American author of the debut inclusive adult fantasy novel “Cursebreakers,” published by Red Hen Press in September, 2023.
Nakamura grew up in the Pasadena area and says that she gets some of her best inspiration…“through playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends.” The elements and structure of TTRPGs – puzzle-solving, negotiation, chases, and combat – are present in this story of two troubled heroes, Adrien and Gennady, who move through a perilous and paranoid dystopia that Kirkus Reviews describes this way:
“Nakamura’s treatment is nuanced and thoughtful, avoiding a veritable minefield of harmful stereotypes to deliver genuine characters with heart. This is a society that openly accepts queer people; Adrien is gay, as are the members of his network. Additionally, Adrien’s and Gennady’s conditions – coded as bipolar disorder and autism, respectively – are integral to the story.”