ID: title banner featuring a student in a wheelchair and yellow cardigan carry a stack of books in their lap.
Happy April 3rd, everyone! It's "We Need Diverse Books" Day!
To commemorate a decade of work by the illustrious and trailblazing folks over at We Need Diverse Books Publishers, here are some novel series that I have either personally enjoyed or found from disability representation articles around the web! You'll find an official blurb from Goodreads along with official art and a link to where you can likely purchase them. If I don't have any personal insights on the overall series and disabled character in question, I'll share a top review from Goodreads instead.
Note that some of these characters are the lead protagonist and others are important supporting characters. I personally consider both types to be "main characters," since they both help move the plot along and are irreplaceable in the cast. If you disagree with my categorization, fight me in the comments. *gives you a forehead kiss*
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (2008-14)
IDs: On the left, a collage of the four covers in the series. In the middle, book art of Leeli, a little girl with an under-arm crutch and a soft smile. On the right, an official poster for The Wingfeather Saga animated series.
Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.
Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys’ extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.
Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.
- Goodreads, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
You know a series targeted for children is great when an adult can read it and enjoy it just as much!
My mom gifted me the first installation for Christmas a few years ago, and I fell in love with the Igiby family instantly! It's a series that matures with its readers while maintaining a balance of absurdity and seriousness. The character arcs tug at the heart, the worldbuilding is immersive, and the themes are grounded in compassionate truths. The new animated series, free to watch on the Angel Studios streaming platform, is %100 crowd-funded and is already underway for season two!
Personally, I thought Leeli was a pretty sweet character. Maybe a little lacking in character development compared to her brothers, but that could just be chalked up to the fact that she's not even ten years old. I also loved how her power as a musician has no relation to her disability, since many stories in fantasy settings are tempted to conflate characters' disabilities with their abilities. She plays an integral role in the series' storyline and gets to shine even brighter in the last novel, as she is entrusted with a task only she can accomplish.
The Waterfire Saga by Jennifer Donnelly (2014-6)
IDs: On the left, the cover art for the four novels in the series, including four of the main characters. In chronological order: Deep Blue, Rogue Wave, Sea Spell, and Dark Tide. On the right, official art for the character Ava Corajoso. She wears an outfit of warm colors and complex patterns and a long veil over her hair indicative of a spotted manta ray.
Serafina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, has been raised with the expectation - and burden - that she will someday become ruler of the oldest civilization of the merfolk. On the eve of the Dokimí ceremony, which will determine if she is worthy of the crown, Sera is haunted by a strange dream that foretells the return of an ancient evil. But her nightmare is forgotten the next day as she diligently practices her songspell; eagerly anticipates a reunion with her best friend, Neela; and anxiously worries about Mahdi, the crown prince of Matali, and whether his feelings toward her and their future betrothal have changed. Most of all, she worries about not living up to her mother's hopes.
The Dokimí proceeds, a dazzling display of majesty and might, until a shocking turn of events interrupts it: an assassin's arrow wounds Isabella. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina's darkest premonitions are confirmed. Now she and Neela must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the mer nations. Their search will lead them to other mermaid heriones scattered across the six seas. Together they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.
- Goodreads, Deep Blue
A super fun read for teenage me! It has a little bit of everything; mystery, action, wholesome romance, sisterhood, and one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read about! The unique re-imaginings of ancient mythologies make for an immersive world that I so wish would get a tv adaptation or a sequel series.
Ava Corajoso, one of the six main protagonists, is an afro-Brazilian mermaid with an affinity for pink and a quick laugh. After losing her sight from a disease at age six, she gets around thanks to the help of her seeing-eye piranha named Baby. While I have to admit that is a bit of a stereotype for the blind character to be a prophet, I still appreciate that her blindness is uncured even in a world with magical healing. When she goes on her own quest, the narration switches to her point of view, focusing on nonvisual descriptions so that readers can immerse themselves in her experience, which is pretty cool.
The Arcadia Project Trilogy by Mishell Baker (2016-8)
IDs: The three cover arts for the trilogy, all featuring the protagonist's face superimposed over elements of trees, snow, wings, roses, and cities.
A year ago Millie lost her legs and her filmmaking career in a failed suicide attempt. Just when she's sure the credits have rolled on her life story, she gets a second chance with the Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales.
For her first assignment, Millie is tasked with tracking down a missing movie star, who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. To find him, she'll have to smooth talk Hollywood power players and uncover the surreal and sometimes terrifying truth behind the glamour of Tinseltown. But stronger forces than just her inner demons are sabotaging her progress, and if she fails to unravel the conspiracy behind the noble's disappearance, not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds.
- Goodreads, Borderline
Millicent (Millie) Roper is a most unlikely urban fantasy heroine.
She has two prosthetic legs. And I'm not talking futuristic bionic limbs that give her superhero-like speed or strength. NOPE. Just the usual kind. Not that I'm saying people with prostheses can't be heroes, it's just not the standard in fiction.
She lost her legs when she landed feet first from a seven story jump, and, YES, I do mean jump--it was a suicide attempt.
A suicide attempt that took place after a failed romance with one of her professors . . . Millie also has BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder).
Basically . . . she's a HOT MESS.
She's also one of the most compelling characters I've read in recent memory.
When we meet Millie, she's languishing in some kind of a rehabilitation/recovery facility. With shrinks. She's been there for six months, and while it seems like her stay hasn't done her much good, as the story progresses, we see that it really, really has.
She's learned terms that help her identify her behaviors. She's learned coping mechanisms. And we learn more about her disease than I ever thought was possible without falling asleep.
But as it turns out, people "marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships," . . . NOT boring. Especially when they get recruited by a government-funded agency to liaise between the humans and the fey . . . Recruited with a bunch of other crazies . . . Who all live in the same house.
So that's awesome.
BORDERLINE by Mishell Baker is that rare something new, something different, something GOOD that we're all silently hoping for every time we pick up a new book. Baker puts her own unique spin on the fey, while maintaining their basic integrity. Her writing is bloody fantastic. Her characters are real, and I straight-up love Millie--she is deeply flawed, possesses an honesty that is alternately painful and hilarious, and manically likable. Any fan of urban fantasy should check this one out. Highly recommended.
- Jessica Silverbow, Goodreads
The Arch Mage Series by Cami Murdock Jensen (2019-23)
IDs: Two cover arts for the first book First Earth. On the left, Agnes floats through a green aether toward a doorway glowing with orange light where a cat waits for her. On the right, Agnes is encircled by a glowing portal and floating books, with a large spotted cat on her shoulder. She is pale with a white pixie cut and red marks running up her neck and right cheek.
Scarred and reviled. She’s the only hope for a magical world… and ours.
Sixteen-year-old Agnes Ann Cavanaugh hates mirrors and herself. Horribly disfigured as a baby and constantly battling chronic pain, she trusts only two people: her mom and the blind author who offered her an internship. But as she’s translating an ancient tablet for him, she triggers an attack by terrifying monsters that catapults her into an enchanted realm.
Barely able to catch her breath, she meets a strange old man and his talking cat who claim she’s a wizard destined to save their Earth. But when Agnes magically determines he’s lying about something, her wariness warns her she needs to get home. Yet, if she doesn’t master her latent abilities to defeat an evil necromancer, her own planet is as doomed as the one she hopes to escape.
Will Agnes protect the people that desperately need her, or is this the end of life as she knows it?
- Goodreads, First Earth
First Earth is not the first fantasy novel to include a protagonist who lives with a disability. But what appeals to me about Agnes’ story is that her disability is rooted in a tragic childhood accident. As a result, she has struggled with emotional scars and—especially as a teen—with the ostracism of peers that sometimes comes with physical scars. Her perception of others and herself, her reactions, responses, and dialogue are consistent and believable (not always easy for an adult author to pull off). The degree of healing that Agnes experiences as she learns to accept her natural and magical gifts as well as her disabilities, and the marginal transformation in her self esteem are also believable and wonderfully inspiring.
Agnes is the hero of the story but she’s no superhero. She’s a real-life, down-to-second-earth sixteen-year-old who is instantly likable. Her struggles and victories kept me cheering for her to the end. Thankfully, her story isn’t over. I’m recommending this book whenever I can and am looking forward to reading more in the series as Agnes’ adventures throughout the Jent Paths continue. I’m just not sure if I’ll be able to wait and read aloud with my wife.
- Darryl Frayne, Goodreads
The Falls Mysteries by J.E. Barnard (2018-20)
IDs: The covers of the three books in the series: When the Flood Falls, Where the Ice Falls, Why the Rock Falls. Each cover shows a photograph of a mountain lake, a snowy valley, and a rocky cliff, respectively. A woman can be seen in each photo.
When a phantom stalker targets her only friend, Lacey McCrae’s crime-busting skills are tested to their limits.
With her career in tatters and her marriage receding in the rear-view mirror, ex-RCMP corporal Lacey McCrae trades her uniform for a tool belt and the Lower Mainland for the foothills west of Calgary. Amid the oil barons, hockey stars, and other high rollers living in the wilderness playground is her old university roommate, Dee Phillips. Dee’s glossy life was shattered by a reckless driver. Now she’s haunted by a nighttime prowler only she can hear.
As snowmelt swells the Elbow River, threatening to close the only bridge back to civilization, Lacey must control her fears and find out who has reason to want Dee silenced. A missing hockey player and the strange behaviour of the neighbours throws shadows of doubt on several locals. But just when Lacey starts to put the pieces together, it seems that she may be putting a target on her own back. Someone has a secret, and they'll go to great lengths to ensure it is never revealed.
- Goodreads, When the Flood Falls
In this eclectic blending of art and hockey we meet three very strong, but very different women, each dealing with personal challenges. Ex-RCMP Corporal Lacey McCrae, newly divorced from an abusive husband, struggling to forge a new life. Dee Phillips, Lacey’s old friend from university days, dealing with a stalker while directing the opening of a new art gallery in the affluent Calgary foothills. And, perhaps, most interesting, Jan Brenner, Dee’s friend and neighbour, coping with debilitating illness that saps her strength and sometimes impairs her otherwise sharp cognitive skills.
And just when the reader is wondering how these very different women matter to us, a grizzly murder at the gallery launches us into the first layer of a complex plot that ultimately exposes a sordid crime, one that almost costs Lacey her life.
In this, the first of the “Falls” series, Jayne Barnard does what she does best. She gives us a challenging cast of believable characters with interesting stories of their own, then turns them lose to fix a despicable wrong.
- Ilonka ARC reader, Goodreads
The Numina Parables by McKenzie Catron-Pichan (2022-)
IDs: Cover art for the two current books in the series alongside official art for the protagonists. A Daughter of the Trolls shows a heart made of wood surrounded by white sparrow outlines. The character Sparrow is a young adult human woman with ivory skin, short brown hair, and green eyes. A Goblin of the Glade shows a pair of scissors, a red thread, holly, and white sparrow outlines. The characters Posy, Rose, and Poppy are three young adult goblins with green skin, flowing black hair, and pointy ears.
Are you afraid of the bogeyman?
Eighteen-year-old Sparrow can’t remember a time when she wasn’t. And neither can her mother—or the trolls, imps, gnomes, and faeries who all live in the Glade and call it home. Though Sparrow’s weak heart keeps her wheelchair bound, she and her mother have dedicated their lives to protecting the Glade, especially from the worst bogeyman of them all: the skin-stealing, poison-ingesting witch called Black Annis.
But one night, Sparrow makes a terrible mistake, and everything she once held dear is taken from her. The Glade is no longer a sanctuary, and the only way Sparrow can save her mother and her friends is to journey out into a monster-ridden world that wasn’t made for her or her wheelchair. Joined by her half-goblin friend, Rush, Sparrow will have to confront her fears before the ones they love are lost forever.
- Goodreads, A Daughter of The Trolls
Ten years have passed, but neither Primrose nor her sisters, Poppy and Posy, can shake the belladonna-soaked trauma of their childhood. Though the triplets have grown and are no longer captive, the memory of Black Annis’s iron talons and needle teeth still linger.
That is until a shadowy Pooka appears with a message tangled in Fate’s red thread: a prophecy from the fabled Numina that threatens to upend the family all over again.
With only the suspicious, dark Pooka as their guide, the triplets must follow the Numina’s destined trail to a perilous mountain haunted by trickster spirits. But when their dubious quest delivers them into the claws of the infamous witch Baba Yaga, the goblin sisters are forced to face their childhood nightmares or let the world, and those they love, be forever consumed by darkness.
- Goodreads, A Goblin of the Glade
If I had to pick, this would be my favorite series on this list. There's only two in the series at the moment, so I CANNOT WAIT for the next installation! I could wax poetry about how A Daughter of the Trolls was my first fantasy novel with a disabled main character and changed my life forever, and how A Goblin of the Glade ripped my heart out and then put it back together like kintsugi pottery, but I'll spare my keyboard. I strongly recommend that you read them in order, the first in autumn and the next in winter, to ensure optimum seasonal vibes.
The main heroine of the first story A Daughter of the Trolls is Sparrow, an at-home baker from a small village of fearie creatures. This novel was Catron's closure for her personal experience with becoming disabled, chiefly losing her ability to walk and the subsequent health issues and anxiety that followed. So, Sparrow's experience with wheelchair-use closely mirrors hers.
The gorgeous goblin triplets of the second story A Goblin of the Glade could not be more different from each other. Rose is a far-traveler with thorny sass and a distaste for romance. Poppy is a perky florist with a big heart and constant song. Posy is the quiet genius, sitting on tables as she studies old tomes. The three offer a variety of representation, including autism, ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety. Not only is this series a great resource for people who don't know much about living with disability and mental illness, but a great offer of solidarity with readers who know for themselves.
The Cassidy Cases by McKenzie Catron-Pichan (2024-)
IDs: On the left, a book jacket depicting the characters. The silhouettes of six people stand in the windows of an old motel. Outside stands a blonde man in dapper attire with a cane and notebook. In the foreground stands the side profile of Stella, a young woman with curly brown hair and guns strapped around her waist. On the right, an alternate cover with the title in old Wester fillagree printed over a nighttime field of blue, transparent ghost longhorns.
Hell is empty, and the devils are here.
Raised by the outlaws that marked her with blood and gunpowder in a world where people live side by side with ghosts, eighteen-year-old Stella Cassidy is on a mission. When her infamous criminal father sends her to a haunted hotel to recover a stash of hidden money, she realizes she's in for more than she bargained for. As an autistic young woman, Stella masks to survive daily life. Now, she must also hide her incriminating identity from the hotel guests. Especially Jericho, the Pinkerton Detective hellbent on catching her father.
But when the maintenance man of Hotel La Muerte and member of her father's Wild Bunch gang is found murdered, Stella must enact the gang's revenge on the killer. Which means testing her social abilities and partnering up with the detective to solve the case. Stella and Jericho must trust each other despite being on opposite sides of the law and ignore the interest budding between them. After all, Stella only has so much time to catch the murderer with Jericho, unearth the money hidden under the detective's nose, and slip away before it's too late.
A new Own Voices novel from the mind of eight-time award-winning author McKenzie Catron-Pichan, brimming with her own family secrets and choice antique photos, features a twist on history, nods to Arizona folklore, and a fantastical mystery too good to put down.
Y'all know I had to include Catron twice!
I've not read many murder mysteries, so a Wild-West-meets-Supernatural-themed one was pretty intriguing. McKenzie knows how to describe characters' expressions and behaviors to keep readers guessing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, she made me second guess myself and surprised me with yet another one of her plot twists that she so loves to give. And the romance caught me off guard! No spice here, just enough pining to make you kick your feet like a schoolgirl. Catron sure knows how to write good boys who aren't boring! Stella and Jericho, while being star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the tracks, are a well-balanced team based on mutual respect, admiration, and compassion. I'm rooting for them in the second half of the duology!
Since the story is written from Stella's perspective, we get to see just how much effort and energy someone on the spectrum may put into masking. We also get to see how Stella's years of practice and observation help her solve the case. I also liked how her special interest is taking things apart and putting them back together; it endears the reader to her uniqueness and illustrates how she's sharper than barbed wire!
Jericho, the well-groomed, straight-laced Pinkerton, uses a cane to get around. I appreciate how Catron mentions that he deals with chronic pain and uneasy mobility, since most appearances of canes in historical fiction or fantasy are purely cosmetic. But for Jericho, it's a daily necessity that doesn't detract from his heroic demeanor or competence as a sharpshooting detective.
The disability representation here is the right blend of dignified yet realistic. I'd expect nothing more from Catron, an authoress who herself is autistic and uses mobility devices.
Instanolde Chronicles by Kaitlyn Carter Brown (2024)
IDs: On the left, the cover art of the first book, Queen of Shifting Sands. Lystra looks over a desert, holding a dagger. In the middle, Lystra and Elerek lean in for a kiss. Lystra wears a seafoam gown and Elerek wears a loose white shirt in an old-fashioned wheelchair. On the right, the cover art for the second book, King of Star-cast Skies. Elerek looks over splashing ocean.
The stars have aligned in the kingdom of Instanolde, or so Lystra believes as she eagerly awaits her wedding day. Her beloved, the king, is everything her heart desires, but when a brutal attack leaves her betrothed dead and Instanolde on the cusp of collapse, she finds her future in ruins, and the throne beyond her reach. With invasion looming across the desert, Lystra refuses to let grief keep her from defending her kingdom—even if that means forging a marriage alliance with Elerek, the brother of her lost love, a prince shrouded in secrets.
Elerek, now heir to the throne, has spent his life waiting to die. An untouchable curse lurks beneath his skin, and though he aches to see its suffocating hold severed, he’s long given up hope. When his brother’s death drags him from the shadows, Elerek must find the strength to shoulder the crown’s burdens and secure a queen—a wife to protect his kingdom after the curse claims him. With the adoration of the people already in the palm of her hands, Lystra is the ideal candidate. But even if she doesn’t spurn him for his ruinous curse, he’ll need to protect her from its dangers—and his heart as he finds himself steadily drawn to the girl’s unbreakable spirit. With death on the horizon, Elerek must become the king he never planned to be and save Instanolde before his time runs out.
Lystra and Elerek only have one summer to prepare their kingdom for invasion, but more than one threat prowls their desert, and the cost of survival might just destroy them all.
Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantastical romantic adventure where duty and endurance grapple amid the sands of chaos. Lovers of intrigue, high stakes, and slow-burn will fall in love with this adult (with YA crossover appeal) fantasy. Escape into the rich, immersive world of the Instanolde Chronicles.
I also loved that Elerek was a disabled main character & love interest. He uses a wheelchair and proves that disabled MCs belong in fantasy worlds, so I will be shoving this book in the next person's face who dares to tell me they don't. I think it was very respectfully done, so hats off to Kaitlyn Carter Brown, you did such a good job, thank you.
- Milica, Goodreads
The Unseelie Duology by Ivelisse Housman (2023-5)
IDs: Cover art for the duology. On the left, Unseelie, two identical sisters stand in a forest. One has short hair and black clothes, the other has a long braid, a red dress, and a hand sparking with magic. On the right, Unending, the two stand back-to-back between a forest and white column. One has short hair, a black gown, and a dagger. The other has long locks, a white gown, and a swirling fireball in her hands.
Twin sisters, both on the run, but different as day and night. One, a professional rogue, searches for a fabled treasure; the other, a changeling, searches for the truth behind her origins, trying to find a place to fit in with the realm of fae who made her and the humans who shun her. Iselia "Seelie" Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde... but as an autistic changeling trying to navigate her unpredictable magic, Seelie finds it more difficult to fit in with the humans around her. When Seelie and Isolde are caught up in a heist gone wrong and make some unexpected allies, they find themselves unraveling a larger mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike. Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister, and herself?
This duology takes the folkloric associations between ASD and faeries and turns it on its head for the better. Housman captures each character's personality with believability and flare, immersing you into their dynamics. She has a strong voice, vivid worldbuilding, and is just plain funny! Narration that actually makes readers chuckle is such a difficult feat to pull off! Can't wait for the second half of the duology this coming fall!
Seelie is introspective, sassy, loves baking, hates masking, and is a great driver (*inside joke*)! She struggles to fully embrace what makes her different, especially when it comes to her magical powers, which can hurt those around her. However, if she fails to get a grip on her magic, their quest will be for naught. Although I'm not on the spectrum myself, I can still relate to the dichotomy of wanting to be a protector versus remaining gentle. I was super pumped to find an autistic heroine written by an autistic authoress, and Seelie did not disappoint! It was educational to read a first-person experience and enjoyable to endure a risky journey with her!
I hope y'all find some special connections with these series; I look forward to diving into more of these series myself!
If y'all know any other series with good disability representation, please do not hesitate to leave a comment so we can all enjoy them together!
Happy "We Need Diverse Books Day!"
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