Broken Earth Nk Jemsin
this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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Spinning Silver, Uprooted, and the Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik are all great. The first two are stand alone novels that retell fairy tales (Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel I think). The Scholomance books definitely wrestle with femininity and what it means for the protagonist to be a strong woman.
The Lioness Quartet and the Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce may fit the bill here. They may be aimed more at a teen audience, but both are about girls needing to prove themselves in the face of a lot of adversity.
These books helped to shape my worldview when I was younger and they hold a very special place in my heart.
Came here to recommend Tamora Pierce. She was similarly a big influence on teenage me, and I have a lot of respect for her. A lot of what she wrote were things I badly needed to hear when I was that age. I haven’t reread any of her work recently, but I’m sure it holds up well.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik fits the bill! Uprooted by the same author should also fit.
I like these too! Uprooted probably fits the feminine theme a little better, but I like Spinning Silver more. Both good books though.
Circe - Madeline Miller. It's a great take on the mythological figure. Tuches theames of solitiute, selfgrowth, moderhiod and beeing a bad ass witch.
The Steerswoman's Road by Rosemary Kirstein
I came here to say this. I love those books so much. I wish she would finish the series, or at least give us notes on how she was planning to continue and end it
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. and all of her other books. My wife and I read through them all together, and the Throne of Glass series was definitely my favorite.
This is what I'm came here to say. I could not even tell you how many times my wife has read the entire series.
The series is pretty freaking cool! Unique world building; characters that are interesting, flawed, and impactful; and very well written. The connections between SJM's 3 series are also amazing.
Juliette Mariller - Daughter of the Forrest
It is the first book in a historical fantasy series that follows a an Irish family through several generations.
It is loosely based on an old fairy tale where a witch turns 6 brothers into swans and their sister is set to an impossible task to free them.
The writing style takes a little time to get into, IMO, but once you do, I think it is un-put-down-able.
The rest of the series is also great, mixed gender protagonists in the other books.
Roots of Chaos series is great and seems to fit these criteria. (The Priory of the Orange Tree, A Day of Fallen Knight, Among the Burning Flowers).
I can recommend Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki
A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a cozy novella by Becky Chambers. I enjoyed the setting and the main characters experience. I think they are NB but female presenting. Part coming of age, part Walden’s Pond. Worth a read if you like robots, solarpunk, determination
Sunward by William Alexander is similar in vibes (cozy, robots, far future) but moves to space. Our main character has to save her found family and decide what’s most important to her.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is Buffy the Vampire Slayer in book form. There’s some longing but not much romance.
Mister Magic by Kiersten White is a modern retelling of IT. Friends experienced some trauma as kids and have all chosen to deal with it in their own ways. They must come back together as adults and Figure It Out ™️
Nah psalm for the wild built is full middle of the road enby. I'm almost there but slightly on the masc end and it suited me perfectly to identify with the protagonist directly.
Thanks for sharing! It’s a thing I don’t quite understand but I enjoy reading about characters with different experiences. Books can be mirrors or windows
Maybe The Fifth Season? I wouldn't say the leads in that series are particularly masculine but I'm not sure that they're overly feminine either. But motherhood and daughterhood are both pretty big parts of the story. There are some romance elements but they're really not the focus of the main story. It's a Hugo award winner and an exceptional story.
I came here to recommend this as well. While I wouldn't describe the MC as overly feminine, the fact that she is a woman is definitely part of the story and the wider commentary.
This is what I came to recommend too.
Many of the books by Mercedes Lackey. The cloudmages series (can't remember the author off the top of my head). Dragonriders of Pern (anne mccaffrey?). The witches of eileannan (Um.... shoot, another author I can't remember off the top of my head). The silerian trilogy by laura resnick (technically it's not a female only lead, but the male main character and the female main character have about equal writing time).
There's a series that I just can't remember the name of, fire something was the first book, and earth something was the second book. The two main characters are mages/smiths, and I think each book focuses on a particular one of the pair. Romance is definitely not the main focus, it's about the elemental magic they weave into their smithing. I'm also not 100% sure it was by a female author, but I want to say it was.
Non female authors but still noteworthy series: The wi'tchfire series by james clemens.
Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series, especially the second, Paladin of Souls. Also it's just a superb book. One of my all time favorite authors.
Curse of Chalion is my all-time favorite book! Paladin of Souls is a great recommendation for this thread.
Series 2 and 4 of Robin Hobb's main universe follow female leads who absolutely fit this. Liveship Traders and Rain Wild Chronicles.
They can technically be read stand-alone, but I'd highly recommend reading the whole universe in order. It's pretty quick.
The whole universe would be around 20 books by now, wouldn't it?
googling
Oh, hey, she has some books out that I haven't read yet. BRB, gotta add them to the list.
5 sub-series, each 3-4 books. They are pretty short, so they go fast.
Series 3 is a sequel to 1, series 4 is a less-direct sequel to 2. Series 5 acts as an ending for 1/3 and epilogue for 2/4. I believe she is currently writing series 6, which will follow one of the main characters from 5. It's all written chronologically though.
I've read most of these, plus the Soldier Son trilogy. She's writing more? Fantastic! I've loved all of her books. Robin Hobb is easily one of my favorite authors.
Although it's sci-fi I'd recommend Artemis by Andy Weir (Martian and Hail Mary fame) same no nonsense problem solving main character but a women
Is that just a good book with a female main character? It's not fantasy, doesn't have a female author, and "no nonsense problem solving main character but a woman" doesn't sound that character driven or feminine
It is a good book with a good main character that fits the bill only very parcially. It's a hardcore sci-fi written by a man. It has a wonderful female main character, though, who's strong yet feminine, enjoys her femininity and sexuality and there's no love story - more like background of some past or present relationships of diverse nature. I liked it a lot because of the strong lead and I'm sorry it is not as popular as Weir's other books. I think the fact that the lead is a strong muslim sexually active and openminded woman who doesn't care she'll never have children was a death sentence for the book - too many no-nos for our society. I loved it though.
I mentioned this thread to my wife; she suggested The Bone Spindle.
I read Blood Over Bright Haven fairly recently. Great premise with magic-as-technology, breaking into academia, and some killer intrigue in the background.
If you don't mind a diversion into sci-fi, Unconquerable Sun is one of my recent favorites. It's dense with a good mix of action and intrigue. The point of view characters span both sides of multiple conflicts. I'm greatly anticipating the conclusion to the trilogy later this year.
Anyþing by N.K. Jemisin. Þe Inheritance Trilogy in particular has a relatable lead who comes to us as a young woman, so we grow wiþ her; Þe Broken Earth Trilogy her lead has a history and is more hard-bitten. Boþ are strong female leads wiþout losing þeir sensitivity and basic humaneness. I don't þink Jemisin makes much distinction between masculinity and feminity. Characters are pretty human - petty at times, cruel at times, sensitive, complex, and not always what þey seem. Jemisin is perhaps not my favorite auþor, but þat's just taste - she's an excellent, creative writer, and I do buy and enjoy everyþing she publishes. I'd say as young writers go ("young" as in, under-40), she's at least as good and full of fresh ideas and novel world-builing as Tchaikovsky or Egan.
Agreed on all points aside from her being under 40.
I've read quite a lot of her stuff and it is all excellent.
Is she over 40? (checks) Holy cow, she's 53! Her (first successful) debut album was published in 2010, which is why I þought she was a Millenial.
Dang. Well, þanks for giving my world-view snow globe a shake.
Manifold Worlds series.
Would fantasy Sci-Fi work? Kameron Hurley the Bel Dame series starting with God's War. Most of her books are carried by strong female leads.
Fifth Wing maybe? Lots of romance but its got a fun story and lots of entertaining characters. MC is a strong female character, but maybe not overly feminine. About as feminine as any other woman in a warrior-centric culture I guess.
Do you mean fourth wing? I'm a few chapters in and I thought it was the poster child for Romantasy.
So far the budding romance is absolutely center frame and the world building either directly holds up the romance or it's kinda background.
I really like The Land, by Pirateaba (they/them)
All of them?
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton is full of interpersonal relationships and intrigue and I feel the whole premise is around femininity.
Try Derelict by LJ Cohen.