Giveaway information is at the end.

Who doesn't love a good sidekick? Sometimes they're fun and sassy, sometimes they're the moral compass, and sometimes they die and we never forgive the author. Let's look at the top ten books who feature brilliant sidekicks.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

A list of books with brilliant sidekicks would not be complete without the best of them all: Samwise Gamgee. If you haven't read Lord of the Rings, first of all...what have you been doing? Second of all: what better time to start than now! Besides the great story, Tolkien is an expert at worldbuilding and can give you lots to learn for your own writing.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Real talk: I am a bit of a Sherlock Holmes fanatic so, of course, I love Dr. Watson. To me, he is the one I'd want to be if we're playing the "be one of your favorite characters for a day." Sherlock Holmes's brain has too much going on. I'd rather be the one to witness it. And Watson is a writer! What's not to like?

His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman

What better sidekick can you have than an animal companion that represents your soul? And then they settle into their final form when you understand who you are! I'm guessing mine would never settle but....that's another story.

Not Your Sidekicks by C.B. Lee

Looking for a book where the sidekicks become the main characters? You're in luck! Not Your Sidekicks by C.B. Lee is the first in her Sidekick series. In this book, superpowers are the norm. It's the people without them who are "weird" and that is who this series is all about.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Confession: I've never read the books, so I picked my favorite movie. Sorry. And the sidekick in question here is everyone's favorite bookworm, Hermione Granger. I picked this one specifically because she punches Malfoy in the face and really, what's better than the sidekick knocking the villain/bully off their feet?

Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French

Tana French is a master when it comes to crime dramas, but she's also a master at giving the sidekick their own book. The first book in this series, In the Woods, features Detective Ryan solving the murder of a child with his partner Detective Maddox. Maddox, while prominent is the sidekick. But in the second book, The Likeness, she is the main star. The great thing about this series is you never know what side character French is going to pick for the next book.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Ok, so this is a Sherlock Holmes retelling/adaptation, but Watson isn't the sidekick. It's a young woman named Mary Russell who becomes Holmes's student and learns his ways of deduction. She also happens to be there when a villain makes themselves known to Holmes and goes along on the adventure. The book is just the first in a series of sixteen!

Jackaby series by William Ritter

I just finished this series and thought it was brilliant. It's a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Supernatural. No joke. While R.F. Jackaby is the detective, his assistant, Abigail Rook, is the narrator of the story. And instead of solving crimes by ordinary humans, they solve murders committed by ghosts, fae, dragons, etc.

Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn

This is another series I am OBSESSED WITH! It's historical fiction with mystery and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. Veronica Speedwell is a lepidopterist (studies butterflies) who finds herself hunting down killers with her colleague/companion/brooding love interest/sidekick, Stoker. Stoker is a grumpy natural scientist with a dark past who goes along with Veronica to ensure she doesn't get killed. He is a delightful curmudgeon.

Iron Druids series by Kevin Hearne

And we are back to the animal sidekicks. This series follows Atticus, the last of the Druids, who is just trying to live his life peacefully in Arizona with his trusty friend, sidekick, and wolfhound, Oberon. They connect on a level so that they can both understand what each other says.

Unfortunately, they don't get much peace as the gods and goddesses of the world will not leave Atticus alone. There's an especially angry Celtic god who wants Atticus's sword in the first book and Atticus must defeat him before he gets killed.

And of course, Oberon is there to attack or bite anyone who tries to hurt his friend. He also happens to love watching TV and eating bacon. Who can blame him?

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Since it's Handwriting Day, we are giving away a few prizes! A journal from Minimalism Art and a pen from Gullor with red, blue, brown, purple, and green ink cartridges (2 of each). To enter, just comment on this blog post by January 20!

About the author: Sarah Perchikoff is a freelance writer and the Director of Brand at The Writer's Workout. She writes for NetflixLife, Culturess, and GuiltyEats. She enjoys french fries, reading, and playing with her dog, Gracie. She is (slowly) working on editing her first novel. You can follow her on Twitter: @sperchikoff or read her book reviews at Bookish Rantings.