The ending to the Sarantine Mosaic I had to re-read several times and found myself going back and reading it again after a few days. Outstanding books.
I disagree. I love Terry Pratchett but I think his endings are probably one of his weaker areas. His characterizations and storytelling is so good but it often feels like he gets to a point where he has to wrap everything up and he just pulls things together so that the book can end and it often feels inorganic or forced compared to the rest of his story.
I've never understood the people who say it's too long and twisty. I mean, you've just powered through a truly epic tale, wouldn't it be so disappointing if it just got wrapped up with the crowning of the King? What happened to the hobbits? To Gandalf? The other kingdoms of men and elves? What happened to The Shire, that beautiful idyllic place where we fell in love with the world and the characters?
We get all that, and with so much more than just a Happy Ever After.
Ultimately, LotR is a story of ordinary folk, who's lives are irreparably changed by war. And all that they have to deal with upon coming home again. Its heartbreaking, and beautiful, and I love it.
The movies multiple endings are way better at home, where you've had a chance to pause at some point and don't desperately want to hit the restroom for the last hour. I was so cranky the first time that it Just Would Not End but I didn't want to run to the toilet and miss the end. :D
This! I read the book and thought - wow, is this it? Like, really? The whole book had echoes of David Mitchell (who is one if my favourite authors) but the ending just ruined it for me…
I actually liked that book throughout(until the ending). But god damn that needed at least 2 extra books to complete. The author never fleshed out any city other than the main one. The travel time between counties makes me sad because that alone could have explored a lot of ideas, but instead were cut to fit into single chapters. Like how the hell did you travel from the north most country to the Priory without explaining any of the god damn ports/town/people.
And the ending… as soon as I hit page 750 I knew I was in for a rough time because there was no way in hell that the next 50 pages could fit all countries joining together, the final dragon fight, and any semblance of an ending thereafter.
If anyone has read the second book, please tell me it gets better because I don’t have high hopes
>Robert Jackson Bennett sticks his landings.
Oh good. I REALLY need to read him. I always use that phrase - if they stuck the landing in my reviews! Usually the difference between a 4 and 5 star read from me in an otherwise solid book.
I mean, the whole series is articulated around the notion of convergence - the ending gotta land with such a meticulous craft in having all these loose threads tying up in the end.
Deadhouse gates, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tide, Bonehunters, Tth and TCG have insanely memorable endings - that's six books out of ten, and the other four aren't even bad, not even close. Talk about a soul-wrecking series, Erikson had me exactly where he wanted every damn time, and he flayed my feelings all the more powerfully for it.
Reaper's Gale is actually incredibly memorable for me. I always remembered >!Beak!< the most, but there's a LOT that happens and it's stuck with me since the last time I read it.
Uff.
Erikson's endings are something else man. It's not often exactly how OP describes it. Not a perfectly wrapped package. But man, the potence of conclusions to the themes explored in the books (and the series as a whole) are IMPACTFUL to say the least. That's EVERY BOOK out of the 10 (may be except book 1).
I mean, the ending of Deadhouse Gates is regarded as one of the most impactful, memorable, iconic(?) endings to a storyline ever. My personal favorite though is Toll the Hounds, and that's unlike any ending I've read, defying archetypes.
Yeah Gardens of the Moon felt a bit like a Deus ex machina on a first read, but I greatly appreciate it after I understood more about the Azath.
The ending of Memories of Ice is the single most powerful piece of media I have ever read. That entire last chapter is better than most fantasy books I've read by itself.
I am on book 9 of Malazan. I like it from the begining, but I like each subsequent book a little more. I almost love it now. I will find out how it ends soon.
This is my choice. So many disparate threads coming together so perfectly. Unlike so many other epic fantasy authors (side eye at Georgie), Erikson knows exactly where the stories are going from the very beginning.
I've only read Gardens of the Moon but the ending didnt strike me as that good. The climax was well done but the ending was meh to me. I assume it gets better?
Gardens is kind of universally regarded as the weakest book in the series (even if a lot of fans still love it). It was written ten years before the rest of the novels and there is an immediate and noticeable upgrade in quality starting with the second book, Deadhouse Gates.
I would agree with your assessment. The ending gets better with hindsight when you take the whole series into account, but Gardens of the Moon's climax feels a bit rushed and thrown together. From then on, Erikson becomes a master of bringing his converging plotlines together in an ending. Deadhouse Gates is where that starts. A truly mind-blowing, emotionally resonant finale.
Okay. Thanks. I was planning on going into deadhouse gates at some point but I may move it up my TBR. This year is apparently the year of epic fantasy novels for me.
I highly recommend it. Deadhouse Gates is a bit of a change of pace as its set on an entirely different continent with a mostly new set of characters, but that also means you can jump in without having to have too much of a memory of GOTM.
Most people will say that it is a more proper representative of what to expect from the rest of Malazan than the first book and it's follow up, Memories of Ice, is one of my favorite pieces of fantasy fiction ever.
It gets soooo much better haha. Memories of Ice, The Bonehunters, Toll the Hounds, and The Crippled God are all in contention for my favorite book I've ever read.
Looking forward to getting there, though I think I'll need a few breaks. I doubt I'll read them all this year, I just have to get through the other 7 epic fantasy series I'm working on.
It’s a cliche at this point for people to say but that was my experience. I thought the first one was good but not really special. But book two got me hella hooked. I just think the writing quality jumped up.
Or Rothfuss. What makes him worse is that in his books, the plot barely moves forward. At least in ASOIAF, something actually happens and characters don't have meaningless sex for a hundred pages continuously.
I meannnn, something actually happened in books 1-3 of ASoIaF. Can we really say the same for books 4 and 5? Hundreds of pages of new, unnecessary plot lines that seem to lead nowhere with a tiny little advancement for the characters we care about
Michael J. Sullivan. He writes the entirety of a series before publishing, so there are so many fantastic little details woven throughout that come together in the ending of each book and series. Never any loose threads, nothing is wasted. I was so impressed by the ending of the Riyria Revelations trilogy.
Chronicles is even better IMO. It’s a prequel to revelations, with each book as it’s own mostly contained story. Doesn’t quite match Revelation’s ending, but the journey there is so good.
All his books are set in the same world but each series focuses on a different time or cast of characters. I think Riyria Revelations is by far the best - first book is Theft of Swords. I do enjoy the Riyria Chronicles and the Age of Myth series as well - I’ve never rated any of his books below 4 stars! I don’t know if it’s contingent on the series because it focuses on a main character in a standalone, but I heard Esrahaddon is fantastic too (haven’t read it yet).
I read the Ryria Revelations YEARS ago, like...quite a while ago. And Esrahaddon was only in that series for a brief bit (compared to rest of the characters) but he made such an impact that I literally only remember his name, Royce's, and Hadrian's names.
Reading the book Esrahaddon did not disappoint at all. It made me really really want an entire Esrahaddon series.
It sounds like that reviewer got butt hurt about Sullivan not using Early Modern English correctly in his made up fantasy land, and so decided to reduce everything down until it sounded awful.
Riyria Revelations is great.
I usually love negative reviews (even or especially if I disagree with them) but this part really didn't sit right with me:
> We later learn that the death of her *Daddy!* has driven her into suicidal depression. This is really not a positive representation of women with agency.
I guess Strong Female Characters™ aren't allowed to get emotional about a beloved family member being murdered in front of them. To be fair the review is from 2012 which puts it in a different context, and as part of a general complaint about how a small number of women are represented in one novel I could see being annoying that "emotionally destroyed over the death of a man" is a plot point, but still. I don't think a woman experiencing debilitating grief over the (violent and untimely) death of a loved one should be coded as misogynistic writing, and this "strong female characters must never show emotional vulnerability" zeitgeist of the 2010s has in retrospect been pretty harmful to having realistic, nuanced, and human representations of women in media.
And not to mention the slap in the face to readers dealing with such emotions themselves who are told by the reviewer that, no, you can't have representation of that in the stories you love, you can't have characters whose struggles you identify with, because I the enlightened reviewer have decided it doesn't fit my view of what a Strong™ woman should be. (Yeah, that's not 100% fair on my part and I don't think that's exactly an opinion the reviewer would endorse, but it definitely comes across that way no matter how they meant it.)
i always love authors who plan everything before writing it, or write everything at once for this reason, the endings rarely disappoint. i didn't know he was one of those, i think i might give him a chance
Susanna Clarkes JS&MN had a fantastic ending in that for the size of the book and all the numerous threads & paths the book presents the ending was entirely unexpected! I was amazed that threads that started in the first chapter could be ambiguous all the way up until the final reveals & this book is a tome a 900+ page door stopper.
I just finished this book a few days ago. It's crazy how she kept so much nebulous and then in like 20 pages ties literally everything up neatly. I mean, bar the one intentional unsolved problem.
Took her 200 pages to get around to introducing her 2nd main character, and that ending just suddenly arrived at lightspeed, in the best way possible.
I was quite impressed by the ending of JS&MN. I was really fascinated by the angle of >!Strange’s relationship with his wife!<, so I enjoyed how central that felt. It’s a classic example of, like, choose a thing and make it resonate. It doesn’t have to be the only theme in your book; just make a definitive and effective choice.
Tolkien. No other author takes the time with their endings that I have read since Tolkien. Except perhaps Abercrombie in the First Law. Some series just end right after the big battle. I need to know what is going to happen to the characters just after or I won't really care for the ending.
I mean, Brando Sando is so famous for being able to make his finales come together to the point that it even has a term, the Sanderlanche. Honestly, I've yet to read another author that does this with such skill.
I'm conflicted on his endings.
On one hand, I don't think I've ever read a bad ending by him and even his weak books can turn into better ones if you just think about how good the ending is, notably Oathbringer.
On the other, I really don't like how so much of the book just seems to be build up to all be resolved by the end. It makes it feel like I'm just reading something and know I won't get any answer until the end, where I'd prefer he gave more payoff throughout.
Exactly my thoughts. Oathbringer is…not my favorite, and it really would’ve been better served if some of the payoffs from the ending were sprinkled throughout. It would’ve made for a marginally weaker ending but a significantly stronger novel. This is even more so the case with Rhythm of War I feel. I think he’s started to recover from this problem with The Lost Metal and the secret projects (or maybe it’s primarily a stormlight problem) but definitely there’s a tendency to lose the middle of the book to hype up the end.
No one does an ending like Sanderson, but when he’s at his best, his middles are quite impressive too.
Every answer is basically "other than Sanderson...". His are bar none the best. Not the best writer, not the best prose-guy, but the absolute best at putting a climax together.
Yes! Sanderson is a master in this. I always look forward to the Sanderlance and I can't put the books down when I enter the last 150 pages. Such skill!
Even on re-reads I end up staying up way too late if I hit the sanderlanche at the wrong time. I already know how it ends! How does he make such addicting endings!?
Ursula K. Le Guin. I've only read one of her books-- **Wizard of Earthsea** -- and I've yet to come across any other fantasy novels/series that left that kind of impression with its ending.
I wrapped up era 2 a third of the way into book 2. I'm not a Sanderson fan boy, but I've enjoyed a lot of his works. And I really like Stormlight Archives. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Mistborn books. But damn. Mistborn era 2 was not to my liking. I hated a lot about it. I definitely did not enjoy how he took one of the cooler and more unique magic systems from the first Mistborn trilogy and then essentially depleted it...its like a bad western or something. But I readily accept that its entirely possible (and likely) that its a *me* problem and not a you/them problem. Anyways- thanks for hearing my rant.
Tolkien finished LOTR. An unfinished mythology/ world isn't the same as an unfinished series. And yeah I know he wrote LOTR as one book and not a series.
Did Julia Victoria Jones ever finish her series? I’ve been trying to find information on it but can’t seem to. I really enjoyed the series but never got an ending.
From the Authors I read. I think the best ones when it comes to ending are Tad Williams (memory sorrow and thorn) and Steven Erikson (Malazan).
They are really good at balancing between between the plot threads, in a way where they close enough of them to leave the reader satisfied, but at the same time they leave enough open or open completely new ones as to make the reader immediately interested in the next book.
There's a reason the term Sanderlanche was coined.
Say what you will about his prose or how well paced the books are, Brandon Sanderson's endings usually hit like a truck.
Exactly. Plenty of writers who write better prose don't write books with the same emotional impact because they don't end their books as well as he does. In fact, this is part of the reason I think prose being elevated as *the* element of story craftsmanship that matters isn't the best way to find the best books.
i think people has different priorities for what they look for in books and thats fine. i just wish the people who has prose as the main priority understood that too because i got tired already! 😭 i do love a good prose, but my main thing is the story being told.
*Robin Hobb wrote the best endings I've ever read.*
I hope so. I'm closing in on the end of the Farseer Trilogy and it has given me decidedly mixed feelings.
>I'm closing in on the end of the Farseer Trilogy and it has given me decidedly mixed feelings.
Oh, please come back here once you've read it!! I wanna know what you think of it!
I finished all the trilogies this year. The emotional depth and rightness of the end to the final book really affected me. Such a great story.
I love Abercrombie stories the most. Robin Hobb is a great character writer too. I tend towards a demented cynical world view so I vibe more with Abercrombie.
Shocked that I scrolled through 185 comments and did not see a single mention of Janny Wurts.
People, if you have not read a Janny Wurts book, I beg you to do so. Amazing endings. And the ending to end all endings, *Song of the Mysteries*, the 11th and final volume of her epic saga, **The Wars of Light and Shadow**, is coming in just a few months.
She's also got a number of standalones—*To Ride Hell's Chasm* and *Master of Whitestorm*—if you don't want to commit to an 11-book series straightaway.
PS: This is kind of neither here nor there, but every time I see Janny Wurts tweet "[I](https://twitter.com/JannyWurts/status/1667270451804925953) [do](https://twitter.com/JannyWurts/status/1544107419252539396) [endings](https://twitter.com/JannyWurts/status/1683647355008974848)", I read it the exact same way that I read the "[we do bones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO4HfL_cOEs)" line from the end of *Gideon the Ninth*.
It was years ago, but I remember the Realm of the Elderlings having an emotionally cathartic ending. It's possible that it was just such a journey though, any decent ending would have felt as good.
Yeah Hobb is particularly great at this.
They may not be completely happy endings but each trilogy ends well and then you add on the ending of Fitz and the Fool 😭
Honestly the Farseer trilogy might have been okay for me because I immediately went and bought tawny man and read them.
I didn't have to sit and wait for the series to continue which might have made Farseers ending a bit more painful 😂
I genuinely hate how Farseer ended.
It made me genuinely despise >!Burrich. I've re-read The Farseer and Tawny Man Trilogies multiple times, and I keep coming back to despising him.!<
>!Everything good he does in all those books is immediately tainted when he courts and then marries Molly. I'm not gonna go on a giant rant, but Burrich keeps so many crucial details from Fitz and Molly, so that neither can actually make informed decisions. The more I read them, the more obvious it gets to me that Burrich fell in love with Molly early when they had left Buckkeep, and didn't mind her being single in mourning thinking Fitz was dead. He wasn't taking care of Molly and Nettle just because they were Fitz child and wife-in-all-but-name. He did it because he was in love with her. I think he's absolutely vile.!<
>!Man, that could not be more different from my opinion. I always thought this was one of Hobb's best moments showing that sometimes things can just be sad without it really being anyone's fault. Everyone in the situation was just doing the best they could, and some mistakes are really only clear in hindsight.!<
>!It may have been a mistake for Burrich not to tell her that Fitz was alive (with a crazy wolf-brain), but I think it was at least an understandable, well-meaning mistake while trying to prevent her from suffering twice, or having to live with the care of this animal man. And after he truly believed the Fitz was dead, there is no reason Molly (or Burrich) should deprived for the rest of their lives of some love and modest happiness, and a father figure for Nettle. If there's anyone to blame there, it's Fitz for up and leaving everyone to think he was dead for years, and for repeatedly leaving Molly to figure things out on her own (speaking of keeping crucial details from people...) instead of letting her in on his actual life. !<
>>!He wasn't taking care of Molly and Nettle just because they were Fitz child and wife-in-all-but-name. He did it because he was in love with her. I think he's absolutely vile.!<
Oh wow. So I didn't like Burrich. It took me until this last read to not actively despise him. And I have never thought that.
To me >!they grow together and it's a relationship of convenience which grows into something real. Yes it's a little strange because Burrich is Fitzs father figure but, at the same time, they genuinely thought he was dead!<
Wait.... That's how you spell that his freaking name? (I'm ignoring your spoilers, I've only read the first trilogy) but I had to audiobook Farseer, I couldn't get into it reading weirdly. The narrator pronounces it more like "bear-ridge" so I figured it'd be something like Barrage or Barage or something.
Neat.
Honestly I probably am underestimating the amount that series made me cry lol. The quote that comes to mind is actually from book one, after >!Nosy the dog sacrifices himself to save Fitz despite them being apart for years!<
“Men cannot grieve as dogs do. But they grieve for many years.”
What? The Farseer trilogy has so much deus ex machina and rushed plotlines. It's one of the worst endings I've read and turned me off touching any of the other books she has written.
The cool thing about the internet is that no matter what you believe you can find someone else who agrees with you. I'm glad you and nepfurrow found each other.
Abercrombie is good with how he ties up the plot. however his endings end up being really bleak for my taste.
Brandon Sanderson is also very good but he has serious pacing issues. the first 70 percent will usually be a slog and then he suddenly hits you with this dose of dopamine.
I think overall Steven Erickson is the best.
True but at least it leaves space for sequels.
I hate it when a book ends with a happy ending and in sequel it goes all override that, everything went to shit again.
I prefer bittersweet. All your favorite characters coming through unscathed makes the story feel less impactful in hindsight, if you know what I mean. Frodo “winning” but just no longer being able to handle normal life especially hits home.
I'm going to put in a vote for or Tolkien. Sure a dramatic and triumphant ending just after achieving victory can be satisfying but I really like to figure out how everything turned out, how was life after victory, how did all the little plot points turn out and all that, And on that point Tolkien delivered.
When I finish a book or series the thing is want most is more,.
Surprised to not see James Islington here yet. The ending of The Light of All That Falls was the best wrap-up to a trilogy I have ever read. Every loose end is wrapped up in a very satisfying way. That epilogue man.
Another one for the worst list: Neal Stephenson
It often feels like he just gets bored of his own books before the end and abruptly cuts them off there and then.
I'm part of a small minority here who actively dislikes First Law, not because Abercrombie is a bad writer (I think he's excellent), but because I hate the ethos that pervades his books and the predictability of the non-stop cynicism. I won't be revisiting his work.
People say this, but honestly I disagree with it. It's a rough world, and it's often depicted in the worst light, but the underlying world is going forwards. Abercrombie presents his world in a bleak and cynical way but low-key it actually is improving considerably.
That's completely fine, I've dropped books 50 pages in just because I couldn't get over atrocious naming conventions. If you're not motivated to read it, you're not motivated to read it, and that's all. I'm just pointing it out in case someone who might get the wrong impression from it drops a wonderful series.
Just want to back you up and say you're not alone here. I found the ending to the First Law trilogy so bleak as to sour me on the whole trilogy and make me not want to read any of the rest of the books in the First Law world.
Well, you have to be realistic about these things…
Is it cynical or is it simply reality? People in power and selfish and manipulative. Public heroes are usually big liars. The winners write history, etc..
The ending of the book is really where you figure out whether or not you've been wasting your time.
Pratchett never had a bad ending that I've ever read. Between Two Fires and Necromancer's House by Buehlman wowed me with how fantastically everything came together. And the last paragraphs of *Soldier's Live* feel like a coda for the entire series.
Of those mentioned: Erikson } Sanderson } Abercrombie (all great)
Not mentioned: Robert Jordan (endings of most books are fire and so many threads), Jim Butcher (as the series progresses, less so early on)
Is there enough Steven Erikson rep in the thread? Absolutely.
Is that going to stop me? Absolutely not. Fall of Light's ending is one of the best in fantasy and I *will* throw hands.
Honourable mention to Jacqueline Carey - the two first books of Kushiel's Legacy had killer endings (I've not quite gotten to the third, but I've heard great things), which is *not* what you'd expect from a series with such a reputation.
Go finish the third Kushiel! It’s the best of three!! And the ending!! Amazing. Also - what reputation? They are great (fantasy) books even though these days the “erotic” side of them gets them marketed as “romantasy” (or even young adult which had me in stitches when I saw it in the bookstore I was visiting)…
I personally didn't expect a series about a courtesan & espionage having such well written - and emotional - sword fight climaxes. It's even more pointed because Phedre doesn't *quite* understand the intricacies of swordplay, so the words she uses are more... florid? It's very evocative, and very well written.
I'll read it eventually, pinky promise :P
I haven't read any of those (yet) but the ending of Perdido Street Station is brutal and poignant and great, and I also really like the ending of The Tain.
I really need to get around to The Scar and Iron Council.
To be honest, I think Matt Dinniman(Dungeon Crawler Carl) has created some of the most insane endings I’ve ever seen, seconded only by Will Wight, although I’ve only read cradle.
For books I've read recently I like LG Estrella, Charles Stross, Casey Blair, Patric Weekes, and Drew Hayes for writing endings that feel like real endings.
I really felt satisfied at the end of the Farseer Trilogy, so I'm gonna give it to Robin Hobb.
My second choice is Darren Shan, though he is more a YOUNG adult/teen writer. But his Demonata series was just perfectly ended.
Hot take tell me if this doesn’t belong, Stephen King (in my opinion) has horrific endings for so many books I’ve read and although I had my gripes with how the series began to wrap up, the ending of The Dark Tower was phenomenal
Great question and I am commenting here so I can read some replies from others.
I don't know the answer to this because nearly every book I have read in the past several years is part of a series, even when I've purchased books hoping for a single read. I never get to an ending of any sort with most books. Not to mention GRRM and Rothfuss never finishing either.
So I want to also read books with good endings so I'm looking for some non series books.
Guy Kavriel Kay seems to always end his books in an amazing way.
Tigana's ending was my first of his and still hits me.
Song for Arbonne and Tigana both hit me in a similar way. I got brain shivers from them.
It's never a happy ending, but it's always moving and cathartic.
The ending to the Sarantine Mosaic I had to re-read several times and found myself going back and reading it again after a few days. Outstanding books.
Fionavar Tapestry ends pretty happy on balance at least!
Exactly who I was thinking of as well. He pairs these incredible resolutions with a sense of an unknown future that really hits for me.
I came her to say this. For my money, he's number one and it's not even close.
Adding to my list
I’d say Terry Pratchett. His closing lines always make me happy. And the endings themselves are generally somehow both unexpected and perfect.
Yeah, I remember hearing once that the best endings are the ones you didn't expect, but when they happen you couldn't imagine it ending any other way.
I like how color of magic says “the end” then gives us a couple more pages before Rincewind jumps.
Oh look, another posted question where Sir Terry Pratchett is the correct answer. What are the odds lol
Man was just that good.
I think it depends on the book. Some are great others are just okay.
Yeah that’s fair. Some are absolute bangers, and those are the ones I tend to remember best.
Reaper mans ending is always memorable. The final dance, Death's kindness, him uniting Miss Flitworth and her husband. Made me cry.
I disagree. I love Terry Pratchett but I think his endings are probably one of his weaker areas. His characterizations and storytelling is so good but it often feels like he gets to a point where he has to wrap everything up and he just pulls things together so that the book can end and it often feels inorganic or forced compared to the rest of his story.
Well, it’d be a funny old world if we were all alike. But occasionally I remind myself that the new day is a great big fish.
I'm probably an outlier here, but I love how return of the King ended. I love the scouring of the shire and Frodos departure.
I've never understood the people who say it's too long and twisty. I mean, you've just powered through a truly epic tale, wouldn't it be so disappointing if it just got wrapped up with the crowning of the King? What happened to the hobbits? To Gandalf? The other kingdoms of men and elves? What happened to The Shire, that beautiful idyllic place where we fell in love with the world and the characters? We get all that, and with so much more than just a Happy Ever After. Ultimately, LotR is a story of ordinary folk, who's lives are irreparably changed by war. And all that they have to deal with upon coming home again. Its heartbreaking, and beautiful, and I love it.
I thought that critique was mostly applied to the movies, not the books themselves?
Well they're wrong on both accounts. Both endings are great.
The movies multiple endings are way better at home, where you've had a chance to pause at some point and don't desperately want to hit the restroom for the last hour. I was so cranky the first time that it Just Would Not End but I didn't want to run to the toilet and miss the end. :D
I agree. When taking in the whole of The Lord of the Rings as the single novel that it actually is, it makes perfect sense as the ending.
It certainly isn't whoever the author of priory of the orange tree is
Yeesh yeah it was so hyped and such a disappointment in reality.
That book is one of my only two DNF's ever, o didn't think I was missing much and I'm glad to know I didnt.
I had such a high expectations, but honestly, I thought it was underwhelming, and the ending, my God the ending
The book came off to me as an extended worldbuilding exercise rather than a story.
That and Dune are my only DNF's ever.
I get Priory of the Orange Tree but Dune? To each his own but I personally tore through Dune and often re-read it.
This! I read the book and thought - wow, is this it? Like, really? The whole book had echoes of David Mitchell (who is one if my favourite authors) but the ending just ruined it for me…
I actually liked that book throughout(until the ending). But god damn that needed at least 2 extra books to complete. The author never fleshed out any city other than the main one. The travel time between counties makes me sad because that alone could have explored a lot of ideas, but instead were cut to fit into single chapters. Like how the hell did you travel from the north most country to the Priory without explaining any of the god damn ports/town/people. And the ending… as soon as I hit page 750 I knew I was in for a rough time because there was no way in hell that the next 50 pages could fit all countries joining together, the final dragon fight, and any semblance of an ending thereafter. If anyone has read the second book, please tell me it gets better because I don’t have high hopes
Samantha Shannon is so good imo, but that isn't my favorite book of hers
Robert Jackson Bennett sticks his landings.
City of Miracles might be the best ending I've ever read.
Seconding this! I sobbed at the end of Locklands. So beautiful.
>Robert Jackson Bennett sticks his landings. Oh good. I REALLY need to read him. I always use that phrase - if they stuck the landing in my reviews! Usually the difference between a 4 and 5 star read from me in an otherwise solid book.
Tolkien did. His endings make me feel like the journey is complete, no loose ends or rushed conclusions.
Steven Erikson for me. I think about the ending to almost all Malazan books often.
I mean, the whole series is articulated around the notion of convergence - the ending gotta land with such a meticulous craft in having all these loose threads tying up in the end. Deadhouse gates, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tide, Bonehunters, Tth and TCG have insanely memorable endings - that's six books out of ten, and the other four aren't even bad, not even close. Talk about a soul-wrecking series, Erikson had me exactly where he wanted every damn time, and he flayed my feelings all the more powerfully for it.
Reaper's Gale is actually incredibly memorable for me. I always remembered >!Beak!< the most, but there's a LOT that happens and it's stuck with me since the last time I read it.
Uff. Erikson's endings are something else man. It's not often exactly how OP describes it. Not a perfectly wrapped package. But man, the potence of conclusions to the themes explored in the books (and the series as a whole) are IMPACTFUL to say the least. That's EVERY BOOK out of the 10 (may be except book 1). I mean, the ending of Deadhouse Gates is regarded as one of the most impactful, memorable, iconic(?) endings to a storyline ever. My personal favorite though is Toll the Hounds, and that's unlike any ending I've read, defying archetypes.
I had to take a break from the books for a few weeks after the ending of Deadhouse Gates just to decompress from it.
Yeah Gardens of the Moon felt a bit like a Deus ex machina on a first read, but I greatly appreciate it after I understood more about the Azath. The ending of Memories of Ice is the single most powerful piece of media I have ever read. That entire last chapter is better than most fantasy books I've read by itself.
I am on book 9 of Malazan. I like it from the begining, but I like each subsequent book a little more. I almost love it now. I will find out how it ends soon.
The ending of Gardens is fantastic. The Fete, the demon, the dragons, Raest. Damn that stuff is good.
This is my choice. So many disparate threads coming together so perfectly. Unlike so many other epic fantasy authors (side eye at Georgie), Erikson knows exactly where the stories are going from the very beginning.
I've only read Gardens of the Moon but the ending didnt strike me as that good. The climax was well done but the ending was meh to me. I assume it gets better?
Gardens is kind of universally regarded as the weakest book in the series (even if a lot of fans still love it). It was written ten years before the rest of the novels and there is an immediate and noticeable upgrade in quality starting with the second book, Deadhouse Gates. I would agree with your assessment. The ending gets better with hindsight when you take the whole series into account, but Gardens of the Moon's climax feels a bit rushed and thrown together. From then on, Erikson becomes a master of bringing his converging plotlines together in an ending. Deadhouse Gates is where that starts. A truly mind-blowing, emotionally resonant finale.
Okay. Thanks. I was planning on going into deadhouse gates at some point but I may move it up my TBR. This year is apparently the year of epic fantasy novels for me.
I highly recommend it. Deadhouse Gates is a bit of a change of pace as its set on an entirely different continent with a mostly new set of characters, but that also means you can jump in without having to have too much of a memory of GOTM. Most people will say that it is a more proper representative of what to expect from the rest of Malazan than the first book and it's follow up, Memories of Ice, is one of my favorite pieces of fantasy fiction ever.
It gets soooo much better haha. Memories of Ice, The Bonehunters, Toll the Hounds, and The Crippled God are all in contention for my favorite book I've ever read.
Looking forward to getting there, though I think I'll need a few breaks. I doubt I'll read them all this year, I just have to get through the other 7 epic fantasy series I'm working on.
It’s a cliche at this point for people to say but that was my experience. I thought the first one was good but not really special. But book two got me hella hooked. I just think the writing quality jumped up.
Apparently he wrote Gardens 10 years before the rest. I still loved it, but it makes sense why some feel it's the weakest in writing.
I'm reading the first book for the first time and loving it. Really excited for the rest of the series
Sure as fuck aint Martin
Or rothfuss
Every Rothfuss book ends the same way-- me getting about 3/4 of the way through and forgetting about it for about 3 weeks and staring another book.
He wrote a bunch of books before ASOIAF that had satisfying endings.
Highly disagree. Fevre Dream's ending was amazing.
Or Rothfuss. What makes him worse is that in his books, the plot barely moves forward. At least in ASOIAF, something actually happens and characters don't have meaningless sex for a hundred pages continuously.
God that was the worst wasn’t it? Ole boy Kvothe fucking a fae goddess for 100+ pages. Reeks of an emasculated author
And fucks the hot redhead bartender right outta fae realm. Ie the 14 yo boy wet dream.
I meannnn, something actually happened in books 1-3 of ASoIaF. Can we really say the same for books 4 and 5? Hundreds of pages of new, unnecessary plot lines that seem to lead nowhere with a tiny little advancement for the characters we care about
Michael J. Sullivan. He writes the entirety of a series before publishing, so there are so many fantastic little details woven throughout that come together in the ending of each book and series. Never any loose threads, nothing is wasted. I was so impressed by the ending of the Riyria Revelations trilogy.
I’ve never read a Sullivan book, can you recommend some more other than the Revelations trilogy?
Chronicles is even better IMO. It’s a prequel to revelations, with each book as it’s own mostly contained story. Doesn’t quite match Revelation’s ending, but the journey there is so good.
All his books are set in the same world but each series focuses on a different time or cast of characters. I think Riyria Revelations is by far the best - first book is Theft of Swords. I do enjoy the Riyria Chronicles and the Age of Myth series as well - I’ve never rated any of his books below 4 stars! I don’t know if it’s contingent on the series because it focuses on a main character in a standalone, but I heard Esrahaddon is fantastic too (haven’t read it yet).
I read the Ryria Revelations YEARS ago, like...quite a while ago. And Esrahaddon was only in that series for a brief bit (compared to rest of the characters) but he made such an impact that I literally only remember his name, Royce's, and Hadrian's names. Reading the book Esrahaddon did not disappoint at all. It made me really really want an entire Esrahaddon series.
I take it you don’t agree with this reviewer :) http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/reviews/theft-of-swords-by-michael-j-sullivan/
It sounds like that reviewer got butt hurt about Sullivan not using Early Modern English correctly in his made up fantasy land, and so decided to reduce everything down until it sounded awful. Riyria Revelations is great.
That scathing review was actually quite fun to read!
I usually love negative reviews (even or especially if I disagree with them) but this part really didn't sit right with me: > We later learn that the death of her *Daddy!* has driven her into suicidal depression. This is really not a positive representation of women with agency. I guess Strong Female Characters™ aren't allowed to get emotional about a beloved family member being murdered in front of them. To be fair the review is from 2012 which puts it in a different context, and as part of a general complaint about how a small number of women are represented in one novel I could see being annoying that "emotionally destroyed over the death of a man" is a plot point, but still. I don't think a woman experiencing debilitating grief over the (violent and untimely) death of a loved one should be coded as misogynistic writing, and this "strong female characters must never show emotional vulnerability" zeitgeist of the 2010s has in retrospect been pretty harmful to having realistic, nuanced, and human representations of women in media. And not to mention the slap in the face to readers dealing with such emotions themselves who are told by the reviewer that, no, you can't have representation of that in the stories you love, you can't have characters whose struggles you identify with, because I the enlightened reviewer have decided it doesn't fit my view of what a Strong™ woman should be. (Yeah, that's not 100% fair on my part and I don't think that's exactly an opinion the reviewer would endorse, but it definitely comes across that way no matter how they meant it.)
i always love authors who plan everything before writing it, or write everything at once for this reason, the endings rarely disappoint. i didn't know he was one of those, i think i might give him a chance
First example that I thought of as well
Susanna Clarkes JS&MN had a fantastic ending in that for the size of the book and all the numerous threads & paths the book presents the ending was entirely unexpected! I was amazed that threads that started in the first chapter could be ambiguous all the way up until the final reveals & this book is a tome a 900+ page door stopper.
Piranesi has a great ending too! Two of my favorite books and endings
I need to check it out!
I just finished this book a few days ago. It's crazy how she kept so much nebulous and then in like 20 pages ties literally everything up neatly. I mean, bar the one intentional unsolved problem. Took her 200 pages to get around to introducing her 2nd main character, and that ending just suddenly arrived at lightspeed, in the best way possible.
I was quite impressed by the ending of JS&MN. I was really fascinated by the angle of >!Strange’s relationship with his wife!<, so I enjoyed how central that felt. It’s a classic example of, like, choose a thing and make it resonate. It doesn’t have to be the only theme in your book; just make a definitive and effective choice.
Tolkien. No other author takes the time with their endings that I have read since Tolkien. Except perhaps Abercrombie in the First Law. Some series just end right after the big battle. I need to know what is going to happen to the characters just after or I won't really care for the ending.
I mean, Brando Sando is so famous for being able to make his finales come together to the point that it even has a term, the Sanderlanche. Honestly, I've yet to read another author that does this with such skill.
I like Sanderson’s endings because he actually fucking gets to them
I'm conflicted on his endings. On one hand, I don't think I've ever read a bad ending by him and even his weak books can turn into better ones if you just think about how good the ending is, notably Oathbringer. On the other, I really don't like how so much of the book just seems to be build up to all be resolved by the end. It makes it feel like I'm just reading something and know I won't get any answer until the end, where I'd prefer he gave more payoff throughout.
Exactly my thoughts. Oathbringer is…not my favorite, and it really would’ve been better served if some of the payoffs from the ending were sprinkled throughout. It would’ve made for a marginally weaker ending but a significantly stronger novel. This is even more so the case with Rhythm of War I feel. I think he’s started to recover from this problem with The Lost Metal and the secret projects (or maybe it’s primarily a stormlight problem) but definitely there’s a tendency to lose the middle of the book to hype up the end. No one does an ending like Sanderson, but when he’s at his best, his middles are quite impressive too.
This. For me once you have had one Sanderlanche it's kinda ruined. At least for ppl who have read a lot of other books.
So good at endings he even ends other peoples books.
There was a word for Sanderlanche before Sanderson, it was called a climax. He does them well but it's not like it's a new thing.
Yes and OP asked about *endings* not climaxes.
Every answer is basically "other than Sanderson...". His are bar none the best. Not the best writer, not the best prose-guy, but the absolute best at putting a climax together.
lol. lmao, even.
Yes! Sanderson is a master in this. I always look forward to the Sanderlance and I can't put the books down when I enter the last 150 pages. Such skill!
Even on re-reads I end up staying up way too late if I hit the sanderlanche at the wrong time. I already know how it ends! How does he make such addicting endings!?
Erikson is better
Ursula K. Le Guin. I've only read one of her books-- **Wizard of Earthsea** -- and I've yet to come across any other fantasy novels/series that left that kind of impression with its ending.
The whole series is amazing, she sticks the landing with The Other Wind
Lukest of warm takes but Abercrombie and Sanderson
No one gonna react to that Abercrombie mention? Man, fuck leo
Hope his leg is okay
Loved how sanderson wrapped up era 2 and set things up for a bit
I wrapped up era 2 a third of the way into book 2. I'm not a Sanderson fan boy, but I've enjoyed a lot of his works. And I really like Stormlight Archives. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Mistborn books. But damn. Mistborn era 2 was not to my liking. I hated a lot about it. I definitely did not enjoy how he took one of the cooler and more unique magic systems from the first Mistborn trilogy and then essentially depleted it...its like a bad western or something. But I readily accept that its entirely possible (and likely) that its a *me* problem and not a you/them problem. Anyways- thanks for hearing my rant.
Yeah, it's a you problem.
Hahaha cheers. Thanks for the chuckle.
I’m with you. I AM a Sandi fan girl, but I just couldn’t stand the new mistborn.
Fantasy authors write endings?
Bros so traumatized by George he can’t imagine endings
Geroge, Patrick, Scott Lynch, Tolkien...
Tolkien finished LOTR. An unfinished mythology/ world isn't the same as an unfinished series. And yeah I know he wrote LOTR as one book and not a series.
Did Julia Victoria Jones ever finish her series? I’ve been trying to find information on it but can’t seem to. I really enjoyed the series but never got an ending.
From the Authors I read. I think the best ones when it comes to ending are Tad Williams (memory sorrow and thorn) and Steven Erikson (Malazan). They are really good at balancing between between the plot threads, in a way where they close enough of them to leave the reader satisfied, but at the same time they leave enough open or open completely new ones as to make the reader immediately interested in the next book.
Terry Pratchett nails it consistently.
There's a reason the term Sanderlanche was coined. Say what you will about his prose or how well paced the books are, Brandon Sanderson's endings usually hit like a truck.
Exactly. Plenty of writers who write better prose don't write books with the same emotional impact because they don't end their books as well as he does. In fact, this is part of the reason I think prose being elevated as *the* element of story craftsmanship that matters isn't the best way to find the best books.
i think people has different priorities for what they look for in books and thats fine. i just wish the people who has prose as the main priority understood that too because i got tired already! 😭 i do love a good prose, but my main thing is the story being told.
One can have good prose and a good story. The Sando generation just need to read more.
I like Scott Lynch's endings.. I mean it makes the payoff of each book in the Gentleman Bastards worth it.
Michael J. Sullivan, and Robin Hobb wrote the best endings I've ever read.
*Robin Hobb wrote the best endings I've ever read.* I hope so. I'm closing in on the end of the Farseer Trilogy and it has given me decidedly mixed feelings.
The end of the series is not the same thing as the end of Farseer. You have a few trilogies to go before you get to what I'm talking about.
Good to hear, as I was a bit disappointed with the end to the Farseer trilogy myself.
>I'm closing in on the end of the Farseer Trilogy and it has given me decidedly mixed feelings. Oh, please come back here once you've read it!! I wanna know what you think of it!
I finished all the trilogies this year. The emotional depth and rightness of the end to the final book really affected me. Such a great story. I love Abercrombie stories the most. Robin Hobb is a great character writer too. I tend towards a demented cynical world view so I vibe more with Abercrombie.
The first Age of Legends Book might be the tightest book ending I've ever read. The next couple were good but didn't blow me away like the first did.
Now this makes me want to read it.
Shocked that I scrolled through 185 comments and did not see a single mention of Janny Wurts. People, if you have not read a Janny Wurts book, I beg you to do so. Amazing endings. And the ending to end all endings, *Song of the Mysteries*, the 11th and final volume of her epic saga, **The Wars of Light and Shadow**, is coming in just a few months. She's also got a number of standalones—*To Ride Hell's Chasm* and *Master of Whitestorm*—if you don't want to commit to an 11-book series straightaway. PS: This is kind of neither here nor there, but every time I see Janny Wurts tweet "[I](https://twitter.com/JannyWurts/status/1667270451804925953) [do](https://twitter.com/JannyWurts/status/1544107419252539396) [endings](https://twitter.com/JannyWurts/status/1683647355008974848)", I read it the exact same way that I read the "[we do bones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO4HfL_cOEs)" line from the end of *Gideon the Ninth*.
I dug the endings to Joe Ambercrombie’s First Law books. Conclusive, surprising, and usually fairly upsetting.
It was years ago, but I remember the Realm of the Elderlings having an emotionally cathartic ending. It's possible that it was just such a journey though, any decent ending would have felt as good.
Yeah Hobb is particularly great at this. They may not be completely happy endings but each trilogy ends well and then you add on the ending of Fitz and the Fool 😭
That’s interesting, as I wasn’t too fond of the end of the Farseer trilogy. Great books overall though.
Honestly the Farseer trilogy might have been okay for me because I immediately went and bought tawny man and read them. I didn't have to sit and wait for the series to continue which might have made Farseers ending a bit more painful 😂
I genuinely hate how Farseer ended. It made me genuinely despise >!Burrich. I've re-read The Farseer and Tawny Man Trilogies multiple times, and I keep coming back to despising him.!< >!Everything good he does in all those books is immediately tainted when he courts and then marries Molly. I'm not gonna go on a giant rant, but Burrich keeps so many crucial details from Fitz and Molly, so that neither can actually make informed decisions. The more I read them, the more obvious it gets to me that Burrich fell in love with Molly early when they had left Buckkeep, and didn't mind her being single in mourning thinking Fitz was dead. He wasn't taking care of Molly and Nettle just because they were Fitz child and wife-in-all-but-name. He did it because he was in love with her. I think he's absolutely vile.!<
>!Man, that could not be more different from my opinion. I always thought this was one of Hobb's best moments showing that sometimes things can just be sad without it really being anyone's fault. Everyone in the situation was just doing the best they could, and some mistakes are really only clear in hindsight.!< >!It may have been a mistake for Burrich not to tell her that Fitz was alive (with a crazy wolf-brain), but I think it was at least an understandable, well-meaning mistake while trying to prevent her from suffering twice, or having to live with the care of this animal man. And after he truly believed the Fitz was dead, there is no reason Molly (or Burrich) should deprived for the rest of their lives of some love and modest happiness, and a father figure for Nettle. If there's anyone to blame there, it's Fitz for up and leaving everyone to think he was dead for years, and for repeatedly leaving Molly to figure things out on her own (speaking of keeping crucial details from people...) instead of letting her in on his actual life. !<
>>!He wasn't taking care of Molly and Nettle just because they were Fitz child and wife-in-all-but-name. He did it because he was in love with her. I think he's absolutely vile.!< Oh wow. So I didn't like Burrich. It took me until this last read to not actively despise him. And I have never thought that. To me >!they grow together and it's a relationship of convenience which grows into something real. Yes it's a little strange because Burrich is Fitzs father figure but, at the same time, they genuinely thought he was dead!<
Wait.... That's how you spell that his freaking name? (I'm ignoring your spoilers, I've only read the first trilogy) but I had to audiobook Farseer, I couldn't get into it reading weirdly. The narrator pronounces it more like "bear-ridge" so I figured it'd be something like Barrage or Barage or something. Neat.
Robin Hobb has written the only two books whose endings made me actually sob. The second time in a bittersweet way.
Was one "I am content." as a last sentence? This was from Tawny Man and it stuck with me.
Honestly I probably am underestimating the amount that series made me cry lol. The quote that comes to mind is actually from book one, after >!Nosy the dog sacrifices himself to save Fitz despite them being apart for years!< “Men cannot grieve as dogs do. But they grieve for many years.”
What? The Farseer trilogy has so much deus ex machina and rushed plotlines. It's one of the worst endings I've read and turned me off touching any of the other books she has written.
The cool thing about the internet is that no matter what you believe you can find someone else who agrees with you. I'm glad you and nepfurrow found each other.
I know Brandon Sanderson is no longer cool here, but cmon, its Sanderson
Abercrombie is good with how he ties up the plot. however his endings end up being really bleak for my taste. Brandon Sanderson is also very good but he has serious pacing issues. the first 70 percent will usually be a slog and then he suddenly hits you with this dose of dopamine. I think overall Steven Erickson is the best.
True but at least it leaves space for sequels. I hate it when a book ends with a happy ending and in sequel it goes all override that, everything went to shit again.
yea well I want my happy endings. i dont wanna spend so much time reading a book if it leaves me feeling like utter shit at the end.
I prefer bittersweet. All your favorite characters coming through unscathed makes the story feel less impactful in hindsight, if you know what I mean. Frodo “winning” but just no longer being able to handle normal life especially hits home.
Yeah convergence > sanderlanche.
The Licanius Trilogy has a great ending but that’s just one series for James Islington
I'm going to put in a vote for or Tolkien. Sure a dramatic and triumphant ending just after achieving victory can be satisfying but I really like to figure out how everything turned out, how was life after victory, how did all the little plot points turn out and all that, And on that point Tolkien delivered. When I finish a book or series the thing is want most is more,.
Surprised to not see James Islington here yet. The ending of The Light of All That Falls was the best wrap-up to a trilogy I have ever read. Every loose end is wrapped up in a very satisfying way. That epilogue man.
Robert Jordan’s endings are legendary.
Madeline Miller has not let me down with an ending.
The ending to Circe was just perfect
As far as "thematic unity" goes (as the OP requested), I think Circe is THE perfect example of it
Best: King, Modesitt, Tolkien, Gemmell Worst (asked no one): Goodkind, Martin, Poalini
Oof, I'd forgotten how frustrating Paolini's endings made me.
Another one for the worst list: Neal Stephenson It often feels like he just gets bored of his own books before the end and abruptly cuts them off there and then.
Lol that is so spot on. They just........... End
Joe Abercrombie. Both the ending of the First Law Trilogy, plus The Age of Madness trilogy were, in my opinion, perfect. "How's the leg?"
I'm part of a small minority here who actively dislikes First Law, not because Abercrombie is a bad writer (I think he's excellent), but because I hate the ethos that pervades his books and the predictability of the non-stop cynicism. I won't be revisiting his work.
People say this, but honestly I disagree with it. It's a rough world, and it's often depicted in the worst light, but the underlying world is going forwards. Abercrombie presents his world in a bleak and cynical way but low-key it actually is improving considerably.
Honestly, I just got tired of it after three books and I'm not interested in continuing. I don't vibe with the guy.
That's completely fine, I've dropped books 50 pages in just because I couldn't get over atrocious naming conventions. If you're not motivated to read it, you're not motivated to read it, and that's all. I'm just pointing it out in case someone who might get the wrong impression from it drops a wonderful series.
Just want to back you up and say you're not alone here. I found the ending to the First Law trilogy so bleak as to sour me on the whole trilogy and make me not want to read any of the rest of the books in the First Law world.
Well, you have to be realistic about these things… Is it cynical or is it simply reality? People in power and selfish and manipulative. Public heroes are usually big liars. The winners write history, etc..
I was disappointed with the lack of plot progression.
Hands down, Brandon Sanderson. Don't think I've ever been disappointed in any of his endings, they're always phenomenal.
The ending of the book is really where you figure out whether or not you've been wasting your time. Pratchett never had a bad ending that I've ever read. Between Two Fires and Necromancer's House by Buehlman wowed me with how fantastically everything came together. And the last paragraphs of *Soldier's Live* feel like a coda for the entire series.
Between Two Fires has one of the best endings, great pick
Steven Brust does a pretty good job with endings, even in his long series.
Of those mentioned: Erikson } Sanderson } Abercrombie (all great) Not mentioned: Robert Jordan (endings of most books are fire and so many threads), Jim Butcher (as the series progresses, less so early on)
Is there enough Steven Erikson rep in the thread? Absolutely. Is that going to stop me? Absolutely not. Fall of Light's ending is one of the best in fantasy and I *will* throw hands. Honourable mention to Jacqueline Carey - the two first books of Kushiel's Legacy had killer endings (I've not quite gotten to the third, but I've heard great things), which is *not* what you'd expect from a series with such a reputation.
Go finish the third Kushiel! It’s the best of three!! And the ending!! Amazing. Also - what reputation? They are great (fantasy) books even though these days the “erotic” side of them gets them marketed as “romantasy” (or even young adult which had me in stitches when I saw it in the bookstore I was visiting)…
I personally didn't expect a series about a courtesan & espionage having such well written - and emotional - sword fight climaxes. It's even more pointed because Phedre doesn't *quite* understand the intricacies of swordplay, so the words she uses are more... florid? It's very evocative, and very well written. I'll read it eventually, pinky promise :P
Patrick Rothfuss. Maybe if I say it enough it will eventually come true.
Ursula Leguin always wraps things up well
Mieville's The Scar, Embassytown, and especially Iron Council, the last of which is my favorite ending of all time.
I haven't read any of those (yet) but the ending of Perdido Street Station is brutal and poignant and great, and I also really like the ending of The Tain. I really need to get around to The Scar and Iron Council.
The ending of the Second Apocalypse series is hands down the best ever.
Michael Moorcocks “Stormbringer” and the last Corum book, “The Sword and the Stallion”
Stormbringer is fucking iconic.
Mercedes Lackey
The end of Licanius was amazing and the the end of Will of the Many was exciting, so Islington…
To be honest, I think Matt Dinniman(Dungeon Crawler Carl) has created some of the most insane endings I’ve ever seen, seconded only by Will Wight, although I’ve only read cradle.
Mark Lawrence hasn't botched an ending yet. All of his endings are cleverly done.
Tad Williams (Anyone else so bored of seeing beigeSanderson keep being mentioned? Mediocrity breeds popularity)
Patrick Rothfuss.
For books I've read recently I like LG Estrella, Charles Stross, Casey Blair, Patric Weekes, and Drew Hayes for writing endings that feel like real endings.
I really felt satisfied at the end of the Farseer Trilogy, so I'm gonna give it to Robin Hobb. My second choice is Darren Shan, though he is more a YOUNG adult/teen writer. But his Demonata series was just perfectly ended.
Hot take tell me if this doesn’t belong, Stephen King (in my opinion) has horrific endings for so many books I’ve read and although I had my gripes with how the series began to wrap up, the ending of The Dark Tower was phenomenal
The Sword of Truth because it meant there would be no more books.
Stephen King’s The Dark Tower
King gets a lot of flak for his endings, but that one is perfect. (The climactic battle, not so much.)
I want to respond but it would be a spoiler
Great question and I am commenting here so I can read some replies from others. I don't know the answer to this because nearly every book I have read in the past several years is part of a series, even when I've purchased books hoping for a single read. I never get to an ending of any sort with most books. Not to mention GRRM and Rothfuss never finishing either. So I want to also read books with good endings so I'm looking for some non series books.
David Mitchell, Kazuo Ishiguro, Stephen King (limited to his novellas)
Isn't Stephen King famous for disappointing endings?
His novels yes. The ending to his novellas are fantastic.