So I did a big list of my favorutite Women Writing SFF before, which you can find here!
However I just looked at it, and noticed it was in July 2021, so it seems high time to do an update… These are all either stand alones, or the first in their specific series.
I sorted them a little, so in part 1 (here) you’ll find
- Epic adventures
- Urban Fantasy
- SF / Future / Dystopia
And in this second part you’ll find:
- Quick and easy reads
- Historical fantasy (lots of victorian-ish as that’s my current comfort zone)
Easy Reads
Breaker by Amy Campbell (LGBT / Ace)
Even though it’s on the easy to read side, I was quickly drawn into the story, and enjoyed it all the way through to the end.
Blaise and Jack feel very stereotypical at first, with a native young boy who had been bullied all his life, and the older gruff outlaw who makes his life even harder. Over the course of the story they do grow and show more of their hidden depths though!
There’s some few twists I did not expect, and enough mysteries and adventure to make for an entertaining read.
Falling through Stars by Staci Olsen
It’s heavily inspired by Alaskan mythology, and I loved spending time in this community who live completely in harmony with nature. There’s little bits and pieces about surviving the cold, and how you prepare during the warm months. I devoured each little bit of those.
Another main draw for me was her connection to her sled dogs, and especially her lead dog. They are a big part of her life. So often I’ve read books where dogs behave way different than any real dog ever would. So I loved this rather accurate depiction of their interactions.
Unfamiliared by-J.E.-Hannaford
The premise of the story is a small town, due to host a magical contest, but someone steals all their familiars right beforehand.
Now they don’t just have to get them back, they also need to muddle their way through various events, but hiding the fact they lost their magic along with the familiars.
I was quickly drawn in by the voice of the main character, who came into her magic very late. She’s a bit timid, but still manages to get things done, and I found her so very relatable!
The plot itself is cute and fun, and I especially enjoyed the friendships, and how the whole town came together. It’s exactly what I like in my cosy books, it just making me happy.
Not everyone in the town is extra friendly, which made it a bit more realistic, while the overwhelming feeling is still comforting.
Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano
Slowly, and without me noticing it, this story started to actually draw me in. Where I found myself lightly rolling my eyes at first, I suddenly found myself snorting. Instead of being annoyed, I was giggling? What happened?
I’ve no idea how, where, or when, but this cosy dark romantic comedy definitely won me over somewhere along the way. Instead of naive and too virtuous, I suddenly found the female MC endearing. Instead of the walking trope of a brooding, mysterious, but hot guy, I really enjoyed the snark and humour of the male MC.
Dangerous To Know by K.T. Davies
If you like a sassy rogue as a main character, Dangerous To Know by L.T. Davis is a book you want to check out!
It’s a quick and easy read, if on the darker side of things. Plenty of sarcastic remarks and some banter made it a fast and entertaining read, that I breezed through in no time at all.
The world is unique and quite wild with all sorts of demons, or “people” like dragons, arachnids or even a mosquito! I’m not sure if I loved this, or if I found it a bit too much at times – either way it definitely was something different, so I did enjoy it.
Bone Traders by Rachel Ford
This is a quick, easy and fun read.
We have a young apprentice mage, who goes against her mentor’s will, setting out to rescue her giant friend, who’s been kidnapped.
There’s quite some clumsiness which adds humour to the adventure, and had me well entertained.
There’s a nice little sapphic rep in here as well, but just a tiny dash, not a major part of the story.
If you’re looking for something deep and thought provoking, this is not it. If you’re however on the lookout for something light and entertaining, a quick bite between the big tomes, this is well worth a look!
A Matter of Execution by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater
If you want some swashbuckling fantasy, that’s full of charm, adventure, a diverse cast, fun and plenty of banter, this is plain gold.
I adored the main character, who is a pirate captain who really cares for his crew. Oh and he’s a goblin…
There’s a very strong found family in here. A teenage girl who loves books and stealing things, a disabled crew mate, so it’s just normal that everyone has learned sign language, a big man who would rather use his giant hands to heal than harm, a former lady of high standing, and others, who just trust each other unconditionally.
I loved how the tropes were often intentionally turned upside down, which made it both familiar and unique.
Historical Fantasy
So, now let’s get to my current obsession – historical fantasy. I’ve just started a new job in october, and it has been quite the adjustment, so I had a lot of brain fog days. and this type of book has been my utter solace! Especialy the victorian(-ish, I’m not good at exact time frames) have been like hot cocoa to me. I’ll start with the more epic and / or dark ones, and things will get “cuter” along the way.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Not only do we get an older, female pirate captain as a main character, it’s also set outside the typical western scenery, with a majority of the world being Muslim.
I liked how this was in no way made an extra point, it’s just the natural world of the story. I always enjoy having a fresh point of view, and this definitely is one perspective I am not used to!
There’s much adventure going on, but my main draw was the tone and voice of the whole story.
The captain might be a Muslim, but pirates being pirates, she’s fine with the occasional needed bottle of wine, and welcomes order religions in her crew, as long as they do their job well. This made for a divers cast which made it all the more engaging to me.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Sciona is a woman with a clear goal, she wants to be the first ever female to reach the rank and title of highmage. She might come across as rather self centered at times, though to my mind she definitely felt slightly neurodivergent, which only made me (autistic) empathise and understand her all the better.
I also loved the magic system. Training sequences and learning how new abilities and spells work is one of my favourite story aspects. And the spellographs were fascinating!It manages both to make satisfying use of popular tropes, and yet also go in a totally unexpected direction.
The main themes are not just a gripping new world with lots of magic and a university, but also misogyny, colonialism, racism, exploitation, faith, guilt, injustice, and more.
The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles (LGBT m/m)
First off, this book has a lot more romance than I’d ever read usually. It’s a really rather graphic m/m one, and the book still kept me hooked from start to finish, despite being way outside my usual reading.
I loved the relationship between Lord Crane and his manservant Merrick. They have been together 20 years, and the bromance there is strong. I adored the mix of banter, utter loyalty and friendship these two have between them.
Rather pragmatic and straight forward. They have a dark humour and went through horrendous things, which shaped their personalities. I’ve always been a fan of sarcastic and dark quibs, especially if they come from mostly good people.
A murder mystery, a lot of magic, well written characters, a promise for more world to explore, action and many secrets to uncover made this an addictive read!
Midnight Bargain by CL Polk (sapphic)
I loved the setting and the world building. I always enjoy the historical fantasy books when courtship is more “proper” than sexy…
Here you get to glimpse both the cute side, with a partner who actually cares, as well as the dark side, when a woman is married off against her will, and then is at the mercy of her husband.
There was a great balance between fighting for emancipation, for women’s rights and freedom, and the sheer complication to try and work against the established rules of society. It was neither too fluffy or cosy, nor too depressing and dark.
Silver in the Wood by Silver in the Wood
I bought this on a whim, purely for the beautiful cover.
I usually do not like fairytales, but this one somehow did work well for me!
I liked the mystery, that only gets partly resolved throughout the book.
Tobias is a strange main character, and his weirdness was a major hook for me. He’s the Green Man, and even though we never fully learn what that means, I enjoyed his slightly detached but yet involved way of living. He doesn’t fit any basic mold, which kept me intrigued all the way through.
I also liked the other main characters, especially one that got more prominent in the second half.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
I had absolutely no idea what I was in for when starting it. I liked the cover, someone recommended it, so I went in with no expectations – and I *loved* it!
It felt like Jane Austen wrote a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, with plenty of favourite monsters from classic literature as main characters.
It should be an awful mess, but instead it had me hooked early on, and I just couldn’t stop reading!
While the twists were a little predictable, I just couldn’t get enough of the tone and voice of the story and the characters.
Burning Bright by Melissa McShane
The romance in this one is really minimal, especially compared to what the cover suggests. A bit like in Pride and Prejudice, where it really takes people their sweet time to even acknowledge any attraction at all. As that is one of my favourite books, this is one of the highest compliments! Now imagine Elizabeth being able to throw fireballs…
It is a regency story, about a fine lady who joins the Navy to get out of two unpleasant choices for her life. A woman. In the Navy. The scandal!
Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews
The main character is a woman with arthritis, a lovely healer husband who’s smaller than her, a chicken with an attitude, oh and she’s also a boneweaver, so a necromancer in other words.
Her chronic illness was well handled, and definitely added to the books strength!
The relationship between Morana and Percy is already established, and there is no back and forth, no wining and pining, instead there’s a strong bond that nothing can break. I really enjoyed how they interacted and complemented each other.
The story has a lot of action and adventure. They have to flee as boneweavers are hunted, and a group of Failinis find them in the small town they were hiding in, and burn down their home.
Hills of Heather and Bone features serious topics like loss and grief, but it also has a lot of hope, and quite some humour. For me the mix of tragedy and trauma with some rather cosy village scenes, the puns and jokes and the adventure worked perfectly well. It felt neither shallow, not depressing. Not fluffy, but still an easy and fast read.
The Werewolf of Whitechapel by Suzannah Rowntree
I loved The Werewolf of Whitechapel by Suzannah Rowntree a lot! I’d compare it to Gail Carriger’s books, so if you like The Parasol Protectorate, take a close look at this series!
The main character is a young woman, who has been wounded by a werewolf. She now has some gifts, like a better sense of smell, and has been trained as lady’s made as well as a bodyguard.
I loved her matter of fact personality, and how she just deals with whatever fate hands her. There’s snark as well as proper behaviour, and I felt like cheering for her more than once!
There’s hints at a romance to come, but absolutely no wining or pining so far!
I always loved a mature woman telling their story, like Lady Trent in A Natural So Of Dragins. So Liz already hinting at things to come worked perfectly for me.
This was a lot of fun, combined with murder mystery, enjoyable (or despicable) characters and questionable morals.
Good Neighbors: The Full Collection by Stephanie Burgis
A necromancer, a powerful metal worker, and all sorts of creatures and people. What’s not to love?
The first two are really short, and just about perfect for a little happy break at lunch break for example. Those are very easy to read, and due to being so extra short don’t manage to give too much depth. They are quirky and whimsical and definitely left me with a smile though!
The other two are much longer, and so they still stay peculiar, odd and fun, but they also give more inside to the characters. I really loved seeing their past expanded on a bit, and starting to get to know each other better. The vamped up action and stakes also made these more than just a quick story bite. They rather turned into characters that’ll stay with me for the long run, and I enjoyed the tone of the stories. The hope and light, and people coming together to protect each other.
This is a definite feel-good book that will make the dreary world look a lot brighter when you close it!
Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis
A down on luck heroine who is just way too honest for her own good. Fate, or rather the dragon she steals to rescue it, forces her into pretending to not be the meek, penniless cousin dependent on others welfare, but rather a lady of the highest order!
I loved seeing her come out of her shell and into the light. Her dragon is the cutest side character ever! I absolutely want a pet dragon who will accompany me on my daily chores.
There’s a mystery which was well done, and I did pick up the trail of hints and was so happy to see the big reveal at the end. Always a good feeling to have guessed correctly!
Touchstones: A Collection by Stephanie Burgis
Touchstones is one of those rare books, I want to give more than 5 stars. Which means even more, as it’s a story collection, and I usually prefer longer formats.
These stories however felt like they were written especially for me, and I feel like I need to tell everyone and their dog about this wonderful book!
There’s a lot of different tones and styles to be found in here, and not one of them I didn’t like. They all have a touch of romance, but they all have a lot more than that!
Opening Gambit by Tilly Wallace
This is a prequel series to Manners and Monsters, which I only realised quite a bit into the story. It’s absolutely fine to read it before or after the other series, it just has an older character from Manners as main character, and tells the story of their younger years.
Another great female lead who won’t just settle into the role society wants to give her.
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
I loved the older spinster main character, who always disappeared in the shadow of her sister, and just leads a quiet life. She doesn’t suddenly turn into a fearless heroine, but really just organically grows throughout the story, and finds new friends and new ways. Please give me more aging woman as main characters!
I also really enjoyed the Austen-like setting paired with the adventure of suddenly finding yourself in the possession of a feisty baby dragon!
There’s all you want from a plucky regency story. A squabbling family, scandalous rumours, banter, tasty baked goods, nice dresses, innocent attraction, and a villain to give the whole story some immediacy.
Half a Soul by Olicia Atwater
I wouldn’t really call it cosy fantasy, as there’s quite a bit about how the poor people suffer in workhouses, and the fae really aren’t friendly.
It’s still a comforting read, as the main characters care dearly for others, and I just adored the strong friendships and loyalties between them all. The romance is the cute but straight forward one, so no annoying whining and pining. Oh how I enjoyed characters who just simply say what they mean, without all the drama from misunderstanding stuff, or simply not talking about it at all.
Seams like Murder by Tilly Wallace
This is mostly a cosy murder mystery, with just a little dash of fantasy. The main character can sometimes “see things” when she touches others, outside of that there is no actual fantasy aspect, at least not in book one.
I enjoyed the main character being a single mum who manages to get by with her own business, in a time when it’s hard for women to do anything on their own. She is absolutely set on making it on her own, and not being caught in a marriage or beholden to a man.
The sewing background was a good backdrop, and the tone and voice made an easy and enjoyable read! Book two is already waiting for me!
A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis
A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis is such a cute and comforting story!
A scholarly young lady gets forced into a marriage with a vampire lord, who also might not actually have wanted said marriage, for reasons this novella is bound to uncover.
I absolutely loved both main characters, who are quite strong willed, yet able to see when they were wrong. The banter and friendship forming went down like a wonderful mug of iced coffee (it’s 30°C in my flat, so hot cocoa does not sound appealing in the least right now)
My only gripe is the length – I would have loved to have a whole novel about these two!
Constancy byTilly Wallace
It’s perfect for fans of Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis, it really everyone who loves a Jane Austen like setting with a fabulous female MC and dragons!
I love how Moire is a bit of the ugly duckling in her family, but despite always being short changed, she stays positive and hopeful. She’s a kind spirit, and yet willing to fight for what, and who, she seems important!
I loved her connections to all sorts of dragon kind, be it wyvern, big dragons riding into battle, or chicken sized pets. I adored them all, and some scenes were just so satisfying, it should be illegal.
How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger
How To Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger is a cute but partly tragic story from the Parasol Protectorate series. We see one of the previous side character as a main character. As he’s quite problematic at the start, I was a bit wary going into this one, but he’s grown and I really enjoyed both his character transformation and his new partner!
I also loved to see some of the other characters again.
