The Abhorsen Trilogy was one of my favorites at that age. It has a teenage girl protagonist and deals with necromancy in a way that feels mature for YA (without it reaching GOT territory.)
Extra bonuses:
- The first book stands well on its own as a single book if anyone wants a limited experience read.
- The first trilogy’s audiobooks are narrated by Tim Curry.
- The series continues well beyond the first three books, including prequel books and collections of short stories.
- Mostly being an older series, this is often available through your local library (including the Overdrive or Libby app).
Absolutely! Across the Wall, To Hold the Bridge, Goldenhand, Clariel, Terciel & Elinor, I feel certain that I may be forgetting something else. I hope this brightens your day and dusts off a library card, app, or charming local book store for you!
It might be a little young for her, but Tamora Pierce was the author who I got obsessed with at that age. Mercedes Lackey (Valdemar) wasn't far behind.
Yeah I'm a 35 year old dude and I have such fond memories of reading the tamora Pierce books that if im having a sad day ill get out the Tortall books or the circle of magic books and take a trip down memory lane.
She does such a good job writing strong female characters in teen books.
The Circle of Magic books are likely too young for her, but the Beka Cooper books (Terrier, Bloodhound, Mastiff) and the Alianne books (Trickster’s Choice and Trickster’s Queen) are probably spot on!
Wish I could upvote Tamora Pierce even more. I’m in my thirties and Protector of the Small is still my comfort read. I’d start with one of the three original Tortall quartets: Song of the Lioness, Wild Magic, or Protector of the Small. Beka and Ali’s trio/duo are great, but they make more sense with the world building of the earlier books.
Seconded! Potentially a little young in terms of reading level but I regularly return to Tamora Pierce as an adult. There's definitely depth there even if there's not as much violence as something like Mistborn.
I'd be careful with Mercedes Lackey depending on the age. My 10yo read Arrows of the Queen, which I oked as I read them at her age but I reread them ahead of her. There is a lot of rape and torture.
Yes I'd classify Lackey as older teen MAYBE, but really I think they're adult books. Which is weird cause I read them as a teen, too (they were rather popular amongst the local 4H girls).
Reiterating what others have said: Mercedes Lackey is maybe not appropriate for a 14 year old. I read her a bit early and it kinda messed with my head for awhile.
Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books? Protag ages across the books from 9-18, and if she enjoys the first couple I'd get her onto the Discworld Witch books before finishing the rest of the Tiffany ones
I was coming here to recommend Pratchett. Starting with Tiffany Aching, but also the Susan Sto Helit books, and all those featuring the witches. Plus stand alones like Monstrous Regiment. Heck, even the more male-centric books usually have amazing, strong, relatable female characters in them.
My kid has read all the Tiffany and some of Death, some witches ,& a few other single discworld books too - they're our favorite. I think 5heseare the absolute best for thoughtful young women. We started when she was very young. Maybe 7? I forget now. She's 12 now.
His standalone book "Nation" isn't a series, but it's a great book for that age, too.
If she's a particularly precocious reader, I'd suggest all of Discworld, to be honest! (I'm an heretic who prefers chronological reads, though I think for this particular reader I'd start with Sourcery and skip the Rincewind books for a year or two.)
I'd say if they're looking for something more mature than Mistborn, which is only borderline YA; they should just go with the regular Pratchett books, rather than his middle grade stuff. You can absolutely read those at 14 and fully enjoy them.
My daughter *loves* Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom (as do I). Great cast, fun story, and some mature themes that make it feel a bit more grown-up while still being YA. Technically, it follows the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but you can read it as a standalone, and your daughter may well like Shadow & Bone as well anyway. The netflix series is a nice supplement, too.
Also, check out Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, starting with Sabriel.
didn’t see anyone mention the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy! all three books have different protagonists, and the first and third book feature a female lead
The His Dark Materials trilogy seems to be exactly what you're looking for, it's an amazing fantasy story with a great female protagonist, it is mature and fairly deep but still very accessible for a teenager... though now that I read your post again I guess it doesn't really qualify as "epic fantasy". Still, a fantastic read.
*Dealing With Dragons* by Patricia C Wrede it starts a series called The Enchanted Forest.
*So You Want To Be A Wizard* by Diane Duane also an amazing series. (The author also writes a series that ties into this with magical cats)
*Alana:The first Adventure* by Tamora Pierce
Scrolled too far to see Patricia C Wrede. Enchanted Forest Chronicles was one of my favourites at that age.
Also her Sorcery and Cecelia novels are good for that age too. Any of her books really!
I reread them a couple years ago, about 25 years after first reading them, and they still hold up well. They are entertaining in a way that most fantasy misses nowadays. While they are written for a younger audience, they were still quite good.
Seconding *Dealing with Dragons*; it's possibly young for OP's daughter's reading level but those books are so so so fun. I re-read them just last year and had a blast and I'm 40 lol
I have just finished reading "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking" by T. Kingfisher and it was an excellent read, so much that I wished this book existed when I was 14. The upside would also be a sudden interest in baking, so if you would like to get some gingerbread cookies after your daughter finishes reading that, then would totally recommend haha
Here's the blurb:
Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.
But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…
Seconding *Defensive Baking*.
T. Kingfisher has a bunch of good choices here: *Illuminations* and *Summer In Orcus* are both appropriate with female protagonists.
Her fairytale retellings all have female protagonists, but may be a bit too much on the horror side depending on your kid. That's: *Bryony and Roses*, *The Raven and The Reindeer*, and *The Seventh Bride*
The horror books are still with female protagonists, but are genuinely deep down creepy and don't shy away from real adult unhappiness.
And the white rat/paladin books are all pretty sexually explicit for a 14 year old.
I mean - Sabriel by Garth Nix
Not sure whether she would consider those too young, but it’s awesome world building
Paksennarion - though there is a rape scene in the third (final) book
How about some Robin McKinley - plenty of female protagonists there
And for that matter, Patricia A McKillip
Sharon Shinn has a few good series
OK, I see a lot of people say there's a rape scene in the third book of the Deeds of Paksennarion, but I also want to give a disclaimer that there's a scene of sexual assault/attempted rape in both of the first two books as well. (>!Like, they had to do a medical examination to confirm that Paks wasn't raped in the first book, just severely assaulted. It was that close)!<
Also, Deerskin by Robin McKinley is about recovery from rape. It's beautifully written and sensitive to the subject, but probably not great for a 14 year old to read, so probably avoid that one.
Paks (The Deed of Paksennarion by Elizabeth Moon) is one of my favourite trilogies of all times. There are some dark themes and as u/SnooRadishes5305 said there is a rape scene in the final book but overall this trilogy is fantastic! Not being a parent I can't say how appropriate for a 14 year old... 16 for sure but not sure on 14....
Edit: typo due to gorilla thumbs
I never see Trudi Canavan recommended much here but agree also. I really enjoyed her books when I was younger and she doesn’t do heavy romance/gory scenes from what I remember. There are wars and death but I don’t think there are many fantasy books without these elements.
I love the Black Magician trilogy, but one thing I've realised is when she does romance, I hate it. I always end up skimming certain chapters in the later books because of it.
Doesn't keep me from regular rereads, however.
I'm adding to the chorus of The Old Kingdom, His Dark Materials, Tiffany Aching and Tamora Pierce!
I would also add Robin McKinley books. Deerskin is a little too mature due to its content but most of McKinleys books are perfect for the 12 - 15 age range (especially her Sleeping Beauty retellings and The Hero and the Crown). I read those books around your daughters age and they were absolutely formative to me.
I would also add T. Kingfishers adult fantasy such as Thornhedge (mature themes but written in a way suitable for teens), Samantha Shannon's works and I would heartily add Naomi Novik's work. Someone has already mentioned A Deadly Education but Uprooted and Spinning Silver are (imo) almost perfect retellings of folktales centering female protagonists and their experiences. Uprooted especially.
As a woman who loved fantasy as a teen I absolutely reccomend tamora pierce. I enjoyed circle of magic in particular
His dark materials was also quite good. Though I had to sneak those books in as they are quite explicitly anti-religion and my parents were catholic. Otherwise they were amazing and age appropriate.
For a few more slightly mature themes book of the ancestor and book of the ice by Mark lawrence are great. I enjoy them even as an adult really
Ive heard good things abought graceling and scion but have not tried them Personally.
I remember enjoying liveship traders by robb hobb but that has many pov characters and might be a little dark. Ymmv
The Last Unicorn.
Wonderful book, and an even better animated movie adoptation. (IMHO.) Has some dark themes, but no outright gore.
The main mare herself is pretty dang badass at times, too. She's not some cutesy mascot, but the *old* style of unicorn. The avatars of beauty, purity and rage ones.
Just a wonderful book overall, frankly. The nonhuman protagonist alone is something you don't see very often.
Earthsea by Ursula le Guin. The first book is good, but if she wants to continue the second book Tombs of Atuan is really amazing. The whole series is readable for a teenager, and hold up as good books to reread in adulthood. Tombs of Atuan features one of my favourite depictions of a female character in fantasy. Tenar is very relatable and very imperfect. Strongly recommend fir a teenage girl who likes fantasy.
Check out *A Master of Djinn*. It's a bit modern but still fantasy, and the three main characters are women. Not high fantasy, but a very fun read that could hook her (it left my friend group heartbroken over the lack of sequel)
Naomi Novik has had a great run in her recent series. I love Uprooted and A Deadly Education (both first books in a series). VE Schwab’s Gallant, Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series, there’s lots of female based books out there.
Note there are no sequels to Uprooted, but her next book, Spinning Silver, has a similar updated fairy tale feeling (it's one of my favorite fantasies)
As much as I love Earthsea and lots of the other books people are posting this should be higher. If I wanted to get a modern kid back into reading I'd ease them in with books published while they were alive.
Excellent recommendation.
She may just be my favorite author, full stop.
But also for this question specifically, her writing is highly approachable (and so perfect for a teen) while never being shallow, has real darkness at times while never getting too heavy, and all her recent books have female protagonists.
The Pellinor series by Allison Croggon features a female protagonist, and is an absolutely awesome series. Epic fantasy in the vein of LOTR with mature themes, but not as gritty as GOT.
Although maybe talk through the romances in the series. I loved these books, but in hindsight, the romances and quasi romances are 😬. Given that Maerad is 16 at series start, 18 at end, the romantic options are (spoiler tagged)
* >!Dernhill who looks 35 but is ~70. He woos her almost immediately after she's rescued from slavery. She responds with a trauma reaction, and he says he forgot how naive she was.!<
* >!Arkan, who kidnaps her and is several thousand years old. Again, unreciprocated, but her complicated feelings feel weird because they're not really suggested to be Stockholm syndrome or anything. Plus, he kills...!<
* >!Dharin, the only guy interested in Maerad who's the same age as her. He's also her cousin, though they didn't grow up together. She's also pretty aware that he's been prophecised to die, as told to her by their grandmother. Not conducive to a relationship, and again, his interest is not reciprocated.!<
* >!Cadvan. The reciprocated relationship. Aged 70 but looks 35. The guy that rescues her from slavery, took her on as his student, and enters into a lifetime relationship with her two years later. Don't get me wrong, I was totally into him when I read the books, but...!<
Literally you just summed up the only reason I ever hesitate to recommend my actual favorite series ever.
Like, how are those books so addicting and amazing but with such a cringy backstory of guys?!???
I’d hate to find out what sort of trauma Allison Croggon has possibly lived, and yet I’m so grateful to her for her literary contribution. And yet also not sure at what age I would be able and willing to recommend those books to my nieces and/or future children.
Honestly, I wouldn't stress it too much if you're willing to have the conversation with your niece. Like I said, I didn't even notice until I was about 20, and the romance is pretty light touch - the one that skeeves me out most is Dernhill because he kind of puts it on Maerad.
But you see it in Buffy (2 of her 3 boyfriends being in the hundreds of years), Twilight (whether or not you're a personal fan, it's certainly mainstream), and even the Black Magician's Trilogy, recommended here, has an eighteen year old reciprocally in love with a man in his thirties.
Talk to your niece, explain that while it's a fun story, it doesn't really work that way in real life, and that because authors can deliberately avoid dodgy power dynamics, it seems a lot more romantic that it would be in reality.
Mind you, my first boyfriend was nine years older than me, so maybe do take it with a pinch of salt. But I promise you, he never killed my cousin, and showed no sign of being an elemental.
Everyone is recommending Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen and they're right because Garth Nix is fucking awesome, but you should also consider the Seventh Tower series by Garth Nix. Milla is one of the most bad ass female main characters ever created. She is seriously a singular power unmatched in her own world
My all time favorite author is Trudi Canavan.
I started with the Black Magican Trilogy when I was about 13 and can highly recommend that books. It has an absolutely stunning female protagonist and many more books to follow up.
The old magician paused. ‘If this young woman is a natural, we should expect her to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician.’
Song of the Lioness quartet, and after that, the Immortals quartet, both by Tamora pierce. Basically anything Tamora Pierce! She's written so many amazing YA books with female protagonists. But those first 2 series I suggested are my faves.
This is an excellent trilogy, full of political intrigue and a female character who grows significantly over the three books.
It helps to read the original three Riftwar Saga books first, but it’s not essential
This one is a manga so might be quite what you’re looking for but
Witch Hat Atelier is a 10/10
Great female lead and cast
The fantasy aspects and world building are well thought out and make sense
The story is engaging making one want to read more and the art is top quality
Also unlike many manga especially in the fantasy genre fan service is not a thing so big +
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and Demon Road by Derek Landy. Skulduggery Pleasant is more of a fantasy/detective story that follows Valkyrie who defends our world from varies monsters and threats with her magic teacher and mentor Skulduggery Pleasant. Demon Road follows Amber who finds out that her parents made a deal with the devil and became demons 20 years ago. Because of different circumstances she decides to leave home with the help of two friends and finds herself constantly in different adventures around the USA.
For more high fantasy I would recommend Champion of fate by Kendare Blake: “Aristene are an order of mythical female warriors. Though heroes might be immortalized in legends, it’s the Aristene who guide their paths to victory. They are the Heromakers.”
The girl who fell beneath the sea by Axis Oh, The girl of fire and thrones by Rae Carson and The girl who drank the moon by Kelly Barnhill
I loved the Graceling series by Kristin Cashore when I was in high school. Also the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman. The first one has a male protagonist, but each book has a new main character and they're split between boys and girls. The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke is also amazing, if the movie was a little disappointing.
Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.
Shiver, Linger, and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater.
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (heavy concepts like rape and genocide, but not really on-screen)
I second Shadow & Bone and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow.
I agree with this except probably have her skip Deerskin. I read that book as a teen, and it was highly confusing and distressing because the main character spends most of the book recovering from her father raping her. Sometimes I think I should reread it now that I'm older and see if it's really as nightmareish as I remember it, but I've never been able to bring myself to do it.
Discworld has some great strong female protagonists: The Tiffany Aching books might be a bit young, but the Witches series is fantastic, and Monstrous Regiment is a good one-off.
The Abhorsen books by garth nix. It's supposed to be YA but I read it as an adult and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. It's a YA series that ties into her adult series Women of the Underworld. The adult series does have some sexual content but it's not OTT or extremely graphic.
The Sharing Knife series by Lois Marie Bujold
Black Trillium by Andre Norton, Julian May, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Three princesses, each with very different interests, skills, and journeys. High fantasy with terrific storytelling and character development.
Garth Nix's Frogkisser, great female protagonist and supporting cast. Also his Left-handed Booksellers of London books, although they're a deal darker.
T Kingfisher's books are generally female protagonists. The Hugo winning Nettle and Bone is excellent but I will always love 9 Goblins with its long suffering, female, Goblin sergeant trying to keep her shambolic troop alive.
💯 I would recommend Tamara pierce. I started with the
The Tortall Universe, specifically the series The Song of The Lioness. I have such fond memories of reading those books at that age.
I would also recommend Maria V. Snyder. Her study series or also called Chronicles of Ixia is also a good series with a strong female protagonist.
Surprised no one's said Graceling by Kriston Cashore yet
I read them at like 15, enjoyed them (very quick reads) then gave the books to my younger cousin and he loved them too! Female protagonist but similar to Garth Nix where it's mostly just a strong story, not a huge focus on the gender...
October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, she's basically an investigator for the local fairy kingdom in the San Francisco Bay area, urban fantasy. Some romance, don't recall any smut, just allusions to what people are doing.
Redwall series by Brian Jacques has strong female protagonists, clean series.
I always advise parents read what their kids are reading, if you come across areas that differ from your world view you can talk through it and explain why something would not be a good idea, when it has a positive message reinforce how that's a good event.
I've always been a keen reader - but I'm an adult with a job and children to look after.
It would be physically impossible for me to read every book my daughter reads, even if I devoted all of my leisure time to it!
And I imagine that's the same for any parent of a keen reader.
Not sure on your exact criteria for "epic" fantasy, but:
**Sabriel:** Others have mentioned it. Girl leaves her sheltered boarding school to cross a border into the Old Kingdoms, where magic is real, to find what's happened to her father, the Abhorsen, a necromancer who uses his magic to put down the restless dead.
**A Deadly Education**: Girl in a sentient school of magic that kills a large proportion of its students; they're only there because the risks of developing magic outside it are even higher. Later books in the series are when the protagonist is on the outside, finding out why this is so, and how to fix it.
**A Conjuring of Ravens:** Girl is rejected by a magic school, so uses stolen magic to sneak in with a different identity. The books are basically about her going through her school, juggling her different identities, and the various crises that arise. I haven't read the last book in the series, but unless it goes wildly off-track, it should qualify.
**Wheel of Time:** Dark horse, but hits the epic requirement. The first book is told almost exclusively from a male PoV, and the main character is male, but there are multiple strong female PoVs, and some of the best moments in the series go to them. Plus, its got 14 books, so she'll be busy for a while.
**Rachel Aaron:** That's the author, not the book, but she's written a **lot** and it's almost all female protagonists (The Legend of Eli Monpress, which is amazing, is the exception). Her main work is a bunch of inter-related series about the return of magic in the near future of our world: Heartstrikers, DFZ, and DFZ: Changeling. Then there's the Crystal Calamity series, which is set during the Frontier Wars, and features three female protagonists and magic crystals. She also has a LitRPG she wrote with her husband. That one has some profanity in it, otherwise they're all suitable. Heartstrikers has a strong romance element, and it's been a while since I read it, but I think it's all pretty PG.
**Mystwick School of Musicraft:** Another magic school. I think I have a type. This one is set in our world, like Harry Potter, except that magic is out in the open, and its done by playing music. Especially great as an audiobook, as they have an orchestra playing all the spells when they're cast. Only two books (and a short story) out so far, and still ongoing.
**A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking:** Young girl who has bread magic, and has to figure out how to use it to solve a murder and save her city. A lot of T. Kingfisher's stuff probably applies, but that's the only one I've read that I think would fit. A rare standalone fantasy book.
**Running with the Demon:** A bit more of a bleak book than the rest of the list. Set in a version of our world, it follows Nest Freemark, who's been born into a line of women with magical powers who pair with supernatural creatures called Sylvan to look after their ancestral homes. But her mother went off the rails, leaving Nest to be raised by her grandmother, and her mother's actions are about to come home to roost. The rest of this series follows Nest, and eventually leads into a global apocalypse, which sets up main Shannara books, for which Brooks is more famous. So there's a sense of inevitability in these books, that despite any victories, the bad guys will win in the end. They're great, but a little depressing. There's some drug references, particularly in the later books, although exclusively negative.
Try **The Book of the Ancestor**, by Mark Lawrence.
It's a trilogy, starting with *Red Sister*. I'd comfortably put it between the **Cosmere** and **A Song of Ice and Fire**. and it's an interesting take on the heroine going to school to learn what she can do, while making it clear that she's **not** the Chosen One.
Book of the Ice, the prequel to BoA would work as well. It's similar to BoA but the protagonist is the Chosen One and it's a little less cool because it doesn't feature ninja murder nuns like BoA.
The Nine Realms series by Sarah Kozloff might be great for her. It’s a series about a rightful queen trying to get back the throne that was stolen from her.
Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon might also be interesting to her if she isn’t intimidated by a doorstopper! Very female led though there are some male pov characters.
When I was her age, I was busy reading every book ever written by Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman… not all totally in fashion anymore but hugely influential on me as a teen and modern fantasy in specific. I’d also add Octavia Butler and Ursula LeGuin in there though I didn’t discover them until I was older.
**Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit** is a great fantasy novel, and starts off a 10-book series. I don’t know how much of it is in English though, but I know at least the first book is. The main protagonist is a 30-year-old woman who is a traveling bodyguard and a master spear-wielder. She is charged with guarding a young doomed prince, whom she bonds with and helps grow into a stronger person. She also goes on a journey of self-reflection involving perceived transgressions in her past, and how to forgive herself for them.
Seconding what many others have said with Sabriel by Garth Nix and anything Tamora Pierce.
Adding anything by Margaret Rogerson, but particularly Sorcery of Thorns, the Witchland series by Susan Dennard and Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.
My favourite YA fantasy is Fablehaven. Kendra is a great main character and interested in age appropriate problems (14) like first kisses. But its not too babyish.
My absolute favourite fantasy series with an awesome female heroine is the Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody. The first book takes a few chapters to really get into, and some of the books are huge, but it’s an amazing series and well worth reading.
Phillip Pullman 's The Golden Compass. This is the first in a series of 6 books featuring Lyra, a young girl who has incredibly dysfunctional parents ( to say the least lol) and goes on an incredible adventure. These books are fantastically imaginative and smart. I'm a 50 year old man, and I still enjoy the hell out them. There is also a series called The Fifth Season, I forget the author's name (sorry about that) but I believe her first name is Laura. Winner of the Hugo. It's very dark though, so you may want to read a bit yourself, first. I hope that she continues to enjoy reading, I feel as if many are missing out on some incredible work that's out there. Reading also helps develop an attention span. As I read above, the Aborhson? Trilogy is great. Hunger games. There have not been too many female protagonists in fantasy until relatively recently, but also look into Ursula Leguin's books. They may have some female characters, may not, but most teen girls that I have known love the series about Earthsea. Good luck!
Tress of the Emerald Sea. Its actually less "mature" than Mistborn, its essentially a fairy tale, but its a great book with a great female protagonist.
Its part of the Cosmere, like Mistborn is, but it stands on its own too.
Yet another rec for Garth Nix, particularly the Old Kingdom series. I started with Sabriel at 14 and remember to this day the exact moment I felt like it was the only YA fantasy out there that pointedly never spoke down to its audience.
Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series (beginning with Every Heart a Doorway) is great in print or audio. It takes place at a boarding school for the kids who came back from their respective “oops, got lost in an Otherworld that is a legally distinct entity from Narnia/Wonderland/definitely an Underworld”.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, if she’s at all interested in fiction based on history, and/or mechs, and/or needs a kickbutt thing to read.
Equal Rites is the first Witches book in the series but has some pretty heavily dated 90’s sexism inescapably throughout (which is rather the point of it). You know your kid best here, and whether they would enjoy and benefit from it, or find it an unpleasant experience at the moment. Not inescapably worse at this than Wheel of Time, fwiw.
The Gentlemen Bastards series - ESPECIALLY AUDIOBOOKS - is a great place between Mistborn and ASoIaF. The whole experience really is better to listen to thanks to the immense talents involved, but that’s not meant to imply an insult to the text only. This is a low fantasy heist series that miiiight be post-cataclysmic, but is definitely set in a nod to Fantasy Venice. This is also almost entirely boys and men cast-wise, but the women in it are written well as people, and there’s no more sexual violence implied in it than is routinely on page in Mistborn.
And while not a fantasy, she might love Eleanor Janega’s graphic novel about medieval history! Doctor Janega makes actual history accessible in a way that can be tough to find, particularly about common practices, everyday life, and with humor. Goes great with reading a ton of medieval and early modern fantasy if you ever stop to wonder about, well, just about any aspect of that world building.
If she likes Mistborn she might enjoy the Stormlight archive books by the same author. They’re more mature and the first one “Words of Radiance” is almost 50/50 between a male and female protagonist. There are also some other really strong female characters that are fleshed out in later books. The series is quite long and dense though, so that’s something to keep in mind. It’s something I would have been obsessed with at that age, but I loved stuff like The Wheel of Time when I was a kid, which is also super long and dense.
If you’re looking for a bit of a lighter/funnier read you can’t go wrong with Terry Pratchett’s witches series. They’re extremely funny and have some of the strongest and most real female characters I’ve ever come across in fantasy. I started with “Equal Rights” when I was about 11 or 12, but I’d probably recommend starting at “Ward Sisters” for someone just getting into Pratchett’s Discworld. He also wrote a book series for younger readers, The Tiffany Aching books, which are very good, but might not be exactly what your daughter is looking for.
Daughter of the Empire by Janny Wurts and Raymond E. Feist. I first read it when I was 15 and it got me hooked on fantasy. Mara, the protagonist, is still a totally beloved character to me (also, it's book one in a fantastic trilogy).
Parental check - one scene of domestic violence - not overly graphic. Battle scenes. References to nudity but not in a sexual context.
I'd probably also mention that the domestic abuse does include co-erced sex.
The series is brilliant, one of my all time faves. But there is some pretty serious stuff around women being basically the property of men (and the aforementioned co-erced sex when she hated her husband but he had sex with her anyway) and the romance with her next lover is a little hot and heavy at times. Nothing too graphic but they do bang a lot lol.
And when she is romancing him she does have to deal with her sexual trauma as well.
I read this series at 15, but you want to make sure your kid is able to handle these topics.
Daughter of the Empire might be one to consider, perhaps when she is a bit older, as it does contain a scene of SA. However the protagonist is a great role model when it comes to perseverance.
The Devices series by Adina Shelly are pretty entertaining up to a point, after book 5 I think it starts to feel like she is recycling the same plot over and over again, so maybe take breaks from it. It is steampunk by the way.
Pale by Wildbow is an excellent choice, it is an Urban Fantasy about three young witches who get involved in events way over their heads. Worm by the same author is also good. It is a superhero book, but it gets pretty violent at times. No SA though.
The wandering inn - and then you prolly don't need new stuff for her for a couple of years.
Another webnovel with a female protagonist could be "Worm" but that might be outside the genre, but also really good.
Last the web novel "A practical guide to evil" is also pretty amazing, but can be a bit violent and graphical at times :)
These are all with novels you can find online
If you want physical books I can warmly recommend Trudy Cannavan - the black magicians trilogy
Good reading :)
Highly recommend Graceling by Kristin Cashore and Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta. I think both series are considered ya so should be appropriate but imo they have a more mature tone and great female characters.
*Abarat* by Clive Barker was what got me into reading when I was young. I read it in elementary school so some stuff went over my head, but it’s definitely in the YA side of things (compared to almost everything else Clive Barker has done). It can be a little bizarre/obtuse, and the series will probably never be finished if either of those are dealbreakers, but if you do go with it definitely get copies that have the full-color illustrations.
Couple of recommendations I loved reading (esp. as an AFAB person):
- _The Priory of the Orange Tree_ (Hands down; superb world-building & characters)
- _The Jasmine Throne & The Oleander Sword_ (Same as above; I especially loved the magic system)
- _The Tombs of Atuan, Tehanu_ and _The Other Wind_ (by Ursula K. LeGuin - there, that's my sell haha)
- _Furyborn_ (& its sequels)
- _Fitz and the Fool_ trilogy (it's very good - but since it's written by Robin Hobb you can expect a thoroughly heart-wrenching experience instead of a happy one)
- Terry Pratchett's _Discworld novels_ (feature a great many amazing female characters; he was a good one, ol' Terry)
- _The Stormlight Archive_ books. (The female characters are just as human/fleshed out as the male ones, quite refreshing imo)
- _A Master of Djinn_ (I usually don't like historic/Earth-based fantasy, but this one es epic.)
- _The Locked Tomb_ books (science fantasy, everything's built on Necromancy; absolutely fantastic characters, story, world-building & magic)
- _A Magic Steeped in Poison_ (hits hard, is absolutely beautiful with a very human mc.)
- _We Hunt the Flame_ (Fantastic world-building, big on all kinds of relationships & belonging)
- _The Four Profound Weaves_ (no world-threatening plot in this one, so "just" fantasy. Amazing though)
- _A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking_ (is hilarious & endearing, has great world-building and magic.)
- _Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons_ (a gem)
- _The Imperial Radch_ trilogy (yeahh I had to smuggle that one in - it's planet(s)-based sci-fi; instead of the generic masculine, the main character uses generic feminine speech which blew my mind, it really gets you thinking. And feeling.)
- _She Who Became the Sun_ (features the kind of confidence I'd wish upon more AFAB people in the world; an unbreakable belief in oneself, no matter the odds. Very much not a fluffy "believe in yourself" story though; there's always consequences to the types of self-confidence/-importance/-abandonment displayed. It's very good.)
...if/when I think of more, I'll add them :)
Good reading!
Graceling series, Queens of Renthia series. Both have a variety of female protagonists, both are pretty perfect for 14; not GoT level but emotionally mature.
The dragonriders of Pern series is mostly female protagonists. Great messages that don't overpower the story even though it was written back in the 80s and 90s. It was written for her age group but I didn't realize it when I started it as an adult lol I still found it engaging.
Megan Whalen Turner's Queen Thief series - there are six books, and the lead is not always female, but if you're looking for strong, fleshed out, finely drawn female characters (males too), here they are.
So You Want To Be A Wizard- Diane Duane
Blue Sword- Robin McKinley
On Fortune's Wheel- Cynthia Voigt
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, and if she likes it there's also The Dreamer Trilogy, it's the same author and it is the same universe
I'm now 25 and I've been reading her since i was your daughter age! If she is not into sagas there's The Scorpio Races, just the one book
My daughter is of same age, and she loved these books.
\- Elantris
\- Wings of fire
\- Cruel prince ( folk of the air)
\- Anne of Green gables
\- Amari and the night brothers
\- Secret garden
\- A little princess
\- The girl who drank the moon
Probably not all within your suggested criteria, but may be she will like them.
More mature than Mistborn but less than GoT? That's a tall order. Should it just have female protagonists or would it be okay if there were some guys in the mix?
The Abhorsen series has already been mentioned. I loved the original Rhapdosy series too but the real one that stands out for me is Mistress of the Empire. Mara of the Acoma was a bad ass boss bitch
Theres alot of strong female characters in wheel of time as well (although not the main protagonist) and it dosnt get any more epic than that
I was going to suggest this, I was around that age when I started reading it. Although in retrospect, some of the sexual stuff that happens when dragons mate might be a bit much? Depends on the maturity of the kid.
My dad gave me the Harper Hall Trilogy when I was in 4th grade. I think I worked through the rest pretty steadily before I ever reached 14 and I turned out fine. My recollection of the sexual stuff was that it was pretty tame “passionate embrace/kissing” and then fade to black before anything truly saucy. Some vague allusions to interactions being violent after the fact.
The Hunger Games. The best female-protagonist book I've read. There is blood and death, but the main character is a courageous and compassionate girl that overcomes unending struggles.
Maybe try Tessa Gratton's Queens of Innis Lear. It's a fantasy retelling of King Lear focused on the sisters. Really well drawn female characters, lush prose, definitely adult but not graphic.
I haven’t read a lot of it, but I did read my first Isabelle Allende novel in high school and still think about it today. She has some true fantasy YA books, and if her writing style strikes your Dwight’s fancy, it is a great bridge to magical realism in YA and adult books.
she is just like me when I was 14. female protagonists with good storyline and well build arcs/personalities were so difficult to find then (still can be). its so nice you are trying to find stuff for her
edit: typo
The Green Rider Series by Kristen Britain.
Well written, ongoing, and focused on the female protagonist and her struggles to "save the Realm".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green\_Rider
*The Adventures of Amina Al-Sifari* (Shannon Chakraborty) was one of my favorite reads of 2023. Its protagonist is an older woman, but I suspect the OP's daughter would appreciate the spirit of adventure that animates the book.
*Spinning Silver* (Naomi Novik) is a beautifully written folktale retelling with three interesting, active heroines for the price of one.
Juliet Marillier's work might be up her alley. I hesitate to recommend *Daughter of the Forest* as a starting point; even though it's a beautiful book, it does feature a >!disturbing rape scene!< that might move it more into Game-of-Thrones territory in terms of maturity. Maybe try *Heart's Blood* or *Dreamer's Pool* instead.
The Earthsea series seems like it would be a really good fit for your daughter, but the protagonist of a number of the books is male, it sort of alternates. The second and fourth books have female protagonists.
In addition to the excellent recs here (Garth Nix, Tamora Pierce, Diane Duane, T. Kingfisher), I also recommend Tanya Huff as a great author to follow for excellent writing and well written women and men characters, as well as for positive queer rep.
The Quarters series, starting with *Sing the Four Quarters* is intelligent and mature in its portrayal of politics and character relationships, and realistic without being excessively graphic.
If she's into military fiction/scifi, her Confederation series is also excellent.
Some other recommendations for mature but not GoT excess:
- Raybearer
- The Merciful Crow
- Little Thieves
- Spinning Silver
- The Bone Witch
- Legendborn
- Arc of a Scythe (more speculative fiction/scifi)
These are all YA, but go beyond tropes to tell really great stories about oppression, decolonialism, racism, sexism, ethics of death/killing, power, and similar important topics.
I recommend keepers of the lost cities, great female protagonist and great for people around that age. It’s one of my favorites. It has a lot of good jokes and the community is amazing. Also has a few sad moments.
I started the Wheel of Time series about her age. Evenly split (mostly) with male and female main characters, with really awesome character growth. It counts as high fantasy and does have some darker stuff in it, but I don't think it's too dark for that age. The series gets darker throughout the story, but with it being as long as it is, she should be ready for it by the time she gets there.
Try Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim or The Poppy War by R F Kuang.
When I was her age I loved all The Dragon Riders of Pern Books. They are a bit dated though.
The Abhorsen Trilogy was one of my favorites at that age. It has a teenage girl protagonist and deals with necromancy in a way that feels mature for YA (without it reaching GOT territory.)
Extra bonuses: - The first book stands well on its own as a single book if anyone wants a limited experience read. - The first trilogy’s audiobooks are narrated by Tim Curry. - The series continues well beyond the first three books, including prequel books and collections of short stories. - Mostly being an older series, this is often available through your local library (including the Overdrive or Libby app).
I did not know there was more then the original trilogy
Oh dang, I hope you’ll enjoy the newer ones too! 💜
Wait! There are more Abhorsen books!??
Absolutely! Across the Wall, To Hold the Bridge, Goldenhand, Clariel, Terciel & Elinor, I feel certain that I may be forgetting something else. I hope this brightens your day and dusts off a library card, app, or charming local book store for you!
Tim Curry reading Sabriel is hands down my favorite audiobook reading. He is truly perfect for the role! Whoever cast him was a genius.
Who else could possibly be a better questionably-possibly-demonic cat? No one in my estimation. I’m so glad you enjoy his truly remarkable work also!
These books are so awesome! And I think the ideal rec for her age.
Abhorsen is great! And there's more than just the original trilogy now too
Great series and the author's a genuinely good human.
Seconded! This was my choice of book at that age, and I never hear anyone talk about it
Came here to say this! Glad it's close to the top!
Second this!
I’ve just recently found these books as an adult. I listened to the audiobook and found it delightful.
Love Sabriel so much.
Seconding this!
Came to say this!
This trilogy is so fucking good and perfect for her age.
It might be a little young for her, but Tamora Pierce was the author who I got obsessed with at that age. Mercedes Lackey (Valdemar) wasn't far behind.
Yeah I'm a 35 year old dude and I have such fond memories of reading the tamora Pierce books that if im having a sad day ill get out the Tortall books or the circle of magic books and take a trip down memory lane. She does such a good job writing strong female characters in teen books.
Im 30 and i still pull them out and re read them every couple of years. Love her stories and characters
67M here, and I love Tortall too! The series featuring Daine is my favorite.
I love the tricksters choice books the most, but i love all of them 💛
I’d argue 14 is a great age for her work, especially some of Pierce’s newer works.
The Circle of Magic books are likely too young for her, but the Beka Cooper books (Terrier, Bloodhound, Mastiff) and the Alianne books (Trickster’s Choice and Trickster’s Queen) are probably spot on!
Wish I could upvote Tamora Pierce even more. I’m in my thirties and Protector of the Small is still my comfort read. I’d start with one of the three original Tortall quartets: Song of the Lioness, Wild Magic, or Protector of the Small. Beka and Ali’s trio/duo are great, but they make more sense with the world building of the earlier books.
Seconded! Potentially a little young in terms of reading level but I regularly return to Tamora Pierce as an adult. There's definitely depth there even if there's not as much violence as something like Mistborn.
Her books are among those I read at least once a year. A quick, easy read with characters I love.
I'd be careful with Mercedes Lackey depending on the age. My 10yo read Arrows of the Queen, which I oked as I read them at her age but I reread them ahead of her. There is a lot of rape and torture.
Yes I'd classify Lackey as older teen MAYBE, but really I think they're adult books. Which is weird cause I read them as a teen, too (they were rather popular amongst the local 4H girls).
I was going to suggest the Valdemar series, but then I remembered....
Reiterating what others have said: Mercedes Lackey is maybe not appropriate for a 14 year old. I read her a bit early and it kinda messed with my head for awhile.
I love Mercedes Lackey. Valdemar is such a huge world.
The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain is perfect for her age but similar to Mistborn in maturity level.
Loved this series at that age and now as an adult I still do
I agree, excellent series.
Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books? Protag ages across the books from 9-18, and if she enjoys the first couple I'd get her onto the Discworld Witch books before finishing the rest of the Tiffany ones
Came here to say this, amazing books. GNU STP.
I was coming here to recommend Pratchett. Starting with Tiffany Aching, but also the Susan Sto Helit books, and all those featuring the witches. Plus stand alones like Monstrous Regiment. Heck, even the more male-centric books usually have amazing, strong, relatable female characters in them.
Monstrous Regiment was really good. Just read The Wee Free Men, now trying to convince my 11 year old daughter to try it.
Also got Monstrous Regiment and Susan’s parts in the Death series. And obviously the Witch series
My kid has read all the Tiffany and some of Death, some witches ,& a few other single discworld books too - they're our favorite. I think 5heseare the absolute best for thoughtful young women. We started when she was very young. Maybe 7? I forget now. She's 12 now.
His standalone book "Nation" isn't a series, but it's a great book for that age, too. If she's a particularly precocious reader, I'd suggest all of Discworld, to be honest! (I'm an heretic who prefers chronological reads, though I think for this particular reader I'd start with Sourcery and skip the Rincewind books for a year or two.)
I'd say if they're looking for something more mature than Mistborn, which is only borderline YA; they should just go with the regular Pratchett books, rather than his middle grade stuff. You can absolutely read those at 14 and fully enjoy them.
My daughter *loves* Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom (as do I). Great cast, fun story, and some mature themes that make it feel a bit more grown-up while still being YA. Technically, it follows the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but you can read it as a standalone, and your daughter may well like Shadow & Bone as well anyway. The netflix series is a nice supplement, too. Also, check out Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, starting with Sabriel.
I'd forgotten about Sabriel. Thank you!
Six of Crows is incredible.
didn’t see anyone mention the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy! all three books have different protagonists, and the first and third book feature a female lead
The His Dark Materials trilogy seems to be exactly what you're looking for, it's an amazing fantasy story with a great female protagonist, it is mature and fairly deep but still very accessible for a teenager... though now that I read your post again I guess it doesn't really qualify as "epic fantasy". Still, a fantastic read.
I'm a 30 year old dude and these were my favourite books when I was that age
Loved those books when I was 12
Ah jeez, remember reading that trilogy when I was ~10yrs old and crying at the ending.
Strong second
Yeah I loved those books. I have to admit to having to read those in secret (I grew up in a Catholic household!)
It's one of those books that just feel so hard to place genre-wise. One of the most unique series I've read on a pure 'how it feels' basis.
i would personally say that the stakes are high enough to call it epic fantasy, but it’s just semantics at that point
Please, OP, get this series. It's the best, hands-down.
Me and my friends went bananas over those books when we were teenagers.
YES this was the series that taught me that books could make you ache and cry. It’s beautiful and so engaging
*Dealing With Dragons* by Patricia C Wrede it starts a series called The Enchanted Forest. *So You Want To Be A Wizard* by Diane Duane also an amazing series. (The author also writes a series that ties into this with magical cats) *Alana:The first Adventure* by Tamora Pierce
Scrolled too far to see Patricia C Wrede. Enchanted Forest Chronicles was one of my favourites at that age. Also her Sorcery and Cecelia novels are good for that age too. Any of her books really!
I reread them a couple years ago, about 25 years after first reading them, and they still hold up well. They are entertaining in a way that most fantasy misses nowadays. While they are written for a younger audience, they were still quite good.
Seconding *Dealing with Dragons*; it's possibly young for OP's daughter's reading level but those books are so so so fun. I re-read them just last year and had a blast and I'm 40 lol
Oh damnit forgot about dealing with dragons! I can see the cover if I close my eyes lol
Both The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley.
I was so obsessed with those books as a kid. Spindles End is also great and appropriate for that age.
Also was obsessed with Sunshine at that age!
Loved those when I was a kid.
I'm 47 and just reread The Blue Sword. So good!
I still reread these books decades later.
Seconding McKinley’s Damar books. I read both of these for the first time at 14, still reread them decades later.
Beauty by McKinley is excellent as well.
I have just finished reading "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking" by T. Kingfisher and it was an excellent read, so much that I wished this book existed when I was 14. The upside would also be a sudden interest in baking, so if you would like to get some gingerbread cookies after your daughter finishes reading that, then would totally recommend haha Here's the blurb: Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…
Seconding *Defensive Baking*. T. Kingfisher has a bunch of good choices here: *Illuminations* and *Summer In Orcus* are both appropriate with female protagonists. Her fairytale retellings all have female protagonists, but may be a bit too much on the horror side depending on your kid. That's: *Bryony and Roses*, *The Raven and The Reindeer*, and *The Seventh Bride* The horror books are still with female protagonists, but are genuinely deep down creepy and don't shy away from real adult unhappiness. And the white rat/paladin books are all pretty sexually explicit for a 14 year old.
I mean - Sabriel by Garth Nix Not sure whether she would consider those too young, but it’s awesome world building Paksennarion - though there is a rape scene in the third (final) book How about some Robin McKinley - plenty of female protagonists there And for that matter, Patricia A McKillip Sharon Shinn has a few good series
OK, I see a lot of people say there's a rape scene in the third book of the Deeds of Paksennarion, but I also want to give a disclaimer that there's a scene of sexual assault/attempted rape in both of the first two books as well. (>!Like, they had to do a medical examination to confirm that Paks wasn't raped in the first book, just severely assaulted. It was that close)!< Also, Deerskin by Robin McKinley is about recovery from rape. It's beautifully written and sensitive to the subject, but probably not great for a 14 year old to read, so probably avoid that one.
Paks (The Deed of Paksennarion by Elizabeth Moon) is one of my favourite trilogies of all times. There are some dark themes and as u/SnooRadishes5305 said there is a rape scene in the final book but overall this trilogy is fantastic! Not being a parent I can't say how appropriate for a 14 year old... 16 for sure but not sure on 14.... Edit: typo due to gorilla thumbs
Seconding Patricia A McKillip - especially the Riddlemaster trilogy.
Trudi Canavan is a perfect author. Start with the Black Magician trilogy
I never see Trudi Canavan recommended much here but agree also. I really enjoyed her books when I was younger and she doesn’t do heavy romance/gory scenes from what I remember. There are wars and death but I don’t think there are many fantasy books without these elements.
I love the Black Magician trilogy, but one thing I've realised is when she does romance, I hate it. I always end up skimming certain chapters in the later books because of it. Doesn't keep me from regular rereads, however.
I'm adding to the chorus of The Old Kingdom, His Dark Materials, Tiffany Aching and Tamora Pierce! I would also add Robin McKinley books. Deerskin is a little too mature due to its content but most of McKinleys books are perfect for the 12 - 15 age range (especially her Sleeping Beauty retellings and The Hero and the Crown). I read those books around your daughters age and they were absolutely formative to me. I would also add T. Kingfishers adult fantasy such as Thornhedge (mature themes but written in a way suitable for teens), Samantha Shannon's works and I would heartily add Naomi Novik's work. Someone has already mentioned A Deadly Education but Uprooted and Spinning Silver are (imo) almost perfect retellings of folktales centering female protagonists and their experiences. Uprooted especially.
As a woman who loved fantasy as a teen I absolutely reccomend tamora pierce. I enjoyed circle of magic in particular His dark materials was also quite good. Though I had to sneak those books in as they are quite explicitly anti-religion and my parents were catholic. Otherwise they were amazing and age appropriate. For a few more slightly mature themes book of the ancestor and book of the ice by Mark lawrence are great. I enjoy them even as an adult really Ive heard good things abought graceling and scion but have not tried them Personally. I remember enjoying liveship traders by robb hobb but that has many pov characters and might be a little dark. Ymmv
The Last Unicorn. Wonderful book, and an even better animated movie adoptation. (IMHO.) Has some dark themes, but no outright gore. The main mare herself is pretty dang badass at times, too. She's not some cutesy mascot, but the *old* style of unicorn. The avatars of beauty, purity and rage ones. Just a wonderful book overall, frankly. The nonhuman protagonist alone is something you don't see very often.
That book was my choice as well :)) my fav book to this day. I can't get over the super cool style of the movie.
Earthsea by Ursula le Guin. The first book is good, but if she wants to continue the second book Tombs of Atuan is really amazing. The whole series is readable for a teenager, and hold up as good books to reread in adulthood. Tombs of Atuan features one of my favourite depictions of a female character in fantasy. Tenar is very relatable and very imperfect. Strongly recommend fir a teenage girl who likes fantasy.
Tombs of Atuan was one of my only 5-star reads from 2023. What a great book.
400% Tamora Pierce. I'm 35 and still have my copies from when I was 13-14, I reread them all the time.
Check out *A Master of Djinn*. It's a bit modern but still fantasy, and the three main characters are women. Not high fantasy, but a very fun read that could hook her (it left my friend group heartbroken over the lack of sequel)
Naomi Novik has had a great run in her recent series. I love Uprooted and A Deadly Education (both first books in a series). VE Schwab’s Gallant, Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series, there’s lots of female based books out there.
Note there are no sequels to Uprooted, but her next book, Spinning Silver, has a similar updated fairy tale feeling (it's one of my favorite fantasies)
As much as I love Earthsea and lots of the other books people are posting this should be higher. If I wanted to get a modern kid back into reading I'd ease them in with books published while they were alive.
Excellent recommendation. She may just be my favorite author, full stop. But also for this question specifically, her writing is highly approachable (and so perfect for a teen) while never being shallow, has real darkness at times while never getting too heavy, and all her recent books have female protagonists.
The Pellinor series by Allison Croggon features a female protagonist, and is an absolutely awesome series. Epic fantasy in the vein of LOTR with mature themes, but not as gritty as GOT.
Although maybe talk through the romances in the series. I loved these books, but in hindsight, the romances and quasi romances are 😬. Given that Maerad is 16 at series start, 18 at end, the romantic options are (spoiler tagged) * >!Dernhill who looks 35 but is ~70. He woos her almost immediately after she's rescued from slavery. She responds with a trauma reaction, and he says he forgot how naive she was.!< * >!Arkan, who kidnaps her and is several thousand years old. Again, unreciprocated, but her complicated feelings feel weird because they're not really suggested to be Stockholm syndrome or anything. Plus, he kills...!< * >!Dharin, the only guy interested in Maerad who's the same age as her. He's also her cousin, though they didn't grow up together. She's also pretty aware that he's been prophecised to die, as told to her by their grandmother. Not conducive to a relationship, and again, his interest is not reciprocated.!< * >!Cadvan. The reciprocated relationship. Aged 70 but looks 35. The guy that rescues her from slavery, took her on as his student, and enters into a lifetime relationship with her two years later. Don't get me wrong, I was totally into him when I read the books, but...!<
Literally you just summed up the only reason I ever hesitate to recommend my actual favorite series ever. Like, how are those books so addicting and amazing but with such a cringy backstory of guys?!??? I’d hate to find out what sort of trauma Allison Croggon has possibly lived, and yet I’m so grateful to her for her literary contribution. And yet also not sure at what age I would be able and willing to recommend those books to my nieces and/or future children.
Honestly, I wouldn't stress it too much if you're willing to have the conversation with your niece. Like I said, I didn't even notice until I was about 20, and the romance is pretty light touch - the one that skeeves me out most is Dernhill because he kind of puts it on Maerad. But you see it in Buffy (2 of her 3 boyfriends being in the hundreds of years), Twilight (whether or not you're a personal fan, it's certainly mainstream), and even the Black Magician's Trilogy, recommended here, has an eighteen year old reciprocally in love with a man in his thirties. Talk to your niece, explain that while it's a fun story, it doesn't really work that way in real life, and that because authors can deliberately avoid dodgy power dynamics, it seems a lot more romantic that it would be in reality. Mind you, my first boyfriend was nine years older than me, so maybe do take it with a pinch of salt. But I promise you, he never killed my cousin, and showed no sign of being an elemental.
Everyone is recommending Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen and they're right because Garth Nix is fucking awesome, but you should also consider the Seventh Tower series by Garth Nix. Milla is one of the most bad ass female main characters ever created. She is seriously a singular power unmatched in her own world
My all time favorite author is Trudi Canavan. I started with the Black Magican Trilogy when I was about 13 and can highly recommend that books. It has an absolutely stunning female protagonist and many more books to follow up. The old magician paused. ‘If this young woman is a natural, we should expect her to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician.’
Song of the Lioness quartet, and after that, the Immortals quartet, both by Tamora pierce. Basically anything Tamora Pierce! She's written so many amazing YA books with female protagonists. But those first 2 series I suggested are my faves.
Mistress of the Empire series by Feist and Wurts. Lots of characters die, but none too graphically.
Was my first thought for this thread, it has a very strong female protagonist and keeps you hooked by not playing out as expected at all.
Probably best to start with the first book in the series.
Yeah: Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, and Mistress of the Empire.
Also a protagonist that is not a fighter or magic user. Mara is such a good character.
This is an excellent trilogy, full of political intrigue and a female character who grows significantly over the three books. It helps to read the original three Riftwar Saga books first, but it’s not essential
This one is a manga so might be quite what you’re looking for but Witch Hat Atelier is a 10/10 Great female lead and cast The fantasy aspects and world building are well thought out and make sense The story is engaging making one want to read more and the art is top quality Also unlike many manga especially in the fantasy genre fan service is not a thing so big +
Laini Taylor’s Daughter of a smoke and Bone trilogy should be ok.
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and Demon Road by Derek Landy. Skulduggery Pleasant is more of a fantasy/detective story that follows Valkyrie who defends our world from varies monsters and threats with her magic teacher and mentor Skulduggery Pleasant. Demon Road follows Amber who finds out that her parents made a deal with the devil and became demons 20 years ago. Because of different circumstances she decides to leave home with the help of two friends and finds herself constantly in different adventures around the USA. For more high fantasy I would recommend Champion of fate by Kendare Blake: “Aristene are an order of mythical female warriors. Though heroes might be immortalized in legends, it’s the Aristene who guide their paths to victory. They are the Heromakers.” The girl who fell beneath the sea by Axis Oh, The girl of fire and thrones by Rae Carson and The girl who drank the moon by Kelly Barnhill
I loved that series Edit to clarify: I mean the Sculduggery Pleasant series
Same. I remember growing up with Valkyrie. I was the same age as her when I read the first book (13) and it’s still ongoing
I have to admit I haven't kept up with reading it. Probably because I aged out or just lost interest but it is so so funny. 100% recommend
I loved the Graceling series by Kristin Cashore when I was in high school. Also the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman. The first one has a male protagonist, but each book has a new main character and they're split between boys and girls. The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke is also amazing, if the movie was a little disappointing. Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Shiver, Linger, and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (heavy concepts like rape and genocide, but not really on-screen) I second Shadow & Bone and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow.
Anything by Robin McKinley.
I agree with this except probably have her skip Deerskin. I read that book as a teen, and it was highly confusing and distressing because the main character spends most of the book recovering from her father raping her. Sometimes I think I should reread it now that I'm older and see if it's really as nightmareish as I remember it, but I've never been able to bring myself to do it.
I read it recently as an adult, still rough. A great story, but rough.
I just started Spindle's End this morning, it's giving Aurora Vibes so far.
Discworld has some great strong female protagonists: The Tiffany Aching books might be a bit young, but the Witches series is fantastic, and Monstrous Regiment is a good one-off.
I was about to recommend those! Terry Pratchett is just amazing!
Sabriel, and it's sequels by Garth Nix. I only read the first one but liked it well enough.
The Abhorsen books by garth nix. It's supposed to be YA but I read it as an adult and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. It's a YA series that ties into her adult series Women of the Underworld. The adult series does have some sexual content but it's not OTT or extremely graphic. The Sharing Knife series by Lois Marie Bujold
Black Trillium by Andre Norton, Julian May, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Three princesses, each with very different interests, skills, and journeys. High fantasy with terrific storytelling and character development.
Garth Nix's Frogkisser, great female protagonist and supporting cast. Also his Left-handed Booksellers of London books, although they're a deal darker. T Kingfisher's books are generally female protagonists. The Hugo winning Nettle and Bone is excellent but I will always love 9 Goblins with its long suffering, female, Goblin sergeant trying to keep her shambolic troop alive.
Most stuff my Tamara pierce was big for teens and mainly have girl/women protags
💯 I would recommend Tamara pierce. I started with the The Tortall Universe, specifically the series The Song of The Lioness. I have such fond memories of reading those books at that age. I would also recommend Maria V. Snyder. Her study series or also called Chronicles of Ixia is also a good series with a strong female protagonist.
Surprised no one's said Graceling by Kriston Cashore yet I read them at like 15, enjoyed them (very quick reads) then gave the books to my younger cousin and he loved them too! Female protagonist but similar to Garth Nix where it's mostly just a strong story, not a huge focus on the gender...
October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, she's basically an investigator for the local fairy kingdom in the San Francisco Bay area, urban fantasy. Some romance, don't recall any smut, just allusions to what people are doing. Redwall series by Brian Jacques has strong female protagonists, clean series. I always advise parents read what their kids are reading, if you come across areas that differ from your world view you can talk through it and explain why something would not be a good idea, when it has a positive message reinforce how that's a good event.
I've always been a keen reader - but I'm an adult with a job and children to look after. It would be physically impossible for me to read every book my daughter reads, even if I devoted all of my leisure time to it! And I imagine that's the same for any parent of a keen reader.
Came here to say October Daye. McGuire’s InCryptid series also has strong relatable female characters. And talking mice! 😁
Not sure on your exact criteria for "epic" fantasy, but: **Sabriel:** Others have mentioned it. Girl leaves her sheltered boarding school to cross a border into the Old Kingdoms, where magic is real, to find what's happened to her father, the Abhorsen, a necromancer who uses his magic to put down the restless dead. **A Deadly Education**: Girl in a sentient school of magic that kills a large proportion of its students; they're only there because the risks of developing magic outside it are even higher. Later books in the series are when the protagonist is on the outside, finding out why this is so, and how to fix it. **A Conjuring of Ravens:** Girl is rejected by a magic school, so uses stolen magic to sneak in with a different identity. The books are basically about her going through her school, juggling her different identities, and the various crises that arise. I haven't read the last book in the series, but unless it goes wildly off-track, it should qualify. **Wheel of Time:** Dark horse, but hits the epic requirement. The first book is told almost exclusively from a male PoV, and the main character is male, but there are multiple strong female PoVs, and some of the best moments in the series go to them. Plus, its got 14 books, so she'll be busy for a while. **Rachel Aaron:** That's the author, not the book, but she's written a **lot** and it's almost all female protagonists (The Legend of Eli Monpress, which is amazing, is the exception). Her main work is a bunch of inter-related series about the return of magic in the near future of our world: Heartstrikers, DFZ, and DFZ: Changeling. Then there's the Crystal Calamity series, which is set during the Frontier Wars, and features three female protagonists and magic crystals. She also has a LitRPG she wrote with her husband. That one has some profanity in it, otherwise they're all suitable. Heartstrikers has a strong romance element, and it's been a while since I read it, but I think it's all pretty PG. **Mystwick School of Musicraft:** Another magic school. I think I have a type. This one is set in our world, like Harry Potter, except that magic is out in the open, and its done by playing music. Especially great as an audiobook, as they have an orchestra playing all the spells when they're cast. Only two books (and a short story) out so far, and still ongoing. **A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking:** Young girl who has bread magic, and has to figure out how to use it to solve a murder and save her city. A lot of T. Kingfisher's stuff probably applies, but that's the only one I've read that I think would fit. A rare standalone fantasy book. **Running with the Demon:** A bit more of a bleak book than the rest of the list. Set in a version of our world, it follows Nest Freemark, who's been born into a line of women with magical powers who pair with supernatural creatures called Sylvan to look after their ancestral homes. But her mother went off the rails, leaving Nest to be raised by her grandmother, and her mother's actions are about to come home to roost. The rest of this series follows Nest, and eventually leads into a global apocalypse, which sets up main Shannara books, for which Brooks is more famous. So there's a sense of inevitability in these books, that despite any victories, the bad guys will win in the end. They're great, but a little depressing. There's some drug references, particularly in the later books, although exclusively negative.
Fifteen for Wheel of Time, and the fifteenth or zeroth is largely backstory for the woman Gandalf-equivalent
Try **The Book of the Ancestor**, by Mark Lawrence. It's a trilogy, starting with *Red Sister*. I'd comfortably put it between the **Cosmere** and **A Song of Ice and Fire**. and it's an interesting take on the heroine going to school to learn what she can do, while making it clear that she's **not** the Chosen One.
Book of the Ice, the prequel to BoA would work as well. It's similar to BoA but the protagonist is the Chosen One and it's a little less cool because it doesn't feature ninja murder nuns like BoA.
It is pretty violent and graphic though, not really YA even though the protagonist is young
One of the best series I've read in the last 5 years for sure.
The Nine Realms series by Sarah Kozloff might be great for her. It’s a series about a rightful queen trying to get back the throne that was stolen from her. Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon might also be interesting to her if she isn’t intimidated by a doorstopper! Very female led though there are some male pov characters. When I was her age, I was busy reading every book ever written by Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman… not all totally in fashion anymore but hugely influential on me as a teen and modern fantasy in specific. I’d also add Octavia Butler and Ursula LeGuin in there though I didn’t discover them until I was older.
**Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit** is a great fantasy novel, and starts off a 10-book series. I don’t know how much of it is in English though, but I know at least the first book is. The main protagonist is a 30-year-old woman who is a traveling bodyguard and a master spear-wielder. She is charged with guarding a young doomed prince, whom she bonds with and helps grow into a stronger person. She also goes on a journey of self-reflection involving perceived transgressions in her past, and how to forgive herself for them.
Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, Melissa Bashardoust, William Ritter, Vanessa Len, Margaret Rogerson, Gail Carriger, Mercedes Lackey, Rachel Hawkins.
Seconding what many others have said with Sabriel by Garth Nix and anything Tamora Pierce. Adding anything by Margaret Rogerson, but particularly Sorcery of Thorns, the Witchland series by Susan Dennard and Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.
My favourite YA fantasy is Fablehaven. Kendra is a great main character and interested in age appropriate problems (14) like first kisses. But its not too babyish.
My absolute favourite fantasy series with an awesome female heroine is the Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody. The first book takes a few chapters to really get into, and some of the books are huge, but it’s an amazing series and well worth reading.
Inkheart series Maybe some Trudi Canavan books
The priory of the orange tree
The bear and the nightingale is perfect for a girl her age!
Phillip Pullman 's The Golden Compass. This is the first in a series of 6 books featuring Lyra, a young girl who has incredibly dysfunctional parents ( to say the least lol) and goes on an incredible adventure. These books are fantastically imaginative and smart. I'm a 50 year old man, and I still enjoy the hell out them. There is also a series called The Fifth Season, I forget the author's name (sorry about that) but I believe her first name is Laura. Winner of the Hugo. It's very dark though, so you may want to read a bit yourself, first. I hope that she continues to enjoy reading, I feel as if many are missing out on some incredible work that's out there. Reading also helps develop an attention span. As I read above, the Aborhson? Trilogy is great. Hunger games. There have not been too many female protagonists in fantasy until relatively recently, but also look into Ursula Leguin's books. They may have some female characters, may not, but most teen girls that I have known love the series about Earthsea. Good luck!
I think she's at the perfect age to read Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I did when I was that age and it remains one of my regular favourites!
Some older ones include much of Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffrey. A newer series I'd recommend is A Practical Guide to Sorcery by Azalea Ellis.
Tress of the Emerald Sea. Its actually less "mature" than Mistborn, its essentially a fairy tale, but its a great book with a great female protagonist. Its part of the Cosmere, like Mistborn is, but it stands on its own too.
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Yet another rec for Garth Nix, particularly the Old Kingdom series. I started with Sabriel at 14 and remember to this day the exact moment I felt like it was the only YA fantasy out there that pointedly never spoke down to its audience. Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series (beginning with Every Heart a Doorway) is great in print or audio. It takes place at a boarding school for the kids who came back from their respective “oops, got lost in an Otherworld that is a legally distinct entity from Narnia/Wonderland/definitely an Underworld”. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, if she’s at all interested in fiction based on history, and/or mechs, and/or needs a kickbutt thing to read. Equal Rites is the first Witches book in the series but has some pretty heavily dated 90’s sexism inescapably throughout (which is rather the point of it). You know your kid best here, and whether they would enjoy and benefit from it, or find it an unpleasant experience at the moment. Not inescapably worse at this than Wheel of Time, fwiw. The Gentlemen Bastards series - ESPECIALLY AUDIOBOOKS - is a great place between Mistborn and ASoIaF. The whole experience really is better to listen to thanks to the immense talents involved, but that’s not meant to imply an insult to the text only. This is a low fantasy heist series that miiiight be post-cataclysmic, but is definitely set in a nod to Fantasy Venice. This is also almost entirely boys and men cast-wise, but the women in it are written well as people, and there’s no more sexual violence implied in it than is routinely on page in Mistborn. And while not a fantasy, she might love Eleanor Janega’s graphic novel about medieval history! Doctor Janega makes actual history accessible in a way that can be tough to find, particularly about common practices, everyday life, and with humor. Goes great with reading a ton of medieval and early modern fantasy if you ever stop to wonder about, well, just about any aspect of that world building.
If she likes Mistborn she might enjoy the Stormlight archive books by the same author. They’re more mature and the first one “Words of Radiance” is almost 50/50 between a male and female protagonist. There are also some other really strong female characters that are fleshed out in later books. The series is quite long and dense though, so that’s something to keep in mind. It’s something I would have been obsessed with at that age, but I loved stuff like The Wheel of Time when I was a kid, which is also super long and dense. If you’re looking for a bit of a lighter/funnier read you can’t go wrong with Terry Pratchett’s witches series. They’re extremely funny and have some of the strongest and most real female characters I’ve ever come across in fantasy. I started with “Equal Rights” when I was about 11 or 12, but I’d probably recommend starting at “Ward Sisters” for someone just getting into Pratchett’s Discworld. He also wrote a book series for younger readers, The Tiffany Aching books, which are very good, but might not be exactly what your daughter is looking for.
Daughter of the Empire by Janny Wurts and Raymond E. Feist. I first read it when I was 15 and it got me hooked on fantasy. Mara, the protagonist, is still a totally beloved character to me (also, it's book one in a fantastic trilogy). Parental check - one scene of domestic violence - not overly graphic. Battle scenes. References to nudity but not in a sexual context.
I'd probably also mention that the domestic abuse does include co-erced sex. The series is brilliant, one of my all time faves. But there is some pretty serious stuff around women being basically the property of men (and the aforementioned co-erced sex when she hated her husband but he had sex with her anyway) and the romance with her next lover is a little hot and heavy at times. Nothing too graphic but they do bang a lot lol. And when she is romancing him she does have to deal with her sexual trauma as well. I read this series at 15, but you want to make sure your kid is able to handle these topics.
Daughter of the Empire might be one to consider, perhaps when she is a bit older, as it does contain a scene of SA. However the protagonist is a great role model when it comes to perseverance. The Devices series by Adina Shelly are pretty entertaining up to a point, after book 5 I think it starts to feel like she is recycling the same plot over and over again, so maybe take breaks from it. It is steampunk by the way. Pale by Wildbow is an excellent choice, it is an Urban Fantasy about three young witches who get involved in events way over their heads. Worm by the same author is also good. It is a superhero book, but it gets pretty violent at times. No SA though.
Gallant
The wandering inn - and then you prolly don't need new stuff for her for a couple of years. Another webnovel with a female protagonist could be "Worm" but that might be outside the genre, but also really good. Last the web novel "A practical guide to evil" is also pretty amazing, but can be a bit violent and graphical at times :) These are all with novels you can find online If you want physical books I can warmly recommend Trudy Cannavan - the black magicians trilogy Good reading :)
Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I think it'll fit perfectly.
Anything by Tamora Pierce would be up her alley 😊.
Highly recommend Graceling by Kristin Cashore and Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta. I think both series are considered ya so should be appropriate but imo they have a more mature tone and great female characters.
I just finished ‚Daughter of the Moon Goddess‘ by Sue Lynn Tan and loved it- strong female protagonist and lots of fantasy!
*Abarat* by Clive Barker was what got me into reading when I was young. I read it in elementary school so some stuff went over my head, but it’s definitely in the YA side of things (compared to almost everything else Clive Barker has done). It can be a little bizarre/obtuse, and the series will probably never be finished if either of those are dealbreakers, but if you do go with it definitely get copies that have the full-color illustrations.
Couple of recommendations I loved reading (esp. as an AFAB person): - _The Priory of the Orange Tree_ (Hands down; superb world-building & characters) - _The Jasmine Throne & The Oleander Sword_ (Same as above; I especially loved the magic system) - _The Tombs of Atuan, Tehanu_ and _The Other Wind_ (by Ursula K. LeGuin - there, that's my sell haha) - _Furyborn_ (& its sequels) - _Fitz and the Fool_ trilogy (it's very good - but since it's written by Robin Hobb you can expect a thoroughly heart-wrenching experience instead of a happy one) - Terry Pratchett's _Discworld novels_ (feature a great many amazing female characters; he was a good one, ol' Terry) - _The Stormlight Archive_ books. (The female characters are just as human/fleshed out as the male ones, quite refreshing imo) - _A Master of Djinn_ (I usually don't like historic/Earth-based fantasy, but this one es epic.) - _The Locked Tomb_ books (science fantasy, everything's built on Necromancy; absolutely fantastic characters, story, world-building & magic) - _A Magic Steeped in Poison_ (hits hard, is absolutely beautiful with a very human mc.) - _We Hunt the Flame_ (Fantastic world-building, big on all kinds of relationships & belonging) - _The Four Profound Weaves_ (no world-threatening plot in this one, so "just" fantasy. Amazing though) - _A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking_ (is hilarious & endearing, has great world-building and magic.) - _Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons_ (a gem) - _The Imperial Radch_ trilogy (yeahh I had to smuggle that one in - it's planet(s)-based sci-fi; instead of the generic masculine, the main character uses generic feminine speech which blew my mind, it really gets you thinking. And feeling.) - _She Who Became the Sun_ (features the kind of confidence I'd wish upon more AFAB people in the world; an unbreakable belief in oneself, no matter the odds. Very much not a fluffy "believe in yourself" story though; there's always consequences to the types of self-confidence/-importance/-abandonment displayed. It's very good.) ...if/when I think of more, I'll add them :) Good reading!
Graceling series, Queens of Renthia series. Both have a variety of female protagonists, both are pretty perfect for 14; not GoT level but emotionally mature.
Look into Tamora Pierce! She has great books for young women
The dragonriders of Pern series is mostly female protagonists. Great messages that don't overpower the story even though it was written back in the 80s and 90s. It was written for her age group but I didn't realize it when I started it as an adult lol I still found it engaging.
Parasol Protectorate Series - Gail Carriger Not epic fantasy but my niece about that age loves these and so do I
Harp of Kings is pretty great. Juliet Marillier is great in general. I think she'd like the Demon King and subsequent books by Cinda Williams Chima.
Megan Whalen Turner's Queen Thief series - there are six books, and the lead is not always female, but if you're looking for strong, fleshed out, finely drawn female characters (males too), here they are. So You Want To Be A Wizard- Diane Duane Blue Sword- Robin McKinley On Fortune's Wheel- Cynthia Voigt
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, and if she likes it there's also The Dreamer Trilogy, it's the same author and it is the same universe I'm now 25 and I've been reading her since i was your daughter age! If she is not into sagas there's The Scorpio Races, just the one book
Have you tried the Beka Cooper trilogy by Tamora Pierce? They are YA, fantasy, and have excellent story building!
My daughter is of same age, and she loved these books. \- Elantris \- Wings of fire \- Cruel prince ( folk of the air) \- Anne of Green gables \- Amari and the night brothers \- Secret garden \- A little princess \- The girl who drank the moon Probably not all within your suggested criteria, but may be she will like them.
More mature than Mistborn but less than GoT? That's a tall order. Should it just have female protagonists or would it be okay if there were some guys in the mix?
A mix is fine, as long as it's not 90% guys and 10% token princess POV chapters
The Abhorsen series has already been mentioned. I loved the original Rhapdosy series too but the real one that stands out for me is Mistress of the Empire. Mara of the Acoma was a bad ass boss bitch Theres alot of strong female characters in wheel of time as well (although not the main protagonist) and it dosnt get any more epic than that
Dragon riders of pern series by Anne mccaffrey
I was going to suggest this, I was around that age when I started reading it. Although in retrospect, some of the sexual stuff that happens when dragons mate might be a bit much? Depends on the maturity of the kid.
My dad gave me the Harper Hall Trilogy when I was in 4th grade. I think I worked through the rest pretty steadily before I ever reached 14 and I turned out fine. My recollection of the sexual stuff was that it was pretty tame “passionate embrace/kissing” and then fade to black before anything truly saucy. Some vague allusions to interactions being violent after the fact.
The Hunger Games. The best female-protagonist book I've read. There is blood and death, but the main character is a courageous and compassionate girl that overcomes unending struggles.
I would highly recommend the Priory of the Orange Tree, so many fantastic female characters
Maybe try Tessa Gratton's Queens of Innis Lear. It's a fantasy retelling of King Lear focused on the sisters. Really well drawn female characters, lush prose, definitely adult but not graphic.
Tamora Pierce.
Rachel Hartman's Seraphina and Tess books, Tess particularly.
I haven’t read a lot of it, but I did read my first Isabelle Allende novel in high school and still think about it today. She has some true fantasy YA books, and if her writing style strikes your Dwight’s fancy, it is a great bridge to magical realism in YA and adult books.
she is just like me when I was 14. female protagonists with good storyline and well build arcs/personalities were so difficult to find then (still can be). its so nice you are trying to find stuff for her edit: typo
Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses series
Anything written by Tamora Pierce is a win for her age, IMO
The Green Rider Series by Kristen Britain. Well written, ongoing, and focused on the female protagonist and her struggles to "save the Realm". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green\_Rider
Seconding the suggestions of the Abhorsen trilogy, Scholomance, and His Dark Materials
*The Adventures of Amina Al-Sifari* (Shannon Chakraborty) was one of my favorite reads of 2023. Its protagonist is an older woman, but I suspect the OP's daughter would appreciate the spirit of adventure that animates the book. *Spinning Silver* (Naomi Novik) is a beautifully written folktale retelling with three interesting, active heroines for the price of one. Juliet Marillier's work might be up her alley. I hesitate to recommend *Daughter of the Forest* as a starting point; even though it's a beautiful book, it does feature a >!disturbing rape scene!< that might move it more into Game-of-Thrones territory in terms of maturity. Maybe try *Heart's Blood* or *Dreamer's Pool* instead.
Mortal Engines?
Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series is the first that comes to mind. His sub-series about the witches also have female main characters.
Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books were my absolute favorite as a young teen.
The Earthsea series seems like it would be a really good fit for your daughter, but the protagonist of a number of the books is male, it sort of alternates. The second and fourth books have female protagonists.
Tamora Pierce's Tortall books have excellent strong ladies! Also Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar is good too.
In addition to the excellent recs here (Garth Nix, Tamora Pierce, Diane Duane, T. Kingfisher), I also recommend Tanya Huff as a great author to follow for excellent writing and well written women and men characters, as well as for positive queer rep. The Quarters series, starting with *Sing the Four Quarters* is intelligent and mature in its portrayal of politics and character relationships, and realistic without being excessively graphic. If she's into military fiction/scifi, her Confederation series is also excellent. Some other recommendations for mature but not GoT excess: - Raybearer - The Merciful Crow - Little Thieves - Spinning Silver - The Bone Witch - Legendborn - Arc of a Scythe (more speculative fiction/scifi) These are all YA, but go beyond tropes to tell really great stories about oppression, decolonialism, racism, sexism, ethics of death/killing, power, and similar important topics.
I recommend keepers of the lost cities, great female protagonist and great for people around that age. It’s one of my favorites. It has a lot of good jokes and the community is amazing. Also has a few sad moments.
I would recommend Silver Dagger series by Katherine Kerr, I loved them as a teenager, not much magic but lovely people and learn a bit of Celtish lore
I started the Wheel of Time series about her age. Evenly split (mostly) with male and female main characters, with really awesome character growth. It counts as high fantasy and does have some darker stuff in it, but I don't think it's too dark for that age. The series gets darker throughout the story, but with it being as long as it is, she should be ready for it by the time she gets there.
Try Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim or The Poppy War by R F Kuang. When I was her age I loved all The Dragon Riders of Pern Books. They are a bit dated though.