What are yours Best have thing(s) that you, as a reader, want in a book?

Being it fantasy or sci-fi ones.
Is it world building, level of details of characters/things/places, the story itself, how you can relate to a (main) character, other?!

And if possible, why?

For me it tends to be the story itself, of course I can relate to a character, or to the incredible details of a place somewhere. But generally speaking, i’m more intrigued to know the context and the plots of the story the author wanted to give me.

​

  • justhereforbakingBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I love when everything comes together. When the whole is better than the sum of its parts, everything fits into the story, the themes, etc. beautifully, like a jigsaw puzzle. Doesn’t have to be a mystery, any type of story can be this way.

    I have a friend who’s top criterion is good prose, and some of the books she reads are too meandering for my taste; despite being written well, the book doesn’t feel “whole” to me. Maybe that’s bad of me but I’m not satisfied enough with the journey lol, I want the destination to tie the whole journey together. There can be loose ends and ambiguity, but it should feel just as purposeful as the rest of the narrative.