Aromantic & Asexual Middle Grade Horror/Fantasy Books
- Kristiana Sfirlea
- Jan 11
- 6 min read
(LAST UPDATED: 1/11/26)
Disclaimer: This list is a resource, not an endorsement of any particular book.
Y'all remember the time I announced that Rose and Marek, the main characters of my series The Stormwatch Tales, were asexual and on the aromantic spectrum...and was then called a "child groomer" and lost publishing opportunities and contracts?
That was fun, wasn't it?
This was back in 2023, before I got the hell out of religious publishing circles, regained the rights to my books, and remastered them with explicit aromantic and asexual representation (along with other identities).
But even outside a religious conservative audience, I still hear the question, "Aren't middle schoolers too young to know if they're aromantic or asexual?" They don't get it. They probably never will.
That's why aspec (being on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrum) stories for middle schoolers need to be championed. These stories are for kids that know how they feel is different, even if they don't have the words for it yet. They need to see themselves in other characters to know how they feel is not wrong or broken--just a unique part of who they are.
But aphobia is real, and it's a monster fit for any horror novel.
So here's a list of middle grade horror and fantasy books with asexual and aromantic characters to scare the pants off anyone who says they don't belong.
LEGEND OF THE STORM SNEEZER
Genre: Horror, fantasy, humor
Aspec Characters: Rose and Marek (main characters/protagonists), Aiden (side character)
Identities: Asexual, demisexual, aromantic spectrum
Author: Kristiana Sfirlea
Is the author aspec? Yes
Synopsis:
It’s not every night your best friend helps commit you to an asylum.
But Rose Skylar is no stranger to unusual nights. The night she was born, she sneezed a mischievous storm cloud that’s followed her around ever since. (You can imagine the stares.)
Then there was the night her dad almost killed her. (Hard one to forget.)
And one night, Rose writes a letter to her future self that changes everything. (And I mean EVERYTHING.)
Marek, best friend in question, takes her to the legendary Heartstone Asylum. It’s a nightmare come true, and Rose loves it: the magical rooms, the ugly-cute gargoyle stalking her every move, the haunted forest whose trees have mysteriously turned to stone. But there is a dangerous secret at the heart of Heartstone, and when Rose and Marek find a suspicious cemetery on the grounds, they dig up a mystery that could be their own grave. (Sharing a grave is nonnegotiable. Best friends forever means scooch your butt over in that casket.)
Heartstone isn’t the only one with secrets. There is something in Rose’s past that only her future can fix, and saving Heartstone Asylum and everyone she loves could make her worst fear come true:
Being sent back to her dad.
A darkly whimsical tale of horror, humor, and healing.
OLIVIA GRAY WILL NOT FADE AWAY
Genre: Fantasy
Aspec Characters: Olivia (main character/protagonist), Jules (side character)
Identities: Asexual, aromantic
Author: Ciera Burch
Is the author aspec? Couldn't confirm
Synopsis:
Seventh grade has just started, but Olivia Gray already knows this year is different. Her brother ignores her for his crush, and all her friends talk about is who likes who, something Olivia has never cared about—even when Robbie, the most popular boy in school, asks her to the fall formal. After unknowingly rejecting him, Olivia goes viral on the social app KruShh. As the chatter about Robbie and dating grows, Olivia starts to feel left out to the point of feeling invisible—literally.
Seen only by her new librarian and a friendly kid named Jules, Olivia flickers in and out of sight whenever the topic of romance comes up. As she begins to realize she might be asexual, Olivia struggles to actually use the label because of the negative perception behind it. All she wants is to be normal, but can she really fit in without disappearing completely?
EVERY BIRD A PRINCE
Genre: Fantasy
Aspec Characters: Eren (main character/protagonist), Luisa (side character)
Identities: Aromantic, asexual
Author: Jenn Reese
Is the author aspec? Couldn't confirm
Synopsis:
The only time Eren Evers feels like herself is when she’s on her bike, racing through the deep woods. While so much of her life at home and at school is flying out of control, the muddy trails and the sting of wind in her face are familiar comforts.
Until she rescues a strange, magical bird, who reveals a shocking secret: their forest kingdom is under attack by an ancient foe—the vile Frostfangs—and the birds need Eren's help to survive.
Seventh grade is hard enough without adding “bird champion” to her list of after-school activities. Lately, Eren’s friends seem obsessed with their crushes and the upcoming dance, while Eren can’t figure out what a crush should even feel like. Still, if she doesn’t play along, they may leave her behind…or just leave her all together. Then the birds enlist one of Eren's classmates, forcing her separate lives to collide.
When her own mother starts behaving oddly, Eren realizes that the Frostfangs—with their insidious whispers—are now hunting outside the woods. In order to save her mom, defend an entire kingdom, and keep the friendships she holds dearest, Eren will need to do something utterly terrifying: be brave enough to embrace her innermost truths, no matter the cost.
FIRST TEST (PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL SERIES)
Genre: Fantasy
Aspec Characters: Kel (main character/protagonist)
Identities: Aromantic, asexual
Author: Tamora Pierce
Is the author aspec? No
Synopsis:
Ten years after knighthood training was opened to both males and females, no girl has been brave enough to try. But knighthood is Keladry's one true desire, and so she steps forward to put herself to the test.
Up against the traditional hazing of pages and a grueling schedule, Kel faces one roadblock that seems insurmountable: Lord Wyldon, the training master of pages and squires. He is absolutely against girls becoming knights. So while he is forced to train her, Wyldon puts her on a probationary trial period that no male page has ever had to endure. Further set apart from her fellow trainees, Kel's path to knighthood is now that much harder. But she is determined to try, and she's making friends in the most unlikely places. One thing is for sure, Kel is not a girl to underestimate.
RAVENFAll
Genre: Horror, fantasy
Aspec Characters: Kel (main character/protagonist)
Identities: Aromantic
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Is the author aspec? Couldn't confirm
Synopsis:
Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family's standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it's hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.
So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .
As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin's family's secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can't stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open--which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.
Honorary Mention
The Beautiful Something Else by Ash van Otterloo, horror fantasy, aspec side character
Do you have a middle grade fantasy or horror recommendation featuring an asexual and/or aromantic character? Please drop me a note!
This list will continue to be updated!
Kristiana Sfirlea is the author of The Stormwatch Tales, a darkly whimsical horror fantasy series for kids and teens. Legend of the Storm Sneezer is returning in 2026 to haunt bookshelves across the worlds!
Kristiana's dream is creating safe places for readers to explore their experiences through the power of storytelling. As a disabled, queer, autistic author of faith, Kristiana has found the safest place in their books. Their greatest joy is when readers do the same.
Follow Kristiana on Tumblr and Instagram at @KristianasQuill, on Facebook at @KristianasQuillbooks, and on their website www.KristianasQuill.com