Reading has such a lovely ability of transporting us to various worlds and settings, interacting with all sorts of characters. Great stories and great writers have an uncanny way of getting their readers attached. I’m sure we’ve all cried over books or felt the bittersweetness of finishing a series. We’ve shared moments with these fictional characters and though their stories may end, we can always return. But aside from the main characters that we follow from book to book in a series like Harry Potter or the In Death books, authors have to fill up their worlds with other people. It’d be pretty boring if all we saw were just two people, interacting and bumbling through the world. Characters need friends, neighbors, and adversaries.
And it’s not surprising when readers take a liking to a number of these secondary characters. Maybe there’s a plucky sidekick. Or a long lost family member with a mysterious past. People who are often in the background, having limited interactions with the hero or heroine. People we just want to know more about.
I think romance has spoiled me in a way, though. A lot of the time, secondary characters who are introduced in a romance will inevitably get their own romance later on down the line. But what happens when there are secondary characters who steal every scene they’re in, but are still destined to remain on the sidelines?
It wasn’t until I started The Others series by Anne Bishop that I really longed for more “page time” between certain characters, trying to fill in the gaps of these characters’ daily lives with just my overactive imagination. I’m no stranger to fan fiction, but a lot of the time, fanfic pairs together two main-ish characters who may not have otherwise been paired together for whatever reason. (Shout out to all my Dramione lovers!). But admittedly, it’s sometimes harder to find fan fic or other fan created art featuring secondary or background characters.
Currently, I’m about halfway into Murder of Crows, the second book in The Others series, and I’m just over the moon for four characters in the book and I’m secretly hoping that whatever romantic undertones I’m picking up on aren’t just in my head.
The first is the interaction between Henry Bearguard and Merri Lee. Henry is a bear shifter and a sculptor. He’s a man of few words. Merri Lee is a human who works at an Others cafe. She’s often a mediator between the others and Meg (the heroine of the series who is more human than supernatural being). So it’s Merri Lee’s job to both help Meg and explain human things to the Others. She’s brash and excitable and the others describe her as a “wolf” of a human.
PLEASE LET THESE TWO GET TOGETHER.
I’m drawn by the way Henry and Merri Lee work together as a team to help Meg, despite their confusion about how the other operates in terms of their respective races (shifter vs human). I like how they both work with their hands. Merri Lee helps with food prep and serving at the cafe while Henry sculpts. I’m just picturing all sorts of warm and fuzzy scenes where Henry is teaching Merri Lee how to do art stuff.
After I conceptualized this post, but before I started writing, I read more of Murder of Crows and was immediately taken with two more characters after a particular scene. Vlad (a vampire who co-owns an Others bookshop) and Heather (a human who works in said bookshop) are such opposites. Vlad is talking with Merri Lee and Heather and his attention keeps focusing on Heather. She’s shy and is often described as a “bunny.” There’s an aspect of fascination in Vlad’s interest during that meeting, as if he’s drawn to her uneasiness and wishes to quell her discomfort.
The fact that not only am I interested in the main character, Meg, and her adventures and conflicts, but also the side characters and their own personalities and motivations (love, success, etc) is a testament to how absorbing and interesting a story really is. There have been countless books where I skim once a character shows up. Either I find them not compelling enough or frustrating in terms of their voice, or their presence just doesn’t make sense to me in the narrative. So the more interested I am when it comes to the setting and characters as a whole, the more it signals to me that I’ve stumbled across something truly amazing.He wanted to talk to Nyx, wanted the simplicity of dealing with a female who was a lethal predator and one of his own kind, because these two inedible fluffballs were making him nervous—especially the one who looked about to explode.
For those who are caught up in The Others series, feel free to drop me a comment on whether my character shipping (a term when you pair two characters together in a relationship) will pay off. But I also want to hear what other secondary characters have captured your hearts!
Who deserves their own book or their own romance? Which characters have stolen scenes in books and should really get more than a few pages of attention?
In Lisa Kleypas’ Again the Magic, the secondary charachters Livia and Gideon stole the show. Their romance felt real and more complex than the main couple’s. Plus, Lord Marcus Westcliff appears for the first time in this prequel toThe Wallflowers.
The reason I reread Anne Stuart’s Ruthless was for the romance between her younger sister Lydia and the penniless rake who reformed for her. It was the sweetest thing.
Unfortunately, I am almost impossible to please when it comes to secondary characters. If your side characters are more interesting than the main couple, you’re doing something wrong. I’m looking at you Windflower!
Also, if it’s stated right from the start that it’s a series – four brothers, three school friends, etc. – don’t hold back the most intriguing character’s story until the end of the series. Most of the time, it’s a tremendous disappointment.
Another thing I hate is when a character gets retconned because the author doesn’t seem to think that the original portrayal was interesting enough otherwise. The hero’s happy-go-lucky brother is suddenly brooding and dark. Make him more complex, sure, but don’t take away the traits I loved about him in the first place.
Having said that, I do love villainous or unlikable characters that are redeemed later on. Edith Layton did that brilliantly in To Wed a Stranger with Lady Annabelle from the C books and Reggie Davenport in Mary Jo Putney’s The Diabolical Baron goes on to become one of the most poignant and developed heroes I have ever read in the The Rake and the Reformer.
@Francesca 100% this! Also I get a bit miffed when we spend so much time setting up all those side character stories that the main story isn’t developed. I usually start series a few books in a jump around because of that.
However, I will say that I am have been out of the Kate Daniels universe for a while, but I always hoped for a Roman book or story. I loved him in Andrea’s story “Gunmetal Magic”.
For me, every character Courtney Milan mentions could fill their own book. Above all others, the one that I wish almost every day had a story of his own is Richard Dalrymple, Margaret’s brother/ Smite’s former friend from the Turner series. As I read the series, I hoped on every page for more Richard, even when he was behaving very badly toward other characters. And then I started specifically hoping that Richard would eventually find his way to another background character from the series, Miranda’s friend Jeremy. Both are characters that were put in bad situations, but dealt with those problems in ways that hurt other people, before tackling matters head on. I could see them bonding over their roads toward redemption, plus their somewhat snarky senses of humor. And although Jeremy was paired with George in the series, that relationship seemed to be lurching to a close by the end of the books.
Anyway, as you can tell, I’ve invested a borderline embarrassing of thought on these tertiary characters that barely meet on the page. So imagine my level of feels when I recently read in a Courtney Milan Q&A that she tried to write a Richard/Jeremy story, but couldn’t make it work. On the one hand, it kills me because my secret wish list book almost came to exist! But on the other, hand, at least I have some vindication in knowing it wasn’t just in my head. 🙂
@Beth Not Elizabeth, Roman plays a big role in the current Kate book, MAGIC BINDS. He’s tapped by Kate and Curran to marry them. It’s bloody brilliant. And yes, I hope, just like Andrea and Raphael got their story, there’s a special someone for Roman.
Amanda, I’m a huge Others fangirl and have reread the series several times. Will do so again before ETCHED IN BONE releases in March. Interesting shipping you’ve done there. I could get on board for those pairings. While it wouldn’t last long, I’ve wondered in the “Girls at the Lake” might take an interest in Jester, even though they are Elementals and it would be fleeting. The character I wonder about is Tess. Hmm…how to talk about Tess without spoiling her identity for those who haven’t read the series but might do so. Tess is something Other even to the Others. Not even Henry, who is a spirit bear, knows exactly what she is, though he suspects. At least until she reveals herself. Due to her nature, she’s controlled and aloof but I’ve watched even her soften due to Meg’s presence. The other strong female (beyond the Elementals), is Nyx, who is Vlad’s sister. There’s been no indication from either Tess or Nyx as to an interest in romance with anyone, they are intriguing observers of the “play.” Again…hmmm.
@Silver James: Oh! I like that Elemental/Jester pairing. It would be interesting, for sure, given that he’s so playful and the Elementals are so serious and literal.
Oh, the many joys of Gail Carrier’s secondary characters! Maccon’s Beta, Professor Lyall, to Biffy, to Floote, to Ivy to Ivy’s hats, they are a supporting cast master class. They always leave you wanting more.
Amanda, I just wanted to say that this is something Anne Bishop does very, very well. I have read all of her books, and she can add more depth and life to a character with a few perfectly worded paragraphs than some other authors can with entire chapters. All of her characters feel real and three dimensional to me, like they are totally living their own lives wether we get page time with them or not.
I won’t spoil the Others for you! Just keep reading. 😉
In that series, my favorite side characters are Jester and Tess. Not as a couple, but just as people I’m dying to find out more about. We get a little more about Tess in each book, but I would absolutely love a story centered on her! Jester comes off as pretty carefree and happy-go-lucky, but there have been all these flashes of hidden depth, too…I want to know more!
Anyway, this post made me stupidly happy! I’m always getting wrapped up in secondary characters and wishing for more. ^_^
My mind automatically embroiders all the details I wish were there as I read, then I almost immediately forget all of it. Consequently, my head cannon is generally way more real to me, and I have all sorts of favorite scenes that I’m shocked to discover never happened.
But it’s a really useful trait if authors don’t give the characters I want sufficient page time, to the point that I may not even notice they’ve (not) done it!
I find @Francesca’s scenarios are far more often the case. I can think of so many books for each of them! Just not, you know, their names.
Although, of all people, it was Milan who burned me the worst with that retcon issue. One of the early books, the one with the fortune teller v the skeptic, had that guy who was her client and such a sweetheart, and I was so excited for when he got his own book, but then he was unrecognizable. It was still a good book of course, but I was so disappointed by that character change I couldn’t enjoy it properly, and not being able to enjoy a Milan romance is a terrible fate.
Remember “Liberating Lacey” by Anne Calhoun? Well, I’d love LOOOVE for the hero’s Dad to get his own story. The book is for me 100% keeper shelf, the main characters are very compelling of course, but the secondary characters are very solid as well. And among them, Michael Anderson stood out, for his no-nonsense advice to his son dating and falling in love with a woman that’s older, richer and more educated. So, dear Anne Calhoun, if you happen to have time, I’d be the first to stand in line!
I was SO DAMN EXCITED when Ivan Vorpatril got his own book by . Decades of wanting that character to have his own say… I was so thrilled.
That being said, I wish Simon Illyan had his own book. Or Berry Clearcreek. Or Liss and Foix from Chalion….
I don’t see those ships in The Others at all, as the main possibly romantic relationship is so fraught with issues I don’t really ship any of the Others with humans. I just think they are established to be so completely different, which is what I love about those books! I could be wrong in my assessment though, I am eagerly awaiting the next release!
I tend to fall more in the “give THIS guy a romance” camp rather than the secondary-ship category (see: Dane in Lara Brukz’s REVIEWING LIFE), though I did secretly want Ty to end up with Kelly in Melanie Ting’s HOCKEY IS MY BOYFRIEND series, and if Aziza doesn’t pick Greg at the end of RG Alexander’s FIREBORNE series, I’ll be mad.
I love Bishop’s Others series and I could absolutely get on board with either of the ships you proposed. I will be re-reading before Etched in Bone with those in mind.
A character I would love to see more of from a vastly different series is Jessica from Kresley Cole’s Game Makers series. She was a scene stealer in the trilogy and I always felt there was a lot more going on under her funny, party girl surface. If Jessica got her own story, it would make my 2017.
I recently read the first two books in Rachel Caine’s The Great Library series (Ink and Bone and Paper and Fire), and I love love love the secondary characters Wolfe and Santi. I really enjoyed both of the books as a whole, especially the world building, but the main characters/lovers didn’t particularly move me (at least their “love” story didn’t move me). But Wolfe and Santi were awesome. I found myself skimming ahead to get to the parts where they were present. I want their story so much!!! Sigh. But since it is a YA series, I doubt that will happen. That said, I still will be waiting with bated breath for the third book in the series … and every time I turn a page, I will be hoping to see one or both of their names.
I’m constantly shipping secondary characters and that is the reason why I need at least one more Francesca Cahill novel just so I can find out what happens between Evan and Maggie. Not to mention Bragg and his wife. Francesca and Calder Hart finally got married, but I need to know if these other characters get their own HEA.
When it comes to the In Death novels, I think there are now so many secondary characters that we don’t get to see much of their personal lives any more. When was the last time we had a good Peabody and McNab sub-plot? I love their relationship, but we haven’t seen it in a long time. The same goes for Charles and Louise. They got married and now we don’t see them anymore. Hell, the romance between Eve and Roarke is barely there any longer. It seems to me that the romantic aspects of the series have become secondary to the mystery they have to solve. I’d love to see a subplot for Baxter–someone once sugfested pairing him and Nadine up and I could totally get behind that!
I am so with Scifigirl1986 regarding Peabody and McNab. I’m listening to Celebrity in Death on audio right now, and the scene between Peabody and McNab in their apartment the day after the first murder in the book is just absolutely adorable. I would also love to see some more of Eve and Mavis together without Bella hogging the scene. I do love Brotherhood in Death for giving us a bit more insight into the Miras, because like Eve, I have a little crush on Dennis. And, yes, I am ready for a good, meaty romance subplot with Eve and Roarke.
@bea I was so happy for that book as I love Ivan. Bujold does such a great job of creating detailed characters.
Seanan McGuire does too and then her short fiction fills in some of the cracks.
In terms of romance, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Courtney Milan and recently Theresa Romain are amazing at doing this. Their worlds feel rich and I look forward to knowing what happens next for everyone involved.
This totally is something I do. No, I really can’t care about the Four Broody Brothers, the innkeeper is much more fun! That almost inevitably means I won’t read any more of the series. It’s often a mark of an author who has overly limiting ideas about what makes a man Proper Hero Material, so that their heroes are too much alike.
Then there’s Julie Ann Long’s Pennyroyal Green series, which I quit after three books. I know I’m not the only one who felt terribly sorry for the hero’s fiancée in the second book. He’s an explorer and she’s admired him since she was a child, although when she listens to him talk about his travels she can’t find anything to say except “How interesting!” over and over, a sign that (as she eventually admits) she doesn’t actually find the subject that interesting. She doesn’t get a chance to shine in this book and the heroine considers her somewhat dim and dull. I wanted to match her with a woman, someone who’d share the all-women parts of 19th century life, who’d see her when she’s organizing Sunday School at the church or whatever it is that she’s actually passionate about…
@Rachel
I loved that Courtney Milan. The CM secondary characters that immediately jumped to my mind were Amanda and Genevieve (I think that those were their names) in Suffragette Scandal. The slow moving tension between the two of them almost had me turning myself inside out every time they showed up.
Absolutely Gail Carriger. Every single one of her side characters deserves their own story. I’m so happy she’s started to write those stories! Especially Madame Lefoux’s “Romancing the Inventor.”
There’s a Biffy/Lyall novella coming out this year, and I’m SO EXCITED. And omg, I neeeed more of Primrose/Tasherit.
Truth be told though, I always want the love stories of queer side characters. Courtney Milan’s Genevieve and Amanda from “The Suffragette Scandal”, Deanna Raybourn’s Portia and Jane from The Lady Julia Grey series.
Oh! And I absolutely want a book about Libya Bray’s Felicity Worthington after the events of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. I picture her like Natalie Barney; living in Paris’s Left Bank, an artist, hosting salons for other queer women artists. Cutting a swath through the women of Paris…
This ended up being a much longer comment than I expected.
I feel like Suzanne Brockmann perfected the art of setting up secondary couples and stringing them out in the next few books of hers (Alyssa and Sam being the most famous pairing but there were many others). I guess they were really just main couples spread across many books.
Joanna Bourne had me crazy to even know who the other half of Adrian/Hawker’s couple was before she even had a name. She was just a “Frenchwoman” who broke his heart and shot him. Since the books were published not in chronological order we knew the aftermath of their affair before they ever “met” on the page. I went from hating this unnamed harpy (Justine) who almost killed Adrian to loving her when she finally arrived as a jaded 13 year old ex prostitute.
One author who did a big switcheroo when it was time to elevate the supporting character to “hero” was Jennifer Ashley with “The Duke’s Perfect Wife”. She watered down the eldest McKenzie brother a lot by the time he had his own book and romance. While it didn’t bother me too much I know a lot of fans were disappointed.
@ Christine
Jennifer Ashley’s books are all over the place. I seem to like every other one but I remember being particularly ticked off with Isabella’s story (#2) and Daniel’s (#6). They felt like the bait and switch too.
Secondary characters were my main catnip for a while. I would research and only read books with great reviews about the secondary love story!
And then Dara Joy. I read her steamy romances as a teen and *could not wait with more teenage angsty anticipation* for Traed’s story. I looked it up one day a few years ago and found a few bizarre stories about a publishing train wreck that basically meant – IT’S NEVER HAPPENING.
A similar thing seems to possibly be happening with Maya Banks Highlander Ever After book – a book she says she’s finished years ago but is tied up with some publishing/legal thing. ::le sigh::
I’m so late to this party.
Like Scifigirl1986 and Meg, I’d love some more of the Peabody + McNab romance. However, what I’m really really hoping for from In Death is Nadine and Li. I’d also like to see Crack meet someone soon.
I just had this happen to me while reading Lady Claire is All That! The villain from the first book Francesca had a role in this book that really made me like her a lot. She’s like a historical romance version of Blaire Waldorf basically and I really really hope she gets a book… It doesn’t seem likely though, she’s very different from the other 3 heroine’s so far, and the 4th book is already spoken for 🙁