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The Side Questers
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For fans of Legends & Lattes and Dungeons & Dragons comes an unconventional hero’s journey told through the perspective of a non-player character in a fantasy role-playing game.
Anya Dazel is a burnt-out barkeep in The Endless Realm, the world’s premier online role-playing game. As a non-player character, her life is stuck in a programmed loop—forever serving the same drinks to the same patrons and helping players with an automatic quest event that unfolds when they enter her pub. She longs for any disruption to this monotonous existence, even if that feels like an impossible dream.
But when Eternity receives an update, and Cyrus Blackwood is added to Anya’s pub, her dream unfurls as a nightmare. Cyrus is everything that Anya is not—a mysterious, brooding warrior with a gigantic sword and a tortured past. Everyone in the tavern is fascinated by him, and even worse, when the next player arrives, it’s Cyrus who helps them with their quest, not Anya. Realizing that she’s being replaced, Anya lashes out at Cyrus, inadvertently knocking them both out of her tavern and into the wider realm of Eternity.
Free from their encoded home, Anya and Cyrus must work together to navigate a dangerous open world, overcoming hordes of monsters, devious puzzles, and maybe even an existential crisis or two. But as they struggle to overcome their distaste for each other and stay alive, they discover that their roles within Eternity might not be as programmed as they thought, and Anya will need to prove that even barkeeps can be heroes.
Anya Dazel is a burnt-out barkeep in The Endless Realm, the world’s premier online role-playing game. As a non-player character, her life is stuck in a programmed loop—forever serving the same drinks to the same patrons and helping players with an automatic quest event that unfolds when they enter her pub. She longs for any disruption to this monotonous existence, even if that feels like an impossible dream.
But when Eternity receives an update, and Cyrus Blackwood is added to Anya’s pub, her dream unfurls as a nightmare. Cyrus is everything that Anya is not—a mysterious, brooding warrior with a gigantic sword and a tortured past. Everyone in the tavern is fascinated by him, and even worse, when the next player arrives, it’s Cyrus who helps them with their quest, not Anya. Realizing that she’s being replaced, Anya lashes out at Cyrus, inadvertently knocking them both out of her tavern and into the wider realm of Eternity.
Free from their encoded home, Anya and Cyrus must work together to navigate a dangerous open world, overcoming hordes of monsters, devious puzzles, and maybe even an existential crisis or two. But as they struggle to overcome their distaste for each other and stay alive, they discover that their roles within Eternity might not be as programmed as they thought, and Anya will need to prove that even barkeeps can be heroes.
260 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
HUGE thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!
This book was a love letter to gamers. I had extremely high expectations for this one because the synopsis made me reminiscent of Wreck it Ralph (one of my favourite movies) and also a little of Free Guy. I read it almost immediately upon receiving it for that reason. It managed to smash my expectations and I couldn’t put it down. I loved every second of this novel.
Anya is a NPC that seems to be the only one that remembers her (multiple) past resets. Her interaction with the players triggers a cutscene, and although she longs for more… she doesn’t really know what it is she would want exactly. The whole adventure starts when she gets replaced by Cyrus, another NPC that surprisingly enough… remembers his resets as well. They end up unlikely allies. It was extremely easy to root for them.
I had the absolute best time reading this. As a long time gamer, I just felt completely immersed in this novel. It’s very well written & the author succeeded in capturing the different contradicting emotions in the characters we follow. The characters had depth & were fleshed out. I was rooting for Anya right from the start and really adored her (I also really loved Cyrus).
I have a specific type of humour and I rarely laugh out loud when I’m reading - but some scenes made me genuinely laugh out loud. There’s even one scene I recounted to my brothers and my boyfriend because it was just too funny.
I deeply felt for the characters and the ending made me tear up because it was absolutely fitting. I couldn’t recommend this enough. (And the cover is absolutely perfect). I will be rereading this one.
🎶 Hello, hello
Let me tell you what it's like to be a zero
Let me show you what it's like to always feel ; Like I'm empty and there's nothing really real
I'm looking for a way out
Hello, hello
Let me tell you what it's like to be a zero
Let me show you what it's like to never feel ; Like I'm good enough for anything that's real
I'm looking for a way out 🎶
This book was a love letter to gamers. I had extremely high expectations for this one because the synopsis made me reminiscent of Wreck it Ralph (one of my favourite movies) and also a little of Free Guy. I read it almost immediately upon receiving it for that reason. It managed to smash my expectations and I couldn’t put it down. I loved every second of this novel.
Anya is a NPC that seems to be the only one that remembers her (multiple) past resets. Her interaction with the players triggers a cutscene, and although she longs for more… she doesn’t really know what it is she would want exactly. The whole adventure starts when she gets replaced by Cyrus, another NPC that surprisingly enough… remembers his resets as well. They end up unlikely allies. It was extremely easy to root for them.
I had the absolute best time reading this. As a long time gamer, I just felt completely immersed in this novel. It’s very well written & the author succeeded in capturing the different contradicting emotions in the characters we follow. The characters had depth & were fleshed out. I was rooting for Anya right from the start and really adored her (I also really loved Cyrus).
I have a specific type of humour and I rarely laugh out loud when I’m reading - but some scenes made me genuinely laugh out loud. There’s even one scene I recounted to my brothers and my boyfriend because it was just too funny.
I deeply felt for the characters and the ending made me tear up because it was absolutely fitting. I couldn’t recommend this enough. (And the cover is absolutely perfect). I will be rereading this one.
🎶 Hello, hello
Let me tell you what it's like to be a zero
Let me show you what it's like to always feel ; Like I'm empty and there's nothing really real
I'm looking for a way out
Hello, hello
Let me tell you what it's like to be a zero
Let me show you what it's like to never feel ; Like I'm good enough for anything that's real
I'm looking for a way out 🎶
May 20, 2026
A wonderful book that anyone can have a great time reading. I absolutely love the concept of this book and it was delivered perfectly, with amazing characters, great interaction with the ‘real world’, and a fantastic setting, providing a truly cozy but compelling read with tons of action and humour. A must read for gamers and cozy reading fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Side quest NPC has crisis of usefulness so hard she unlocks a new script haha. I had a really good time with this; like LitTRG light. You don’t need any D & D or specific video game knowledge really to enjoy this.
I like Anya as the main character. I think it’s an interesting perspective to have the story he told from a menial side quest NPC. She feels like she has a greater purpose than just service the literal same drinks to people and she seemingly gets her wish by breaking out to go on a ‘real’ quest. I think Anya and Cyrus had a great dynamic, but I honestly would have been fine with them just being friends.
The world building is a little more in the need-to-know basis since it’s closer to novella length but I still think it works well for this as it’s a bit more on the character centered side. This is more about Anya’s journey.
Thank you to Netgalley and Turner Publishing Company for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I like Anya as the main character. I think it’s an interesting perspective to have the story he told from a menial side quest NPC. She feels like she has a greater purpose than just service the literal same drinks to people and she seemingly gets her wish by breaking out to go on a ‘real’ quest. I think Anya and Cyrus had a great dynamic, but I honestly would have been fine with them just being friends.
The world building is a little more in the need-to-know basis since it’s closer to novella length but I still think it works well for this as it’s a bit more on the character centered side. This is more about Anya’s journey.
Thank you to Netgalley and Turner Publishing Company for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
The Side Questers is set in the world of a video game. One of the non-playable characters of the game, Anya, is different from the other NPCs though. Anya knows she's in a video game and retains all her memories each reset and has full self-awareness. She dreams of a more exciting life and ends up getting her wish when along with a new NPC, she leaves her tavern to go on a quest. We watch Anya and Cyrus navigate the video game, face different challenges and strengthen their relationship.
This book was a lot of fun! When I first read its synopsis I knew it was a book i had to read, it sounded like such an interesting story. Despite being an NPC I found Anya to be incredibly relatable. Her frustrations at a monotonous life, wanting more from life, wanting adventure, wanting to prove herself and what she's capable of. I was really rooting for her to succeed and prove everyone wrong. Cyrus was also a well written character with more depth than I expected. The banter between Anya and Cyrus was a lot of fun and very entertaining. They did butt heads quite a lot and it was lovely to watch how their relationship progressed throughout the book.
The world of the video game was interesting and there were so many clever touches. I do wish there had been a bit more world building though, I didn't feel like I got much of a sense of the game outside of Anya and Cyrus's specific journey. Their journey was great, but there was very minimal world building outside of them and their story. The world seemed really cool and I just wanted to see more of it. The monsters were impressive and I thought it was really clever how the author chose to communicate their strength and level. I also understand what the author was trying to do with the other POV but I found myself wanting to get through those bits fast so I could get back to Anya.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book with a fun story that I'd recommend as a short, easy read!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
The Side Questers is set in the world of a video game. One of the non-playable characters of the game, Anya, is different from the other NPCs though. Anya knows she's in a video game and retains all her memories each reset and has full self-awareness. She dreams of a more exciting life and ends up getting her wish when along with a new NPC, she leaves her tavern to go on a quest. We watch Anya and Cyrus navigate the video game, face different challenges and strengthen their relationship.
This book was a lot of fun! When I first read its synopsis I knew it was a book i had to read, it sounded like such an interesting story. Despite being an NPC I found Anya to be incredibly relatable. Her frustrations at a monotonous life, wanting more from life, wanting adventure, wanting to prove herself and what she's capable of. I was really rooting for her to succeed and prove everyone wrong. Cyrus was also a well written character with more depth than I expected. The banter between Anya and Cyrus was a lot of fun and very entertaining. They did butt heads quite a lot and it was lovely to watch how their relationship progressed throughout the book.
The world of the video game was interesting and there were so many clever touches. I do wish there had been a bit more world building though, I didn't feel like I got much of a sense of the game outside of Anya and Cyrus's specific journey. Their journey was great, but there was very minimal world building outside of them and their story. The world seemed really cool and I just wanted to see more of it. The monsters were impressive and I thought it was really clever how the author chose to communicate their strength and level. I also understand what the author was trying to do with the other POV but I found myself wanting to get through those bits fast so I could get back to Anya.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book with a fun story that I'd recommend as a short, easy read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Side Questers is a brilliant story of adventure, camaraderie, and life set inside an immersive virtual world that will delight game lovers.
The story itself (without any spoilers) follows Anya and her fellow NPC, Cyrus, through an online game as they seek to defeat the Wanderer, your classic RPG baddie. Their journey is filled with nerdy nods to gaming and online gaming culture, plenty of action, and frustrating puzzles as they learn how the world works. This is a very unique take on the heroes journey which fans of fantasy will love, but there is an inherent cozy aspect as they make online friends and learn to work together.
In fact, the dynamic between Anya and Cyrus is perhaps my favorite part of this whole thing. The way they grow on each other is not heavy handed and filled with funny moments of rivalry and annoyance, yet it feels natural as they advance on their quest.
I want to avoid spoilers if possible, but the broader stakes were well beyond what I expected and extremely interesting and even minor or side characters felt like they had a lot of depth without being overly complex.
I am just now getting into the idea of cozy fantasy and similar genres (which this has elements of, though is much more intense than others I have read) and yet this was truly a feel good sort of book without the fluff that can be deterring. Which I think actually makes this a great read for people of all different genre preferences as it has a little bit of everything.
The only person I probably wouldn't recommend this to is someone who needs grit to like a story, but overall I think it is a book that is philosophical, funny, sweet, engaging, and definitely worth checking out!
Thank you so much for the ARC NetGalley!
The story itself (without any spoilers) follows Anya and her fellow NPC, Cyrus, through an online game as they seek to defeat the Wanderer, your classic RPG baddie. Their journey is filled with nerdy nods to gaming and online gaming culture, plenty of action, and frustrating puzzles as they learn how the world works. This is a very unique take on the heroes journey which fans of fantasy will love, but there is an inherent cozy aspect as they make online friends and learn to work together.
In fact, the dynamic between Anya and Cyrus is perhaps my favorite part of this whole thing. The way they grow on each other is not heavy handed and filled with funny moments of rivalry and annoyance, yet it feels natural as they advance on their quest.
I want to avoid spoilers if possible, but the broader stakes were well beyond what I expected and extremely interesting and even minor or side characters felt like they had a lot of depth without being overly complex.
I am just now getting into the idea of cozy fantasy and similar genres (which this has elements of, though is much more intense than others I have read) and yet this was truly a feel good sort of book without the fluff that can be deterring. Which I think actually makes this a great read for people of all different genre preferences as it has a little bit of everything.
The only person I probably wouldn't recommend this to is someone who needs grit to like a story, but overall I think it is a book that is philosophical, funny, sweet, engaging, and definitely worth checking out!
Thank you so much for the ARC NetGalley!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Two NPCs in a fantasy MMORPG have become conscious, able to act independently like players.
Why they've become conscious is a slight spoiler, so I won't mention it, but it creates tension and stakes in the real world as well as the world of the game, and adds a layer of dramatic irony.
This is LitRPG-adjacent, but not true LitRPG, in that the game world is explicitly a computer game, not just a gamelike isekai, and there's not a lot of time spent on stats and skills. That works better for me than the more central LitRPG experience, honestly. It's also better written than the average LitRPG, apart from some minor glitches which I'll mention to the publisher (I had a pre-publication version via Netgalley for review).
The characters, particularly Anya, the barkeep, who is the main viewpoint character, quickly won my sympathy. She's courageous, determined and intelligent, and I wanted her to succeed.
The world is a generic fantasy game world, which is more likely to be by design than from a failure of imagination on the part of the author. The players the characters encounter include some arrogant griefers who have bought their way to level 99, and some more-or-less-helpful gamers who regularly play together from widely separated locations.
The plot has an arc towards justice and love and The Right Thing, which I enjoyed. I couldn't see how the author was going to manage a resolution that produced a good outcome for everyone who deserved one, but he pulled it off admirably.
Recommended.
Why they've become conscious is a slight spoiler, so I won't mention it, but it creates tension and stakes in the real world as well as the world of the game, and adds a layer of dramatic irony.
This is LitRPG-adjacent, but not true LitRPG, in that the game world is explicitly a computer game, not just a gamelike isekai, and there's not a lot of time spent on stats and skills. That works better for me than the more central LitRPG experience, honestly. It's also better written than the average LitRPG, apart from some minor glitches which I'll mention to the publisher (I had a pre-publication version via Netgalley for review).
The characters, particularly Anya, the barkeep, who is the main viewpoint character, quickly won my sympathy. She's courageous, determined and intelligent, and I wanted her to succeed.
The world is a generic fantasy game world, which is more likely to be by design than from a failure of imagination on the part of the author. The players the characters encounter include some arrogant griefers who have bought their way to level 99, and some more-or-less-helpful gamers who regularly play together from widely separated locations.
The plot has an arc towards justice and love and The Right Thing, which I enjoyed. I couldn't see how the author was going to manage a resolution that produced a good outcome for everyone who deserved one, but he pulled it off admirably.
Recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Keylight Books provided an early galley for review.
As a gamer, former software developer, and a fantasy writer myself, this book sounded like a lot of fun. Plus, I always am interested in what new voices are bringing to the genre.
I found it engaging right out of the gate. Kochmanski builds off an interesting premise, and he captures the repetition of NPC dialogue and routines perfectly. Anya's voice is distinct and relatable. What she encounters provides some commentary on MMORPG games, their worlds and their players.
The middle spends quite a bit of time in the Pit whose purpose for the narrative I totally get (can't really be major heroes of the story and complete the overall game quest if you're lowly level 1 adventurers). I liked seeing the puzzles and the solutions, but it felt like it took a long time. Also, when Anya and Cyrus meet and re-meet the trio of players, it seemed like a bit of too convenient. I was fine with the first encounter as that helped them to learn more about the game. The return just felt like a way to get out of a narrative corner.
As for the ending, while enjoyable and what I expected, I found it tied up everything very neatly in a very quick way. I was hoping for a bit more.
Still, a fun book that touches on a lot of popular genres right now: cozy fantasy, LitRPG, and romantasy. I will certainly give his next book a shot.
As a gamer, former software developer, and a fantasy writer myself, this book sounded like a lot of fun. Plus, I always am interested in what new voices are bringing to the genre.
I found it engaging right out of the gate. Kochmanski builds off an interesting premise, and he captures the repetition of NPC dialogue and routines perfectly. Anya's voice is distinct and relatable. What she encounters provides some commentary on MMORPG games, their worlds and their players.
The middle spends quite a bit of time in the Pit whose purpose for the narrative I totally get (can't really be major heroes of the story and complete the overall game quest if you're lowly level 1 adventurers). I liked seeing the puzzles and the solutions, but it felt like it took a long time. Also, when Anya and Cyrus meet and re-meet the trio of players, it seemed like a bit of too convenient. I was fine with the first encounter as that helped them to learn more about the game. The return just felt like a way to get out of a narrative corner.
As for the ending, while enjoyable and what I expected, I found it tied up everything very neatly in a very quick way. I was hoping for a bit more.
Still, a fun book that touches on a lot of popular genres right now: cozy fantasy, LitRPG, and romantasy. I will certainly give his next book a shot.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
I have played many games - Wow, Dark age of Camelot, the one with the superheroes and I have often wondered about the quest givers - not to mention the NPC's -wanting to go up and give them a hug - and I like watching the videos that people make of them interacting with NPC's then logging off and the NPC waiting for them to come back - through the seasons,
This book takes our main female character, who has been reset over a thousand times, and she knows she is in a video game, she watches everything - sees the quests reset - no one else does -
(side note we have a company that wants to replace her - then we have psychologists who are trying to make her and him (the main male lead- more human) there is a competition going on - if she will still exist or if he will.
She doesn't want to be replaced - and off they go into the world - and meet humans - he takes a long time believing that they aren't real that this is a game-
Very good story - in the end the student to the psychologist makes it so that both of them .......the bad guy I would have never guessed who it was.....and I think it was a happily ever after in the end!
I have played many games - Wow, Dark age of Camelot, the one with the superheroes and I have often wondered about the quest givers - not to mention the NPC's -wanting to go up and give them a hug - and I like watching the videos that people make of them interacting with NPC's then logging off and the NPC waiting for them to come back - through the seasons,
This book takes our main female character, who has been reset over a thousand times, and she knows she is in a video game, she watches everything - sees the quests reset - no one else does -
(side note we have a company that wants to replace her - then we have psychologists who are trying to make her and him (the main male lead- more human) there is a competition going on - if she will still exist or if he will.
She doesn't want to be replaced - and off they go into the world - and meet humans - he takes a long time believing that they aren't real that this is a game-
Very good story - in the end the student to the psychologist makes it so that both of them .......the bad guy I would have never guessed who it was.....and I think it was a happily ever after in the end!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
This felt like a love letter to all the gamers out there! As a fellow gamer and a fantasy reader this book was everything I was looking for. It has a unique story with unique characters and the pacing it just perfect for it to sweep your away from your reality. If you are in the market for a cozy fantasy read please please pick this one up.
My only critique would be that the ending felt a bit rushed.
So happy to have picked up this book!
This felt like a love letter to all the gamers out there! As a fellow gamer and a fantasy reader this book was everything I was looking for. It has a unique story with unique characters and the pacing it just perfect for it to sweep your away from your reality. If you are in the market for a cozy fantasy read please please pick this one up.
My only critique would be that the ending felt a bit rushed.
So happy to have picked up this book!
May 5, 2026
“So… what brings you here, stranger?”
The Side Questers is a fun fantasy/scifi/lit rpg novel that follows Anya and Cyrus on an adventure through the realm of Glotis. This book gives you adventure and fantasy in the form of an online RPG in which our duo begins as simple NPCs. As they become more aware of their own consciousness they branch out to explore and become their own player characters. It gives you sci-fi in the exploration of using human neural transmitters as a new way to form AI.
This debut novel from J. J. Kochmanski is such an interesting take on the world of RPGs and the possible technological advances in our future!
The Side Questers is a fun fantasy/scifi/lit rpg novel that follows Anya and Cyrus on an adventure through the realm of Glotis. This book gives you adventure and fantasy in the form of an online RPG in which our duo begins as simple NPCs. As they become more aware of their own consciousness they branch out to explore and become their own player characters. It gives you sci-fi in the exploration of using human neural transmitters as a new way to form AI.
This debut novel from J. J. Kochmanski is such an interesting take on the world of RPGs and the possible technological advances in our future!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Like a charming mash-up of Monsters& Mainframes and Bookshops and Bonedust, this story will be appealing to video gamers, role players and general fantasy nerds. It's an entertaining adventure, but also a reflection on free will, intelligence, empathy, optimism, persistence and personality. The characters within the game are even more real than the programmers running the game outside of it. The question is, if you love something, will you let it go?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
The Side Questers follows Anya and Cyrus, two NPCs in a video game and gain sentience. They navigate through the game as if they are player characters, fighting monsters, leveling up, and interacting with other player characters.
I enjoyed this book a lot! Anya and Cyrus were great MCs and I enjoyed following along on their adventure. Overall, this was a solid fantasy read.
The Side Questers follows Anya and Cyrus, two NPCs in a video game and gain sentience. They navigate through the game as if they are player characters, fighting monsters, leveling up, and interacting with other player characters.
I enjoyed this book a lot! Anya and Cyrus were great MCs and I enjoyed following along on their adventure. Overall, this was a solid fantasy read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a pretty decent litrpg, but the ending felt lackluster and the AI aspect in our current climate annoyed me
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews