Although I really liked Sarah J Maas’s Kingdom of Ash (KOA; the final book in the Throne of Glass series), there were a couple of books in that seven-book series that I loved more than the last book. And of course, I wasn’t alone in feeling a little underwhelmed by A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR), the third book in Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy.
This shows that wrapping up a series is no easy task.
When you find yourself writing rather unusual endings to your fantasy series, like yours truly here, the days and weeks leading up to the release of a series finale of your own can be a very nerve wracking time. Ever since I wrote the last sentence of Keys to the Realm, which released Friday 3rd July, 2020, I’ve been stressing out about what readers will think of this conclusion to my Heir to the Throne Trilogy. Will it be a KOA or a ACOWAR? A Good Place or good riddance?
To distract myself from this anxiety, I compiled a list of my favourite series finales from the world of books and films. And so, in no particular order...
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part II (film)
All but the last two Breaking Dawn films were a disappointment for me and the last film was by far the best of the lot. I won’t say much more about this series; I know us Twihards are a dying breed...
The Raven King (book)
The Raven Cycle is one of my favourite YA (magical realism?) series, and I was very happy with how it was wrapped up. Especially as it ended in a way that I hadn’t been able to predict. The author did something different with it, like I try to with my series finales, and it played out wonderfully. Highly recommend this series for fans of YA!
Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part II (film)
When it comes to the Hunger Games, I prefer the film adaptations over the books, even though I read the books first. When I read the series, I wasn’t that into dystopian fiction (still not that into this genre these days, either) and I thought the books were alright. I didn’t like the main character but I appreciated why she was written that way. I applaud the author for being brave enough to write that kind of character in a YA series. It’s so easy to write a likable hero in this genre.
The films were so goooood, though! I loved every minute of them. They were better than the books for me, and I rarely feel that way about book-to-film adaptations, especially if I read the books first. I liked the main character in the films and the final movie was great.
The Dark Knight Rises (film)
Christopher Nolan. Christian Bale. Enough said. But I have to say a bit more: This film trilogy is one of my all-time favourites and will always be in a league of its own. The last film in this series was fantastic, even Anne Hathaway couldn’t ruin it for me. I am a huge fan of Robert Pattinson, so I’m excited about the new Batman film he’s going to star in. I wonder how it will compare to Nolan’s films...
Always and Forever, Lara Jean (book)
This could easily have gone in the wrong direction because the first two books were so cute and were wrapped up quite nicely with a fluffy bow, but I really enjoyed the last book in this YA contemporary trilogy. One of the series that I re-read whenever I’m in a reading slump or need some feel good vibes. I wrote reviews here.
The Last Star (book)
My favourite YA dystopia series is The 5th Wave trilogy. The last book was really, really good. I wrote a review here.
Ascend (book)
I really loved the Tryll Trilogy, and the last book in the series was an excellent wrap-up. Amanda Hocking really paved the way for indie authors and these three books of hers will always have a special place in my heart.
I haven’t included any TV series because most of the ones I've watched/enjoyed didn’t finish quite so strongly. That said, the last ever episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was pretty amazing, even though that final series wasn’t my favourite of the show. Or even second favourite. Still an awesome show—my all-time fave :)
When you find yourself writing rather unusual endings to your fantasy series, like yours truly here, the days and weeks leading up to the release of a series finale of your own can be a very nerve wracking time. Ever since I wrote the last sentence of Keys to the Realm, which released Friday 3rd July, 2020, I’ve been stressing out about what readers will think of this conclusion to my Heir to the Throne Trilogy. Will it be a KOA or a ACOWAR? A Good Place or good riddance?
To distract myself from this anxiety, I compiled a list of my favourite series finales from the world of books and films. And so, in no particular order...
All but the last two Breaking Dawn films were a disappointment for me and the last film was by far the best of the lot. I won’t say much more about this series; I know us Twihards are a dying breed...
The Raven King (book)
The Raven Cycle is one of my favourite YA (magical realism?) series, and I was very happy with how it was wrapped up. Especially as it ended in a way that I hadn’t been able to predict. The author did something different with it, like I try to with my series finales, and it played out wonderfully. Highly recommend this series for fans of YA!
Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part II (film)
When it comes to the Hunger Games, I prefer the film adaptations over the books, even though I read the books first. When I read the series, I wasn’t that into dystopian fiction (still not that into this genre these days, either) and I thought the books were alright. I didn’t like the main character but I appreciated why she was written that way. I applaud the author for being brave enough to write that kind of character in a YA series. It’s so easy to write a likable hero in this genre.
The films were so goooood, though! I loved every minute of them. They were better than the books for me, and I rarely feel that way about book-to-film adaptations, especially if I read the books first. I liked the main character in the films and the final movie was great.
The Dark Knight Rises (film)
Christopher Nolan. Christian Bale. Enough said. But I have to say a bit more: This film trilogy is one of my all-time favourites and will always be in a league of its own. The last film in this series was fantastic, even Anne Hathaway couldn’t ruin it for me. I am a huge fan of Robert Pattinson, so I’m excited about the new Batman film he’s going to star in. I wonder how it will compare to Nolan’s films...
Always and Forever, Lara Jean (book)
This could easily have gone in the wrong direction because the first two books were so cute and were wrapped up quite nicely with a fluffy bow, but I really enjoyed the last book in this YA contemporary trilogy. One of the series that I re-read whenever I’m in a reading slump or need some feel good vibes. I wrote reviews here.
The Last Star (book)
My favourite YA dystopia series is The 5th Wave trilogy. The last book was really, really good. I wrote a review here.
Ascend (book)
I really loved the Tryll Trilogy, and the last book in the series was an excellent wrap-up. Amanda Hocking really paved the way for indie authors and these three books of hers will always have a special place in my heart.
I haven’t included any TV series because most of the ones I've watched/enjoyed didn’t finish quite so strongly. That said, the last ever episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was pretty amazing, even though that final series wasn’t my favourite of the show. Or even second favourite. Still an awesome show—my all-time fave :)
What are your favourite series finales?
Thanks for reading and I hope you get to check out the books I’ve mentioned if you’re into these genres. If you’re interested in my work, you can check out my books >>here <<
