Nowadays, it's hard to write a book about magic and teenagers and high school without someone inevitably comparing it to Harry Potter. The comparison is a double-edged sword. One the one hand, the Harry Potter series was extremely creative, inventive, and popular. Comparison to Harry Potter can be a great compliment. On the other hand, no author wants their work to be seen as "derivative," a literary dirty word basically meaning a story is a pale imitation of the original lacking in its own originality. Having one's work referenced as derivative of Harry Potter can be an insult.
The Destiny and Darkness series has been called by a few reviewers so far the "lesbian Harry Potter." I may not have realized the similarities when I was writing it, but you know what? I'll take it! I loved the Harry Potter books. I have all the books and the movies. Our community deserves its own Harry Potter-type character, and if a few people think it's Aeryn, that's pretty cool. And yes, in retrospect, I can see the similarities. An orphaned protagonist who's a fish out of water at a new magic school. An evil teacher. A dark sense of foreboding that no one else recognizes. The electric crackle of magic. But then again, that's about half of YA fantasy books nowadays, right?
The Destiny and Darkness series definitely isn't the first to be called the lesbian Harry Potter... and that's a good thing. The more the merrier! After all, what is "Harry Potter"? A fun read. An engaging story. An inclusive tale that shows teamwork and cooperation overcoming obstacles. A sympathetic protagonist who is just brave enough to be a hero but not so brave as to be alienating to younger readers. The LGBT community will take as many queer Harry Potters as it can get, so come on, other writers! Let's give the people what they want!
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