A Year of Heroines in Fantasy: Karou, Rose Marshall, and Yorindesarinen

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The thing I love about this month's trio of heroines is that one of them is resurrected and two of them are dead, Yep, I'm talking heroines with a distinctly supernatural vibe. ;-)

Another thing I love about this otherworldly troika is how they hail from distinct Fantasy subgenres. Karou is from Laini Taylor's wonderful romantic fantasy, Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Rose Marshall stars in Seanan McGuire's paranormal urban fantasy/ horror Sparrow Hill Road (Ghost Roads #1) and Yorindesarinen is a 'best supporting heroine' in my own The Wall of Night series, which is epic-heroic fantasy all the way. 

On the surface, Karou, Rose, and Yorindesarinen are as different as their Fantasy subgenres, but there is one more element that ties them together. All three have died under traumatic circumstances in their past lives.

Rose and Yorindesarinen are both easy to talk about in this respect without fear of spoilers, because Rose is already a ghost when introduced, and Yorindesarinen a spirit being living in a between-realm called the Gate of Dreams.

 

In the Ghost Road series, Rose was murdered in a hit-and-run. Her murderer, Bobby Cross, has sold his soul for immortality and Rose's murder was intended to seal the deal. Fifty-two years later, Bobby is still hunting Rose's ghost to finish what he started. In a tale spun between diners and highways--some real, some ghosts themselves--and constant tension between the living and dead, Rose must elude pursuit, deal with crossroads spirits and old gods, and find a way to finish Bobby before he ends her, once and for all. 

She's brave and determined, ruthless in her dealings with the road's many predators, but also kind to those in need -- and when the supernatural chips are down, you definitely want Rose on your side.

Yorindesarinen is a spirit guide and mentor to Malian, the main character in The Wall of Night series. And yes, you're right -- she does have a really long name. :D That's because in her clan, the more magically gifted an individual, the longer their name -- and Yorindesarinen was the greatest hero and champion of her people, the Derai. 

Like Malian, Yorindesarinen was a Chosen hero named in prophecy, but when the Derai fled a monstrous, demonic, and apparently unstoppable opponent, she died battling it alone. She also slew the monster, and has survived in spirit form to guide Malian and ensure that when she faces similar demonic forces, she won't do so alone. Yet her chief role, as Malian grows in strength, is to provide a moral compass in dealing with allies and enemies -- and like Rose, she is kindly disposed.

Ghost, check; spirit guide, check -- and then there's Karou. Initially, despite distinctive blue hair, Karou presents as a fairly standard young woman, having fun and open to adventure as she makes her way in the world. The reader quickly learns, though, that there's far more to Karou than meets the eye, starting with living in two realms. One is our world, the other is Elsewhere, where she serves the magician, Brimstone, who uses teeth to transfer souls into new bodies. 

When Karou's path crosses that of an angel called Akiva, she discovers that Elsewhere is a city of monsters and devils besieged by angels. She also learns of the star-crossed love of Akiva and Madrigal, a devil who gathered battlefield souls for Brimstone to reincarnate, but was executed for treachery and her soul forbidden reincarnation. The more Karou learns of Brimstone's work and Akiva's war, the more she comes to suspect that she, too, is one of the reincarnated... 

Past lives and present, Karou, Rose, and Yorindesarinen, are all brave and resourceful, resolute and daring -- and in addition to being kind, all three have a sense of fun. All great reasons to have them in my fantasy hall of fame. :-)

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Prior Posts: A Year of Heroines in Fantasy

February: Aerin, Elfrid, & Malian of Night
March: Yeine Darr & Rowan Birchmoon
May: Brienne of Tarth, Adjunct Tavore, & Asantir, Commander of Night
June: Shallan, Jehane Mor, & Aidris of the Chameln

July: Amat Kyaan, Rachael Boucher, & Nhairin

 

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About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is the award-winning author of Thornspell and The Wall Of Night fantasy series, as well as a poet, blogger, and lover of story. She has recently completed writing the final book in The Wall of Night series, which is now with publisher, Harper Voyager.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

A Year of Heroines in Fantasy: Amat Kyaan, Rachael Boucher, & Nhairin

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Well here we are again -- it's heroines time and I have another line-up of three from my Fantasy hall of fame.

My July trio are Amat Kyaan from Daniel Abraham's  Shadow in Summer, #1 in the Long-Price Quartet, Rachael Boucher in T Frohock's Miserere, and Nhairin from my own The Wall of Night series.

All three are deeply troubled characters, chiefly because of circumstances, although their personalities also play a part. The other thing this particular three have in common is that they have no superpowers, unlike many of their fellow protagonists in each story. 

Amat Kyaan is an ageing bookkeeper, and single woman, who loses almost everything in the city of Saraykeht's cutthroat commercial society. She could well have ended up as just another piece of human flotsam on the city's ruthless tides. Instead, she sets out to take over the city's criminal establishment and take down her enemies. An enterprise that demands tenacity, nerves of steel, considerable daring – and forensic use of double-entry book-keeping.

Rachael Boucher is a Judge in the battleground realm of Woerld, which stands between the contending forces of heaven and hell. In the story's past, her lover abandoned her in Hell, where she was infected by a demon. Although Rachael managed to escape, she has been fighting the demon's encroaching possession ever since.

Like Amat Kyaan, Rachael is staunch. She is also toughminded, self-disciplined, and self-reliant -- she has to be, because the possession makes her an outcast. Perhaps Rachael's most important quality, though, despite the adversity she's suffered, is that she remains merciful. Like Amat Kyaan, she's a great favorite of mine.

Nhairin is also a character who has lost, and suffered, a great deal, both emotionally and physically. She was badly wounded defending her best friend, who was subsequently exiled and is believed dead, and only just escaped with her own life. Nhairin also feels betrayed by another childhood friend, and remains deeply troubled. She is also far less resilient than either Amat or Rachael, which leads her to close in on herself, and eventually fall prey to a predatory madness.

Although very different characters, I've identified the circumstances common to all three heroines. The greatest commonality, though, is the way all three -- yes, even Nhairin -- keep going, until one achieves victory, one is saved, and the third finds forgiveness. They are definitely heroines that endure in the face of great adversity -- which is why, if you haven't met them already, I believe they'll repay a visit. 

Prior Posts: A Year of Heroines in Fantasy

February: Aerin, Elfrid, & Malian of Night
March: Yeine Darr & Rowan Birchmoon
May: Brienne of Tarth, Adjunct Tavore, & Asantir, Commander of Night
June: Shallan, Jehane Mor, & Aidris of the Chameln

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About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is the award-winning author of Thornspell and The Wall Of Night fantasy series, as well as a poet, blogger, and lover of story. She has recently completed writing the final book in The Wall of Night series, which is now with publisher, Harper Voyager.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

A Year of Heroines in Fantasy #4: Shallan, Jehane Mor, & Aidris of the Chameln

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Here on Supernatural Underground, heroines are definitely our core business -- and for June, I'm shining my spotlight on Shallan, from Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series, and Jehane Mor in The Wall of Night -- as well as revisiting a longtime favorite, Aidris, the main character in Cherry Wilder's A Princess of the Chameln. 

Shallan features on Stormlight #3

I've chosen to feature these three heroines together because all are exiles and possess hidden powers. Shallan and Aidris both enter their respective stories as young women on the run as well. 

Shallan is fleeing a violent upbringing and her father's murder, while striving to save her brothers from a secret political-cum-criminal underworld. Where her family are nobles, but not rulers, Aidris's parents are the murdered King and Queen of Chameln. Their deaths are engineered through treachery, facilitating an invasion by a neighboring empire, which forces Aidris to flee for her life and assume a new identity, serving as a rank-and-file warrior in another adjoining realm. 

Jehane Mor first appears in The Wall of Night series as a member of a Guild of Heralds, traveling far and wide as one of a herald pair. Yet like Aidris, she is also a Queen-in-Exile, in her case from the ancient realm of Jhaine, which is ruled by nine priestess-queens. Their rule, though, has grown corrupt, and Jehane Mor's flight and exile was driven by opposition to their depravity. 

All three heroines have considerable magical power, although Shallan's are the most open. She becomes a Knight Radiant and is one of the leading champions in the battle to save her world from Odium (the Stormlight series' "big bad." )

Jehane Mor also has considerable magical power, chiefly of concealment and shielding against magical dangers, which fits with a herald's role and so disguises her greater abilities as a priestess-queen. Aidris, too, has powers, although they are mostly smallscale magics that help preserve her life, but which she is careful to keep concealed in her disguise as a household guard.

Of the three, she is also closest to the traditional "heroine-alone," whereas Shallan has a mentor (Jasnah Kholin), a lover (Adolin), and her fellow Knights-Radiant, as well as being bonded, like all Knights Radiant, with a supernatural being called a spren. Conversely, Jehane Mor, like Aidris, has lost many close companions through flight and exile, but retains her closest childhood companion, Tarathan. He has become the other half of their symbiotic herald pair, a bond so close that heralds frequently speak in unison.

Jehane Mor's origins are revealed in The Gathering of the Lost

Aidris may be the most alone of this month's heroine trio, but Shallan is the most vulnerable. Her traumatic childhood has resulted in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or split personalities, chiefly Veil and Radiant. Although a coping mechanism, the multiple personalities are also symptomatic of deepseated emotional trauma, which Shallan must constantly contend with in order to function as a Knight Radiant. 

Both Aidris and Jehane Mor, by comparison, are strongly grounded in their sense of self, and both are also quiet where Shallan is flamboyant. But where Aidris's quiet stems from shyness and a profound reserve, Jehane Mor is chiefly characterized by serenity as well as composure, even in the face of great danger. Like Aidris, though, the core of her strength is knowing and staying true to herself. 

Yet whether flamboyant or serene, traumatized or centered, one of a "band of comrades" or a protagonist alone, Shallan, Aidris, and Jehane Mor all merit their place in Fantasy's pantheon of heroines. 

Prior Posts: A Year of Heroines in Fantasy

February: Aerin, Elfrid, & Malian of Night
March: Yeine Darr & Rowan Birchmoon
May: Brienne of Tarth, Adjunct Tavore, & Asantir, Commander of Night

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About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is the award-winning author of Thornspell and The Wall Of Night fantasy series, as well as a poet, blogger, and lover of story. She has recently completed writing the final book in The Wall of Night series, which is now with publisher, Harper Voyager.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

A Hiatus On Heroines...Just For Now!

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The life authorial has gotten a tad busy, with the 'b' that is for bustle, buzzing around ('like a blue-ass fly' as our Aussie friends like to say :D ) and beavering away!

So much so that I cannot do the heroines justice for today, so I'm calling a heroines hiatus until after the Easter holiday, and its aftermath, is done and dusted.

Instead, for both those who are set to enjoy a break and those who are continuing as usual, here are a few photos from "inside Middle Earth", aka Aotearoa-New Zealand that I hope you will enjoy. :-)

From great high mountains...

...via meetings with remarkable gardens...

To a shining sea.

About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she has recently completed the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series, which is now with its publisher, HarperVoyager.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

From the Backlist - Streetwise Heroines

 

Arcane's Vi - Framed Poster

 
Welcome to another post in the Supernatural Underground Backlist Series. Today's feature is from the wonderful Helen Lowe who is currently bringing us insights and highlights of Heroines as she reflects on them and her Wall of Night Series.

We thought it would be fun to take a peak at her thoughts over a decade ago! 

This post come from February 2014 and offers an astute perspective on what makes  heroines streetwise. 

Let us know your favorite savvy heroine in the comments and be sure to follow Helen's new series on Heroines and WALL.

Good reading...

 

 

 

Streetwise Heroines

by Helen Lowe

Sookie Stackhouse

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I don't think we could have paranormal urban fantasy without the streetwise heroine – but of course that begs the question as to what makes a heroine "streetwise?"

For starters, even if she's not actually from the wrong side of the tracks, I think she has to be able to operate on that turf.

Mercy Thompson

A true streetwise heroine also has to be able to check the box for all three of the big S's: strong, savvy, and sassy.

'Sexy' may make a fourth in here, too, but I don't think it's actually required in the job description...What's the jargon: 'desirable but not essential', he-he.

Maybe just a little bit badass, as well. But with a heart that's in the right place, even if it's in a "tough love" kind of way...

Chess Putnam

Naturally, I have a line up of favorite streetwise heroines from my bookshelf: Sookie Stackhouse and Mercy Thompson are obvious choices, but Stacia Kane's Chess Putnam is also up there.

And if I go beyond paranormal urban stories, there's Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper, Midori Synder's Jobber, and Kristin Cashore's Katsa. 

 

Continue reading ... 

 

 

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About Helen Lowe 

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
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Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

 

Great Leaders in Speculative Fiction #11: Faramir in "The Lord of the Rings"

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"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." ~ Faramir, The Lord of the Rings

Welp, here we are in December -- & ready to spend time with another of speculative fiction's great leaders. It's the last post of the year in this series, but by no means the least, because the character is Faramir, from JRR Tolkien's epic classic, The Lord of the Rings.

Faramir  in The Two Towers

Those who have read the books will almost certainly know why I want to shine the leadership spotlight on Faramir. I get, though, that those who have only seen the Lord of the Rings films may be a tad puzzled at this point. :-)

For those among you who fall into the latter category, I hope today's post illuminates not only why I think Faramir is a great leader, but why he's among my favorite characters in The Lord of the Rings books -- and why I was hugely disappointed by his treatment in the films. #JustSaying 

The Lord of the Rings

By way of background, in The Lord of the Rings the realm of Gondor and bastion city of Minas Tirith (the Tower of Guard), are largely standing alone against the growing might, and evil, of Sauron and Mordor. Faramir is the younger of the Steward (ruler) of Gondor's two sons, and he first appears in the latter half of the second book, The Two Towers. 

Minas Tirith

The ringbearer, Frodo, and his companion, Sam, encounter Faramir in a disputed borderland where they are waging guerilla warfare against the forces of Mordor. In the third book, The Return of the King, Faramir commands the final defense of Gondor's Osgiliath outpost, and fighting retreat to Minas Tirith.

Frodo & Sam on Mordor's border

Faramir has many outstanding leadership qualities, but the defining one is his moral center. When the one ring comes into his power Faramir repudiates it without hesitation, because he knows that its power, while immense, is also hugely corrosive and corrupting. And although deeply committed to Gondor, his loyalty is not blind. So despite knowing that his father, the Steward, would want exactly that, Faramir will not take the ring's corruption into the heart of Minas Tirith. 

Although a successful war-captain, who leads a series of successful forays against the enemy, Faramir is also merciful. So just as he will not take the ring from Frodo and Sam by force (as his brother Boromir attempted to do), he also refuses to slay them just because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite considerable misgiving, Faramir also spares Gollum at Frodo's request--which turns out to be a wise decision, and also a fortuitous one in the end, although his father and brother would both have dismissed such mercy as weakness. 

Nazgul attack

In the books, observers view Faramir as "stern and commanding", as well as "wise" and of "keen wit", so it's perhaps not surprising that his mercy demonstrates sound judgment. Yet however quiet his strength, Faramir shows considerable leadership chops--which is powerfully demonstrated when he holds Gondor's army to a fighting retreat from Osgiliath, rather than allowing his troops to give way to panic and rout. This is no small feat when not only facing vastly superior numbers but the supernatural evil and unrelenting attacks by the Nazgul ringwraiths, i.e. there is a very good reason they concentrate their attacks on Faramir.

Eowyn of Rohan

All reasons that it makes complete sense for the brave and beautiful Eowyn of Rohan to fall in love with him -- not as a 'consolation prize' because she can't have Aragorn, but because Faramir is the real deal. As both a man and a soldier he lights up the pages of The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Unquestionably, too, he deserves his place in the pantheon of speculative fiction's great leaders. 

Eowyn & Faramir: movie poster

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Prior Posts: Great Leaders in Speculative Fiction ~ 
Where To Find 'Em & Why They Rock

February: Mara of the Acoma in the "Empire" series by Raymond E Feist & Janny Wurts

March:  Kaladin and Dalinar in "The Stormlight Archive" by Brandon Sanderson

April: Pyanfar Chanur in "The Pride of Chanur" series by CH Cherryh

May: John Aversin in Dragonsbane, by Barbara Hambly

June: Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games" Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

July: Ulric of the Nadir in Legend by David Gemmell

August: Signe de Barbentain in A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay 

September: Dr Mensah in the "Murderbot" Series by Martha Wells

October: Katsa & Bitterblue in "The Graceling Realms" by Kristin Cashore

November: Coltaine in "Deadhouse Gates" by Steven Erikson
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About Helen Lowe 

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
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Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

From the Backlist: The Importance of Buddies

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cast for Reboot Grows!  Maria Lattila | July 25, 2025

The end-of-the-month pick for From the Backlist has gone to the awesome Helen Lowe's The Importance of Buddies. Written early November, 2011, I don't think she even had thanksgiving in mind that early in the month, but among the wonderful things to be thankful for, one is our circle of friends. Thank you, Helen, for this timeless reminder!

And, is everyone syked for the reboot of this supernatural amazing show? 

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The Importance of Buddies

by Helen Lowe

...the Supernatural Underground is about books. Statement of the obvious, huh? Which means that it’s also about storytelling, which is cool—well, I think so anyways! :)

But the Supernatural Underground is also about buddies. We’re a whole bunch of writers who hang out here because we all love what we do, and also love the opportunity to spend time with you—other folk who love paranormal/fantasy/SF as much as we do.

So because it’s Halloween, and because her hot new title Feast is about Halloween, I’ve been delighted to have my Supe buddy, Merrie Destefano, guesting on my “ … on Anything, Really” blog about how she personally gets in the mood for the 31 October festivities. It’s a fun post, so I hope you’ll head on over and check it out, here.

Here’s the thing though, reading Merrie’s post and generally being in October 31st mode made me think about what my favourite Halloween show might be. And because I’m predictable (I know, sad, isn’t it?) I decided that it really had to be the “Halloween” ep of Buffy, Season 2. Which got me thinking about Buffy and why I like the show—what is the magic, really? I wondered. Because, if I’m honest, a lot of the shows are kinda silly. A lot of fun, too, of course, but still …

The fun and vampyre slayage are both definitely important, but I don’t think they’d have kept me viewing for seven seasons. When I reflected some more on what did, I decided it was mainly about the buddies—the friends around the central Buffy character and the ups and downs of all their stories. That was the bit that was like real life—and maybe what kept my disbelief suspended and me watching the show. 

Read the rest of the post here...

 More about Helen - 

More on the Buff reboot HERE! 

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About Helen Lowe 

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
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Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

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Thanks for dropping by! We hope you have a warm and festive holiday season. 

 

 

 

 

From The Backlist: Eat, Drink, Magic!

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We're definitely into the season now where food is a large part of the festive magic — so we just had to refeature Helen Lowe's Eat, Pray, Magic for our backlist post. 

In it, Helen shares and celebrates the importance of food & foodie celebration to the genre. We think it's a humdinger, so read and enjoy!

Eat, Drink, Magic -- Fun With Food in Fantasy Fiction

by Helen Lowe

From Persephone's consumption the fatal pomegranate, which meant she had to spend six months of every year in the Underworld, to Snow White and the poisoned apple, or Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread House, food plays a vital part in myth, folklore, and fairytales – just as it does in real life.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, food also has its part of play in the Fantasy novel, covering the whole gamut from temptation, celebration, and simple sustenance.

The White Witch tempts Edmund with Turkish Delight in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And the Elvish waybread (lembas) in The Lord of the Rings is essential for sustenance on the great quest-journey to destroy the ring. The return of students to Hogwarts in Harry Potter is always marked by a feast, while the Honeydukes sweet shop in Hogsmeade is an essential destination for the aspiring students of wizardry...

Food can also play an important part in Fantasy worldbuilding. For example, the unwholesomeness of the Turkish Delight, which makes Edmund feel sick even as he longs for more, is contrasted with the hearty fare of the beavers' house – fresh-caught trout with potatoes and butter, followed by a "great and gloriously sticky marmalade roll." Hungry yet?

In my own The Gathering of The Lost (The Wall of Night #2), seasonality is an important part of the worldbuilding and food one of the contributing elements, from the "spice bread and sweet pastries" made for Summer's Eve, through to the fresh cherries associated with the Midsummer Festival.

Food can ground the action, too, like the pie a ravenous character (Carick) eats after having been on the run for days on end:

"The pastry was stale, but he devoured it in ravenous mouthfuls and wondered if he would ever again, in the life that had been returned to him, eat anything that tasted even half as good."

Sometimes, though, food is not just a supporting element for worldbuilding or to ground the story: sometimes it takes center stage, as in Robin McKinley's Sunshine.

The main character, Rae (aka Sunshine), is a baker and her baker's routine, including the early hours, and the food she cooks are essential to the story. Muffins definitely star! Similarly, in Joanne Harris's magic-realism novel, Chocolat, the chocolate and its magic are the heart of the tale.

And everyone who deals with the fairies and the fay knows one must not eat or drink anything offered in a fairy hill, lest one suffers the fate of Persephone or Tam Lin.

his prohibition comes up in Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson novels when Mercy is required to enter Fairyland; similarly in Gillian Bradshaw's Hawk of May when Gwalchmai (Gawain) enters the realm of the Fey.  And it's definitely a theme of Raymond E Feist's classic Faerie Tale.

These are just a few examples that spring to my mind – but how about you? Got any favorite foodie reads in your Fantasy lineup?

If you do have a favorite, let us know in the comments!

To check in on Helen and more on what she's up to, outside of her regular monthly post here, visit her ...on Anything, Really. J