Broken, Awkward, Incompetent, Mismatched Heroes: Why We Need Them in Stories

I'm not sure what the umbrella term for these types of characters should be. Atypical heroes? Messy heroes? Well, whatever the term, I adore them. And my love grows stronger every time I come across a protagonist who's graduated from the academy of perfect heroes. You know--the shiny put-together ones. The ones whose mistakes are …

Fantasy Books & Games for Mental Health Awareness Month (Why I Need More Mental Health Rep in Adult Fantasy)

  May is Wyrd & Wonder and mental health awareness month, so it only makes sense to celebrate the 31st by smooshing them together into one post. I meant to write this on Wednesday for Top 5 Wednesday, but I've been zonked out on allergy meds all week (one day the pharmaceuticals will develop a …

In Defence of Romance: What it Can Do in a Fantasy Story (Or ANY Story)

Today is the start of Wyrd & Wonder (hosted by Lisa, Jorie, and imyril), a month dedicated to the celebration of all things fantastical. Look forward to essay posts, lists, reviews, and more. Let's get started! "But Kathy, who's going out of their way to attack romance in fantasy?" Well, no one in particular. But …

Blogger Recognition Award – A 6 Month Anniversary On Which I Attempt to Give Advice on Blogging and Life

I was nominated by Gerry from The BookNook UK for the Blogger Recognition Award about a month ago! Gerry ranks among post-it notes and cinnamon buns with cream cheese as one of the more awesome things that exist in this world, so go shower her with love. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide …

Then and Now: “Strong Female Characters”

This idea for a blog post came to me while I was half asleep in bed. It sounded genius then and didn't seem all too bad in sober daylight, either. Then and Now is going to be an infrequent series (read: I'll write one whenever my lazy brain feels like it), and it's basically going …

Undertaking the Heroine’s Journey in Fantasy Books

The Hero's Journey. We all know it. We've seen it played out countless times--from the classic Greek myths to more modern stories like Star Wars, The Lord of the Ring, Eragon, and the game Journey. Mythologist Joseph Campbell was the first to propose the archetype. Seeing a common pattern across various mythologies, he suggested the …