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Side Quest : A Cozy, Chaotic Fantasy
Listen, this was supposed to be simple. Kaelin professional assassin, expert brooder, collector of emotional scars had one mission. Kill the king. Straightforward. Efficient. The sort of thing you can check off before lunch.
But somewhere between the exploding Ale Trials, the cursed inn, and the incident with the goat. (Why are there so many goats?) Kaelin accidentally acquired a travel Tobias, a bright-eyed mage with a suspiciously soft heart and a tendency to monologue about feelings. A Brug, a non-binary orc with a lute and lyrics. Oh, and Timber—the world’s most judgmental dog, who communicates entirely through eyebrow movements and existential sighs.
Now, Dear Reader, our dear assassin finds herself knee-deep in other people’s problems, which, as it turns out, are harder to stab than advertised. There will be quests. There will be chaos. There will be . . . feelings (and Kaelin’s tragic attempts to avoid them).
Will she save the realm? Probably, but not intentionally. She might just save herself—between side quests, snark, and the occasional dagger to the heart (metaphorical or otherwise).
Side Quest is a cozy, chaotic fantasy for anyone who’s ever tried to stay on mission and ended up adopting a mutt, a mage, and a moral compass instead.
But somewhere between the exploding Ale Trials, the cursed inn, and the incident with the goat. (Why are there so many goats?) Kaelin accidentally acquired a travel Tobias, a bright-eyed mage with a suspiciously soft heart and a tendency to monologue about feelings. A Brug, a non-binary orc with a lute and lyrics. Oh, and Timber—the world’s most judgmental dog, who communicates entirely through eyebrow movements and existential sighs.
Now, Dear Reader, our dear assassin finds herself knee-deep in other people’s problems, which, as it turns out, are harder to stab than advertised. There will be quests. There will be chaos. There will be . . . feelings (and Kaelin’s tragic attempts to avoid them).
Will she save the realm? Probably, but not intentionally. She might just save herself—between side quests, snark, and the occasional dagger to the heart (metaphorical or otherwise).
Side Quest is a cozy, chaotic fantasy for anyone who’s ever tried to stay on mission and ended up adopting a mutt, a mage, and a moral compass instead.
- GenresRomantasy
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 4, 2026
About the author
Stephanie K. Clemens
19 books73 followersStephanie K Clemens is known for many things: an author, photographer, dog mom, instagrammer, adventurer, teacher, lawyer, and more. When she’s not sitting behind her laptop she can be found on some adventure. Most of the time it’s a road trip with her two doggos, but recently it has been in the pages of a book.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thanks to Stephanie K. Clemens for providing the eARC. This is my honest opinion.
A Quest That Softens the Edges
‘Side Quest’ by Stephanie K. Clemens starts with the kind of mission that should be clean and direct: an assassin, a target, an end point. That clarity lasts about as long as the first wrong turn, because this story is built on the delicious frustration of plans dissolving into detours, and on how those detours slowly become the only path that matters.
Kaelen Thorn steps onto the page sharp-edged and controlled, the sort of protagonist who treats emotion like a liability and connection like a trap. The early chapters make that mindset feel convincing, not performative, which is exactly why the gradual shift lands so well. Each new side quest feels like a small inconvenience at first, something to survive and move past, until it becomes obvious that these interruptions are shaping the emotional spine of the book. The true progression is not counted in completed tasks, but in tiny moments of hesitation, in unexpected protectiveness, in the way a guarded character begins to choose people.
The story’s structure leans into a role-playing rhythm, with episodic adventures that keep the tone playful and cozy. What makes it work is the thread running underneath: the growing bond within the ragtag group, the way humor is used as armor and then slowly becomes comfort. Some of the most memorable scenes are not the loud ones, but the quieter stretches between quests, where the characters trade banter that turns into honesty, where a simple exchange around a meal or on the road reveals more than a dramatic confrontation ever could.
Stephanie K. Clemens’ writing style feels inviting and brisk, with dialogue that carries personality and timing that knows when to let a beat breathe. The prose stays accessible and warm, often slipping a sharp joke into the exact moment it could have gone heavy, then circling back to the emotion anyway. That balance is the author’s strength: the book can be genuinely funny without becoming shallow, and genuinely tender without losing its sense of chaos.
The pacing occasionally favors comfort over tension, and readers looking for a tightly wound, plot-first fantasy might wish the central mission pressed harder. Yet the softness is part of the point. This is a story where the side roads hold the real stakes, and where character growth is treated as the most meaningful form of progress.
‘Side Quest’ leaves behind the satisfying feeling of having traveled with people who started as strangers and ended as something steadier.
Not every quest changes the world, but this one quietly changes the heart walking through it.
Grumpy Assassin | Found Family | Cozy Fantasy | Slow Burn Romance | Ragtag Team | Emotional Growth | Quest Adventure | Humor Meets Heart | Reluctant Hero | Chaotic Journey
A Quest That Softens the Edges
‘Side Quest’ by Stephanie K. Clemens starts with the kind of mission that should be clean and direct: an assassin, a target, an end point. That clarity lasts about as long as the first wrong turn, because this story is built on the delicious frustration of plans dissolving into detours, and on how those detours slowly become the only path that matters.
Kaelen Thorn steps onto the page sharp-edged and controlled, the sort of protagonist who treats emotion like a liability and connection like a trap. The early chapters make that mindset feel convincing, not performative, which is exactly why the gradual shift lands so well. Each new side quest feels like a small inconvenience at first, something to survive and move past, until it becomes obvious that these interruptions are shaping the emotional spine of the book. The true progression is not counted in completed tasks, but in tiny moments of hesitation, in unexpected protectiveness, in the way a guarded character begins to choose people.
The story’s structure leans into a role-playing rhythm, with episodic adventures that keep the tone playful and cozy. What makes it work is the thread running underneath: the growing bond within the ragtag group, the way humor is used as armor and then slowly becomes comfort. Some of the most memorable scenes are not the loud ones, but the quieter stretches between quests, where the characters trade banter that turns into honesty, where a simple exchange around a meal or on the road reveals more than a dramatic confrontation ever could.
Stephanie K. Clemens’ writing style feels inviting and brisk, with dialogue that carries personality and timing that knows when to let a beat breathe. The prose stays accessible and warm, often slipping a sharp joke into the exact moment it could have gone heavy, then circling back to the emotion anyway. That balance is the author’s strength: the book can be genuinely funny without becoming shallow, and genuinely tender without losing its sense of chaos.
The pacing occasionally favors comfort over tension, and readers looking for a tightly wound, plot-first fantasy might wish the central mission pressed harder. Yet the softness is part of the point. This is a story where the side roads hold the real stakes, and where character growth is treated as the most meaningful form of progress.
‘Side Quest’ leaves behind the satisfying feeling of having traveled with people who started as strangers and ended as something steadier.
Not every quest changes the world, but this one quietly changes the heart walking through it.
Grumpy Assassin | Found Family | Cozy Fantasy | Slow Burn Romance | Ragtag Team | Emotional Growth | Quest Adventure | Humor Meets Heart | Reluctant Hero | Chaotic Journey
March 8, 2026
"Found family: the kind you don't choose, but would fight twelve cursed badgers for anyway."
Exactly the kind of book we all need right now. It was fun, chaotic, and filled with hilariously genuine characters.
Back your bags, we are going on quest!
Along the way you'll find...
The best furry sidekick
Stabby FMC
Found Family
Baking with a spoonful of magic
Grumpy X Sunshine
So much snarky qoodness
Chaos
Exactly the kind of book we all need right now. It was fun, chaotic, and filled with hilariously genuine characters.
Back your bags, we are going on quest!
Along the way you'll find...
The best furry sidekick
Stabby FMC
Found Family
Baking with a spoonful of magic
Grumpy X Sunshine
So much snarky qoodness
Chaos
March 10, 2026
This book was so much fun.
Cozy fantasy but chaotic in the best way. I laughed out loud multiple times.
Kaelin starts with one simple goal: kill the king.
Very straightforward assassin business.
But somehow she ends up on a journey filled with endless side quests, magical chaos, and a group of companions she definitely did not plan on collecting along the way.
And honestly the characters are half the joy of this story.
You’ve got:
🧀 an FMC with a serious cheese obsession
🍞 literal magic sourdough
🎸 a bard orc writing songs
✨ a mage who talks about feelings
🐶 and a very judgmental dog
What starts out as a chaotic adventure slowly becomes something deeper as Kaelin has to face the fact that maybe she can’t keep running forever. Watching her work through that while everything around her keeps getting more ridiculous was such a fun ride.
There are twists, laughs, weird situations, and a lot of heart hiding underneath all the chaos.
If you like cozy fantasy with humor, found-family vibes, and adventures that spiral wildly off course… this one is a great time.
Also important question:
are we pro-cheese-obsessed heroines? Because I absolutely am
Cozy fantasy but chaotic in the best way. I laughed out loud multiple times.
Kaelin starts with one simple goal: kill the king.
Very straightforward assassin business.
But somehow she ends up on a journey filled with endless side quests, magical chaos, and a group of companions she definitely did not plan on collecting along the way.
And honestly the characters are half the joy of this story.
You’ve got:
🧀 an FMC with a serious cheese obsession
🍞 literal magic sourdough
🎸 a bard orc writing songs
✨ a mage who talks about feelings
🐶 and a very judgmental dog
What starts out as a chaotic adventure slowly becomes something deeper as Kaelin has to face the fact that maybe she can’t keep running forever. Watching her work through that while everything around her keeps getting more ridiculous was such a fun ride.
There are twists, laughs, weird situations, and a lot of heart hiding underneath all the chaos.
If you like cozy fantasy with humor, found-family vibes, and adventures that spiral wildly off course… this one is a great time.
Also important question:
are we pro-cheese-obsessed heroines? Because I absolutely am
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is such an entertaining book. This is not your classic slow-burning cozy fantasy; it is the most chaotic book you will read (in the best way). Not only is this a story of things going unexpectedly or just wrong, but each character is so funny and unique and the mesh is actually really good. Also, I love the different types of magic. It's very D&D-esque, but the players somehow end up doing everything the DM expect them not to.
My favorite part: the narrator! They are hilarious and sassy, and give their opinion in every scene. If you're an anime person, think the narrator from Kaguya-sama Love is War. I'm not a huge slow-burn person, but when the narrator is also laughing at them, it's hilarious. And they are so hopeless.
My favorite part: the narrator! They are hilarious and sassy, and give their opinion in every scene. If you're an anime person, think the narrator from Kaguya-sama Love is War. I'm not a huge slow-burn person, but when the narrator is also laughing at them, it's hilarious. And they are so hopeless.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews