Favourite Fictional Friendships

I have decided to eschew talk of romantic relationships in favour of friendships because, quite frankly, they are just as important but not nearly as celebrated as they should be.

So here are my top 5 friendships I’ve read recently:

Daisy and Hazel (Wells and Wong Mysteries, Robin Stevens)

The friendship between these two investigators makes me so happy. It’s a genuine, complex relationship that has its ups, downs and difficulties and yet they are loyal to each other to the end and well, if they weren’t paired up Inspector Priestly may never have found out who murdered Miss Bell and Mr Curtis...

Kell and Lila (A Darker Shade of Magic, VE Schwab)

This is a very recent read for me and the connection between Kell and Lila is fresh in my mind. They have a sparky chemistry, brilliant banter and there’s no romance there; they’re a partnership. Lila - a cunning, human thief - cons Kell – an Antari magician who lives with the royal family – to take her on a dangerous adventure and she’s the one that repeatedly saves his bacon and then sasses him for it. Perfect.

Sora, Mai and Kaito (The Last Leaves Falling, Sarah Benwell)

Friends are never more important when you’re struggling, and Sora is definitely struggling. He has ALS/MND and it’s getting steadily worse, but he’s lonely and isolated by the reactions of people outside of the internet and his home. Though Mai and Kaito are initially surprised by Sora’s illness, they take it in their stride and help him to push it aside when they are together. True friends are those that stick with you through thick and thin.

Pearl and Molly (The Year of The Rat, Clare Furniss)

Like in The Last Leaves Falling, Clare Furniss shows a friendship going through hardship. Through neglect and being brushed off and shut out, they pushed through and found their way back to their friendship. Sad and hopeful and beautiful.

Sophronia, Sidheag, Dimity, Agatha (Finishing School, Gail Carriger)

These guys are just brilliant. A ragtag bunch that could only ever come together in the confines of a boarding school, but their differences make each and every one of them essential to all of Sophronia plots and schemes. They’ll go out on a limb for each other and do everything they can to preserve what little sanity they all have left!

What are your favourite fictional friendships?

Sophie