Deb Wiley | When Beloved Long-Running Series Come to an End

The new year is always a time to reflect on the past year while looking ahead to starting fresh. One of the things that stands out about to me from 2018 is the ending of some long-running and very beloved series. However, endings often signal new beginnings as well, so 2019 offers up some new series for me to love.

How does one end a favorite series? Well, if you are Simon R. Green you take two beloved series and put all the characters at odds with each other and watch the mayhem that ensues. The hardest loss for me of 2018 was seeing the end of two series by Simon R. Green as he ended his Secret Histories and Nightside series in true Simon R. Green style. NIGHT FALL heralded the end of both long-running series as we saw the Drood family take on the Nightside, with all our favorite characters at risk of dying. Heck, Simon R. Green even throws in the Ghost Finders series, as we bit our fingernails and quickly turned the pages, hoping against hope that all would end well. I’m not going to lie- I cried a little over the ending of Secret Histories and Nightside, even as I marveled at the sheer brilliance of Simon R. Green in how he ended two of the best urban fantasy series I’ve ever read.

I lost another beloved long-running urban fantasy series in 2018 as Ilona Andrews concluded her phenomenal Kate Daniels series with MAGIC TRIUMPHS. And oh, just like NIGHT FALL was with Simon R. Green, MAGIC TRIUMPHS was everything I had hoped for from Ilona Andrews and more! I laughed and I cried, as we saw both successes as well as sacrifice in this spectacular conclusion to the Kate Daniels series.  Thankfully, Ilona Andrews intends to let us visit this world a bit more, even if Kate and Curran will no longer be the focus.

So what does 2019 have in store for us? Ahhh but there appear to be some good series on the horizon, hopefully, some to replace the holes in my heart left behind by the end of three favorites. SCARLET AND SILVER by Margo Bond Collins is the first book in the Heavy Metal Magic: Blaize Silver series. I admit that a werewolf hunter allergic to silver accompanied by a werewolf stuck in wolf form immediately captures my interest and I look forward to seeing what Margo Bond Collins has in store for readers.

TITANSHADE by Dan Stout appears to be the start of a new series, and, if not, is certainly a debut novel with lots of potential. The book description mentions a homicide cop in a world with sorcerers and amphibians with money so I can’t help but want to read TITANSHADE! Besides, who can’t resist a retro world where disco and 8 track tapes still reign supreme? Sign me up for TITANSHADE as I can’t wait to see what Dan Stout’s debut novel is all about!

I’ve mainly covered urban fantasy here but there are also several cozy mystery series I can’t wait for. Christina Freeburn has NOT A CREATURE WAS STIRRING as the first book in her Merry & Bright Handcrafted mystery series while Essie Lang gives us TROUBLE ON THE BOOKS in her Castle Bookshop mystery series. 2019 is going to be a great year for reading! So what are some new series you are looking forward to?