Moon Called ; Patricia Briggs - Urban fantasy with a female mechanic who kicks coccyx and has a secret...
Empire trilogy ; Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts
Dragonsbane; Barbara Hambley (and two or three following books)
The toughest female protagonist I've seen is Lisbeth Salander from
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"; Stieg Larsson. A "modern day" thriller.
Thing is, I've gotten...annoyed may not be the right word, but anyway, annoyed with the seemingly widespread "main hero must be male, take focus away from strong female characters" trend I've seen in what I've read before. Now, that may just be because of what I've read - not that I didn't enjoy those books too, but I really want to read stories with female leads (and not female leads being rescued by a male sidekick constantly -_-). So...what suggestions can you give me, Paizonians?
I'll second or third Mercedes Lackey, at least for her Valdemar books. I haven't read anything else of hers. I read quite a lot of her books in high school and never saw them as particularly anti-male. That was a while ago, but about the same time I was rather upset by what I viewed as incredibly anti-male sentiment in a book we had to read for history class so I don't think it's just time dimming my memory of the writing.
Lackey isn't all female protagonists. She seems, just going from memory, to do about 60/40 in the ladies' favor. In one trilogy, there's a male co-protagonist that gets saved by his female counterpart (and they fall in love) but he's far from emasculated and incompetent. In either case, we meet most of her lead characters living out a terrible home life from which they eventually escape to a more welcoming situation. There's a lot of child abuse. A lot. And a great deal of brutal enforcement of traditional gender roles. I can't remember more than one Lackey protagonist who wasn't seriously abused, and the exception apparently had an evil sorceress putting a mind-whammy on her to make up for it. So it can all look amazingly grim to start, but most everybody gets away from it eventually. Then the real trouble starts. There's usually, but not always, a romantic subplot.
Also there's a fair number of intelligent animals, though the number of full-blown animal people is pretty limited. Lackey raises and trains, or at least did at one time, birds of prey. It shows.
Isn't there a strong female main character in the second Earthsea book? I liked it, but can't remember the name right now.
With my bookshelf now actually in front of me—yes! Tombs of Atuan (book 2) and Tehanu (book 4) both feature female main characters, and are told from their perspective. The fifth book, The Other Shore, and a number of the stories in Tales from Earthsea are told from a male character's perspective, but significantly feature or center around strong female characters.
I'd also like to add The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown to my Robin McKinley recommendations, and to add Meredith Ann Pierce's Darkangel Trilogy.
A lot of great recommendations so far. I'd throw in Lynn Flewelling's Bone Doll series (The Bone Doll's Twin, Hidden Warrior, and The Oracle's Queen).
I also liked the first two of Sarah A. Hoyt's trilogy: Ill Met by Moonlight and All Night Awake. Any Man So Daring (the third & final) had a lot of potential but was IMHO only middling. That said, the co-antagonist, Lady Silver, doesn't come across as very strong female -- rather 2-dimensionally stereotypical -- which is sad given the author's gender and the strength of the other main characters.
I also highly recommend all Elaine Cunningham's "Arilyn Moonblade" books, set in the Forgotten Realms.
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I did a paper back in Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality on Melanie Rawn's The Ruins of Ambrai, which was the first book of a trilogy I don't think she ever finished. What was interesting about the book was that it presented a matriarchial society that was believable and interesting.
I'd also like to recommend Mercedes Lackey's Oathbound series (I have the SciFi book club edition where both books are put into one. Vows and Honor I think it's called.. A classic Sword and Sorceress story where both main characters (a warrior and a mage) are female and develop a strong relationship over the series. I think there are only two books and a third one that she wrote later that ties the events to the Valdemar series. The stories take place in the same world as Valdemar, so maybe they're included in that.
Check out "Empress", a novel by Karen Miller (it's book 1 of the Godspeaker Trilogy). Haven't read the latter 2, but "Empress" is an impressive read about a low-station girl eventually rising as a warlord and supreme ruler of a nation, all set in an Egyptian-esque fantasy setting.
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I did a paper back in Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality on Melanie Rawn's The Ruins of Ambrai, which was the first book of a trilogy I don't think she ever finished. What was interesting about the book was that it presented a matriarchial society that was believable and interesting.
I'd also like to recommend Mercedes Lackey's Oathbound series (I have the SciFi book club edition where both books are put into one. Vows and Honor I think it's called.. A classic Sword and Sorceress story where both main characters (a warrior and a mage) are female and develop a strong relationship over the series. I think there are only two books and a third one that she wrote later that ties the events to the Valdemar series. The stories take place in the same world as Valdemar, so maybe they're included in that.
She did a sequel, and she's to write a third book beginning this year, I think.
+1 Deed of Paksenarrion, one of my all time favorite trilogies (with a new one coming)Never read it, but the Deed of Paksenarrion have a farm girl turned Paladin story that many claim is the best embodiment of a D&D paladin in novels.
A new one... really? I love Paks. It's about time to read these books again anyway, but a new one? I'm all giddy now.
Edit: Ohhh, google revealed a new series not just a book. :^D
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Have you read the Empire trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts? That series is awesome and the lead character is one of my wife's favorite characters ever.
Daughter of Empire, Servant of Empire, Mistress of Empire is indeed an awesome series of books. The protagonist is very much not your traditional 'hero,' in that she's neither a combatant nor a magician, in a feudal world that has plenty of both. She uses a combination of wits and opportunism to claw her way to success in a world where it seems the entire world is stacked up against her.
My mom had *tons* of Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, Tanith Lee, Linda Bushyager, etc, etc. around the house when I was growing up, and, save for Lord of the Rings, I grew up with a lot of strong female characters.
Anne McCaffery has a few strong female presences, particularly in her Dragons of Pern books.
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+1 Deed of Paksenarrion, one of my all time favorite trilogies (with a new one coming)Never read it, but the Deed of Paksenarrion have a farm girl turned Paladin story that many claim is the best embodiment of a D&D paladin in novels.
A new one... really? I love Paks. It's about time to read these books again anyway, but a new one? I'm all giddy now.
Edit: Ohhh, google revealed a new series not just a book. :^D
I've read the new book as soon as it hit the shelves. Original trilogy is waaay better.
I've read the new book as soon as it hit the shelves. Original trilogy is waaay better.+1 Deed of Paksenarrion, one of my all time favorite trilogies (with a new one coming)Never read it, but the Deed of Paksenarrion have a farm girl turned Paladin story that many claim is the best embodiment of a D&D paladin in novels.
A new one... really? I love Paks. It's about time to read these books again anyway, but a new one? I'm all giddy now.
Edit: Ohhh, google revealed a new series not just a book. :^D
Awww. It's still good though right? I mean, worth reading?
Upside, I did start reading the originals again. Loving it!
You may want to add to your list the second book of Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion trilogy, which is actually a first set of two books and a third separate one. She is mainly a SF author but her fantasy novels are worth reading.
The first one, the Curse of Chalion has a main male protagonist, but good secondary female characters.
The second one (the Paladin of Souls) centers on a strong female main character. While it is mainly an independent book, I do not recommend reading it without reading the first one.
You can really do without the third one which I find sub-par.
Okay, I know I'm not scoring high on the series part of the question, but I still think I'm offering excellent books. Newest rec:
The Oracle by Hugh Cook, aka The Women and the Warguild
You don't have to read the series to appreciate this volume, the first to center on a heroine--they often report the same events from very different points of view. It also has a couple of other strong female characters thrown in for good measure. This is as far as I've read in the series, there may be others with strong female characters.
Just quickly, another vote for Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksenarrion, and for P.C. Hodgell (though the third book in that series was weaker; haven't read the fourth and fifth yet)
Also:
Ursula K. Le Guin (some of the Earthsea books and short stories)
Garth Nix's Old Kingdom/Abhorsen Series
Robin McKinley: Sunshine, Deerskin (trigger warnings!),...
Diana Wynne Jones: Dalemark Quartet, Castle series (YA), and Fire and Hemlock*squints at her mental image of her pre-move bookshelves, trying to remember more*
+1 Loved that series of books.
Also +1 on any Terry Pratchet book involving Angua.
Though it's not high-fantasy (and is in fact a superhero book) I'd recommend Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman.
i didnt read all the suggestions so far so if someone already mentioned this one...oh well.
The Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier. My wife recommended them.
Book one is Daughter of the Forest. The trilogy is set in ireland and incorporates a lot of irish mythology.
The protagonists in each book is a strong leading heroine.
Hawk and Fisher Series {Simon Green} Fisher is the scary one, her husband Hawk is the "sane" one. Think Michael Weston and Fiona Glenanne.
Also "Ghost World" and "Mist World"
also have strong female leads.
"Polgara", name and title, she is the aunt of the Chosen hero of the world. She also a major character in the series but Mr. Fishy can't remember the name. {David Eddings}
Mr. Fishy's Trollop reads the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Patrica Biggs and Kim Harrison.
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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"Polgara", name and title, she is the aunt of the Chosen hero of the world. She also a major character in the series but Mr. Fishy can't remember the name. {David Eddings}
The original series is the Belgariad followed by the Mallorean Polgara and Belgarath are non series follow ups.
I need to +1 the Mistborn Trilogy and the Terry Pratchett suggestions (although Pratchett is fantasy satire and not high fantasy).
My wife would +1 the Elizabeth Haydon Series.
Here seconding Kim Harrison's Hollows, and recommending Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. The main central character is male, but I don't think anyone who's read any of the Dresden books would call Karrin Murphy anything but a leading heroine. For a non-magic-using character in a magic series, she kicks some serious tail. There's a few other major female characters who do quite well at carrying their own - Charity Carpenter and The Archive come to mind - but they're less "leading" than Murphy.
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I've read the new book as soon as it hit the shelves. Original trilogy is waaay better.+1 Deed of Paksenarrion, one of my all time favorite trilogies (with a new one coming)Never read it, but the Deed of Paksenarrion have a farm girl turned Paladin story that many claim is the best embodiment of a D&D paladin in novels.
A new one... really? I love Paks. It's about time to read these books again anyway, but a new one? I'm all giddy now.
Edit: Ohhh, google revealed a new series not just a book. :^D
Awww. It's still good though right? I mean, worth reading?
Upside, I did start reading the originals again. Loving it!
It's worth reading for someone who is a fan of the original trilogy. It carries that '80s vibe pretty well. On it's own... I don't know.
I would definitely say the Garth Nix's Old Kingdom/Abhorsen Series as well. Great, strong female characters, an interesting story/twist to the world, and just enjoyable to read. Good stuff.
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Try the Princess novels by Jim C. Hines, the main characters are the princesses from fairy tale... with a twist*! Cinderella marries her prince Charming and now must protect her kingdom, etc... with the aid of Snow White (who uses mirror magic) and Talia (Sleeping Beauty, the faerie gift allowing her to be an unnatural warrior, her backstory is particularly twisted). What Mr Hines does with the character backgrounds is really interesting. Red Hood, an assassin feared throughout the realms.
*sorry couldn't help but channel Shamalayn there. ;-)
It's not fantasy, but check out CJ Cherryh's "Pride of the Chanur." It's space opera with over half a dozen alien races trying to co-exist in a trading compact when a wild card appears: a member of a new species called "human."
So good!!!
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Try the Princess novels by Jim C. Hines, the main characters are the princesses from fairy tale... with a twist*! Cinderella marries her prince Charming and now must protect her kingdom, etc... with the aid of Snow White (who uses mirror magic) and Talia (Sleeping Beauty, the faerie gift allowing her to be an unnatural warrior, her backstory is particularly twisted). What Mr Hines does with the character backgrounds is really interesting. Red Hood, an assassin feared throughout the realms.
*sorry couldn't help but channel Shamalayn there. ;-)
Huh, sounds kinda cool, I'll have to see if I can find this in the library.
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Huh, sounds kinda cool, I'll have to see if I can find this in the library.Try the Princess novels by Jim C. Hines, the main characters are the princesses from fairy tale... with a twist*! Cinderella marries her prince Charming and now must protect her kingdom, etc... with the aid of Snow White (who uses mirror magic) and Talia (Sleeping Beauty, the faerie gift allowing her to be an unnatural warrior, her backstory is particularly twisted). What Mr Hines does with the character backgrounds is really interesting. Red Hood, an assassin feared throughout the realms.
*sorry couldn't help but channel Shamalayn there. ;-)
The writing isn't bad, the first one was okay, the second book was really enjoyable. What's really good is the characters, Jim C. Hines really tries to give the characters depth, motivations. Particularly, characters such as Sleeping Beauty and Red Hood (her background actually appears in a short story anthology, but you can read parts of it in google books, I forget the name of the story, but you can find out at Jim C. Hine's website)
I'll add to the recommendations of Jacqueline Carey and Terry Pratchett - and quietly ask how come no-one's mentioned Katherine Kerr yet? She's written enough strong female characters (supporting and leading) to make a stereotypical British 19th-century gentlemen's club break into a panic.
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You mentioned liking steam punk. There is a new series from Gail Carriger. Her books Soulless and Changeless have a great female protagonist who holds her own with vampires, werewolves and ghosts in Victorian London. She has three more books coming out in this series. I have given these books to four female friends all of whom have devoured the books in a single day (one hadn't even read fantasy before).
Good Book D&D eberron series Thorn of Breland, 1st book The Queen of Stone by Keith Baker. Its good & has a strong female character in a high magic fantasy.Second book is out Son of Khyber, 3rd due fall 2010
+1 to Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of the Ages (starting with Rhapsody). My favorite series with a female lead.
Also Mercedes lackey and James mallory's Obsidian Trilogy had very strong female lead characters, the Wildmage Idalia and the half-demon Vestakia. Probably my favorite series when it comes to portraying anything elven (and im not a big fan of elves).
The Morgaine novels by C.J. Cherryh were mentioned in passing, but they should be emphasized in big, brassy capitals. While justified with a science-fiction backstory, her protagonists wander worlds in which any fantasy hero would feel right at home.
Ms. Cherryh's artfully-phrased prose reflects a comfortable erudition that fills me with envy. Her characters and plots build on, then confound the stereotypes of heroic fantasy.
I cannot recommend her work strongly enough.
I don’t really have any new ideas to add, but feel strongly enough about a couple authors already mentioned to reinforce their recommendations.
Jennifer Roberson writes strong and interesting characters of both genders, and gender roles and expectations are frequent themes in many of her fantasy stories. As Steven Tindall earlier mentioned in this thread, the Chronicles of Cheysuli are very good. Also look at the the Tiger and Del series (Sword Dancer is the first one I believe), two of my personal favorite characters in all fantasydom.
Ms. Cherryh's artfully-phrased prose reflects a comfortable erudition that fills me with envy. Her characters and plots build on, then confound the stereotypes of heroic fantasy.
I cannot recommend her work strongly enough.
+1
I really enjoy C.J. Cherryh’s characters—I read Roberson first, then some Cherryh and found a common thread between them, very well crafted strong characters. The Paladin is a quick little read, but well worth it. A lot of her work isn’t fantasy—I’ve read more of her sci-fi—but all of it is good.
Werthead mentioned Guy Gavriel Kay. I have only read one book (Tigana), but it really stuck with me; again female characters written with skill rarely found in the genre.
I liked Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart, probably not as much as the others I mentioned. I loathe the trope of the powerful female fantasy warrior who is really just a teenage boy’s porn-star wet dream. A lot of work is spent in the story establishing a powerful female character, only to exploit her sexuality in some fashion later in the plot. Not that the two are mutually exclusive (strength and sexuality), but that it is SO OFTEN poorly written. In this story (Kushiel’s Dart) it almost seems a reversal of type: the character is established as sexual prey ripe for victimization, but her personal strength prevails. I liked the “flip” in this series.
I liked Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart, probably not as much as the others I mentioned. I loathe the trope of the powerful female fantasy warrior who is really just a teenage boy’s porn-star wet dream. A lot of work is spent in the story establishing a powerful female character, only to exploit her sexuality in some fashion later in the plot. Not that the two are mutually exclusive (strength and sexuality), but that it is SO OFTEN poorly written. In this story (Kushiel’s Dart) it almost seems a reversal of type: the character is established as sexual prey ripe for victimization, but her personal strength prevails. I liked the “flip” in this series.
I agree, it's nice to see a female lead character in a story that is still clearly femanine, and not a weak damsel in distress.
I happen to really like the series, and love the main characters including the female lead from the first 3 (Phedre) and the Co-star of the Second trilogy (Sidone).
The first 2 in the next set of books, naamah's kiss and naamahs curse is also a great example of a story with a female lead, and contains a stronger fantasy element then the first 2 trilogies.
If you are looking for strong but non-stereotypical female characters Jacqueline Carey is a great source.
If you do a search on YouTube, there's a series of clips from a Q&A where Jacqueline Carey reads from Naamah's Blessing. Not to give anything away, but...
Jane Lindskold's Firekeeper series about a girl raised by intellegent wolves.
The Noble Dead series by Barb and J. C. Hendee about a half vampire, vampire slayer and her elven assasin lover.
Others by Guy Gavriel Kay with very strong female characters are Song for Arbonne and the Fionavar Tapestry series. All of his, that I have read, have strong female characters.
Azure Bonds (Forgotten Realms book) by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak
The Adventures of Hawk and Fisher books by Simon R. Green about a pair of city guards, one male and one female.
I just read "King's Property," the first book of the "Queen of the Orcs" trilogy by Morgan Howell.
I'm not so sure I'd recommend it. The story is a bit slow. The main character, a woman named Dar, is conscripted into an army. The men in the army are bad people who grab villagers' food, kill everyone at the slightest show of resistance, and treat the women like dirt. Dar serves the orcs that are allied with this army.
Next chapter: The soldiers do bad things, they treat women like dirt, and Dar learns more about the orcs. Next chapter: The soldiers do bad things, they treat women like dirt, and Dar learns more about the orcs. Next chapter: The soldiers do bad things, they treat women like dirt, and Dar learns more about the orcs. Rinse and repeat.
Another problem I had with the book was the lack of magic. There was none for the first 200 pages, and orcs alone do not a fantasy make. (There were a few effects that orcs CALLED magic, but those could have had natural explanations, so "magic" just seems like simple superstition.) Even when magic becomes evident, Howell's fantasy is clearly a "low-mana" world. I don't feel inclined to read the remaining 2 books of the trilogy.
Still, the book is an easy read. And if you're looking for a fantasy series with a strong leading heroine, this definitely qualifies. Dar realizes early on that she must be strong or die.
Anyhoo, right now I'm in a public library (which seems like the only place where I can post to paizo.com anymore.) I'm holding in my lap a copy of "Arrows of the Queen" by Mercedes Lackey. As soon as I post this, I'm going to check it out. After those controversial remarks I made earlier about that author, I decided I should actually READ Lackey and make up my own mind about her.
Fantasy Series with a String Leading Heroine
I really liked the Merchant Princes saga by Charles Stross. It's the story of a journalist called Miriam Beckstein who discovers that her mother didn't really tell her everything about her family. It's a mix between fantasy and scifi, very modern but with great characters, captivating descriptions of medieval society and politics, kind of realistic but with a twist...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stross#Merchant_Princes_series
+6 Deed of Paksenarrion
Also Elizebeth Bear's series
Hammered, Scardown, World Wired has a brilliant female lead. Hammered in particular explores a character in a kind of post cyberpunk motif about a woman who has grown old and somewhat cynical but is still wired for sound, A truly compelling character that lives on long after you put the book down.
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The third book in the Princess novels came out recently, Red Hood's Revenge. Basically, Red Hood, the infamous assassin of the lands is out for the head of Sleeping Beauty. Ok, that sounds kinda corny, but there's the 'story' version that's known in the population and the real version in the books. Overall, not too bad characters, very strong characters with good motivations.
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I really loved (and continue to love) Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles (four books, starting with Dealing with Dragons). They're probably considered young adult novels, but the world-building is so fantastic that I still enjoy going back and reading them, and the writing is quite clever. The main character is a princess who's totally dissatisfied with the role of princesses, and so decides to go volunteer as a dragon's assistant to keep all the knights and nobles from constantly telling her what's proper.
Very funny, very engaging, and a totally excellent female lead. (My girlfriend also read them as a kid, and said that it rocked her world to find an *actual* strong female protagonist.)
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I really loved (and continue to love) Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles (four books, starting with Dealing with Dragons). They're probably considered young adult novels, but the world-building is so fantastic that I still enjoy going back and reading them, and the writing is quite clever. The main character is a princess who's totally dissatisfied with the role of princesses, and so decides to go volunteer as a dragon's assistant to keep all the knights and nobles from constantly telling her what's proper.
Very funny, very engaging, and a totally excellent female lead. (My girlfriend also read them as a kid, and said that it rocked her world to find an *actual* strong female protagonist.)
I second this recommendation. True, I first read them in middle school, but I think they are absolutely engaging for adults. The characters and setting are specific, original, and well-drawn; I have very vivid images in my mind of particular scenes.
Princess Cimorene is pretty much one of my heroes.
I am a HUGE mercedes lackey fan and I guess from a gay guys perspective I have never found anything overly male bashing about any of them. Warning if you start with her best series of the heralds of valdemar the first in the series is a little slow but it picks up. Her style is always lots of build up, then drop a mountain onto the hero and see if they can dig themselves out.
Okay, Steven Tindall warned me, but still...
I'm more than a third of the way into "Arrows of the Queen" and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!!! The main character is getting established, and that's all. There's no plot.
If anyone reading this has read "Arrows of the Queen," could you please answer something: Around how far into the novel did you get "hooked?" Because I feel I may drop it soon.
I am a HUGE mercedes lackey fan and I guess from a gay guys perspective I have never found anything overly male bashing about any of them. Warning if you start with her best series of the heralds of valdemar the first in the series is a little slow but it picks up. Her style is always lots of build up, then drop a mountain onto the hero and see if they can dig themselves out.Okay, Steven Tindall warned me, but still...
I'm more than a third of the way into "Arrows of the Queen" and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!!! The main character is getting established, and that's all. There's no plot.
If anyone reading this has read "Arrows of the Queen," could you please answer something: Around how far into the novel did you get "hooked?" Because I feel I may drop it soon.
I was hooked by this point. I knew Lackey would do something interesting with the character. If you've seen Elspeth, then you've already been introduced to a major plot. If you've seen Talia interacting with other trainees, you've been introduced to another major plot.
Here's another idea: Would you be open to reading an "Eberron" novel?
I tried to read seven of those (although I only finished 5.) But of those 7, I thought one was far and away the best: Voyage of the Mourning Dawn by Rich Wulf.
For most of the book, we see from the point of view of Seren, a strong, brave, talented, clever young woman. On more than one occasion, she rescues Tristam, the man she loves. That includes their first meeting (which resulted, ironically, from HIS botched and unnecessary attempt to rescue HER.)
...
Almost two years after writing those words, I feel compelled to correct myself. I just re-read that scene, and there was something about it that I had forgotten. When Tristam and his companion Omax try to rescue Seren, it IS true that they get trapped and need Seren's help to escape. However, on their way out, they get attacked by the bad guy's guards, and all three characters contribute to the battle. Privately, to herself, Seren admits that Omax, at least, "had likely just saved her life."
So I guess that it wasn't so "botched and unnecessary" after all.
Furthermore, it technically wasn't their first meeting. They had seen each other once before, although Seren hadn't introduced herself yet. And Tristam and Omax probably hadn't been trying to rescue Seren. Tristam said that they were just "looking for answers".
Okay, I just took another look in the book, and I think I see now what gave me that impression. The first time that Seren saw Tristam and Omax, although she believed that they had come to take back what she had stolen from their employer, the truth is that employer secretly WANTED her to steal it, as part of a big, elaborate game of double crosses and espionage. Tristam and Omax were actually trying to get Seren OUT of trouble with the City Watch. Whether their attempt was "botched" or "unnecessary" is debatable.
And that, I'm sure, is a whole lot more detail than anyone reading this thread would ever have wanted.
"Sunshine" by Robin McKinley has a strong female POV narration.
A lot of Charles DeLint has strong female characters and/or POV narration.
Never read it, but the Deed of Paksenarrion have a farm girl turned Paladin story that many claim is the best embodiment of a D&D paladin in novels.
I'd definitely say they provide a great example of a 1e or 2e paladin, for sure. Also, the author, Elizabeth Moon, goes into great detail about life as a mercenary and the trials that Paksenarrion faces on her way to realize her destiny. If I recall, Moon had spent time in the Marines, so she had quite a bit of experience from which to draw.
I haven't read this whole thread, so if someone has already mentioned them, please ignore me like it's usually best to do. Jennifer Roberson wrote, among other really great fantasy novels, a six book set called the Sword Dancer Saga, about a man named Sand Tiger, and a woman named Dell, both masters of their respective styles of sword fighting and their adventures together. Lots of action with some humor thrown in. I will say, however, the last novel in the series just seems like she was tired and ready to end it.
OH, and Raymond E. Feist, who I really started out liking but grew bored with pretty quickly, co-authored with Janny Wurts a trilogy called The Empire Trilogy. It's set alongside the Riftwar Novels, with a little crossover, from the Kelewan side of the Rift. They tell the story of how a young girl comes to be the leader of the Empire through really compelling and byzantine intrigue and adventures. I liked these three novels MUCH more than the Riftwar and its subsequent spawn he put out on his own.
The Deed of Paksenarrion also has a sequel series that is currently on the third book. While it doesn't focus exclusively on a female lead character, one of the primary storylines follows Dorrin as she transitions from a mercenary captain to a duke. She also has to deal with the ramifications of being the white sheep of her family.
WH-a-a-a-a-aHHH? I did not know this! Now I must have it! She also wrote two prequels to the Paks series telling of how the peasant farmer Gird became their primary deity.
"Green" and "Endurance" by Jay Lake have a strong female lead POV character.