A list for voting for the best kickass female characters in ya and childrens fantasy and science fiction books. As soon as i finish writing this post about great recommendations to tick off the scifi novel with a female protagonist by a female author box on your 2018 read harder challenge list, i am coincidentally going to start a book that fits the requirements. I have 12 female driven scifi and fantasy novels youll love to read, so be sure to add these new and newish adventures to your tbr, a. As a disclaimer, not all of the books featuring bisexual women end with a ff pairing. Oh a city, with magic, and sex and a female protagonist, lets put it under urban fantasy. This historical fiction book focuses on two female. Maybe its because the commonly used themes of identity, love, and friendship are universal. She is not only trying to find a way to save her family but she is also an incredible shadowhunter. What are some good fantasy novels with strong female protagonist i havent read many fantasy books but read some main series like a song of ice and fire, mistborn series and read some ya fantasy like graceling, throne of glass etc.
The 50 best fantasy books of the 21st century so far paste. Teenage girl stereotypes prevent this large percentage of the population from being taken seriously, when thats one of the things they need and desire most. Ya literature has been one of the most consistently popular book genres for years. Just a decade ago, it wasnt uncommon for female characters to barely have a mention in a book. The other major female character in the first book is an adult scientist this being a ya book, the teenagers dont interact or confide to closely with her.
Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Leviathan by scott westerfeld is a wonderful ya steampunk book, with a brave heroine as one of the two protagonists. Now, just because a protagonist is white doesnt mean anything is wrong with the book, but representation is a big problem in the publishing. I looked at one article listing badass female protagonists, and every single book on that list featured a white lady.
We stan a protagonist that isnt quite what she seems. Seriously, there are so many amazing young adult fantasy books hitting shelves in the next year that we dont even know how were going to get through. As we celebrate national womens history month, here are 35 great books featuring some of the most awesome and inspiring female characters ever created. Maybe its because i like reading about women i can look up to. This is an epic fantasy saga, but its also an unputdownable story about female friendship. Perhaps its because books about women are less likely to win prizes. There are countless books out there with awesome female protagonists tell us in the comments below about your favorites. In youngadult literature, black female representation has been lacking, though yoon and others are working to fix that. The riyria revelations by michael sullivan romance is almost nonexistent in the early books, although it starts to seep into the story subtlety, and by the end its a major subplot at least for one of the protagonists. Start this year off strong by reading these black history month books and yeah, you can thank us later.
Books marketed to adults and non fantasy science fiction books will be removed. Ya fantasy with fierce female protagonists how does she. Sabriel is one of the best dark fantasy books out there, ya or not. Both are great books with wonderful female protagonists, but theyre set in the discworld, and the discworld is fantasy, not science fiction. Blake and marissa meyer will rejoice as lexa hillyer returns to a lush fantasy world in deep peril. There are many incredibly strong female characters in chain of gold but personally cordelia is my favorite. Its been two months since the fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since tella discovered the boy she fell in love with. Nimue pronounced nimway is the fierce, unapologetically strong protagonist that youll fall in love with. Female protagonists in science fiction and fantasy the illustrated. Anticipating new fantasy novels is one of my favorite activities, right behind reading them. Fantasy tends to feature female protagonists a bit more often than science fiction does, so science fiction really needs its own list. A couple of other notes on asian american protagonists before we start.
Why do 90% of ya fantasy books have female protagonists. Science fiction including dystopian, apocalyptic, or postapocalyptic. A list of books that contain a strong female protagonist in juvenile and young adult fantasy fiction. Some of the best contemporary, science fiction, historical, fantasy and romance novels are written by ya authors, and here are fifty you are certain to enjoy at any age. We wanted to give you a jumping off point for starting your ya novel, so we developed this unique character generator tool. But just because its popular with readers doesnt mean that its easy to write. One, this is a list about protagonists who are definitively asian american, and can lift up that experience. Best kickass female characters from ya and childrens. Young adult novels are written for teen readers, but theres no reason why adults cant love them, too. Which means it does not include the host, or any of the hunger games books. Best ya novels of all time 20 ya books every adult. What are some great young adult science fiction and. Just because a book is ya, doesnt mean the protagonist has to match their readers age group to be wellliked and meaningful. Ya fantasy with fierce female protagonists fantasy books.
The recent proliferation of gothic ya novels is skewed toward a female readership with a focus on girl protagonists, and significant emphasis on their quest for romance. If youre looking for books by these or other authors whose protagonists were born in their motherland or a different country, i highly recommend you check out places like asian ya on tumblr, or lists on goodreads. Wrede, but im only really familiar with dealing with dragons. This list of mustread lgbt fantasy books is here to help. If boys really wont read books about girls, we have a. Shelves are filled with fierce, complex young women. Im sure there are more to add, so definitely let me know about any ive missed in the comments. The maze runner by james dashner, harry potter and the halfblood prince by j. If youre searching for scifi books with badass female protagonists, look no further. The following list is a good representation of ya fantasy these days. Dark charter mages who bind spirits theyve brought back. Strong female protagonists in ya fantasy all the female protagonists in abhorsen by garth nix total books.
Ive got 15 fantastic books and series you can pick up today to read all about powerful women warriors and. Female protagonists in science fiction and fantasy the. From twilight to catcher in the rye, young adult ya fiction has been the most dominant genre for decades. I was doing some research before i sat down to write this article, and i found an awful lot of books with white female protagonists. Strong female protagonists juvenile and ya fantasy 260 books. Flintlock fantasy series with muskets and what not. Both major protagonists are male, although there are certainly other points of view, including the lead female. Ive made a specific section of queer ya fantasy books just for you.
A roundup of awesome asian american protagonists in ya lit. If boys really wont read books about girls, we have a problem february 28, 20 by amy sundberg very soon after i decided that i wanted to be a ya writer, i learned the following truth. This book is packed full of strong female characters that its. The first book in le guins first foray into ya lit. When adding books, please make sure they are in ya or children fantasy or science fiction. And scroll down for a leslie knopeapproved roundup of epic female characters. Marie lu turned ya drama on its head by creating a character from the bones up that she knew would be a villain, complete with the traumas, neuroses, and. What are some good fantasy novels with strong female. The four protagonists, including three girls and two people of color an unfortunate rarity in ya fantasy, spend the books learning to control their elemental forms of magic and to use them to battle catastrophic threats to themselves, their loved ones, and even their society. This years forthcoming crop january through june of fantasy novels is rich with fierce new landscapes, forbidden enchantments, and inspirations ranging from prerevolutionary france to chinese, korean, and middle eastern mythologies to classic fairy tales to gothic lit. Strong female protagonists juvenile and ya fantasy 260. Check out our top three books with fantasy books with fierce female protagonists. Dont miss these fantastic ya books by black authors that release this year. Young adult character generator random personality.
Theres something about a powerhouse female protagonist that makes me happy. Ive often wondered where the lines of these category genres blur. It features 50 amazing queer fantasy books, from highepic fantasy to urban fantasy to superheroes and everywhere in between. What are some good ya novels with a male protagonist. If youre a fan of lgbt ya fantasy books in particular, youre in luck. From anthologies to graphic novels, atmospheric fantasies to realistic tales tinged by everyday issues, theres something to offer every type of reader in every one of these stories. Just a decade ago, it wasnt uncommon to barely have a female character mention in a book. We just cant seem to get enough of a badass female protagonist, and thats a terrific thing. Rowling to sabaa tahir, we list the best fantasy books of the 21st century. The first half of 2018 offers up a dragons hoards worth of tantalizing new fantasy landscapes, set in epic otherworlds, reimagined earths, and a few familiar places we cant wait to revisit. Image via pittsburgh postgazette one of my favorite aspects of this book is how natasha and daniels seemingly opposing personalities play off one another. Looking for fantasy with male protagonist and romance.
Im an even bigger fan of fantasy reads written by authors of color. The night may be dark and full of terrors, but the year is bright and full of incredible books to get you through. Young female protagonists are taking over the stage of ya fantasy. What malenarrated ya book is on your list of favorites.
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