Fantasy books written by women

I’m really enjoying the bone shards daughter by Andrea Stewart, I’ve read 2/3 would recommend!

Another for Trudi Canavan too, black magician trilogy is better than rule of 5 though both are good!

Jo Walton is brilliant, and her books are very varied.

Graceling trilogy by Kristen Cashore

I love the Sharing Knife series. The girl is a very strong personality.

Anything by Lois is fabulous.

@VaguelyIneffectual I like Falling Free but, while chronologically first, it's not the place to start with the Vorkosiverse - Shards of Honor would be a much better entry point. Or if you prefer fantasy, the novella Penric's Demon or book Curse of Chalion are both great.

Yes I agree women in Anne McCaffrey's books don't get great treatment, their options seem to be limited to servant, wife or incredibly rarely dragon-rider which requires the woman to have sex with the rider of whichever dragon mates your queen dragon. There're a few books about a girl harper but she's treated as a rare exception to the idea, which goes unchallenged, that women are rubbish at music and obsessed with appearance and status. But impressing a dragon does sound wonderful...

I’m surprised no one’s recommended R J Barker - The Bone Ships trilogy.
Also big thumbs up for N K Jemisin.

There’s a lot of very dull and derivative fantasy/SF out there. I’m a lifelong fan, but I’ve not found many great women writers. A favourite of mine is Doris Lessing’s Mara and Dann, more a dystopian future story though.

Holly Black? They’re more YA with major romance plot, but fun in their way and not as annoying as Sarah Maas.

There’s R F Kuang and the Poppy Wars books. Chinese mythology as the starting point for those.

Novik, Hobb, Arden are obvious giants in the field. Claire North sort of defies categories but is a great writer. I don’t think I’ve read a dud by her yet.

Personally, I don't think Anne McCaffrey's sexual politics have aged well. There's quite a lot of rape in the dragonrider books, carried out by ostensibly 'good' male characters.

I don't remember this being such a theme in her later works.

Left it too late to edit, I wanted to say that I don’t remember exactly what it was I didn’t like, just remembering a vague impression, so I wouldn’t say to others not to give it a go!

Loads of people recommending Anne McCaffrey on this thread, but I read Dragonriders of Pern ages ago and had mixed feelings - some interesting things but some elements I found a bit irritating and kind of dated. It didn’t inspire me to read more. Worth trying something else by her? Or maybe it’s just not for me.

Robin McKinley
Patricia McKillip
Megan Whalen Turner
T. Kingfisher (some horror others fantasy)
Martha Wells (Witch King and Raksura books are fantasy but good sci fi too)
Melissa Caruso
Susanna Clarke

I think she is also Kate Griffin, who I recommended above. I will look at books in her other names!

Re other books above - I love Diana Wynne Jones, but really didn't get on with Luis McMaster Bujold who I read after a recommendation on here. It was just a bit weird about people with four arms living in zero gravity then an attempted mass murder of them I think.

cant believe no-one has mentioned Mercedes LAckey.. omg, her Herald books are AMAZING.. and SO many to read.. might need to be on kindle though, getting the paper back can be a challenge.

Arrows of the Queen is the place to start.. the arrows trilogy is just brilliant, and the world it's written in has been well fleshed out.

There are a LOT of VERY strong female leads in them, but some wonderfully written men too, its very equal rights for heros.

However, not read the thread, so will likely repeat authors.

my faves are Katherine Kerr, Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Jenny Wurtz, Trudi Canavan, Robin Hobb.

I'll have to trawl my bookcase for others, there are more in there.

Second this. The Empire Trilogy is amazing, and the main character is a Woman and i LOVE the story.

It is absolutely worth sticking with Magician though, as it crosses over with the Empire Triilogy, reading both will bring some huge insights onto the why/how of Magician as it develops.

As a budding author could I ask what you look for in a fantasy book? What tropes do you enjoy and expect to see there?

I’m not sure if my ideas are any good so your thoughts would be so helpful. Thank you 🙏

Trudi canovan. Amazing female characters

The Eragon series has strong women although written by a man

Also, more historical fantasy and a bit BDSM, but Jacqueline Carey is great. Start with: https://www.goodreads.com/series/54527-ph-dre-s-trilogy

She reverses stereotypes with a strong clever heroine and a 'dumb and pretty' male sidekick.

Enjoy! As you might guess, I'm particularly keen on: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crystal-Singer-Books/dp/0552120979

Lots of my favourites already mentioned but also
Lani Taylor, Strange the Dreamer (and sequel)
Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. And Piranesi although that is not exactly fantasy - or is it?
NK Jemisin Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Katherine Arden Winternight trilogy
Honourable mention for Garth Nix Old Kingdom trilogy because although he’s male I love Sabriel and Lirael.

Oh definitely Lois McMaster Bujold

Body of Glass, by Marge Piercy.

Sci-fi, rather than fantasy. I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've read by her.

Not exactly fantasy, but also very much not ",real life" - I'm never quite sure how to categorise her, but Claire North is someone I think should be on everyone's reading list. She's absolutely amazing.