This will be broken down into sections: LGBT+, racial diversity, disability, mental health.
All of my series will be on one page here. I’m only including character aspects that are noted in the text, not Word of the Author or plans for future stories. I’m also skipping characters without on-page speaking parts.
Notes on LGBT+ Representation
In some cases and especially in Healers/Strangers, the exact modern terminology/label might not be used in the story. Some readers don’t count it as representation if you don’t use the exact modern label, so I wanted to mention it.
If a character is not specifically called out here, that doesn’t mean they’re automatically cishet. I won’t claim representation in the text in those cases, but let’s remember that this isn’t a zero-sum game. Sometimes a character’s identity just hasn’t come up in that way yet, or the character is still figuring things out in the story.
Both of my universes are queernorm, meaning that acceptance of queerness is the default. Individual characters in the Therapist series can be homophobic, whether internalized (applied to themselves) or regular — but that’s baggage that they brought along from Earth. Instances like this are noted in the content notes for each book. Otherwise, there is no assumption of straightness or standard level of homophobia.
I also extend this to transness in both worlds. While writing the first Healers book or two I wasn’t educated enough about nonbinary folks, so the books reflect that a little (ex. Kei says he’s attracted to men and women as though those are the only options; that’s my shortcoming at the time and not intended as a comment about the character). Otherwise, I’ve tried to make my work free of transphobia too, as much as I can.
Internal biases are real, however, and I make no claim that my representation is perfect.
Please note: All of my books include a mixture of different genders and identities, generally getting along peacefully on a categorical level (ex. men and women are not in a bizarre zero-sum feud that poisons every aspect of their lives, imagine that, but individuals may still hate one another for other reasons).
I also don’t do isolationism, like “the entire world is women” or “all men are evil” or “no allos ever”, etc. There are plenty of other books out there if that’s what you like. I mix it up and will continue to do so.
Numbering conventions: I have a bad habit of numbering the Therapist series by novella, ex. “Book 1” meaning just the ~80-page first story, not the whole Omnibus 1. I’m going to fix this page, at least, to say “Novella 1” to mean the individual story. Healers 1, 2 and 3 are Road, Home and Purpose respectively. Strangers is just itself.
Bi+ Characters (including pan, omni, and generally queer without further labels) * ownvoices
- Keifon (Healers) * co-lead
- Lavender (Therapist) * lead, novellas 1-4
- Francesca (Therapist)
- Lundren (Strangers) * co-lead
- Placida (Strangers) * co-lead
- Solan (Therapist) * co-lead, novella 7
- Ivo (Strangers) (confirmed in the spinoff story “The Shopkeeper Who Captured a Swordmaster”)
- Bargi (Healers 2 & 3)
- Raniero (Healers) (Agna’s dad) – Agna is wilfully ignoring the triad her parents are in, but it’s there in book 2
Aspec Characters (asexual, ace-spectrum, demi, etc.) * ownvoices (gray-ace)
- Berry (aroace; Therapist) * lead, novella 6
- Burleigh (homoromantic ace; Therapist) * co-lead, novella 8
- Clem (aroace; Strangers)
Note: All of my stories at least mention some characters who are in a romantic or sexual relationship. For example, Berry’s story includes a married couple (Gustav and Rene) as supporting characters.
Sidebar: The Agna Question. An ongoing thread of Healers 3 is Agna (the co-lead of the Healers series) grappling with her lack of what she defines as romantic feelings and her reluctance to get sexually involved with anyone. However, I also want to acknowledge that she is physically attracted to Laris in the first book and seems to be similarly attracted to Tai in books 2 and 3, though not necessarily consistently or strongly. All of which adds up to a combination of gray-ace coding and an in-character mess. Agna does not know how to label herself. I’m not sure how to label her either, especially since I’m not aromantic, and I don’t want to get it wrong. But these qualities are such a key component of her character that I wanted to mention it — unfortunately, don’t expect a clear, well-labeled instance of representation.
To repeat: The Healers is not An Asexual Series or An Aromantic Series, even though the first book features a platonic friendship. I know this is a spicy opinion, but I believe allo people can form friendships too. There are some great lists out there of books with only ace characters in them, and authors who only write ace characters. Please enjoy those.
Lesbian Characters
** Note: Sympathetic male characters appear in all of my books.
- Yahzghash (Therapist)
- Hazel (Therapist) * lead, novella 5
- Rowan (Therapist)
- Greta (Therapist)
- Zilyana (Therapist) * lead, novella 9
- Lina (Healers)
- Tanathil (Therapist)
Gay Characters
** Note: Similarly, sympathetic female characters appear in all of my books. (Therapist novella 10 is mostly dudes, but it has kind of a small cast.)
- Drekar (Therapist) * co-lead, novella 7
- Henry (Therapist) * co-lead, novella 8
- Aspen (Therapist) * lead, novella 10
- Gustav and Rene (Therapist)
- Whalen (Healers 2 & 3)
Nonbinary Characters * ownvoices, for one variety of nonbinary (reminder: not a monolith!)
- Berry (agender; Therapist) * lead, novella 6
- Gavine (nonbinary; Strangers)
- Ithronel (genderfluid; Therapist)
- Alme (nonbinary; Healers 3)
** I don’t consider the dragons in Therapist (Morel, Sedge, and their as-yet-unnamed kin) to be nonbinary, although they use they/them pronouns. They’re nature spirits without a concept of gender.
Binary Trans Characters
- Lundren (trans man; Strangers) * co-lead
- Hazel (trans woman; Therapist) * lead, novella 5
- Whalen (trans man; Healers 2 & 3)
Notes on Racial Diversity
In the Healers/Strangers world, the only countries with a majority of pale-skinned people are Nessiny and Achusa (which are on the same landmass). However, neither of these places got up to centuries-long campaigns of colonialism, so the historical context is different. That said, White People In Fantasy are still White People In Fantasy; I’m not letting myself off the hook here.
Anyone with ancestry from Kavera, Furon/the Islands, or Yanwei are intended to be not white. Which is most people in Healers (Kei, Nelle, everyone in Wildern except most of the other healers) and Placida in Strangers.
In Therapist, I could do better with this. When it comes to former Earthlings, I have a specific ethnicity in mind but often don’t get into it in the story. Otherworlders are intentionally not traced to specific fictional ethnicities; they’re just a mixture all over because I (and Spoiler Redacted) say so.
Specified as POCs:
- Berry * lead, novella 6
- Henry * co-lead, novella 8
- Zilyana * lead, novella 9
- Ersien (from Francesca’s entourage)
- Galan (Henry’s love interest in novella 8)
Notes on Physical Disability Rep
This is one area where I don’t do particularly well. The only character of note with a physical disability is Dr. Rushu, Keifon’s mentor in Healers 2 and 3, who uses a cane.
I will note that disabilities still exist in a universe with healing magic. The lack of characters with disabilities isn’t related to the worldbuilding; it’s just an oversight and lack of personal experience on my part. Not an excuse, just a reason.
Notes on Mental Health Rep
As with LGBT+ labels, the modern label is often not used, so this is more based on authorial intent and on-page thoughts/dialogue/behavior. Even in Lavender’s parts of Therapist, when she’s very aware of diagnostic labels, sometimes the character hesitates to apply them to someone without a full assessment, and sometimes I as the author don’t want to use the labels lightly or flippantly.
I’ll skip the side characters that only appear in passing as Lavender’s clients in Therapist and Placida’s in Strangers.
Neurodivergence
- Lundren, Strangers
- Keth, Healers 2 & 3
- Fulvia, Healers 2 & 3
Depression * ownvoices
- Keifon, Healers
- Solan, Therapist
- Morel, Therapist
- (A case could be made for Lundren too; his trauma manifests similarly to depression)
PTSD
- Keifon, Healers
- Lundren, Strangers
- Morel, Therapist
- Henry, Therapist
Anxiety
- Hazel, Therapist
Substance Abuse
- Keifon, Healers (in recovery)
Codependency
- Greta, Therapist
- Burleigh, Therapist
- (Drekar in Therapist has traces that don’t usually rise to the level of an issue)
Burnout
- Agna, Healers 3 in particular
- Lavender, Therapist novella 2 in particular
Other
- Berry (Therapist) is meant to show some aftereffects of living through traumatic times, without reaching the level of PTSD. They’re slightly burned out from both of their past “lives,” but don’t have anxiety reactions.
- Placida (Strangers) has various traits that stem from growing up in an emotionally abusive household.