Friday Favorites is a weekly list hosted by Something of the Book, and this week’s topic is one of my absolute favorites. Sequels are make or break for me, and I am very passionate about the ones I do love, so here’s a look at some of the best of the best.

I wouldn’t be doing justice to the world of sequels if I didn’t put my number one favorite sequel ever: Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. This is a Sequel if I’ve ever read one. Taylor did every single thing I was hoping for as a follow-up to Strange the Dreamer, AND MORE. This is, hands down, one of the best conclusions(?) to a duology ever.

And if we’re talking duologies, I have to mention Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser. There were a lot of ways that this could have gone, a lot of wrongs that could have been done to Caro to fit her into the typical female mold, but Tolcser just straight up went “nahhhhhh” and gave Caro everything her heart desired, but in, like, the most badass way ever.

I made it three whole books before I talked about Maggie Stiefvater, but Linger, the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, is not one of my favorite sequels, but one that stands out to me a lot. I’m always uncomfortable reading this book, and that’s incredible because it’s the writing that makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t even know how to explain it. Linger is such a good title for this book because Maggie truly makes you feel like you’re lingering at the edge of something, like you’re waiting for the next breath to come but it just won’t, and it’s awful in the best possible way. This is a masterfully written book even if it makes me want to run away.

I mean, come on. We all knew this was going to be on my list of fave sequels. The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty is probably one of my favorite books of 2019. Obviously, it comes after The City of Brass because wow and WOW again, but I was so terrified of this sequel because I had such unrealistically high expectations, and WOO BUDDY DID IT DELIVER. This ripped me into tiny little shreds of confetti and then dabbed away my tears with said confetti. That was a gross image, I’m sorry.

Okay, this is not going to say what you think it is. I lowkey hated The Cruel Prince, and I’m still not really sure why I picked up The Wicked King by Holly Black other than I was so damn curious. Like, I saw all the hype and I definitely bowed under it and decided to read the sequel, but also no one else does faeries like Black does, and the first one was a lot better than what I’d read from her previously, so I figured, what the hell, 3 stars reads aren’t awful.

WHAT

I was not even halfway through this before I preordered The Queen of Nothing. THIS BOOK knocked me into the next universe. I was astonished by how much better it was, and by how invested I was in the characters suddenly. Like, binge reading late at night kind of invested. It was insane, and it made me willing to give Holly Black another chance.

I had to put at least one VE Schwab book on here, and Vengeful made me flail. I was glitter-bombed hours before I was supposed to meet her, and I just went with it because it seemed like a Marcella thing to do. This book was such an incredible follow-up, and to think this only came to be after she completely scrapped another version of it just blows my mind.

In my review for King of Fools by Amanda Foody, I talk about what a good sequel this is because it does my three favorite things: expand upon already excellent world-building, dive into secondary characters more, and kick me in the ass. This was one of my highly anticipated reads for this year, and it definitely delivered.

AM I EVER GOING TO STOP LOVING ZEBULON FINCH? NAHHHH. This little asshole is my favorite undead teenager ever, and I would both die for him and murder him. Volume two of The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch is, hands down, one of my favorite sequels. I definitely liked the first one better, but this was such a perfect way to wrap everything up, especially with! that! ending!!! I just will never be satisfied with the amount of Zebulon in my life, but if this is all I get (all??? these books are 1500 PAGES COMBINED) then I’ll figure out how to be okay.

Song of the Dark Crystal was what convinced me to keep going with this series. I wasn’t super impressed with the first one, and I was still a little unsure with this one when I first picked it up, but it more than made up for anything that was lacking before. It’s definitely the reason I have the fourth one preordered.

Annnnd, ending this with a top fave because Traitor to the Throne had me WEEPING and stressed AF toward the middle. It was also when one of my friends decided she had to read this series because I was huddled under a blanket like a goblin, reading as fast as I could, and occasionally flinging myself out with a scream of disbelief. The whole series is a gem, really, but this middle one was WOW.

And that’s that! What are some of your favorite sequels?