Join me each Thursday for some Tough Travelling with the Tough Guide, hosted by Fantasy Review Barn. Inspired by ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland,‘ we will set out on a quest to track down the biggest tropes and clichés in fantasy fiction.
| A Lady and her Sword |
Fantasyland is full of threats. A lady and her sword can keep those threats at bay.
Who doesn’t love a good sword-wielding, blood thirsty heroine? Sadly, as I looked through my bookshelves, I came to the realisation that there aren’t half as many as I thought. So in no particular order, here are this week’s five females who wouldn’t hesitate to stick you with the pointy end.
| 1. |
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
Monza Murcatto, The Snake of Talins, is a ruthless fighter and brilliant tactician. This is not a woman to cross unless you are armed to the teeth and preferably have an army at your back.
| 2. |
Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Tynisa Maker is a brilliant duelist turned deadly weaponsmaster who cuts through men like a scythe through wheat.
| 3. |
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is the woman who would not be left behind. Disguised as a man, Eowyn rides into battle to draw swords against the terrible Witch-King of Angmar.
| 4. |
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
Arya Stark, less concerned with courtly appearances and feminine past times, learns to wield a blade under the tutelage of master sword fighter, Syrio Forel.
| 5. |
The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix
When the dead start to rise one could do worse than calling on the Abhorsen who, armed with a sword and a set of bells, sends the dead back to rest.
Are there any other sword-wielding women who should have made the list? If you would like to join in with Tough Travelling, head on over to the Fantasy Review Barn and sign up!
Books by Proxy 
I think it is cool how we both have Eowyn and Sabriel on our lists 🙂 I did think of Arya but I still sort of think of her as a little girl, so went for Brienne of Tarth instead. Arya is still a very cool choice though.
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Yes! 😀 I thought I would have a lot more sword wielding women about but it turns out they prefer powerful magics instead!
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Yay! Arya and Needle! 🙂
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The only one I’ve read about on your list is Eowyn but the others sound great.
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Abercrombie’s Monza Murcatto is a great choice for this week’s meme: Best Served Cold was my first Abercrombie book and Monza the perfect heroine for that grimdark adventure 🙂
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I really loved Monza too, far different from many other fantasy heroines! Abercrombie has quite a few other wonderful female side characters who would fit the bill too!
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Nice list. I also wondered about including Arya but then kind of forgot her in the final list.
Lynn 😀
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My excuse for forgetting anyone (as I usually do) is that I’m limiting it to five!
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YES! High five for another Monza Murcatto, great minds think alike! I was hoping to see her more this week, tbh! 🙂
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Yes she thoroughly deserves a place at the top of any list of kick-ass ladies! 😀
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Oh Tynisa is a great one. The series finally got the later books picked up in the states, I need to get back to it.
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I love this series so much! I never seem to find any fault with it… or maybe I overlook them. In any case, I need to finish it!
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My five would have to be Tarma from Mercedes Lackey’s Vows and Honor series (my first sword wielding heroine); Lena from Jim C. Hines’s Magic Ex Libris series; Alanna from Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness Quartet; Kayla from Jonathan Wood’s No Hero; and I’m going to cheat a little and say pick a story from the Chicks in Chainmail anthologies, you’ll probably find one.
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Well there you go – five books I have never read! Will definitely have to check some of these out.. gotta love some female sword action!
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I heard the Song of the Lioness Quartet once described as “a very 80s” girl rebels against being a lady story, but I’ve reread that book in the last few years and it still holds up. I’d also recommend the other books set in the world. My favorite, and my sister’s, are the Trickster books. Ali is both cunning and witty, my first thought when I read your Tough Traveling post on, well, tricksters.
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And more books I’ve not read – I really must hunt them out… and of course support the under-represented females of the genre! 😀
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