Top 5 Sundays #28 - Book Series You Wish Would Get a Spin-Off

There is nothing more bittersweet that the ending of a series. Whether the series comprises three books, five books, six, seven or nine books, it doesn't matter, more often than not the ending comes too soon. I mean, sure, the loose ends are tied up, happily ever after is achieved, and hints for the future are sprinkled about but you've also to remember that you've spent month - if not years - following this series, getting to know these characters, being invested in their adventures and then, for good or bad, all of the sudden it's over. The love triangle's resolved, the Big Bad is defeated, the lost artefact is found, the misplaced monarch ascended and yet the first thought that crosses your mind as you read that last sentence on that last page, nine times out of ten, follows along the lines of, "That's it?! That's how this ends?! NO!"

You want to know the great thing about spin-offs? They let you revisit the world and characters you love but with a fresh perspective that brings its own unique opinions and insights to all the things you thought you knew. Like with Karen Marie Moning's Dani O'Malley series or Keri Arthur's Dark Angels series, you get a wonderful combination of fresh and new  with the familiar, with enough glimpses of the former primary characters to make you nostalgic for the original series.

So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Book Series I Wish Would Get a Spin-Off.

#5 - Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow

I loved this series - Japh and Dante had a unique dynamic and even more unique relationship, not to mention that the whole take on demons and Hell was original and captivating. A while after the last book was published, Ms. Saintcrow released a short story in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance featuring Dante's ward, Liana, as the main character. A whole series elaborating on Liana's story would just be beyond awesome.

#4 - Succubus Diaries series by Jill Myles

At the end of this series, Jackie finds herself in a whole new position with a whole heap of responsibility tossed onto her shoulders. It would be great to have a spin-off for Noah, one that would give us some perspective on the new and improved Jackie while simultaneously gifting our favourite neighbourhood nephilim with his happily ever after.

#3 - Living in Eden series by Michelle Rowen

Let's be honest here, people, did anyone actually read this series and NOT wish for a Lucas spin-off? Sure, he was the Devil and all but the man was such was a sweetie! He basically had a huge neon sign above his head that all but screamed REDEEMABLE. Fingers crossed that some day, somehow, this will come to be!

#2 - The House of Comarré series by Kristen Painter

There's one more book left in this series, due to be published July 30, 2013, and already I have my fingers crossed for a spin-off. I love this world - I love the creatures and the social constructs, love the tone of the writing and the elements of good and evil, dark and light. Most especially of all, I love the characters. Mal and Chrysabelle have been through a lot and they've lost so much - it would be awesome to be able to drop in on them years down the road to see the form of their happily ever after.

#1 - The Shifters series by Rachel Vincent

The thing about this series is that it end literally minutes after the final battle. Sure, we were left with firm ideas of where the characters were heading but it would still be nice to look back in on them five years down the road to see if the destination lived up to the road signs. Given what I've seen on the forums and chats, there's seems to be particular interest in a Kaci spin-off, and who could argue with that? Would be great getting the different point of view, influenced as it would be by a different background and different world view, and seeing how the world and characters have changed given time.

Fingers crossed, people!

Top 5 Sundays #7 - Finished Series I Wish Would Come Back

Aha, another week, another Top 5. This week's topic is the top 5 finished series I wish would resurrect; not as easy to answer as you might think. Take, for example, one of my favourite series, Gail Carriger's The Parasol Protectorate. It recently ended with the publication of the fifth book, Timeless, earlier this year, and while I was sad to see the curtain close on Alexa, Maccon and the rest of the cast, I have to admit things came to a satisfying finish. Recently, Nicole Peeler posted on The League of Reluctant Adults blog an explanation for the impending conclusion of her Jane True series. In her words,

I wanted to end in control of the character and the book, and in a way that satisfied me and, hopefully, my readers. As a reader myself, I remember with love the series that left me wanting more--the ones that ended when I was still involved, still engaged. So that's how I wanted Jane's story to be. I wanted to end before I lost the flow of the original idea, or got bored with my own character, or bored my readers.

And I have to admit that I agree with her.When it comes to a series, sooner or later, no matter how much you love the characters, the plots, the writing, there comes a time when you just want to know how it all ends.

And sometimes, things end too soon and you're left staring at the last page wondering if a printing error has cut a chapter or two off the end. "Seriously?!" you think - or possibly shout out loud, "this is how it ends?! But...what happened next?! And what happened to this or that secondary character?!"

This week's list  highlights some of those moments and at the same time goes out as a sort of wish list. Maybe...just maybe...

#5 - Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series

Since this series ended with its fifth book's publication in 2008, its had at least three short stories release focusing on secondary characters. One in particular - "Coming Home" in 2008's The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance - took up the story of Dante's ward, Liana, and made it abundantly clear how awesome she'd be if given a chance to shine in her own series.

#4 - S.J. Day's Marked series

This was an amazing series that put a fantastic new spin on angels, demons, and, most important, Cain and Abel. It had mystery, romance, tragedy, adventure and even a journey of self-discovery. It was beyond epic. And then it was over. Fortunately, the third book's cliffhanger was resolved in a short story published recently in The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2, but tossed in a brand new one in its place.

#3 - Gena Showalter's Tales of an Extraordinary Girl series

This was a humourous, romantic, super-powered romp that could well use a third installment. After all, Belle and her main man, Rome, fell in love in Playing with Fire and wed in Twice as Hot in a classic take on first comes love, then comes marriage...isn't the baby carriage due to make its appearance now?

#2 - Michelle Rowen's Living in Eden series

So, okay, Eden and Darrak got themselves a happily ever after. Ditto Ben and Lena. But what about Lucas? Poor guy is still the Bruce Banner of fallen angels, still stuck with the worst job known to man or angel...and once you got over the Satan thing, he really was something of a sweet guy. Doesn't he deserve a shot at happily ever after too?


#1 - Rachel Vincent's Shifters series

The last book in this series ends with a marriage proposal on a battlefield and the sense that Faythe was too stubborn and determined not to win her way with the Council thereafter. Since then, I've been eagerly awaiting an announcement for a new series featuring Kaci, Faythe's ward, as the new main character. She was thirteen years old when she first popped up in Pride so popping back in ten years later...well, it's working great for Keri Arthur's Dark Angel series and I think Rachel Vincent would do just as well!

And there you have it - my Top 5. Tune in next week for more. Ciao!