The Healers/Balance Academy series takes place in a fantasy world where magic has always existed, to the point where it is considered no more fantastical than engineering or ballet: a difficult skill that many learn, based on a number of competing philosophies or traditions. The Academy of the Divine Balance is one such institution of magic, training magical healers as well as priests and temple guards to staff its pantheist shrines.
The three books so far follow the story of Agna Despana, a recent healing-magic graduate of the Academy, the scion of an influential art-dealing family, and a general know-it-all who is wildly out of her depth when the story begins. Her deuteragonist / worst enemy / best frienemy / ride-or-die friend is Keifon the Medic, who has just crawled out of a nasty breakup yet again when the story begins, and tries to protect his bruised heart with rigid self-righteousness. Which, as you might guess, does not work very well.
The series maintains a personal scope, focusing closely on character development and on relationships of various kinds. It happens to dovetail in some ways with the cozy fantasy movement (though not in others; more on that below), taking time to unpack the characters’ journeys and lives.
Book 1: The Healers’ Road
The unexpected magic of friendship
Ambitious, opinionated, and the child of wealthy parents, Agna Despana commits to a year of service as a magical healer in a traveling caravan. Having spent half her life training as a healer, she’s out to prove herself and do good for the world.
After losing everything, former army medic Keifon throws himself on the gods’ mercy. Maybe helping people as a medic in a merchant caravan will give him direction, and a start toward rebuilding his life yet again.
Assigned as partners, these two strangers have two years on the road to find common purpose and bring healing to remote corners of an unfamiliar land — and to themselves.
The Healers’ Road is a low-stakes queernorm fantasy road trip featuring campfires and hot tea, good books, shared adventures, and a journey to discover the power of connection.
On Amazon – ebook, Kindle Unlimited where available; print will return the week of 11/18/24 after new proofs have been checked
Content Notes
Published: Nov. 2014
Book 2: The Healers’ Home
Sometimes home is a place, sometimes it’s a person
At the conclusion of their travels, friends Agna and Keifon have found the perfect spot: a frontier town with a new hospital, a friendly community, and a short route to Keifon’s homeland for visits with his daughter. And it lacks an art gallery, leaving Agna the opportunity to stake her claim.
Keifon has always dreamed of establishing a life with someone, but sharing an apartment with his friend is a purely practical arrangement… right? And when someone from Keifon’s past shows up, Agna finds her doubts are too much to bear. Maybe hopping on the next carriage out of town isn’t the most mature solution, but she has business to settle with her family back home…
The Healers’ Home is a cozy fantasy about establishing a life, navigating the lines between friendship and commitment, and finding where you belong.
On Amazon – ebook, Kindle Unlimited where available; print should return the week of 11/18 after new proofs have been checked
Content Notes
Published: Oct. 2016
Book 3: The Healers’ Purpose
Some burdens can’t be carried alone
After her disastrous trip back home, Agna could use a win. A promotion to a position of authority over her team of healers seems like the perfect chance to turn things around. But the kind of leader who relies on meticulous planning and complete control can only stretch herself so thin for so long.
Keifon has settled into his new life: a mentor he respects, a circle of friends, and even a chance to give back to his community. He has confessed his feelings to his dearest friend, or so he thinks, and waits for her reply. But questions rise along the way: could he keep the next lost soul from making the same mistakes he did?
Something has to give when the pressure builds. The only way through is to work together with those they love — if they can figure out what that means.
The Healers’ Purpose is a medium-stakes fantasy about building community, finding balance, and defining your own path.
On Amazon – ebook, Kindle Unlimited where available; print should return the week of 11/18/24 after new proofs have been checked
Content Notes
Published: Aug. 2022
…But is it cozy?
No, but it has some things in common. The most important factor is that the characters in the Healers series are imperfect. They make mistakes. There may be situations in the books that make some readers uncomfortable. They are not perfectly soothing from the first page to the last.
What’s in common? There are a lot of quiet, domestic moments in these books, and they have a small, personal scale. The world is not in peril. They have happy endings and are optimistic overall. But it’s a type of optimism that starts somewhere imperfect and moves toward the light. They do not avoid the darkness entirely.
Please heed the content warnings above and take care of yourselves.
Extras
Notes, lore, trivia, etc.
Cover Art Credit
Current covers: MiblArt
Past cover versions: Road / Home / Purpose
Road Map
- The Strangers’ Shrine, a novel set in the same world with different characters (a pair of graduates from the Academy) [release goal: sometime in 2025]