This week find out why our Media Outreach Coordinator, Kendal, has rated Audrey Coulthurst's Of Fire and Stars ____ stars.
Sci-Fi and Fantasy is all about stretching the limits of imagination and challenging our perspective of every-day life. These stories take us to far-off lands, mystical kingdoms, and magical planets - yet the Young Adult variant of the genre only seems to be able to offer a desolate wasteland to those seeking queer femme representation.
As a Millennial/Gen Z cusper, I grew up in the golden age of young adult fiction. From the great boom of dystopian narratives heralded by Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth, to the cult following of gems like The Raven Boys and Chaos Walking. With the fresh retellings of age-old stories in Percy Jackson & the Olympians and Cinder, the new century has seen a reinvention of what youth-centred literature could be. Even more exciting, the last decade or so has seen this largely heteronormative genre expand into heartwarming, unforgettable tales of queer love. (See, for example, Carry On, Call Down the Hawk, and A Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue). These books built on the best parts of YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy while simultaneously giving space to LGBTQ+ representation.
"The last decade or so has seen this largely heteronormative genre expand into heartwarming, unforgettable tales of queer love."
Yet, looking at the most beloved queer additions to the genre, I can’t help but notice, as a queer woman myself, the blatant lack of WLW (women who love women) representation. This is especially ironic considering the outpouring of support for Marceline and Princess Bubblegum, for Catra and Adora - characters from shows aimed at the same audience as YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy. So, I thought to myself, where are all the gay ladies?
In an effort to answer this question, I picked up Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst - a novel that, at first glance, seemed to be exactly what the genre was missing. It is a mainstay on most online listicles about WLW YA fiction, and the plot promises a queer, fantastical retelling of the timeless ‘betrothed princess falls for fiancé’s intriguing sibling’ trope.
‘Sword-fighting, magical lesbians?’ I thought to myself, ‘Sign me up!’
Unfortunately, while there was much to enjoy in this book, it failed to deliver on its promises as a innovative and exciting queer pioneer. While the plot was fast-paced, and the prose well-written, the story was ultimately superficial and predictable. It was clear from every page what the outcome would be, and fell into a habit of using clichéd plot devices and character archetypes.
The queer romance, which I was most excited for, also fell flat. The relationship seemed to develop largely off-the-page, with the author mentioning that the two leads, Denna and Mare, spend an afternoon hanging out - only for them to now have feelings for each other. Similarly, the relationship fell victim to the classic mistake of telling not showing; the author can tell us that the characters are suddenly in love, but it means little if we don’t see the actions that caused such a development.
The most intriguing flaw of the set-up was that the magical setting seemed at every turn to be avowedly pro-LGBTQ+, only for the two leads to somehow be kept apart by the fact they were two young women in love. If there is no homophobia in this world, why is it that these two characters cannot simply be together? This issue perhaps shows that literature continues to believe that queer stories cannot be interesting without stigma and bigotry, an assumption that we would do well to move past.
"Literature continues to believe that queer stories cannot be interesting without stigma and bigotry, an assumption that we would do well to move past. "
Ultimately, Of Fire and Stars is an easily digestible entry to a genre that severely lacks queer heroines and general LGBTQ+ representation. If you are hungering for a fun, quick read about magic and two gals in love, feel free to check out Audrey Coulthurst’s novel. Just don’t expect it to be anything especially different from the average, hetero-centred YA novels that coat the shelves at Waterstones.
Review Written By Kendal LeFlore
(She/Her)
Photo courtesy of Kendal's bookcase.
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