We’ve already covered some of the best female video game protagonists (and the scariest female monsters) on this blog, but what about female fantasy characters from books? I learned to read long before I picked up my first controller, and many of the fictional women I spent my time with in those days helped shape the woman I am today.
The truly magical thing is, I’m still discovering new characters to add to this list. But for now, at least, these characters are the crème de la crème of inspirational fantasy heroines.
A Few of My Favorite Female Fantasy Characters from Books
Some of these characters are people, as I mentioned, whom I’ve known since I was a child. Others are more recent acquaintances. Every single one of them has inspired me in some way, and my life has been richer for it.
Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Growing up, I loved stories about rebellious women who were told “no” and “you can’t” who then promptly proved that yes, they absolutely could—and would, whether the men wanted them to or not. It’s a love affair that continues to this day, and I’m pretty sure Éowyn is at least partly to blame.
She was one of the first female fantasy characters from books whom I ever fell in love with, and she is still my favorite. Not only did she go to war in disguise, she slayed one of the greatest monsters ever to walk Middle-Earth—and then she fell in love, married a gentle and kind ranger named Faramir, and pretty much lived happily ever after. She got to be a badass and get the princess ending, and if that isn’t something to aspire to, I don’t know what is.
Lyra Silvertongue, Oxford’s Hellion Aristocrat
His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
Also known as Lyra Belacqua (and a host of other names besides), Pullman’s preteen heroine is probably the youngest character on this list—but even now that we are no longer the same age, she feels like a sister to me. She’s proud, and wild, and a quick liar—hence her name—and her life is a series of one brilliant adventure after another.
Lyra’s greatest strength, however, is her loyalty. Once she decides someone is worth fighting for, she will fight tooth and nail for that person—whether they are, in fact, a human being or, for instance, an armored bear. She also has absolute faith in that person in return—even in spite of the numerous betrayals she’s suffered in her life. I haven’t read the new Book of Dust trilogy yet, but as long as Lyra remains true to herself, she will always have a special place in my heart.
Sabriel, the 53rd Abhorsen of Ancelstierre
Old Kingdom by Garth Nix
Sabriel is wholly to blame for my ongoing interest in necromancy. Yes, technically Sauron (from The Lord of the Rings) was known as a necromancer, but mostly he’s an evil lurking presence just over the horizon. Sabriel the book was the first time I’d encountered a story that revolved around death magic, and Sabriel the heroine remains to this day one of the most memorable necromancers I’ve ever read about.
To be fair, simply being in the position of becoming an Abhorsen (a guardian between life and death) can make anyone sound interesting. But Sabriel transitions so smoothly from a relatively normal teenage schoolgirl to a woman with a magical cat sidekick and a belt full of death-defying bells that you almost don’t notice it happening. By the end of the first Old Kingdom book, it’s clear she’s not just any old Abhorsen—she’s one of the strongest to ever take up the title.
Death of the Endless
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Speaking of Death, this list wouldn’t be complete without Gaiman’s Death of the Endless. A cute, lighthearted goth chick—at first glance, she is the polar opposite of a traditional Grim Reaper (except, perhaps, for her monochromatic color scheme). Yet she is everything death should be—comforting, honest, potentially scary and inhumanly powerful but, ultimately, kind.
If she came knocking at my door one night, I wouldn’t be afraid. I’d be relieved, because even though I’d know my time was up, I’d know too that I would, after all, be going gently into my eternal night.
Lissla Lissar, Deerskin
Deerskin by Robin McKinley
If you want a treasure trove of strong female fantasy characters from books, look no further than a shelf full of Robin McKinley novels. Any one of her heroines would be at home on this list, but of all of them, I think Lissla stands out the most in my mind. Hers is perhaps the most difficult story to read—a brutal retelling of an old fairytale involving incestuous rape and the long and challenging road to recovery that follows—but it is also one of the most inspiring.
Lissla doesn’t lead an army to victory or slay an ancient foe—at least, not in the literal sense. But she suffers one of the most horrific events that can happen to a person, and instead of letting it rule the rest of her life, she somehow manages to heal from it. It’s a special kind of resilience and courage that is all too easily overlooked in fantasy storytelling, yet is every bit as precious and important as battlefield bravery—perhaps even more so.
Detective Karrin Murphy, Special Investigations Division
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Since this series is ongoing (and I know many of you aren’t caught up yet), I’ll avoid spoilers here. But if you’ve read even one book of The Dresden Files, chances are, you’ve met Karrin Murphy—one of Chicago’s finest, and a warrior woman through and through. I don’t always love what Butcher does with his female characters (wow, what a sentence), but with Murph, he struck gold.
She’s got a quick wit and a smart mouth, and she takes so much more in stride than any one person should ever be asked to. She’s human enough to be freaked out by the supernatural when it barges into her life uninvited, but she’s strong enough to keep a steady hand on the trigger when she needs to—even when a vicious loup garou is charging straight at her. People who are caught up with the series through Battle Ground know there’s even more to her than what I can say here without spoiling things… and why it’s killing me not to.
A Few More Fantasy Books With Strong Female Characters
As always, if you’re looking for even more books to add to your TBR pile, I have more to recommend! Here they are, in no particular order:
- Any Robin McKinley book, really
- Most of Alice Hoffman’s fantasy novels, but especially Green Angel (Green)
- Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce
- Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey (Moreta)
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Ead, Tané, and Sabran)
- Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (Claire)
- Many more I just can’t think of at the moment
And if you want to throw some sci-fi in there too, please do check out (almost) anything by Isaac Asimov featuring Susan Calvin. I have recently fallen in love with her, and believe me, she’s much cooler than the film adaptation of I, Robot would have you believe. Just don’t start with the short story “Liar!”—it’s not the best introduction to the cleverest character in the galaxy.
Kim Berkley is a fantasy author and video game writer whose own menagerie of strong female characters includes Maire Morgan from The Harbinger’s Head, Tashka and Valeria from The Dragon’s Last Flight, the mysterious color seller from chiaroscuro, and many others she has yet to introduce to the world. 🙂
