Anyway, here are some of my favorites in the fantasy genre.
Ellen Kushner, The Privilege of the Sword: notable in that the heroine doesn't really want to be dressed as a boy, and learn to fight with swords. This changes. I think this is one of the best examples of integrating cross-dressing into the novel as a whole, so it's integral to characterization, plot, and theme. An excellent review by Yoon Ha Lee. Here's another at Green Man Review.
Lynn Flewelling, The Bone Doll's Twin: takes cross-dressing to an extreme. The heroine is magically disguised as a boy (to be the image of her dead twin) from the time she's a baby; if it's discovered she's female, and might fulfill a prophecy, she'll be killed. Until she's a teenager, she doesn't know what's been done to her. It's a dark novel with some horror elements, and I think the best of Flewelling's work. The sequels, when the heroine has been returned to her own female form, are lighter in tone with a more epic fantasy feel.
Marion Zimmer Bradley, Hawkmistress!: I enjoyed this book a great deal in high school, but I suspect it might not hold up for me today. The heroine disguises herself as a boy and takes to the road, earning her keep using her telepathic gift with birds. I remember being very disappointed when her sex was discovered, and thought the novel suffered after that.
Tamora Pierce, Alanna: the First Adventure: a middle grade/young adult novel in which the title character takes her brother's place in learning to be a royal page. A classic example of the form.
And let's not forget Eowyn in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return of the King. It's a small part of the whole, but a most satisfying part.
What about you?
Related Post: My Favorite Girls Dressed as Boys, Romance Edition.
No comments:
Post a Comment