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I thought I'd start this thread, as a place where we can keep each other current on whatever books we're reading that happen to fit in with our group's motif. (It might be a way to help others in the group expand their own reading lists.) Books mentioned don't have to have a fighting female as THE main protagonist of the book; she just has to be an important character!

Right now, I'm reading an Edgar Rice Burroughs Western, The Bandit of Hell's Bend. I'm thinking that the lead female character, Diana Henders, will qualify as our type of heroine, partly because of the cover art (though it doesn't show up very well in the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ entry), and because ERB notes that, compared to her dad's ranchhands, "she could ride with the best of them, and shoot with the best of them."

I'm reading The Medusa Prophecy by Cindy Dees, which has an action heroine. Actually the whole series is full of them. They are a female special forces team called Medusa:

The Dark Agnes collection by REH is realesed this month so im waiting for my copy avidly :)

I'm reading Dark Time by Dakota Banks. The heroine is Mialha, a woman who was burned as a witch in the late 17th century & serves evil for centuries. Now she's trying to turn everything around. This is the first book in the series & that this author wrote. It's pretty good so far. The 2d of the series is also out.

Ooh. I really want to read the Dark Agnes books. Can you post a link?

Looking forward to reading Dark Time too, Jim.

Danielle, the link to the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ entry for the book that has the Dark Agnes stories is Sword Woman. (I'm looking forward to reading that one myself sometime!)

Thanks, Werner!

I just finished The Iron Duke by Marjean Brook. Mina is a great action heroine. It has steamy sex scenes, just a warning.

Currently re-reading The Deed of Paksenarrion, and I just posted on my blog about it.

Marc, that's one that's on my to-read list, too!

Werner wrote: "Marc, that's one that's on my to-read list, too!"

I've had all three books for years, one of my favorites to re-read every so often.

Well, Here, There Be Dragons has a ship captain who while not the primary protagonist is a leading character. I'm also rereading (or have begun rereading) the first or early Black Company books (before going on to the later ones I haven't read yet). There are no "heroes" in this volume, but the villain is The Lady. Later the White Rose will show up she's a general...

Of course there's Paksenarrion, we're rereading it and I love it.

has an action heroine. She's half-demon/half-angel. I guess she's more of an anti-heroine. Her situation is quite tragic and it has evoked quite a bit of emotion in me thus far.

Im reading Sword Woman and other Adventures by Robert E. Howard. A brand new 2011 januari collection reprinting one of few rated female warriors in REH historical fiction. 3 stories of the 10+ stories are with Dark Agnes. Cant wait to taste her stories :)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84...

Just starting Beguilement.

I finished Agnes stories in Sword Woman collection. Two stories and a fragment. Wonderful action heroine.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84...

My review if someone want to know what she is like.

Right now, I'm reading Taliesin because it's a common read this month in another group; I was pleasantly surprised to find that it has an action heroine! The title character is male, but he's one of two viewpoint characters whose stories alternate (and finally intertwine); the other is Charis, a princess of doomed Atlantis. In this book, the Atlanteans practice the religious ritual of "bull dancing" (actually done in ancient Crete) where votaries evade sacred bulls in an arena by a mixture of speed and agility, at times leaping over or onto them. As a teen, Charis spent seven years in the bull pits, rising to be the greatest bull dancer in Atlantis' history (and yes, the reader gets to "see" her in action!). The moves she learned there adapt very nicely to combat situations with multiple assailants. She's not actually called on to fight often in the book; but when she has to, she acquits herself very, very well.

Lawhead, to his credit, has a tendency to portray his female characters as strong, smart, capable people with minds and contributions of their own. They're not always fighters --but some of them are, such as warrior and tutor of warriors Scatha in the Song of Albion trilogy.

I read these long ago, my wife liked them and our library had a few on cassette (she had trouble reading print for some years before other problems became more apparent). Lawhead does one of the better Arthurian series out there. I'd forgotten a lot.

Mike, I've read and liked some of Lawhead's other work, but this series-opener is my first exposure to his Pendragon Cycle. (Of course, in this one Arthur is not yet born.) I'm liking it, although it's flawed by some drastic liberties the author takes with chronology --not only does he put the fall of Atlantis in the 400s A.D. (rather than around 9600 B.C., as Plato does!), but Taliesin, who was a real person, actually was born more than 100 years later than the events here.

I was over the "liberties" by the time I picked it up. I got very tired of Arthur take-offs. For a while if a book said Pendragon or Arthur or any variation thereof I fled... There were books from not only Arthur's point of view but Guinevere's, Mordred's, Merlin's...Arthur's horse. I got to be a bit much. These were pretty good.

From Taliesin's story you'll move to Merlin's.

I just started River of Gods byIan McDonald, so I don't know yet if there will be an action heroine.

Not too long ago, I read the first three books in David Weber's Honor Harrington series.


They're basically Capt. Horatio Hornblower in space with the female Honor Harrington replacing Hornblower. Weber does a good job of translating the slow maneuvering and sudden broadsides of sailing ships with the orbital dynamics and accelerations of spaceships.

All three books followed the same pattern of a slow build up of political and military maneuvering leading up to a vicious and devastating space battle.

I thought they were good comfort food for times when I wanted to tickle my brain, but not challenge it.

I have a couple of the Honor Harrington books on my shelf and keep meaning to get to them...as with so many other books. :)

I really liked the Honor Harrington series, but thought book 8, Echoes of Honor, should have been the last of the series. I barely made it through 9th & didn't finish the 10th. 'Echoes' ended on too much of a climactic note for me. There's a time to put a series to bed & I think that was it for Honor.

Jim, thanks for the info. I want to get back to series sometime, it sounds like I shouldn't commit to anything above eight without checking a sample.

R.H., when you finish book 8, you'll know what I mean. You may not agree, of course. A lot of folks can't seem to get enough of the universe. Personally, I don't like never-ending series, especially if they come to a good climax that they've been working up to for many books. Maybe it's just my impatience. There are so many other books out there to read.

Jim wrote: "R.H., when you finish book 8, you'll know what I mean. You may not agree, of course. A lot of folks can't seem to get enough of the universe. Personally, I don't like never-ending series, especi..."

I stopped reading the series after Honor Among Enemies. That book showed all of them at their best. Then it was followed by books showing most of them at their worst, although I enjoyed the scenes on the POW planet. But after a while all the dialog starts being one long infodump after another, telling the reader all the political situation they could ever care to know, but in a way totally foreign to people at a dinner party, or doing whatever people do when they're not at work. The last book I tried to read was about the next generation, with HH only doing a cameo, but I didn't finish.

Honor Harrington is a terrible joke to me i have to dump the first book i have and forget the series existed.

I have seen characters inspired by famous literary heroes but Honor is just too much plagarism,too much Hornlower in Space. Weber i lost all interest to read because of that series.

R.H. wrote: "Jim, thanks for the info. I want to get back to series sometime, it sounds like I shouldn't commit to anything above eight without checking a sample."

Which female character are you thinking about ?

I have read that novel and the only action hero like is the AI male cop.

Mohammed wrote: "Honor Harrington is a terrible joke to me i have to dump the first book i have and forget the series existed..."

I never cared for the one Hornblower novel I tried to read years ago, so she works for me.

Mohammed wrote: "Which female character are you thinking about ?

I have read that novel and the only action hero like is the AI male cop."

It has been long enough since reading the books that I don't remember the other characters well, and as I said, I found the books to be enjoyable comfort food. I don't hold any adamant opinions about them.

Jim wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "Honor Harrington is a terrible joke to me i have to dump the first book i have and forget the series existed..."

I never cared for the one Hornblower novel I tried to read years a..."

That doesnt make it better when she copies so much of the most popular naval character in fiction.

Thats like creating a new Sherlock Holmes and saying he works for me like the original dont exist.

You can dislike historical fiction,Hornlblower but i think its wrong specially after he dedicates the first novel to C.S Forrester....

Don't know yet...haven't tried HH, but I plan to soon now. I do however like Hornblower very much.

I dont want to sound too negative because i respect Jim's taste,views on that work,author.

But as big Hornblower/Forrester fan its hard to accept copiying Horatio himself.

Doesnt matter its SF if you copy what made him doubtful,human leader that made him so popular.

R.H. wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "Which female character are you thinking about ?

I have read that novel and the only action hero like is the AI male cop."

It has been long enough since reading the books that I d..."

Hehe no i meant you talked about River Gods by Ian Macdonald. I thought you knew there was an action heroine there.

Mohammed wrote: "Hehe no i meant you talked about River Gods by Ian Macdonald. I thought you knew there was an action heroine there."

Ah, I get it. I've only read three chapters so far. Is that the guy who makes his first appearance in chapter two?

By the way...just a side note. Gene Roddenberry once said he originally pictured Star Trek as Horatio Hornblower in space.

R.H. wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "Hehe no i meant you talked about River Gods by Ian Macdonald. I thought you knew there was an action heroine there."

Ah, I get it. I've only read three chapters so far. Is that th..."

Yep he is one of the many main characters. He carried the book well early on for me when i wasnt so clear about the story,the world.

Mohammed wrote: "That doesnt make it better when she copies so much of the most popular naval character in fiction.

Thats like creating a new Sherlock Holmes and saying he works for me like the original dont exist...."

Actually, you came across very negatively. Except for derivatives, Hornblower really doesn't exist for me since I've never read any of the books. I tried one once & didn't like it.

The Honor Harrington novels do work for me. I'm not a real fan of sea stories, but I do like spaceships. I like some historical novels, but they're not a first love. (I am pecking away at the Sharpe series as the mood strikes.) SF has always been a favorite genre, though.

I also don't particularly like some older writing styles. I don't recall exactly, but I would guess that was the main reason I didn't finish. A lot of people like Dickens, but I've always felt he wrote like he was paid by the word. (Yeah, I know he was.) Different tastes.

Let me preface this by saying Jim that I'm not trying to convince you...you don't like Hornblower and that's great. In view of your statement I want ed to say that in general i don't like sea stories either, I've never been able to get into the Patrick O'Brian books, but for some reason I got hooked on Forester.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "By the way...just a side note. Gene Roddenberry once said he originally pictured Star Trek as Horatio Hornblower in space."

I thought he said it was Wagon Train in space.

That comparison came later when people started trying to compare Deep Space Nine to Gunsmoke (a poor comparison in my view as I like Gunsmoke and Deep Space Nine was...less than thrilling. LOL)

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "That comparison came later when people started trying to compare Deep Space Nine to Gunsmoke (a poor comparison in my view as I like Gunsmoke and Deep Space Nine was...less than thrilling. LOL)"

No, that's the comparison Roddenberry used in 64 when he was trying to pitch the series to NBC.

Jim wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "That doesnt make it better when she copies so much of the most popular naval character in fiction.

Thats like creating a new Sherlock Holmes and saying he works for me like the or..."

Hornblower is from the 1940s and 60s and not from 1850s. Your lack of interest in the genre is more likely the reason you didnt like Hornblower and not old writing style. Its a stright forward storytelling that depends you like learn,understand the naval jargon,world.


How would you like if your fav author best series was copied. You can dislike the genre,the series but you can understand why people dont like when you copy a classic series that is popular.

I mean i dont like Tolkien but i understand why people dislike the writers that copied his famous series. Why Howard fans hate the pastice books.
I can respect your taste,liking the series but i can never be anything than negative against the series.

Im not trying to convince you either im just showing my POV.

I just picked up a copy of Ash: A Secret History Has anyone read?

I surrender, I'm writing from memory and remember reading it or seeing it but don't remember the time period, maybe he said it in a later interview. I just recall the interview. Maybe it was on one of those history or bio channel shows. Whatever I won't quibble over what order.

Mohammed, I wouldn't read the Shannara series after the first book because it was too similar to, but not nearly as good as The Lord of the Rings, one of my first & best loved fantasies.

Actually, I don't have much trouble with naval jargon or sailing ships. I spent a fair amount of time on the water as a kid. It's entirely possible that I'd like the Hornblower series if I tried to read it today. It's been a long time. I'll keep it in mind if I stumble on a copy & don't have a mountainous TBR pile. That isn't likely to be any time too soon, though.

Jim wrote: "Mohammed, I wouldn't read the Shannara series after the first book because it was too similar to, but not nearly as good as The Lord of the Rings, one of my first & best loved fantasies.

Actually,..."

Who knows maybe you reading Sharpe will make you a big historical fan in the future. Hornblower/Forrester made me read contemporary historical fiction genre.

I doubt reading Sharpe will do it. I've always read a few historical books a year & I'd guess I average about 150. I guess the most I ever read was back when I read John Jakes "Bicentennial Series" all in a row.

I was on a kick a few years ago when i read a lot of the Sharpe's books. Not bad.

Sandi wrote: "I just picked up a copy of Ash: A Secret History Has anyone read?"
I haven't read it, or even heard of it before. But after reading through the comments on its Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ book page, it looks good.