Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic.  Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by  The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here.  This week’s topic is:

Platonic Relationships In Books

1. Harry and Hermione – I don’t know why but when I first started this series I figured that Harry and Hermione would get together.  I’m so glad that JK Rowling didn’t take their friendship in that direction though – I think it worked out much better with the two remaining good friends.
2. Aragorn and Eowyn, Lord of the Rings.  This is a bittersweet relationship because Eoywn seemed to have such strong feelings for Aragorn but his heart belonged to another.  I was glad to see the way things were resolved.
3. Locke and Jean, The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch.  Jean Tannen is one of my all time favourite characters and part of the reason for that is the very strong friendship that he shares with Locke.
4. Ninth Rain by Jen Williams has some absolutely fabulous characters but two I’d particularly mention – who are friends and nothing more are Lady Vincenza ‘Vintage’ de Grazon – I love her and Tormalin the Oathless – who is one of her companions during her travels.  This is a great series and the characterisation is just so damn good.
5. Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz.  This is the first book in a fantastic trilogy.  I loved this series, it’s so original and really well executed.  Two of my favourite characters are Paul Tsabo who winds up with the strangest ‘mancy’ (magic) ever and his mentor/friend Valentine – a woman whose ability is ‘gamemancer – this is so good, it’s one of those books that you read and you can just geek out about.
6. Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier – I loved the first book and really need to read the other two.  The two main protagonists are a female called Blackthorn and her companion Grim – these two have a great relationship and although I’ve only read the first book at the moment it’s totally platonic.
7. Sebastien deCastell’s Spellslinger series has some wonderful platonic friendships.  I’m absolutely loving these books and the tone and style is becoming darker as the series progresses.  The two characters I’m thinking of for the platonic friendship are Kellen and Ferius.  Kellen is a young boy, he was about to take his magical initiation when things started to go wrong.  Ferius is a mysterious young woman who follows the path of the Argosi.  If you haven’t picked this series up so far then do yourself a favour and do so – soon.
8. The Red Queen’s war trilogy by Mark Lawrence brings to us a most unlikely alliance and friendship in Jalan and Snorri.  One is a self confessed coward – the other the type of hero that you read about who plunges into danger head first to help.  The two of them are compelled to spend time together initially but as the series progresses their friendship becomes something that is a pleasure to read.
9. Frodo and Sam – Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien – who made the list twice!  Sam and Frodo have a great friendship that absolutely and totally relies on them both being strong for each other.  I admit that Frodo isn’t my favourite character – there I said it – but in spite of that you can’t deny that the two have a great friendship and if that had faltered, like the fellowship, the ring would never have made its way to Mordor.
10. …..????  suggestions please