A Year of Heroines in Fantasy: Beatritz de Barbentain, Mneri of the Khentor, & Korriya of Night

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This month's trio of heroines have a considerable amount in common. All three are supporting rather than major characters, but still have  a part to play in the main story, and all three are priestesses. 

Beatritz is High Priestess of the goddess Rian in Guy Gavriel Kay's A Song for Arbonne. She is also the daughter of Arbonne's ruling countess but was so determined to pursue her spiritual calling that she blinded herself voluntarily (a now archaic practice in Arbonne, but traditionally thought to enhance prescience) to ensure she would not be coerced into a dynastic marriage. 

That's commitment, right?! But the prescience she gains thereby, however fleeting and partial, turns out to be crucial in saving Arbonne from Gorhaut, its traditional enemy. 

In A Song for Arbonne the stakes are Arbonne's independence and the freedom to worship Rian, whereas in both Joy Chant's Red Moon and Black Mountain and my own The Wall of Night series, the characters face an existential evil that threatens all life.

In Red Moon and Black Mountain, the young woman called Mneri is one the Khentor, the nomadic warrior tribes of the plains. She is called to the role of priestess by her people, which gives her greater standing in a world where women are subservient to men and the worship of the mother goddess is respected, but must be practiced in underground sanctuaries. Yet although an honor, in the world of the Khentor where the tribe is all, refusal is not a real option for Mneri. 

Mneri's part in her story is less crucial than Beatritz's, but when the final destructive force unleashed by the antagonist must be overcome -- although it is primeval, rather than evil in itself -- she unmasks the potential solution. 

Korriya's part in The Heir of Night is also less critical than Beatritz's role. She is the most circumscribed of the three in terms of her personal circumstances as well. In the world of the warrior Derai, priests are discriminated against and segregated from mainstream society, so Korriya was not only forced into the temple life, but effectively imprisoned within it. Over time, she has become a senior priestess, but when the story opens, events force her to challenge Derai segregation in order to alert the wider community to the paranormal forces that threaten all.

As noted at the outset, Beatritz, Mneri, and Korriya are all supporting characters in a wider epic-heroic story. What their part illustrates is that defeating the "big bad" is not only about the "captains and kings" but also about everyone playing their part -- even when their societies don't recognize or respect their role or contribution. Or in Beatritz's case, know about the key element at all, which must remain forever secret... 

Nonetheless, all three step up when circumstances demand it, and serve their societies and worlds as faithfully as any champion wielding lightning bolts or swords -- which is why they've more than earned their place in my pantheon of Fantasy 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
June: Shallan, Jehane Mor, & Aidris of the Chameln

July: Amat Kyaan, Rachael Boucher, & Nhairin
August: Karou, Rose Marshall, & Yorindesarinen

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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 is currently editing the the final book in The Wall of Night series. 

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

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 Year of Heroines in Fantasy #3: Brienne of Tarth, Tavore Paran, & Asantir

 
Following my wee hiatus on heroines last month, I'm back again for May and rarin' to talk Brienne of Tarth from the Game of Thrones 'verse, Adjunct Tavore (Paran) in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and Asantir from m'own The Wall of Night quartet.

Brienne of Tarth, GoT series

All three are warriors in their respective societies, but not magic wielders as well -- unlike Aerin, Elfrid, and Malian, in my first Heroines post. So that's the first aspect they have in common -- although their disparities, as well as the qualities they share, are equally important in looking at this particular trio together. 

Brienne, for example, is very much an outlier in a man's world, where women are largely not accepted as warriors and certainly not knighted -- although in the Game of Thrones TV adaptation, which goes beyond the story arc of the books, Brienne does achieve this distinction. 

Tavore and Asantir, by contrast, inhabit worlds where women are as likely to be warriors as mages, and hold positions of power throughout their societies. Yet Tavore, like Brienne, comes from a noble family, whereas Asantir has risen through the ranks to become first captain of her Earl's honor guard, then overall Commander of the warrior House of Night.

On the other hand, both the honor guard role and loyalty to a leader -- in Brienne's case, Renly Baratheon, and in Asantir's the Earl of Night -- ties these two heroines closer together. Early in the Game of Thrones storyline, Brienne is chosen for Renly's elite Rainbow Guard, although her later path is more that of a knight errant, seeking to find and protect the two Stark sisters, Sansa and Arya. 

The Wall of Night series (USA)

When readers first meet Asantir in The Heir of Night (Book One), she is already captain of the Earl's Honor Guard, and unlike Brienne, she stays within her House's chain of command, and advances to command its armies. In this sense, her path is closer to that of Adjunct Tavore, who leads the Malazan Seventh Army throughout most of the ten-book Malazan series.

Tavore and Asantir are also more alike in personality than Brienne. Both are confident in themselves, keen minded, and experienced and successful soldiers. Brienne is equally adept as a warrior, but lacks Tavore and Asantir's confidence -- although, like them, her arc in the HBO shows her not only becoming a knight, i.e. recognized for her fighting prowess, but also commanding a wing of the army that faces the Night King. 

A major difference between Tavore, as opposed to both Brienne and Asantir, is the question mark over the sacrifice of her young sister, Felisin, to further her own rise in the service of the Malazan Empress.

Malazan #1

Asantir, however, is renowned in Night for her unwavering honor, loyalty, and duty, while Brienne is equally unswerving in her loyalty to Renly and in keeping faith with her pledge to find and protect the Stark sisters.  

As a woman following a warrior path, Brienne breaks the conventions of her society, yet in her knightly conduct and service she upholds them. In this sense, she may be something of a paradox, but otherwise, what you see with Brienne of Tarth is unquestionably who and what she is.  Conversely, with both Tavore and Asantir there are always hidden depths -- but a diversity of Fantasy heroines just adds more zest to the genre fun. 

The Wall of Night series (UK)

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Prior Posts: A Year of Heroines in Fantasy

February: Aerin, Elfrid, & Malian of Night
March: Yeine Darr & Rowan Birchmoon

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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 its publisher.

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.

A Year of Heroines #2 -- Yeine Darr and Rowan Birchmoon

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As mentioned last month, with completion of The Wall of Night (WALL) series I've been giving some thought to heroines in Fantasy -- all of which has prompted me to focus on them as m'theme for 2026!  Each month, I'll take a heroine (or two!) from a favorite book and contrast-and-compare with a 'leading lady' from the WALL series.

This month, I'm checking in on Yeine Darr from NK Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, along with Rowan Birchmoon from WALL -- chiefly The Heir of Night, although her influence is felt throughout the series.

Yeine Darr and Rowan Birchmoon

Don't get me wrong, these are two very different characters with very different story arcs -- for starters, Yeine Darr is the main character in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, while Rowan Birchmoon is a "best supporting" player. 

Both, though, come from outlying lands (considered barbarian by some) but are forced by a mix of circumstance and choice to dwell among strangers who are, at best, reserved, and at worst, outright hostile. 

Kindle Edition

Yeine is her people's representative to Sky, the palace of the world-ruling Arameri (who are also her estranged kin), and although summoned there by her grandfather, she also seeks to resolve the murder of her exiled Arameri mother. Soon after her arrival, however, she is precipitated into a three-way contest to become the Arameri heir, which involves not only family and cultural politics, but a long-smoldering civil war between the gods -- quite a few of whom also reside in Sky.

Rowan Birchmoon is also an outsider, a woman of the Winter steppe residing in the alien Derai's Keep of Winds, on the bleak and inhospitable Wall of Night. In Rowan's case, it is love that has brought her there, as lover and consort (but not wife) to the Earl of Night. The Derai, however, dislike what they call "outsiders", and believe she must have bewitched the Earl into loving her, so Rowan's life is also fraught with danger. 

US edition

In The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the Arameri hold sway through magic, and both serve the gods that favor them, while binding others to their own service. Consequently, in Yeine's quest to survive the contest to become Arameri heir (and so the future ruler of the world, effectively) and uncover her mother's murder, she also becomes the central piece in a game of power between the gods -- a game that is soon complicated by romantic entanglement with Nahadoth, one of the most powerful and enigmatic of the gods that serve the Aramieri. 

The stakes in this latter game are even higher than the contest for the Arameri heirdom. In order to survive both, Yeine must discover the source of her own magic and use it to win a game of power that involves both heaven and earth.

Audio edition

On the surface, Rowan Birchmoon's path through The Heir of Night is a quieter one. She also differs from Yeine in knowing the core of her power from the outset. So although the Derai see her as their Earl's unwelcome consort first, and a huntress second, she is also a shaman of the Winter People, with the power to shape the seasons, and a seer. A hidden power, but one, along with love for the Earl of Night, that has brought her to the Wall -- and also to Malian, the prophesied champion (of February's post.) 

So when the chips are down, and Malian must flee for her life, Rowan Birchmoon will step into the game -- and what follows, at that point, will play as big a part as Yeine's in Sky, in shaping the course of her world.

UK edition

Prior Posts: A Year of Heroines 

February: Aerin, Elfrid, & Malian of Night

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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 has recently completed the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series, which is now with its publisher,

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.