Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Hi everybody, and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday!
Today’s topic is ‘Dynamic Duos’ so I decided to focus on duologies!
Because really, aren’t duologies great? They’re more than a standalone, but also not quite as intimidating as a trilogy or bigger series. So here are 8 duologies on my TBR – 7 fantasies and 1 contemporary.
Also, I technically started some of these, but still need to read book 2, so they count too right?
Strange the Dreamer & Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
Welcome to Weep.
Bone Crier’s Moon & Bone Crier’s Grace by Kathryn Purdie
Bone Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.
These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.
But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.
Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.
Wicked Fox & Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho
A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.
Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret–she’s a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.
But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead–her gumiho soul–in the process.
Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl–he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He’s drawn to her anyway.
With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.
Slayer & Chosen by Kiersten White
Into every generation a Slayer is born…
Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.
Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.
Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.
As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…
But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.
One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.
Fable & Namesake by Adrienne Young
For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.
But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.
Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men. Fable takes you on a spectacular journey filled with romance, intrigue, and adventure.
We Hunt The Flame & We Free The Stars by Hafsah Faizal
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya–but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds–and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Heart and Seoul & Seoulmates by Jen Frederick
From USA Today bestselling author Jen Frederick comes a heart-wrenching yet hopeful romance that shows that the price of belonging is often steeper than expected.
As a Korean adoptee, Hara Wilson doesn’t need anyone telling her she looks different from her white parents. She knows. Every time Hara looks in the mirror, she’s reminded that she doesn’t look like anyone else in her family—not her loving mother, Ellen; not her jerk of a father, Pat; and certainly not like Pat’s new wife and new “real” son.
At the age of twenty-five, she thought she had come to terms with it all, but when her father suddenly dies, an offhand comment at his funeral triggers an identity crisis that has her running off to Seoul in search of her roots.
What Hara finds there has all the makings of a classic K-drama: a tall, mysterious stranger who greets her at the airport, spontaneous adventures across the city, and a mess of familial ties, along with a red string of destiny that winds its way around her heart and soul. Hara goes to Korea looking for answers, but what she gets instead is love—a forbidden love that will either welcome Hara home…or destroy her chance of finding one.
Tell Me:
Have you read any of these? Any you loved?
Any other highly recommended duologies?
I did duologies this week too!! Strange the Dreamers is a great one. I just read These Violent Delights a couple days ago and really enjoyed it too!
Glad to hear you enjoyed Strange the Dreamer and These Violent Delights!
I love how many of us are doing duologies 😀 I really want to read These Violent Delights too AND I still need to read Chosen one day to finish The Slayer duology. Though I don’t remember much.
I’ve just started These Violent Delights.I like the Six of crows duology too.
Here is my TTT
https://seriesbooklover.wordpress.com/2022/02/22/top-ten-tuesday-dynamic-duos/
Six of Crows is amazing indeed, one of my absolute favorites!
Duologies definitely deserve the love 😀 I’d love to read These Violent Delights too and I just finished a Buffy The Vampire Slayer rewatch so I’m super curious about the Slayer duology!
Nice take on the topic – and I love the covers of Fable and Namesake side-by-side!
These are the character duos that I loved and found dynamic!
Fable and Namesake do look so pretty together!
That’s a great intake on the toic! I have read the Fable duology
Thanks Sophie! I’m really curious about Fable.
I haven’t read any of these 🙈 But These Violent Delights, Wicked Fox and We Hunt the Flame are on my list to read!
Hope you’ll love them!
Hi Lindsey! The duology theme is popular today! Fable and Namesake are still on my TBR and just love those covers together. So gorgeous!
Happy TTT!
Elza Reads
Thanks Mareli! Fable and Namesake do indeed look so lovely together!
Wicked Fox is a good pick!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-dynamic-duos/
I loved that book, though I still need to pick up the second one.
I love a duology. Who needs the trilogies? 🙂
Heart and Seoul looks fun, because seoul. I want to read more Korean setting books. I’ve been wanting to try Kiersten White for a bit too…
Exactly, three’s a crowd or something like that right? 😀
Same, I want to travel to Korea so badly, but for now I’ll just try and read as many Korean setting books as I can.
I love duologies and I’ve read the first book for several of these and I’m hoping to *finally* finish them this year 😂 I’m also hoping to start We Hunt the Flame next month 😍 Great post!
Same, I’m so awful at finishing series and duologies *oops* Hope you’ll love We Hunt The Flame!
I haven’t read any of these but I do enjoy a good duology. A favorite is The Fever King and The Electric Heir by Victoria Lee.
Lauren @ http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Oh good one, I want to read that duology too!
Nice twist on the theme! I have several of these on my TBR already. 🙂
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday . Thank you!
Thanks! Hope you’ll enjoy all of them!
The Heart & Seoul duology was so good! I hope you get to read it soon.
It sounds like something I’d love so I’m really eager to try it soon!
wow, great idea!
I haven’t read any of these.
I LOVED Ready Player One (#1 and 2).
There’s also To Kill a Mockingbird; The Handmaid’s Tale; One of Us Is Lying.
And I really want to read Warcross
My post: https://wordsandpeace.com/2022/02/22/top-ten-books-with-dynamic-duos/
Oh yes, I do want to try the Ready Player one duology soon!
I did read and enjoyed Warcross, though I was a little disappointed by the sequel – hope you’ll fare better though!
I read Strange The Dreamer, but I didn’t like it, so I never read Muse of Nightmares. I hope you fare better!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/02/22/top-ten-tuesday-356/
Thanks! I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy Strange The Dreamer, it does seem like a hit-or-miss kind of book, so I’m curious to see where I will land 🙂
Hopefully on the hit side!
I am a huge fan of Hafsah Faizal’s duology. It’s just so good. Our Violent Delights is one high on my TBR.
I loved the first one in Hafsah Faizal’s duology, though I still need to read the second one. Our Violent Delights is also high up on my TBR 🙂
Bone Crier’s Moon was unexpectedly good, I should read the sequel too. And Slayer/ Chosen duo also seems excellent. I love these recs!
Glad to hear you loved Bone Crier’s Moon, I’m excited to dive into this duology!
I feel like I don’t come across many duologies, so I’m excited to see so many here! Love the covers on Heart and Seoul and Seoulmates!
Duologies do indeed seem a bit rare!
Fable and Namesake are both excellent. Happy reading!
They do seem very well loved! Thanks!
Ohh i love how most covers are so pretty together!
but Jen Frederik’s books are especially pretty — I also didn’t knew wicked fox had a second book 😅
Happy reading! xx
Indeed, it’s so nice to see these covers side by side! Haha, I haven’t read the second Wicked Fox book yet, but I did enjoy the first one so I’m eager to try it out.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy it!! My that one’s cover is even more stunning than it’s first one!