{Guest Post} The 'coming of age' narrative in YA fantasy by Helen Scheuerer

Readers are probably familiar with the 'coming of age' themes that tend to come up in YA contemporary novels. But the ideas around growing up and all the changes and challenges with come with it are also explored in other genres. To discuss more about how it comes up in the realm of fantasy I've brought in an expert! Author Helen Scheuerer has stopped by on the blog today to talk about how this idea features in her series The Oremere Chronicles...

On the ‘Coming of Age’ Narrative In YA Fantasy 

When Eugenia and I first discussed the concept of this guest post, I was eager to write about ‘coming of age’ as a theme in fantasy novels. I felt that my trilogy The Oremere Chronicles explored this idea in depth. However, as I sat down to draft this post, I realised just how difficult it is to sum up the importance of such a theme.

Exploring this type of narrative got me thinking of numerous ‘coming of age’ classics in fantasy, as well as my own books. Why do these novels matter to us? How can we relate to the journeys of characters in non-existent, magical lands? Below is my attempt at delving into those questions...

Despite the fact that YA fantasy narratives take place in fantastical, magic-oriented worlds, now more than ever, they reflect the experiences of our young people today. The genre lends itself well to ‘coming of age’ theme, because just like in contemporary times, characters in these books challenge political systems, power hierarchies and social constructs, as well as the more ordinary aspects of life: navigating relationships, families and changing friendship dynamics.

The most powerful of these novels always depict the inner journey of a character, rife with turmoil, as he or she grows up, which is why ‘coming of age’ is such a prominent theme throughout the fantasy genre.

In fact, the fantasy genre as a whole suits the ‘coming of age’ narrative; with characters often embarking on a large-scale physical adventures that trigger their inner journey (think: Frodo from Lord of the Rings, Celaena from Throne of Glass and Lira from To Kill A Kingdom). As a young adult author myself, it’s a theme that has certainly woven its way into my books. I find it’s something that’s come quite naturally rather than as a result of a conscious decision on my part as creator.

For example, the 19-year-old protagonist in my series, The Oremere Chronicles, Bleak, is a great example of this… In her hometown, Angove, she’s in a bit of a rut. Self-medicating with alcohol to overcome grief, she rarely thinks of anyone but herself. However, a journey is forced upon her and it’s over the course of this quest that she’s made to look inward at who she is, and define her place in the world. It’s a classic ‘coming of age’ scenario.

Most YA fantasy books focus on a character similar age to their target reader (17-19 usually) and there’s a good reason for this. It’s the age where we tend to question ourselves and our surroundings the most, which leads to numerous types of inner conflict.

But being a young adult is also a test of how you interact with the broader world around you. Often it’s these external things that can trigger a ‘coming of age’ journey. Tragedy, loss, meeting new people, experiencing a new place and perhaps generally learning about the cruelty of the world, can all lead to the inner growth of a person/character.

The fantasy genre offers up these instances by the truckload. In my books in particular (Heart of Mist, Reign of Mist and the upcoming War of Mist), we journey with Bleak as she learns how to deal with figures of authority and systems of power, questions her heritage, as well as the difference between right and wrong. All notions that further the development of any character. It just so happens, she’s growing up at the same time.

I also made sure not to limit my characters to a certain age bracket, because as we know, the world isn’t made up of just young adults. But it’s how our young adult characters interact with those older and younger around them that provide our protagonists with room to grow, as well as offer our readers a reflection of their own real life experiences.

Regardless of the target readers or the theme itself, coming of age stories aren’t just for young adults. This is shown in the wide-reach of YA books - they transcend our years, with adult readers ranging from mid-twenties right up into their eighties. In fact, I’ve had an email from a 76 year old saying how much she related to my books.

Perhaps we ‘come of age’ numerous times in our lives, which is another reason why the theme is so popular across all genres of literature.

I’d love to know what your favourite fantasy ‘coming of age’ stories are. Feel free to share them in the comments below!

WAR OF MIST, the epic conclusion to Helen Scheuerer’s The Oremere Chronicles is slated for release July 25. You can add it on Goodreads here 

The Oremere Chronicles

Buy Heart of Mist | Reign of Mist

Goodreads Heart of Mist | Reign of Mist

About the author

You can learn more about Helen on her website

Helen Scheuerer is a YA fantasy author from Sydney, Australia. Her debut novel, Heart of Mist, was the bestselling first instalment in her trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles.

After writing literary fiction for a number of years, she was inspired to return to her childhood love of fantasy by reading the work of Sabaa Tahir, V.E. Schwab and Sarah J. Maas.

Helen holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing, and a Master of Publishing. She is also the Founding Editor of Writer’s Edit (www.writersedit.com), one of the world’s largest online learning platforms for emerging writers.

She is now a full-time author living amidst the mountains in New Zealand.