Michael Vey Thread [FULL SERIES SPOILERS]

[Knight of Iron]

I don't expect this thread to last very long, I'm not sure how many other people on here have actually read the Michael Vey series.

I've read all seven books. I liked the first two books. I read all the rest because they were next and I wasn't reading anything else at the time. I got through them, hoping it would get better, or more interesting to me. It didn't really. And the seventh book left me with a permanent bad taste to the point where I am disgusted with this series. I know there's a big fat warning in the title but I'll spoiler-tag it anyways:

Spoiler

Biggest mistakes of the Final Spark:

• The boy of whom the series is named after is basically dead to everyone the entire book. I read the books for Michael Vey, why would I read this last one? He's not in 99% of the book, not even an exaggeration.
• The reveal that all along Michael's father was the real leader of the resistance. No foreshadowing, no reasons for anything, absolutely nothing. I find it impossible to believe that this was planned all along and am convinced this was a last-book decision to throw some extra oomph to the ending. Plus, did we care that he was gone? Even if you were emotionally invested in Michael Vey, you're just left wondering what this means. And it doesn't mean anything, because Michael's father adds absolutely nothing to the story. His biggest use in the series was the fact that he was dead, and now he's not.
• The reveal that the last electric person was someone who could just absorb other people's powers. Because after the 6th book, I went, thinking, "Oh, boy, I wonder what the last person's powers are." Never knew the answer would be literally be ALL OF THEM. And the fact that this was "hidden" all along and no one knew doesn't mean anything. Hatch could've won several books ago if he had just used her. WHAT'S THE POINT OF KEEPING HER HIDDEN. Plus, it doesn't fit with Hatch's character to not flaunt his most precious and powerful asset. Hatch flaunts everything. It's his thing, he's a megalomaniac. It doesn't fit. And can I just mention how the reveal was a complete WASTE due to the next bulletpoint:
• Deus Ex Machina, traditionally, is the ending where the characters get themselves into a place where they can't get out of... it's impossible to escape the consequences of their actions! Oh no! They must finally deal with them! But wait--is that a bird? is it a plane? No, it's--it's FREAKING LIGHTNING GOD HERE TO VAPORIZE EVERYONE AND HATCH AND THE "SUPER POWERFUL" LAST ELECTRIC GIRL (Like I said, what a waste. What, one chapter of screen time?) AND RESCUE EVERYONE AND END THE WHOLE BOOK THAT WAY. My biggest problem with the whole series, I must admit. No further explanation needed.

Anyways, my real excuse for starting this thread was because I just remembered this series existed and I needed to get all of that off my chest.

Any thoughts from anyone else? Fans welcome to this thread as well

[Condensation]

Hhhhhh. Okay, I have to say that I love this series. It's one of my favorites, while definitely not on par with Brandon Sanderson's books.

[Knight of Iron]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Grammatical said:

Hhhhhh. Okay, I have to say that I love this series. It's one of my favorites, while definitely not on par with Brandon Sanderson's books.

I mean, I'm fine with the entire series up until the seventh book. I know a fair few who enjoyed the book but they've admitted that the ending was pretty deus ex machina. 

[Condensation]

I'm totally fine with deus ex machina, I like using it and I like reading it.

[Knight of Iron]

5 hours ago, Ookla the Grammatical said:

I'm totally fine with deus ex machina, I like using it and I like reading it.

:o

To each their own, I suppose. I think John Larison says it right when he says that as a reader, it “steals our joy.” Story is all about characters overcoming problems, and especially when we get to a climax of a book their is a thrill of how are they going to solve this? When the answer is using their knowledge and skills, the end result is satisfying. When it’s due to a random and uncontrollable element the characters had no part in doing, then you can be left unsatisfied. As was I.

I think it’s obvious as well that

Spoiler

the writer reason Michael couldn’t show up any earlier is because they would’ve won whenever he showed up, thereby he can only show up at the ending. If he had shown up any earlier, the war would’ve been won that much earlier.

 

[Condensation]

Whatever you say. I agree with the last part, though.

[Shard of Reading]

So, I read Micheal Vey about 4 years ago and only vagely remember the plot. Although I do remember being unsatisfied with the story overall. I really liked the first book, but I thought that the later books were rather boring. It just seemed like all the electric people were sitting around and letting every one else do the work. I mean, Zeus could literally shoot lighting out of his hands and it seemed like the resistance wan't taking advantage of that asset at all and was just letting them warm the bench. That kind of ticked me. While I did like how the characters bounced off of each other that was really it.

[Tacitus]

Yeah, the Deus Ex Machina was just.... Naw dude. Sanderson's 2nd law proves to be quite, quite true here. (In my opinion, of course)