<p>Something similar has happened with another series of books. I have been an enormous fan of Arturo Perez-Reverte’s Capitan Alatriste series since the first book’s publication in 1996. At the outset, it was projected as a five-volume series, and he published ##2 and 3 with gaps of only one year between each book. (The books are a good deal shorter than the Song of Ice and Fire books.)</p>
<p>Then things both slowed down and expanded. At this point, six novels have been published, with three more projected. The sixth novel was published in 2006. Supposedly the seventh was completed over a year ago, but no publication date has been announced (which, at this point, may mean that it will not come out in 2011 at all). Meanwhile, Perez-Reverte insists on (a) writing other books, and (b) aging, running the risk that he will never complete what is in essence a single novel.</p>
<p>(If you know the series, you will understand why not getting to the end would be profoundly disappointing. The books began with an insight, in Perez-Reverte’s Club Dumas, that Spain had suffered for not having had a writer like Alexandre Dumas to create a vivid popular culture around the nation’s history. The books are historical novel about the waning of Spain’s Golden Age, a period of time exactly corresponding to the rise of France as chronicled in The Three Musketeers series, and the central characters are Spanish equivalents of D’Artangnan, Athos (a very dark, considerably less noble Athos), and Milady (a very young Milady, however, in D’Artagnan’s generation, not Athos’). Lord Buckingham (an important figure in The Three Musketeers) plays a prominent role in the first book of the series, and it has always been clear that the series would end with a trip to Paris, in which the central characters could not help but meet their French counterparts. I sure hope Perez-Reverte writes that scene and puts it somewhere for safekeeping before senility robs him of the ability to execute it adequately, because at this rate it could be 2030 – and he 80 – before he gets around to finishing.)</p>
<p>Thanks Consolation - I’ll check that series out. I’ll admit to enjoying the McCaffrey books - many, many years ago. I don’t even recall the bodice-ripper aspects - I just wanted one of those dragons. Are any of you watching “Game of Thrones”? The final scene of the first season is a dragon lovers delight.</p>
<p>JHS, that’s just so frustrating. I really prefer series that have some sort of logical end and aren’t stretched forever in general, especially if they do seem to be leading somewhere. The one exception I’ll make is Lois McMasters Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan series - I like her protagonist so much that I’m always happy to spend time with him any time she’s willing to trot him out. The books are a delightful mix of space opera, romance, mystery and some serious exploration of ideas in the grand tradition of the best science fiction. That said - the best book was the one where he finally got the girl. There have been two since, but they just aren’t as much fun. Sigh.</p>
<p>I think the later Harry Potter books really suffered from a lack of editing. They just seem bloated to me - and I usually think books are too short not too long.</p>
<p>I have enjoyed the Novik books I have read, but haven’t been compelled to chase them down - our library doesn’t have them.* Tea with Black Dragon *- wow I haven’t thought about that book in years!</p>
<p>If you don’t mind YA books. I like the dragons in Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown. Her more recent *Dragonhaven *has interesting dragons, though the book itself is not as good as her earlier work. Susan Fletcher’s Dragon’s Milk trilogy is quite good as are Patricia Wrede’s amusing Dealing with Dragons books.</p>
<p>For a darker take there is Barbara Hambly’s Dragonsbane books. I only liked the first one though.</p>
<p>Mathmom: you’re entirely right about Miles. I love that series, although I like the later ones better. I like her Chalion series, too. Have you read Patricia Wrede’s books with co-author Caroline Stevermer?</p>
<p>Another good series is Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles: The Name of the Wind, and Wise Man’s Fear.</p>
<p>As for Harry Potter, I just got tired of his being angry all the time. Then the last one, there were too many gratuitous deaths.</p>
<p>ok,ok. I ordered the first book for my and S’s Kindle. I have heard so much about this series, I had to get going on it. I think S is going to love it.</p>