my villains a little less cartoony.
I have read everything I could find for the Continental Op, by Dashiell Hammett. Mostly short stories (and collections) but there are two novels (The Dain Curse and Red Harvest). Red Harvest is the better of the novels - AFAICT the short stories are pretty uniformly good.
I stuck with the Wheel of Time and was glad for it. Robert Jordan’s last book was good and Brandon Sanderson did a masterful job of finishing the series.
Since the OP lists a generous three books as a minimum, something else just reminded me of the very recently completed Divine Cities trilogy, which is some real good stuff.
To be fair, in the original UK editions, he whinges instead.
(I’ve also read all the non-Fleming Bond books – except the “Young James Bond” ones (You have to draw the line somewhere) – including the Christopher Wood movie novelizations, which are arguably better than the movies. )
Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series - 12 books.
One of the only series I’ve ever read where the books keep getting better as the series goes on. Also, each book is has its own unique quality or ‘feel’. The characters (children) grow and change realistically over the four years of real time covered by the series.
Although the average quality dropped in the later ones, and the worst of the series are clustered near the end, there were still some gems even in the later ones. Going Postal, Making Money, and I Shall Wear Midnight were up there with the best of them, and The Shepherd’s Crown (the last one of all) was at least decent.
James Alan Gardner’s Festina Ramos series, in his League of Peoples universe. Interesting similarly advanced aliens plus inscrutable more highly advanced aliens.
Julian May’s Saga of Pleistocene Exile and Galactic Milieu series (set in same universe, sort of one series.) Detailed psionic systems, one-wayish 6 million years back time travel gate.
Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy inaccurately named ‘Trilogy’ (quality does drop some, but started very high and the fourth and fifth books are still worth reading)
Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Fionavar Tapestry - his first published written work (not counting helping edit the Silmarillion), but the rest of his works aren’t in series. Epic fantasy with people transported from modern (1980s) earth, not the first but early in that genre.
Robin Hobb’s five Elderlings trilogies. Well, technically four trilogies and a tetralogy. Dark fantasy, interesting magic systems, dragons.
I haven’t quite given up on Steven Brust’s Jhereg series, but it’s had some clunkers in the second half. He has a style of wordplay is odious to some, though I mostly like it.
I read Anthony Trollope’s six “Barsetshire” novels and his six “Palliser” novels. By the time I got to the last one (The Duke’s Children), they were giving diminishing returns, however.