Sequels have a terrible reputation. It seems that the second book in a series is usually a fraction of the quality of the first. They seem to either feel like they’re just trying to make more money off a stand-out standalone book (or movie, for that matter), or assume that the audience hasn’t bothered to read the books in order and spends way too much of the narrative explaining things that were previously established.

But this is not always the case. Some book series have a second book that is just as good—or even better—than the first. These are some of our favorites.

The Reptile Room in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
A Series of Unfortunate Events chronicles the lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, three children, orphaned by a fire and sent to live with a string of wacky relatives, all the while being chased down by the relative they were originally sent to live with, Count Olaf. Olaf is determined to steal their immense fortune.

The Reptile Room is just as good as The Bad Beginning, and is definitively the most hopeful book in the series. In it, the Baudelaires live with Uncle Monty, a famed herpetologist, and for a while, they are happy. That is, of course, until Count Olaf shows up, posing as Monty’s new assistant, Stephano.

Kalifus Rising in The Legends of Orkney by Alane Adams
The Legends of Orkney follows Sam Baron and his friends as they embark on a journey through the magical realm of Orkney and fighting evil. During the course of his journey he must learn to control his anger, harness his power, and forgive his father.

Kalifus Rising is arguably the best in the series. He’s been imprisoned and discovered the dark side of his gifts. He may just become the Volgrim Witches’ greatest weapon—but not if his friends have anything to say about it. Now the tables have turned, and Sam’s friends must be the ones to save him.

The Fellowship of the Ring in The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Some may argue that The Fellowship of the Ring is the first in the Lord of the Rings series, but that’s not the case. The Lord of the Rings was written as a sequel to The Hobbit, making it one of the only sequels that became more famous and renowned than its predecessor.

The Fellowship of the Ring follows two Hobbits, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, as they leave the Shire and explore Middle Earth. Frodo has been entrusted with a magic ring by his cousin, Bilbo Baggins, and Gandalf the Wizard. They plot to destroy the ring to take away the power of the evil Sauron.

Pretties in the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
The great thing about the Uglies series is that in each book, our protagonist, Tally, is a new version of herself. There is a clear and recognizable reason for a drastic personality shift between books: She is placed in an entirely new situation, and has to figure out who she wants to be again and discover more about her world. With so much changing, it can’t get stale.

In Pretties, Tally has undergone her surgery to become Pretty, but she can’t shake the sense that something is wrong. When a message from her past arrives, she most choose whether to forget again and be a Pretty, or to fight for her life.

Wendy Darling Volume 2: Seas by Colleen Oakes
Wendy Darling is a dark and fantastical twist on the classic fairytale, Peter Pan. The romance between Peter and Wendy is much more explicit and sinister in this adaption, because the more his grip on her heart tightens, the more trouble she has remembering home.

In Seas, Wendy and Michael are aboard Captain Hook’s ship. She wants to return home to her safe home in London, but that seems impossible. Whether Wendy has found shelter with Hook and his crew, or is his pawn in a much larger game, Neverland will never be the same.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
The second Harry Potter book is on par with the rest of this magnificent series, although it is often overshadowed by the third and fourth books, which tend to be reader favorites.

We find Harry living with Durselys, more depressedthan ever, because he hasn’t heard from his friends all summer, who promised to write. After a confrontation with a house elf and a save by the Weasleys, he heads back to Hogwarts to deal with a charming idiot professor, a voice only he can hear, and students getting petrified—literally—by some sort of beast left and right.

A Clash of Kings in A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire is often mistakenly called Game of Thrones, as that is both the title of the first book in the series and is the name of the television show based on the series. It follows the potential heirs to the Iron Throne, which rules over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

A Clash of Kings follows three potential heirs; Joffrey, who turns out not to be the son of the late Robert, but the product of his wife’s incest; Jon Snow, the bastard son of Eddard, who has joins up with Nights Watch; and Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Aerys, the last Targaryen king, as she rises to power through the birth of dragons.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
The Bridget Jones series follows the life of Bridget Jones, a thirty-something unmarried woman hell-bent on self-improvement. Whether her focus is on reducing the size of her thighs, programming her VCR, or maintaining an adult relationship, she’s relentlessly hilarious and relatable.

The Edge of Reason follows Bridget as she attempts to maintain an adult relationship with the swoon-worthy Mark Darcy. She suspects he is falling for a woman he works with, Rebecca, and breaks it off, but her feelings remain constant.