[sandrasstories]

Oddly enough, I haven't read that one. I'll see if I can get if for my Kindle. Thanks.

I have read Mistborn. I didn't find her badassed but she was a pretty strong character. It's not a bad novel.

Obviously, my problem is that I have READ to much.

No problem!

 

[Jedidiah]

HAHA! Perfect!

Well I happen to love powerful warrior women, like Tarriel or Kyrianna (who is on the cover of my book) but they need to be intelligent and special in some other way.
I also like Nikita types. I'm interested in the new series that is coming out with Ashley Judd

 

[Matthew.Iden]

Not new, but the Sanctuary series (ed. Robert Aspirin) has quite a few strong females. Lythande will always stick in my mind as a one dangerous female dog.

Robin McKinley, as someone else said, is a good choice.

 

[JRTomlin]

You are looking for Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel and Naamah-series!
There is none quite like it, and there's none that match it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will admit it. I find the entire concept of the Kushiel series creepy. I know a lot of people love it and that's just me. I couldn't get through the first one. I don't mean that as ANY insult to people who like it. Horses for courses, as they say. (Edit: On the other hand, I very much like Carey's The Sundering: Banewreaker, Godslayer which has some strong female characters although none are the protagonist)

I agree with Jedidiah that I want my strong female protagonist to be intelligent or crafty or something in addition to kick-*ss and she doesn't have to be super-woman strong, just able to take care of herself.

 

[JRTomlin]

I am reading Kushiel's Dart right now and I agree with Winter. What genre are you intrested in? I love Lee Child and although Reacher is the main character there are several of his books with strong and intelligent female characters that share the spotlight. That is just off the top of my head, but now that I saw this post I am interested in researching it.

I'm interested in fantasy.

I think Kushiel's Dart is a love it or hate it novel. Either you can enjoy a novel set in that world or it makes your skin crawl. Lee Child writers thrillers, doesn't he?

 

[Neo]

Not the main characters, but essential to the story: have you tried "In Her Name" (omnibus edition) by Michael Hicks? I would describe it as fantasy even though it has SciFi premises... But some strong female characters in there (to put it mildly), and you have to be ready not to eat, sleep, or live while you are going through it - it's THAT good

 

[Sean Patrick Fox]

I will admit it. I find the entire concept of the Kushiel series creepy. I know a lot of people love it and that's just me.

Never heard of this series before, and the Amazon synopsis wasn't enlightening. What's creepy about it?

 

[LilianaHart]

Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody series. Fantastic books.

 

[purplepen79]

I'm enjoying Laini Taylor's main character Magpie in

Holly Black quote from the cover "Laini Taylor's faeries are whimsical and tiny, but fierce . . ." Sounds like Magpie might be your kind of heroine. Although I haven't read it yet, I'm looking forward to checking out her Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Her writing is lush and beautiful, her stories highly original.

 

[JRTomlin]

Never heard of this series before, and the Amazon synopsis wasn't enlightening. What's creepy about it?

It is my own reaction to the entire theme of sado-masochism. I'm aware that not everyone reacts that way. It's not a judgement, just what I can manage to find enjoyable to read about.

 

[lea_owens]

Ditto the comments by Neo about the In Her Name books. I read the first three in the Omnibus edition and ended up putting lots of other jobs aside so that I could finish the books... loved 'em. So far, this year has been filled with books I couldn't be bothered finishing - ho hum writing, mistakes, incorrect scientific facts as the basis of a flawed plot, bad spelling or editing or something else just not up to scratch, but In Her Name ranks up there as one of the fantasy/sci fi reads ever, with an entire reality created that is both believable and addictive. I couldn't get over how I went from despising those mad war-mongering b**ches to having so much admiration for their culture and finally backing them against my own species. Great work.

 

[JRTomlin]

Great! A number of things for me to check out. Thanks!

 

[NogDog]

If you don't mind going YA with a dose of humor/satire, Terry Pratchett's "Tiffany Aching" books, starting with The Wee Free Men might be of interest. On the more adult side (in terms of not being YA though still suitable for a youngish audience) and with a bit more satire are his "Lancre Witches" books, starting with Wyrd Sisters. Are there two stronger female leads than Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg?

On a more serious level, I thought that The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. E. Jemisin was quite well written. It didn't exactly hit my sweet spot in terms of subject matter (I'm not big into royal court intrigue and gods directly acting in a story), but I was still impressed with its execution.

 

[Matt Larkin]

You could try Jennifer Fallon. I loved her Wolfblade series.

 

[John Blackport]

I agree with Jedidiah that I want my strong female protagonist to be intelligent or crafty or something in addition to kick-*ss and she doesn't have to be super-woman strong, just able to take care of herself.

It's important to do this kind of qualification what you consider a "strong female character" to be . . .

"Strong female characters" are becoming the "high-quality workmanship" of fantasy e-books . . . easy to say, often promised, rarely delivered.

I like the idea of holding out for a female protag. Fantasy doesn't have enough female protags.

 

[Coral Moore]

I know you said you read Mistborn, but have you tried The Way of Kings by Sanderson? It's much more in the Epic Fantasy vein and I really love the women in that book. Not much badassery, but smart and thoughtful. I wouldn't say the women are the lead characters though, although there is one (maybe two? it's been a while) female PoV character. Not sure if that makes a difference to you.

 

[Jedidiah]

I think Kushiel's Dart is a love it or hate it novel. Either you can enjoy a novel set in that world or it makes your skin crawl. Lee Child writers thrillers, doesn't he?

You are correct. Sorry about that. I totally missed the Epic Fantasy part. Now after seeing all this talk about books not having a good female protag, maybe I will add one in my series!

Oo another one I just thought about. Terry Goodkind has had several good BAD GIRLS in his Sword of Truth series. Nikki, the witch chick who's name I can't remember for the life of me right now, and the hedge maiden from his last book, The Omen Machine, was pretty nasty.

 

[JRTomlin]

It's important to do this kind of qualification what you consider a "strong female character" to be . . .

"Strong female characters" are becoming the "high-quality workmanship" of fantasy e-books . . . easy to say, often promised, rarely delivered.

I like the idea of holding out for a female protag. Fantasy doesn't have enough female protags.

Boy, do I agree with that there aren't enough and the promise is rarely delivered. Elizabeth Moon delivered but the number of other who have... Darn few.

You are correct. Sorry about that. I totally missed the Epic Fantasy part. Now after seeing all this talk about books not having a good female protag, maybe I will add one in my series!

Oo another one I just thought about. Terry Goodkind has had several good BAD GIRLS in his Sword of Truth series. Nikki, the witch chick who's name I can't remember for the life of me right now, and the hedge maiden from his last book, The Omen Machine, was pretty nasty.

*cough* Terry Goodkind... *cough* Did I mention I don't like sadomasochism? Besides they aren't protagonists. Well, I didn't read his last book so I am making an assumption that the female isn't a protagonist, because he started annoying me a whole bunch of books ago and I stopped reading him. (Did that idiot ever learn to use that magic sword of his? *rhetorical question*)

I am not sure you can just "add" a strong female protagonist. But that is a discussion for the Writers' Cafe.

 

[Jedidiah]

Yeah I guess your right, Kahlan is not really considered the main character. I was kind of thinking more along the lines of a main villian, which makes my line of thought wrong....in which case I would certainly agree with you on "adding" a protagonist to a series. How do you change the main character? Well if your George R.R. Martin you simply kill them. HAHA.

 

[telracs]

as everyone knows, i'm a fan of the In Her Name books, but the original post did ask for Epic Fantasy, and the IHN books are definitely Science Fiction, not fantasy.  But they are epic.