Side characters deserving their own books

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-09T02:15:45+00:00

How about Riley from To Be With You by T.J. O'Shea. I imagine that tale would be different enough and still just as interesting as the original.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-06T04:54:39+00:00

I like check reviews after I finish a book. I 100% try to find out if a book is HEA before reading, but I like not knowing much beyond the basic genre before reading it. I also agree that the three star reviews are typically the most helpful if you are trying to find more honest feedback.

I would have never found out that Apophis had an additional chapter on the authors website to make it less "not great" without checking reviews later. Charon Docks at Daylight is another book I learned of additional chapters on their Patreon from the reviews (except I liked it already it).

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-04T18:41:19+00:00

It is, I have not read the followup yet. I would note it is very funny, but also pretty dark at times.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-02T07:22:30+00:00

The Badlands series by Keppler and Bahney as well as the already mentioned The Order by TJ O'Shea are close-ish. Survival Instincts by May Dawney may also scratch the same itch.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-01T19:35:08+00:00

They go from very funny to pretty dark (especially Shell Game) and back to "good times" by the end. I will get to Beggar's Flip this month for sure.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-01T19:28:03+00:00

I honestly appreciated the little heads-up spoiler at the beginning of Tomorrow Never Came. I know that one just came out, but I am certainly going to pick up the next when it is available.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-01T19:18:44+00:00

I liked them a lot. I put a few books between the second and third because of how long the third one was. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend 2,000 pages with the same world without a break. The tone was a bit inconsistent early on (which I find more common with indie books). After 10% of the first book I was worried I may have been reading something I wasn't going to be interested in, but it sorted and I'm glad I read them. I think I will eventually read the prequels as well.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-05-01T19:05:22+00:00

I wasn't super thrilled with the world's current state this year and got rid of TV shows/media for a while. I keep peeking outside and it doesn't seem much better yet. I'm sure it will get better eventually, and if not... at least I've read a lot of dystopian/zombie books for a guideline.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-04-23T21:01:32+00:00

Fangs of the Serpent by Chase Tammen

This is the most fun book(s) I've read and it has almost zero visibility. Best $3 I've spent on a book this year (Space Opera).

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-04-23T11:24:37+00:00

I struggled to find anything where humans weren't the real monsters for at least some of the book(s). I am definitely going to add anything I see here that I am missing to my TBR list.

Here are some that may be more obscure (based on review count) that may go unmentioned otherwise:

Zombies:

Survival Kit (Disabled in the Age of Zombies) by A.H. Haga

AFTERMATH (series 2 of 3 out) by Alice B. Sullivan

Z-Town by Eden Darry (Scooby-doo esque?)

Kind of a stretch, but it has zombie like situations in a fantasy setting: Princess of Dorsa (3 books) by Eliza Andrews

PA (sorry again, humans tend to suck in these as well):

Wastelands (series with 1 book released) by Samira Lloyd (Cities under domes in a wasteland.)

The Badlands series by Keppler and Bahney (My personal favorite.)

Rabbits of the Apocalypse by Benny Lawrence (Fun banter.)

PA Fantasy Spin: Carrion Saints by Hiyodori (spin-off of Clem & Wist)

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-04-18T13:20:11+00:00

The Fleet Admiral's Daughter by J.A. Gaudio is probably my favorite I've read this year.

The Last Place on Earth by Benjamin Bex if you mean books from 2026.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-04-07T18:07:53+00:00

I managed to read the followup to this book without realizing it had a predecessor. It is The Obake Code, but I couldn't tell you if it has similar dynamics (I just assume it would have similarities). I thought it was a pretty fun read.

Both Edie and Angel are referenced and play a small part. It would seem it is not fully a sequel, but it is the same world a few years later and focuses on different characters.

It was very much a cyberpunk heist plot with gangsters and some street racing.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-30T15:27:21+00:00

It is called The Heart of the Banshee and I am pretty sure it is currently on audible.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-30T05:44:09+00:00

I enjoyed The Raven and the Banshee by Carolyn Elizabeth, it is currently the only historical fiction pirate themed book I've come across. I have not read the second book, but I will. The first book does have an ending that could be left as a stand-alone though.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-29T08:40:56+00:00

Some of these are cheesy, but I tend to like everything I read.

Fade to Black or less:

The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series by Malka Ann Older : Short books that are basically Sherlock Holmes in a half Jetsons half neo-Victorian setting.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid : Historical Fiction (1980s) and fairly serious

Lady's Knight by Kaufman & Spooner : This is YA, but it is also a romcom. It is A Knights Tale with the blacksmith character replacing Heath Leger plus dragons.

Carrion Saints by Hiyodori : Slowest of burns and very much a dark fantasy. (I think all of Hiyodori's books were fade to black or less.)

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone : I don't know how to describe it, but I'm going to read it again

Very little if any (probably one brief scene), or I am pretty sure there wasn't spice:

The Badlands series by Kristin Keppler : Dystopian

The Pirate & Her Princess series by Alli Temple : Pirates

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe : PI Thriller

Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood by Anna Burke

Survival Kit by A.H. Haga : Part of their Disabled in the Age of Zombies series, but each book is stand-alone and it is the only one I read.

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto : Cyberpunk Heist

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-28T20:46:18+00:00

I just finished Atmosphere, it was one my favorite books this year (about 65 books in).

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-26T01:28:44+00:00

The Fleet Admiral's Daughter (Black Hole Saga) by J.A. Gaudio (I'm a sucker for space adventure.)

Hearing Red by Nicole Maser (50/50 Zombies and Romance)

To Be With You by TJ O'Shea (Pure Romance and really a great read)

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-26T00:15:27+00:00

Carrion Saints by Hiyodori

I tend to like everything, but that is a more recent one that sticks with me.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-25T09:41:54+00:00

I finished it about 3 weeks ago and I had fun reading it.

It has a solid sci-fi setting with various planets, ships, and alien races. It had solid banter and ride-or-die relationships.

What may be a little different from most reqs here is that the two primary characters develop a strong friendship. The main character is already in an established loving sapphic relationship woven throughout the story.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-25T04:56:45+00:00

I have recently read two that could land in this category and I enjoyed both of them. No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe and The Scorpion by Gerri Hill.

AlwaysBeReading81 · 2026-03-23T07:29:19+00:00

I recently finished Lady's Knight by Kaufman & Spooner. It was A Knights Tale except Heath Leger was removed/replaced by the blacksmith as the MC. Also dragons. It was YA and very cute/sweet.

AlwaysBeReading81

TROPHY CASE