This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Animal Companions (These animals can be real or fantasy!)”
The ten books I’ve listed below are all books I’ve read and reviewed on my blog and feature a range of different animal and bird companions.
1. Nighteyes in the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb – The wolf Nighteyes is much more than just a companion to FitzChivalry Farseer in Hobb’s epic fantasy series, but to say any more would be a spoiler!
2. Bob in Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie – Poor Bob the dog gets the blame when his mistress falls down the stairs in the night. It’s up to Poirot to find another explanation!
3. Cuthbert in The Bells of Westminster by Leonora Nattrass – Cuthbert, Susan Bell’s talking parrot who lives in the Deanery of Westminister Abbey, is the star of this historical mystery set in 1774.
4. Cafall in The Grey King by Susan Cooper – In this fourth book in the Dark is Rising sequence inspired by Arthurian legend, Cafall, a sheepdog with silver eyes, is the friend and companion of Bran Davies.
5. Solovey in The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden – The magical horse Solovey is a companion to Vasya, the heroine of this excellent fantasy trilogy set in a version of medieval Russia.
6. The dolphin in This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart – Not exactly a ‘companion’, but the dolphin in this book forms a bond with Lucy, our narrator, and becomes an important character in the story.
7. Flush in Flush by Virginia Woolf – I loved this short novel written from the perspective of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s cocker spaniel.
8. Rocinante in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes – An eccentric gentleman of La Mancha, inspired by tales of romance and chivalry, renames himself Don Quixote and sets out in search of adventure mounted on his trusty steed, Rocinante!
9. The lion in Circe by Madeline Miller – In this beautifully written Greek mythology retelling, the witch Circe is banished to the island of Aiaia where a female lion becomes her closest companion.
10. Behemoth in The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – My tenth and final animal companion is Behemoth, the demonic black cat who is part of the devil’s entourage in this weird and wonderful Russian classic.
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Have you read any of these? Can you think of any other books with animal companions?
She Reads Novels 
Great post! Some interesting book choices here that I have never heard of, and some that I know only a little about but would like to read in the future.
Thanks! I hope you have the opportunity to read some of these soon.
Oh, I forgot Flush! Could have included that in my list.
It’s hard to remember everything, isn’t it? I always think of books I could have included in my list once it’s too late!
I do plan to read Master and the Margarita one of these days.
It’s a great book and I found it easier to read than I’d expected.
I’ve read Dumb Witness and Circe from your list. Here is my TTT: https://thissideofstoryland.blogspot.com/2025/05/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-animal-main.html
I loved both of those books.
I haven’t read any of these but enjoyed reading your selection.
Here’s mine for this week https://portobellobookblog.com/2025/05/27/top-ten-tuesday-27th-may-2025-animal-companions-toptentuesday-amreading-bookrecommendations-tuesdaybookblog/
I enjoyed putting this week’s selection together!
Flush is great isn’t it, the very best description of a dog I think!
I loved it and found it very different from the other Woolf books I’ve read.
Behemoth sounds like an interesting character. And what a name for a cat!
Well, he’s not an ordinary cat! 🙂 I loved that book and would like to read it again.
Fun choices! I like the sound of the Bells of Westminster.
The Bells of Westminster was fun!
I keep thinking that I must read Winter of the Witch!
I love Katherine Arden’s books and Winter of the Witch is my favourite.
I hope to read Dumb Witness this year.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!https://readbakecreate.com/animal-farm-ten-books-with-animals-on-the-cover/
Dumb Witness is great and Bob the dog has an important role in it!
This Rough Magic sounds interesting – I don’t think I’ve yet read a book with a dolphin that plays a pivotal role!
I loved the dolphin in This Rough Magic. Mary Stewart’s books often feature animal characters.
I love Solovey (he’s on my list too!) and Flush. I loved Circe but I don’t remember the lion other than that it was there!
The lion itself maybe isn’t very memorable, but Circe has an important bond with it, which is why I decided to include it on my list. I’m glad you also love Solovey and Flush! I’m not really a big Virginia Woolf fan, but I did enjoy that book.
I’ve read several from your list and realize that I should reread some, especially The Master and Margarita.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I loved The Master and Margarita. I really want to reread that one too.
Circe is a good choice. I had forgotten about the Lion. I have read some Mary Stewart but not the one you mentioned!
Yes, the Lion was a very important companion for Circe. This Rough Magic is one of my favourites by Mary Stewart!
I really enjoyed DUMB WITNESS. It’s the only book I’ve read from your list.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I enjoyed Dumb Witness too. I loved Bob!
A nice variety represented her, one or two (like the dolphin) I wouldn’t have hazarded a guess at! I’ve read the Susan Cooper series, of course – what a fascinating instalment this one was – but I still haven’t got the second title in the Robin Hobb trilogy so don’t think I’ve yet met the ‘companion’ you mention.
The dolphin is an unusual one, but plays a key role in that book! I think Nighteyes only appears in the second and third books in the Robin Hobb trilogy, so you won’t have made his acquaintance yet.
I haven’t read any of these, but I do enjoy animals in books, especially dogs. Here is our <a href=”https://www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/top-ten-tuesday-animal-companions/“>Top Ten Tuesday</a>. Thank you!
I like books with animals too, particularly unusual ones like the dolphin and lion in my list.
Hi Helen, I haven’t read any of these, although there are several here I would like to read. I love an animal companion and those that come to mind are: Oy the billybumbler from the Dark Tower series by Stephen King; Pan the daemon from His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman; and Hedwig the owl from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Blessings, Jessica 💌
I forgot about Hedwig…and of course, all the other animals and birds in the Harry Potter series. I haven’t read those other books, but they sound like perfect animal companions for this topic too.
I’m very intrigued by the way that you’ve Described Nighteyes and Behemoth. The first of those was already high priority on my TBR but I’m going to have to add The Master & Magarita to my TBR too it seems 😂 and I loved Solovey and that series in general 🥰
I absolutely loved the Robin Hobb series and the relationship between Fitz and Nighteyes was one of my favourite aspects of it. The Master and Margarita is great as well, although I would like to read it again as I think there were probably a lot of things I didn’t pick up on or appreciate the first time.