After a rigorous and highly scientific research-based poll…okay, wait.
Actually, I tweeted a question to the Interwebz yesterday for examples of female lead characters in fantasy novels.
The results were diverse on just about every spectrum. Recommendations included everything from YA to lesbian mystery fantasies. While authors skewed towards female, it was by no means a male shut out. And recommendations included decades-old titles along-side just-published books.
I don’t have enough data to make much out of this, but what’s clear is that while a few names were familiar to me (Kushiel, Balsa, Jirel, etc.), way too many were not. Clearly I have a lot of reading to do.
And if you spot a missing author or character, please add a comment!
And thank you again to everyone who retweeted and replied with recommendations. : )
NOTE #1: a number following an entry indicates how many times an author or character was recommended (e.g., 2x = two separate recommendations)
NOTE #2: I did not include recommendations from TV shows, movies, comics, or video games.
First up are the authors who were specifically recommended for consistently having great female lead characters or who had multiple characters recommended (note: not all of their books’ protagonists are necessarily female):
- Diana Pharaoh Francis
- Shannon Hale
- Nalo Hopkinson (2x)
- Tanya Huff
- Kameron Hurley (2x)
- Diana Wynne Jones (2x)
- Charles de Lin
- Anne McCaffrey (4x)
- Patricia McKillip (2x)
- Robin McKinley (4x)
- L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
- Elizabeth Moon (3x)
- Andre Norton (2x)
- Tamora Pierce (4x)
- Nancy Springer
- Catherynne Valente (2x)
- Martha Wells (3x)
- Patricia C. Wrede (2x)
And here are the character recommendations I received:
- Alexia, “The Parasol Protectorate” series by Gail Carringer (2x)
- Alice, “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll
- Allie, “Allie Beckstrom” series by Devon Monk
- Ana, “Incarnate” trilogy by Jodi Meadows
- Aramintha, “Emperor’s Edge” series by Lindsay Buroker
- Ariane, “Moonwise” by Greer Ilene Gilman
- Arha, “Tombs of Atuan” by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Auraya, “Age of the Five” trilogy by Trudi Canavan
- Balsa, “Moribito” series by Uehashi
- Berthe, “Porcelain Dove” by Delia Sherman
- Beth, “City’s Son” by Tom Pollock
- Blue, “The Raven Boys” by Maggie Stiefvater
- Briar, “Boneshaker” by Cherie Priest (2x)
- Cassie, “An Evil Guest” by Gene Wolfe
- Celaena, “Throne of Glass” series by Sarah J. Maas
- Cat, “The SpiritWalker” trilogy by Kate Elliott (2x)
- Chava, “The Golem and the Jinni” by Helene Wecker
- Cimorene, “Enchanted Forest Chronicles” series by Patricia C. Wrede
- Cynthia, “The Dragon Waiting: A Masque of History” by John M. Ford
- Delia, “Delia’s Shadow” series by Jaime Lee Moyer
- Delilah, “Delilah Street” series by Carole Nelson Douglas
- Dorothy, “The Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
- Dhulyn, “The Sleeping God” by Violette Malan
- Eddi, “War for the Oaks” by Emma Bull (2x)
- Egwene, “Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan
- Elinor, “Through a Brazen Mirror: The Famous Flower of Servingmen” by Delia Sherman
- Elisa, “Fire And Thorns” series by Rae Carson
- Elizabeth, “The Falling Woman” by Pat Murphy
- Ella, “Ella Enchanted” by Gail Carson Levine
- Elphaba, “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire
- Fawn, “The Sharing Knife” series by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Geneviève, “Anno Dracula” series by Kim Newman
- Georgia, “Feed” by Seanan McGuire
- Gloriana, “Gloriana” by Michael Moorcock
- Gil, “The Darwath Series” by Barbara Hambly
- Green, “Endurance” trilogy by Jay Lake (2x)
- Hallie, “Wide Open” series by Deborah Coates
- Hanani, “The Shadowed Sun” by N.K. Jemisin
- Inos, “A Man of His Word” series by David Duncan
- Ista, “Paladin of Souls” by Lois McMaster Bujold (4x)
- Isyllt Iskaldur, “The Necromancer Chronicles” series by Amanda Downum (2x)
- Jame, “Kencyrath” series by P.C. Hodgell (2x)
- Jane, “Glamourist Histories” series by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Jane, “The Iron Dragon’s Daughter” by Michael Swanwick
- Janet, “Tam Lin” by Pamela Dean (2x)
- Jennifer, “Night-Threads” series by Ru Emerson
- Jewel, “The House Wars” series by Michelle West
- Jill, “Deverry Saga” series by Katharine Kerr
- Jirel of Joiry, [multiple novels] by C.L. Moore
- Kaede and Taisin, “Huntress” by Malinda Lo
- Karan, “The View from the Mirror” series by Ian Irvine
- Karigan, “Green Rider” series by Kristen Britain
- Kate, “Iron & Velvet” by Alexis Hall
- Katherine, “Privilege of the Sword” by Ellen Kushner (2x)
- Katniss, “Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins
- Kaye, “Tithe” by Holly Black
- Kaylin, “Cast” series by Michelle Sagara
- Kerowyn, “By the Sword” by Mercedes Lackey
- Lady de Winter, “Camera Obscura” by Tidhar
- Lal, “The Innkeeper’s Song” by Peter S. Beagle
- Li, “Ghost Bride” by Yangsze Choo
- Lin, “River of Stars” by Guy Gavriel Kay
- Lit, “Black Light” by Elizabeth Hand
- Lirael, “Old Kingdom” series by Garth Nix
- Lilia, “The Mirror Empire” by Kameron Hurley
- Lizzie, “Maplecroft” by Cherie Priest
- Loch, “The Palace Job” by Patrick Weekes (2x)
- Lukassa, “The Innkeeper’s Song” by Peter S. Beagle
- Lyra, “His Dark Materials” trilogy by Philip Pullman (2x)
- Maggie, “The Wood Wife” by Terri Windling
- Mara, “Riftwar Cycle: The Empire Trilogy” by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
- Marzi, “The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl” by Tim Pratt
- Dr. (Madeleine) Maxwell, “The Chronicles of St. Mary’s” by Jodi Taylor
- Magrat [and other witches], part of the “Discworld” series by Terry Pratchett
- Meg, “Wrinkle in Time” series by Madeleine L’Engle
- Meteora, “Except the Queen” by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
- Miranda, “Maledicte” by Lane Robins
- Miranda, “A Princess of Roumania” by Paul Park (2x)
- Miram, “Miriam Black” series by Chuck Wendig
- Morgaine, “Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley (2x)
- Morwenna, “Among Others” by Jo Walton
- Myfanwy, “The Rook” by Daniel O’Malley (2x)
- Nita, “The Young Wizards” series by Diane Duane
- Nyanteneri, “The Innkeeper’s Song” by Peter S. Beagle
- Nyx, “God’s War” by Kameron Hurley (2x)
- October, “Toby Daye” series by Seanan McGuire (4×0
- Oriana, “The Golden City” series by J. Kathleen Cheney
- Paama, “Redemption in Indigo” by Karen Lord
- Phèdre, 1st “Kushiel” trilogy by Jacqueline Carey (3x)
- Rahike, “When Voiha Wakes” by Joy Chant
- Sabriel, “Old Kingdom” series by Garth Nix
- Samarkar, “Eternal Sky Trilogy” (2x)
- Sarah, “Society of Steam” series by Andrew P. Mayer
- Sasha, “A Trial of Blood and Steel” by Joel Shepherd
- Saya, “Dragon Sword and Wind Child” by Noriko Ogiwara
- September, “The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making” by Catherynne M. Valente
- Serana, “Except the Queen” by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
- Shallan, “The Stormlight Archive” by Brandon Sanderson
- Shara, “City of Stairs” by Robert Jackson Bennett
- Sheba, “Freaks” by Kieran Larwood
- Shikujo, “The Fox Woman” by Kij Johnson
- Sonea, “The Black Magician” trilogy by Trudi Canavan
- Sophie, “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones
- Sorcha, “The Sevenwaters Trilogy” by Juliet Marillier
- Sunny, “Akata Witch” by Nnedi Okorafor
- Sweeney, “Waking the Moon” by Elizabeth Hand
- T.J., “Steel Rose” by Kara Dalkey
- Tamír, “The Tamír Triad” by Lynn Flewelling
- Tana, “Coldest Girl in Coldtown” by Holly Black
- Tara, “Three Parts Dead” by Max Gladstone
- Taveth, “Lifelode” by Jo Walton
- Thursday, “The Eyre Affair” (first in a series) by Jasper Fforde
- Tiaan, “The Well of Echoes” by Ian Irvine
- Tiffany, part of the “Discworld” series by Terry Pratchett
- Tremaine, “The Fall of Ile-Rien” trilogy
- (Lady) Trent, “A Natural History of Dragons” by Marie Brennan
- Tuala, “The Bridei Chronicles” series by Juliet Marillier
- Verity, “Discount Armageddon” & “Midnight Blue-Light Special” by Seanan McGuire
- Vin, “Mistborn” series by Brandon Sanderson
- Wendy, “Winterlong” by Liz Hand
- Yeine, “The Inheritance” trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (3x)
- Yelena, “Poison Study” by Maria V. Snyder (3x)