Fantasy books with a female lead.

Can anyone help me? I cannot find any more mythic/mage storylines with a female lead. I loved the mistborn trilogy by Brian Sanderson. Trudi Canavan makes a good effort.I also really liked all Maria V Snyda's books and Kristen Cashore is a favorite.
If anyone could recommend some similar books I would be grateful, although I am not interested in vampire/shifter books.I feel like I have overdosed on them.At the moment I am reading the Elantra series by Michelle Sagara which I am finding dissappointing , so I really need a new author, please help.

This should keep you going for a while...
They might wander slightly off target, but they are all mythic/scifi with strong female central characters...
Patricia Briggs - Huorog Duology, Hobbs Bargain
Sherri S Tepper - The Margarets, The Visitor
Diane Wynne Jones.....
C. J. Cherryh - Chronicles of Morgaine
Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel trilogies

Oh, and we have just thought of...
Elizabeth Moon - The Deed of Paksenarrion
Mary Gentle - Ash

For some lighter reading there are quite a few decent young adult fantasy series with female leads:
Tamora Pierce's beginning with Alanna, the First Adventure (Song of the Lioness)
Garth Nix's Sabriel
Alison Croggon's Pellinor series beginning with The Gift (Pellinor)

I would also recommend the following more well known adult fantasy authors as they tend to write about a large cast of both male and female characters:
Robin Hobb's liveship trader series - The Liveship Traders 1: Ship of Magic
George R R Martin's A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

Juliet Marillier writes historical fantasy stories with female leads, such asDaughter of the Forest: Book 1 of the Sevenwaters Trilogy. I would also check out Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series - the first book features a male lead but the second a female lead; they can be read out of sequence if I remember rightly - Paladin of Souls. You could try Sharon Shinn's books as well, Archangel or Mystic and Rider (Ace Fantasy Book).

hope that helps!

Thanks for your advice A.Weston. I have just ordered The Deed of Paksenarrion. This is just the type of book I am looking for at the moment. I have looked at the Kushiel books before but something keeps holding me back, not sure.I appreciate you taking the time.

Thanks Kellyann. Young adult books are not really my thing, but I am certainly a fan of Robin Hobb. Great suggestions.

I'd give Garth Nix's Sabriel trilogy a go even if you're not a fan of young adult fiction, his books easily equal Robin Hobb for quality in my opinion and Sabriel is a great female lead.

Give the Riftwar books by Raymond Feist a go. The first three books (it starts with 'Magician', a BBC Best Reads top 100) are totally male dominated, but you'll want to read them to get the background. At which point you get to the 'Empire Trilogy'. This collaboration with Janny Wurts has a female main character and is on my permanent re-reading pile.

I am currently reading Adrian Tchaicovsky's 'Empire in Black and Gold' series. It has a balanced male/female cast and I am loving it so far (on book two at the moment). One reason for mentioning them... they are incredibly reasonably priced at the moment.

Others with strong female leads:

The 'Green Rider' books by Kristen Britain
'Warprize' and sequels by Elizabeth Vaughan
'Polgara the Sorceress' by Eddings
'Tamir Triad' trilogy by Llynn Flewelling
'Rhapsody' and sequels by Elizabeth Haydon

Hope you find something you like.

The other posters have covered some good books and series, You might also like:

Lisa Shearin's Raine Benares series - starting with Magic Lost, Trouble Found
Diana Pharaoh Francis's Path series - starting with Path of Fate
C.L. Wilson's Tairen Soul series - starting with Lord of the Fading Lands
Patricia Briggs' Raven duo - Raven's Shadow

The Kushiel books are high fantasy and ae definitely adult in nature, but they are worth it.
I would agree about the Garth Nix books - they are great!
Admittedly, I am just reading book 5 of the Vampire Diaries (I tried to resist, but I am a seconday teacher and my students have been raving about them...)

The feedback has been great. Thanks to everyone who posted.
I already have a lot of the suggestions, such as Green Rider,Raine Benares,Tairen Soul(big fave, cant wait for the conclusion) Warprize etc.But there are quite a few I didn't know about.I have ordered the Diana Pharaoh trilogy and am so glad I'm prime 'cos I'll get it for the weekend, put dad on duty and go pyjama.
These have all been really helpful.I might even try Garth Nix, You all seem to be on the same page so definately worth a look,thanks again.

Anne McCaffrey : almost everything has a female protagonist.

I'd strongly recommend anything by Anne Bishop - I've not yet read one I've not adored & all have very strong female leads (along with some strong main male characters). The Black Jewels series is particularly good.

I've also really enjoyed the Witches of Eileanan series by Kate Forsyth, although it can be tricky to get hold of the first book in the series. The lead characters in the main series are the twins Isabel and Iseult. There's a second series set in the same world, Rhiannon's Ride, which is also good, but I'd read the first six books first.

I'd also second the recommendation for Jacqueline Carey's first Kushiel trilogy (Kushiel's Dart, Chosen & Avatar). I was wary about reading them to start off with but then got totally hooked and re-read them frequently as they're so refreshingly different to a lot of fantasy.

I do have the Black Jewels series and I agree that it is very good. I will have to look at more of her novels though, she seems to have slipped off my radar,thanks for the reminder.Kushiel looks promising but I am always a bit hesitant when a book series eventually loses touch with the original premise and character which seems to happen so often.Perhaps if I just stick to the first 3.

The Gospel According to Felicity Brady by Edward H Trayer

hi, you could try:
The Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan
The Magician's Apprentice - Trudi Canavan
The Age of The Five Trilogy- Trudi Canavan
Graceling - Kristin Cashore
Fire - Kristin Cashore
The Laurentine Spy - Emily Gee
Red Gloves - Beth Vaughan

The ill-made mute by cecilia dart thornton
sabriel by garth nix
the black magician trilogy by trudi canavan

I'd give Jennifer Fallon trilogy Wolfblade, Warrior, Warlord a go. I've finished Wolfblade whis is book one. Great stuff strong female characters. I was a little slow to give it a go but I'm glad I did Jennifer fallon is a very good writer. If you liked what we have so far of a song of ice and fire I think this would be right up your street.

The Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce is one of my unsung favourites. They're a kind of "quest" novel with an endearing heroine, a fantastical world and a wholly original story. The trilogy comprises: The Darkangel; A Gathering of Gargoyles and The Pearl of the Soul of the World and they have recently been reprinted.

Thankyou all for posting. A lot of you have very good taste! One or two promising looking books for me. Keep 'em coming.

I'll second in recommending the empire trilogy by Raymond Feist and Jenny Wurst, which IMO is better than anything either has written separately. I don't think reading the other riftwar-books first is desperately neccessary, just nice for background, so you decide for yourself. Personally I didn't read the others first, and the universe in the Empire Trilogy still made perfect sense to me.

Rikke Peterson - that is useful to know. Having read the prequels first, I have often wondered if the 'Empire Trilogy' would make sense to someone who comes to them with no knowledge of the Midkemia aspect of the story.

I love Maria V Snyder, i actually emailled her and asked her to recommend some books to me. She mentioned Barbara Hambly.

You've got to read the 'Magic' series, 'Magic Bites' 'Magic Burns', 'Magic Strikes' and the upcoming 'Magic Bleed's, by the husband and wife team, writing as Ilona Andrews. It has it all, a kick ass heroine who is far from perfect but not scatty, great humour and great supporting characters. Their heroine Kate Daniels is in a class of her own.

Hello,

Banned & the Banished series by James Clemens
Sabriel series by Garth Nix
The Black Magician trilogy & The Age of Five series by Trudi Canavan

Regards,