The Roms
Favorite Secondary Character
Nominees:
1. Maple - A More Perfect Union by Tammy Huf
Maple is the half-sister of the master's wife of the plantation that the story takes place on. After years of her ancestors being raped by their self-imposed masters, she could pass for white and when younger, was "favored" by her first enslaver. Maple grew-up with and raised her half-sister and when the half-sister got married, their father gave Maple to her, and Maple was forced to leave behind her mother, husband, and daughter Rose.
Maple comes off hateful and mean to Sarah, the female lead character, but readers get Maple's inner thoughts through her pov and her boiling rage and PTSD from her enslavement experiences had me understanding her more.
Maple's fraught to save her daughter and this means she'll throw some under the bus to try and gain favor to try and get her new enslaver to buy her daughter from her previous. I'm someone that doesn't mind when characters show their rage, and Maple certainly does. Her situation will break your heart and infuriate you.
2. Capoeira - Playing With Fire by Shonel Jackson
3. South American jungle - The Book of True Desires by Betina Krahn
Anytime a story utilizes a setting that brings Indiana Jones and The Mummy vibes, I'm going to love it. I loved the adventure the setting provided for this and it made me feel like I traveled there.
4. Paranormal and fantasy world - Not Your Ex's Hexes by April Asher
A lighter toned magical realism and urban fantasy world, this had witches, demons, and other paranormal creatures. There's a larger cast of characters but the author did a great job incorporating them and helping the reader understand and care about this world. I felt like this was a real place and I could visualize everything and everyone, making it a really fun place to visit.
5. World-building/Doomsday family - The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by K.J. Charles
One of the main male characters is a part of the Doomsday family and each and every member brings something to the table. They helped to fill out the character and give him depth and also brought, comedic relief, love, grief, and danger to the story. Taking place on The Marsh, this insular setting was felt and helped to provide a tone to the story, quiet, cozy, and resolute. The author not only provided an amazing setting but used it in a way that provided tone and almost a character unto itself.
6. Political world-building - Tell Me No Lies by Elizabeth Lowell
I mean, oof, this story had one hell of a intricate web weaved with strands of politics and characters. It was 570 pages of layers upon layers with the reader peeling the onion and I felt wrung out after I finished but my god, what a Story.
7. The Tower of London - Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson
The female main character lived in a section of the Tower (the author in real life did too!) and it provided a really cool setting that delivered tidbit after tidbit that this history nerd loved. If you enjoy coffee table books on historical places, you'd probably want to pick this up because the setting was trivia delightful.
8. Mythology fantasy characters/elements - The Thorns Remain by J.J.A. Harwood
Taking place in 1919 Scotland, in this fantasy and magical realism world I loved how all different kinds of fae folk were added in, kelpie, brownies, changelings, glaistig, etc and The Lord of Land Under the Hill, a.ka. The Dreamer, didn't sparkle so much as be painful to look upon because of his beauty that bordered on and could shift to grotesque. A lot of times fae are just incorporated as one of a kind beings that just look all beautiful, this was enjoyable how it shook things up a bit in that department.
9. Hank - Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
You all knew I had to add a dog in somewhere and I can't think of a better pooch than the male main character's dog Hank. An irresistibly cute pittie, Hank, had me bumping up the rating a half point because of how adorable and scene stealing he was.
10. Rudi - Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
The main female character's sister's nanny, Rudi brought light, laughter, and sweetness to a story I thought was lacking in those traits. He really was a character that stole the show for me with his charm and how he treated the other characters around him, plus he came off hot, probably because of his kindness.
Winner:
Maple
I read this all the way back in January of 2023 and I was already sure I'd read the winner for this category. I was right. Some people don't have the luxury of showing their rage and some just think they shouldn't. Maple didn't have the luxury to truly rage against the people she wanted to and was surrounded by people who in survival thought rage shouldn't be shown, as a consequence of all this, she sometimes vented on people that didn't deserve it and I can see some thinking her hateful because of it. She was hateful and bitter and most importantly, angry. But as the story goes on, it's revealed it's all because she was taken from her daughter and she fears her fate will be her daughters (raped by the plantation owner). I felt the desperation and helplessness that bred the rage in her heart, making her a character that will stick with me.
2022 Winner
Who or what stole the spotlight as your favorite secondary character in 2023?
Next award, Favorite Scene...
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