Top 10 Adult Fantasy Books With Strong Female Characters

Hi booktube! let's go through 10 adult fantasy books with powerful, bad*ss female characters. These 10 (well, 14) fantasy books are for me the best examples of characters are extremely well characterized, strongly developed and yeah, they inspire me!
Let me know your thoughts down below!
CHECK OUT THE COLLABORATORS
🎥 Andi ‪@BecxReadz‬
🎥 Andi ‪@AZebraReads‬
🎥 April ‪@happily_ever_april‬
🎥 Autumn @autumnrose_noseinabook
🎥 Cady @coffeewithcady
🎥 Crystal @crystalsbookishlife
🎥 Erika @Erikareadsbooks
🎥 Hannah @hannahblackwell6494
🎥 Jackie @FirstLadyReads
🎥 Jenn @TheBookRefuge
🎥 Jo @NotSoAverageJo
🎥 Kaylani @kaylanisimplyme
🎥 Kristin @KristinKravesBooks
🎥 Laura @ABookCircus
🎥 Lisa @babeinlibrary
🎥 Mariah @Mariahs-Moods
🎥 Tara @taratalksbooks
🎥 Tori @NovelLife
🎥 Victoria @undervictoriaspell

[@BecxReadz]

I need to read Shadow of the Gods already its been on my shelf for awhile. Thanks for collabing on this Isa. ❤

[@NotSoAverageJo]

Ooooo one of the ladies from TFATF was on my list!!😍 I’m so excited to get into Shadow of the Gods once I finish the Banished Lands books!

[@FunFantasyBooks]

hahaha yay!! I hope you enjoy Shadow of the Gods once you get to it!!

[@starlasell5698]

♥️📚📚♥️...some great books I've read, and some that are now on my tbr! Thank you!!

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Thank you!!

[@Talking_Story]

I am so with you Jasna and Shallon were thrilling to me in my read. I had to use your question in my review of how I felt about my read of this book. I thought that was so insightful for this read. Not what I thought but how I felt about the beginning of the journey. I of course gave you full credit for this amazing question in my review. Thanks as always.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

So sorry I am getting to this comment so late!! Ahh I am so happy it was an insightful question!!

[@Talking_Story]

@@FunFantasyBooks no worries! Sure you have tons of comments to wade thru.

[@kaustubhdudhane]

Loved the video and the way you had articulated the feelings about why these female lead characters are awesome. I am just a bit surprised why Vin from Mistborn didn't make the cut. 🤔

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Thank you so much!! I am very happy you loved it!! Oh I love Vin- I didn't mentioned her mainly for 2 reasons: 1) I read Mistborn sooooo many years ago (and haven't re-read) that I am not sure I will still resonate as much with Vin and 2) I tried to focus on adult fantasy books!!

[@celinelamyendu2614]

Can you make a video of the best science fantasy books, like Foundryside. I love your videos, i have bought Guns of The Dawn, and you have a great reading taste.

[@happily_ever_april]

Isa you always ALMOST make me want to get back to adult fantasy books (that arent romance) lol. I love Rin too and i really need to finish the dragon republic but im not ready to leave her yet.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

hahahahahhahahahahaha i loved the "almost"🥲. Rin is so complicated- book 3 was though!!

[@asipofcozy]

So many amazing recommendations with strong female characters! I think Rin, while could be seen as a problematic or morally grey character, from the Poppy War is an amazing character with crazy character development.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

So sorry I am getting to this comment so late!! I 100% agree! Rin had a very rich arc!

[@kelleyceccato7025]

If you like Novik's "Spinning Silver," consider checking out Juliet Marillier's work. She writes in a similar mythic/folktale vein. I recommend the original Sevenwaters Trilogy (Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, Child of the Prophecy) and the later Blackthorn and Grim series (starts with Dreamer's Pool). Another excellent fairytale retelling that doesn't get enough love is Kate Forsyth's Bitter Greens, a disturbing but ultimately beautiful take on Rapunzel. DOGGIE!

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Oh wow! thank you for the recommendations!! I definitely will add them to my TBR, i sense the mythic / folktale vein will come back soon! (fall / winter - perfect mood!)

[@Nahuelindomable526]

For me, Mitsborn Era 1 was missing from the list. Vin, in my personal opinion, is a beautiful character who deserves more recognition. She is underrated.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Ahh I agree Vin is a great character!! I excluded from the list because 1) I read Mistborn like 10 years ago haha and I don't remember as much about her specific points and 2) I tried to focused on adult fantasy (and I guess Mistborn is still considered YA).

[@tw7998]

For me it is the books from the Stormlight Archive and the two strong females that come to mind are Jasnah and Navani. Also cannot forget Vin (mistborn)

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Oh Navani!!! that is absolutely correct - her arc is so incredible and she is such a powerful and well crafted character as well! Absolutely, Vin ♥️

[@skyvolt2566]

I can't believe I got lucky enough to find Blood over Bright Haven at my local thrift store for only $2 it was such an amazing book

[@FunFantasyBooks]

What!!!!!! how!! I am so glad you also loved it, truly unexpected in the best possible way! (P.S: sorry about the delay!! I had friends staying over the weekend!)

[@skyvolt2566]

@@FunFantasyBooks I got lucky I guess 😂my local thrift store has like 2 isles dedicated to used books and I just happened to come across that one! And I hope you and your friends had fun!

[@laku_u]

Yay new shelves (and couch?)! And Yay Fireborne, but that was a given! Surprisingly, Orka's my least favorite POV from SOTG! I much preferred Elvar as a female character, but I know Orka is the fans' favorite! The female characters that resonate with me the most tend to be the quieter but more resilient ones, like Antigone or Misaki. I'm off to watch the other collab videos and get some more recs 👀

[@kelleyceccato7025]

I admire the way Gwynne is developing Elvar's character, but she's still too much in the "slavery is right" camp for me to think very highly of her. I expect I'll feel different by the end of the series, however, as I can see the direction the author is taking her in.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Ahh agree! both Antigone & Misaki resonate more with me (I mean- I wish I were that strong, but fine). Yay!! I hope you find other great books through the recommendations 😍

[@sumanpani]

This is amazing❤

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Thank you so much Suman!! i really appreciate you checking out the video!

[@taratalksbooks]

Loved Spinning Silver!!

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Yay!!

[@zem_fm]

Woohoo, I'm super excited Jóhan and you met up, I hope you guys are having a blast! Also, did you reorganise your bookshelves? 👀 It shouldn't have been possible but they look even more beautiful now, my own rainbow shelves might or might not be slightly jealous 😂

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Yayyy!! haha sorry for the late reply - we spent the whole weekend so busy!! It was such a blast! maaaybbbbbe there is a new video coming up soon with a collaboration? ^.^!! Hahaha! I did reorganise the shelves, I wanted to give the room a fall vibe, and I am so happy about how it turned out! Although I am sure your rainbow shelves are better!

[@zem_fm]

@@FunFantasyBooks Glad to hear it! Definitely looking forward to that collaboration that might or might not be coming soon hehe 👀 My 3 bookshelves are all actually pretty narrow and placed apart from each other, so one shelf is just overwhelmingly pink/red, one is very green and blue and the last one is just an abyss of darkness 😂

[@orionshi4009]

I have been interested to read Mr. Sanderson for a while, but seeing the amount of books from him in this video made me open amazon violently and cart a few of his books. He seems like a genuine person and an author that cares about the character he writes about.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

YEEESSSSSS! this literally just brighten my morning! I hope you love Sanderson as much as I do! (P.S: sorry about the late reply!! I had friends staying over the weekend!)

[@orionshi4009]

@@FunFantasyBooks Not a worry! I didn't even think you'd reply, I'm a new watcher :) But now that I have you here, may I ask for advise on the Sanderson way? I bought the Mistborn trilogy and the way of kings (a chonky boy), which one should i start with, considering I'm new to Brandon sanderson's writting and worldbuilding?

[@cmeeki4]

Firebourne is my favorite dragon fantasy book.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Absolutely!! 100% agree!!

[@theycallmeshay-shaygirl7364]

I think you will LOVE K.B. Wagers. I can’t recommend her books enough. Love love love.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Ahhh thank you so much for the recommendation!

[@theycallmeshay-shaygirl7364]

@@FunFantasyBooks Absolutely! Can’t wait to hear if you like her books. Whenever that will be. 🙂

[@caitlinl2750]

I loved these all! Have you read ML Wang’s new book? Incredible!

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Thank you!!! Yes!! I LOVED Blood Over Bright Haven - a bit gory, but very very addictive and kind of sad. Very ML Wang! (P.S: sorry about the delay!! I had friends staying over the weekend!)

[@caitlinl2750]

@@FunFantasyBooks ❤️❤️hope you had a fab time

[@daliden]

Mary Gentle: Ash - a Secret History. Lois McMaster Bujold: Paladin of Souls. Elizabeth Moon: Deed of Paksenarrion. C.J. Cherryh: Paladin and The Morgaine Cycle. Just to throw in some older greats into the discussion.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Lovely!! thank you so much for sharing them!!!

[@joelindley5113]

I wasn't feeling Shadow of the Gods as much as I did the Faithful & the Fallen. Still good but I wasn't yet quite as invested. Hunger of the Gods was different, the story really hit its stride in book two. The imagery is fantastic, the vaesen creatures and especially Snakavik, a city atop the skull of a snake god. This series needs an illustrated edition. There was a thread on the FB fantasy group I'm in about strong female characters, Orka was my pick. I've kinda fancasted Katherine Winnick from Vikings as her

[@caitlinl2750]

I felt the same!

[@kelleyceccato7025]

When the subject is female characters, however, Bloodsworn is definitely an improvement. I liked Malice (F&tF) well enough -- it's a good callback to a more traditional style of epic fantasy -- but I found the female characters, constructed around old-fashioned tropes, to be its biggest weakness.

[@joelindley5113]

@@kelleyceccato7025 If you haven't read the Of Blood and Bone trilogy yet one of the two main POVs is female and is something of an improvement. Also one of the main antagonists is female and not just the "evil queen" trope we get with Rhin in FatF, you can understand why she's doing what she does

[@vickibing6771]

I maybe have screamed "yyyeeeeessssss" when Sword of Kaigen came on!

[@FunFantasyBooks]

hahahahahhaha that is absolutely the reaction that Sword of Kaigen deserves!!! (P.S: sorry about the delay!! I had friends staying over the weekend!)

[@racqueldillon3560]

Your shelves are beautiful

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Thank you so so much!! New arrangement!!

[@chriscyborg2187]

The Grace of king also has some strong female characters

[@kelleyceccato7025]

They don't play much of a role until Book 2, though.

[@FunFantasyBooks]

Agreed! Is Wall of Storms in my opinion when they have massive roles!