Every year we start new series, fall in love, shrug, rage-quit, or quietly shelve a title until the right mood arrives. For 2025 we began 15 different series across fantasy, urban fantasy, litRPG, dystopian YA, manga, and crime fiction. This tier list groups those series by how much we enjoyed the first entries and whether we plan to continue them. The tiers are simple: S for absolutely stellar and cannot-wait-to-read-more, A for really good and will definitely continue, B for mixed-to-positive and will continue eventually, C for interested but not a priority, and D for not continuing.
Below we go through each series in the order we read them, explain why each one landed where it did, call out the parts that clicked and the parts that didn’t, and give a clear answer on whether we’re coming back. If you are hunting for your next read or just want a quick snapshot of what stood out in 2025, this should make it easy to decide what to pick up first.
How we graded these series
Our approach was straightforward: read the first (or the first few) books of a series, weigh the characters, setting, pacing, and originality, and then place the series into a tier that reflects both enjoyment and whether we plan to continue. A book can be ambitious and still land in C if it’s not urgent to return to, while a very solid, reliable series that we’ll absolutely keep reading earns an A.
S Tier — Amazing and we cannot wait to continue
The Failures — Benjamin Liar
This was our unambiguous favorite among the new series we began in 2025. Calling it simply good undersells how fresh and audacious it feels. A debut that reads like the work of a seasoned, fearless writer, it blends coming-of-age beats with wild, genre-bending invention. At first the structure can feel disorienting — the opening pages drop you into a mile-a-minute world that doesn’t explain itself right away — but that fragmentation is purposeful. When the pieces lock, the novel becomes exhilarating.
Why it landed in S: originality and emotional punch. Benjamin Liar pulls off an unpredictable mashup of ideas and then grounds it with character work that matters. We laughed, got weirded out, felt nostalgic, and wound up invested in what comes next.
Will we continue? Absolutely yes. This is a series we are counting down for.
A Tier — Really good and we will absolutely continue
Riyria Chronicles (Royce and Hadrian prequel series) — Michael J. Sullivan
We’re suckers for Royce and Hadrian. These characters are reliably great and Sullivan writes them with affection and wit. The first two entries in the prequel series were as delightful as anything in Sullivan’s earlier work, delivering the sharp banter and carefully staged set pieces we expect. Books three and four took some detours and felt like a mixed bag, but everything about hanging with Royce and Hadrian makes this an easy return.
Highlights: character chemistry, enjoyable pacing, and world expansion without losing the core relationship that makes the series work.
Will we continue? Yes. We’ll read more when the timing fits — probably later in our reading rotation.
Unwind (Unwind Dystology) — Neal Shusterman
Going into Unwind we had low expectations for YA dystopian, but the book surprised by leaning dark and staying unsentimental. The premise is gruesome and the moral questions are presented without a heavy-handed sermon. The worldbuilding shows the consequences of a political choice in a way that is unsettling and credible. If you liked The Giver for its ideas but wanted it to be grimmer and more uncomfortable, Unwind scratches that itch.
Highlights: controlled, hard-hitting worldbuilding; moral ambiguity; a tension that keeps the story urgent.
Will we continue? Definitely. This is one to move up the schedule sooner rather than later.
Gunmetal Gods — (Author not specified)
One of the freshest medievalish fantasies we read this year. Gunmetal Gods combines grim brutality with a sense of inevitability that gives the plot a slow-burning, fated quality. The book follows two protagonists on opposite sides of a war, and the narrative pacing builds toward the dread and curiosity of their eventual collision. There are cosmic/unnerving elements that expand into Lovecraftian territory and the whole package avoids clichés by feeling strange and original.
Highlights: strong voice, bleak and vivid worldbuilding, and characters whose arcs make the eventual clash feel unavoidable.
Will we continue? Yes. This is a series we are excited to follow.
20th Century Boys — Naoki Urasawa (manga)
We only read three volumes but the threads were enticing enough to guarantee a return. Urasawa’s plotting — the way childhood pranks morph into real-world catastrophe decades later — is a masterclass in slowly revealed mystery. The art complements the paranoia, and the “who is Friend?” question is compelling enough that we’ve penciled this back in for 2026.
Highlights: brilliant pacing, eerie nostalgia, and escalating stakes that reward patience.
Will we continue? Yes — this one moves to the front of our manga list.
Kagan the Damned — (Author not specified)
This is the sort of book that scratches a very specific sword-and-sorcery itch: grim, brutal, and intimate in its focus on a single, flawed protagonist. Kagan is both brutal and magnetic, occupying the same narrative energy as the best grim dark antiheroes. If you want unapologetic violence and a sense that the protagonist is more myth than man, this series delivers.
Highlights: relentless tone, visceral action, and worldbuilding that leans into atrocity without flinching.
Will we continue? Yes. We have books two and three already in the queue.
Harry Bosch (Michael Connelly) — Crime fiction
We came for the mystery and stayed for the characterization. Bosch is messier, darker, and more damaged on the page than on-screen, and Connelly’s handling of procedural detail combined with character introspection makes this a compelling return to crime fiction. Twisty plotting kept us guessing, and even when some plot elements overlap with the TV adaptations, the novel’s resolution surprised us.
Highlights: gritty protagonist, solid plotting, and an intimate look at a character who refuses easy redemption.
Will we continue? Yes. We’ll read more Connelly and return to Bosch.
B Tier — Mixed-to-positive; we will continue eventually
The Great Silence (Grave Empire) — Richard Swanis
Grave Empire starts loud and dark and then refuses to apologize. It mixes horror and fantasy in a way that can be polarizing — three POV characters, one of whom we loved while the other two didn’t quite land. Still, Swanis’s atmosphere is dense and the creepy moments stick. He announces early that this is horror-fantasy territory and, for readers willing to lean into that, the book rewards commitment.
“Yeah, I’m just straight up horror fantasy now.”
Why B: strong atmospheric writing and concept, but inconsistent character investment makes the series a “we’ll return when the mood is right” pick.
Will we continue? Yes, probably in 2026, but we are not counting down the days.
Dungeon Crawler Carl — litRPG
Dungeon Crawler Carl is a very divisive read: it knows its voice and the tone is often hilarious, but the second and third books started leaning toward overcomplication. The joy of the series is its comedic pairing of Carl and Princess Donut and the relentless creativity of the fights and mechanics. The problem comes when systems and convoluted plot requirements begin to outstrip momentum. Book four recovered some of the fun, but the story sometimes feels like levels for the sake of levels.
Highlights: great leads, consistent humor, and a strong litRPG identity.
Concerns: mid-series bloat and a creeping sameness to boss-after-boss progression.
Will we continue? Yes, eventually. This remains fun but not urgent.
The Dandelion Dynasty — Ken Liu (The Grace of Kings)
The Grace of Kings swung hard for us: enormous in scope, delightfully inventive, and occasionally frustrating. It contains some of the most brilliant twists of the year — structural surprises and political maneuvers that feel cinematic — but the narrative also jumps to side characters and subplots that dilute the momentum. We loved the central moments between the two leads and the novel’s epic ambition, but we have heard mixed opinions about the middle volumes and beyond.
Why B: stellar highs and uneven pacing make this a book we enjoyed enough not to close the door, but not one we’ll race to continue unless the timing and mood align.
Will we continue? Maybe. We will probably read book two at some point, but the series is not a top immediate priority.
C Tier — Interested in continuing but not a priority
Echo Saga — Philip Crane Trail
The Echo Saga opened strongly with Rise of the Ranger, a first book full of promise. The trouble came with the second and third installments, which felt like they were trying to do “a little too much too fast.” The series is solid and the author shows talent, but after those weaker follow-through books this series became a “we’ll get back to it” title rather than something we must read immediately.
Highlights: a terrific opening and strong worldbuilding potential.
Will we continue? Yes, eventually. The middle trilogy will get picked up at a later date.
Mercy Thompson (Moon Called) — Patricia Briggs
Our first taste of that classic urban fantasy school. Moon Called was entertaining and competent but felt overloaded for a first entry: it tried to introduce too many elements and settings at once. The protagonist and premise are interesting and the series clearly has a solid fanbase, but this first entry didn’t feel as tight as it might have if it had scaled itself back.
Highlights: strong premise, interesting world, appealing urban fantasy beats.
Will we continue? Yes, but not now. It’s on the list for later exploration.
Alex Verus — (Author not specified)
Alex Verus sits in the long line of urban fantasy influenced by Dresden Files. It’s competent and enjoyable, and the early books give you the same kind of appeal Dresden fans miss, but the first book didn’t hook us enough to make it a top priority. The council plot and some of the later threads promise more interesting material down the road, so we’ve kept the series in our back pocket.
Highlights: solid magic system and a quietly compelling lead.
Will we continue? Yes, at some point — this is low priority for now.
The Lot Lands (The Great Bastards) — Jonathan French
Fun, rough, and evocative of shows like Sons of Anarchy, this story trades humans for half-orc characters and rides a grim, gang-like tone that feels simultaneously fresh and derivative. We loved the brutality and the voice, but at times the book felt heavily influenced by TV tropes, which makes parts of it feel like something we’ve already seen.
Highlights: striking non-human viewpoint, intense world stakes, and a raw, motorbike-meets-medieval vibe.
Will we continue? Maybe someday. It’s interesting but not urgent.
D Tier — You could not make us continue
Rivers of London — Ben Aaronovitch
This was our clearest miss. Rivers of London leans unapologetically British in tone and references, and that flavor didn’t connect. The protagonist’s voice and the book’s humor felt off for us, and the book never found enough traction to make finishing it worthwhile. We can see why the series has a following, but it’s not our cup of tea.
Why D: stylistic mismatch and a narrative voice that didn’t land for us.
Will we continue? No. We could not make ourselves return to this series.
Closing thoughts and reading plans
Overall, 2025 was a strong year for starting new series. We landed one bona fide S-tier hit that blew us away and several A-tier reads that we’ll happily return to. A few series will linger in our to-read queue until the mood or schedule lines up, and there was only one clear DNF.
How this affects our 2026 plans: we will prioritize finishing some of the ongoing series we’ve already started before jumping into many new ones. That will squeeze some of the C-tier series to later dates. Expect to see the S-tier and many A-tier books worked into our rotation early in the year.
Key patterns we noticed
- Character chemistry matters — Royce and Hadrian pulled us back for multiple books simply on relationship and voice alone.
- Ambition can both help and hurt — The Dandelion Dynasty swings for the fences but sometimes loses focus; when it hits, it hits big.
- Genre clarity helps — books that declare what they are early, like The Great Silence’s horror lean or Dungeon Crawler Carl’s litRPG identity, make it easy to decide whether to keep reading.
- Originality stands out — The Failures and Gunmetal Gods felt unlike anything we’d read and were instantly memorable.
Recommendations for readers who want to start one of these series
- If you want something audacious and new: try The Failures first.
- If you want reliable character-driven fantasy: start with the Riyria Chronicles and follow Royce and Hadrian.
- If you like grim and visceral sword-and-sorcery: pick up Kagan the Damned or Gunmetal Gods.
- If dystopian YA that leans dark is your thing: read Unwind.
- If you want an approachable litRPG with strong comedic beats: Dungeon Crawler Carl is worth testing, but be ready for series bloat later on.
- If you love procedural and morally complicated detectives: Michael Connelly’s Bosch is a good entry point into modern crime fiction.
FAQ
How did we choose which series to include in this tier list?
Do these rankings reflect overall quality or just our personal taste?
Which series are we most excited to continue into 2026?
How do we approach genre variety in a single reading year?
Do we consider audiobook performances when deciding to continue a series?
If a first book felt uneven, what makes us decide to keep reading?
Which C-tier books might move up with the next entry?
How should someone use this tier list to choose their next read?
Final note
Books are personal. We loved some of these and will return to them. Others we liked enough to keep on the list but not as immediate priorities. A couple simply didn’t land. This list is a snapshot of one reading year and captures the moments when a new world felt irresistible and when it didn’t. If you read any of these series, tell us what you loved or hated about them; one of the best parts of reading is comparing notes and finding unexpected recommendations.
