Top 5 Wednesday: Side Ships

June 14, 2017

* Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme/challenge for book bloggers, hosted by Lainey and Sam. The goal is for bloggers to choose their top 5 picks for the week’s given challenge, and you can find out more over on Goodreads! *


This week’s challenge is to pick your top five side ships! These would be relationships you love that DON’T involve the book’s protagonist. I am such a major shipper and hopeless romantic, so the only hard thing about this week’s challenge is narrowing it down to ONLY five… Let’s get started!

WARNING: minor spoilers ahead for ACOWAR!


1. Cassian/Nesta – A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas

I love this ship SO MUCH. I mean, Cassian is just my absolute love of the series; Rhys is great and all, but if I had to pick one favorite character, it would be Cassian, because he’s just so genuine and caring and funny and protective. The way he takes care of his loved ones is so adorable, and I think he plays the perfect balancing act for Nesta’s bitter cold nature and her fierceness. I just about died in every small moment of affection either of them showed for the other throughout ACOWAR, and if one of the spin-offs/novellas isn’t entirely revolving around these two, I will riot.

2. Finnick/Annie – The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

We really don’t get to see nearly enough of these two, but the little snippets that we do get to see are so precious and wonderful. It’s such an innocent and wholesome love between the two of them. Despite all of Finnick’s playboy casualness, he is nothing less than wholly invested in Annie. These two did not get the ending they deserved, and it broke my heart.

3. Amren/Varian – A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas

I feel like I was expecting this from a mile away, with how Varian watched Amren like a hawk throughout their entire initial visit to the Summer Court. I wasn’t sold on the idea, to be frank, because it seemed a little lackluster, until he sent Amren the diamond/ruby necklace. That one little gesture felt like such a slap in the face to Tarquin’s blood feud that I figured shit was about to get good, and by the end of ACOWAR, it does. Amren deserves someone who can make her feel human (er, Fae?), and I think Varian is the perfect guy for the job.

4. Arthur/Molly – Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Arthur and Molly Weasley are probably the single cutest middle-aged married couple I have ever seen in the entire literary world. They’re both such genuinely kind and goodhearted people, and they balance one another so well; Arthur’s gentle calmness balancing Molly’s fiery temper, while Molly’s feet on the ground keep Arthur from floating too far off into the clouds. Total marriage goals, these two.

5. Nazira/Fatima – The Conqueror’s Saga (And I Darken/Now I Rise) by Kiersten White

We don’t get to spend a ton of time with Nazira and her wife, Fatima, but it didn’t take long to learn to love these two. Despite their taboo relationship, they have no shame in their marriage or who they are as individuals, and they are not only partners, but the very best of friends. Despite being forced to put on a mask that tells the outside world that Fatima is only Nazira’s servant, they never seem to let the stress break into their little bubble, and it is so delightful.


I was tempted to keep going, but here are just the first five that popped into my head. I’d love to hear your favorite side ships, too! Feel free to drop a link to your T5W post below, or just let me know in the comments.

More about Destiny @ Howling Libraries

Just a horror aficionado/geek girl trying to juggle motherhood, reading, blogging, gaming, and everyday life.

16 Comments
      1. Aren’t they so precious? Just thinking about it is only increasing my desperate need to reread this trilogy for, ummm, like the seventh time? lol I have no shame.

    1. Finnick and Annie?! My heart! I LOVE them! I feel like I want to re read The Hunger Games… Arthur and Molly are amazing and I don’t feel like they ever get talked about enough.

      1. Annie and Finnick are so wonderful! I’ve been thinking about rereading the trilogy. I’ve read it from start to finish five or six times and it honestly just never gets old. Oh, and aren’t the Weasleys the cutest? <3

    1. Oh my goodness, what a great post! I love seeing Nazira and Fatima on here! What a wonderful and devastating book and that couple offers a little bit of light, especially to Radu. Amren and Varian too, I don’t know how I missed all these amazing side ships!!

    1. The addition of the Wesley’s is absolutely perfect. They are definitely a relationship is aspire to.

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