For some reason, I always come back to Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands; whether I need a reset from my assigned university reading, something to get me out of a reading slump, or just a general feel-good story to pick me up. I discovered this novel during the dark days of Tumblr while searching for new book recommendations deep within the typical discourse of the website. I can’t remember exactly why I chose this book, but maybe it was the description of its gay love story and found family trope within. It actually ended up being the first queer story I had ever read, introducing me to ideas of sexuality that I really needed to hear at the time. I have always been a lover of fantasy, so the plot seemed right up my alley. Up until now I have kept my love for this story to myself, so I am unaware if In Other Lands has made as much impact on the world as it did on me. So, if you have not had the joy of experiencing this book, I would be extremely happy to be the one to introduce it to you.
The story follows Elliot Schafer throughout his teenage years as he enters ‘the Borderlands’, a hidden world of mythical creatures and fantasy politics (but most importantly mermaids), leaving behind his less-than-perfect home life. Expecting to find the typical high fantasy setting that modern-day readers expect (sorcery, fated protagonists, adventure, and – again – mermaids), Elliot is horrified to discover his entry into the Borderlands is actually a recruitment process into a military camp to train soldiers. And so, the violence of this racially and politically divided realm clashes with Elliot’s passion for pacifism and witty snark, which is honestly a weapon unto itself. Throughout, we see how Elliot time and time again attempts to right the wrongs of this misled military operation (of course run by humans who have dominated the land), while simultaneously going through that awkward period of teenagerhood that brings with it issues of sex, romance, and friendship.
While the main driving point of this novel is its characterisation, its treatment of prominent issues found within the fantasy genre is a breath of fresh air. Covering themes of fantasy racism, child soldiers, sexism, and sexuality, it sheds light on many of the topics we seem to gloss over when consuming fantasy media, all mixed into the uncomfortable and awkward realism of puberty; a recipe for disaster really. A great example of this is shown through Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle (Serene for short), an elf brought up within an Elvish culture of reversed gender norms. This combination makes for comical moments between Serene and the humans of the Border camp who are not used to being treated in such a demeaning and sexist way, while also prompting conversation about the pointlessness of gender roles.
But when I reread this novel, what I really come back for is the friendship between Elliot, Serene and Luke Sunborn (the fated yet reluctant prodigy child soldier). As Elliot grudgingly returns each year to the camp, their relationship develops and changes as they grow. Brennan expertly highlights the awkwardness and common misunderstandings that come with romantic and platonic relationships, plus the hardships of finding oneself in unwelcoming and tough environments. Something we all become well versed in during our youth. By no means is this book a masterpiece. In fact, I have some personal critiques of Serene’s character ironically being heavily limited to her elvish societies’ gender stereotypes. But I also believe these imperfections are what make this book so special. It isn’t meant to be perfect and magical and neat; the real world never is. This novel shows us the consequence of fantasy and realism colliding, and it’s not perfect. But it is honest. Perhaps that is why I found this story so comforting. Brennan has obviously poured a lot of love into these characters, and admittedly so have I over the years. Maybe I should’ve grown out of this type of young adult story long ago. However, I believe that this story and I have grown together, and I’ve better understood its message each time I’ve re-entered the Borderlands: we are all deserving of love, even if we don’t believe it.
[Darcie Rowling, she/her]
Instagram: @darcierowling
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