Fantasy writing, like literature in general, provides a powerful vehicle for challenging the status quo. This work explores the role of the portal in fantasy, investigating the ways in which magical nexus points, and movement between worlds, are used to illustrate real-world power dynamics, especially those impacting women and children.

This collection of new essays seeks to define the unique qualities of female heroism in literary fantasy from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in the 1950s through the present. Building upon traditional definitions of the hero in myth and folklore as the root genres of modern fantasy, the essays provide a multi-faceted view of an important fantasy character type who begins to demonstrate a significant presence only in the latter 20th century. The essays contribute to the empowerment and development of the female hero as an archetype in her own right.