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Breaking up is so HARD to do
I can't say I'm faithful to an author enough to keep sticking to the author if the author consistently disappoints me. But I will continue on with a book or a series if other readers have encouraged me to keep going and give it a chance. I'm currently reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The first two books were disappointing. I would have given up if it hadn't been for his foreword that it's actually one long novel. Sure enough, I'm really enjoying the third book, The Waste Lands. I realized the first book was to set up the world, the second was to develop the relationship between the characters, and the third book is where the action gets going. Same with Hyperion, which is actually 1 book split into two. I would have given up after the first book if I didn't know that fact. The first book leaves you hanging horribly.I did love PNR, in particular books by Kresley Cole and JR Ward, but stopped reading PNR altogether the moment I joined Goodreads and saw all the other wonderful books and genre available.
So, I am terrible in the remaining faithful to an author department if my interest has waned. I'm like Cole's Valkyrie that gets distracted with each shiny new bauble. If an author maintains my interest, it's due to the author's work managing to maintain a linkage with me.
Laurel K Hamilton :( The first Anita Blake novels were great and they've been downhill since Cerulean Dreams. I only stick with them in hopes they get better and to see where Anita ends up. It makes me sad.
I have no problem dropping authors. I guess I am mean that way, lol. I just DNFed Deadlocked but I am guessing some people would see it as silly that I stuck by that long!MrsJ - -which author are you talking about?
I failed miserably at a recent attempt to re-read Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. It was one of the first real fantasy series I ever read, and I loved it at the time. I have the full series in audio but doubt I'll ever finish it. If someone had told me that ten years ago I would never have believed them!.
I'm terrible with rereading something. I hate repeats. I can't even go to a discussion of a book I've already read and talked about thoroughly, as much as I think I ought to participate since I know a lot about the book.
Orson Scott CardPolitics aside, I just think the writing has gone downhill.
Still enjoy the earlier books. I can read Ender's Game again & again. But the new stuff, no.
Amanda wrote: "Laurel K Hamilton :( The first Anita Blake novels were great and they've been downhill since Cerulean Dreams. I only stick with them in hopes they get better and to see where Anita ends up. It make..."Ditto. She's probably my only serious breakup--I have at least ten of the first Anita Blake books, but now I refuse to even look at her new ones. Still can't make up my mind what to do with the others--keep? Sell? Donate to the library?
Orson Scott Card. Agree. And with the reason giving. I don't care what you are politically.Charlene Harris. She writes the books that True Blood is based on. At first they started off cute but the last few have been terrible. Won't be reading the next one.
RA Salvatore. The writer I should break up with but haven't yet. Even though I have disliked his last five releases.
Oh yes, ditto on the Sookie series. Except that was more like a casual fling--I always knew it wouldn't last, and am just grateful it lasted as long as it did. ;)
I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse series. But, the more I hear about it, the less I'm inclined to even start it.
Me three with Laurell K. Hamilton. She broke my so called reading contract and has committed some dealbreakers for me. I generally don't break up with authors. I read them when I am in the mood for their kind of writing, which is a big thing for me. I know what they offer and when I'm feeling that, I pick them up. I read the first Sookie book and a couple of short stories, and after the Christmas story (view spoiler) I decided it wasn't for me. I may try some of Harris' cozy mysteries though.
Cheryl wrote: "I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse series. But, the more I hear about it, the less I'm inclined to even start it."*raises hand* Me, either.
ANd I don't think I'll start Anita Blake, either.
Alice wrote: "What if next time is better?"I have the worst time breaking up with authors because of this. I can justify for years. Just one more book, just one more book...
Sheila wrote: "Alice wrote: "What if next time is better?"I have the worst time breaking up with authors because of this. I can justify for years. Just one more book, just one more book..."
THat's how I have about $100 of unread M. Lackey books parked in my bookcases taking up valuable real estate.
Yeah...my father's advice made a lot of sense in the case of Anita Blake, "They're always nice in the beginning..."Laurell K. Hamilton was the only real heartbreaker for me. She might be the reason I have such ambivalent feelings about PNR - after all, I started with her. To be fair, up until book #7 I always thought of the series as Urban Fantasy. I suppose we really did go our separate ways, it just took me up until book #17 to realize it.
I'm not so much breaking up with an author as I am with the author's series.I'm talking about my beloved Pern and its dragons. Now that Anne McCaffrey's writing has been taken over by her son, Todd, I've resigned myself to the fact that I will probably not continue on with the series, which disheartens me to no end. Todd may be a good writer in his own right, but not for Pern. The one and only book I read from him was such a disappointment and I didn't like the direction he was taking my Pernese world in.
I had to break up with Terry Brooks a little while back. He was my first fantasy relationship, and I thought he was oh so interesting to amazing while we were together.. But in time I realized that there are bigger and better things out there for me. What did I know about
Cheryl wrote: "I'm not so much breaking up with an author as I am with the author's series.I'm talking about my beloved Pern and its dragons. Now that Anne McCaffrey's writing has been taken over by her son, T..."
I've heard a lot of people say this.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Mercedes Lackey"She has authored a ton of books, but I have never read any.
The thing about LKH and having not yet start the series is that the first 1-9/10 are very very good. And then after that you can stop, there is no unfinished business, there are no loose ends -- that is what I did. I just walked away. But those first books are some of my favorite in urban fantasy, ever.
Regina wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "Mercedes Lackey"She has authored a ton of books, but I have never read any.
The thing about LKH and having not yet start the series is that the first 1-9/10 are very very good...."
The first groups of Mercedes Lackey are great! She touches on a ton of different (sub)genres and does some great stuff. But she's almost too prolific and some of her work quality is starting to suffer. I don't get it but it's there. Maybe she no longer gets edited?
Regina wrote: "I have no problem dropping authors. I guess I am mean that way, lol. I just DNFed Deadlocked but I am guessing some people would see it as silly that I stuck by that long!MrsJ - -which author ..."
Well, shoot. I was hoping she might get her groove back for the last two in the series. I figure, I've stuck with it this far and there's an end in sight...why not? I quit the last book but then later endured it on audio. Is Deadlocked worse?
I had to break up with Robin Hobb after the Soldier Son trilogy. I tried the first of those new dragon books, but I got about 40 pages in and wondered if it was just going to be a long book of lovely writing about agony. After reading a few reviews, I decided to quit. It was hard, but I feel good about it. She was one of my favorites, and I'll always love her first 3 trilogies, but she just got too hard on her characters (and that's saying something, if you know Fitzchivalry's story) for me.
Emily wrote: "I had to break up with Robin Hobb after the Soldier Son trilogy. I tried the first of those new dragon books, but I got about 40 pages in and wondered if it was just going to be a long book of lovely writing about agony. After reading a few reviews, I decided to quit. It was hard, but I feel good about it. She was one of my favorites, and I'll always love her first 3 trilogies, but she just got too hard on her characters (and that's saying something, if you know Fitzchivalry's story) for me. "She's gets harder on her characters?? Welp, that does it for me. I enjoyed book 1 of the assassin's apprentice but I hated how horrible Fitz's life was. I'll pass.
There's a decent payoff for dear Fitz, and the trilogy's definitely worth finishing, but I really don't recommend the Soldier Son trilogy.
Emily wrote: "There's a decent payoff for dear Fitz, and the trilogy's definitely worth finishing, but I really don't recommend the Soldier Son trilogy."I'm a total wussy and cried so much during book 1 that I think I'm good.
Emily wrote: "There's a decent payoff for dear Fitz, and the trilogy's definitely worth finishing, but I really don't recommend the Soldier Son trilogy."Soldier Son just plain isn't good..
The Dragon books are ok though. They aren't "hard on the characters" like the Farseer/Liveship/Tawny Man series, but they also aren't as good as those series...
Another author I think I'm more or less done with is Richelle Mead. The last book in the Dark Swam series put me off of her. The way she ended that book with something the main character does was just heinous to me. I will probably read the two Vampire Academy books I own by her, but I won't buy her other books.
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Another author I think I'm more or less done with is Richelle Mead. The last book in the Dark Swam series put me off of her. The way she ended that book with something the main character does was ..."I'm kind of glad I didn't read that series. I did like her Georgina Kincaid series-it got a bit angsty toward the end, but I was really happy with the last book in the series and how she wrapped up everything.
Vampire Academy had some good stuff until the last book-then I was sad and not interested in the spin-off series at all. I might still give her a whirl in a different series.
I've had to let David Eddings go. I LOVED the Elenium, Tamuli, Belgariad, and Mallorean. And I adored The Redemption of Althalus. But I just couldn't get into the Treasured Ones series, no matter how hard I tried.
Sheila wrote: "Alice wrote: "What if next time is better?"I have the worst time breaking up with authors because of this. I can justify for years. Just one more book, just one more book..."
I agree, when you spend so many years reading many books from an author or a series it hard to stop. I'm always wondering, what if...what if the next book is ten times better than the last? The sad thing is it usually isn't. I was reading a series, and the ninth book came out this January but literally nothing progressed in this book, at all. After I closed the book, or rather turned my kindle off, I was wondering why I spend so much time thinking that the next book will be better when I know it won't. Heartbreak =/
MrsJoseph wrote: "Emily wrote: "I had to break up with Robin Hobb after the Soldier Son trilogy. I tried the first of those new dragon books, but I got about 40 pages in and wondered if it was just going to be a lon..."I didn't make it through the Soldier Son trilogy. I quit halfway through book two. Made it about a hundred pages into the first new dragon book and ditched that, too. It's a shame. I loved her Assassin books. In fact, I liked all 9 of the early Rain Wild books. Not sure what happened. But she's not the writer she once was.
Emily, you might like the Dark Swan books. I have friends on GRs that love them. I have some issues with Eugenie that got worse in the last book.
I was going to say that I don't usually have a problem dropping authors if they put out books I don't like, but I realized that I'm actually facing this problem with Nalini Singh. I haven't thought any of her books were bad, but of what I've read (3 Psy-Changeling and 4 Guild Hunter), I'm finding her increasingly repetitive and some of the themes and tropes make me straight-up uncomfortable. Yet I still want to check out the next books in each series, because what if they're different?! -hangs head in shame-Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Another author I think I'm more or less done with is Richelle Mead. The last book in the Dark Swam series put me off of her. The way she ended that book with something the main character does was ..."
I dropped Dark Swan like a hot rock with Iron Crowned and have heard almost nothing but bad things about the last one in the series. I really can't believe what she did to Eugenie. I wasn't crazy about the first Succubus book, and while I've heard fabulous things about Vampire Academy I'm leery of checking it out.
Cheryl wrote: "I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse series. But, the more I hear about it, the less I'm inclined to even start it."I really found the first 6 Sookie books a lot of fun, to the point that I had a hard time liking anything after them. They were my gate way to urban fantasy and I devoured them all. At the time only 6 were out, so a year passed before I read the 7th. By that time I had discovered other types of fantasy, so so maybe for this reason I did not like it as much. Another year passed and I wanted to give the 8th book a chance but I felt like the Author, Charlene Harris was not really that into them herself any more. I have not even read the 9th book that came out last year. I can't say I am going to "Break up" with the series, but I am not in a hurry to continue.
Jalilah wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse series. But, the more I hear about it, the less I'm inclined to even start it."I really fo..."
Apparently, she also has some cozy mysteries? Has anyone read any of them and, if so, what did you think?
Cheryl wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't read any of the Sookie Stackhouse series. But, the more I hear about it, the less I'm inclined to even start it..."I've heard good things about her Lily Bard series, and I'm kind of curious about them, since that character has had cameo appearances in a few of the Sookie books. I haven't read any yet, though.
Ann wrote:I didn't make it through the Soldier Son trilogy. I quit halfway through book two. Made it about a hundred pages into the first new dragon book and ditched that, too. It's a shame. I loved her Assassin books. In fact, I liked all 9 of the early Rain Wild books. Not sure what happened. But she's not the writer she once was.
I loved those first nine too, and I actually liked the first Soldier Son book, but not books 2 and 3. And it just hurt my heart to read about (view spoiler) besides all the human suffering that looked to be in store-I wasn't up for hundreds of pages of that.
Lily Bard is a decent series, I read the first three and am about to listen to #4. But I heard it goes downhill similar to the Sookie and Harper series by Harris. The cameo of Lily Bard in #11 is a spoiler for the series, it spoils something that happens in 4 or 5 to Lily.
Valerie, I've only read the first Vampire Academy books, I can't give you the all clear. I think that Richelle Mead writes her heroines in such a way I don't care for. I'm hoping that I can still enjoy the VA series despite that fact.
This topic must be in the air. I just read Jennifer Crusie's blog on the same subject: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
Athena-Nadine wrote: "I've had to let David Eddings go. I LOVED the Elenium, Tamuli, Belgariad, and Mallorean. And I adored The Redemption of Althalus. But I just couldn't get into the Treasured Ones series, no matte..."I love David Eddings. But I hate that woman Leigh, lol!
I can't stand the Treasured Ones, either. I dropped that series dead in the middle. And gave away the books. *shudder* I also hated Polgara the Sorceress but I own it. I have a hard time getting through any series of his but the Belgariad.
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Another author I think I'm more or less done with is Richelle Mead. The last book in the Dark Swam series put me off of her. The way she ended that book with something the main character does was ..."YOur comment made me go look it up. *shudder* Thank GOD I never started that series! ANd I never will read her. It seems that she does that pretty frequently...
MrsJoseph wrote: "Mercedes Lackey"Interesting... on her website www.mercedeslackey.com/ Lackey says that she has written over 50 books and mentioned that she wrote them with 7 different collaborators.
I think when an author writes so much and uses so many different collaborators something gets lost.
Jalilah wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "Mercedes Lackey"Interesting... on her website www.mercedeslackey.com/ Lackey says that she has written over 15 books and mentioned that she wrote them with 7 different ..."
Over 15? Maybe more like 150, lol.
Yeah, I can agree...she's had quite a lot of collabs. Off the top of my head I have:
Andre Norton
Anne McCaffery
Rosemary Edgehill
Piers Anthony
David Freer(I think that's his right name)
And that's without even trying.
Plus I think her husband/long term partner/illustrator Larry something or the other is also involved.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "Mercedes Lackey"Interesting... on her website www.mercedeslackey.com/ Lackey says that she has written over 15 books and mentioned that she wrote them wi..."
That is a Typo! on the site it says "over 50".I tried to paste the names from her site but it did not work.
There is a concept in SF fan circles called 'the brain eater.' Your favorite author gradually goes south, becoming less and less amusing. What happened? The brain eater got him. Sometimes there is a reason behind the brain eater: illness, age, or the lash of necessity. (He had to grind out some books fast to pay the hospital bills.) Sometimes there is no reason that anyone can see.The Honor Harrington books are famous for their slump in the latter volumes. Also the Chelsea Quinn Yarbro vampire books.
Amanda wrote: "Laurel K Hamilton :( The first Anita Blake novels were great and they've been downhill since Cerulean Dreams. I only stick with them in hopes they get better and to see where Anita ends up. It make..."That's me right there.
Brenda wrote: "There is a concept in SF fan circles called 'the brain eater.' Your favorite author gradually goes south, becoming less and less amusing. What happened? The brain eater got him. Sometimes there..."That just makes me sad.
I feel that Andre Norton did a pretty great job writing until she passed...but at the same time I have no clue what could have been tossed out by her editors AND she did a lot more collabs as she aged.
Jalilah wrote: "I think when an author writes so much and uses so many different collaborators something gets lost. "I think you lose a lot of the original author when they start doing books with another author. However, many of the very popular authors do this and not only in SF & F.
Anne McCaffrey collaborated on several of the 'Ship That Sang' series with several different authors and while the original book is one of my favorites, the others are pretty hit and miss ... some good, some not so good, but none as good as McCaffrey's original.
Same thing for Eric Flint and his "1632" series ... first book is super, second book, with David Weber is good, though the differences are obvious. Since then, I've pretty much read just the ones that Flint has written by himself. Some of the other co-authored books in the series are just simply not good at all.
Mercedes Lackey is the same ... I love most of her books that she's written on her own. Some of the co-authored books, not so much.
Fantasy Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
Iron Crowned (other topics)Deadlocked (other topics)
The Waste Lands (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Orson Scott Card (other topics)Terry Goodkind (other topics)
Mercedes Lackey (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
Kresley Cole (other topics)
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But damn. How quickly things go from the shit to some shit.
As time has passed I’ve started to notice how she doesn’t really touch me the way she used to. The words just don’t feel as right as they once did.
I’ve started to notice that she’s getting sloppy. She seems not to care as much as she used to.
I have the heart-sinking feeling that I need to break up with the first author I even fell in love with.
She no longer seems to follow her own previous story lines…backgrounds change with each book now. She seems to allow herself to be influenced by the current fads in new books and I’ve noticed some incorporation of things like Harry Potter into her work.
She’s very prolific…and I haven’t tried to keep up with her other series’ as I’ve become more and more disappointed with the results.
Yet I’ve noticed that I keep buying her new books. I currently have at least 7 books that I own by her that I haven’t read…that I’ve listed in GR. There’s no telling how many I have in real life.
I just don’t seem to be able to do it! I find it’s so hard to walk away.
Do you have an author that you need to break up with?