Emma’s Adalessikai Fae are a polyamorous, pansexual, sex positive society. There is utterly NO concept of homophobia.

Virginity is not prized. Promiscuity/whore/slut are not even concepts. They recognize marriage, but when practiced it is for practical or personal reasons, not due to religious views over sexual morality or reproduction.

There is no gender bias or discrimination, and genders are not exclusive to M/F.

They do have their issues. Their caste systems are predicated on power, with all the inherent imbalances that comes along with, and there can still be problems with agency when reproduction is desired for political reasons, because, see power imbalances.

Emma deliberately tried to eliminate as much sexism, gender bias, misogyny  as possible because immortals are already bad enough without that shit thrown in, but the practicalities of having a womb will always possibly put that individual at a disadvantage, especially if they are the vulnerable person in the relationship.

(Emma is a 44 year old mother of 5, and a survivor of domestic abuse. Emma is speaking from vast experience as a womb bearer, and someone who nursed children full time to age 3 while in that situation. Anyone in that position is vulnerable to financial, emotional, and physical abuse, no matter sex. Emma assumes the vulnerability extends to any full time caregiver who is dependent on another party for support.)

When possible, the author intentionally uses gender neutral pronouns unless speaking of a specific individual who has an established gender identity.

The cast is all 30+ (our heroine is the baby, 27 going on 28.) 

The heroine’s father is a human Kenyan, her mother is a “white” Fae. Her paternal family, including her father, are major characters along with her Fae family. She identifies strongly with both cultures. Emma has done her best to represent aspects of the Kikuyu culture with accuracy and respect. (Mainly naming customs, family dynamics, their cuisine and marital customs, since all humans like to eat, and all humans like to get married. So these are the cultural aspects that are the easiest to find firsthand research sources on.)

As a daughter of an ADOS woman (Black American) and white 3rd gen immigrant father (German & English? It’s hazy.) Emma feels her representation of Aerinne as a multi-cultural and racial woman is strongly “own voices.” It is somewhat of wish fulfillment too, since as ADOS, we don’t really know where our African bloodline comes from.

Emma’s other wish fulfillment is the depiction of individual ‘races’ (or phenotypes, because race is a construct) as very much integrated and respective of differences while acknowledging each other’s overall humanity. Basically, Emma wanted to live in a world where being a bi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious, and questioning queer, doesn’t fucking suuuuuuck sometimes. 

Happy Reading!

*MAGA. . .fuck all the way off my black queer pro choice Muslim ass. You will find NO refuge in my stories. Questioning or reformed MAGA. . .

. . .as Lord Otieno says, we extend grace, and ask for grace to be likewise extended.