Listen, this was supposed to be simple. Kaelin Thorn: 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 companion: Tobias, a bright-eyed mage with a suspiciously soft heart and a tendency to monologue about feelings. A soundtrack: 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.