banner for #5OnMyTBR
#5OnMyTBR

#5OnMyTBR — Ensemble Cast

Hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme where we talk about 5 books on our TBR on Mondays. You can learn more about it in E.’s original announcement or #5OnMyTBR page.

This week’s prompt: Ensemble Cast.

I don’t think I read many books with ensemble casts. The only two series that come to mind right now are Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo and The Gilded Wolves Trilogy by Roshani Chokshi. But I am sure there are more sitting on my TBR shelf, so here we go.


Click on the book cover for more info on Goodreads.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers

Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Becky Chambers)
  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton; first published on July 29th 2014
  • Genre: Sci-FiLGBTQ+ (sapphic)
  • Page Count: 404 pages

Remind me again why I haven’t read the Wayfarers series? I don’t know. It’s sapphics in space, and it honestly sounds like a dream come true!


The Never Tilting World (The Never Tilting World #1) by Rin Chupeco

Cover of The Never Tilting World (Rin Chupeco)
  • Publisher: HarperTeen, October 15th 2019
  • Genre: FantasyLGBTQ+ (sapphic)
  • Page Count: 481 pages

Again, it’s sapphic and there’s magic. I don’t know anything else about this book and I am already intrigued! Plus, I’ve been wanting to read one of Chupeco’s words, and The Never Tilting World series seems to be the best place to start.


Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1) by Nicholas Eames

Cover of Kings of the Wyld (Nicholas Eames)
  • Publisher: Orbit, February 21st 2017
  • Genre: FantasyHumor
  • Page Count: 502 pages

It feels super random to include this book because it’s nothing like the books I’ve been reading recently. But I’ve heard that Kings of the Wyld is fun and weird and exciting. Will I really read it one day? I don’t know, but it’s there on my list so maybe when I really feel like it, I will go grab a copy.


Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Cover of Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)
  • Publisher: Knopf, September 9th 2014
  • Genre: Sci-Fi
  • Page Count: 333 pages

Maybe it’s the simplicity of the cover, but I believe I was browsing the library when it caught my attention. Taking a closer look at the synopsis, the book is about an actor who died onstage. I love theatre, and the fact that this has something to do with performance arts seized my heart immediately. Pretty sure I will read this one some time soon.


The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Cover of The Priory of the Orange Tree (Samantha Shannon)
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, February 26th 2019
  • Genre: FantasyLGBTQ+ (sapphic)
  • Page Count: 827 pages

I feel like everyone has read this one already and I am still waiting for the right time to purchase that huge hardcover copy. How can I not get this beauty on my bookshelf? It’s sapphic, an epic fantasy, and the cover is just gorgeous.


Can you believe all five of the books on my list this week are mainstream fiction? I cannot. I also almost included another one I’ve been anticipating, which is the untitled third book of The Gilded Wolves trilogy that will be out in 2021. It seems so far away!

In the meantime, I will be reading the aforementioned five books when I crave an ensemble cast of wonderful characters.

Have you read any of these books? What are your favorite books with an ensemble cast? What other ones are on your TBR? Comment what you think!

For more of my reviews and other whatnots, follow my blogmy Twitter, and friend me on Goodreads.

10 Comments

  • E. @localbeehuntersnook

    The Long Way and Priory are on my TBR as well! And I just added The Never Tilting World — sounds intriguing, I always need more sapphics and magic!! Great picks, Hsinju! Hope you’ll get to them soon and enjoy the whole batch!! <3 <3

  • Rach @ Anxious Nachos

    Ohmygosh I’ve read so many of these, and they’re brilliant! The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is PHENOMENAL, one of the best scifis ever, the cast are all amazing, and they’re just so happy and hopeful. The Never Tilting World and Priory are also so great!

    And I haven’t read Station Eleven yet but I really want to!

    • Hsinju @ Hsinju's Lit Log

      So much love for Wayfarers series here!! Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Rach! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed many of these books, and now I really need to read some Chupeco and the epic Priory!! 😍😍😍

  • Emer @alittlehazebookblog

    OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! YOU NEED TO READ WAYFARERS! I adore Becky Chambers. That series Hsinju… ooof soooo good! Chambers has this amazing talent of writing characters that feel incredibly authentic and honest, even though they’re aliens and robots …. I just can’t begin to praise these books enough. Effortless diversity and inclusivity. Fantastic characters, more character driven than plot driven, intriguing world building, and topics that feel very prescient. And whenever I finish a Becky Chambers novel I always feel a little more hopeful about humanity. I just love Becky Chambers and couldn’t recommend the Wayfarers series, and to be taught if fortunate, more highly ☺️☺️☺️💖💚💖💚

    • Hsinju @ Hsinju's Lit Log

      LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM!! 💕💕 I’ve really got to read ALL Chambers’s works, and I CANNOT WAIT! Thank you so much reading and commenting, Emer. I just love character-driven fiction and this is going to be SO AWESOME! 🥺🥺🥺

Feel free to share your thoughts!