Fantasy by Women

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

I am about to do a big and important essay for school and for this I will need to read one book by a male author, and one by a female. For the male one, I'm thinking about rereading BoM, but I need a good one by a female author. I'm considering A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, but I have never read it. Is it any good? And do anyone of you guys have other recomendations when it comes to fantasy by women? Thanks!

[Fourth Of The Night]

Robin Hobb is a fantastic fantasy writer! The Assassin series is dark and emotional and wonderful, and the other books in that world are also great!

[Orlion Blight he/him]

 It's a shame that you can't wait until November, a couple good ones are coming out then! 

As far as good female authors:

Catherynne M Valente: she writes from middle grade to adult to plain - flipping - amazing. 

N K Jeminsin is great.  Fifth Season is a good one to get into. 

Nnedi Okorafor is fantastic. I think Binti would be considered too short, but you can read Akata Witch, Who Fears Death or Lagoon.

Anne Leckie with Ancillary Justice is science fiction, but it is great. 

Katherine Addison's The Goblin Emperor

Anything by Sofia Samatar, but I think Stranger in Olondria is considered the one to start with. 

Ruthanna Emrys' Winter Tide

Ada Palmer's Seven Surrenders

That will do for now, since I'm sure someone else will mention Mary's Ghost Talkers. 

Edit to add: 

Ursula K Le Guin, Patricia McKillip and Octavia Butler are classic suggestions (along with Margeret Atwood).

Also, Everfair by Nisi Shawi.

Edited September 26, 2017 by TheOrlionThatComesBefore

[She Who Cannot Be Named she/her]

I haven't read  A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, but I'd like to recommend you two other books:

One is a first in a series of four by Alison Croggon, called either The Naming or The Gift (depending on where you live, otherwise look for Pellinor 1). 

From Wikipedia (because I'm horrible at summarising things up): The Gift (also published as The Naming) begins with Maerad, in "Gilman's Cot" as a slave, where she has been for many years, with few memories of her former life, her mother having died several years before. She is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great mystics known as 'Bards', who reveals to her that she, like him, possesses "the Gift" shared by all of these, by which she is able to command nature to do her will. 

 

The other one is called Uprooted by Naomi Novik, a fantastical coming of age story, friendship, magic and finding different paths to follow. (She has also written the Temeraire Series, which is about the Napoleonic wars, just with Dragons, if that is more up your alley).

[Sunbird she/her]

Some of my favorite fantasy by female authors, in no particular order:

Anything, really, by Cinda Williams Chima

Rachel Aaron (the Eli Monpress series is epic fantasy, and "Nice Dragons Finish Last" is more urban fantasy/dystopia)

"This Savage Song" or "A Darker Shade of Magic" by Victoria Schwab (she also publishes under the name V.E. Schwab)

Naomi Novik, as previously mentioned

Julie Kagawa (try "Talon" if you like dragons or "The Immortal Rules" if you prefer vampires)

"Falling Kingdoms" by Morgan Rhodes

"Die for Me" by Amy Plum

[Ammanas]

God's War trilogy by Hurley

[Orlion Blight he/him]

9 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

God's War trilogy by Hurley

Is that available as a printed book, or just electronically? 

[Ammanas]

12 minutes ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

Is that available as a printed book, or just electronically? 

I have all mine as printed books, but I know that the publisher Nightshade went broke a few years ago and were bought out. I'm not sure if they are still printing new ones or not, but you should at least be able to find used copies with no problem.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Ammanas

[Yezrien]

Ursula LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea is a great book, and it's not too long.

If your essay is supposed to focus on gender, it's a particularly interesting book because, even though LeGuin is a feminist, the book is disturbingly sexist. It's from early in her career, when she was (in her own words) "writing as a man," because she'd only read male authors.

It would make a very interesting contrast with BoM, which, even though it's written by a man, is a much more feminist text.

[ryshadium90]

Classic female fantasy authors (IMO): Tamora Pierce (lots of amazing strong female protagonists, like lady knights, and a girl who has a "way" with creatures, etc.) and Ursula LeGuin.

[Briar King]

While I own 3 I have only read 1 and enjoyed it Katherine Kurtz Deryni books.

id check it out only if you like Tudors era English courtliness mixed with magic. I plan to reread it and then the other other 2 at some point.

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

I personally have immensely enjoyed Lucy Saxon's work, you should totally check her out, she's a relatively unsung author, her Tellus series is pretty dang awesome and fun to read!

[+Extesian he/him]

Robin Hobb is extraordinary, I think she's the best character writer I've read. 

NK Jemisin and Naomi Novik are two Brandon repeatedly recommends. 

The only thing I've read of Janny Wurtz is when she teamed up with Raymond E Feist to cowrite a series in his universe, but those books were my favorite of all the Feidt books because she balanced him perfectly and for the first time made his female characters fantastic. The protagonist of those books remains one of my favorite female characters.