With the rise of TV shows like Game of Thrones and American Gods, the fantasy genre has has gained widespread popularity in recent years, reaching people who wouldn’t have even paid attention to fantasy stories before. The likes of Brandon Sanderson, J. R. Tolkien, Neil Gaiman and George R. Martin have become household names. The heroes in these stories go on dangerous adventures, where they fight tyrants, wield magic and ride dragons. These heroes are spectacular and their stories are breathtaking. The prevailing issue?

The books that dominate the high fantasy genre are written primarily by male authors for male audiences. Women are rarely seen in these roles, laying waste to battlefields and becoming the stuff of myths and legends. Moreover, fantasy books with female protagonists are either largely ignored or promptly carted off to the Young Adult section. Female-centered fantasy books are often afforded nothing but a cursory glance, even though they deserve a space in the mainstream fantasy genre. Without further ado, here are my personal top 7 fantasy books written by female authors and centered on female protagonists:

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth #1)

Set in the terrifying “Stillness”, The Fifth Season follows three intertwining, gloriously female narratives in the struggle for survival on a hostile planet habitually torn apart by the apocalyptic Fifth Seasons, a force that wipes out civilizations every few hundred years. Only the orogenes have the power to evade doomsday after doomsday, stopping earthquakes in their tracks. Essun, an orogene in hiding, must brave the wasteland to find the daughter that was taken from her. Page after page,  N. K. Jemisin slowly reveals a world that is brilliant and horrifying in equal measure – the characters that inhabit this world even more so.

Green Rider by Kristen Britain (Green Rider #1)

Total misfit, Karigan G’ladheon, is running away from school when the legendary Green Rider bursts onto her path, bearing a life or death message for the King. Injured and dying, the Rider passes on the letter and his position to Karigan, who is more than a little hesitant to take up the mantle of a dead man. Hunted by mercenaries and monsters, Karigan is waylaid by magic and political intrigue. With an exceptional heroine and epic quest for adventure, Green Rider is a great series for fantasy lovers.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #1)

Once universally feared as a highly sought after assassin, Celaena Sardothien is not one to be trifled with. After a year enslaved in the salt mines of Endovier, she is offered freedom by the Crown Prince himself, in return for acting as his champion in a competition to determine the next official royal assassin. When contestants start disappearing only to turn up dead, the royal palace becomes a magical battleground, and Celaena must stop the rampage before she succumbs to it. Celaena is as badass as they come, and the way her character grows and develops in later novels is phenomenal. Sarah J. Maas is a master storyteller, slowly bringing you into a world steeped in magic and lore.

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (Lives of the Mayfair Witches #1)

With The Witching Hour Anne Rice writes a goth epic of blood, black magic, sex, and the supernatural. Spanning four centuries, The Witching Hour anchors itself on a great dynasty of Mayfair witches – a catatonic family torn apart and bound together by monsters, incest, secrets, and magic. Given up for adoption at birth, Rowan Mayfair leads a normal but successful life as a doctor. Any sense of normalcy is shot to hell when Rowan’s birth mother dies and she discovers her connection to an ancient coven of black magic witches. Anne Rice’s prose is breathtaking, and the historical backdrop of The Witching Hour makes for a really splendid read.

Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce (Daughter of the Lioness #1)

This list would be completely amiss without Tamora Pierce, who was more or less the pioneer of female-centered fantasy. In Trickster’s Choice, Alianne wants to become a spy and serve her kingdom, but her parents are vehemently against it. When she is captured and sold into slavery abroad, she has to employ her natural espionage skills or die, in a court ruled by political intrigue, murderous gods, and dangerous conspiracies. While Trickster’s Choice is more of a Young Adult novel, it’s nevertheless a terrific read anchored in the epic aspects of fantasy. 

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The daughter of a bad moneylender and the granddaughter of a great one, Miryem takes matters into her own hands and takes control of the family business to pull her family out of poverty. She’s so successful at making money that she claims offhandedly that she can practically turn silver into gold. Big mistake when she lives right next door to the deadly Staryk, who will do anything  to get their hands on said gold.  Centered on Celtic myth and Jewish culture, Spinning Silver is a breathtaking story built on female friendship and solidarity. It had great characterization, brilliant storytelling, and beautiful prose – five stars.

Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo

In a fantasy realm filled with magic and corruption, Kaz Brekker, a ruthless and cold-blooded gang leader, throws together a ragtag team of criminals to perform a high-stakes heist in the deadliest city in the world. Their motto? No mourners, no funerals. Deliciously dark and intensely magical, Six of Crows has a brilliant cast of diverse and multi-layered characters. Bardugo’s world-building is masterful, and the way the story unfolds is nothing short of exceptional. 

 

What are some of your favorite fantasy novels written by women?

 

Contributed by Ava Fathi