Top 10 Heroines | Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic is our favorite heroines. I love talking about my favorite female characters (and I’ve done so before on Top 5 Wednesday) but I can never pass up an opportunity to gush about my ladies.

10. Anita blake (Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton)

The Anita Blake was one of the first book series I ever fell in love with and Anita herself will always hold a special place in my heart. She started the series as a vampire hunter/animator (yes, of zombies) and has taken on so many different roles of power since then. I adore her wit, and her general level of badassness. Plus she keeps the company of a host of awesome (and attractive) side characters.

9. Sabriel (From the abhorson series by garth nix)

I read this series in high school and Sabriel remains one of my favorite characters of all time. She follows the trope of “girl who never really knew she had powers but is actually a badass”, but does so in a different way. She is a strong character that still shows a realistic amount of fear for her situation. And she has an ability that I LOVE to read about: the power to go between life and death, where she “binds” the dead to stay where they belong (“put that thing back where it came from or so help me”). I also happen to use her name for every video game character I ever create…

8. Elphaba (from wicked by gregory macguire)

Elphaba is a character that grew on me post-read. She is so morally grey, which I love, but she also really sticks to what she believes in. Her story is a tragic one, and she is way more complex than I ever expected going into the book. Elphaba is probably one of the most realistic characters I have ever read about in a fantasy world.

7. Katniss (from the hunger games by suzanne collins)

Do I really need to say anything about Katniss? She was the face of a revolution. She was strong, and flawed. She was a survivor.

6. Saba (from blood red road by moira young)

So far I have only read the first book in the Dustlands series, but I adore Saba. Another strong character who takes no crap. What I really love about her is her flaws. She is incredibly stubborn, but also very driven. She is cold, but very loyal. Her flaws really highlight her strengths and I love that about her.

5. Katsa (from graceling by kristin cashore)

Are we sensing a theme with my favorite ladies? Katsa is another badass, who takes no shit. Another character whose flaws highlight her strengths. She is stubborn, and cold, and aggressive, and proud. But underneath all that, she is just a girl who is scared, loyal, and incredibly brave. I love the character development we see with her throughout the series.

4. cleo (from the falling kingdoms series by morgan rhodes)

Cleo is a different character than the previous ladies I have mentioned, as she is not physically deadly like so many of them are. Her strength comes from her power of manipulation and her intelligence. Throughout the series so far, Cleo has gone through AMAZING character growth. She went from a spoiled princess to someone who believes in something more than herself. She is smart and cunning, and knows how to manipulate a situation, which has made her a strong survivor in this deadly world. I cannot wait to see what happens to her in the rest of the series.

3. Lia (from the kiss of deception by mary e. pearson)

Another character who is not physically strong, Lia is a character who I instantly fell in love with. She is another example of great character development, even within just the first book in the series. She is loyal and determined, and she is going to end up being such a power player in the rest of this series. She has grown and learned so much in the first book and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.

2. Kestral (from The winner’s curse by marie rutkowski)

Kestral was another instant favorite of mine, because the first scene we see her in she is gambling. I love a good morally grey character. Kestral fits the bill of the last few girls I mentioned as well because she is a mentally strong character in a world where physical strength is idealized. But she is able to outwit and outmaneuver those around her with her intelligence and her ability to manipulate a situation to her advantage.

1. alina (from the grisha trilogy by leigh bardugo)

This should come as no surprise to anyone if you have been watching my recent videos, but my love for Alina knows no bounds. She is such a realistic character for a world that is so unlike our own. I love the way that she embraces her powers, and those moments that she embraces who she is are some of my favorite moments from any book series EVER. I adore her character development and how she grows through each book (we do not talk about the regression in the very end of the last book… it doesn’t exist to me). Her character arc is my favorite from any series I have read thus far. I love her.

Who are some of your favorite heroines?