I’ve recently read two books by different authors where I’ve come away with the impression they’re getting tired of writing that particular series.
I can understand how this may happen, especially when a series has developed into multiologies, but as a reader and a fan I must say I was disappointed.
Not that the books were poorly written, the stories stale, or anything, rather they just weren’t up to the same par as those prior to them.
The first book was Kay Hooper’s Blood Sins. This is the second book in the latest trilogy which forms part of the larger Noah Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series. (I think I just confused myself.)
Anyway the Mumma and I agreed this was the quickest read we’d both had for a while.
It was SO that quick; even for Speedy Krizales. (I was going to say ‘Spready Krizales’, but… skanky much?!)
It just didn’t seem to have the characterisation and plot development I’ve come to enjoy – and, yes, expect – in this series and the relationship between the h and h… well, there wasn’t much of one. Maybe this is something which will continue in the last book of the trilogy? Not sure. I’ll still be picking up the third book regardless of my reactions to the second; in other words, the overall story arc gets the thumbs up and I definitely need to know who done it.
The second book was the latest Laurell K Hamilton in the Merry Gentry series, Swallowing Darkness.
I was happily reading until the last few chapters when ‘bing’ a story thread was tied up, ‘bang’ then another, before ‘bam’, that’s it, it’s all over. Well, that’s what it felt like anyway. I haven’t bothered to check to see if there will be any more in the series, but I can’t see how there will be because everything was more or less wrapped up in pretty paper with a neat bow AND sparkly glitter on top.
I could be exaggerating (a little); however, I also had a few WTF moments whilst reading the end of the book. The main one being (SPOILER ALERT) when she gave up the crown for one of her guys despite the big deal made throughout the series about her fighting the good fight for ALL of her people. Yeah, yeah, happy, happy, blah, blah. Still…
My response to both books made me think more about Jenre’s discussion re: authorial voice in writing, in particular when personal attitudes to a story/book itself may become obvious to a reader – whether the author intended them to or not.
Has anyone else read either of these books (or any other book in a series) and come away with similar impressions about the author getting tired of what they’re doing? I’d be interested to know.
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
Interesting topic, Kris.I haven’t read either of these (or any books by these authors) but I do think that authors in general get tired of their characters and the elaborate series they have created. I’ve heard this accusation levelled at Kelley Armstrong with her ‘Women of the Underworld’ series although I haven’t read that series past book three.In a way it’s the same for JR Ward. She seems to have lost all interest in the romance of her characters in favour of leaning towards UF. This was a very awkward transition in the last book “Lover Enshrined” because Phury and Cormia’s romance was such a huge let down, yet on the flip side the UF part of the book was great. I especially liked the way she followed several character threads but this led to less book time for the romance. I can see the romance of the BDB series taking more and more of a back seat as Ward explores more of the world that she has created.
I like the Kelley Armstrong series, although there are definitely several books in the middle which, for me, were so-so.I think what saved ‘Lover Enshrined’ WAS the storylines of the secondary characters otherwise.. bleh.It can be really disappointing when an author does a flip like JRW or seems to have lost interest in the writing that made the books interesting for readers in the first place, don’t you think? This might get me accused of not allowing an author to grow or experiment with style etc, but not true. Off the top of my head I can think of one particular author who did this very successfully in a series and this was J K Rowling with ‘Harry Potter’. I loved the way that the books got more complex, more dark and gritty, etc as the series progressed. This I think was an excellent reflection of the increasing conflict of the story as well as Harry himself as he ‘grew up’.Maybe part of my disappointment is a sense of not betrayal exactly, but more like the ‘commitment’ (for wont of a better word) between reader and author was not as valued as that between author and reader. Does that make sense??