Action Heroine Fans discussion
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Currently reading a book with an action heroine?
Connealy's books sound great.Stillhouse Lake doesn't have many fight scenes, but Gwen is a good shot and constantly on the edge in order to defend her kids. So, she's an action heroine. The book does have some pretty gruesome descriptions of her ex-husband's victims. He turned out to be a serial killer.
Mervi wrote: "I've read Bitten from Armstrong which was paranormal romance and not really to my taste. I'm curious to hear what you'll think of Double Play."It got three stars from me (which means I liked it.) My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... .
Unexpectedly, the main character in Skyward, Vol. 1: My Low-G Life is an action heroine. She 20 and works as a messanger. In this world, Earth has lost gravity. When the characters move outside, they're flying and constantly in danger of falling up, out of the atmosphere. Willa has a gun so that in an emergency the recoil will take her to the direction where she wants to go, but she also has to use it a couple of times against bad guys.
Can someone recommend me a Fantasy with an Action Heroine? Preferably Dark (But not of an erotic kind.I don't mind eroticas.I like them as much as the next person but only erotica with no substantial plot-Not my thing) and preferably not Historical.
Ash, you might find some possible reads on our group's Traditional Fantasy bookshelf, here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/books... .
When I started reading Brent Nichols'
Gears of a Mad God: A Steampunk Lovecraft Adventure, the first book of a novella series, I thought it definitely had action-heroine possibilities. I'm happy to say that expectation was on the mark! Our heroine is an ordinary civilian, not combat-trained nor working as a soldier or a cop (the setting is 1921, after all!), but she's a tomboy type comfortable working with machinery, brave, and well able to hold her own in a fight if she has to.
Currently reading
(Science Fiction Romance) that features a retired military doctor who takes a position on a star cruiser to work through her PTSD.
Ash wrote: "Can someone recommend me a Fantasy with an Action Heroine? Preferably Dark (But not of an erotic kind.I don't mind eroticas.I like them as much as the next person but only erotica with no substanti..."Have you read any Mercedes Lackey? Her books may have some romance, but nothing erotic. I recently read A Study in Sable that has no romance but blends magic with Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
If you prefer a bit more 'swords and sorcerers' ,
brings together a cop and warrior from another dimension. It does have some steamy bits, but mostly its action/adventure/battling evil.
I’m reading Gears of a Mad God: A Steampunk Lovecraft Adventure and quite enjoying it. Thanks for reviewing it, Werner.For a while now I’ve wanted to reread the Modesty Blaise comics in chronological order. I’ve read them rather haphazardly whenever I’ve gotten them. My next comics read will be the first MB comics. The Finnish editions aren’t in the GR database so I’m going with the US Titan reprints. Should be fun :)
Mervi wrote: "I’m reading Gears of a Mad God: A Steampunk Lovecraft Adventure and quite enjoying it. Thanks for reviewing it, Werner."Glad you're enjoying it, Mervi!
E.G. wrote: "Currently reading (Science Fiction Romance) that features a retired military doctor who takes a position on a star cruiser to work through her PTSD." Your timing was good to read an outbreak book just before the coronavirus hit!
Some years ago, I read Wreaths of Empire by my friend Andrew Seddon, the first of his books to feature Jade Lafrey, far-future intelligence officer in a space-faring navy, who qualified as an action heroine. I'm currently reading the prequel,
], and I'm going to classify Jade in that role there too. The action is milder than in the earlier book (at least so far --but having beta read the first draft, I don't expect it to pick up much); but she does handily physically disarm a would-be assassin at one point.
Georgann wrote: "E.G. wrote: "Currently reading (Science Fiction Romance) that features a retired military doctor who takes a position on a star cruiser to work through he..."It's actually a little spooky. It has all the elements of the current situation: brave health care professionals, passengers that are a blend of stoic and scared but wanting to do what's right, some courageous leaders, some self serving politicians, and some lame young adult types who can't follow directions.
E.G. wrote: "Georgann wrote: "E.G. wrote: "Currently reading (Science Fiction Romance) that features a retired military doctor who takes a position on a star cruiser t..."Ha ha ha ha!! Real life reflecting a book!
Liane Zane (that's a pen name) is a Goodreads friend of mine, and I'm currently reading a review copy of her brand new self-published novel,
The Harlequin & The Drangùe. It's a paranormal romance (she's written other books under her real name, but not in that genre), and the opener for a projected series. PNR isn't normally my thing, but I'm expanding my horizons a bit for a friend. :-) Protagonist Olivia Markham is a CIA agent very well-versed in martial arts, and a formidable fighter on a crusade against sexual predators, so this book definitely falls in our group's area of interest!
Just finished this paranormal sci fi from 2012. Supernatural action heroine in spades against superpowered bad guys, man-made monsters and traitors. Lots of fun, in spite of the language.
Last night, I started reading the e-book edition of
The Vampire Sword by T. L. Cerepaka, the opener for his Vampire Sorceress series. It won't rank as a landmark classic of literature; but the heroine/narrator establishes her credentials for a mention here early on, when she blows an assailant's head off with a pistol in the first chapter. :-)
Long Road to Mercy
is a serviceable conspiracy thriller with an interesting if not exactly groundbreaking protagonist. My three-star rating is an average of the heroine and prose (upper three stars) with the plotting and especially the denouement (barely two stars). If the former entices you more than the latter repels you, Atlee Pine has two more adventures lined up for your approval. I hope the author has something more sensible lined up for Our Heroine to do in the sequels.Read the full review here.
I just finished book 4 of The Invisible Library series The Lost Plot
. I like this series more with each book. While our heroine only resorts to violence as a last resort, she is brilliant at coming up with unlikely plans to get her team out of their situations. Plenty of action and humor.
Georgann wrote: "I just finished book 4 of The Invisible Library series The Lost Plot . I like this series more with each book. While our heroine only resorts to vi..."I love this series, too!
I'm going through my second book, Preternatural: Evolution, with my content editor and focusing heavily on developing my female protagonist, Alexandra. The entire book focuses on her character development, from being oppressed, meek and meager into a force to be reckoned with. I'm having so much fun writing her!!
The Silent Corner
is an exercise in narrative speed triumphing over emotional engagement. The story's supersaturation of paranoia probably won't be healthy for you in the long run, but you can ride it through Our Heroine's many ups and downs and have a reasonably satisfying time. There are four more just waiting for you if all this sounds good. Three and a half nanobots rounded up (just barely) to four.Read the full review here.
Lance wrote: "The Silent Corner is an exercise in narrative speed triumphing over emotional engagement. The story's supersaturation of paranoia probably won't be healthy for you in the long run, ..."Koontz usually gives me the chills.
A review copy of the newest novel by my Goodreads friend, our fellow group member Lance Charnes,
Zrada, arrived in the mail today, and the timing was perfect for me to start reading it immediately. This is the opener for a projected series, DeWitt Agency Adventures, which is a spin-off from the author's De Witt Agency Files series (and has as its protagonist Carson, the leading female character introduced in The Collection, the opener of the latter, though the protagonist there is male). I have high expectations for this one!
Earlier today, I started reading
Perfect Victim by Kelley Armstrong, the second of two novellas she wrote as a follow-up to her original Nadia Stafford trilogy (which I hope to read next year). I'd read the first one, Double Play, last year. Although I'm actually reading it in a paper omnibus edition of both novellas together, not the e-book, this is the only way I'm able to shelve it; there's no free-standing paper edition.
I just finished Lost Souls by Theresa Van Spankeren over the weekend. I really did enjoy it and recommend to anyone looking for a solid vampire book. Juliana is a relatable and energetic female protagonist.
Although I've read the two novellas Canadian author Kelley Armstrong wrote as sequels to her Nadia Stafford trilogy, I've yet to read any of the original three books. So, in keeping with my plan of trying to finish, or at least make progress in, the many series I've started without completing or catching up with, I've begun reading the trilogy opener,
Exit Strategy.
I read Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark last week. Maryse was just a great action-driven female protagonist!https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Peter wrote: "I read Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark last week. Maryse was just a great action-driven female protagonist!https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..."
I've just added Ring Shout to our group's bookshelf, Peter!
Werner wrote: "Peter wrote: "I read Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark last week. Maryse was just a great action-driven female protagonist!https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..."
I've just added Rin..."
That's awesome! I really enjoyed it and hope you all do, too!!
I just started Abyss by Greig Beck;https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Cate Granger is somewhat of an action heroine in this series. However, this being book 2, I feel that the momentum she had after the original story is lost a bit here. She comes across a bit like a damsel in distress a bit too much. The story is ok, but so far, I'm not loving the development of Ms. Granger.
Peter wrote: "I really enjoyed it and hope you all do, too!!"Speaking of bookshelves, some Goodreads groups keep theirs only for shelving books they've read together as a group. The Goodreads program is set up to treat every group's "currently reading" shelf as a currently active common read; but we haven't used that shelf in a while. (We did an annual group read in this group from 2013-2016, but those fell by the wayside for lack of participation.)
Our "read" shelf has always functioned just as a listing of books any group member has read and liked (and you don't have to be a moderator to add books to it --anybody in the group can do that, and is encouraged to!). I hope to make that shelf one of the best bibliographies of action heroine books on Goodreads! The "to read" shelf is one that I use (and other members are welcome to as well) as sort of an extension of my bloated personal "to read" shelf; it shelves books I haven't read, but which look interesting and that I don't want to lose track of. :-)
Although Barb and I recently began reading Poul Anderson's Operation Luna, the sequel to his
Operation Chaos which we read and liked back in 2015, Barb remarked that she wasn't connecting as well with the characters as she would if she could actually remember the earlier read. So I suggested rereading it, so we could read the two back-to-back. That works for her, so we started our reread of the first book today. In Operation Chaos, Ginny is definitely an action heroine, and I mentioned the book on this thread the first time I read it.
Werner wrote: "Although Barb and I recently began reading Poul Anderson's Operation Luna, the sequel to his Operation Chaos which we read and liked back in 2015,..."I think I read this--but it would have been paperback. I'm going to add this to my TBR for a reread.
Yes, the edition we read (and are reading) was the mass market paperback in the link above. Whenever you reread it, E. G., I'll be interested in your review! (It got five stars from me. :-) )
Back in 2019, when I read the first book in Kendare Blake's Anna duology, Anna Dressed in Blood, I didn't shelve it as an action heroine read. Granted, Anna as a ghost is physically formidable, and gruesomely slaughters anybody who ventures into her old house (long story!); but in dishing out this mayhem, she's not operating in what anyone would call "heroine" mode.However, I've discovered that the sequel
Girl of Nightmares, which I'm currently reading, though it doesn't have a whole lot of physical action (at least so far!), does have not one but two young ladies who are "channeling her inner Warrior Princess" to do physical battle with dark forces. They'll definitely appeal to members of this group!
Barb and I finished
Operation Luna this morning (see message 837 above). I've classified this as an action heroine book. Granted, in this one our heroine Ginny has only one short scene of sword fighting action, where the actual combat only occupies two short paragraphs. (In the climactic battle, she only uses her wand,) But in my estimation, that's enough to qualify --especially when the lady we're talking about is Ginny Greylock Matuchek. :-)
Barb and I have started a new book I'm reading to her,
Avenging Angels: The Wine of Violence, by "A. W. Hart." Like "Franklin W. Dixon" or "Carolyn Keene," that's a house pen name for the different authors who contribute to the series. This is the seventh installment, but I suggested reading it as a stand-alone (which should be possible with these books), because the author is my Goodreads friend (and our fellow group member) Charles Gramlich.Unlike the book I mentioned in the post just before this one, there won't have to be any head-scratching over whether this novel qualifies for the action-heroine label. Sara Bass (who's one half of a twin brother-sister bounty hunting duo in the post-Civil War West) just dropped two dead outlaw bodies in the first three pages. :-)
Werner wrote: "Barb and I have started a new book I'm reading to her, Avenging Angels: The Wine of Violence, by "A. W. Hart." Like "Frank..."Ha Ha! Hope you both enjoy it!!
I just finished
Year One She doesn't start out as anything other than ordinary, but by the end, she is FIERCE!
Georgann wrote: "Ha Ha! Hope you both enjoy it!!"Thanks, Georgann!
In keeping with my current goal of completing or keeping up with the various series I'm reading, today I started on
Made to Be Broken by Kelley Armstrong. It's the second volume of her Nadia Stafford trilogy.
I'm wrapping up my reading of Kelley Armstrong's original Nadia Stafford trilogy by starting on the third book,
Wild Justice.
I found a great new series beginning with
. I need to get my review up and update my challenge, but it is a fast paced space opera adventure. And, the e-book version is currently free!
For those who are using devices that can't register the cover-image thumbnails, the book E.G. mentioned in her post above is Shades of Treason, the opener for Sandy Williams' Anomaly series.
The book I'm currently reading,
To Love a Viking, is a collaboration by our own Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore. Set in Scandinavia and northern Scotland late in the 10th century A.D., it has two female co-protagonists whose stories interlock. Though Ellisif's strength of character is real, it shows itself in endurance rather than fighting. Inara, however, is a warrior type with sword skills, who's already shown her action heroine mettle.Though Barb and I haven't started the next book we'll read together,
Claiming Her Legacy by Linda Goodnight, we've already selected it and are only waiting for the opportunity to begin. Based on the cover and the blurb, I have action-heroine hopes for that one as well --though it's true that some books have impressive "armed female" iconography on the cover, but don't actually follow that through in the story itself!
Action Heroine Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
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Although Abby is white, she was raised by a band of Flathead Indians (this book is set in Montana in the 1870s), who found her sick and alone as a very small child after her parents had died of a contagious disease. She's not particularly gun-savvy, but she's picked up very good knife combat skills, and isn't one bit abashed about using them when she needs to. In the opening scene, we see her defending herself capably and fiercely with a knife against one of the white thugs who've just attacked and massacred the people of her village.