My Favorite Female Fantasy Characters

Ever since I borrowed The Sword of Shannara from my brother in middle school, I've been a fan of fantasy books. Since then, I’ve noticed that my favorite female fantasy characters have some things in common. They all have a troubling childhood in some way shape or form, they all leave home to avoid the fate chosen for them to follow their dreams, and they all end up becoming better people as a result. Each one of them suffers in order to achieve her dreams, and that suffering ends up making each one a stronger person - heroic in fact. Here are a few of my favorite female fantasy characters.

Paksenarrion from The Deed of Paksenarrion series

Sheep Farmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold

Author: Elizabeth Moon

Since Paksenarrion was young, she dreamed of becoming a mercenary like her cousin. When her father tries arranging a marriage for her, Paksenarrion instead runs away from home and joins a mercenary company. The trilogy follows her development from mercenary, to knight, to Paladin (a holy knight in service to a god). Paksenarrion is the best representation of a Paladin I have ever read, and a truly heroic female character.

Talia from the Heralds of Valdemar Trilogy
Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, and Arrow's Fall

Author: Mercedes Lackey

Talia is Holderfolk. Hold communities are male dominated and puritanical. Men are allowed to have multiple wives, and it is common practice that girls are married off at the age of 14. Talia runs from her home and spends the night in her favorite hiding spot after being told that her marriage has been arranged. Before she can go back to the Hold to accept her fate, Talia is chosen by the Companion Roland to be a Herald (people who act as arbitrators, soldiers, messengers and, at times, spies for the queen). By being chosen by Roland, though, she also becomes the Queen’s Own Herald. Basically, the Queen’s Own becomes the close companion and advisor to the queen. The three highest ranking people in the kingdom are the queen, the heir, and the Queen’s Own. Of course, Talia needs to complete Herald training first. Unfortunately, the last Queen’s Own was murdered, and unknown people are plotting to get rid of Talia as well

Menolly from The Harper Hall Trilogy

Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Menolly loves music. As the youngest of many siblings to the Lord Holder of Half Circle Sea Hold, she was mostly ignored. She became fast friends with the Harper of the Hold who recognized a kindred spirit who loved music as much as he did. The Harper teaches Menolly everything he knows, and she becomes a talented musician and composer of songs. But tradition says that females cannot become Harpers. When her beloved friend dies, her father lets Menolly temporarily fill the position of Harper until a new Harper can be sent. When the new Harper arrives, Menolly not only has to turn over her classes, she is not allowed to tell the new Harper what she did. In fact, she is forbidden to sing or play instruments again so that the new Harper could not guess who had so ably instructed the students until his arrival. Menolly ends up choosing to live Holdless (on the planet Pern on which she lives, this is considered deadly) in order to keep her music, and manages to Impress 9 dragon lizards (creatures native to the planet, but so rarely seen that some people think them myth). Meanwhile, the Master Harper of Pern continues his frantic search for the missing male apprentice whose music was sent to him by the late Harper of Half Circle Sea Hold.