Kick butt heroines - Some fresh faces > Likes and Comments
I love Debra Dunbar’s books and her heroines in the Imp series and the related California Demon series can absolutely take care of themselves and have fun doing it. I’m going to check out the books you mentioned A Demon Bound California Demon
I am going to look into that what's up, buttercup book! I really enjoy the audiobooks for T.A White atm. Kira is perfect.Im gonna recommend Fury in
- She is kick-ass. I like Kel Carpenter too.
I highly recommend Fury of a Phoenix! I've read through the 3rd book and she is kick-ass!I know Mercy (Mercy Thompson, right?), have you read about Anna McCormick, wife to Charles? If this is the right series, then I think you know who I'm talking about. If not then start with Moon Called for Mercy and Cry Wolf for Anna (though Alpha and Omega is the origin story for Anna, which is a novella in this collection, On the Prowl).
Who is Kate, Nevada, and Aurora? I don't know these ladies and want to!
Another kick-ass lady is Jane Rizzoli, Boston Homicide Detective but it's not paranormal. If this interests you, the first book is The Surgeon.
Looking forward to more replies on this thread!
Theresa wrote: "I highly recommend Fury of a Phoenix! I've read through the 3rd book and she is kick-ass!I know Mercy (Mercy Thompson, right?), have you read about Anna McCormick, wife to Charles..."
I'll check out Fury of a Phoenix. Thanks for the recommendation.
Do I know Mercy? You hit the nail on the head when you said it was Mercy Thompson, kick ass awesome. Whilst I've read the Alpha & Omega series and like it, I don't find Anna kick ass as such.
Who are Kate, Nevada & Aurora? Damn, I envy you if you've never come across Ilona Andrews - Kate Daniel series (which gives you more kick ass female leads in Andrea & Aurora). Then you can move over to Ilona Andrews - Hidden Legacy Series and read Nevada and Rogan's story - stuff of legends.
Rye wrote: "I have been on a run of fabulous kick butt heroines of late. These women are the whole package - tough, smart, snarky, funny and capable. Not to cast shade on several other fantabulous heroines suc..."Hi Rye! I picked up Caped and Dangerous! Thank you.
I love Jane Cousins and Kira from TA White's Firebird Chronicles too.
My contribution to this Fresh Faces list would be:
Leda, the heroine from
by Ella Summers. Vampire's Kiss is book 1. This is on Kindle Unlimited.Lexi is also pretty darn cool. She's the heroine from
by K.F. Breene. Also on KU.
Treena wrote: "Rye wrote: "I have been on a run of fabulous kick butt heroines of late. These women are the whole package - tough, smart, snarky, funny and capable. Not to cast shade on several other fantabulous ..."Excellent - thanks for the recs.
We kick-ass readers totally have to support our kick-ass fictional sisters.
Rye wrote: "Treena wrote: "Rye wrote: "I have been on a run of fabulous kick butt heroines of late. These women are the whole package - tough, smart, snarky, funny and capable. Not to cast shade on several oth..."Absolutely! I love this thread
Rye wrote: "We kick-ass readers totally have to support our kick-ass fictional sisters."You bet!!!! 🥰💪
Lilli wrote: "I am going to look into that what's up, buttercup book! I really enjoy the audiobooks for T.A White atm. Kira is perfect.Im gonna recommend Fury in
- She is kick-a..."I raced through Dark Horse based on this recommendation. Now I have to wait until the end of the month for the sequel?!! I’m hooked! What a fast paced, interesting story with compelling characters and a fun, smart, kickass heroine
The OP post on T A White's Rules of Redemption series is spot on. Has to be one of the best kick-ass heroine series written in the last couple of years. To add, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Alice Worth is incredibly good and I accidentally raced through the entire series. I couldn't stop the pages from turning :)
I am recommending Charisma Alarie's double pack to you. It's called ALLURENATRIX and has quite the unique heroine to discover: Allurenatrix - Doublepack: Miss Winters first and second naughty erotic adventure
Hope You Enjoy!
InceptionI don't know if anyone has read this series. It's a YA series but I really enjoyed it. by Bianca Scardoni
This series was recommended to me on Facebook. It's really good. A great heroine and a lot of humour. I devoured all three books. It's not the best of what UF or PNR as to offer, but it's very good :)https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Hi!Not to self-promote, haha, but I have written a book series (still in progress) where a main character, a strong female that tries to beat usual main character stereotypes is slowly becoming the villain of the main story :)
Not sure if it is anyone's cup of tea, as it is dark fantasy romance with angels and demons and witches, but if anyone is interested - here it is:
The Abiding Pact
Oldies but goodies... total kick-ass heroines!The Hex Series by Linda Wisdom.
Jazz Tremaine is first up in a series about a group of students who were expelled from the Witches Academy for breaking the rules and have to make their own way in the world. As adults, they interact with a variety of vampire, shape-shifters, and other assorted paranorm characters. Each book is focused on different women from the group, but they're interwoven throughout the series. Funny, no graphic sex, hot men abound!
The Witch Fairy Series, by Bonnie Lamer.
Normally I avoid YA, but this girl is a riot! Xandra is funny, independent, and a serious smart-ass. She belatedly and sometimes klutzily comes into her powers and rocks the realms of both Human and Fae. Very creative, sex -free with the focus on budding relationships, thoroughly enjoyable read!
And my all-time favorite: Knights of the Black Swan Series by Victoria Danaan.
Elora Laiken literally gets shoved from her realm into another and lands in the Order of Black Swan, a group dedicated to hunting and eliminating Vampire. Of course it's all run by some major Alpha Males, but each one soon comes to respect and admire her strength and intelligence. She's tough, brilliant, and has a great sense of humor. Other books in the series focus on a main heroine and the relationship that ensures, with previous characters involved in the story as well. A smidge of sex, compelling plots, loads of fun!
Hi! The theme is great! I love to read the new for me recommended books!But whos aurora?i know mercy, nevada, ana, katalina..etc but aurora is missing in my list! Pls detail where she is from!
Also i d like to add my suggestion to the theme - i recommend the books of karen lynch. The series is named relentless. You ll love it! Its YA but its worth it.
Oh i forgot - richelle mead, black swan its very good!And also - in several days is expected the new publishing of ilona andres!!!im very excited about that!!👍👍
Ohhh and lets add alex, of Kalayna Price and the series of sarah maas
I know that my suggestions are not too new but i love these books and would be very happy if could recommend them to someone in need😋Like me now-last weeks i was lost in need for as you named it "kick ass heroines". So when i found your conversation I jumped in happiness and now work very thoroughly to collect all authors recommend above.
Thank you all❤️
Гергана wrote: "Hi! The theme is great! I love to read the new for me recommended books!But whos aurora?i know mercy, nevada, ana, katalina..etc but aurora is missing in my list! Pls detail where she is from!
Als..."
Hey there - Aurora (formerly known as Julie, adopted daughter of Kate Daniels) headlines her own novel Blood Heir, by Ilona Andrews.
Hope that helps
Ohhh, i red it already...i hoped so much to be something new....thank you for the replay!By the way i just voted for the last book of sarah maas but didnt find anywhere in the list the blood heir... I love it and if i could i would vote for it!
I wish wonderful day to everyone (here, in my part of the world is morning:) and cheers with a cup of cappuccino ⛅
Rye wrote: "I have been on a run of fabulous kick butt heroines of late. These women are the whole package - tough, smart, snarky, funny and capable. Not to cast shade on several other fantabulous heroines suc..."Ikr! Kira is awesome in all the good ways, without all the special snowflake crap. I'll definitely check out the other two. Thanks!
Oh, I'm so over special snowflakes. I want my heroines to own their kickassedness (yes, that is totally the word for it - cos I say it is). Whether they be bakers, amnesiacs, cops, single moms, new to magic, on the run, or any other possibility out there - hear me all authors - I want my heroines to own their kickassedness - hear me and obey.hello... anyone... ? Did that work???
I adore T.A. White and Ilona Andrews - their heroines are the best. I'd also add Suzanne Wright's The Dark in You series, if you like your heroines with a load of snark (I love a heroine who can put the enemy in their place with a few words) and Hailey Edward's Greer How to Save an Undead Life is awesome!
Lyra Glass wrote: "I adore T.A. White and Ilona Andrews - their heroines are the best. I'd also add Suzanne Wright's The Dark in You series, if you like your heroines with a load of snark (I love a heroine who can ..."
I’m checking those out. I recently got hooked on Helen Harper and her heroines qualify. My favorite is the lazy girls guide to magic series because it’s so different and fun to see a character who truly isn’t interested in being all gung ho (but of course she does what she has to and is very capable and bright), but Mack from the blood destiny series is more of a classic kick ass heroine Bloodfire
TA White, Ilona Andrews, and Suzanne Wright are great authors and I love their main characters. Deborah Wilde is another great author for heroines as well as CP Ryder. If you like some of Suzanne Wright’s characters then you also might like Stacey Marie Brown’s Savage Lands series. I seriously love her female main character.
Savage Lands is top of my list to read next. I hadn't heard of the lazy girls guide to magic. Will be checking that out.
Lazy Girls Guid to magic is lots of fun, I also love Sin and Chocolate, though part of that may have been bc I listen on audible and it’s narrated by Kristen Vham who is one of the best narrators ever. In that vain I’m also going so suggest The Culling Trials The first 3 books are cowritten by K.F. Breene and I love the main character Wild, who definitely fit’s the bill. It is YA and the first 3 books don’t really have much more romance than flirting and there’s no sex or steamy scenes, but the story is great, funny, and our leading lady is tough as nails with both a lot of heart and willingness to cut a bitch.
I also am gonna just leave this here The Unleashing by Shelly Luarenston. It’s filled with a great melding of witty and campy humor, which does admittedly go a little I Love Lucy for my taste at times, but overall is just so funny and smart that I don’t even care. It’s also incredibly violent with strong, kick-ass female protagonists and sexy as hell Viking men. What’s to hate?
how could I forget to mention Tinker - from Wen Spencer's series?Tinker is a brainiac and kick ass in a completely novel way. Book 5 - Harbinger - is out April 2022. So I have been doing a re-read.
Start with Tinker
I started reading Hailey Edwards and so far her heroines fit the bill. I am currently reading beginners guide to necromancy How to Save an Undead Life and it’s fantastic. The main character’s motto is “never apologize for surviving.” She gets a pardon after spending years in prison after being convicted (almost certainly falsely but ptsd makes her memory unreliable) of murdering her guardian, so she starts out adjusting to freedom and figuring out what she has missed. The books keep getting better and the characters are very well developed and the world feels very established.
Kate Locke's Immortal Empire Series features Xandra, who is a major kick ass and a bit snarly with it, Steampunk Victorian England, with vamps, werewolves, goblins and mad scientists scheming to change the world. Xandra is their only hope in this awesome trilogy.
start with God Save the Queen
I just read Come Hunting by Elena Ireland and it has some strong female leads. I liked that there was an element of trauma-based weakness that she has to overcome in order to kick butt. It was really engaging. It was recommended to me by a friend (from the same town as the author) and I am now following the author so it was a good find.
This one is pretty new and is the heroine is pretty kick-butt I think. It's currently on Kindle Unlimited (just checked) but I have it in paperback. Come Hunting
Have a new kick ass heroine to add to this list, the awesome Copper from Jane Cousins Southern Sanctuary series.Newly released book 14, To Goad A Goddess
Copper insists on wearing mud camouflage constantly, she sets traps for the hero, and targets his ass daily with her poison darts. So much fun.
Hi 👋I would offer Kim Harrison - The Hollows books and Faith Hunter - Jane Yellowrock series. Both kick-ass heroines. 😎
What about Elena from Nalini Singh's archangel series? Kickass hunter/angel. Haunted back story with a never say die tude. First in series Angel's Blood
I would like to suggest Cat from the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost. She's definitely kickass and absolutely has snark!
Check out the series by Auburn Tempest & Michael Anderle Chronicles of an Urban Druid
NOT YA - all kinds of wonderful writing with a pace that is amazing!
Also K.E.Breene... i have read just about everything!
I started with the Leveling up series.
Author GA Aiken has her Dragon Kin series. Annwyl the Bloody likes to use her sword and cut off people's heads. It's a long running series.
Yes! So much love for the Dragon Kin series and those books just get better and better as the series progresses and Aiken starts to really find her sweet spot. I’d also strongly suggest the Call of Crows series by Shelly Laurenston (same author, just a different pen name). So much fun, kick-assery, and violence. I will say that occasionally the humor gets a little”I love Lucy” slap-stick for my taste, but usually I found it actually funny… like… I was actually uncontrollably, laughing out loud while reading (or listening since I tend to audible that particular series since I love the narrator)
Oops, I forgot that I already posted that suggestion here, annnnd I’m on my phone and it’s not letting me delete the comment. Just pretend like I’m not here y’all!
It isn't a modern setting, but I always loved the character of Morgaine in CJ Cherryh's Chronicle of Morgaine series. If anyone knows of a contemporary heroine in that vein, that type of character, then I would set my hand on fire because of how fast I pulled out money for it.
Eliza from Curse of the Elixir is both fierce and hilarious! She's modelled on Debbie Harry, Carrie Fisher and Elaine from Seinfeld!
Treena wrote: "Rye wrote: "I have been on a run of fabulous kick butt heroines of late. These women are the whole package - tough, smart, snarky, funny and capable. Not to cast shade on several other fantabulous ..."I also love all of K.F. Breene!
Author Wendy Wang, witches of Palmetto. Series. Fat paced and kick as!
New author for me, really liking the series!J S Kennedy, the Mackenzie Green series.
Great kick ass heroine.
A mage & thief, Sham, is awesome in Patricia Brigg's stand alone novel - When Demons Walk.
This is fantasy. Excellent world building. Sham must masquerade as mistress to the Lord of the castle in order to catch a Demon.
Murder mystery, action, laughs and a sizzling romance.
Sham certainly fits the criteria by being really kick-ass.
Rye wrote: "I have been on a run of fabulous kick butt heroines of late. These women are the whole package - tough, smart, snarky, funny and capable. Not to cast shade on several other fantabulous heroines suc...""bucket load of snarkiness" SOLD! I don't have any suggestions (yet) but I love the conversation and the strong start you created for this list.
I don't know if this counts but Tiger's Gambit has a heroine who can shapeshift into a tiger. She is ferocious and eats her enemies because they starved her. 
Here's who I have found so far:
For starters, there is the awesome Valkyrie, Stephanie, in Jane Cousins new series - Vexatious Valkyries. Loads of action and a bucket load of snarkiness, plus a sweet/hot romance with an arrogant demon.
Book one - Whats up, Buttercup?
Then I discovered the first three books in the Firebird Chronicles by T.A. White
This sci-fi romance features Kira, who has a fantastic back story and a mission that her long lost family and politics keep trying to derail. Start with Rules of Redemption.
Caped and Dangerous
Any more fresh faces to add to my list????