Happy Friday! I am very pleased that my hand/wrist is doing better this week, because it made typing and putting this post together SO much easier!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish discussion meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @DiniPandaReads. Each Friday, bloggers will write posts about a particular topic and share on their blog.

To start July off, we are discussing series lengths, namely, 2 or 3 books?

Do you prefer duologies or trilogies, and why? What are the pros and cons of having two books vs. three books in a series?

I have always been someone who says ‘the longer the better’ when it comes to book series. However, I am also someone who is really bad at actually finishing those series. Regardless, I think I still agree with that statement for the most part because I love really getting to know a story and its characters. I am willing to invest my time into learning more about a world and following characters over more of their lives.

I am primarily a fantasy reader, and this genre lends itself well to having books in series. Trilogies are one of my favourite series lengths overall. I haven’t done the calculating, but I think the majority of what I read is trilogies. They’re super common in the sff sphere! I enjoy the fact that there is that little investment on the reader’s part, in return for the extra detail and time in the overall story. I also like that you know it isn’t going to take years and years to wrap up, usually no more than 3.

That isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy a duology, because I do. I am an equal-opportunity book-length reader! I haven’t read that many of them because weirdly, it’s harder for me to find ones I am interested in. I probably need to look better, but most I have found recently have been romantasy, and that isn’t something I read all that much. Although maybe it isn’t weird, since as I noted already, straight fantasy lends itself well to bigger series, and that is what I tend to read genre-wise!

Do you think there are benefits to these shorter series, compared to ones with 4+ books, or are fewer books limiting?

I think this entire answer comes down to what specific story is being told. As I said, I love a long series. My favourite series of all time is just about to have book 8 published! But not every series needs that many books. If we are following a character navigating a specific event, two or three books are probably going to be enough to give a really satisfying story. If we are following a character through their entire life, or at least a significant portion of it, then maybe you’ll want more books to tell it properly.

As for benefits to shorter series, from a reader’s perspective, there are several. You have less time to wait to get that ending. You are less likely to get fatigued and forget about important details that you might need in later books. The plot is more likely to be easy(ish) to follow over a shorter series too.

What are some of your favourite duologies and/or trilogies?

One of my favourite series of all time is a trilogy, namely Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse. Set in a pre-Colombian Americas world, it has politics, prophecies and very cool magic!

Another top-tier trilogy for me is The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. This series took me by surprise with how much I love it – it’s a geopolitical urban fantasy, and the family dynamics and characters are just incredible.

The Radiant Emperor duology by Shelley Parker-Chan blew me away and is firmly cemented as a favourite. It’s quite violent, but incredibly written and tells a gender-swapped story of the fall of the Mongol Empire.

Laini Taylor writes some of my favourite books. Her trilogy, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my long-time loves, being one of the first fantasy series I ever read! She also has the Strange the Dreamer duology, of which I have to read book 2, but adored the first!

My most recent favourite duology is The DallerGut Dream Department Store by MiYe Lee. Such a fun, quirky pair of books with the most amazing covers.

The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne is exactly the sort of epic fantasy series that I love to dig my teeth into. Gritty, Norse-inspired fantasy with incredible battles and such real characters.

Other honourable mentions are:

• The Rages trilogy by Kritika H. Rao. This would be in my favourites above, but it’s not finished yet! However I LOVE what is already published – eco science fantasy with some amazing characters and a really compelling magic system.
• The Ending Fire trilogy by Saraa El-Arifi. I’ve only read 1 & 2, but it’s such a cool and unique setting and magic!
• Monk & Robot duology by Becky Chambers. If you want a peaceful, thought-provoking tale about purpose and connection, definitely read this lovely pair.
• The Luminaries trilogy by Susan Dennard. A mysterious and dark ya filled with nightmare monsters and a very determined fmc! Recommend the audios for this series.
• Gogmagog duology by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard. If you ever want something totally weird and lots of fun, definitely try these books!
• The Rise and Fall of Aos by Danielle Lauren is a wonderful, climate-fantasy duology with lots of magic and great characters.

You Tell Me – Do you prefer duologies or trilogies?