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| Image Source: Adventure Awaits/Tracey Dyck |
Well, I'm behind on reading and reviewing, so I tossed it all out the window and decided to join Tracey Dyck's new February link-up: Lovely Books (Adventure Awaits)
This is a new link-up that goes live the Saturday of every month. Rules (very few rules) can be
found here.
Since
Lovely Books is all about loving on books with other bloggers and bookworms, I knew I had to join in. I totally missed the first one, but the second one was, you guessed it, Valentine's Day themed.
In unintentional rebellion, I'm doing it for President's Day.*
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| Looking good, George. |
But, yes, favorite literary couples. I'm slightly embarrassed that I did a
total mind blank on this at first. I love books and characters, but I never get that invested in romantic plots. That being said, there are some couples in fiction that were so awesome, I felt my heart clenching in concern for them.** That's some mighty fine writing, my friends. (I intentionally ruled out all manga/comic book couples, because that was easier and required less mental straining)***
Warning: Some of these might be a little spoilery (but I find that figuring out romantic plotlines is one of the easiest to do, so probably not).
There is also fanart. So enjoy! (All art is credited when possible and belongs to the artist. It is not being used for any profit/marketing/or anything other than promoting awesome artists)
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| Unfortunately, I have no idea who the artist is! :( I want to credit them. Source: Tumblr |
It's a testament to the late Diana Wynne Jones' writing that she made us all fall in love with someone as
awful as Howl. He's a spoiled brat of a wizard, albeit a brilliant one, and his antics are too funny. On the other hand, I think Sophie is one of the great unsung heroines of literature. She's smart, sensible, and forced to spend most of the book in the (fitting) guise of an old woman. Howl really doesn't deserve her - though I defy you to not want them to end up together. This a charming fantasy that resembles Beauty and the Beast, if the Beast was attractive in looks but not behavior, and the Beauty had a beautiful spirit but was a little old woman on the outside. A must read.
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| Sophie proving her love - movie version |
2. Eugenides (the Thief) and Irene (the Queen of Attolia)
In Megan Whalen Turner's
The Queen's Thief series, the story of how Irene comes to respect Gen as a man and an equal is an impressive, mature look at love and relationships. And these books aren't romances at all. They're based around a fantasy world that resembles Ancient Greece and Rome, full of intrigue, deception and lethal scheming. In the center of it all is Eugenides, the titular Thief, whose charm, wit, and quick fingers get him in and out of loads of trouble. When he starts falling in love with the powerful, proud, and disdainful Queen of Attolia, things get messy, and deadly, fast. Just read it, I don't want to give too much away.
Much Ado is one of the deepest, and yet most entertaining, comedies from the Bard. If you get the chance to see it live, take it, as it's hilarious to see the action. Beatrice and Benedick are the bachelors, the confirmed singles who have sworn of love, marriage, and everything in between. Their relationship is realistic and funny, contrasted with the "love at first sight" of Hero and Claudio. My second favorite couple in Shakespeare is the Macbeths - who put the bad in badass and are scary as all get out. They're also hopelessly devoted to each other. Take that, Romeo and Juliet.
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| She has such a way with words, you know. |
4. Sabriel and "Touchstone" from Sabriel.
Another pair from a book that isn't really romantic. Garth Nix's
Sabriel is awesome. Sabriel is the Abhorsen, a sort of reverse necromancer that puts the dead back, as opposed to calling them up. When she's forced to take on the responsibilities of her father (the current Abhorsen), Sabriel must leave the safety of school to confront all the powers of darkness. She's a feminine, authentic girl who is way cooler than anyone you've met, yet identifiable. She's also strong, very strong, in a quiet way that never screams "I can do anything a man can do!" Her relationship with Touchstone is believable, touching, and humorous. READ THIS BOOK. (Artist Laura Tolton has
an amazing gallery with more Abhorsen related works - check it out.)
5. Kate and Christopher, from The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope.
Another book I've read that no one else seems to have heard of. And it's their loss, because
The Perilous Gard is one of the best YA novels ever. Really.
It's set in 1558, and the historical accuracy makes this the most believable novel I've read about the Fae. Kate is the heroine, exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to the Perilous Gard of the title. It's an unwelcoming place, full of secretive inhabitants, including the handsome, rude, and mysterious Christopher Heron.
Their relationship has a bit of the Jane Eyre-Mr. Rochester dynamic, but without all the
creepiness (Christopher just acts like the type of guy who'd hide a wife in the attic, but he isn't). And there is a sad lack of fan art for this book! However, Jenn Rothwell's (
Whimsical Cow) illustrations are perfect.
6. Gemma and Kartik - The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy #3) by Libba Bray
I read this book a long time ago (whenever it first came out), but to be honest, the only thing I really remember is the ending - and Gemma and Kartik's characters. I always liked these two fine, but I didn't really care about their romance until, gulp, it was threatened by death and destruction and mayhem.
I'll warn you, they don't get a "happy ending." But it's a beautiful finale that really proved how much they meant to each other. In other words, we had real, self-sacrificial love, that made sense, in a YA novel. Not kidding. And yes, fine, they had good chemistry and a convincing relationship too. At least, as far as I remember . . .
Robin McKinley really likes her bittersweet endings. A lot.
The Hero and the Crown is no exception. Somehow, her characters seem to make more adult decisions than most YA protagonists. Which means that these two do not end up together - because it would be irresponsible. Cue my twelve-year-old tears.
Yes, I really did cry for them when I was twelve. I just wanted them to be okay, you know? It doesn't affect me like this anymore (I'm all "hooray for people making the right choice instead of the romantic one"), but I still like them together. After fifteen years, it would be a shame if they weren't on this list.
There is basically zero fan art, or art at all, of either Aerin or Luthe. Sadly.
8. Luthien and Beren from the Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien
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| Beren, Luthien, and Huan by Steamey on Deviantart.com |
Tolkien wasn't known for romance, but is there anything more romantic than disguising as monsters to infiltrate "worse than Mordor" to steal a mystical gem from a guy who makes Sauron cower?
I didn't think so.
In fact, Luthien and Beren are so hardcore that they die and come back to life, mainly because Luthien is so stubborn that she refuses to lose her man after everything they've been through. It's pretty epic.(I love all of Tolkien's couples, but Luthien and Beren are definitely my favorite!). On a side note, I could probably fill about five posts with all the quality fanart of these two, so narrowing it down to just a couple pictures was
hard.
9. Kai and Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
I admit that I was rooting for them just because I loved both of their characters separately.
Kai's evolution from a slightly silly prince into a seriously impressive Emperor was one of the highlights of the series. And Cinder is the sort of character I love the minute they're introduced. Practical, no-nonsense, not afraid to laugh at herself, headstrong, determined, you get it. I can relate (and I'll add that I wouldn't say no to Kai either . . .).Cute fanart aboundeth for these two.
10. Morwen and Telemain from The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
(I couldn't find art I liked of these two, but I did find some gorgeous forest art that reminds me of the entire series)
If you know who Morwen and Telemain are,
can we be friends? I love this quirky little fantasy series, and the whole Morwen + Telemain thing is a definite highlight. Granted, the fact that they
like each other isn't confirmed until very late in the series, and it is a side thing, but it was obvious.
They're hilarious every time they interact - the ultimate odd couple in denial. She's a sensible witch with a lot of opinionated cats, and he's an absent-minded magician (
not a wizard) who relies on endless theories and experiments instead of raw power. Classic.
So there you have it: 10 of My Favorite Fictional Couples
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| True. Love. |
The trick to getting me invested is making me care so deeply about the character that I want what they want. A good author can make you feel a little heady during a romantic scene. A great author can make your heart ache with the characters, make you want their "happy ending" for them so badly that you confuse it with your own feelings. And a brilliant author will do all of the above without you realizing it happened until it's too late ;)
What was the last fictional couple you got invested in? Why did you care (or not care) about a fictional relationship? Do you tend to anticipate the romantic bits, or are you like me, and distracted by swordfights? Have you read any of these books? Why not?
Footnotes:
*George and Martha approved
**Confession time: I actually
have a fictional
couples themed Pinterest board.
***Winter Soldier + Black Widow <3
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