The second book, A Closed and Common Orbit is even better.

Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers – Although the first book, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, had more plot than I expected from the way people describe it, it’s very character-focused, very heartwarming, and I loved it.The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss – Another non-standalone, a novella following a week in the daily life of Auri, a minor character from the Kingkiller Chronicle.It’s not the subtlest of books, but the general theme of struggling against their society, because of disability, because of gender…that I could appreciate. They’re all broken in one way or another and the bittersweet ending fits the story well. The characterisation in particular is where the book really shines. Regardless, it’s a quiet and thoughtful and mature sort of story that felt real, some parts almost painfully so. Tehanu by Ursula Le Guin – Not a standalone.Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell – A 53 y/o travelling herbalist on her way to a new mentor arrives in a newly established village and, despite initial misgivings, decides to stay around for the winter and help them.Second book, The Healers’ Home is about them settling down in a small town and didn’t disappoint either. Despite initial misunderstandings and conflict, they slowly become friends and go through a lot of character growth. He thinks she’s spoiled, she thinks he’s rude. In The Healers’ Road, two, well, healers from very different backgrounds have to travel together for two years. Judging from discussions, I’m not the only one interested in calmer fantasy stories, either. Since then, I have managed to find a few books that scratch that particular itch. A book with almost no action and zero plot, that relies only on characters…and yet works? I was impressed. My obsession with this subgenre started with The Healers’ Road. Though there have been shifts and pushbacks regarding other aspects seen as typical of fantasy (for example, a move from black-white to grey-grey or grey-black morality, a move from pseudo-medieval, etc.), more mundane stories with a small scope, relatively ordinary, not overly badass characters, and little action remain rather rare. Often, when someone mentions fantasy, we think of large-scale stories where the fate of the world is at stake. For a longer essay on the subgenre, check out the guest post I wrote for Keikii Keikii Eats Books!

The Healers' Road by S.E. Robertson