I've been reading mostly standalone books, but my favorite thing in books is the characters, their quirks and especially their relationships. it's kind of sad to have it all end when the book is over, so I want to start reading more series. at the same time, I don't really like romance novels, because it kinda narrows the plot and other character relationships. if there is a romance in the series but it ISN'T the main point, then I am more likely to like it.
any recommendations for scifi/fantasy series with compelling and fun characters? like ideally where major characters don't suddenly die after book one
examples of series I have liked: vorkosigan saga, imperial radch, murderbot, howl's moving castle, chrestomanci, city watch (discworld), tiffany aching (discworld)
by angelic_creation
3 Comments
Have you tried the Liaden Universe books by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee?
Correct Reading Order | Welcome to Liad https://share.google/4o6BN5guBCMLv1dZQ
My favorites are
Agent of Change,
Carpe Diem,
Plan B,
I Dare,
Dragon in Exile,
Alliance of Equals,
Crystal Soldier,
& Crystal Dragon
The Expanse has several continuing relationships that are crucial to advancing the plot. I recommend the series generally although I am not sure it’s what you have in mind
You might enjoy Riyria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan. It follows a ‘rogues-for-hire’ duo who take on a job and get pulled into something bigger than they were expecting. It starts fairly light and low stakes, but eventually grows into something quite epic. Lots of great characters, friendships, some romance, twists, and adventure. It’s a lot of fun! The first book is Theft of Swords (The Crown Conspiracy/Avempartha). If you enjoy that series, the author has written a number of great prequel series you can read afterwards (Legends of the First Empire, Riyria Chronicles, The Rise and Fall).
If you’re OK with something darker, with interesting and fun characters who may not always be the best people, check out The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. The audiobooks are especially good. Gritty, morally gray, character-driven fantasy with tons of great dialogue, and dark humour. 10 books in total, the first book is The Blade Itself.
His new book The Devils is also a lot of fun, and so far it’s a standalone (likely with more to come later, but it’s a self-contained story as is). Overall not as dark as The First Law, with more of a focus on the humor. As always with Abercrombie, there’s lots of great characters and friendships.