Book trilogies that peak with the first book can frequently be letdowns because audiences get their hopes up based on the excitement and quality of the premiere novel. However, just because book one is the strongest, it doesn’t mean the remaining works are bad. Often, it indicates just how good the trilogy’s first novel is, and how effectively it draws readers into the story’s world. Many great series are trilogies because three books allow for a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Every series runs the risk of leaving too many unanswered questions before the final installment.

Fantasy book series have unique magic systems, romance novels feature swoon-worthy dialogue, and realistic fiction examines contemporary issues. All these genres can easily feature series, but fantasy often uses multiple books to tell the story because there’s so much world-building to do. No matter the genre type, what matters most about a book series is that the characters are compelling enough to ensure the audience follows them across several installments. An unforgettable opening novel will grab readers from the first page with a complex protagonist and a conflict that can evolve over time.

10

Divergent Trilogy (2011–2013)

Written by Veronica Roth

There are harsh realities about the Divergent book series, as it pales in comparison to its better-received counterparts in the YA dystopian genre. However, it remains relatively popular and well-known, even if the story’s internal logic falls flat. A large part of this is thanks to the first book, Divergent, which arguably tells a complete narrative by the novel’s final page. It works as an origin story for Tris, the protagonist, as she realizes she’s Divergent and must pass a series of tests to join her chosen faction. This provides smaller conflicts and achievements within the plot’s main thrust.

Of course, there’s a romance, as few novels targeted towards teens don’t feature one. However, Divergent is markedly more interesting than the remaining two books, Insurgent and Allegiant, because there’s still a question about Tris’ fate and whether she’ll end up with her primary love interest, Four. There’s no pressure for her to take on a role as leader, and the story takes its time introducing the reader to the ins and outs of this totalitarian society. In the other installments, Tris is launched into a war she’s ill-equipped for, and most of the initial story features disappear.

9

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2014–2017)

Written by Jenny Han

Netflix knew that Jenny Han’s teen romance series was special when the streamer adapted the first book, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, into a movie in 2018. Since then, the IP has been a boon for the company, as the other books were adapted and an original series spun off from the films. However, the movies couldn’t hide how contrived the final two parts are. Romance relies on tropes, but the first book uses this fact to its advantage. The same cannot be said for P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean.

Each following novel is a protracted attempt to keep the reader from uncovering what they’ve known since the beginning; Lara Jean and Peter are going to end up together. Instead of letting them live out their romantic bliss after they commit at the end of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, new love interests are added, and conflicts arise that are significantly out of character for everyone involved. Han is a prolific writer in the teen romance genre and has created conflict more seamlessly in other works, but To All The Boys wasn’t engaging by the end.

8

His Dark Materials (1995–2000)

Written by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials is a classic kids’ book from the ’90s that is worth reading because of the immersive fantasy world and the amazing lead character, Lyra. Any precious child reading The Golden Compass, the first book in the series, for the first time will instantly relate to Lyra for her clever tricks and fierce loyalty to those she loves. In book two, The Subtle Knife, Lyra is joined by a character from the real world, Will, who becomes entangled with Lyra and the many parallel universes they discover along the way.

Though Will and Lyra make for good companions and strong foils, something is lost after the door is opened outside the tight world author Philip Pullman starts with. Additionally, in the last book, The Amber Spyglass, it’s difficult to keep up with the number of worlds and their inhabitants constantly introduced by the plot. There’s nothing wrong with weaving a complex tale, but Pullman strays from the contained plot of The Golden Compass. When writing for fantasy readers, taking the beloved characters out of the environment and into the real world can be a risk.

7

Crescent City Series (2020–2024)

Written by Sarah J. Maas

Author of the famed series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas also penned the Crescent City Series. Though set against the backdrop of a fantasy world, the books delve heavily into their romantic plotlines, particularly that between the protagonist, Bryce Quinlan, and her partner-turned-love interest, Hunt Athalar. However, in House of Earth and Blood, the tension between Bryce and Hunt is at an all-time high because they haven’t declared their love yet. In fact, they’re just learning to tolerate each other. This will-they-won’t-they dynamic is tried and true and extremely compelling to readers.

The story is set in a blend of human and fantasy worlds. Bryce exists at this intersection as a half-Fae-half-human individual who gets thrown headfirst into an investigation that leads her into the darkest parts of the city. The first book was a wild success, and of course, it made sense for Maas to keep writing more stories within the world. However, the original plot told a concise tale. Even as the universe of Crescent City expands and Bryce is transported to new realms, the larger scale doesn’t spark the same excitement as the initial, smaller story did.

6

The Maze Runner Series (2009–2011)

Written by James Dashner

The Maze Runner faced the same problems as an ill-conceived TV show. Certain TV series would be better suited as a movie, and peter out with each passing season after the first. The same can be said of The Maze Runner series, which never hit the same heights as iconic franchises like The Hunger Games. As yet another YA dystopian story, The Maze Runner has to work hard to be original, and in the first book, it mostly succeeds. However, as the series progresses, it lacks cohesion and fails to compensate for the massive shifts in tone and structure.

What’s happening to Thomas and the boys in the Glade is an experiment orchestrated by some unknown, all-powerful entity. Despite the lack of answers and hope, Thomas makes it his mission to get out of confinement and discover what lies beyond the walls. Though the author, James Dashner, wrote several prequel books within the series, the central trilogy features the same characters and setting. It’s not until The Death Cure, the last book, that sufficient answers are given to the audience. The Maze Runner stands above the rest because the story is interesting enough without over-explaining the stakes.

5

All Souls Trilogy (2011–2014)

Written by Deborah Harkness

Witches are only the tip of the iceberg in Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, which features vampires, daemons, and fearsome creatures from another world creeping into Diana Bishop’s life in the first book, A Discovery of Witches. The novel was Harkness’ debut, and she quickly turned it into a fully-fledged series with the following two books that cemented the series as an elevated fantasy-romance offering. Matthew Clairmont is a vampire who turns Diana’s head within the story, and it’s easy to see why, based on the fantastic chemistry Harkness sprinkles throughout their adventure.

Like any reluctant hero, it takes a moment for Diana to answer the call, as she claims she wants nothing to do with her magical powers. It doesn’t take long for her to put her hesitance aside when she realizes how much the world needs her. A Discovery of Witches became popular because it was a fantasy story set in the present day. Eventually, the characters return to the present, but first travel to Elizabethan London in book two, Shadow of Night. While it’s an interesting change of scenery, the time travel takes the reader out of the story.

4

The Broken Earth Series (2015–2017)

Written by N. K. Jemisin

The Broken Earth Series begins with The Fifth Season, a book that sets a dark and high-stakes tone. Essun is on a journey across the world just as it’s ending to save her daughter in the wake of unbearable loss. It can be difficult to read The Fifth Season as Essun is an empathetic character who goes through so much. However, the series begins on such an intense and thrilling note, that it’s difficult for the remaining books to capitalize on this momentum.

The last book, The Stone Sky, is a unique departure from the first two books, almost singling itself out as a standalone narrative. It puts the mother-daughter relationship at odds for the first time. The Stone Sky comes the closest to the initial fast-paced adventure of The Fifth Season, but the lore and world-building have grown so much since then, that the character-driven heart of the story starts to get lost. Overall, each novel is vital to the story and tells a satisfying tale. It’s thanks to the strength of The Fifth Season that readers are engaged until the end.

3

The Summer Series (2009–2011)

Written by Jenny Han

Prime Video took Han’s Summer Series, beginning with The Summer I Turned Pretty, and turned it into a teen romance phenomenon. Not unlike Han’s later series, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, the Summer Series features a young woman coming of age and dealing with her first pangs of loss and love. However, The Summer I Turned Pretty maintains itself much better than To All The Boys because it’s about a love triangle from the start. Belly, the protagonist, is caught between two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad, who she’s grown up with.

The essential issue with the Summer Series is that even though the love triangle is believable, Belly prefers Conrad by leaps and bounds. Obstacles get in their way, pushing her into Jeremiah’s arms, but they’re merely a stalling tactic. Who Belly chooses in the Summer Series books has been hinted not to be who she will end up with in the show, but that remains for season 3. In terms of the novels, not only does the reader grow tired of Belly and Conrad pushing each other away, but the melodrama included in the last books is overwhelming.

2

Inkworld Series (2003–2007)

Written by Cornelia Funke

Most audiences are likely familiar with Inkheart thanks to the 2008 Brendan Fraser YA movie that deserves a reboot. If Inkheart had taken off into a film series the way the producers might have hoped, it would have developed the next two installments, Inkspell and Inkdeath. However, the Inkheart movie made the key mistake of altering the ending, which leads directly into the next book’s story. Though the Inkheart book leaves the conclusion open-ended, it’s part of the overall charm and mystery woven throughout the novel. It’s considered a key piece of children’s literature.

It’s a clever premise, and one any avid reader will instantly find themselves emotionally involved in. The conceit is that Mo and his daughter, Meggie, are Silvertongues. Whatever they read aloud from a book enters the real world. Of course, this results in a litany of problems and opens the door to fictional worlds beyond the character’s wildest dreams. However, Inkspell takes a turn and has the characters sucked into the fictional tales instead of the other way around. Unfortunately, the magic system begins to break down when the Silvetongues find themselves inside the novel.

1

The Shadow And Bone Trilogy (2012–2014)

Written by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone has become a hallmark of the YA fantasy genre in the past few years, in part thanks to the Netflix series. However, it’s also because there are such interesting characters and a strong magic system anchoring the plot. The Shadow and Bone trilogy was shortly followed by Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, which also takes place in the Grishaverse. Unfortunately, while Shadow and Bone, the first of the original trilogy, is the best of the first three books, critics and fans agree that Six of Crows is some of Leigh Bardugo’s best work to date.

However, when merely looking at the three revolving around Alina, Shadow and Bone was the best entry in the series. It’s a close race, as Siege and Storm and Rise and Ruin are great books and illustrate how Bardugo had a plan for the story from the beginning. Reading the novels one after the other doesn’t feel disjointed or lacking connection. This is why it’s such a strong trilogy as a whole. However, when ranking them, Shadow and Bone comes out on top. Alina spends the story discovering herself. Without this time away, she wouldn’t develop into a hero.