Eight of My Favorite Female Characters in YA Fantasy

By Lilian Calix
May 27, 2015

I love a book with a strong female character, so here are eigh of my favorite titles with phenomenal leading ladies:

Strange Angels, by Lili St. Crow, is a series that I adore. In Strange Angels we meet Dru Anderson. Dru is one of my favorite heroines because she has a special ability that allows her to sense when bad things are about to happen . Her grandmother calls this ability “the touch”. Having “the touch” is useful to Dru because she hunts  ghost, suckers, and wulfen with her father. Dru’s life changes when her father is killed. With the help of her best friend, Graves, Dru seeks   answers about why her parents  were killed…

Divergent, by Veronica Roth, tells the epic story of a young girl named Beatrice “Tris” Prior, who resides in a dystopian world set in Chicago. Tris lives in a world divided into five factions. Tris was born in the Abnegation faction. At sixteen years old she has to choose in which faction she wants to belong. In order to choose a faction, all young people must take a test that tells them where they belong, but Tris’s test results are inconclusive. Tris is divergent; she does not fit in to just one faction. She fits into three…now she must decide whether to venture into the unknown or stay with her family in Abnegation. Tris’s choice surprises everyone. In her new faction Tris’s finds that her divergent status is dangerous, and she must learn to fight to protect herself…

 Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead, begins with guardian-in-training Rose Hathaway, a half human-half vampire (Dhampir), and Moroi Princess Vasilisa Dragomir (Mortal Vampire) being captured and returned to St. Vladimir's academy. There, Rose must protect Lisa from something that is praying on her from within the school and the ever looming threat of Strigoi (Evil Immortal Vampire).

Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Mass, is one of my favorite all-time series. The series began as a Cinderella retelling and became its own original tale. The series tells the tale of a young assassin named Celaena Sardothien. Celaena has been caught and imprisoned in the salt mines for her crimes. The Crown Prince, Dorian, offers her a way out of her sentence. If she becomes his champion in the kings tournament and wins the title of royal assassin, she earns her freedom. Celaena accepts and begins training with the captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, for whom she begins to fall, although there are more dangers in the castle than she could have imagined.

 “I volunteer!” are words that resonate with many people at the mention of The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen won the heart of all of Panem and the readers of the series. We meet Katniss Everdeen, a young woman who makes the choice to stand up and save her sister. Her choice sends her to The Hunger Games, a televised event in Panem. The Hunger Games usually only has once victor at the end. However, the rules have changed this year: There can be two winners, as long as they are from the same district. Katniss is paired with Peeta, also from District 12, and she is determined to save him…

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore, tells the story of Katsa. Katsa lives in a land where people are born with unusual skills called a Grace. A "Graceling" is a person with special powers. A Graceling is known for having two different eye colors. Katsa has the Grace of killing, and she is forced to work as a killer for her uncle, the King. Katsa’s life begins to change when she meets Prince Po, who has the Grace of combat skills. Po and Katsa go on a fantastic adventure together and learn dark secrets about their land, while Katsa learns more about her power.

Legend,by Marie Lu, is another of my favorite books. The story is told from the perspective of June and Day. June is a the best soldier in the republic and Day is the most wanted criminal of the republic. When Day is accused of killing June's brother, June decides to go undercover in a quest for vengeance. In a shocking turn of events, June and Day discover the secrets of the corrupt government and begin to work together to fight against it.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is the story of Mare Barrow. Mare is a Red blood young girl who lives under the rule of Silvers. The Reds are poor and the Silvers have god-like powers. When Mare begins to work in the Silver palace, she finds that she, too, has dangerous powers. To hide her power, the Silver king forces Mare to pretend that she is a lost Silver princess. However, Mare secretly defies the king by working with rebels known as The Scarlet Guard.