I’m going with Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine but, honestly, the entire Great Library series deserves so much more love than it gets! I’ve not met many people who have read it and that is a shame. It’s an incredible start to a fantastic series that centers around the concept of what the world could look like if the Library of Alexandria never burned down. It’s a fantasy, so it takes this idea in some intriguing directions. The best thing about this book/series, though, is the found family element. You’ll find yourself rooting for these characters in a surprisingly short amount of time!

A book I read recently that jumps to mind is Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn. The main character in this story is a siren whose tail was crushed by a cruel sea captain. As a result, she no longer has any feeling below the waist. She has to learn how to manuver around in this new body and I think the author did an excellent job of conveying the feelings that can go with that situation. Of course, I would take my opinion with a grain of salt as I’m not part of the disabled community! I do think it was well done and it was great to see a MC with a disability being featured in a fantasy novel. I need and am going to make reading more books with disability rep a top priority.

Now I know The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern was not for everyone, but I adore this book. One of the reasons I adore it is because of the main character, Zachary Ezra Rawlins. I connected with him so much! He reminded of myself in college (although his experiences turned out to be vastly more interesting) and he had a lot of mannerisms that I share. He’s just such a quiet and unassuming protagonist and I thought it was compelling to see such an “ordinary” person get tossed into extremely extraordinary circumstances. Also, gotta love a fellow bookworm who loves gaming, as well.

It has to be Tarisai from Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko! Not only for the representation (I love that we’re getting more Black girls in fantasy!) but because, once again, I related to her so much. Not so much her family circumstances. More so, I related to how she would tackle problems in her life. I related to how she, initially, made herself seem small so she would be accepted by the outside world. She reminded me a lot of my younger self, at first, and it was incredible to watch her grow beyond so many barriers. She also just seems like it would be fun to have a conversation with her!

…I can’t just put Tarisai again, can I? Ah well 😂

I’m gonna go with Juliette Cai from These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. Is Juliette a little bit dangerous and prone to flashing her various weapons around? But she would also die for her friends (or at least kill anyone who dared to hurt them) and she has a deep love for those she’s let into her life. I know she would have my back at the drop of a hat. And, hey, sometimes it’s good to have a friend that you know can fight, lol. She’s smart, fiercely loyal, and I bet she has some fascinating stories

I feel like Xiala from Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse could be a lot of fun at a party. She’s a salty sea captain who I’m sure has a slew of interesting tales. She has a beautiful singing voice, though her singing may bewitch you. I loved all the Teek sayings that are littered throughout this story so, as a Teek, I bet she could regal us with so many more. And she could probably drink anyone under the table. She has a good heart, under all that rough exterior, and would make sure that everyone (who wasn’t being an ass) at the party was having a good time.

The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch is slowly becoming one of my favorite series. One of the reasons is because of the incredible cast of characters. I love Peter & Co! Peter Grant is such a relatable, witty main character and his squad makes this series shine even more. Nightingale, Molly, Abigail, Beverly… all of them are fantastic, complex characters that add so much depth to the story. And that’s not even the entire crew! There’s a lot of people that make up this squad and I find them all fascinating.