High fantasy novels with a strong female lead?

[FeliciaM]

I'm looking for books with a strong female lead. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

[J.R.Mooneyham]

Well, some people consider fantasy and sci fi to be part of the same genre. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold has a hellaciously strong female lead in it, but is generally considered a sci fi work. However, I believe Bujold has also written books which are officially considered fantasies.

In terms of strong female leads, there's at least one scene in Cordelia's Honor that you will never ever forget about the female lead. And it takes place in a room filled with all the most powerful men on the planet at the time (and intimidates the hell out of them).

[MariaESchneider]

Mercedes Lackey Arrow series.
Look at just about any of Holly Lisle's series.  She does a bit of everything, including contemporary, but she has some excellent high fantasy.
Frank Tuttle just released All the Paths of Shadow which is a steampunk/high fantasy mix. 

I'll have to look on my list...

[BobbieCarson]

I'll second the Lackey recommendation.

Arrows of the Queen
Arrow's Flight
Arrow's Fall

Three of my favorite fantasy titles, ever.

[shelbymhailstone]

The books of Pellinor. The third book is told from the point of view of her brother, though, so I don't know if that's a turnoff. But they're my favorite books by far, and the female lead is both engaging and believable.

[MariaESchneider]

Lisa Shearin (although I didn't read much of the series, I enjoyed the first one.)

[RobertLCollins]

Lisa Shearin (although I didn't read much of the series, I enjoyed the first one.)

I've read all the books. I loved them, except for the last one. A big coincidence spoiled it for me. The series is set to wrap up this year, but Lisa Shearin's expressed an interest in writing more stories set in the "Raine Benares" world. Here's where you can learn more: http://www.lisashearin.com/.

[nogdog~6op6ou]

First thing that came to my mind is Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg in the "Lancre Witches" story arc of Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series, starting with Wyrd Sisters, but I'm guessing you probably wouldn't consider them "high" fantasy, since they have a heavy dose of satire and humor.

I recently read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, which had a strong female protagonist and was well written, though it did not quite hit my comfort zone on a couple levels as I'm not much into court intrigue nor plots heavily influenced by gods; but that's just me.

[TiffanyDeRang]

Well, some people consider fantasy and sci fi to be part of the same genre. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold has a hellaciously strong female lead in it, but is generally considered a sci fi work. However, I believe Bujold has also written books which are officially considered fantasies.

In terms of strong female leads, there's at least one scene in Cordelia's Honor that you will never ever forget about the female lead. And it takes place in a room filled with all the most powerful men on the planet at the time (and intimidates the hell out of them).

You're right. A lot of people consider sci-fi and fantasy to be the same genre, but that has never made sense to me. Aside from both genres existing in realities that aren't real, they routinely have very little in common. That said, I recognize there can be overlap, but it would absurd to suggest that Star Trek and Lord of the Rings should be classified in the same category.

[TiffanyDeRang]

IMHO, this is a good fantasy novel. It would probably fit what you're looking for too.

[KateDanley]

I third!  or fourth! (I lost count...) the Mercedes Lackey Arrows series.  They are FANTASTIC.  It was one of the very first fantasy books I read and COMPLETELY hooked me on the genre.



Her other series, Vows and Honor, is also wonderful.



And then I also recommend Robin McKinley's Hero and the Crown.  It won the Newbery and  remains one of my all time favorites...  It looks like it isn't on Kindle yet (WHY GOD WHY!?!?) but you can pick up a used paperback on Amazon for a penny.  Grab some spare change off the sidewalk on your way to your computer.  It is TOTALLY worth it.  

[djgross]

 



I've read Mercedes Lackey, but haven't read the Arrows series.   Am putting them on my TBR list

[AmyJ]

Mortal Obligation by Nichole Chase! http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Obligation-Betrayal-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B005F9YGN8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327543077&sr=1-1

[me3boyz]

I'll also add my support for Mercedes Lackey's Arrows series: Arrows of the Queen; Arrow's Flight; Arrow's Fall and add By the Sword (Kerowyn's Tale). I've not started on the Oathbound series yet. Was trying to get a hold of the short story that precedes them, but it's out of print that I can find.

Also Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series: Daughter of the Blood; Heir to the Shadows; Queen of the Darkness. She also has another Black Jewels series: The Shadow Queen and Shalador's Lady. They take place after the first three books and really should be read after. The Black Jewels is a very dark book, but man do I enjoy going there.

I'm currently reading Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and am enjoying them. Though the strong female is in the first book, she really shines in the second. Looking forward to the third.

[flipside]

Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series.

Janny Wurts's/Raymond E. Feist's Empire trilogy.

Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders series.

Hajime Kanzaka's Slayers novels.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (some of the books have female leads, others don't).

Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages series.

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

[KateEllison]

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Anything by Robin McKinley (The Blue Sword, The Hero and the Crown, etc)

Anything by Sherwood Smith (Crown Duel, etc)

The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. The POV character is male in most of the books (one gets in everybody's head, so it varies), but all the women in this series are VERY capable/strong/clever. This is a great example of strong female characters who are not "physical, butt-kicking strong," but rather emotionally and intellectually strong.

[MariaESchneider]

Oh yes, I forgot to list Ellen Guon.  Great elves series.  Sort of a mix of high fantasy and contemporary.  Worth a look.  It's probably more UF...now that I think about it. 

[danaargot]

Mortal Obligation by Nichole Chase! http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Obligation-Betrayal-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B005F9YGN8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327543077&sr=1-1

Oh! That one did look good.

[Dara England]

I enjoyed Robin Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles. They're set in the same world as her Farseer and Liveship Traders books but the MC throughout these is a teen girl.

[RSHunter88]

Also Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series: Daughter of the Blood; Heir to the Shadows; Queen of the Darkness. She also has another Black Jewels series: The Shadow Queen and Shalador's Lady. They take place after the first three books and really should be read after. The Black Jewels is a very dark book, but man do I enjoy going there.

I couldn't stand the Black Jewels Trilogy. I got halfway through the second book and gave up. It definitely didn't live up to all the hype.

There are lots of books on this list I haven't read, but I plan on checking them out!

[jtw78]

I love Robin Hobb, she writes the stuff I like to read.

I'm curious what qualifies as a "strong female lead" in your opinions. Can she ever be in need of rescue (like any hero), or does she have to be the main hero in the book? Does that make sense?

I'm trying to figure out if male-female collaboration fits into the "strong female" category. I think it does, but what's my opinion worth?

[R. M. Reed]

The Deed of Paksenarrion

[MariaESchneider]

I love Robin Hobb, she writes the stuff I like to read.

I'm curious what qualifies as a "strong female lead" in your opinions. Can she ever be in need of rescue (like any hero), or does she have to be the main hero in the book? Does that make sense?

I'm trying to figure out if male-female collaboration fits into the "strong female" category. I think it does, but what's my opinion worth?

By my definition, a strong female lead is often enhanced by collaboration (be it with males or females or other creatures.)  Because no leader exists in a vacuum and can do it all.  And good leaders know when it's time to get help.     And a truly strong person has friends because they don't generally get that way all by themselves. 

[Dara England]

I'm curious what qualifies as a "strong female lead" in your opinions. Can she ever be in need of rescue (like any hero), or does she have to be the main hero in the book? Does that make sense?

To me, a strong female lead means a woman is a/the main character, as opposed to being just the hero's girlfriend. She needs to propell the story forward, rather than existing solely to give someone else a reason for action, like so her boyfriend will have someone to rescue or to avenge. It's fine for her to have flaws, make mistakes, or get into trouble - but she should be capable (at least sometimes) of dealing with situations herself, either by cleverness, courage, etc.

Since you've read Robin Hobb's books, here's an example. In the Farseer series, Molly is a strong female character. But she's not the lead. Fitz is the lead and Molly exists in the background to be his love interest and to motivate some of his actions. On the other hand, in the Liveship Trader books, Althea is a strong female lead. Yes, she has a boyfriend and shares the spotlight with some other main male characters. But at least 50 % of the book is about her and she couldn't simply be summed up as somebody's girlfriend or sister. She's too central to the story for that.

[jumbojohnny]

I do read more than Philip Reeve's books, honest! But I know I always seem to plump for his stuff when posting on these topics, and ... no different this time! So how about Fever Crumb and the follow ons from the prequel series to Mortal Engines? Fever is not actually tough and strong and a bad-*ss *ss kicker type, but she is strong in other ways. However, if we can widen the scope a little, then why not the original Mortal Engines series? There's a certain badly scarred young lady who is plain bad, she may have had reason to react in the way she does, and rather frequently, but I doubt if any reader has sympathy for her as she appears in the stories. Her name is Hester Shaw and although not the central character as such, she does feature very prominently throughout the series.



The link to any one of the original World of Mortal Engines series was to go here, but sadly, they didn't show in the Link Maker. But maybe it's just a region thing as I have seen them on Kindle previously.

[Nancy Fulda]

Ruth Nestvold's Yseult
Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword
Jim Hines' The Stepsister Scheme
Leah Cypress's Nightspell
N.K. Jemison's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

[jtw78]

Since you've read Robin Hobb's books, here's an example. In the Farseer series, Molly is a strong female character. But she's not the lead. Fitz is the lead and Molly exists in the background to be his love interest and to motivate some of his actions. On the other hand, in the Liveship Trader books, Althea is a strong female lead. Yes, she has a boyfriend and shares the spotlight with some other main male characters. But at least 50 % of the book is about her and she couldn't simply be summed up as somebody's girlfriend or sister. She's too central to the story for that.

That's beautifully clear. Thank you so much.

I'm tired of the stereotypical damsel in distress motif that seems to pervade most fantasy. I didn't marry a weak, withering woman and I don't want to read about one either. Maybe some men like women who can't challenge them, but I count myself lucky that I have a wife that challenges me, and is often better than me. It makes us both better people. 

[DevonMoroi]

A lot of other people have probably suggested this one already, but Hunger Games is a good one too.

[Steph H]

The Deed of Paksenarrion

This.  The newer follow-ups are good too, though they don't focus just on Paks like that original trilogy did, they cycle more through several male and female characters.

As for Mercedes Lackey, I haven't finished the thread so this may be said, but you should basically read everything in the Valdemar universe, though I too started with the Arrows trilogy (the first written though more were out by the time I got to them).  Even the ones that don't focus specifically on a strong woman have several strong women characters in them.  There are no wussy women in her books that I can think of.  Just a warning in case you're not into such things, though, there are a few that either focus on or at least include m/m relationships too...but still have strong women in them.

[Laura Lond]

Elfhunter, Elfhunter!



I think you will find Gaelen, the elven scout, a most compelling female lead. The next too books in the series, Fire-Heart and Ravenshade, are just as good, with Gaelen still in the lead.

[chrisanthropic]

Her other series, Vows and Honor, is also wonderful.

Agreed.  Strong leads, good story.  The writing can be a little clunky at times but it's totally worth it.

[Colin Taber]

Great thread!

Sara Douglass had a few series and titles with strong female leads. The Wayfarer Redemption has Azhure while Threshold is magical standalone. While they are formula fantasy, be warned they occasionally stray into darker territory than is typical for high fantasy.

[jillmyles]

I really liked Rae Carson's GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS? And Shannon Hale's YAs are all fantasy with a strong female lead.

[RuthNestvold]

Wow, thank you, Nancy!

I've mentioned this one before elsewhere, but I really enjoyed "Feast of Souls" by C.S. Friedman. Check out this description for strong female lead:

In this imaginative, deftly plotted fantasy from Friedman (The Wilding), the first of a new trilogy, a female witch's magic comes at a terrible cost: her own finite life force, which drains away with each spell. Nearly immortal male Magisters, on the other hand, tap a more murderous fuel for their power. No woman has ever found its source, until young Kamala, hardened by life as a child whore, insists on an apprenticeship and secretly becomes an unheard-of female Magister.

I also second the Kushiel books.

I have to admit, I haven't read Lackey's Arrow series yet. I will add it to my (horribly long) to-read list.

[TheSFReader]

Well, some people consider fantasy and sci fi to be part of the same genre. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold has a hellaciously strong female lead in it, but is generally considered a sci fi work. However, I believe Bujold has also written books which are officially considered fantasies.

In terms of strong female leads, there's at least one scene in Cordelia's Honor that you will never ever forget about the female lead. And it takes place in a room filled with all the most powerful men on the planet at the time (and intimidates the hell out of them).

Yes, I second the Bujold recommendation. As for her Fantasy books, in "Palladin of Souls" (follow-up of "Curse of Challion"), the hero IS a strong female lead.

[JM Hurley]

Our book Watchers (Book one in the Tilly Greenway and the Ancient Keys series) has a female lead. Though written as a YA novel and she is 12, adults are really enjoying it. You can read more about it on this kindleboards page http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,99838.msg1555110.html#msg1555110

Others here have mentioned the Terry Pratchett Discworld novels that have female leads. I consider Alice in Wonderland to be High fantasy.

A series I'm currently reading is by Imogen Rose - the Portal series. Not quite high fantasy but maybe scifi fantasy time travel romance! But great to read a book with a gutsy girl as the lead.