Author Name Series/Book recommended Sub-genre Suitable for YA? Not YA because.. Strong female characters? Romance Factor? Present in top /r/fantasy of all time Present in /r/FantasyÕs official underrated and underread list Present in /r/Fantasy's Sword and Sorcery Reading List? Keywords Similar to.. Comments from reddit More comments                                        
Rachel Aaron The Legend of Eli Monpress           Y Y Y     "I really enjoyed these books. The magic was cool, the characters are well fleshed out, and the story keeps the pace moving. The other two books outside of the omnibus are also really good, possibly even better, as they explain more into the lore behind The Shepherdess and her brothers, as well as Eli's past."                                          
Lynn Abbey the Unicorn and Dragon series, Daughter of the Bright Moon       Y             Mentioned in /r/fantasy's favourite obscure books. From the Book Smugglers: "One of the founders of the classic shared world ThievesÕ World, Lynn Abbey has written sword and sorcery, high fantasy, and one of the earlier urban fantasy series (about a librarian turned hunter-witch – a rare heroine in her fifties)."                                        
Cat Adams Blood Singer Urban Fantasy     Y               This is the pen name of Cathy Clamp and C.T. Adams (co-authors of the Thrall trilogy and the Sazi series published by Tor)
It was also in sffworld's Top Novels of 2012		                                        
Ann Aguirre  Grimspace, Jax series, Enclave       Y             Jax series (Sci-fi with female lead), Enclave (if you like Hunger Games)                                          
Joan Aiken the Wolves Chronicles   Y   Y             "These books were my absolute favourite as a kid and made an indelible impression on me. I read them tons of times and I still feel influenced by them.
These books take place in an alternate-history 18th century England and feature a heroine named Dido Twite (and her sister Is) who have a violent alcoholic father and are essentially street urchins.
Some of the titles were "Black Hearts in Battersea" and "Is Underground". The books were awesomely Dickensian (yes, an anachronistic description for a series set in the 1700s), very dark and kind of scary. There were real villains that did actual horrible things, like enslave children in mines or kill little girls for their delicious, youth-giving bones.
it was also one of the first books I ever read that had a badass female heroine."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Best known for her work for children, Joan Aiken was a prolific writer. As well as her middle grade/young adult books, she produced a series of Jane Austen sequels, gothic thrillers, horror stories, and period romantic thrillers.

But for me Aiken is all about Dido Twite, one of the major characters from the Wolves Chronicles, who is introduced as an undersized brat sticky with jam, and gets by through sheer indomitability."		                                        
Cassie Alexander Nightshifted Urban Fantasy     Y               Pat gives this book 5 stars - Here's his review copied from goodreads.
"Simply said, I liked it.

Slightly less simply: I really enjoyed it a surprising amount.

First, an interesting premise: Main character is a night shift nurse who works in the secret wing of the hospital that treats the city's supernatural population.

Second, new twists on old tropes: Yeah, there are vampires and Were-things. But they're different. What's more, we don't spend a whole lot of time learning everything about them. This does two nice things. 1) It keeps the story moving. 2.) It actually makes me more curious about the details of these creatures and their underground societies.

Third, good execution: Nice tight chapters. Good movement and action. Clear writing. Good dialogue.

Fourth, and most importantly, nothing stupid: At no point did I roll my eyes at anything. No glaring plot holes. No inconsistent characters. No "Let's split up and search the haunted house" moments.

Was it pure, white-hot brilliance? No, but it was solid with some very clever bits. Given that it was Alexander's debut novel, I'm willing to overlook a few rough patches here and there and give it a full 5 stars.

Ultimately, the test of a book like this is whether or not I want to read the next one. And I do. If the local bookstore was open right now, I'd be doing that instead of writing this		                                        
Isabel Allende City of Beasts, House of the Spirits Magical Realism     Y             "I've read many of her books, and while I like them all, House of the Spirits is the one I keep coming back to. I would start with that."                                          
Ilona Andrews  Kate Daniels series Urban Fantasy                   "First off fans of Sanderson and great world building should love this book! It features a semi post-apocalyptic Atlanta that has fluctuations of tech time and magic time and the best vampires I've read about in ages. Our heroine can kick some ass, but isn't overpowered and while she has a sex drive, it's not the focus of the book. The secondary characters are believable with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. To top it all off, the prose of the book is pretty solid: it's not Rothfuss quality, but it at least measures up to Sanderson. In short the first book delivers the fun, enjoyable stories about a modern world with magic, vampires, necromancers and other nasties while allowing me to unwind after dealing with work and kids. I'll certainly be reading book 2." Husband/wife duo                                        
Jo Anderton  Debris New Weird                   Her books are a mix of fantasy, SF, and anime                                          
Jill Archer Noon Onyx series                       Not mentioned so much on reddit.                                        
Kelley Armstrong Otherworld Urban Fantasy     Y             "The series is one of my favorites when it comes to how she portrays werewolves and how the mechanics behind them work."
"I started reading the series when I was 11 and I completely fell in love with the style of writing and the story line. I own most of the series and I really love Kelley Armstrong. I think the way Kelley Armstrong has made the werewolves is awesome because it shows that they are strong but not too strong and there can be dilemmas and incidents where bad things happen and being a werewolf hasn't helped them at all. So its really good. My favourite book from the series is either Dime Store Magic or Bitten."		                                          
Catherine Asaro The Lost Continent                     "I love her Skolian series (SF), but she also has a fantasy series called The Lost Continent, with an interesting magical system based on colors."                                          
Constance Ash Horsegirl       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "Ash wrote the Horsegirl trilogy – fantasy novels that focus, as you may have guessed, around a girl rider. The second book even involves dancing horses performing in an opera!"                                        
Sarah Ash  The Tears of Artamon                     Greatly enjoyable though her earlier work has been very hard to obtain.                                          
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes The Kiesha'ra series and the Den of Shadows series                 LGBT   "Hawksong was probably my favorite book. I read it so much the back cover fell off. "
"She improved so drastically as an author, it was really awesome to follow her progress from the vampire novels to her shapeshifter stuff."
"I was eighteen, spending the summer with my aunt and uncle, had unlimited library access and checked out every Atwater-Rhodes book I could get my hands on, I had read all of them before but it was just before Wyvern Hail came out I didn't even know Wolfcry existed, I read all of the first three, and then one night started Wolfcry, I stayed up all night to finish it, and cried at the end, I was SO happy. It was one of my better summers. I read it over and over, and I have a favourite page and everything. I love the Keisha'Ra."		                                          
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale       Y         Sci-fi   "Her works may be considered more sci-fi than fantasy, but her The Handmaid's Tale is a must-read."
"I can't tell you how many times I've reread Margaret Atwood's Oryx & Crake. The last time was just a month ago; I wanted to reread her description of a particular location about 300 pages in, got what I needed, then went right back to page one and tore through it again."		                                          
Jean M. Auel EarthÕs children, Clan of the Cave Bear                     Jean M. Auel is great and her writing is lush                                          
Karen Azinger Silk and Steel Saga       Y         Epic Fantasy   "I'd like to mention the Silk and Steel Saga by Karen Azinger. It's one of my favourite fantasy series, though I have rarely seen it mentioned on this subreddit. It may be a bit hard to acquire a copy but I'd urge you to check it out if you get the chance!" From Fantasy Book Critic: "Story-wise, The Steel Queen is a very fun, action-packed read in the vein of Stephen Deas and Jennifer Fallon, highlighted by fast pacing, the right amount of background information & exposition, and plot twists galore. Granted, the author has not really created anything new as far as epic fantasy goes, and the story can be a bit predictable because of the inclusion of certain common tropes, but Karen Azinger showcases potential and deft plotting skills in The Steel Queen—which will prove valuable if she is to orchestrate a five book series—while doing her best to keep the reader engrossed in the novel despite its familiar trappings."                                        
Natalie Babbitt Tuck Everlasting   Y                 "The Search for Delicious: A brilliant teacher read it to my class in 3rd grade. It's wonderful, one of the books that taught me to love reading along with The Last Unicorn and Where the Sidewalk Ends. If you haven't already checked it out, Natalie Babbitt also wrote Tuck Everlasting, another great book for any age of reader."                                          
Wilhelmina Baird Crashcourse trilogy                   StephensonÕs Snow Crash   From the Book Smugglers: "I really enjoyed BairdÕs Crashcourse trilogy, and expect it will appeal to fans of StephensonÕs Snow Crash. Gritty and pacey cyberpunk that holds up well for their adventure aspects despite the evolution of technology.."                                        
Kage Baker Anvil of the World, House of Stag             Y       "Company Books: The premise starts with a company called Dr Zeus, Inc., which invents time travel and immortality. Both are commercial failures; history can't be changed, and travel to the future past your own present is impossible, and only small children of specific physical types can be made immortal, not aging billionaires.
Soon, they realize that history cannot be changed, but only as far as recorded history is concerned. So if Ernest Hemingway loses a suitcase full of stories that he is never able to recreate, that means a Company agent stole it and hid in a vault to be 'rediscovered' and sold at auction in the 23rd century.
So Dr Zeus goes back in time 30,000 years, makes a bunch of cro-magnon orphans into immortal agents, and they travel to the future the long way, collecting and hiding lost historical treasures along the way.
The series has a large cast of characters, it's deep and funny, and that initial premise is just the surface as the series goes on."		                                          
Margaret Ball Lost in Translation, Mathmagics, The Shadow Gate, and the Tamai series                                                                
Leigh Bardugo Shadow and Bone                     /r/ShadowandBone/                                          
Gael Baudino (Aka G.A. Kathryns aka Gael A. Kathryns) the Strands series, dragons word series, Water! Series, Gossamer Axe (Standalone)       Y         LGBT     High ratings on Goodreads                                        
Elizabeth Bear  Promethean Age books, Range of Ghosts, Eternal Sky       Y     Y       Elizabeth Bear is another author who researches really well for each book. Her Promethean Age books about Shakespeare and Marlowe are incredible. She writes pretty much every kind of fantasy out there and makes it all awesome. Her recent Range of Ghosts was a particular favourite.                                          
Galen Beckett The Magicians and Mrs Quent series         Y       Steampunk, Historical Fiction     Mixed reviews on Goodreads                                        
AA Bell Mira Chambers trilogy   Y   Y         Paranormal   "Mira Chambers trilogy by A. A. Bell is kind of like an urban sci-fi, about a young blind girl in a mental institution who can see reflections of the past."                                          
Danielle Bennett Havemercy         Y   Y   Dragons, LGBT     Mixed reviews on Goodreads                                        
Carol Berg  the Rai-Kirah trilogy, Song of the Beast (a terrific standalone) and the Lighthouse Duology             Y     GRRM: political intrigue supreme with characters that have downright nasty facets to them "Another who does political intrigue and characters who shift sides, Carol Berg - but DO NOT start with her D'Arnath series, that one centers on a romance - she always writes from mature characters' viewpoints."
"For fantasy that runs at about the same depth as Codex Alera: For a little deeper, try Carol Berg's Rai Kirah trilogy. "
"For richness of prose and interesting story, building to depth and reverses, try Song of the Beast by Carol Berg."		                                          
Beth Bernobich Passion Play       Y Y           From Beth's AMA: "I have three main series at this point. My River of Souls books are epic fantasy, with magic, multiple lives, and a flavoring of romance. My Long City stories are YA fantasy, set in an alternate China with ghost dragons, spirit companions, and cell phones that run on magic. And I'm currently hard at work on a novel set in an alternate Ireland with mathematics and time travel.
my YA doesn't have any sex because it's not part of the story. However, River of Souls has sex and romance both because one part of my main character's storyline is recovery from sexual assault. She goes through hell, heals, and goes beyond that to do lots of things, including falling in love and having sex."		                                          
Lauren Beukes The Shining Girls, Zoo City Urban Fantasy                     The Shining Girls: A Novel was in AmazonÕs best books for 2013                                        
Anne Bishop Dark Jewels and Tir Alainn       Y   Y         I really recommend them to anyone looking for a good dark, slightly girly but still quite violent series. I especially enjoyed the unique magic/mythology system, because it felt so different than most fantasy series, it was kind of cool to not understand what the hell was going on and how things worked for a good portion of the first book.                                          
KJ Bishop Etched City             Y                                                  
Holly Black Modern Faerytales trilogy       Y                                                        
Francesa Block Love in the Time of Global Warming       Y                                                        
Donna Boyd Devancroix Dynasty             Y                                                  
Leigh Brackett Skaith series               Y   Conan, ER Burroughs, John Carter of Mars "If you love pulp fiction, try Hounds of Skaith by Leigh Brackett"
"This is old style sword and sorcery, in the same sort of style as Conan, Edgar Rice Burroughs/John Carter of Mars."		                                          
Marion Zimmer Bradley  Mists of Avalon       Y             Mists of Avalon was truly brilliant. It's a retelling of the Arthur legend, from the perspective of the female characters - primarily Morgaine, aka Morgan le Fay. Her Darkover novels are loved as well -Some worth trying are:
¥        Tiger Burning Bright (w/ Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey)
¥        Firebrand
¥        Hawkmistress (Darkover)
¥        Exile's Song/Exile's Shadow/Traitor Sun (Darkover, and a definitive trilogy that is hundreds of times better than Clingfire)		 From the Book Smugglers: "Bradley was one of the early powerhouses of SFF, published since the 1950′s. SheÕs best known for her world of Darkover science fiction (dozens of books!), and for her retelling of the Arthurian legends entirely through the eyes of women. I also have almost an entire stretch of shelf devoted to her Sword and Sorceress short story collections.

If you want to try her Darkover books, you could start at the chronological beginning – Darkover Landfall – and work your way forward, but may find it better to pick up, say, Hawkmistress or The Heritage of Hastur. You could think of Darkover as ÒPern without the DragonsÓ, since the worlds start from the same Òlost colony of EarthÓ concept, although the feel of the books is distinctly different (and involves far more psychic powers)."		                                        
Gillian Bradshaw the Wolf Hunt, Ancient Egypt series                                                                
Libba Bray Gemma Doyle trilogy       Y                                                        
Patricia Bray Devlin's Luck trilogy, The Sword of Change             Y                                                  
Marie Brennan Memoir by Lady Trent series             Y                                                  
Patricia Briggs Iron Kissed series (Also knowns as Mercy thompson series) Urban Fantasy     Y             ÒIt's a modern urban fantasy about a woman that is sort of a were coyote surrounded by a bunch of werewolves fairies and vampires. And the main character is a bad ass.Ó
"The Mercy Thompson series is really well written. Mercy is a very real protagonist, and I appreciate how she's written to be strong but also human. (Figure of speech since she's not fully human.)"		                                          
Kristen Britain Green Rider series   Y   Y             "Kristen Britain's Green Rider series is interesting. The first book is a little lacking, but they definitely get better as they go. Strong female protagonist, lots of strong female characters. It's tame enough to be appropriate for YA, but it's marketed towards adults."
" The main character is a super badass character who starts off as a whiny brat and ends up as a competent leader who makes some rough personal sacrifices. It's 4 books now, hopefully 5 comes out next year."		                                          
Mary Brown Pigs DonÕt Fly   Y   Y               From the Book Smugglers: "Brown produced a seriously enjoyable set of books known (at least to Goodreads) as the Pigs DonÕt Fly series. These books will hit a sweet spot for anyone who likes girls/women off having adventures, plus talking animals. ThereÕs plenty of humour, but be wary of the occasional hand grasping your heart and squeezing!"                                        
Lois McMaster Bujold  Vorkosigan series (more of SF), Curse of Challion, Spirit Ring, The Hallowed Hunt       Y Y Y         ÒChallion: They're set in a country reminiscent of medieval spain, but centered around a family of five gods: Father, Mother, Daughter, Son, and Bastard. These gods can perform miracles, but only through their saints. The first book follows Castillar dy Cazaril, a landless noble and military veteran who becomes entangled in the workings of a curse afflicting his nation, and the gods attempts to resolve it.Ó
ÒThe whole Miles Vorkosigan series is amazing, and Cordelia's Honor is an excellent place to start on that (just skip Ethan of Athos, because it doesn't feature almost any of the main characters).Ó
ÒSpirit Ring had a female lead, magic connected with jewelry making. Her Curse of Chalion had a male lead, the woman characters were well rounded (a princess) but they were the secondary protagonists. The 'sequel' to Chalion followed a middle aged female lead character - The Hallowed Hunt."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Bujold is one of the better-known female SFF writers, producing series in both fantasy and science fiction.

The SF ÔVorkosiganverseÕ has some meaty character study work and a great deal of interesting extrapolation of future science and society – and lashings of adventure! Her two main fantasy series are the Chalion trilogy (a universe where gods are a tangible part of life) and the Sharing Knife series (which focuses on cultural exploration and character interaction)."		                                        
Emma Bull War for the Oaks, Territory Urban Fantasy         Y Y     Charles De Lint ÒWar for the Oaks is perhaps the grandaddy of the current urban fantasy trend. Set in Minniapolis, where a musician is conscripted by a faerie court as they war for the heart of the city. Territory is set around the shootout at the OK Corral, but with supernatural elements playing a large role. Freedom and Neccessity is an interesting epistelary novel set around the English Chartist movement, cowritten with Steven Brust, though the fantasy elements are minor.Ó From the Book Smugglers: "Emma Bull is probably best known for War for the Oaks, arguably the first urban fantasy novel (the Seelie and Unseelie Courts at war in Minneapolis, with a big dose of rock music). Other novels range from Urban Fantasy to post-apocalyptic cyberworld, and not to forget the Shadow Unit shared world, dealing with the paranormal unit of the FBI. European history fans will definitely want to check out Freedom and Necessity (co-authored with Steven Brust), set in the 19th century and brimming with spies and revolutionaries and ladies in disguise!"                                        
Lindsay Buroker The Emperor's Edge       Y     Y       ÒIt is similar to the Final Empire by Sanderson as opposed to Hero of Ages. Emperor's Edge has that Ocean 11 feel like The Final Empire did, but it continues it throughout the series. It does get more and more epic, and there's a sidewinder thrown in a few books in, but I still recommend it.Ó
"The Emperor's Edge, Encrypted, and Flash Gold series are in a steampunk setting and feature female leads that are pretty cool, if unconventional. As a note, Encrypted is a pair of prequels to Emperor's Edge. That said, the first book of the Emperor's Edge series is free on Amazon and Smashwords (maybe elsewhere) in ebook form, so that's a great way to see how you'd like the series. I didn't read the prequels until before the final books in EE, as that's when they were published, so you can certainly read it out of order without getting mixed up. Her newest series only has one book, and it's in a modern setting, but was enjoyable."		                                          
Octavia Butler LilithÕs Brood, Earthseed, and Patternmaster       Y               One author who gets mentioned every time we talk about Females in Fantasy or Women of colour. Interestingly, no one provided a starting point.                                        
Rachel Caine Morganville Vampires Urban Fantasy Y   Y               She is also published as Roxanne Longstreet, Roxanne Conrad, Julie Fortune
and Ian Hammell		                                        
Trudi Canavan Age of the five and The Black Magician trilogy   Y   Y             "Trudi has written 10 books. In all cases the girl is pretty strong minded and intelligent ... no major gender changing roles." Australian Author                                        
Jacqueline Carey Kushiel series, The Sundering duology       Y   Y Y       ÒBest known for her Kushiel series, romantic fantasy set in an alternate medieval france, where pretty much all gods are real. The protagonist is a masochistic courtesan and spy, who becomes entangled with plots involving both the political and divine. They're enjoyable books, with an interesting world that gets explored throughout the books. Also worth mentioning is her Sundering duology, which are gives a sympathetic portrayal of a Morgoth like character (and his Sauron-like lieutenants)Ó.
ÒVivid characters (including the only literary character I've ever had a genuine crush on), captivating mysteries and adventures, plus a lot of undertones of feminism, LGBT acceptance and general equality. It's also sex-positive in a healthy way, without being tawdry erotica.Ó
 ÒThe Sundering duology (Banewreaker and Godslayer): it's great. Story-wise it's your typical fantasy but it portrays the villains as the heroes and the heroes as the villains. It's very good. Ò		                                          
Janet Lee Carey Dragons Keep and Dragonswood                                                                
Isobelle Carmody Obernewtyn Chronicles, Green Monkey Dreams and Darksong trilogy   Y   Y     Y       ÒHer most famous series, The Obernewtyn Chronicles has been ongoing for over 25 years (book 7, the definite last book is due to be released in the next few years). She's got a habit of taking forever between series, but she writes other books in between. My personal favourites of hers are the Darksong trilogy (third book still unwritten) and Green Monkey Dreams. Would recommend her standalone novels more than her series, and a lot of her series have outcast-type characters / psychic powers.Ó Australian Author                                        
Gail Carriger Parasol Protectorate Steampunk Y   Y                                                        
Kristen Cashore Graceling   Y   Y                                                        
Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) Harmony & St Helens Paranormal                     Not mentioned much in /r/fantasy                                        
J. Kathleen Cheney The Golden City                                                                
C.J. Cherryh Dreamstone, The Tree of Swords and Jewels, Fortress in the Eye of Time series, Morgaine novels, Goblin Mirror, The Paladin       Y     Y       Òone of our living genre legends who can rock fantasy or sci-fi with equal skill. She has written some classic series, and at age 70 she's still at it. I adore her duology of The Dreamstone and The Tree of Swords and Jewels. One of the best portrayals of the Sidhe I've read. Also loved her Fortress in the Eye of Time series, her Morgaine novels, and her standalone Goblin Mirror.Ó
ÒTHE PALADIN has a female lead - one of the FEW fantasies dealing with training a female warrior that is very very accurate. It is an 'alternate oriental' setting, about a young woman who trains under an 'alternate samurai' hermit.Ó
"For The Black Company by Glen Cook - For accuracy of military detail, you may take a look at The Paladin by C. J. Cherryh (as a standalone)- which begins with the worn old trope of a woman seeking revenge trying to be tutored by the old, cranky hermit of a samurai (but the setting is fantasy) - where this book excels, is that it makes her story BELIEVABLE, getting the detail right - CJ was a longtime fencer, and understood the drawbacks of the female anatomy as fighter very well."
"The best political intrigue also can be found in C J Cherryh's Fortress in the Eye of Time - you will have to bear with the odd start - a character created and awakened in an adult body by a wizard - because the POV character starts with childish innocence and has to 'discover' the world as a child would - STAY WITH IT - the story opens out and gets incredible - some of the finest weaving of wider plots and intrigues available in fantasy, and totally not given its due. And when you realize just WHAT personality the wizard has awakened - it gets tense indeed.
All of the above weave a wider story line with each volume, and while not GRRM, precisely, the facet of an ADULT story line is present in each case."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Cherryh is one of the major writers of SFF, with such an extensive output that a newcomer might feel like theyÕre facing a wall of where-do-I-start?

One of the great worldbuilders and deeply interested in exploring what it means to be human or to be alien, CherryhÕs books also have plenty of military and political meat – along with women getting stuff done. [If you're a fan of Mass Effect and FemShep, you're probably going to love Cherryh's SF.]

Since weÕre talking over 60 books here, in both fantasy and SFF, IÕm just going to suggest starting points. One of my favourite books is CherryhÕs Angel with the Sword, which is SF with a fantasy feel. The Cyteen trilogy is a nice introduction to her style, and delves into the implications of cloning. The Pride of Chanur is great fun, especially for the entertainment value of a human man thrown into a sexist female-dominated cat society – and bonus scads of adventure! Downbelow Station, which gets called space opera but I think of as hard SF (the primary focus is actually people being ground up by politics). And, finally, try The Gate of Ivrel, which is the start of the Morgaine saga (again a SF base in a fantasy feel book, with a strong dose of dedication and sacrifice).

Or you can be brave, take a deep breath, and plunge into the massive and ongoing evolving SF world which begins with Foreigner (15 books and counting!). [These books are written as a series of trilogies, so you can tackle the first trilogy without fear of being swallowed.]

Fun fact: Cherryh has an asteroid named after her!"		                                        
Cinda Williams Chima Seven Realms       Y                                                        
Yangsze Choo The Ghost Bride                     "Yangsze Choo's The Ghost Bride, which is so much about colonial Malaysia and Chinese Vs. Malay Vs. British influence, but also butting against so much cultural sexism in both the physical world and the afterlife, and does so with such subtle complexity that I think most men wouldn't be able to reach it. Maybe they could, but the attempts that come to mind are blunter or superficial. Not all women could write this degree of insight, either, and I credit Choo."                                          
Cassandra Rose Clarke The Assassin's Curse series                                                                
Susanna Clarke Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell           Y         "Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of the more acclaimed and original works to come out in recent years, and one of the most beautifully written. It's set during the Napoleonic Era, and it's interesting to me when fantasy goes beyond pseudo-Medieval or Modern Day settings. The Ladies of Grace Adieu is substantially lighter but it's a pretty good read as well."
"Beloved by critics, her prose is done in the style of Regency/early Victorian-era writers like Jane Austen or the Bront‘ sisters, and done very well."		                                          
Jo Clayton Drinker of Souls       Y           Andre Norton   From the Book Smugglers: "Jo Clayton produced over 30 books in multiple series including the Skeen books, and the Diadem books. Her work combines SF and fantasy elements and they hit, for me, a similar note to NortonÕs Forerunner/Zero Stone books (but with far more women). IÕd definitely recommend readers who are Norton fans to check Clayton out."                                        
Brenda W. Clough Suburban Gods, Averidan                       From the Book Smugglers: "CloughÕs Averidan series is fantasy with a humorous touch without descending into farce, while her Suburban Gods duology takes an interesting and somewhat dark approach to becoming superhuman. Those interested in fish-out-of-water time travel will definitely want to check out Revise the World."                                        
Nancy A Collins Midnight Blue: the Sonja Blue collection                       Not mentioned much in /r/fantasy                                        
Suzanne Collins Hunger Games   Y                                                            
Ally Condie Matched                   Hunger Games                                            
Dawn Cook (aka Kim Harrison) The Hollows, the Decoy Princess Urban Fantasy     Y     Y                                                  
Elspeth Cooper Songs of the Earth, The Wild Hunt trilogy                     "ÒElspeth Cooper is doing some interesting things that I like. Her style is easy, but unusually sharp for epic fantasy - as in she's not description-belaboured.Ó                                          
Louise Cooper Time Master Trilogy, Indigo saga       Y     Y       "Louise Cooper's Indigo saga marked my early twenties and almost nobody I've met has ever heard of it. A young woman about to marry her friend and her love breaks an ancient taboo and for the price is cursed to be immortal and has to travel around the world and fix what she's done. It's not hugely original, but it's executed well and some of the books (Infanta immediately comes to mind) hold rich, interesting backgrounds. I liked her Time Master series as well. Unfortunately, Cooper has passed and the books are out of print, but they're not hard to find through most used dealers." From the Book Smugglers: "Louise CooperÕs Indigo series made a big impression on me. The main character is the flawed Princess Anghara, who does stupid things and then spends seven novels fixing her mistakes. ItÕs very rare to see a female character in the Òflawed wanderer on an epic quest for redemptionÓ role. [Her naivety in the first few novels might make you want to shake her, but you do get the pleasure of seeing her mature over the series.] Like CooperÕs Time Master series (and related sequel trilogies), the tone is sombre and serious, but the plot is very eventful and often painful."                                        
Susan Cooper Dark is Rising   Y       Y                                                    
Alice Croggon Pellinor       Y             "I highly recommend the books of Pelinor. The first book The Gift is amazing and the journey the stories take you through is wonderful.
The main character is one of my all time favourite female characters."
"The books for me are pretty much the perfect example of a female character. Even if it wasn't stated she just comes across as feminine and yet still so kick ass."		 Australian Author                                        
Elaine Cunningham Starlight & Shadows       Y                                                        
Leah Cutter the Paper Mage       Y             "an Asian-themed setting, with a strong female protaganist who creates magic with the ancient art of paper-folding "                                          
Leah Cypess Mistwood                       "Leah Cypess, who has three loosely connected fantasy novels (so far) that read like poetic moody fairytales with a hidden gutpunch to the FEELS, and have remade tired fantasy tropes (shifters, zombies, assassins) fresh new and exciting"                                        
Julie E. Czerneda A Turn of Light                     "an excellent SF author, who has moved into fantasy with a new series, beginning with A Turn of Light" From the Book Smugglers: "Julie Czerneda has produced more than a dozen SFF books, primarily science fiction, with a notable flair for alien races – and page-turning plots (space opera or space adventure, or even space anthropology, depending on your preferred terminology). Try starting with A Thousand Words for Stranger, or BeholderÕs Eye. If your taste is more for fantasy, check out A Turn of Light."                                        
Melody Daggerhart  Elf Gate series                       Not mentioned much in /r/fantasy                                        
Rowena Cory Daniells Chronicles of King Rolan's kin             Y                                                  
Cecilia Dart-Thornton  The Ill-Made Mute                     ÒNot for everyone, she has great love of using extremely flowery language, but I love her styleÓ 
Òfolksy, fairytale element to her work.Ó
"heavily poetic style. Her Ill Made Mute stars a female concealed as a male and develops into an ill starred romantic relationship across the bounds of an alternate faerie. The world is totally unique, and has 'sildron' - a metal that can float - so trade is done by air, on a world that seems to be psychicly reactive."		                                          
Cara d'Bastian Check your Luck                       From the Book Smugglers: "ItÕs rare that IÕm drawn to urban fantasy, but the Check Your Luck serial, set in Singapore and Malaysia and drawing upon the wealth of mythology mixing in those two countries, definitely captured my interest. A sensible heroine (and a snarky ghost) only added to my enjoyment."                                        
Pamela Dean  Tam Lin             Y         From the Book Smugglers: "Pamela DeanÕs The Secret Country trilogy could be described as Narnia-esque, but instead of Christian allegory, these books explore the division between fantasy and reality, as five children discover that the world they thought theyÕd created in stories is all too real. Along with this trilogy, Dean has a handful of standalone books based on classic traditional ballads and stories, such as Tam Lin and Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary."                                        
Camille DeAngelis Petty Magic                                                                
Emily Devenport (aka Maggy Thomas aka Lee Hogan) Nightshifters       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "I thoroughly enjoyed DevenportÕs Eggheads and Godheads SF books, which use one of my favourite SF tropes: exploring the ruins of lost alien civilisations. ThereÕs a whole lot of interesting things in DevenportÕs other books, such as Broken Time (about a janitor at an asylum on another planet), and the more recent The Night Shifters (paranormal dream event) and Spirits of Glory (colonial mystery on another planet)."                                        
Susan Dexter Prince of Ill Luck, The Ring of Allaire                       From the Book Smugglers: "Along with a handful of standalones, Susan Dexter has two series that will particularly appeal to lovers of fantasy with a focus on horses (and other animals), adventures leavened by a touch of gentle humour, and flawed characters in sore need of redemption (or a swift kick ;) ). Try Prince of Ill Luck or The Ring of Allaire for starters."                                        
Betsy Dornbusch Exile                                                                
Sara Douglas Axis Trilogy and the Wayfarer Redemption trilogy (published together as one six-book series in North America), the Troy Game Series, and the Darkglass Mountain Trilogy       Y             ÒShe wrote the Axis Trilogy and the Wayfarer Redemption trilogy (published together as one six-book series in North America), the Troy Game Series, and the Darkglass Mountain Trilogy. Darkglass Mountain should be read after reading her other works, including her stand-alone books. She's awesome because she enjoys torturing her characters as much as GRRM does.Ó Australian Author                                        
Candas Jane Dorsey Black Wine       Y                                                        
Amanda Downum The Drowning City, The Necromancer Chronicles       Y             "The main character is a female necromancer who is essentially a spy for her government, attached to the "Foreign Affairs" department. Because of her role the series has a fair bit of politics but they are well done. The first book is The Drowning City, where she is sent to start a local rebellion as part of a plan to disrupt trade routes in the area. Then everything goes wrong."                                          
Debra Doyle Circle of Magic, Bad Blood   Y                 From the Book Smugglers: "Primarily co-writing with James D Macdonald, Debra Doyle touches on several different SFF sub-genres. Her Mageworlds series dials space opera up to eleven (start with The Price of the Stars), while the Circle of Magic books (aimed at middle grade level) are classic wizarding school (and are occasionally, hilariously, accused of jumping on the Harry Potter bandwagon by people who donÕt look at publication dates). Then thereÕs the young adult Bad Blood series, about the complications of being a teenaged werewolf."                                        
Diane Duane  Cat wizard books, Young Wizards series   Y   Y             From the Book Smugglers: "While best known for her Young Wizards series (start with So You Want to be a Wizard), Diane Duane has some serious classic SF chops as well, particularly in the Star Trek universe. Not only is she a novelist, but she has also produced an enormous number of scripts for many TV shows.

For those looking for something different, check out The Book of Night With Moon (cat wizards in New York), or The Tale of Five series (exploring, among other things, the impacts of a thoroughly pansexual world)."		                                        
Maryna Dyachenko The Scar             Y                                                  
Thoraiya Dyer  Asymmetry                     ÒShe has only written short stories / novellas atm, but she's won an Aurealis or two.Ó Australian Author                                        
Teresa Edgerton (aka Madeleine Howard) Green Lion Trilogy, Goblin Moon                       From the Book Smugglers: "I discovered Teresa Edgerton with her high fantasy The Green Lion Trilogy (with its bones in Welsh mythology) and follow-up Celydonn Trilogy. On a somewhat different basis is the Goblin Moon< ?em> duology, with a fantasy world that brings into conjunction the sensibility of 18th Century Europe, the decadence of cities, and a moon on an elliptical orbit. Or try the dark world of the Rune of Unmaking series."                                        
Rosemary Edghill (Aka Eluki Bes Shahar) Twelve Treasures                       From the Book Smugglers: "Publishing under two names, this author offers a wide variety of genres to sample. My favourite is probably the Bast Mysteries, a short series of murder mysteries based around a practicing witch and providing a wealth of detail about alternative communities. Under the Edghill name she has also published the Twelve Treasures series, about the perils of librarians rescuing elves in New York. Under the name eluki bes shahar she has released the Butterfly St Cyr space opera trilogy, which starts with Hellflower. Edghill has also co-written a number of books with Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton."                                        
Claudia J. Edwards Taming the Forest King                       From the Book Smugglers: "Edwards wrote a variety of high fantasy thatÕs a particular favourite of mine: plunking a competent female soldier in a situation, and having her fix it. My favourite of these books would be Taming the Forest King, and though there are one of two things that niggle me in terms of gender dynamics, EdwardsÕ books are definite keepers for me. Unfortunately thereÕs only four, including part 1 of an unfinished series."                                        
Hailey Edwards Hint of Frost       Y                                                        
Susan Ee Penryn and the End of Days   Y   Y                                                        
Doris Egan (aka Jane Emerson) The Gate of Ivory                     "I can really recommend The Gate of Ivory and its two sequels, they are very refreshing and special books. They are now published in a single volume, The Complete Ivory. They are science fiction, but with a strong fantasy feel. Theodora, who grew up on an utterly utilitarian world and was glad to escape to an academic world, gets stranded on Ivory, the only planet in the universe where the locals claim to use magic, and has to try and survive in this strange culture." From the Book Smugglers: "EganÕs excellent books unfortunately suffer from her extremely popular screenwriting career (sheÕs written for House, Smallville, etc). The space fantasy Ivory trilogy, written under the Egan name, is complete, but you may wish to consider carefully before going on to the Emerson book, City of Diamond – because itÕs an excellent book, but also sets up for more books in a series that was never written. Very nice intergalactic politics and spaceships book, though."                                        
Erin M. Evan Brimstone Angel series                     "Author I greatly enjoyed - Erin M. Evan's Brimstone Angels series, centred on a pair of tiefling sisters and their hellish misadventures."                                          
Kate Elliott (aka Alis A. Rasmussen) Spiritwalker trilogy, crossroads trilogy       Y     Y       ÒHer books can be a little hard to get into, but I think it's partially because her world-building is just so detailed, which I really enjoyed. There aren't many books I can get completely lost in like that. Crown of Stars was a little slow getting into, but it was very interesting after that. The Spiritwalker Trilogy became interesting right away.Ó From the Book Smugglers: "WhatÕs a girl to do when her friend is kidnapped by alien bounty hunters?

(a)Rescue him!
(b)Kick ass.
(c)Win friends and influence intergalactic politics.
(d)All of the above.

Rasmussen has republished her Highroad Trilogy under her pen name, which makes for rather confused bookstore searches but does lead you to discover a lovely array of fantasy novels to go with this SF trilogy."		                                        
Ru Emerson                                                                  
Jennifer Fallon Tide Lord quartet, Hythrun Chronicles       Y     Y       Òreally good epic fantasy, with interesting charactersÓ. Australian Author                                        
Jane Fanchur Ring of Lightning series                   Brandon Sanderson's strange magic theme "Very original. Terribly under the radar."
"the protagonists are brothers, and the worldbuilding is unique - the leys are harnessed for power and electricity. F/SF crossover, not YA."		                                          
Nancy Farmer The Sea of Trolls trilogy                                                                
Christine Feehan Dark series Paranormal                                                              
Lynn Flewelling The Nightrunners series, Tamir Triad, Luck in the Shadows       Y     Y       ÒLynn Flewelling writes excellent action/horror but is a tad less sophisticated when it comes to writing interpersonal and political intrigue so I'd say the first in the triad 'The Bone Doll's Twin' is the best horror book but Nightrunner is superior overall as it is all out action/horror.Ó
"Definitely adult and a heavy dose of horror. Lynn Flewellings Tam’r Triad. The evils people perpetrate in the name of justice."
"It definitely addresses gender roles/identity pretty overtly"		                                          
Jude Fisher (aka Jane Johnson aka Gabriel King) Fool's Gold trilogy, Salt Road, The Tenth Gift       Y             "Her mainstream titles are SALT ROAD, THE TENTH GIFT (and another title more recent) Tenth Gift is a historical crossover switching from present day Cornwall to the barbary pirates taking Cornish people as slaves to N. Africa. Salt Road is modern, takes place in Morocco, and also delves back into history. Her works all have strong females. As Gabriel King/with M. John Harrison, these are fantasies with feral cats as protagonists - cats battle magical incursions and other things, travel dream roads - and even cross continents. Excellently done and quite original. JUDE FISHER wrote ROSE OF THE WORLD - a fantasy trilogy where a woman is stolen from a Sorcerer - and she holds part of the key to all the magic in creation - the characters are varied. "                                          
Kate Forsyth Witches of Eileanan   Y   Y             ÒShe writes both children's books and adult, love both.Ó
"Kate Forsyths series 'The Witches of Eileanen' is probably my all time favourite. It's set in a world which was founded by the scotish witches from the 16th century, but it's 1000 years later and witches are once again being persecuted."		 Australian Author                                        
Eve Forward Villains by Necessity             Y                                                  
Angie Fox Biker Witches and Monster MAS*H Paranormal                                                              
Cheryl J. Franklin Tales of the Taormin                       From the Book Smugglers: "Franklin produced two series, the Tales of Taormin (itÕs never fun to be a mage when that could get you executed) and the Network/Consortium SF series starting with The Light in Exile, for high-stakes interstellar intrigue."                                        
CS Friedman The Coldfire trilogy, The Magister Trilogy       Y   Y         ÒSome of her science fiction (like This Alien Shore) is pretty good. One of the premises is that there's a cyberspace, like neuromancer or snow crash (falling between them in realism), which feels a bit retro-futuristic, but other than that, the setting is stunning, and wonderfully realised.Ó
"they are excellent and have several strong female leads.
This Alien Shore is also fantastic, but it's sci-fi and a one-shot."		                                          
Esther M. Friesner Sphinx's Princess                       From the Book Smugglers: "A prolific writer, Friesner can bring some very humorous twists to her novels (such as the Faerie King confronted with a divorce lawyer in her New York series). More recent books are YA retellings of the lives of princesses of myth and history (Helen, Nefertiti, Maeve, Himiko). Friesner is also known for a number of Star Trek novelisations and editing the Chicks short stories collections"                                        
Teresa Frohock Miserere: An Autumn Tale             Y                                                  
Cornelia Funke Inkheart trilogy   Y   Y                                                        
Maggie Furey Aurian, The Artefacts of Power, the Shadowleague series       Y             "Aurian - its about a girl who is born with sorcerer abilities its pretty awesome" From the Book Smugglers: "For those looking for some epic fantasy, Furey has two series: The Artefacts of Power (mage wars!), and the Shadowleague series about a world divided into sections by magical barriers."                                        
Monica Furlong Doran trilogy   Y                 ÒShe wrote these three beautiful books (Wise Child, Juniper, and Coleman) about early British-ish magicians, witches, and so forth. They're wonderful.Ó                                          
Yasmine Galenorn Sisters of the Moon series Paranormal & Urban Fantasy                                                              
Jane Gaskell Atlan series       Y           Conan, ER Burroughs, John Carter of Mars "her Atlan series, starting with The Serpent - a sort of sword and sorcery with Aztec influence, female lead character/into a romantic relationship with a shape changer/otherworldly being (scaled) - begins with her locked in a tower/shielded from the world."                                          
Kelly Gay Charlie Madigan Series       Y                                                        
Stella Gemmell City, the             Y                                                  
Mary Gentle Ash: A Secret History, Grunts New Weird           Y       ÒWrites a mix of science fiction and fantasy, and Ash: A Secret History exemplifies this. It's fairly dark and gritty, following a female mercenary captain in medieval Europe who hears voices. It reads at first like historical fantasy, then alternate history, then weird alternate history, and takes some really strange and interesting twists.Ó
ÒHer Grunts also deserves a mention, though it's more of a comic take, following a gang of Orcs (and a pair of psychopathic halflings) who find a cache of cursed US Marine weaponry taken from our world in a Dragon's hordeÓ.
"1610: A Sundial in a Grave is a fairly fun book with some darker threads woven through it, and Ash: A Secret History is incredibly well-detailed medieval epic fantasy that slowly becomes more and more alt-history."		 From the Book Smugglers: "If youÕre a lover of epic fantasy, and likes your worlds gritty, youÕve no doubt already heard of Mary Gentle. Ash, where a historian explores the life of a female mercenary in the fifteenth century, makes very clear that war is not fun or romantic. On the lighter (or darker) side, is Grunts, a go-for-the-guts parody where youÕll want the Halflings to kill the elves, and wince as you cheer for your protagonist orcs, rejecting their traditional cannon fodder role with the aid of modern weaponry. Gentle also has her SF Golden Witchbreed series – tackling alien politics, and corporate interference. Or try the occult-based world of Rats and Gargoyles. If you read Gentle you can expect complexity, and detailed and intricate world-building."                                        
Sheila Gilluly The Book of the Painter,Greenbriar series, The Boy from the Burren                       From the Book Smugglers: "It can be difficult to find copies of The Book of the Painter and Greenbriar series, but for lovers of high fantasy, Gilluly is definitely worth tracking down – particularly The Boy from the Burren."                                        
Christie Golden Arthas                     She is well renowned for writing novels from the Warcraft game series by Blizzard. I'm fairly certain she has her own standalone works but, even if you aren't a Warcraft fan, "Arthas" is a great read.Ó                                          
Alison Goodman Eon       Y                                                        
AngŽlica Gorodischer Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was                                                                
Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire) Parasite (Parasitology), Deadline, October Daye series       Y             "On top of Mercy, Kate, and The Hollows, check out Seanan McGuire's October Daye series. It's another urban fantasy one, but really quite good as well."
"My favourite series is the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, followed by her other series Incryptid. Seanan has a way of writing that just draws me in and hooks me in very little time, by the end of the prologue of the first October Daye book, I was hooked."		 Parasite (Parasitology) was in AmazonÕs best books for 2013. Deadline was nominated for Hugo 2013.                                        
Sharon Green Blending, Blending Enthroned       Y                                                        
Shannon Hale Goose Girl   Y   Y                                                        
Barbara Hambly Those Who Hunt the Night, Darwarth Trilogy, Silicon Mge, Suncross Duet, The unschooled wizard, Stranger at the Wedding       Y     Y     Glen Cook
Writing Style: Guy Gavriel Kay's Prose		 "For The Black Company by Glen Cook - part of the joy of this is the cynical twist to the characters and the grit to the backdrop. About the best reflection of a mercenary company done by a female writer THAT I HAVE READ would be Barbara Hambly's The Unschooled Wizard - this is the title of an omnibus edition that includes the first two volumes, The Ladies of Mandrygn and The Witches of Wenshar - DON'T let the titles fool you - the protags are actually captains of a mercenary company drawn into a web of intrigue. These volumes are followed by Dark Hand of Magic and Dog Wizard, and they are well worth the read."
"Mature characters, very well done - Dragon's Bane and sequels by Barbara Hambly - not quite as politically 'grim' with large scale maneuvering as Martin, but characters with deeper motivations and with a lot more magic - definitely has mature protagonists - also check out her Silicon Mage series, same thing."
"her heroines are always well fleshed out people, depicted from all stages of life. The latter part of her Dragonsbane series has the heroine aged to menopausal, so she pulls no punches.
Her style: very beautiful and poetic. If you like KAY's prose, you would enjoy Hambly's use of language, as well as her ability to nuance characters and settings. Where Kay's works tend to be haunting and emotional, Hambly's titles tend to also have a practical, proactive protagonist that are every bit as deep, but with less sentiment.
It is worthwhile listing more than just one title of hers as she does a broader range than many.
Her Suncross duet, Silicon Mage series, and Darwath trilogy all cross over between our world and a fantasy world/universe, which thread through many of her works (similar to Cherryh's Union/Alliance is loosely tied, or Sanderson's Cosmere). But it is not necessary to read any one series in any order - they pretty much stand alone. Suncross threads through Nazi Germany; Darwath through Southern California, and Silicon Mage, also LA during the retro period when computers were emerging into practical use.
Her standalone title, Stranger at the Wedding also ties into the magical world featured in other novels, but it is only fantasy, and stands quite alone. It is about a student of magic trying to head off a dark magic attack on her sister's wedding.
Her series that features Sunwolf and Starhawk compares (very! roughly to Glenn Cook) - about a troop of mercenaries, lead by a captain who discovers, very late, he has a mage's gift. Starhawk is a wonderful female lead character who has PLENTY of agency - and is believable and well fleshed out. The story does NOT center around a romance - this pair begins as a partnership. NOT YA. A wonderful serial story - each book has a solid story line and finish. Do read in sequence.
Those Who Hunt the Night and sequels - are historical UF, female lead, she is a doctor when women just were not professionals, and the vamps are SCARY - her husband is effectively held hostage by them unless she will solve a mystery. This book was done BEFORE other books that sound like it, and it's a lovely read, with the historical bits well worked out. Hambly also has done historical fiction, researched to a T - one in ancient Rome, and another set in N. Orleans, A Free Man of Color. All highly recommended - not kidstuff. the N. Orleans one is very dark in tone and mood - as the times would be for her protagonist. The women are well portrayed.
Her newest fantasy series Sisters of the Raven - vol I - women are in a repressed society. They are well fleshed out but not equals."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Lucky readers who discover Barbara Hambly will be rewarded with plenty of material to go on with. Check out the Darwath and Windrose series for fun (and often scary) portal fantasy. Try the Sun Wolf and Starhawk series for high fantasy (with plenty of women), or the James Asher series for its Oxford don detective meeting murderous vampires. Hambly also has a number of standalones along with the excellent non-SF Benjamin January detective series set in New Orleans."                                        
Laurell K Hamilton Anita Blake books       Y             ÒShe is controversial for the hardcore sex scenes but I adore her and it does reflect a certain segment of society."                                          
Cynthia Hand Unearthly   Y   Y                                                        
Lisa L. Hannet Midnight and Moonshine                     "Angela Slatter / Lisa L. Hannet - putting them together since they've done a few collaborations. I think they've only done short stories, they have an anthology together called Midnight and Moonshine, I love it to bits. They've written stories separately but I just like the ones where they've worked together better." Australian Author                                        
Frances Hardinge The Lost Conspiracy   Y                   "she mainly writes YA fiction but its brilliant. Her standalones such as The Lost Conspiracy which looks at colonization and language is an amazing read, the Fly Trap books are sort of historical fiction to do with early printing."                                        
Molly Harper Good Girls, Werewolves                     "Hilarious author"                                          
Tara K Harper Cat Scratch books, Wolfwalker books                       From the Book Smugglers: "Both of HarperÕs series feature animal companions. Wolfwalker is science fantasy (planetary adventure with space travel lost), revolving a telepathic link to wolves. The Cat Scratch books use a link with enormous cats."                                        
Charlene Harris Sookie stackhouse Urban Fantasy     Y             "Sookie Stackhouse has a full cast of the fantasy although it really should have dragons everywhere but that's my own hang up. The author has a few series all with female leads and they're all murder mysteries in addition to some being fantasy. Sookie and Harper are both urban fantasy murder mysterious, Sookie moreso, Lily Bard books don't mention the fantasy but her character shows up in the Sookie books. There's one stand alone also in that world but I can't remember it. The Sookie books are not like the HBO series."                                          
Jaq D. Hawkins Goblin series       Y             "A female author with strong female characters is Jaq D. Hawkins, especially in her Goblin Series: Dance of the Goblins, Demoniac Dance & Power of the Dance."                                          
Elizabeth Haydon Destiny, Prophecy, Rhapsody , Symphony of Ages series       Y             "Elizabeth Haydon is one of my favorite female writers, and I loved Destiny, Prophecy, Rhapsody (3 novels by her.  She wrote the Symphony of Ages series. Awesome world, awesome ideas, best dialogue I've ever read in a fantasy series. Very snarky and really likable characters, great pacing, great tragedies. However, do not read any books past the third. The first three are self-contained and amazing, the next three are absolute shit. This December it'll have been 7 years since the last one was released, and there's no word if it will ever come out."                                          
Lian Hearn (aka Gillian Rubinstein) Tales of the Otori                                                                
Barb Hendee Noble Dead series       Y                                                        
Zenna Henderson The People series                                                                
Dorothy J Heydt (aka Katherine Blake) The Interior Life                       From the Book Smugglers: "I first encountered Heydt with Point of Honour, an SF novel featuring one of my favourite tropes – a virtual game world. I also really enjoyed the Cynthia (daughter of Euelpides) stories in the Sword and Sorceress anthologies. The Interior Life, her novel published as Katherine Blake, canÕt quite be called a portal fantasy, but a different take on combining a person from our world with a fantasy world."                                        
Robin Hobb (aka Megan Lindholm) Farseer trilogy, Liveship Traders, Tawnyman trilogy
Wizard of the Pigeons, Cloven Hooves, Windsingers trilogy		           Y         ÓA pretty well known author, at least as Hobb. She wrote the Farseer series, as well as the other books set in that world. I really like some of her stuff as Lindholm better though. Wizard of the Pigeons is an urban fantasy set among the homeless of Seattle, where the protagonist is a homeless vietnam vet with a supernatural connection to the city who is being hunted by some malevolent force. Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice, The Liveship Traders, The Tawny Man, and The Dragon Keepers series are all in the same world, and are amazing. Some of the must reads of the genre."
"MEGAN LINDHOLM, aka Robin Hobb, She did two LANDMARK Urban fantasies, (urban fantasies, NOT paranormal!!!) They are standalones, and way ahead of their time. Wizard of the Pigeons, male protag - modernday Seattle street person - roughly about PTSD. And also Cloven Hooves - female protag - modernday Alaska.
Her original trilogy (fantasy) hardly known: Limbreth Gate, Harpy's Flight, Windsingers - about caravan society crossing between worlds."		                                          
P. C. Hodgell Kencyrath, God Stalker Chronicles       Y     Y       "Writes the Kencyrath series, which has been ongoing since the 80's, and just released the latest one (haven't read it yet - need to reread the series). It's one of my favourite ongoing series, with an interesting world, likeable characters and intriguing plot. It follows Jame, a member of a race that have been conscripted by their three aspected god to defend creation against a malevolent force or being slowly devouring worlds. The first book is more of a Lieberesque low fantasy, set in a city where belief empowers gods, with the backstory and history of the world being revealed more in later books."                                          
Erin Hoffman Sword of Fire and Sea                                                                
Andrea K Hšst Champion of the Rose                       Writer of the Book Smuggler Post used here.                                        
Tanya Huff  The 4 Quarters series, The Wizard of the Grove books, Gale Women series       Y             "A bunch of stuff that ranges from typical fantasy, to modern vampire detectives, to sci-fi" From the Book Smugglers: "Huff has books for paranormal, high fantasy and science fiction lovers. The Confederation series is her SF work (planetary marines meet diplomatic manoeuvres with aliens). For fantasy readers you have a choice of the Quarters series (bards, assassins [a brother and sister sharing one body!]) and the Wizard of the Grove series. For paranormal, you have the Gale Women series (charm magic family), the Keeper Chronicles (guest house with ghosts and gates to hell), and the Henry Fitzroy books, with the Tony Foster and Victoria Nelson sub-series (cops, urban wizards, vampires)."                                        
Kameron Hurley Bel Dame Apocrypha             Y                                                  
Kate Jacoby                                                                  
Liz de Jager Banished                                                                
N.K. Jemisin Dreamblood Duology, Inheritence Trilogy       Y     Y       "I enjoyed The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin. It really flipped a lot of tropes. The dreamblood duology is really amazing. The setting and the characters in it were perfect."                                          
Erika Johansen The Queen of the Tearling                                                                
Jaida Jones Havemercy             Y                                                  
J. V. Jones The Barbed Coil, A Sword of Shadows             Y       "J.V.Jones is one of my favorite authors and usually seems to be underread, the Baker's Boy series as well as the Cavern of Black Ice, a bit gritty, and dark, but very good."                                          
Diana Wynne Jones Fire and Hemlock, Chrestomanci series   Y   Y     Y       "she's a YA author, but her imagination and sly humor are unmatched. I re-read my childhood favorites of Dogsbody, Howl's Moving Castle, Archer's Goon, Fire and Hemlock, and Deep Secret over and over and still love them as an adult." Archer's Goon is also a Neil Gaiman Favourite (Just a little trivia from my side)                                        
Julie Kagawa The Iron Fey   Y   Y                                                        
Anna Kashina Blades of the Old Empire                                                                
Sylvia Kelso The Moving Water, Amberlight, Rihannar Chronicles                       Australian Author.
From the Book Smugglers: "An Australian writer who writes densely poetic novels, most set in Australia, or fantasy worlds with Australian landscapes. Her books include the Riverworld series (politics and adventure from the pov of a member of a not-entirely-positive matriarchy), the Rihannar Chronicles (a morality of mages series, another of my favourite tropes), and the Blackston Gold duology (a Queensland lawyer meets a ghost and a minefields mystery)."		                                        
Carolyn Kephart                                                                  
Kay Kenyon Entire and the Rose series             Y                                                  
Katherine Kerr Deverry series       Y             "Author of the Deverry series, a fairly long series (15 books) set in a Celtic inspired world where reincarnation plays a major role in the story. We learn of the past lives of the characters in flashbacks to history, often with a connection to the present timeline's plot, where actions in past lives entangle characters in chains of wyrd and play out in the next. There's a fantastic sense of history to the world, with events spanning a millennium, and feeling like it, where the societies and social structures evolve over time."
"The Deverry series has some of the best female characters in any fantasy I have read. The female and male protagonists (Jill and Rhodry) of the early books can get a bit Mary Sue at times, but it is not that bad and isolated to only those two. And especially Jill becomes a more interesting character as the books progress."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Katharine Kerr writes in both the high fantasy and urban fantasy genres. In high fantasy, start with Daggerspell to begin the Welsh-sourced Deverry saga (where destiny and tragedy come along to smack the reincarnated in the face). Alternatively, check out the Nola OÕGrady series, where the government secret agents are psychic, and a serial killer is hunting werewolves. SF fans will be glad to know thereÕs something with this author for them – check out Polar City Blues, for a cop dealing with the murder of an alien."                                        
Caitlin R. Kiernan Drowning Girl, the             Y                                                  
Rosemary Kirstein Steerswoman   Y   Y     Y     Brandon Sanderson's ecology of the world (Way of Kings) "There's definitely some playing with gender roles and expectations going on, and one of the things I like about it is that not only do we have two strong central female protagonists, but that it doesn't fall into the cliche of "strong female protagonist" meaning just Action Girls - Rowan solves her problems more through her intelligence than with a sword, and while Bel seems at first the typical "barbarian swordswoman" stereotype, her character and society is revealed as much more interesting and complex as the story progresses."
"great worldbuilding, unusual blend of backdrops and ecology (the oddness of the ecology of Way of Kings comes to mind, in her world - there is similar)"
"where she compares to Sanderson is NOT in the magic, but in the patchwork ecology of her world (Way of Kings) where two ecosystems, very different, collide. The female lead is very equal in her society, and this book ought to be right up there with all the books that shine with equity, both in relationships and treatment of gender."		 From the Book Smugglers: "KirsteinÕs Steerswoman series begins with the mystery of an unnatural jewel. The concept of steerswomen (travelling loremasters with strict rules about questions asked and answered) is a really fascinating one. Theirs are battles fought with knowledge."                                        
Annette Curtis Klause Blood and Chocolate   Y                                                            
Mary Robinette Kowal Shades of Milk and Honey                       "Mary Robinette Kowal writes lovely historical fantasy set in and around England during the Regency. The Fantasy element is a relatively small addition to mostly real-world plots involving both social and political concerns of the time. The hero and heroine are professional Glamourists–in the world of the books glamour is mostly an art form (a hobby for gentile folk, employment for others, both high and low depending on the work). For lovers of Jane Austen who enjoy a little magic."                                        
Katherine Kurtz Deryni             Y       "Deryni - alternate, magical Celtic kingdom - heavy into alternate Catholic church on a magical world. Many of her characters are involved with the religion."                                          
Ellen Kushner Riverside series, Swordspoint, The Privilege of the Sword, The Fall of the Kings, Thomas the Rhymer             Y       "Thomas the Rhymer - it is about a mideval crossover into faerie, styled after the ballad of the same name. Totally lovely book."                                          
Mercedes Lackey Tamsa & Kethry, Valdemar, Joust, Bardic Voices, Firebird       Y       Y     "I quite liked Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar world. She has quite a few female protagonists. The first trilogy she wrote was featuring a young girl called Talia. The series is called Heralds of Valdemar. It was quite a strong series, from what I remember.
Lackey also wrote a lot of Sword and Sorcery tales featuring a pair of ladies: Kethry and Tamsa, I think. The former wielded a sword posed by a female spirit and the latter does magic.
Kethry's granddaughter is featured in a book of her own, called By the Sword. Probably my most favorite book in the whole world.
The queen, Selenay, has a book or two dedicated to her. Her daughter Elspeth also has a book (or even a trilogy). But in order to really enjoy them all I suggest reading all the books, even the ones featuring male protagonists."
"She's am amazing author, one of my favourites. I highly recommend her Gryphon books"
"Start with "Arrows of the Queen" trilogy. Wonderful female characters. also for an interesting gender perspectives try the "Last Herald Mage" trilogy. She is awesome."		 From the Book Smugglers: "With a writer as prolific as Lackey, it becomes not a question of whatÕs available so much as where to start. Arrows of the Queen is very early Lackey, but itÕs a strong representative and a fun read."                                        
Mur Lafferty The Shambling Guide to New York City Urban Fantasy     Y                                                        
Laura Lam Pantomime       Y                                                        
Margo Lanagan                       "Neil Gaiman loves her, nuff said. Seriously, everything she writes is beautiful." Australian Author                                        
Glenda Larke Havenstar, Watergivers trilogy             Y       "Glenda Larke has written three trilogies, writing a new series (or book, idk) right now, her second book The Aware has recently been released as an ebook for the first time."
"Watergivers trilogy was brilliant (aside from the setting, which my Aussie heart was rather happy with, I was excited that the female protagonsit was short-sighted)."		 Australian Author                                        
Louise Lawrence Children of the Dust   Y                   From the Book Smugglers: "LawrenceÕs young adult science fiction is primarily post-apocalyptic or dystopic. The style of these books will Ôread youngÕ compared to current YA, but still do interesting things, and are great for those looking for a different read. I think the one IÕd recommend as a starter is Calling B for Butterfly, about kids stranded on a lifeboat falling toward Jupiter."                                        
Tanith Lee Biting the Sun, Black Unicorn series , Flat Earth       Y             "The gender stuff is fun and it's remarkable how modern the tones are for a book written pre-smartphones."
"Most notable would be her Flat earth books and Birthgrave trilogy. Think gothic epic fantasy like Jack Vance but with better prose (I think, though I acknowledge saying this might kill any credibility of this comment). Her Black Unicorn series is more accessible, and I would recommend trying Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer, one of her sweet short story collections. Her Books of the Flat Earth are amazing. Arabian-inspired, mythic, breathtaking and bittersweet."
" TL is definitely an aqcuired taste - I hate some of her work and enjoy others. But no matter what, I'm always blown away by her astounding descriptions and creative worldbuilding."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Tanith LeeÕs voice is lush, dark, poetic and distinctive – sheÕs a writer unlike any other. She has also produced over 90 novels. Ignore the temptation to be overwhelmed, and instead sample the following three books. The Silver Metal Lover: forget those stories about robots trying to kill you, and shred yourself internally with this tragic look at artificial life. NightÕs Master: first of the Flat Earth series and a grand, beautiful and painful piece. Kill the Dead: IÕve seen this described as ÔByronicÕ – check it out for the dry wit of the ghost slayer, out to take on an undead town."                                        
Ursula K Leguin Earthsea cycle   Catwings Series - Y       Y         "post-Tolkien groundbreakers."
"Her Earthsea books are classics of the genre, and for good reason."
"Le Guin's first three Earthsea books are practically misogynistic (and that's being nice), although one could argue that Tenar, in The Tombs of Atuan is a strong female character. Beginning in the fourth book of the series written some twenty years after the original three, Tehanu, the main characters are Tenar and a little girl, Therru. Both can definitely be described as strong female characters."		 From the Book Smugglers: "IÕm fairly sure I donÕt need to tell anyone who Le Guin is, so instead IÕll mention one of the her less-known series, the charming childrenÕs Catwings series (cats with wings – whatÕs not to love?)."                                        
Stina Leicht Fey and the Fallen Urban Fantasy                   "For gritty historical urban fantasy with no sparkly vampires or love triangles, read her Fey and the Fallen books "                                          
Madeleine L'Engle A wrinkle in time   Y       Y                                                    
Gail Carson Levine Ella Enchanted       Y             "Gail Carson Levine's book Ella Enchanted is quite good and bears no resemblance to that monstrosity of a film by the same name."                                          
Karen Rae Levine Sister Raven             Y                                                  
Shariann Lewitt First And Final Rites                       From the Book Smugglers: "Writing cyberpunk (in Venice), planetary romance, and courtly fantasy, Lewitt only has a few books available, but they are interesting and different and well worth checking out."                                        
Jane Lindskold Firekeeper Saga, Child of a Rainless Year, The Buried Pyramid, Breaking the Wall series                       From the Book Smugglers: "With multiple SF and fantasy standalones and series, Linkskold has been published since the early Õ90s. Her Firekeeper Saga begins with a girl raised by wolves (and thus not necessarily well-equipped to face court intrigues), while her Breaking the Wall series takes mah-jong and the Chinese zodiac and brings them to the United States."                                        
Holly Lisle Korre series, The Secret Texts and The World Gates       Y     Y         From the Book Smugglers: "Lisle writes primarily in fantasy, but has several SF novels available. The Arhel trilogy deals with a mage society divided by gender. The Secret Texts places a trainee diplomat/shapeshifter in a post-magical-apocalypse world, while The World Gates trilogy is a portal fantasy with the interesting twist that the magic of the portal world has a negative effect on ÔourÕ world.

[I thoroughly enjoyed my recent reread of Hunting the Corrigan's Blood (an SF thriller about a professional finder) and was pleased while researching this article to discover a 2012 release of a sequel. Win!]"		                                        
Marjorie M. Liu Maxine Kiss series     Y Y       Paranormal                                              
Penelope Lively The Wild Hunt of Hagworthy, Astercote, The Ghost of Thomas Kempe   Y                   From the Book Smugglers: "LivelyÕs The Wild Hunt of Hagworthy was one of my earliest introductions to the wild hunt myth. The feel of this story has some similarities to the Dark is Rising series. Other fantasy childrenÕs books by Lively include Astercote (where the lives of children in the Cotswolds are complicated by a chalice), and The Ghost of Thomas Kempe (the ghost of a seventeenth-century sorcerer wants an apprentice)."                                        
Malinda Lo Ash       Y                                                        
Anne Logston Shadow and Dagger series                       From the Book Smugglers: "Along with a number of standalones, Logston created the Shadow & Dagger series, focusing around the adventures of a quick-witted elven thief."                                        
Helen Lowe Wall of Night series             Y                                                  
Marie Lu Legend                   Hunger Games                                            
Anne Lyle Night Masque series, The Alchemist of Souls             Y         From the Book Smugglers: "LyleÕs first series is the NightÕs Masque series, which takes an alternate world approach to the reign of Elizabeth I, and focuses on the travails of the spy Mal Catlyn, giving readers a strongly set alt-history world, along with magic and the complexities of a non-human race."                                        
Robin Lythgoe As the Crow Flies             Y                                                  
R. A. MacAvoy Lens of the World, Tea with the Black Dragon & sequel, Damiano trilogy                     "Tea with the Black Dragon and sequel Twisting the Rope - celtic band, modernday UF, with supernatural elements. Beautifully written, mystery. Not YA. Older heroine, well portrayed.
She also wrote the Damiano trilogy - takes place in Renaissance Italy and involves an arch angel (Raphael) taken into slavery. Again, beautifully written, shamefully under-recognized. "		                                          
Margaret Mahy Maddigan's Fantasia, The changeover   Y                   From the Book Smugglers: "New Zealander Mahy wrote books for younger and middle-grade children, and crossed into young adult territory. The families she creates are vivid, individual and very alive. Primarily creating standalones, her best known book is probably The Changeover, but there are many others to discover. Try MaddiganÕs Fantasia for middle-grade readers, with its strange and wonderful circus."                                        
Evie Manieri Blood's Pride                                                                
Melina Marchetta Finnikin of the Rock,  The Lumatere Chronicles       Y     Y       "I'd argue that Melinia Marchetta, The Lumatere Chronicles have the strongest female characters I've ever seen and some of the strongest characters you will ever read about in general.
And while each of the book displays, not just the courage, love, and sheer force of will each female lead in the book has. (Tessadora and Evanjalin come as prime examples) It's the in the third book where something happens, an event so gut-wrenching and devastating that I had to re-read the chapter three times to make sure, in the vain hope that what I had read wasn't true, had actually happened.
It's a scene that shows a "certain characters mettle, and her compassion - and another one of those moments that seems to ring with destiny. So beautiful is this scene, this moment between two woman, it has the makings of a legend - like a tale that will be passed down from generation to generation." What one person choose to do in spite of what had just happened to her turned out to be the single most powerful moment I've ever read in a book. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a guy and I shed some serious tears, not just because of how gut-wreaching it was, but also because of how much strength it took her to do what she did next. The sheer force of will by a single person to do what she has did, in spite of the fact that what happened in the first book, was directly related to that situation.
If you read any of her books, you'll notice Melina has a way with words that are poetic and haunting and beautiful. She wrote a series of fantasy books because people told her that their no way she could do it, and she wound up writing a trilogy that has all three books in my top ten of all time. She writes the best kind of characters: The ones you don't want to leave because you feel like you've become the best of friends. She writes the best kinds of books, the kind that leaves you with that feeling in your stomach after all is said and done.
That takes skill as a writer, to make people think past "oh that's a stereotypical character" to realize that she wrote that character not as a plot point but because that's who that person would be in real life."		                                          
Juliet Marillier Seven waters series   Y   Y Y           "Her Seven waters series is beautiful. 'Daughter of the Forest' is a good one to start with. " Australian Author                                        
Laurie J. Marks Elemental Logic, Children of Triad                       From the Book Smugglers: "Marks combines beautiful writing with fully fleshed out worlds that donÕt fall into the same-old same-old cultural expectations of our own. Along with a very small number of standalones, sheÕs written two trilogies. The Elemental Logic series deals with warring nations, and elemental aspected individuals caught up in those wars. The Children of the Triad books start out with, substantively, an ugly duckling story, and delves deeply into non-human races, and the question of identity and belonging."                                        
Melissa Marr Graveminder, The Arrivals   Y                 "I know she primarily sticks in the YA area but her recent book Graveminder, and the more recent The Arrivals, are great steps into more "adult," territory."                                          
Gail Z. Martin Winter Kingdom                     "I love her Winter Kingdoms series. There are four books in this series and then two books in the Fallen Kings Cycle. She just started a new series called The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga. The first book is 'Ice Forged'."
" Necromancy, vampires, lots of cool magic."		                                          
Ann Maxwell (aka Lowell Charters aka Elizabeth Lowell aka A.E. Maxwell Dancer series         Y             From the Book Smugglers: "MaxwellÕs Fire Dancer series sadly stops at book 3 (as Maxwell went on to a highly successful career in a different genre), but the books are definitely still worth picking up, to enjoy the travels of the last survivor of a planetÕs fiery destruction."                                        
Julian May Saga of Pliocene Exile series             Y                                                  
Ardath Mayhar                         From the Book Smugglers: "Reminiscent of Andre NortonÕs fantasy, MayharÕs early books combine aspects of fantasy with science fiction. ThereÕs also The World Ends in Hickory Hollow, a Utopian post-apocalyptic novel. She also contributed a book to the ÒLittle FuzzyÓ series, retelling the story from the FuzziesÕ point of view."                                        
Anne McCaffrey Dargonriders of Pern       Y   Y         "Anne McCaffrey's Dragonrider's of Pern series was one of the post-Tolkien groundbreakers. It is technically sci-fi, but her books really straddle the boundary between fantasy and sci-fi." From the Book Smugglers: "Another of the major planetary adventure science fiction writers, McCaffrey needs no introduction. Instead she is responsible for introducing vast numbers of readers to science fiction. The Firelizard Song at the beginning of Dragonsinger remains the only piece of poetry I can recite from memory!"                                        
Vonda N. McIntyre Moon and the Sun                       From the Book Smugglers: "Like many, I first encountered McIntyre through her post-apocalyptic Dreamsnake, and then moved on to the intriguing Starfarers series (a strong focus on scientists in space). Star Trek fans will also absolutely know McIntyre from her novelisations of the second, third and four Trek films. YA fans should check out Barbary (twelve year old on a space station), and fans of alt history will be all over The Moon and the Sun, set in the court of Louis XIV, with added sea monsters."                                        
Fiona McIntosh Myrren's Gift                                                                
Juliet E. McKenna The Thief's Gamble                     "She has written several series of books set in the same universe and has become adept at showing events from multiple PoVs."                                          
Patricia A McKillip Riddle-Master, Song for the Basilisk, Alphabet of Thorn, In the Forests of Serre, Od Magic       Y   Y Y       "Writes beautiful, lyrical fantasy books with a very dreamlike, fairy-tale feel. The Riddlemaster of Hed is perhaps closest to traditional fantasy, following the ruler of a small island kingdom who finds a mystery in his heritage. I think her standalone books are even better though. They have beautiful, mysterious magic, with interesting themes, worlds and characters. Od Magic, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld or Alphabet of Thorn would be good ones to start with." From the Book Smugglers: "One of the giants of fantasy, McKillip combines beautiful prose with stories that read like undiscovered fairy tales. Many of her books are standalones, or duologies. Her Riddle-Master trilogy is not as well known as Earthsea, but should be."                                        
Robin McKinley Deerskin, Sunshine       Y             "Writes a lot of fairy tale reworkings (especially Beauty and the Beast which she has something of an obsession with), but she's written a bunch of great books. Deerskin is a reworking of the Donkeyskin tale, where an abused girl tries to find recovery from a traumatic event. Sunshine is an interesting urban fantasy, with an engaging protagonist and interesting vampires (and without most of the cliches that plague modern UF - in particular, it's a one-off, rather than a lengthy series). Good ones to start with would be Deerskin or Sunshine, or perhaps her YA books (The Hero and the Crown / The Blue Sword)." From the Book Smugglers: "Another major fantasy author. My favourites will always be The Blue Sword and Beauty, eternal re-reads. IÕm a little surprised to see only a handful of her books are available in eformat."                                        
Richelle Mead Vampire Academy Urban Fantasy     Y             "In Young Adult urban fantasy there is the Vampire Academy series which follows a dhampir trying to protect her best friend as best as she can."                                          
Liane Merciel The River King's Road                                                                
Marissa Meyer Cinder, Scarlet, Cress       Y             "Marissa Meyer has a continuing series that retells fairy tales with strong female leads. Cinder follows Cinderella (a mechanic in Post WWIV China, where intergalactic relations with the moon are grumbling, and a deadly infectious plague is sweeping through the world. She is part cyborg after a terrible childhood accident, and leaves her left foot at the ball).
Scarlet picks up where Cinder leaves off, and follows a French girl whose grandmother disappears. She gets some help from a dangerous prize fighter named "Wolf". More intergalactic politics, more plague, lots of badassery and spaceship stealing.
Cress gets published in January (I read the ARC, it's fantastic) and follows Rapunzel, who is a girl imprisoned in a satellite and used for her brilliant hacking skills.
Winter will be following Snow White, who is the Lunar princess and is possibly insane."		                                          
Melisa Michaels (Melisa C. Michaels) Rosie Levine series                       From the Book Smugglers: "An Elfrock band! It makes me wonder if all that big 80s rock hair was hiding any pointy ears in our world as well. ? Pity the unfortunate human PI hired as a bodyguard to protect this lead singer from death threats. And donÕt be fooled by the cover to Cold Iron: this is an urban fantasy interested in some of the harder facts of life in the big city.

Along with the two Rosie Levine urban fantasies, Michaels has a Òcomplications of crossing alternate realitiesÓ book, World Walker, and the Skyrider series (about a hotshot spaceship pilot becoming embroiled in a Colonial war)."		                                        
Sarah Micklem Firethorn       Y             "Firethorn by Sara Micklem is definitely feminist, while set in a misogynistic and oppressive society, and it also ridiculously good."                                          
Karen Miller (also K.E Mills) Godspeaker Trilogy       Y                                                        
Hope Mirrlees Lud-in-the-Mist             Y       "It's one of the great works of pre-Tolkien fantasy and has become an influence on modern fantasy (e.g. Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman) as it's been re-discovered."                                          
Sarah Monette The Bone Key, the Doctrine of Labyrinths series             Y                                                  
Karen Moning Fever series       Y                                                        
Elizabeth Moon The Deed of Paksenarrion,The Serrnao Legacy, Vatta's War       Y   Y         "Writes very detailed military fantasy. Logistics, economics, politics are self-consistent. Author of the Paksennarion series, about a girl who runs away to join the army, and her path to becoming a paladin. It can be a bit too obviously D&D-ish at times, but is well written and told, and definitely worth reading. Her other stuff I've found a bit hit-and-miss, but Speed of Dark is also worth picking up (though Sci-fi rather than fantasy). " From the Book Smugglers: "Moon divides her time between a fantasy world (three related series: Legacy of Gird, The Deed of Paksenarrion, and PaladinÕs Legacy), and military and trader space fiction (The Serrano Legacy and VattaÕs War). Outside these series thereÕs Speed of Dark, about a generation Ôleft behindÕ by advancing medicine, and Remnant Population (one of the rare SF books from the POV of an older woman, who has chosen not to be removed from her now-abandoned colony)."                                        
C. L. Moore Jirel of Joiry                     "She's a classic. Wrote for the pulps back in the 30s. Most famous for Jirel of Joiry."                                          
Erin Morgenstern The NIght Circus                                                                
C.E. Murphy Walker Papers       Y                                                        
Linda Nagata The Dread Hammer                                                                
E. Nesbit The Enchanted Castle   Y                   From the Book Smugglers: "Classics of the genre, Nesbit is as readable today as ever. Reading books written over a century ago has two advantages: theyÕre like time travel in themselves – and theyÕre usually out of copyright, so you can get them all for free from Project Gutenberg!"                                        
Rachel Neumeier The Floating Islands, House of Shadows, The City in the Lake, the Griffin Mage trilogy                       From the Book Smugglers: "Neumeier combines originality of plot with a beautiful prose style. Try the standalones The Floating Islands, House of Shadows or The City in the Lake, or travel into the beautiful and vivid world of the Griffin Mage trilogy. Upcoming is something different, Black Dog, an urban fantasy that ranges from Mexico to Vermont, with what sounds like a new take on werewolves."                                        
Andre Norton Witch World,Mageworld series, Mirror of Destiny             Y         From the Book Smugglers: "Norton, Grandmaster of SF and published author since the 1930s, has been a massive influence on me (and countless other SFF readers). When I think weapons, I think NortonÕs weapons: blaster, stunner, tangler, needler. When I think transport, I think NortonÕs transport: skimmer, flitter. When I think aliens, I think Forerunners, and lost advanced civilisations, and the occasional Star Gate (NortonÕs book of this name was published in the 50s).

My favourite of NortonÕs books is Catseye, which combines a large number of NortonÕs favourite tropes: alien ruins, intelligent animals, and displaced loners searching for a place to belong. ItÕs also a good place to start for readers new to Norton. Other options include Sargasso of Space, or for the more fantasy-minded, The Crystal Gryphon."		                                        
Naomi Novik Temeraire Series                                                                
Jody Lynn Nye Mythology, Taylor's Ark       Taylor's Ark - Y               From the Book Smugglers: "NyeÕs books range from the humorous fantasy of the Mythology series to the TaylorÕs Ark books, where Dr Shona Taylor travels to colony worlds providing medical services and bringing with her a menagerie of specially-adapted animals (such as a dog who can synthesise vaccines). Nye also co-wrote a number of books with Anne McCaffrey."                                        
Nnedi Okorafor Who Fears Death             Y                                                  
Eilis O'Neal The False Princess       Y                                                        
Melissa F. Olson Scarlet Bernard series       Y                                                        
KJ Parker Folding Knife, Purple and Black             Y       "K.J. Parker, widely suspected to be a women. Some of her/his novels are really good (in particular the standalones) and the short stories (check out Clarkesworld) are excellent stuff."                                          
Edith Pattou East   Y   Y                                                        
Diana L. Paxson White Raven, Lady of Light                 Mythology     From the Book Smugglers: "Fans of mythology will want to check out The White Raven, a retelling of the story of Tristan and Iseult. PaxsonÕs other books also reflect her interest in this mythological tradition, and include the Hallowed Isle series (Arthurian), The Chronicle of Fionn mac Cumhal, and the Westria series. She also continued Marion Zimmer BradleyÕs Avalon series."                                        
Gillian Philip Firebrand                                                                
Meredith Ann Pierce Treasure At The Heart of the Tanglewood, Firebringer trilogy, Darkangel trilogy   Y   Y               From the Book Smugglers: "Along with her two series, the Darkangel Trilogy and Firebringer Trilogy, this incredibly evocative writer has several standalones. Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood reads like a brand new fairytale, while The Woman Who Loved Reindeer is set in a tundra landscape and has a sense of old Norse myth."                                        
Tamora Pierce Alanna, Tortall   Y   Y       Y     "Tamora Pierce is the reason I fell in love with fantasy. So many awesome lady characters! I especially love her different takes on magic, my favorite example being with the Circle of Four series."
" I loved the way she separated different magics. I also thought how she wrote the immortals was really cool. Nothing is either inherently good or evil it just is as it was made. Also, Darkings! "		 From the Book Smugglers: "Tamora Pierce has been the introduction for many a reader to fantasy books where a girl gets to contribute to the fight. Most of her books are linked into the 20 volume Tortall sage (which contains multiple distinct series). Keen readers will also be glad to find a separate series in her Emelan (Circle) books."                                        
Sarah Pinborough The Dog Faced Gods Urban Fantasy                   "Supernatural Fantasy set in a slightly alternate history. Very intimate writing."                                          
P.S. Power Gwen Farris Books       Y             "Its an arcanpunk book about a girl who is taken into another mirror wold through human sacrifice, a world with dirgibles and magic. She's inhabiting another womens body... there are several very strong female characters, including the main."                                          
Cherie Priest Boneshaker, The Clockwork Century       Y                                                        
Irene Radford (aka P R Frost) Dragon Nimbus, the             Y         From the Book Smugglers: "Radford released multiple books combining fantasy and science fiction elements in the series The Dragon Nimbus, The Dragon Nimbus Histories, and The Stargods, while MerlinÕs Descendants gives a well-known wizard a multi-generational saga. As P R Frost she writes the Tess Noncoire series, about a writer/demon fighter."                                        
Jennifer Rardin Jaz Parks series Urban Fantasy     Y             "Another favourite of mine is the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. She's kinda crazy in the beginning, understandably so, but she gets better as time goes on."                                          
Melanie Rawn Exiles, Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies       Y Y Y                                                    
Mickey Zucker Reichert (Aka Miriam Susan Zucker Reichert) The Legend of Nightfall                                                                
Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles                       "Maybe Anne Rice is a controversial one, but she has undoubtedly done huge things for the horror genre, in terms of vampires, and has inspired a huge amount of people. The first three of the Vampire Chronicles, in particular, are definitely worth a read."                                        
Freya Robertson Heartwood                                                                
Jennifer Roberson Karavans series, Sword-Dancer series and Cheysuli series       Y             "Author of the Sword-Dancer series and Cheysuli series, two of my oldest favorites. Seriously underrated, and underappreciated."
"If you love pulp fiction, perhaps Jennifer Roberson's Tiger and Del series starting with Swordancer."		                                          
Deborah J. Ross (aka Deborah Wheeler) The Seven-Petaled Shield                       From the Book Smugglers: "Under the name Deborah Wheeler there are two science fiction novels: Jaydium (combining time travel and possibility) and the planetary adventure Northlight (where a ranger in exile tries to track down a lost friend and discovers layers of conspiracy).

As Deborah J Ross, along with a number of books in Marion Zimmer BradleyÕs Darkover world, the author has recently embarked on a grandly epic fantasy series revolving around a broken shield that is the key to keeping the whole world in one piece."		                                        
Veronica Roth Divergent   Y               Hunger Games                                            
Dianna Rowland Mark of the Demon, My Life as a White Trash Zombie Urban Fantasy                   "My Life as a White Trash Zombie and it's sequels are really good because it's a completely different take on zombies"
"Awesome covers. Barely any romance, which is a plus for me in UF. A girl gets saved from death by a mysterious benefactor who also gets her a job at a local morgue. Then weird shit starts happening, not the least to her own body. The author spent a few years working as a coroner and it shows — I actually enjoyed the parts about her job a bit more than the supernatural bits. (EDIT: Third book kinda got too relationship-y for my tastes. I still recommend the first book, though.)"		                                          
J. K. Rowling Harry Potter series   Y                                                            
Kristine Kathryn Rusch The Fey series                     "The Sacrifice: The First Book of the Fey
These Fey aren't fairies... they're more like... Mongols with magic? And although human, they're the only ones who have it. Continents have fallen to their armies, and there's just this tiny little peaceful island they need to take as a stepping stone to the next continent. Things don't go as anyone hopes, really.
A really interesting world, and the magic system is kind of interesting too, in that each Fey has only one limited set of abilities, which range from simple protective charms for the home to being able to strip flesh at a touch. Definitely a bit dark at times, but hard to put down. You want to find out what happens next."		 From the Book Smugglers: "Rusch is a prolific writer working in many genres. In science fiction she has released the Retrieval Artist series (person recovery in an alien-complicated universe) and the Diving books (space salvage). Her fantasy Fey series sees a lone island holding out against a determined invasion. For fans of this-world magic, try the Seavy Village series, starting with witches attempting to fight off a mer attack."                                        
Joanna Russ The Female Man       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "RussÕ handful of science fiction novels (and collected short stories) take many of the conventions of early SF and invert them. And while How to Suppress WomenÕs Writing might not be technically classed as SFF, it expands the mind in the same manner."                                        
Lilith Saintcrow Dante Valentine series Urban Fantasy Y                                                            
Jessica Amanda Salmonson Tomoe Gozen Saga                                                                
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Songs of the Seashell Archives                       From the Book Smugglers: "Along with a number of collaborations with Anne McCaffrey, Scarborough has several fantasy and science fiction series. I found her through the Songs of the Seashell Archives series, which are delightfully fun, gently humorous fantasy. Also available is the Godmother trilogy (urban fantasy in Seattle, with a fairytale element), the Valentine Lovelace Western fantasy duology, and the Songkiller Saga (the devil vs folk music).

If youÕre a fan of the Seashell Archives, youÕll want to check out ScarboroughÕs Kickstarter campaign to publish another book in the series. The campaign successfully finished on 26 December."		                                        
Courtney Schafer Whitefire Crossing, The Shattered Sigil series             Y                                                  
Amanda Scott                         Also writes romance                                        
M. J. Scott Shadow Kin Urban Fantasy                                                              
Melissa Scott Astreiant, Shadow Man       Y         Gender Issues, LGBT     From the Book Smugglers: "ScottÕs highly realised worlds feature in both her science fiction (planetary adventure such as Burning Bright and Mighty Good Road) and her historical fantasies/police procedurals such as the Astreiant series with Lisa Barnett (late Renaissance equivalent world with two suns). Recently she has begun a new series with Jo Graham called The Order of the Air, where post WWI aviation and archaeology and the occult combine to equal Adventure!"                                        
Lisa Shearin Raine Benaras       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "Lisa ShearinÕs Raine Benares novels takes a streetwise sorceress with a talent for finding the lost (and trouble!). At the end of the year sheÕll release the first in a new series, The SPI Files, Òdescribed as Stephanie Plum meets Men in BlackÓ."                                        
Delia Sherman Through a Brazen Mirror, The Porcelain Dove, The Freedom Maze, and Changeling.   Y   Y                                                        
Josepha Sherman Secrets of Unicorn Queen   Y                   From the Book Smugglers: "Along with a number of Star Trek novelisations, ShermanÕs books include contributions to the pre-teen Secrets of the Unicorn Queen series, and fairytale retellings (find a copy of The Shining Falcon if you can)."                                        
Sharon Shinn Twelve Houses, Samaria series         Y           "Her Twelve Houses series is very good, as the series goes on I feel it gets a little cheesey but still very interesting and a fun read. The characters are what make it great, and each book in the series is written from a different perspective. I've also read her Samaria series, which is about angels, but I promise it's a lot cooler than it sounds!"                                          
Susan Shwartz Shards of Empire                       From the Book Smugglers: "ShwartzÕs books include Byzantium-set fantasy and a number of science fiction novels, including the particularly grim prospect of a corporate future in Hostile Takeover."                                        
Angela Slatter Midnight and Moonshine                     "Angela Slatter / Lisa L. Hannet - putting them together since they've done a few collaborations. I think they've only done short stories, they have an anthology together called Midnight and Moonshine, I love it to bits. They've written stories separately but I just like the ones where they've worked together better." Australian Author                                        
Sherwood Smith Inda, Wren series, Crown Duel   Wren Series - Y     Y   Y     GRRM: Mature Characters, well done "I thought Crown Duel was quite fantastic."
"Also Inda and sequels by Sherwood Smith, if you are patient with the start because this one does start with a child - but - it is the tight bond between the youngsters in a military school setting that makes it wrenching when the politics in power come to shadow their lives - and they DO mature, and DO become the movers and shakers of a very much larger world picture indeed."		 From the Book Smugglers: "YouÕre in for a treat if youÕve not sampled Smith before. Hook-your-curiosity-and-pull plotlines, combined with some serious worldbuilding chops, and plenty of variety in genre.

For the middle-grade readers, start with the Wren series (for those who read the first three books during their original release, a conclusion to the quartet was released in 2010). In the YA fantasy sphere you have options such as Spy Princess, or the Crown Duel/Court Duel duology. [Girls having adventures!]

Space opera fans will be right there for SmithÕs collaboration with Dave Trowbridge, the Exordium series. Space Empires, murder, heirs on the run, starshipsÉ

Epic fantasy lovers should hunt down the Inda series, with its layered politics and society, or try the richly absorbing Banner of the Damned (set later in the same world). Those with a taste for contemporary fantasy can check out the Dobrenica series, where a California girl finds far more than she bargained for during a visit to Europe."		                                        
Maria V. Snyder The Study series (et al.)   Y   Y                                                        
Midori Snyder Oran trilogy                       From the Book Smugglers: "SnyderÕs handful of books range from Renaissance Venice (The Innamorati), the Texas frontier (The Flight of Michael McBride), the edges of myth (Soulstring) and, in the Oran Trilogy, an occupied kingdom – a fantasy gem that should be far better known."                                        
Kari Sperring Living With Ghosts                                                                
Caroline Stevermer the College of Magic series, River rats                       From the Book Smugglers: "Stevermer is best known for her fantasy work – the College of Magic series (magic, wry humour, politics and adventure in an early 1900s setting), and for the Cecilia & Kate books co-written with Patricia Wrede (humour, comedy of manners, Regency, epistolary). For something slightly different try the post-apocalyptic YA River Rats, about a group of orphans and their paddle wheel ship."                                        
Mary Stewart Merlin books                                                                
Eleri Stone ReaperÕs Touch                                                                
Steph Swainston Castle series                                                                
Judith Tarr Alamut             Y       "Awesome historical fantasy. My favorite is probably Alamut, set in the middle east in the time of the Crusades." From the Book Smugglers: "Tarr (along with knowing horses backward and forwards), puts a thorough historical education to work in multiple series. The Hound and Falcon series brings together the Crusades, Richard the Lion-hearted, Byzantium, and an elven monk. Queen of the Amazons and Bring Down the Sun focus on the time of Alexander the Great, while the Epona series delves into the Celtic horse goddess."                                        
Laini Taylor Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy   Y   Y     Y                                                  
Sheri S Tepper Grass, The Gate to WomenÕs Country GibbonÕs Decline and Fall, the True Game, Jinian and Mavin trilogies.       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "Tepper has written extensively in both fantasy and science fiction. Major works focusing on ecology and gender include Grass, The Gate to WomenÕs Country, and GibbonÕs Decline and Fall (a book about reproductive rights that seems to become more relevant every year). Fantasy fans will be rewarded if they hunt down the True Game, Jinian and Mavin trilogies."                                        
Rob Thurman Nightlife                                                                
Marie Trent A Natural History of Dragons       Y                                                        
Megan Whalen Turner Queen's Thief series   Y                 "another YA author, but her Queen's Thief series (especially the third book) is subtle and complex enough to appeal equally to adults. "                                          
Lisa Tuttle The Silver Bough                                                                
Catherynne M Valente the Orphan's Tales, Palimpsest       Y     Y       "Her writing is some of my favorite. The Orphan's Tales killed me--I'm writing a book that was very much inspired by that method of storytelling."
"her writing is absolutely beautiful! I've also read her Fairyland series (it's children's lit but my god is it imaginative and breathtaking) and the Orphan's Tales are next for me. Deathless is about Koschei the Deathless of Russia folklore. It's excellent if you ever want to give it a chance"
"This is an author I've got into recently, though so far I've only read her Orphans Tale's series and Palimpsest. She's another author who reminds me a little of McKillip - mostly because of the lush prose she has throughought. The Orphans Tales is an interestingly told story about storytelling. Everything is related as stories that characters in the story tell each other, including characters in those stories telling their own stories, into a twisted stack of interlocking stories. Palimpsest is fairly different in tone though there's a similar theme of interconnections involved, centering around a strange otherworldly city, access to which is essentially sexually transmitted."		                                          
Genevieve Valentine Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti             Y       "If you like Valente. A bit different but still gorgeous prose."                                          
Carrie Vaughn Discord's Apple, Kitty Norville Urban Fantasy           Y       "For modern day setting, and a quick read, you may enjoy Carrie Vaughn - I tried one of her titles and was pleasantly surprised - the heroine is snarky, inept (when compared to her superhero family) and her predicaments were fast moving and fun."                                          
Mary Victoria The Chronicle of the Tree                                                                
Joan D Vinge Tymon's Flight                       From the Book Smugglers: Best known for her Snow Queen cycle (epic planetary science fiction), Vinge also released the Cat trilogy (streetwise psychic outsider working as an undercover agent for an interstellar government), along with collections of space and post-apocalyptic novellas."                                        
Paula Volsky (aka Paula Brandon) Illusion             Y         From the Book Smugglers: VolskyÕs fantasy world is set in a parallel of our world, so Illusion places a girlÕs court debut in a version of the French Revolution, The Wolf in Winter resembles pre-Revolution Russia, and the Sorcerer trilogy echoes Venice. The Grand Ellipse even sees an around-the-world ballooning race.
Volsky has begun producing books again, now under the name Paula Brandon, with the recent release of the Veiled Isles trilogy, bringing to mind the wars of Italian city-states."		                                        
Jo Walton Among Others                     "On a more "literary" note, there's Among Others by Jo Walton. This one's a pretty subtle but very deep fantasy. No matter what the author says, you're not sure if it's all in the main character's head or not. The imagery is beautiful, and the characterization is very interesting. This is probably my favorite."                                          
JR Ward                       "mixes fantasy, paranormal and horror in one series"                                          
Freda Warrington the Blackbird books                                                                
Helene Wecker The Golem and the Jinni                     "the story telling is really excellent, the layers wind about themselves until it all comes to a great conclusion. interesting on several fronts, with the mythology of the golem and the jinni, the snapshot of new york in the 1890s, the subtextual philosophy about life and what living means." The Golem and the Jinni was in AmazonÕs best books for 2013                                        
Margaret Weiss Dragonlance series       Y             "There are several very well written female characters in it, though arguably none that are the main protagonist. It does follow some of them for whole chapters though.
It follows a band of friends over many years trying to restore the balance between the gods. It is definitely d&d fiction."		 Written with Tracy Hickman                                        
Jaye Wells Dirty Magic Urban Fantasy                                                              
Martha Wells  The Cloud Roads, Death of the Necromancer             Y     Pat Rothfuss "She has a few series and her early novels are very good standalones. Excellent secondary-world fantasies. Raksura series. Start with "The Death of the Necromancer"."
"If you liked the beautiful characterizations, and fine prose, and a good yarn aspect - try Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. This is a gaslight era caper book, wrapped up with a thread of family revenge, and I felt, extremely well done. While there are sequels, this book stands alone superbly well. The characterization, the backdrop of her city from the rich quarter to the riverside squalor, is first rate, every bit as dimensional as Rothfuss."		 From the Book Smugglers: "WellsÕ Books of the Raksura take us into entirely non-human territory, focusing on a shapeshifter wanting to belong, while the Ile-Rien books take us into gas-light territory with magic, mystery and war. YA readers with a penchant for steampunk should check out the Emilie books."                                        
K.D. Wentworth House of Moons Chronicles       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "WentworthÕs Heyoka Blackeagle books focus on a human/alien space ranger partnership from the pov of the seven foot tall, furry and clawed Heyoka. The House of Moons books feature a heroine accused of murder, caught up in a greater conspiracy."                                        
Michelle West (aka Michelle Sagara ) The Sun Sword, House War, Cast In series       Y   Y Y       "Michelle Sagara West, for her House War and Sun Sword series. They have their faults, but imho an argument can be made that they're the best fantasy novels of the last quarter century. The Sun Sword series, great depth and long enough to enjoy for a while, as well as the series prequelling and sequelling it."                                          
Ramona Wheeler Three Princes                 Steampunk, Eygpt     Average ratings on goodreads                                        
S M Wheeler Sea Change       Y     Y       "i would consider this to be a fairy story, in that i don't recognize it as a re-telling of a fairy tale, but it has all the trappings of a traditional fairy story. it's a debut novel, and what a debut! the story swept me along, very much character and plot driven. i'm having trouble deciding how i feel about the ending, in that it's not really a happy ending at all, but i do think it's the RIGHT ending."                                          
Ysabeau S. Wilce Flora Segunda Series, the   Y   Y     Y                                                  
Cherry Wilder Rules of Hylor, Torin       Y               From the Book Smugglers: "Wilder wrote in both fantasy and SF. In Second Nature and Signs of Life she deals with planetary colonisation, while in the Rulers of Hylor trilogy deals with three different rulers whose lives are far from simple, starting with a princess fighting to free her people from slavery. Readers interested in gender exploration will especially want to hunt down the Torin books, beginning with The Luck of BrinÕs Five (marsupial people)."                                        
Carole Wilkinson Dragonkeeper series, Ramose   Y             Dragons, Historical Fiction     Dragon Keeper has won awards for Children's Fiction.
From the Book Smugglers: "Writing for middle-grade readers, WilkinsonÕs Ramose series focuses on an Egyptian prince, while her Dragon Keeper books are set in ChinaÕs Han Dynasty."		                                        
Elizabeth Willey Argylle                       From the Book Smugglers: "WilleyÕs Argylle trilogy (with some links to ShakespeareÕs The Tempest) focuses on the problems of extended mage families. You may wish to read books 2 and 3 before book 1, as the first book published (The Well-Favoured Man) is the last chronologically."                                        
Jen Williams The Copper Promise   Y             Dragons, Sword & Sorcery     Highly rated reviews on Goodreads.                                        
Connie Willis  To Say Nothing of the Dog                     "Connie Willis writes science fiction rather than fantasy, but has won more Hugos and Nebulas than anybody. And I maintain that I have yet to read a funnier book than To Say Nothing of the Dog, including Discworld or theHitchhiker's Guide." From the Book Smugglers: "Willis is well known for her time travel books, but donÕt forget her less Earth-focused science fiction, such as Uncharted Territory or Water Witch (with Cynthia Felice)."                                        
Catherine M. Wilson When Women Were Warriors     Sex Y Y           "These are books which I think fit all of your criteria (good, female protagonists, play with gender roles / expectations)."
"When Women Were Warriors trilogy by Catherine M. Wilson were excellent books. Although be warned there are several chapters what contain lots of erotic material."		                                          
Leona Wisoker Secrets of the Sands       Y         High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Desert     Looking at the reviews on SFFworld, Amazon, Goodreads, it seems like a really underrated book. Most people liked it. M. Sullivan recommends it as well.                                        
Patricia Wrede Enchanted Forest series, Regency Magic series, Dragon Books   Y   Y             "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede are good - they are aimed at a younger adult market though so are fairly light reading and not very long. Though are among my favourite books, the first two being the stronger of the four in my opinion." From the Book Smugglers: "Many readers know Wrede from her young reader Enchanted Forest series, her Cecilia & Kate books with Caroline Stevermer, or the more recent Frontier Magic series. My personal favourites are the Mairelon books (IÕm a complete sucker for a girl-disguised-as-boy trying to steal from a magician)."                                        
Janny Wurts War of Light and Shadow, Sorcerer's Legacy, Master of Whitestorm, To Ride Hell's Chasm, Cycle of Fire, Empire series   Cycle of Fire - Y   Y Sorcerer's Legacy - Y (Light)   Y     Erikson "Erikson.....there is really nothing quite like this, as the world was developed by a series of Gamers and written in by two authors....(Sanderson also has a deep love of gaming in his background, so there is a common thread, here).
So take this one with the caveat: it's my (Janny Wurts) work BUT! - based on lists I've seen by some readers who liked Erikson - who also liked my Wars of Light and Shadows - the books are different; Erikson's works sprawl in all directions, Light and Shadows is more restricted in that, it DEEPENS, but it takes many threads and unveils again and again, turning tropes upside down with adult complexity and shades of gray....there are no children, here, nor childish themes, and definitely, the wider picture is there to be found. I do not write like Feist.....and I was asked to quote for GRRM's first book when it came out in the nineties. Take a look and judge for yourself...like Erikson's Malazan, War of Light and Shadows was, for a long time, only available in Britain - so much of the US audience (now) has yet to discover it. The books will just expand in height and depth - and the reason why the world is not 'sprawly' will be unveiled as the series opens out - each arc takes it to a new level - from tight focus on the characters' conflict, lifted to world view, and then lifted beyond. Definitely no coming of age in this one. In common with Erikson, if you go back and re-read you are going to see a WHOLE other layer of storyline and tension - it was all there at the start, just, you were looking from a different angle."
Sorcerer's Legacy - it starts with a pregnant widow threatened by a conquering army's overlord, and proceeds with a sorcerer's bargain that she trade rescue from her fate for a royal marriage to the endangered heir on another world. It's a court intrigue, with enemies steeped in black magic. Strong female. Simple story. Not YA, light romance.
Master of Whitestorm, sword and sorcery with a gradual reveal of the man behind the legendary hero. The female character arrives in the latter half of the book, she has a life in her own right. The women are not marginalized. Not YA.
To Ride Hell's Chasm - mystery/court intrigue/into thriller adventure. There are strong women characters woven throughout the story, again, the female protag comes in later (she is missing at the start). Not YA.
Cycle of Fire - YA, though a complex one. Three children come of age, all three are flawed, not all of them make the right choices. Yes to strong female protagonist.
War of Light and Shadows - Most complex of the lot - you have something of the description. Again, the women characters have agency. Absolutely not YA, due to the depth of the concepts.
Empire series (in collaboration with Raymond E. Feist) Has a female protagonist, strong character (one of the classic ones) - bloody political intrigue in a world mix of oriental and Aztec. Not YA, though this series has been read and enjoyed by many teens.		 From the Book Smugglers: "Wurts is the author of a major epic fantasy series (made up of several sub-series arcs) called the Wars of Light and Shadow. A separate (shorter) series is The Cycle of Fire. If you want a standalone book to sample Wurts complex worldbuilding and characters, try To Ride HellÕs Chasm, where two loyal kingsmen race to unravel the mystery of a missing princess. Wurts has also co-written a number of books with Raymond E Feist.

Fun fact: Janny Wurts is also an artist, and the cover paintings on her books are her own."		                                        
Mercedes Yardley The Bone Angel Trilogy             Y       "Nameless probably fits into the urban fantasy / horror category. Main character is completely neurotic. The book is very emotionally charged, story telling is very organic. Quirky goodness."                                          
Jane Yolen Great Alta saga, Pit Dragon Chronicles   Y   Y             "She wrote Wizard's Hall, which is a slightly younger "young boy goes to wizard school" book written before Harry Potter (but quite similar) that has some beautiful images. She also wrote the Pit Dragonbooks about training dragons. And she has a wonderful collection of folk tales, Favorite Folk Tales From Around the World. She wrote some of my favorite fantasies as a teen in Sister Light, Sister Dark and the Pit Dragon series." From The Book Smugglers: "Yolen is an extremely prolific author writing for children, teens and adults. Young adult books include the Pit Dragon series (gladiatorial dragon matches), the Stuart Quartet (historical fiction in the Stuart era) or the Foiled graphic novels (girl fencer!). Adult readers could start with Sister Light, Sister Dark (women able to call up their shadow/mirror selves) or the SF Cards of Grief (space anthropology)."                                        
Sarah Zettel Isavalta Series       Y             "It begins in 1899 with a female lighthouse keeper finding a sorcerer from elsewhere washed ashore. She crosses over to that world. There are elements of the Firebird legends, Russian mythos, some traditions from folklore. The fun bit about Isavalta is that the good faction in one book may be expored as the BAD faction in another. She flips generations, and in the alternate fantasy world, there are several cultures - the books explore those. One is somewhat Indian/Vedic - one is Chinese based, one Russian. This series is criminally underrated" She has won Locus, Philip K Dick award for sci/fi.
From The Book Smugglers: "Zettel writes both SF and a variety of fantasy. Her Isavalta series is portal fantasy, but catches attention immediately by making our portral traveller a lighthouse keeper from Lake Superior in 1899. For Arthurian fans, try The Paths to Camelot series. For SF readers, ZettelÕs FoolÕs War takes a thoughtful look at intercultural pressures through the travails of the Muslim chief engineer of the ship the Pasadena, while her most recent release, Golden Girl, brings an American fairy to Hollywood."