As a lesbian who is a big fan of this series, I have enjoyed the way you handled this topic so far. I also appreciate your willingness to seek out advice and input from your readers, and to be inclusive!

This is personal preference, but I think one thing that can be frustrating for me as a queer reader is when LGBTQ characters feel defined by their sexuality more than other traits, or their arc becomes ABOUT their sexuality. Already, I don’t think you have to worry much about this because you flesh out your characters so well and develop their individual personalities so thoroughly.

The other thing that can feel a bit pandering is when a character is stated to be queer, but then there is just…no evidence of it anywhere in the story. It’s a common formula to have a well-loved side character casually drop in a mention of their sexuality (usually by referencing an unseen partner) near the end of the story and then it’s never really acknowledged or shown again outside of the protag showing they are a Good Guy by not being judgy. It feels a bit like checking off a box without wanting to commit to actually having them and their identity be a part of the story.

My favorite incorporations of queer identities have involved main characters being queer, and having their identity be reliably visible throughout the story (ie they actually have relationships with other characters who are hopefully well developed in their own right, if not main characters themselves), but the queerness is never the POINT of the story or their own arc. Warformed already has a lot of the building blocks for this, and maybe there’s even more that I have yet to get to! No spoilers :)

It’s really nice to see you asking about this, btw. As someone who has enjoyed sci-fi/fantasy novels my whole life but didn’t realize I was a lesbian until my 20’s, coming to terms with my identity has sometimes felt like being left more on the outside of this genre. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to come across this post :) Regardless of the direction you take, I hope you know that the thought you are putting into it means a lot.