There’s one thing I always look for in a good book: a strong female lead. Whether it’s fantasy, contemporary fiction or a romance I’m looking for the HBIC. So I thought in honour of International Women’s Day, I’d bring you five books with incredible female leads.
By Gemma Mathers
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens.
Abandoned as a child, Kya Clark raised herself alone in the marshes of North Carolina that she calls home. Rumours of the strange marsh girl have haunted Barkley Cove for years, further isolating Kya from the townspeople. But when the marsh girl takes a step into civilisation the town turns on her more than ever.
Accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, Kya finds herself at the mercy of a town that have never called her a friend. As the case unfolds and the truth becomes increasingly harder to determine, Kya learns just what it means to be an outcast. Where the Crawdads Sing is a brilliantly crafted novel about the trials of isolation in this coming-of-age tale.
Her Radiant Curse
by Elizabeth Lim
When her own father offers her in sacrifice to the demon witch, Channi is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, the only person who doesn’t fear Channi is her sister Vanna. Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a horrific contest intended to put money in the pockets of the cruel village leaders. Channi, the only one who can protect her sister from this terrible fate, finds herself as the target of the worst of Vanna’s potential suitors. Determined to save her sister, Channi faces a choice that will strain her heart to its breaking point.
Elizabeth Lim returns with this dazzling prequel set in the same world as Six Crimson Cranes. A tale of courage, loyalty and the strength of sisterhood, Her Radiant Curse is yet another whimsical masterpiece by Lim.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is no exception. Reclusive Hollywood movie star Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her life of glamour and scandal, there’s only one catch: she won’t talk to anyone but Monique Grant. No one is more confused than Monique herself who has never been connected to star-studded Evelyn Hugo, but the opportunity to get a tell-all interview with the biggest movie star of the 20th century is an opportunity Monique simply can’t pass up.
Taylor Jenkins Reid spins a tale of passion, heartbreak and tragedy in this novel with one of the most enticing main characters of recent times. Evelyn Hugo – the woman that she is.
The Poppy War
by R.F. Kuang
The Poppy War is the startling debut by author R.F. Kuang following passionate, yet ruthless, Fang Runin. Outcasted and alone, Fang Runin (Rin) is the most unlikely candidate of Sinegard military college. Rin discovers she possesses an uneathly, lethal power in the mythical art of shamanism. As her power stirs, Rin realises the long-believed-dead gods are very much alive and mastering her powers might mean more than just surviving the school year. For war is stirring across the narrow sea and the peace of the Nikara Empire is theatened as a third Poppy War looms.
The Poppy War is a brutal read and Rin is unquestionably a very strong character. Not only in her powers but her determination and strength against all odds.
A Thousand Ships
by Natalia Haynes
Natalia Haynes reimagines the Trojan War from an all-female perspective. Bringing to life the stories of all the women at the centre of the West’s greatest tale ever told, from the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to Penelope longing for Odysseus’ return, Haynes leaves no woman behind. In removing the men from centre stage Haynes allows for the narrative to shift towards the characters whose stories are overlooked.
A Thousand Ships dutifully unravels the catastrophes of a ten year long war while unleashing the voices of the silenced. It’s all about the women in Hayne’s world and we’re here for it.