… fell absolutely in love with the first book of a series, snatched the second up as soon as it hit the shelves, started reading it and thought… “meh”.
So, you set it aside in the hopes that you will come back and try it again. But does it work??
It didn’t for me with this series and for the life of me I’ve no real idea why. I just couldn’t get beyond the first couple of chapters. I’m thinking that I just wasn’t able to connect with the main characters. Who knows.
*sigh* I seriously hate it when that happens though, don’t you?
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
Umm, in theory I hate it. LOL Can’t think of a case where it happened really. Hmmm. Usually I feel compelled to read it just to finish it. I just NEED to know what happens. Its a disappointment though when you are kind of hyped for something and its just blah.
It was a big disappointment, Tam. I kept on thinking to myself ‘just read a little more and you’ll get past this slump’ in the hopes that I could continue the series in book 3, but no luck. 😦
I didn’t fall in love with this series. In fact I actually picked the second book thinking I would buy it and then thought- did I really love the 1st book all that much? No – not so much. So I passed. The first book was only a 3 out of 5 for me if I remember correctly. Good, but not great. Good to hear I didn’t miss anything spectacular.
I don’t think I’ve ever LOVED, loved a book and then picked up the second to be disappointed. Now I’ve read a book where it’s the 3rd, 4th or 5th in a series and when I go back to book 1 I’m disappointed but not the other way around.
Boy I’m long winded. Stick margaritas in me more often! lol
I have often got to book 4, 5 or 6 in a series and have either lost ‘omph’ myself or felt that the author has lost interest or momentum or something in the series (LKH’s Anita Blake being the perfect example), but I don’t recall ever having such a reaction so soon in a series. It seriously bummed me, especially when I did like the first one so much. *Side note: Interesting that you gave 3/5, Tracy.*
Are you bragging again because your hubby makes you margaritas from scratch?? That’s just plain rude.
I read the first book (Night Keepers) and liked it. I haven’t read the second yet, although it’s on my TBR list. I have having a similar problem at the moment though with the latest JR Ward book. I blogged about it if you REALLY want to read my ravings…
And I just saw the Broken Wing Challenge Icon! *happy dance* And I can’t believe you agreed to read it when you don’t read historicals! That’s classic! You can’t back out though 🙂 I wasn’t joking when I said the challenge was like the mob…
I’ve been trying to think whether this has ever happened to me, and if so, with which book! I’m a bit like Tracy, I’ll plow on through it in the hope that it’ll get better and then I’ll not buy any others in the series if it doesn’t.
I often suffer from book 5 fatigue especially if I’m glomming.
<>Are you bragging again because your hubby makes you margaritas from scratch?? That’s just plain rude.<>Really Kris, would I do that? Um, ok, yeah, I would. But not this time! The dance studio and martial arts studio are RIGHT NEXT to the mexican restaurant that has the kids eat free on Tuesday nights. The kids asked to eat there and how could I refuse? And of course I HAVE to have a margarita with my mexican food. Right?
I hate it when it happens and it happened to me a few times. Not so much in romance books but in sci-fi/ fantasy books. Like all inspiration had gone in first book and then all inspiration was gone.
Ummmm, don’t think I’ve ever had that kind of disappointment so early in a series. I usually start liking the first novel OK, enough to pick up the second, which I like better, then the third, then excitement builds as I go and keep enjoying the books…and THEN I hit the meh, which can be between anywhere between 5 (BDB) to 13 (Stephanie Plum). If it’s a long series and the meh came rather late, it’s going to take several more meh books before I quit reading – proof, Kenyon and LKH. I’m still reading them, although I don’t buy anymore (except Ash).
About that specific series, I’m with Tracy, that book was about 3/5 for me too. I never came to care much for any character, too much juggling around and too many things I didn’t understand. Unless I find book 2 really cheap at the UBS I’m not buying it.
Orannia: I read you post about LA and killed myself laughing. Although I haven’t read it yet, I know I will have similar issues. I had to really push myself to read LE and only really finished it because of John’s story thread. Oh well. I’ll see how I go.
LOL re: Broken Wing: The book has arrived so I have no excuses… even if it is an historical. 😉
Jen: I tried with the plowing, but it was good. 😦
‘Book 5 fatigue’. I like that phrase. It sums up the feeling perfectly. I’m stealing it, Jen.
Tracy: The dance studio and martial arts studio just happen to be right next door to the mexican restaurant that let’s kids eat for free on Tuesdays?? Yeah right.
Ingrid: Exactly! It does happen a lot with spec fic and I’ve been noticing it more and more in urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
I’ve been reading a few posts about reader expectations and entitlements lately and it’s made me really think about the pressure some authors are under from their fans, especially when it comes to maintaining the momentum of a series or living up to the high regard of a first book. Anyway, just an interesting side note. 🙂
Mary: As I said to Tracy, I don’t think I’ve hit the ‘meh’ so early in a series either. I’m generally like you and get further along in the series before I start having problems.
Oh, I just thought of an interesting question to ask. (Well, I think it is anyway.) I’ll post it as a follow up to this.
You had a similiar opinion to Tracy, Mary?? Well, why the hell did I like it so much then?! LOL. I actually think it’s because my family has a bit of an obsession with the Mayan calendar (no, no cultural reasons) so that was an aspect about the book that really resonated with me. I loved the detail and research that had been undertaken for it. Must be the historian in me being all appreciative. 🙂
I know great coincidence huh? Not like I planned to have my children go there just cuz they have great margaritas – no sir!
I did ask my hubby to take the kids to class once and he said, sure…I’ll drop them off and then go get a margarita. I said, uh, no…I’ll take them loser! lol
*snort*
<>Orannia: I read you post about LA and killed myself laughing.<>LOL. And here I was petrified about posting in the first place in case I caused major offence 😉
Ohhh, you’ve got Broken Wing. I just need to FINISH LA…only 170 page to go…and get to Broken Wing 😉
Nope. You weren’t that scary. One of the things that made me laugh so much was that I could easily imagine myself doing exactly the same thing. In fact, it’s quite possible I have already. 🙂