Fantasy books written by women

[Pennyfeatheringt0n]

I tried to read Magician by raymond e feist the other day - 2 chapters in and the only female that had appeared is a housewife whose only function was to care for the main character (while all the men have professions), and one pretty princess.

I think i need more fantasy written by women.

I love robin hobb and have read all of hers. I like naomi novik and Frances hardinge. Sarah j maas doesn't appeal. I don't like books with a lot of romance as i feel it always gets in the way of the story.

What else should i try?

I love VE Schwab

the invisible life of Addie Larue is amazing

Oh yes these are amazing!

Came on to say Anne McCaffrey (love the love for her!)
Robin Hobb
Naomi Novik

Delighted to see all these names listed will be adding a few of the suggestions from others to my kindle wish list.

Samantha Shannon. Books full of women

I agree wholeheartedly. For OP start with Daggerspell.

I think i might have read the Daggerspell series many moons ago! I'll have a look at them again.

The Barbed Coil - women gradually getting stronger.

Deed of Paksinarrion by Elizabeth Moon. Which is due its annual reread!

I second Lois McMaster Bujold (see my user name!). As well as the Chalion books the Penric and Desdemona books are good fun.

The Daughter of the Empire series that Raymond E Feist wrote with Janny Wurts was brilliant. I listened to them as an audiobook, and the narrator was very good. A very strong female protagonist. On the back of this series, I downloaded the Magician series by Feist, and thought ‘what a load of man-centric shite!’ It is clear he created the world, she created the strong female characters and storylines of the Empire series.

Seconding (thirding?) on both Lois McMaster Bujold and Elizabeth Moon.

Also, Helen Lowe's Wall of Night series is beautifully written and morally complex - highly recommend.

Yes! The Priory of the Orange Tree is absolutely amazing.

Also really liked The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, and its spin-off, The Witness for the Dead. Protagonist not female in this case but has good female characters

The Etched City by KJ Bishop is a beautiful surreal fantasy.
Technically YA but the curesworkers trilogy by Holly Black was also brilliant.
I also vote for Anne McAffrey and Katherine Kerr!

More sci fi than fantasy but the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers had me gripped - I would normally seek out fantasy exclusively but I found the characters so rich that I couldn't put the books down!

Frances Hardinge is high on my recommendation list so I'm guessing we have similar taste!

Another Lois McMaster Bujold fan here, my absolute favourite author - so many brilliant strong women and amazing plots. Diana Wynne Jones is another firm favourite, particularly Dark Lord of Derkholm which should be required reading for all fantasy fans.

I do enjoy Anne McCaffrey but get a bit annoyed by the plot inconsistencies.

T Kingfisher does have romance but is very entertaining to read - Swordheart in particular is hilarious. Victoria Goddard has some really memorable worlds and characters though the main characters in my favourite book of hers (Hands of the Emperor) are both male.

Seanan McGuire's Incryptid series is good too - I love the talking religious mice.

Finally Marie Brennan's A Natural History of Dragons might suit you - a woman rebelling against a regencyesque world by heading off to research dragons with a very practical type of insanity.

I cannot believe there's only one mention of Ursula le Guin! Second also. Diana Wynne Jones and Susan cooper. They may be kids books, but they have absolutely mastered fantasy.

Agree that Dark Lord of Derkholm is absolutely brilliant. So funny and so sharp

Martha Wells
Lois McMaster Bujold
Helene Wecker
Beth Lewis

I read howls moving castle recently, that was a fun book.

Loving all these suggestions - putting them on my wish list and downloading a few. The main characters don't all need to be women ... I just feel women are better at writing men, than men are at writing women!

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.

Body of Glass, by Marge Piercy.

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

Oh definitely Lois McMaster Bujold

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.

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

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.

Trudi canovan. Amazing female characters

The Eragon series has strong women although written by a man