At the start of Chapter 5, I appreciate how accessibility is simply a part of Kair Toren. To me, this felt like an excellent example of authors writing diversity into books without accentuating difference to the reader. It isn’t a point of pity, or an opportunity to Other. It’s just a relatable moment where a gaggle of girls are going to shop together.

I find some fantasy worlds just build on the existing privilege structures and transmit that back to the reader (if that makes sense). And the excuse for this is “oh it’s a fantasy world, accessibility is unrealistic”. I was excited to see Andrews break from this trend, and demonstrate how an author can use their creativity to create a new world altogether, not just the existing one transplanted into feudal times.

I’m definitely not explaining the nuance I feel well enough but this brain worm stuck with me through my first read and into my second.

Casual wheelchair user representation in a fantasy novel? Incredible!!

Across the street, a woman in a wheelchair rolled in the opposite direction, surrounded by a gaggle of young girls. One of them held the door of the alchemy shop open, the second pushed her chair, and the other two scurried into the store as the woman's raised voice carried over in the familiar cadence of a teacher giving a lecture, "Remember the rule. Everything is poisonous, everything is hot. Touch nothing and do not put your hands in your mouth . . ."

Especially as this is like mid/late-Medieval inspired fantasy, so many authors simply don't think about this at all, or dismiss it out of hand as impossible or too difficult for the period. But disabled people have always been around AND if you can have magic in your story WHYYYY pray tell can't you have an accessible or relatively accessible world? 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Just finished, instantly beginning the re-read. It’s that good.