Weekend Reading Assignment

Let’s talk about sequels.

Book sequels are tricky things. Sometimes they’re better than the books they follow up, as the author grows into their characters and is able to tell a better story as a result. Other times, the quality goes the other way, leaving you to wonder why the author couldn’t leave the story alone.

Then there are cases in which the author plans a multi-book series, which is as hit-and-miss as anything else.

Today, we’re looking at a sequel I particularly enjoyed, The Deep, the second book in Robert Ottone’s The Rise trilogy.

With The Deep, Ottone is following up his Stoker Award-winning The Triangle, adding an extra layer of challenge to the sequel.

But I enjoyed The Deep.

So what should you be looking at?

1. Start With A Twist
I have a major complaint about Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy.

It’s too damn predictable. Especially the second and third books. It didn’t take too much brainpower to figure out what was about to happen and how the story would continue/end.

Not so in The Deep.

It started out going in an unexpected direction, and kept me on my toes the rest of the book. And I enjoyed that element of it.

2. Keep Your World Simple
For all of Ottone’s talent with description and world building, the world of The Deep is simple: take Earth, add water.

You don’t have to be Tolkien in creating settings for your stories. Sometimes, like Ottone, you can simply modify a world most are familiar with to serve your purposes. That happens to great effect in The Edge trilogy.

3. Don’t Stop Expanding
A sequel shouldn’t try to limit itself to the same characters and settings as the story before it. The story, the characters, and the world have to keep expanding and growing, or else you run the risk of telling the same story with new words.

Ottone expands on the world of The Triangle brilliantly while staying true to the story he’s building. Additions are timely and add to the story. They make The Deep just as interesting as The Triangle, and make me look forward to the final book in the trilogy.