Piranesi (Piranesi by Susanna Clarke)

I found the titular character in this book to be absolutely fascinating! I loved getting the story through his various journal entries and seeing the world through his eyes. It made learning about the world feel more personal, somehow, and certainly connected me to Piranesi quickly. I was very invested in his well-being!

Eudora Fellowes (Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper)

I read a lot of incredible female characters this year, but Eudora stands out in my mind. It read this book closer to the end of the year but I knew I was going to love her from the moment I read the first excerpt for BBNYA. She’s independent, smart, and a great dog mom. I also love that we get to see both her strong and softer sides throughout this story. And she’s an older character which we need more of, honestly!

Literally all the POC characters (Babel by R.F. Kuang)

Literally all of them! Though mostly Robin, Ramy, and Victoire, of course. The things they had to put up with resonated to my soul and the willful ignorance of their white counterparts made me want to rage right alongside them. I will admit to relating to Victoire the most, which makes sense as she is a Black woman, but I felt a true connection to all three of them in one way or another.

Eve Brown and Jacob Wayne (Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert)

EVE + JACOB SUPREMECY!!! I absolutely loved these two as a couple! The chemistry was just so searing and the tension was delicious. It helps that Eve is my favorite of the Brown sisters and Jacob made me want to give him a (pre-approved, of course) hug. So them together was bound to make me squeal like the soft-hearted weirdo that I am 😆

A certain someone (Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega)

I can’t talk about who the villain is in this book as it’s kind of a spoiler. I can, however, talk about how much I loved the reveal and how Ortega wrote this villain. All the characters in this book are so well realized and the bad guy is no different. I loved the clues dropped throughout and the fact that the villain has layers. I can’t wait to get more in book two!

@#$%ing Callum (The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake)

UUUUUGH, CALLUM. It’s been a long time since I’ve actively disliked a character so much. I wanted to fight him pretty much every time he was on the page and his POV chapters were A G O N Y. Not because of the writing. The writing and characterization were excellent. I wouldn’t hate him so much if they weren’t! I was simple in a constant state of rage whenever I had to read from his POV 😂

Malini (The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri)

Malini is a freakin’ badass and definitely my favorite royal character that I read this year. She has a clear vision of what she wants for her country and her people and she will do whatever it takes to bring it to fruition. I enjoyed her plotting, watching her mind work, and the sparks that fly between her and Priya. Who is also a badass, btw. I really need to get to the next book in this series!

The entire crew of the Frostheart (Voyage of the Frostheart by Jamie Littler)

I loved all the characters in this book, but it’s definitely one of the strongest ensemble casts I’ve read in awhile! I adore the crew of the Frostheart and the family they become for Ash. It was wonderful learning about all of them throughout this book and watching how they helped Ash to blossom. And I love their character designs, as well. The illustrations in this are incredible!

The Eastwood sisters (The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow)

Belladonna, Amaranth, and Juniper are probably my favorite siblings I’ve read in a very long time. I love how perfectly imperfect all three of them are and how this book portrays how messy their love for each other can be. Messy but still very much alive and well. There were several moments in this book when I teared up because of their interactions. It touched my heart and I won’t soon forget these characters.