Stain by A. G. Howard
Published by Abrams
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Magic Users, Royalty Characters, Mythological Creatures, Chronic Illness, Fairytales, Various Magic
My Rating:
Published on: 15th January 2019
Pages: 532
Disability Representation: Disabilities used as plots, Fictional Condition, Mute, Photosensitivity, Sign Language, Sun Allergy.
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A princess must win back her kingdom, save a prince, and restore peace in this fantasy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Splintered series.

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest...disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra's rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight—for she is his true equal. As Lyra finds her way back to her identity, an imposter princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she's everything a traditional princess is not.

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I fell in love with Stain by A.G. Howard from the moment I started reading it. The fantasy worlds that Howard has created in this book is incredible, and yes, that’s right; I said worlds plural. A catastrophic event turned one kingdom into two, pushing one down into the earth where night and the moon permanently reigned, while the other stayed topside where day and the sun reigned. Born into each world are two characters with characteristics from the other world – not through any adultery, but by magic.

Princess Luna is born into a world filled with everlasting sun; however, she is born with the physical characteristics of someone from the kingdom of night, and this means her skin is extremely sensitive to sunlight. It burns at even the slightest touch of it. She is also mute, meaning that she is not able to communicate with the people she will one day rule, something that becomes increasingly vital as Luna’s physical appearance, which is so strikingly different from everyone else, is used by bigots to alienate her.

In the other kingdom, their prince does not suffer the same difficulties as Luna because he is accepted by his family and his people. However, an accident results in a horrible disease that plagues his body and will result in his death. The only cure is Luna, for prophecy says that she can save him, and together they can save their kingdoms from everlasting day and night to rejoin them again.

The disability representation in Stain is a bit hit-and-miss because everything is tied to magic and prophecy. It falls into the trope of magic as a cure, although without giving a major spoiler away, I will say that one disability remains at the end and is not cured.

The book itself is wonderful, but the good disability representation moments, such as Luna/Stain struggling with her pain and her identity or the inclusivity of people learning sign language, are completely undone by the bad representation of it all disappearing quite literally by magic. Disabilities and chronic health conditions don’t just disappear in a puff of magic smoke or as soon as a prophecy has been completed, and tropes like this are extremely harmful.

So 5 stars for being a fantastic fantasy book, but for disability representation, Stain gets a 2.5 star from me.

About A. G. Howard

International and NYT best-selling author Anita Grace Howard lives in the Texas panhandle. She is most at home weaving the melancholy and macabre into settings and scenes, twisting the expected into the unexpected. She’s inspired by all things flawed, utilizing the complex loveliness of human conditions and raw emotions to give her characters life, then turning their world upside down so the reader’s blood will race.

Married and mother of two grown children (as well as surrogate mom to two Guinea pigs and two sweet cats), Anita divides her days between spending time with her family and plodding along or plotting on her next book.

When she’s not writing, Anita enjoys rollerblading, biking, snow skiing, gardening, and family vacations that at any given time might include an impromptu side trip to an 18th century graveyard or a condemned schoolhouse for photo ops.

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