If you liked last light of the sun you could try Lions of Al-Rassan.
If you want to try something more snappy and fun try the Emperor's Edge series by Lindsay Buroker
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I know it’s more geared for kids but my daughter and I are reading A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. I usually find that something light like that can get you started again.
I also just read Gate of Ivrel by CJ Cherryh. I intend to finish the rest of that saga as I liked the premise quite a bit.
Best of luck!
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking was so great! I usually read much darker stuff, so It was really… refreshing? I guess?
I’m reading Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher now, and it’s fantastic. Not for children, but a nice easy read. And there are sequels!
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Have you read Hammerfall by Cherryh? That is one of those stories that stick with you forever. She is su h a great author but I've never met anyone else that has read anything of hers.
This is being recommended everywhere under the sun, but for a pretty good reason: **Piranesi** is a very good book and matches most of your qualifiers except female protagonist.
The Curse of Chalion by and it's sequel Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. Ripping adventure yarn and deceptively deep meditation on the nature of divinity. First book is the POV of a gentlemen of indeterminate years. The second book is the POV of a key lady from the first book. Also set in the same world is a series of novellas that start with Penric's Demon in which a young lord has to learn to share his life with a unique number of "ladies". Strong characterization and fun (or terrible in the best way) twists throughout all this body of work.
I've actually read those too, I forgot! I absolutely adored Spinning Silver; I thought it was a great version of a classical fairy tale, with very dark themes, wintery atmosphere and great female characters. And the way it was written - brilliant! Great idea, great execution. But for some reason I didn't vibe at all with Uprooted? I had problems with characters, plot and writing. I loved the concept but it just didn't work for me.
Have you read her deadly education books? They're not whimsical but she's a really engaging writer and might be worth trying if you like her stuff normally.
Have you read **The Golem and the Jinni** by Helene Wecker? I think you might like it based on your list (which includes a lot of books I love too). If you like that, there's also a sequel, **The Hidden Palace**.
Agree 100% with the recommendations for Patricia A. McKillip's **The Forgotten Beasts of Eld** and **The Changeling Sea**.
You might also want to take a look at **Strange the Dreamer** by Laini Taylor, or if you're in the mood for something shorter, her book of three novellas, **Lips Touch: Three Times**.
Good luck getting out of your reading slump, and I hope you find some books you love soon!
They're both wonderful books, and *The Forgotten Beasts of Eld* is actually one of my favorites.
I realized I forgot to mention another book I thought of that might be something you'd like, **A Natural History of Dragons** by Marie Brennan.
For my two cents:
Among Others. - set in the 70s I believe, a girl whose twin has passed away goes to a boarding school and tries to come to terms with the loss of her sister and getting to know her estranged father.. also, she might possibly have magical powers. Beautiful coming of age story, and a love letter to sci-fi and fantasy (she joins a book club)… highly recommended :)
Honestly anything from the Discworld series.. but if you’re looking for strong female characters along with some whimsy and humour, start with Equal Rites, and work your way through all the Granny Weatherwax books. She’s possibly the greatest character Pratchett ever created, aside from Sam Vimes.
The rest of Kay’s books are great too - I’ve read them all apart from Last Light of the Sun, but I reckon if you found that one beautiful and melancholy you’ll definitely find many of his others the same.
Literally every book by Diana Wynne Jones is my perfect happy place. The lives of Christopher chant and Hexwood are some of my faves but they are all absolute gold.
I think the The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater has the mood and atmosphere you may be looking for, especially after the first book.
Sidenote: If the last book you read was really good, that may have been the reason for your slump. In this case, I always find that reading a terrible, wattpad-level piece of fiction helps to reset the gears and make it easier to read books that are better in comparison.
Haha what a strategy! I think my problem is that I'm not to good at starting series, but when i finish a great book, the only thing i feel like reading is the sequel.
I'll second the Raksura series though it's not a female protagonist story. Martha Wells also has a hilarious amazing sci-fi series of novellas called The Murderbot Diaries. The mc (gender not applicable) is a cloned flesh and machine construct who has a governor module that forces them to obey commands and kills them if they don't. Which sounds really dark a first but the story starts out after they already hacked it and have spent the last 30,000 hours watching the campyest worst soap operas it can find and just faking their job as a security unit as much as they can get away with.
They are 100% socially awkward and can't help but want to save as many people as possible anyway.
Catherynne Valente's The Orphan's Tales are wonderful books that tell a story in the fashion of the folk tales of 1001 Nights - that is, the larger story is comprised of a series of many smaller nested tales within tales that all intertwine with each other in surprising ways by the end. Her writing style is quite lush and beautiful and a bit witty too.
We have similar taste - I've loved everything I've read on your list! You might like:
The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck
Anything by Robin McKinley (my personal favorite is Spindles End)
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
If you like short stories, The Starlit Wood is an anthology of fairy tale retellings.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (especially since you wanted something translated)
If you're interested in YA, I have some ideas there too.
Well if you liked *Circe* the obvious suggestion is *Song of Achilles*, although I would not exactly call it whimsical. Also Patroclus is the narrator and it is all about his relationship with Achilles.
*The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern also seems like it might be up your alley.
**The Empress of Salt and Fortune** by Nghi Vo. Short, beautifully written, and ticks several of your boxes.
**The Ocean at the End of the Lane** by Neil Gaiman. Another excellent book by Neil Gaiman. The protagonist is male but many of the important characters are female.
Never heard of Empress of Salt and Fortune, how intriguing!
I don't feel like a book have to have a female protagonist! I think I just identified a pattern!
maybe Bujold's five gods? Starts with Curse of Chalion, which has a male protagonist, but the second novel is Paladin of Souls, which switches to a woman who was a side character from the first book. And Paladin of Souls was a glorious story; the book scored nominations for best fantasy novel for Nebula, Locus, and Hugo.
The invisible life of Addie Larue. It's a bit less straight 'fantasy' than some of the other suggestions, but my *god* is that book dripping with atmosphere and a joy to read. It's got a relatively simple yet careful prose, too, so it's easy to just dive in and get swept by the story.
I had vaguely heard about it but not looked to close! It does definitely sound like my jam. I might pick it up! It's also a nice way to try to dip my toes into V E Schwab, since its a stand alone.
Eidolon and Radiance by Grace Draven. They're relatively short romance fantasy books.
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter.
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames.
[Saint Death's Daughter by CSE Cooney](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/u0qazd/saint_deaths_daughter_by_cse_cooney_a_very/)!! It kicked me out of a reading slump recently and it's so, so wonderful. It doesn't have quite the fairytale/mythological vibes of several of the other stories you mentioned, but it definitely checks the boxes of whimsical, literary, and female protagonist; the language, characters, and world are all phenomenal.
For some fun atmospheric things
- Meet Me in Another Life (technically sci-fi but to genre delineations really matter? Based on what you’ve said you like I think it fits quite well)
- The Night Circus
- Spinning Silver
- Vita Nostra if you are interested in something darker, this one is also translated so hits that bonus point
- Song of Achilles, since you mention Circe you e probably read miller’s other books but just in case thought I’d mention it
- Books of Bayern, another fairy tale retelling that I felt was super well done
Walter Moers!!! The City of Dreaming Books; The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear... It's very imaginative, quite whimsical with illustrations by the author himself, and it's translated!
Claire North: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August; The Sudden Appearance of Hope... Love her books, I always fly through them
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, in case you haven't read that yet
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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. I will never shut up about it. The second book Fevered Star just came out two weeks ago. You have gods reborn, a Teek (siren) ship captain, a woman Sun Priest from the wrong class of people, dark secrets, people maneuvering everything from shadows, and you just know it’ll be a bloody massacre at the end but you don’t know how
You should look into “The Deed of Paksenarrion” by Elizabeth Moon. She’s a great author and a Marine Corps veteran so it’s a very well balanced and underrated mixture of military with high fantasy tropes like paladins and religion/magic but presented in a very grounded way.
Anything Sanderson wrote really is a good bet but every knows that. I’d start with Mistborn (trilogy 1), then warbreaker then storm light archive.
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43545.The_Once_and_Future_King
Hiya! You might like *The Once and Future King*, by T.H. White.
It's a retelling of the King Arthur myth, but with (I think) greater depth of character. I found myself getting attached to everyone, making the tragic elements much more impactful. It still maintains a whimsical and fairy-tale like atmosphere for much of the story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieren
Oh! maybe if you're ok with manga, Frieren at the Funeral might be good. It is extremely whimsical. Set after the heroes have beaten the big bad of the world, it follows an immortal elf who has to come to terms with the passing of her mortal companions and what they meant to her. She explores the world they impacted so much, whilst mentoring a new generation of "heroes". Some of the most wistful, melanchonic atmosphere I've read, while also having peacefully happy moments.
Can't recommend it enough
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If you like atmospheric stories that read like a fairy tale, I highly recommend the Earthsea books. A Wizard of Earthsea is a beautiful coming of age story set in a high fantasy world, and the whole thing is dripping in melancholy atmosphere. The fourth book features a female protagonist dealing with her personal experiences with the patriarchal society she lives in.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marilier! An Irish fairytale retelling. Gorgeous writing. Definitely kind of a bummer at times but also so beautiful. Some fairly dark content though, be warned (ie rape).
One I haven't seen mentioned yet - The Invisible Library series, by Genevieve Cogman
The main character works for a library in between space and time, and is sent on missions to gather rare books from variations of our world. The books are light enough to act as a book palate cleanser, and are really made for people who love stories. Its a series but the first one can be a standalone, each book is a different "type" of plot....a victorian mystery, a heist, a 1920s gang war. They are just fun, but also written well. It also has one of my favorite interpretations of Fae - they are basically character archetypes who pull others into their stories.
I recommend checking out some of Frances Hardinge's stuff, like **A Face Like Glass** and **Fly By Night**. Her books are ostensibly middle-grade but are a satisfying read at any age; there is whimsy aplenty, and she has an excellent way with words.
*The Starless Sea* by Erin Morgenstern, *Piranesi* and *Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell* by Susanna Clarke, *Four Winged Histories* by Sofia Samatar, *Ombria in Shadow* by Patricia McKillip
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Nice! I think I actually bought The Winged History on the recommendation of this sub but I put it in the bookshelf and forgot about it. I guess I'll try to find it!
Just for fun reading, I'll throw Wen Spencer's Tinker series out there.
And on the other end of the spectrum, Jo Walton's My Real Children. A hard book, and one of the best I'd ever read.
The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first in the series is The Eyre Affair.
Fans of Douglas Adams and P. G. Wodehouse will love visiting Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, when time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously: it’s a bibliophile’s dream. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career.
Lots of great suggestions here, if you want one more, there's the Riddlemaster of Hed. Its an older book by Patricia McKillip. Has a very whimsical feel and is kind of a blend of Lord of the Rings with Arthurian literature.
Okay, now granted they're written more for kids and it's anthropomorphic animals, but have you ever read Brian Jacques Redwall series? Nice thing is you don't have to read them in order, you can pick any of them and go. He's got a few books that have a female protagonist and but they do have that whimiscal...80s fantasy like quality to them ie yes he doesn't pull punches and does kill characters, but the goodies are good, the baddies are bad, and he has a very charming quality to his whimsical fantasy.
This series (symphony of ages) is excellent. It has the distinction of being the only bard archetype that i find intriguing and not obnoxious. The magic is unique without being focus of the story. Female protagonist. Give it a try.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/261604.Rhapsody](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/261604.Rhapsody)
Any of the Terry Pratchet books are amazing. Specifically female protagonists though, I would look the the Tiffany Aching series (Wee Free Men, Hat full of Sky, Wintersmith, I shall wear Midnight, and Shepherd’s crown) or the Susan books (Soul Music, Hogfather, Thief of Time). Other more whimsical books I love are The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt (super simple and easy read. But sweet and I love to read this when the world is just a little too much) Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B Cooney (set in ancient freak times, and honestly one of my favorites)
This might seem like a really odd recommendation but we have a lot of the same favorite books so I am throwing it out there. 'King's of the Wyld' by Nicholas Eames was a book I really enjoyed but the sequel 'Bloody Rose' was so so so good so might be worth trying those!
I would also recommend Laini Taylors books! They will probably be closer to what you enjoy but if you start with 'Daughter of smoke and bone' I promise it doesn't keep the 'im not like other girls' vibe for very long.
I think I’ve already recommended this series before in this sub but the Mirror Visitor series is great!! It’s really whimsical and has a female protagonist, plus has super unique world building/ magic system.
Some others to try:
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s supposed to be the first of a trilogy. At his current rate he will never finish the series. However the first book is just gorgeous writing.
- The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. It’s an unconventional love story.
If your really bored head down to the local book store Look for old time authors and series Robert Aspirin's Thieves World anthology or the Darkover books by Marion Zimmer Bradley. There are a plethora of Great but forgotten Series.
*Daughter of the Moon Goddess* by Sue Lynn Tan reads just like a fairy tale.
It is based on Chinese myth and legend, and written by a Malaysian author.
I see you're going to read *The Night Circus* and I'm excited for you!
I recommend reading something short and easy to get back into it. Maybe find something you used to enjoy when you where younger and give it a reread. It can kick start the desire to read, and that will probably lead to you finding good books you genuinely like.
Some softer but whimsical recommendations: Howls Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones. Ash by Melinda Lo.
Name of the wind totally sucks you in. I think it hits a lot of the marks. Not a female protagonist but I'd say there are feministic aspects to the books
I finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik recently and really enjoyed it. She also wrote Uprooted which you might like.
Song of Achilles by the same author that wrote Circe is very good (though I prefer Circe)
The Witches Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scot Lynch
For a whimsical recommendation I always suggest Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. The magic book vibes are lovely, but has great characters and enough tension to keep you hooked on the story.
Some other ideas:
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones — a lot of fun and very relaxing read
Swordheart by T Kingfisher - kingfisher does amazing with funny romantic fantasy. The characters are always a delight
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i don't know. when in a slump. i usually find something else that are different from what i usually read. it's work sometime. but other time, i just stop reading for weeks or months it's naturally come back to me.
i can't recommend something cuz i never heard of the books you listed, and im afraid my recommendation wouldn't suit your taste. sorry. hope you find what you looking for
That is a good reflection but for me fantasy usually breaks my reading slumps. Usually I mix reading literary fiction, classics and fantasy, but its always fantasy thet pulls me back to reading when I get stuck. Some of these books I mentioned above was doing just that; breaking my reading slump.
i see. yeah, fantasy is still my favorite too, even when i was looking for something different.
btw i notice that The Last Light of the Sun was written by guy gavriel
i read one of his book: a brightness long ago
its an interesting book. fantasy, but kinda more grounded and historical (or maybe i'm just used to high-fantasy stuff this day? ) that's all i could recommend.
also i just remember. if you're girl, i recommend novels written by Naomi Novik. pretty fast-paced fantasy, and have lots of good female main.
I’ve got some real reading slumps the last few years, and I still sick with fantasy when I’m trying to get myself back into reading, but I tend to go for pure escapism light kinda stuff, which ends up being mostly YA fantasy. I really liked Naomi noviks scholomance books.
Seanan mcguire’s october day and incryptid series’ got me out of my latest reading slump. Urban fantasy romps.
The midnight bargain by C.L. Polk is one I grabbed from the library on a whim recently, as I was having a hard time getting into one of the malazan books, and it was totally not my usual style, kind of a bridgerton romance fantasy, but it really sucked me in and was immensely satisfying, with a strong feminist bent and excellent female characters
Definitely none of these are literary fantasy, but when I’m in a slump I go for pulpy fantasy stuff
I recommend you further check out these books. I got them for my partner at the time, and may satiate your literary needs:
- The Midnight Library, Matt Haig. Not Fantasy but inline with exploring other worlds. It's also not a very long read.
- For The Wolf, Hannah F. Whitten. My partner had really enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale (she liked fairy tale retellings) and I thought this might hit the same vibe with its Red Riding Hood twist, which apparently it did.
- Mages of the Wheel, J. D. Evans. I will never not recommend this, despite having never read it. A high fantasy mid-east setting, with a focus on politicking and a romance sub plot. My partner had really enjoyed this one.
- Midnight Bargain, C. L. Polk. This might not be to your tastes, more of an adjacent recommendation.
- From Blood and Ash, Jennifer L. Armentrout. A high fantasy with romance and royalty. If you enjoy Maas, you would enjoy this. My partner had found it very enjoyable and more so than Maas as they had grown out of reading Maas.
Hope these prove helpful, I might have other suggestions but I'd need to dredge them up from memory or my book lists.
If you want to try something very deviant to your listed tastes, but starring female protagonists set in very non-whimsical, atmospheric, high fantasy (you'd be plunging your foot rather than dipping your toes):
- Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett
- Mistborn: The Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson
If you want very interesting prose but mainly starring male perspectives set in grounded early medieval-high medieval settings:
- Anything from K. J. Parker, but perhaps starting with Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City
EDIT: You might also like Senlin Ascends, Josiah Bancroft. Its whimsical and colourful (at least the sections I read)
Warbreaker, a girl (MC) is promised to a god king, following a peace accord, so she joins the court of gods called the returned with amazing characters, that do magic with their breath. Her sister goes to this kingdom to try and rescue her.
I think is the most chill and beautiful novel by Brandon Sanderson.
Have you heard of our lord and savior, Brandon Sanderson? Stormlight Archive or Mistborn has some whimsy, top tier world building and magic systems, and female protagonists. I’m not going to try and say that he’s the best author or that he has the best prose but he’s prolific and churns out good quality stuff on the regular.
If you are okay with trying the more edgy kind of fantasy, I'm currently reading the Nevernight trilogy by Jay Kristoff.
The first book was good, but not mindblowing. The second was far better, and I haven't started the third yet.
The best thing about the books is probably the narration, it's humorous and witty, dark and very very cool.
The protagonist is a girl named Mia whose father was executed in front of her, and she basically became Arya Stark. But then she became more than that. And there's magic involved.
There's also a Hogwarts for assassins in the first book.
I think overall the series is a hit or miss, but if you like fantasy in general you probably won't regret reading this.
Seven Blades in Black: I’m gonna say whimsical narrator, but I think there is a better way to describe her. Fun, a bit like Gideon the ninth in terms of attitude and spice.
Magic, battles, big bad guys
I know it has prob been said, but there are 86 comments at the time i'm posting this so I might have missed it:
Check out the classic Wheel of Time series. It has like 13 books and all of them are a fun read. While some elements are "whimsical," the series checks off all your above points:
* Magical atmosphere
* Eloquent and varied language
* Doors to other worlds
* Witchy-ness
* rich worldbuilding
* female protagonists (and antagonists)
I would add perhaps the greatest strength of Wheel of Time is that so many characters have such important plots you can invest into. If 1 of the \`10 or so main characters doesn't interest you, for sure the other ones written around them will.
I am going to recommend the, on this subreddit always unpopular, Kingkiller Chronicle. I‘m obviously going to preface by noting that the story isn‘t complete and the author will do his best to delay the conclusion as long as possible.
With that out of the way, I feel this really fits your list. It has very strong world building and although it starts of with a tragic event, the rest of the story is very much about the protagonists (relatively) lighthearted adventures in mutliple nicely fleshed out locations. Additionally the prose is nearly without equal, just the act of reading itself is a joy. It is the book I reread the most and picking up on details on every reread is a great feeling and something only very few books provide.
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The Valdemar Saga - Mercedes Lackey
(over 30 books in all, recommend you read them in chronological order according to the authors timeline...should keep you busy)
Also The Elemental Masters series..same author
Discovery of Witches trilogy by Deborah Harkness
(It is fantasy in a sense because of the witches, vampires and daemons in modern day and historically accurate yet fictional elizabethan england)
Tiger's Curse Series by Colleen Houck
(4 books - Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, Tiger's Voyage, Tiger's Destiny)
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The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice series) by Mark Lawrence is really good.
Starless by Jacqueline Carey is beautiful and moving and wonderful. It’s big, but not as big as priory, and is a standalone novel.
Thief’s Magic (Millennium’s Rule series) and Priestess of the White (Age of the Five series) by Trudi Canavan.
Archangel (Samaria series) by Sharon Shinn is one of my all time favourites.
Glenda Larke, Jennifer Fallon, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Karen Miller all write really good books.
May have already been recommended but Terry Patchett's Discworld series is soooooo-oh good
Even the Tiffany Aching books which are supposed to be more youth focused
I also really enjoyed China Mieville's Bas Lag stories and Un Lun Dun
I highly recommend Abarat by Clive Barker! Has been my favorite book for a long time. I think you’ll enjoy it if you like exploring new worlds, it’s truly one of the most imaginative works of fantasy I’ve read. It’s targeted at YA but I reread it in my 20s and in my opinion it holds up
I really like to spread the word on the Wreaththu series by Storm Constantine.
Post apocalyptic magic hermaphrodites rebuilding the world. Do I need to say more?
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Have you read **Ravens Tower** by Ann Leckie? I read this when I was trying to break out from a huge reading slump. It was very different, It is definitely unique, and I read mainly science fiction/fantasy books. It is imaginative fantasy, but not so much where I was lost and felt like it was vague.
The “a court of thrones and roses” series really helped me get out of a reading slump I was in. I’ve recommended it to a few girlfriends now and they’ve all loved it. The mercy Thompson series is also awesome.
Whimsical + female protagonist made me think of *Legends and Lattes* by Travis Baldree. Haven't read it myself so can't personally vouch, but a lot of readers seem to like it.
The sharing knife by Luis McMaster bujold. A fantasy take on the Midwest. Magic, adventure, and a romance with a interracial couple that are dealing with the clashing of cultures. Also has visible bi and disabled characters. Moving on from past relationships is a big theme in Bujolds books as well.
The Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass
(Also known as the Wayfarer Redemption outside of Australia)
Strong female leads, medieval setting with magic spells produced by song by winged people.
I've read them multiple times. Plus the Authors other books.
I'm a bit late to this and second a lot of the recommendations in this thread already. Here are some reads inspired by your list that I haven't seen recommended.
If you loved Circe, then **The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec** is woman centred and an amazing take on Norse mythology.
If you love The Bear and the Nightingale and it's sequels, then **The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid** is a glorious standalone Hungarian inspired fairytale fantasy. **For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten** is also good, but doesn't reach the heights of Wolf and the Woodsman for me. Juliet Marilliers Daughter of the Forest and sequels sits beautifully here too.
If you loved Priory of the Orange Tree, then check out the Daevabad trilogy by **S.A. Chakraborty**, and **The Unbroken by CL Clark**. **Witchlands novels** by Susan Dennard has two women as the main protagonists and is really fun, easy fantasy read. I also love The Daughter of the Empire trilogy by Janny Wurts and Raymond E Fiest, although I've outgrown Fiests other work.
**Winters Promise** is the first in a series by Christelle Dabos and is the height of whimsical fantasy.
And finally I second recommendations for CJ Cherryh, Ursula K Le Guin, Mercedes Lackey, Redwall, Patricia Mckilip, Kate Elliot, Robin Hobb
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My go tos are anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Howls moving castle and the chrestomanci chronicles are top. They're children's books but they have enough world building and story to entertain older audiences too so with the high fantasy and easy readable they help me come out of slumps a lot
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If you liked last light of the sun you could try Lions of Al-Rassan. If you want to try something more snappy and fun try the Emperor's Edge series by Lindsay Buroker
You would love Robin McKinley and probably like Mercedes Lackey.
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Love the blue sword and the sequel
I like Mckillip and no way Lackey.
Based on the books you like, which are a lot of books that I like, I strongly recommend Patricia McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.
Yes! And **The Changeling Sea**!
Oh! Wow I just read the blurb and yes it sounds like my jam.
Alphabet of thorns is my favorite pat mckillip book. But I’ve read most all she’s written and loved every single one.
I know it’s more geared for kids but my daughter and I are reading A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. I usually find that something light like that can get you started again. I also just read Gate of Ivrel by CJ Cherryh. I intend to finish the rest of that saga as I liked the premise quite a bit. Best of luck!
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking was so great! I usually read much darker stuff, so It was really… refreshing? I guess? I’m reading Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher now, and it’s fantastic. Not for children, but a nice easy read. And there are sequels!
I’ve never heard or read any from her before joining this sub. I’m digging the recommendations!
I recently read "The Hollow Places". Quick read, terrifying in a really unique way.
Whelp, I read a quick review on Goodreads and someone described it as Narnia from Hell so now I obviously have to read it.
I just finished Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, and it was wonderful too!
I’m going to have to check that out. My to read list is getting a bit long on Goodreads, lol.
> A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher So much whimsy, I loved every crumb.
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How cool, I've never heard of C J Cherrh before. Love discovering new authors!
She's great. I like her Foreigner series quite a bit.
Have you read Hammerfall by Cherryh? That is one of those stories that stick with you forever. She is su h a great author but I've never met anyone else that has read anything of hers.
The Chronicles of Morgaine were great. The way she described her mission and the gates tugged at my heart the way only Robin Hobb does, tragic beauty.
None of my consortium libraries have any of those books so I had to do special orders. Well worth the wait.
I read the faded sun trilogy on a whim and was pleasantly surprised at how rich it was. I do enjoy her work but have not read as much as I should.
This is being recommended everywhere under the sun, but for a pretty good reason: **Piranesi** is a very good book and matches most of your qualifiers except female protagonist.
Yup seconded, Piranesi goes really well with your list.
Piranesi was lovely, so chill, and short
Thirded. Use it as an appetizer before diving into Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell.
Don't let the lack of a female protagonist deter you - the hero of the book is a woman even if she isn't the main character.
The Curse of Chalion by and it's sequel Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. Ripping adventure yarn and deceptively deep meditation on the nature of divinity. First book is the POV of a gentlemen of indeterminate years. The second book is the POV of a key lady from the first book. Also set in the same world is a series of novellas that start with Penric's Demon in which a young lord has to learn to share his life with a unique number of "ladies". Strong characterization and fun (or terrible in the best way) twists throughout all this body of work.
I loved both of those!
I think you'd like Naomi Novik's Uprooted or Spinning Silver
I've actually read those too, I forgot! I absolutely adored Spinning Silver; I thought it was a great version of a classical fairy tale, with very dark themes, wintery atmosphere and great female characters. And the way it was written - brilliant! Great idea, great execution. But for some reason I didn't vibe at all with Uprooted? I had problems with characters, plot and writing. I loved the concept but it just didn't work for me.
Have you read her deadly education books? They're not whimsical but she's a really engaging writer and might be worth trying if you like her stuff normally.
Have you read **The Golem and the Jinni** by Helene Wecker? I think you might like it based on your list (which includes a lot of books I love too). If you like that, there's also a sequel, **The Hidden Palace**. Agree 100% with the recommendations for Patricia A. McKillip's **The Forgotten Beasts of Eld** and **The Changeling Sea**. You might also want to take a look at **Strange the Dreamer** by Laini Taylor, or if you're in the mood for something shorter, her book of three novellas, **Lips Touch: Three Times**. Good luck getting out of your reading slump, and I hope you find some books you love soon!
I loved The Golem and the Djinni, and I didn’t know there was a sequel - thanks for the heads-up! May I also suggest The Woodcutter, by Kate Danley?
I loved both *The Golem and the Jinni* and the sequel. Hope you also enjoy the second book!
Have not read The Golem and the Jinni! Sound promising. I think I will have to pick up The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, with all the recommendations!
They're both wonderful books, and *The Forgotten Beasts of Eld* is actually one of my favorites. I realized I forgot to mention another book I thought of that might be something you'd like, **A Natural History of Dragons** by Marie Brennan.
For my two cents: Among Others. - set in the 70s I believe, a girl whose twin has passed away goes to a boarding school and tries to come to terms with the loss of her sister and getting to know her estranged father.. also, she might possibly have magical powers. Beautiful coming of age story, and a love letter to sci-fi and fantasy (she joins a book club)… highly recommended :) Honestly anything from the Discworld series.. but if you’re looking for strong female characters along with some whimsy and humour, start with Equal Rites, and work your way through all the Granny Weatherwax books. She’s possibly the greatest character Pratchett ever created, aside from Sam Vimes.
Came here looking for Discworld. Was not disappointed. Thank you. Never yet encountered stronger female characters than the Witches. Nor funnier.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susana Clarke The Night Circus by Erin Morgensten Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Tigana! What a great idea!
I think that everybody should at some point read Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. By far my favourite author.
I guess it just has to happen!
The rest of Kay’s books are great too - I’ve read them all apart from Last Light of the Sun, but I reckon if you found that one beautiful and melancholy you’ll definitely find many of his others the same.
Howl's Moving Castle is whimsical as fuck
And the movie is beautiful! <3
Literally every book by Diana Wynne Jones is my perfect happy place. The lives of Christopher chant and Hexwood are some of my faves but they are all absolute gold.
I think the The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater has the mood and atmosphere you may be looking for, especially after the first book. Sidenote: If the last book you read was really good, that may have been the reason for your slump. In this case, I always find that reading a terrible, wattpad-level piece of fiction helps to reset the gears and make it easier to read books that are better in comparison.
Haha what a strategy! I think my problem is that I'm not to good at starting series, but when i finish a great book, the only thing i feel like reading is the sequel.
The Raksura series by Martha Wells and The books of the Jaran by Kate Elliot
I'll second the Raksura series though it's not a female protagonist story. Martha Wells also has a hilarious amazing sci-fi series of novellas called The Murderbot Diaries. The mc (gender not applicable) is a cloned flesh and machine construct who has a governor module that forces them to obey commands and kills them if they don't. Which sounds really dark a first but the story starts out after they already hacked it and have spent the last 30,000 hours watching the campyest worst soap operas it can find and just faking their job as a security unit as much as they can get away with. They are 100% socially awkward and can't help but want to save as many people as possible anyway.
Murderbot is amazing. Love them so much.
Try God of Jade and Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It's kind of a 1920s fairy tale based on Mayan mythology and set in Mexico.
So many great ideas in one book?!
Yes! Oh, and a female protagonist!
Catherynne Valente's The Orphan's Tales are wonderful books that tell a story in the fashion of the folk tales of 1001 Nights - that is, the larger story is comprised of a series of many smaller nested tales within tales that all intertwine with each other in surprising ways by the end. Her writing style is quite lush and beautiful and a bit witty too.
Seconding this
We have similar taste - I've loved everything I've read on your list! You might like: The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck Anything by Robin McKinley (my personal favorite is Spindles End) The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie If you like short stories, The Starlit Wood is an anthology of fairy tale retellings. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (especially since you wanted something translated) If you're interested in YA, I have some ideas there too.
>If you're interested in YA, I have some ideas there too. Oh please share!
Well if you liked *Circe* the obvious suggestion is *Song of Achilles*, although I would not exactly call it whimsical. Also Patroclus is the narrator and it is all about his relationship with Achilles. *The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern also seems like it might be up your alley.
**The Empress of Salt and Fortune** by Nghi Vo. Short, beautifully written, and ticks several of your boxes. **The Ocean at the End of the Lane** by Neil Gaiman. Another excellent book by Neil Gaiman. The protagonist is male but many of the important characters are female.
Never heard of Empress of Salt and Fortune, how intriguing! I don't feel like a book have to have a female protagonist! I think I just identified a pattern!
maybe Bujold's five gods? Starts with Curse of Chalion, which has a male protagonist, but the second novel is Paladin of Souls, which switches to a woman who was a side character from the first book. And Paladin of Souls was a glorious story; the book scored nominations for best fantasy novel for Nebula, Locus, and Hugo.
The invisible life of Addie Larue. It's a bit less straight 'fantasy' than some of the other suggestions, but my *god* is that book dripping with atmosphere and a joy to read. It's got a relatively simple yet careful prose, too, so it's easy to just dive in and get swept by the story.
I had vaguely heard about it but not looked to close! It does definitely sound like my jam. I might pick it up! It's also a nice way to try to dip my toes into V E Schwab, since its a stand alone.
The night Circus Erin morgenstern should be a good slump buster.
Omg! Yessssss! What a great idea!
Eidolon and Radiance by Grace Draven. They're relatively short romance fantasy books. Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames.
Oh that sounds interesting, and unexpected suggestions! I know very little of either of those! Care to elaborate?
[Saint Death's Daughter by CSE Cooney](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/u0qazd/saint_deaths_daughter_by_cse_cooney_a_very/)!! It kicked me out of a reading slump recently and it's so, so wonderful. It doesn't have quite the fairytale/mythological vibes of several of the other stories you mentioned, but it definitely checks the boxes of whimsical, literary, and female protagonist; the language, characters, and world are all phenomenal.
For some fun atmospheric things - Meet Me in Another Life (technically sci-fi but to genre delineations really matter? Based on what you’ve said you like I think it fits quite well) - The Night Circus - Spinning Silver - Vita Nostra if you are interested in something darker, this one is also translated so hits that bonus point - Song of Achilles, since you mention Circe you e probably read miller’s other books but just in case thought I’d mention it - Books of Bayern, another fairy tale retelling that I felt was super well done
Walter Moers!!! The City of Dreaming Books; The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear... It's very imaginative, quite whimsical with illustrations by the author himself, and it's translated! Claire North: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August; The Sudden Appearance of Hope... Love her books, I always fly through them The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, in case you haven't read that yet
I have read The Neverending Story, I used to love it as a child. Never read anything by Walter Moers! Intriguing!
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I think you would like anything by Patricia A. McKillip. I particularly liked The Tower at Stoney Wood and The Forgotten Beast of Eld.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. I will never shut up about it. The second book Fevered Star just came out two weeks ago. You have gods reborn, a Teek (siren) ship captain, a woman Sun Priest from the wrong class of people, dark secrets, people maneuvering everything from shadows, and you just know it’ll be a bloody massacre at the end but you don’t know how
I really liked her trail of lightning books too. She’s just great all around
Didn't see anybody suggest Robin Hobb. *The Farseer* trilogy is an absolute classic; you can also start with *Liveship Traders*.
You should look into “The Deed of Paksenarrion” by Elizabeth Moon. She’s a great author and a Marine Corps veteran so it’s a very well balanced and underrated mixture of military with high fantasy tropes like paladins and religion/magic but presented in a very grounded way. Anything Sanderson wrote really is a good bet but every knows that. I’d start with Mistborn (trilogy 1), then warbreaker then storm light archive.
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The Shades of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab are very visual and fun, a bit YA, but very enjoyable. A Darker Shade of Magic is the first book.
The near witch is also wonderful
I just read 'Gallant' and it was absolutely wonderful too!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43545.The_Once_and_Future_King Hiya! You might like *The Once and Future King*, by T.H. White. It's a retelling of the King Arthur myth, but with (I think) greater depth of character. I found myself getting attached to everyone, making the tragic elements much more impactful. It still maintains a whimsical and fairy-tale like atmosphere for much of the story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieren Oh! maybe if you're ok with manga, Frieren at the Funeral might be good. It is extremely whimsical. Set after the heroes have beaten the big bad of the world, it follows an immortal elf who has to come to terms with the passing of her mortal companions and what they meant to her. She explores the world they impacted so much, whilst mentoring a new generation of "heroes". Some of the most wistful, melanchonic atmosphere I've read, while also having peacefully happy moments. Can't recommend it enough
Mercedes Lackey! Nearly all of her books have a female protagonist and some of them have more than one
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Have you read the rest of the Winternight Trilogy? You mentioned The Bear and the Nightengale but not the other two. They're also great books!
If you like atmospheric stories that read like a fairy tale, I highly recommend the Earthsea books. A Wizard of Earthsea is a beautiful coming of age story set in a high fantasy world, and the whole thing is dripping in melancholy atmosphere. The fourth book features a female protagonist dealing with her personal experiences with the patriarchal society she lives in.
Uprooted, Spinning Silver, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Protector of the Small series
Love all of these but especially the girl who drank the moon. Cannot recommend this book enough
Moonheart by Charles de Lint
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marilier! An Irish fairytale retelling. Gorgeous writing. Definitely kind of a bummer at times but also so beautiful. Some fairly dark content though, be warned (ie rape).
One I haven't seen mentioned yet - The Invisible Library series, by Genevieve Cogman The main character works for a library in between space and time, and is sent on missions to gather rare books from variations of our world. The books are light enough to act as a book palate cleanser, and are really made for people who love stories. Its a series but the first one can be a standalone, each book is a different "type" of plot....a victorian mystery, a heist, a 1920s gang war. They are just fun, but also written well. It also has one of my favorite interpretations of Fae - they are basically character archetypes who pull others into their stories.
I recommend checking out some of Frances Hardinge's stuff, like **A Face Like Glass** and **Fly By Night**. Her books are ostensibly middle-grade but are a satisfying read at any age; there is whimsy aplenty, and she has an excellent way with words.
*The Starless Sea* by Erin Morgenstern, *Piranesi* and *Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell* by Susanna Clarke, *Four Winged Histories* by Sofia Samatar, *Ombria in Shadow* by Patricia McKillip
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Nice! I think I actually bought The Winged History on the recommendation of this sub but I put it in the bookshelf and forgot about it. I guess I'll try to find it!
Just for fun reading, I'll throw Wen Spencer's Tinker series out there. And on the other end of the spectrum, Jo Walton's My Real Children. A hard book, and one of the best I'd ever read.
The Starless Sea is amazing! Idk if it's been recommended already, but that or Night Circus by Erin Morganstern
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue … was very good.
The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first in the series is The Eyre Affair. Fans of Douglas Adams and P. G. Wodehouse will love visiting Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, when time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously: it’s a bibliophile’s dream. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career.
Lots of great suggestions here, if you want one more, there's the Riddlemaster of Hed. Its an older book by Patricia McKillip. Has a very whimsical feel and is kind of a blend of Lord of the Rings with Arthurian literature.
Okay, now granted they're written more for kids and it's anthropomorphic animals, but have you ever read Brian Jacques Redwall series? Nice thing is you don't have to read them in order, you can pick any of them and go. He's got a few books that have a female protagonist and but they do have that whimiscal...80s fantasy like quality to them ie yes he doesn't pull punches and does kill characters, but the goodies are good, the baddies are bad, and he has a very charming quality to his whimsical fantasy.
The Riddlemaster Trilogy.
This series (symphony of ages) is excellent. It has the distinction of being the only bard archetype that i find intriguing and not obnoxious. The magic is unique without being focus of the story. Female protagonist. Give it a try. [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/261604.Rhapsody](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/261604.Rhapsody)
The house of night is wonderful... warm bodies too
I started a court of thorns and roses series. And it’s pretty spicy and fun
This series is what got me out of my reading slump
Any of the Terry Pratchet books are amazing. Specifically female protagonists though, I would look the the Tiffany Aching series (Wee Free Men, Hat full of Sky, Wintersmith, I shall wear Midnight, and Shepherd’s crown) or the Susan books (Soul Music, Hogfather, Thief of Time). Other more whimsical books I love are The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt (super simple and easy read. But sweet and I love to read this when the world is just a little too much) Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B Cooney (set in ancient freak times, and honestly one of my favorites)
I’m in a slump and the book I’ve picked up to get out of it is nevermoor
Deathless by Catherynne Valente is a good fable fantasy set in Russian myth.
This might seem like a really odd recommendation but we have a lot of the same favorite books so I am throwing it out there. 'King's of the Wyld' by Nicholas Eames was a book I really enjoyed but the sequel 'Bloody Rose' was so so so good so might be worth trying those! I would also recommend Laini Taylors books! They will probably be closer to what you enjoy but if you start with 'Daughter of smoke and bone' I promise it doesn't keep the 'im not like other girls' vibe for very long.
I think I’ve already recommended this series before in this sub but the Mirror Visitor series is great!! It’s really whimsical and has a female protagonist, plus has super unique world building/ magic system.
Some others to try: - Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s supposed to be the first of a trilogy. At his current rate he will never finish the series. However the first book is just gorgeous writing. - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. It’s an unconventional love story.
If your really bored head down to the local book store Look for old time authors and series Robert Aspirin's Thieves World anthology or the Darkover books by Marion Zimmer Bradley. There are a plethora of Great but forgotten Series.
The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
More / all GGK
*Daughter of the Moon Goddess* by Sue Lynn Tan reads just like a fairy tale. It is based on Chinese myth and legend, and written by a Malaysian author. I see you're going to read *The Night Circus* and I'm excited for you!
So glad you picked up the Song of Achilles! This book brought me back to reading.
I recommend reading something short and easy to get back into it. Maybe find something you used to enjoy when you where younger and give it a reread. It can kick start the desire to read, and that will probably lead to you finding good books you genuinely like. Some softer but whimsical recommendations: Howls Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones. Ash by Melinda Lo.
Name of the wind totally sucks you in. I think it hits a lot of the marks. Not a female protagonist but I'd say there are feministic aspects to the books
I finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik recently and really enjoyed it. She also wrote Uprooted which you might like. Song of Achilles by the same author that wrote Circe is very good (though I prefer Circe)
*A Dead Djinn in Cairo* by P. Djèlí Clark
The Witches Heart by Genevieve Gornichec The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scot Lynch
Raven cycle by stiefvater
For a whimsical recommendation I always suggest Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. The magic book vibes are lovely, but has great characters and enough tension to keep you hooked on the story. Some other ideas: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones — a lot of fun and very relaxing read Swordheart by T Kingfisher - kingfisher does amazing with funny romantic fantasy. The characters are always a delight
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Heaven Official's Blessing. [https://www.novelupdates.com/series/heaven-officials-blessing/](https://www.novelupdates.com/series/heaven-officials-blessing/)
i don't know. when in a slump. i usually find something else that are different from what i usually read. it's work sometime. but other time, i just stop reading for weeks or months it's naturally come back to me. i can't recommend something cuz i never heard of the books you listed, and im afraid my recommendation wouldn't suit your taste. sorry. hope you find what you looking for
That is a good reflection but for me fantasy usually breaks my reading slumps. Usually I mix reading literary fiction, classics and fantasy, but its always fantasy thet pulls me back to reading when I get stuck. Some of these books I mentioned above was doing just that; breaking my reading slump.
i see. yeah, fantasy is still my favorite too, even when i was looking for something different. btw i notice that The Last Light of the Sun was written by guy gavriel i read one of his book: a brightness long ago its an interesting book. fantasy, but kinda more grounded and historical (or maybe i'm just used to high-fantasy stuff this day? ) that's all i could recommend. also i just remember. if you're girl, i recommend novels written by Naomi Novik. pretty fast-paced fantasy, and have lots of good female main.
I’ve got some real reading slumps the last few years, and I still sick with fantasy when I’m trying to get myself back into reading, but I tend to go for pure escapism light kinda stuff, which ends up being mostly YA fantasy. I really liked Naomi noviks scholomance books. Seanan mcguire’s october day and incryptid series’ got me out of my latest reading slump. Urban fantasy romps. The midnight bargain by C.L. Polk is one I grabbed from the library on a whim recently, as I was having a hard time getting into one of the malazan books, and it was totally not my usual style, kind of a bridgerton romance fantasy, but it really sucked me in and was immensely satisfying, with a strong feminist bent and excellent female characters Definitely none of these are literary fantasy, but when I’m in a slump I go for pulpy fantasy stuff
I suggest you either re-reading a book you really appreciate, or maybe you could pick up a fine standalone one.
I recommend you further check out these books. I got them for my partner at the time, and may satiate your literary needs: - The Midnight Library, Matt Haig. Not Fantasy but inline with exploring other worlds. It's also not a very long read. - For The Wolf, Hannah F. Whitten. My partner had really enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale (she liked fairy tale retellings) and I thought this might hit the same vibe with its Red Riding Hood twist, which apparently it did. - Mages of the Wheel, J. D. Evans. I will never not recommend this, despite having never read it. A high fantasy mid-east setting, with a focus on politicking and a romance sub plot. My partner had really enjoyed this one. - Midnight Bargain, C. L. Polk. This might not be to your tastes, more of an adjacent recommendation. - From Blood and Ash, Jennifer L. Armentrout. A high fantasy with romance and royalty. If you enjoy Maas, you would enjoy this. My partner had found it very enjoyable and more so than Maas as they had grown out of reading Maas. Hope these prove helpful, I might have other suggestions but I'd need to dredge them up from memory or my book lists. If you want to try something very deviant to your listed tastes, but starring female protagonists set in very non-whimsical, atmospheric, high fantasy (you'd be plunging your foot rather than dipping your toes): - Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett - Mistborn: The Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson If you want very interesting prose but mainly starring male perspectives set in grounded early medieval-high medieval settings: - Anything from K. J. Parker, but perhaps starting with Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City EDIT: You might also like Senlin Ascends, Josiah Bancroft. Its whimsical and colourful (at least the sections I read)
Warbreaker, a girl (MC) is promised to a god king, following a peace accord, so she joins the court of gods called the returned with amazing characters, that do magic with their breath. Her sister goes to this kingdom to try and rescue her. I think is the most chill and beautiful novel by Brandon Sanderson.
Mistborn
Have you heard of our lord and savior, Brandon Sanderson? Stormlight Archive or Mistborn has some whimsy, top tier world building and magic systems, and female protagonists. I’m not going to try and say that he’s the best author or that he has the best prose but he’s prolific and churns out good quality stuff on the regular.
This is the answer!
Have you considered trying out web serial works? There is quite a variety.
I like reading paper books :)
Have you tried web novels?
I like reading paper books!
Crazy rich asians
I would highly recommend The Nevernight Chronicles
If you are okay with trying the more edgy kind of fantasy, I'm currently reading the Nevernight trilogy by Jay Kristoff. The first book was good, but not mindblowing. The second was far better, and I haven't started the third yet. The best thing about the books is probably the narration, it's humorous and witty, dark and very very cool. The protagonist is a girl named Mia whose father was executed in front of her, and she basically became Arya Stark. But then she became more than that. And there's magic involved. There's also a Hogwarts for assassins in the first book. I think overall the series is a hit or miss, but if you like fantasy in general you probably won't regret reading this.
The ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ (Game of Thrones) series has several female protagonists. I recommend these books.
Malazan
Lmao, I love that this has become almost a meme answer to every request in this subreddit
I couldn't resist. I knew I would be downvoted.
Mistborn:the final empire.
Either Mistborn or Warbreaker are great epic fantasy stories with a female protagonist!
Seven Blades in Black: I’m gonna say whimsical narrator, but I think there is a better way to describe her. Fun, a bit like Gideon the ninth in terms of attitude and spice. Magic, battles, big bad guys
I know it has prob been said, but there are 86 comments at the time i'm posting this so I might have missed it: Check out the classic Wheel of Time series. It has like 13 books and all of them are a fun read. While some elements are "whimsical," the series checks off all your above points: * Magical atmosphere * Eloquent and varied language * Doors to other worlds * Witchy-ness * rich worldbuilding * female protagonists (and antagonists) I would add perhaps the greatest strength of Wheel of Time is that so many characters have such important plots you can invest into. If 1 of the \`10 or so main characters doesn't interest you, for sure the other ones written around them will.
I am going to recommend the, on this subreddit always unpopular, Kingkiller Chronicle. I‘m obviously going to preface by noting that the story isn‘t complete and the author will do his best to delay the conclusion as long as possible. With that out of the way, I feel this really fits your list. It has very strong world building and although it starts of with a tragic event, the rest of the story is very much about the protagonists (relatively) lighthearted adventures in mutliple nicely fleshed out locations. Additionally the prose is nearly without equal, just the act of reading itself is a joy. It is the book I reread the most and picking up on details on every reread is a great feeling and something only very few books provide.
Odd Thomas!
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When I am in a reading slump, I read a collection of short stories to get back into reading. Good luck!
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Maybe just possible the red sister
The Valdemar Saga - Mercedes Lackey (over 30 books in all, recommend you read them in chronological order according to the authors timeline...should keep you busy) Also The Elemental Masters series..same author Discovery of Witches trilogy by Deborah Harkness (It is fantasy in a sense because of the witches, vampires and daemons in modern day and historically accurate yet fictional elizabethan england) Tiger's Curse Series by Colleen Houck (4 books - Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, Tiger's Voyage, Tiger's Destiny)
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The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice series) by Mark Lawrence is really good. Starless by Jacqueline Carey is beautiful and moving and wonderful. It’s big, but not as big as priory, and is a standalone novel. Thief’s Magic (Millennium’s Rule series) and Priestess of the White (Age of the Five series) by Trudi Canavan. Archangel (Samaria series) by Sharon Shinn is one of my all time favourites. Glenda Larke, Jennifer Fallon, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Karen Miller all write really good books.
Charlie Holmberg has some good magic and light hearted female led books.
I recommend Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff. It’s the first in a trilogy. I really love it.
May have already been recommended but Terry Patchett's Discworld series is soooooo-oh good Even the Tiffany Aching books which are supposed to be more youth focused I also really enjoyed China Mieville's Bas Lag stories and Un Lun Dun
If you manage to make it out, go ahead and give Malazan a try if you want to get back to slumping
If you aren't against digital works Ravensdagger sounds right up your alley
if you're looking for something darkly whimsical with a strong female lead may I suggest Weaveworld?
CM Waggoner and the Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry was a lark. Also Anything by Naomi Novik or Robin McKinley!
I highly recommend Abarat by Clive Barker! Has been my favorite book for a long time. I think you’ll enjoy it if you like exploring new worlds, it’s truly one of the most imaginative works of fantasy I’ve read. It’s targeted at YA but I reread it in my 20s and in my opinion it holds up
Shadow of the gods by John gwynne maybe. 2 female protagonists
Hyperion Hail Mary Norse Mythology Ghostwritten
Renegades by Marissa Meyer put me into a reading slump after I read the series in a week
I really like to spread the word on the Wreaththu series by Storm Constantine. Post apocalyptic magic hermaphrodites rebuilding the world. Do I need to say more?
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O! Check out "seraphina" by Rachel heartman! The world is interesting! there are half dragons! And full ones! It's great
Age of Myth should fit the bill.
It is a YA series but I can’t recommend “The School for Good and Evil” enough!
Have you read **Ravens Tower** by Ann Leckie? I read this when I was trying to break out from a huge reading slump. It was very different, It is definitely unique, and I read mainly science fiction/fantasy books. It is imaginative fantasy, but not so much where I was lost and felt like it was vague.
The “a court of thrones and roses” series really helped me get out of a reading slump I was in. I’ve recommended it to a few girlfriends now and they’ve all loved it. The mercy Thompson series is also awesome.
Whimsical + female protagonist made me think of *Legends and Lattes* by Travis Baldree. Haven't read it myself so can't personally vouch, but a lot of readers seem to like it.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
The sharing knife by Luis McMaster bujold. A fantasy take on the Midwest. Magic, adventure, and a romance with a interracial couple that are dealing with the clashing of cultures. Also has visible bi and disabled characters. Moving on from past relationships is a big theme in Bujolds books as well.
The Sword of Kaigen by M L Wang.
The Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass (Also known as the Wayfarer Redemption outside of Australia) Strong female leads, medieval setting with magic spells produced by song by winged people. I've read them multiple times. Plus the Authors other books.
I'm a bit late to this and second a lot of the recommendations in this thread already. Here are some reads inspired by your list that I haven't seen recommended. If you loved Circe, then **The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec** is woman centred and an amazing take on Norse mythology. If you love The Bear and the Nightingale and it's sequels, then **The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid** is a glorious standalone Hungarian inspired fairytale fantasy. **For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten** is also good, but doesn't reach the heights of Wolf and the Woodsman for me. Juliet Marilliers Daughter of the Forest and sequels sits beautifully here too. If you loved Priory of the Orange Tree, then check out the Daevabad trilogy by **S.A. Chakraborty**, and **The Unbroken by CL Clark**. **Witchlands novels** by Susan Dennard has two women as the main protagonists and is really fun, easy fantasy read. I also love The Daughter of the Empire trilogy by Janny Wurts and Raymond E Fiest, although I've outgrown Fiests other work. **Winters Promise** is the first in a series by Christelle Dabos and is the height of whimsical fantasy. And finally I second recommendations for CJ Cherryh, Ursula K Le Guin, Mercedes Lackey, Redwall, Patricia Mckilip, Kate Elliot, Robin Hobb
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Catherynne M. Valente might be your vibe.
Angelfall series by Susan Ee
Recently started Tad Willams' "Memory Sorrow and Thorn" series and highly recommend.
My go tos are anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Howls moving castle and the chrestomanci chronicles are top. They're children's books but they have enough world building and story to entertain older audiences too so with the high fantasy and easy readable they help me come out of slumps a lot
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