I really need strong character relationships (platonic, romantic, any and all) to love a book, but I've really been enjoying book series that don't have a real overarching plot connecting the series, but the same characters working together on various journeys.
Some examples I've read and loved:
- The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
- The Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire
- Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
- Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo (has more of an overarching plot compared to the rest, but the first two books also felt very different from each other in plot).
I'm open to Sci-fi or fantasy as well as YA or adult.
by kappa77
5 Comments
The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King
Shockingly, dungeon crawler Carl goes hard with relationships and also discards tropes in a satisfying way.
It’s recommended all over here for a good reason.
It’s a sci-fi book series, it’ll be 10 in total, 8 books are out now (book 8 in 13 days). It’s hard to describe in a way that doesn’t sound unhinged but I’ll try.
For the tone of the books, book 1 feels kind of silly, and by book 7 it’s insane action and heavy narrative.
Book 1 also leans heavily on video game jargon but that really falls away quickly, and I know a TON of non-gamers that are as obsessed with it as I am.
My favorite things about the book series is the character development, it’s absolutely incredible. I’ve laughed and also genuinely cried because of how compelling the characters are. The author does a great job of discarding tropes too which I love, and writes honest and complex characters.
It’s often compared to hitchhikers guide meets hunger games meets maze runner but it’s definitely of its own thing.
I’d highly recommend the audiobooks, a single voice actor does an incredible range of voices, easily exceeding 30-40 voices across the series.
In short, it’s about an alien corporation that seizes earth to mine its mineral resources, and gives the survivors a chance to regain control of earth by completing a challenge course called the world dungeon. The course is 18 floors and is televised to the galaxy which drives profits for the corporation. The protagonist Carl enters the dungeon with his cat who >! Gains human level intelligence !< and fights alongside him.
It’s a cool mix of sci-fi – aliens taking over earth, and fantasy – the characters use magic, etc.
Ive listened to the series easily 10 times. The fan base is amazing and the author is kind and engaging. It’s very cool.
Elena Ferrante, *Neapolitan Novels,* seems like an obvious suggestion.
Vorkosigan series(sci fi) by Lois McMaster Bujold
Perhaps Kings of The Wyld series by Nicholas Eames?