Susan Dennard's Top Five OTPs

For many Witchlanders, Aeduan and Iseult are their one true pairing (OTP) and with the upcoming release of Bloodwitch many are hopeful that this ship will (finally!) sail. In honor of that, we asked author Susan Dennard to share her favorite OTPs.

My Top Five OTPs

Written by Susan Dennard

Menolly & Sebell from Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall Trilogy

This ship was my first hardcore I WILL DIE IF THEY DON’T GET TOGETHER ship. I was 13 at the time, and it was before the days of Amazon, meaning I could only read the books that were at my local library or bookstore. And ALSO meaning that I only had the first two books in the series (and a handful from the Dragonriders of Pern series). So desperate was I to know whether or not my ship sailed, that I actually emailed Anne McCaffrey.

And guys, GUYS! She answered. Bless that famous woman’s soul, but she answered my thoroughly obnoxious, preteen email. Yes, she said, Menolly and Sebell do eventually get together, but I hope you can find the books and see for yourself.

What a cool lady, amirite?

(P.S. I did eventually get all the books, and I really hated the circuitous route Menolly took to finally reach Sebell. It wasn’t the fairy tale romance I wanted at 13, but as an adult, I can safely say it was a pretty realistic one.)

Eugenides and Attolia from Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series

If you haven’t yet read this series, then what are you doing with your life? Not only do these books have one of my most favorite ships ever, but they’re also some of the most brilliantly written books out there. Seriously, I go into raptures just talking about Turner’s ability to plot.

As for the ship, lemme tell you: it was a romantic pairing I didn’t even remotely see coming. No telegraphing, no set up. Then BAM! It was a thing, and suddenly I was obsessed. Honestly, that takes some serious skill as a writer – to throw an unexpected ship at you and make you care. Ugh, just go read these books, okay?

Zuko and Katara from Avatar: the Last Airbender

Look, I know this ship never sailed (to my eternal sadness). And the creators now claim it was never meant to sail, but if that’s true… Well, they were definitely telegraphing something very different.

The TENSION between Zuko and Katara! The mercy she shows him. The path to vengeance (and ultimately healing) that he gives her. I just love it, okay?

I’m also such a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, and they fit that so, so perfectly.

Sigh. I’ll just keep dreaming (and reading fanfic) until the day I die, I suppose.

Veronica Mars and Logan from Veronica Mars

Why look at that, another enemies-to-lovers pairing. Much like Gen + Attolia (mentioned above), this was a ship that I didn’t ever consider. Logan is just so awful to start. He is a true, unrepentant bad boy.

As Season 1 progresses, though, my heart started to change – even though nothing in the narrative actually suggested they’d get together. I just started thinking, Hmmmm, I guess he’s not so bad.

THEN THEY KISSED AND EVERYTHING CHANGED. Suddenly, I was ALL IN on their ship, and it was glorious.

(P.S. Thank goodness for the movie. And thank GOODNESS for the coming reboot! Bless the film gods who made it happen.)

Dimitri and Anastasia from Anastasia

Why look at that, ANOTHER freaking enemies-to-lovers ship. (I really do have a type, don’t I?) This ship was probably my second I will die for them ship, arriving the same year as my Pern obsession.

Part of my love was that – let’s be real – Dimitri was a really good looking cartoon. And John Cusack has a sexy voice. Plus, Meg Ryan was so perfect as the spunky Anya/Anastasia.

The other part of my love was that, despite being cartoons, Anya/Anastasia and Dimitri had some serious chemistry. I mean, THAT DANCE SCENE ON THE BOAT. Ugh!!! Thirteen year old me couldn’t get over it.

Actually, adult me still can’t, and I 10000% based the character Daniel Sheridan in my Something Strange & Deadly series on Dimitri. Can you really blame me, though?

(P.S. The Broadway adaptation was such a disappointment. So, so different. I actually ended up shipping Anya with the bad guy. Probably because MORE ENEMIES TO LOVERS!)