By Amy Blay, Jodie Walls, Shan Heyworth, Lexie Knight
To celebrate Disability Awareness Month, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite reads that highlight the intersections between the LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities for you to add to your TBR (To Be Read) list!
A Power Unbound (The Last Binding Book Three) by Freya Marske
The third and final instalment in Marske’s historical fantasy trilogy The Last Binding, A Power Unbound ties together all the loose threads from the series’ overarching plot – yet, thanks to its strong, compelling romance, can be read as a standalone.
Jack Alston – Lord Hawthorn – thought he was done with magic for good after the death of his sister. However, when a threat looms over every magician in Britain, he is dragged back into that world and forced to work side-by-side with writer and thief Alan Ross, who despises Jack’s money and privilege. When a terrible plot comes to a head at Jack’s ancestral family estate, Jack, Alan and their allies get caught in a web of lies, secrets and sacrifice, with the foundations of Britain’s magic at risk.
After a traumatic incident in his childhood and his later service in the war, Jack is left battling chronic leg pain – for which he relies on the use of a cane – and has to come to terms with the loss of his magic. Refreshingly, Jack’s disability is never cured by others’ magic, nor does it diminish his authority. His struggles with power, identity and isolation work well alongside Alan’s inner conflicts regarding class and privilege, which come to a head as the two gradually develop their heated rivalry into something more.
Described as “[a] delightful, twisty, endlessly charming romp” by Grace D. Li (author of Portrait of a Thief), A Power Unbound is a gripping novel with fantastic representation among its unforgettable cast of characters.
Interesting Facts about Space by Emily R. Austin
Enid adores space; she can tell you all about black holes without being scared and is terrified of bald men. She spends her time listening to true crime podcasts and dating a rotation of women she’s found on dating apps. Whilst trying to repair her relationship with her estranged half-sisters, she starts exploring an exciting new love interest. To top it all off, she thinks that someone has started following her. Is this just paranoia because of her obsession with true crime podcasts? Or is someone really following her?
From the author of Gay Girl Prayers and Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, this is a book about learning to love and accept yourself, with a refreshingly realistic depiction of mental health difficulties.
Throughout the book, Enid finds a community online that helps her to realise that she isn’t the only person who has awkward encounters with strangers who believe that she is ignoring them due to her being hard-of-hearing.
This contemporary novel builds tension and leaves readers on edge. The careful exploration of Enid’s past through therapy sessions, combined with her personal development, makes for a great read.
The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost Book One) by C. L. Clark
The Balladaire Empire rules over a vast empire that includes the country of Qazāl, where a rebellion is brewing. Stolen as a child and trained to fight for the empire, Touraine is sent with the rest of the Colonial Brigade to quell the uprising in the city of her birth. Meanwhile, Luca, the Balladairan princess and rightful heir, is also in Qazāl, seeking to prove herself by thwarting the rebels and positioning herself to overthrow her uncle.
After an accident in her childhood, Luca uses a cane and experiences chronic pain. Her mission is influenced by her circumstances – her claim to the throne has been overlooked, as her disability is seen as a weakness. Yet, Luca is determined to demonstrate her strength and capability. Both Luca and Touraine are complex characters who face tough decisions under difficult circumstances.
The Unbroken is an intense and nuanced exploration of colonialism in a North-African inspired setting. Its diverse cast grapples with power dynamics and their roles within a colonial structure. The first book in the Magic of the Lost trilogy, The Unbroken is ideal for readers interested in political fantasy, featuring a queernormative world and a protagonist with a disability.
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Author of the wildly celebrated novel They Both Die At The End, Adam Silvera delivers another heartbreaking tale in History Is All You Left Me. True to his style, Silvera uses the narrative to delve into a mental health condition, in this case, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Aimed at a YA audience, History Is All You Left Me serves as a good introduction to understanding OCD for young readers, with an engaging and accessible storyline.
The novel offers a great example of how OCD can intensify alongside major life changes, like the loss of a loved one and highlighting the grief that comes with it. Silvera reveals how mental health conditions can adapt to challenging situations, usually creating additional difficulties for the person navigating the disorder.
Queer stories such as this are important for LGBTQIA+ disabled readers to see themselves represented in the media, whether they have a physical or mental disability. It can be hard enough to navigate the media as a queer person, and as such the LGBTQIA+ disabled community has an even smaller pool of support, making novels like History Is All You Left Me – and the conversations formed around them – so important for visibility and support.