7 Masterpiece High Fantasy Novels Written by Women

Assassin’s Apprentice is the first entry in the acclaimed author’s Farseer trilogy, and is the best entry point to her Realm of the Elderlings books that consist of five marvelously-crafted series. Filled with deep characterization, vivid worldbuilding and a thoughtful magic system, the first book draws upon Arthurian motifs and quest narratives to tell the introspective yet engaging story of Fitz, a bastard son of royalty who’s treated as an outcast by the court and secretly trained in the art of assassination. 

The Innocent Mage is the first book in Karen Miller’s ambitious Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series, although it has a prequel, A Blight of Mages that was published later. Miller’s spellbinding narrative unfolds in a secondary world where using magic illegally is punishable by death and follows Asher, a village boy determined to make his fortune and climb up the ranks—except he might actually be part of a secret prophecy. Miller’s prose is sharp and evocative—and easy enough to get utterly lost in, and this book is followed by a sequel, The Awakened Mage that continues Asher’s epic adventure.

Don't let this heavy, 800+ page tome featuring a fierce dragon on its cover fool you. Once you get started, it’s very hard to put The Priory of the Orange Tree down and I blazed through it in a matter of days. Drawing upon history and myth, The Priory of the Orange Tree is a novel of epic proportions that follows the POVs of multiple characters in an interconnected plot with a soft, sapphic romance thrown in for good measure. 

With plenty of complex female and queer characters, some of whom are accompanied by dragons, The Priory of the Orange Tree is an exciting read that can be enjoyed as a standalone or as part of the author’s larger The Roots of Chaos series that already has two equally long and equally stunning prequels.

If you’re looking for a shorter YA high fantasy series to commit to, you’re sure to find Rachel Aaron’s The Legend of Eli Monpress books utterly delightful, full of mayhem and magic. The first book, The Spirit Thief introduces readers to young Eli, a smart, ambitious and extremely charismatic thief whom you might even fall in love with, and this time around, Eli decides to steal a king. 

With a fun, fast-paced narrative enlivened with memorable supporting characters, The Spirit Thief is a thoroughly enjoyable book perfect for readers keen on dipping their toes into the high fantasy genre and wishing to start with something short and light-hearted. 

I’m a sucker for narratives with a sapphic twist, and when you put that in a high fantasy setting, you’ve basically won me over. So it’s not hard to get charmed by Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, the first entry in her Burning Kingdoms trilogy, inspired by Indian history and epics, which features an unlikely alliance forged between a captive princess and her sworn maidservant with hidden magic to save the kingdom. 

Family drama, court intrigue and a slow-burn sapphic romance all render The Jasmine Throne into an unforgettably bewitching read—and one that will make you want to stick around for more sapphic shenanigans. 

A lot of high fantasy novels tend to unfold in a magical medieval-ish setting, although The Jasmine Throne is a departure in that regard, along with Lian Kearn’s lush and evocative Emperor of the Eight Islands wherein the action unfolds in a mythical feudal Japan, filled with warriors, demons, animal spirits and more. It’s the first book in the author’s The Tale of Shikanoko series consisting of four beautiful books all taking place in vividly-realized settings inspired from Japanese history and myth. 

The first book follows Shikanoko who’s denied his birthright by his murderous uncle and turns to sorcery, although he can’t fully control his powers yet. Action-packed and twisty, Emperor of the Eight Islands weaves an invigorating inter-connected story about power, corruption and betrayal, filled with memorable main and supporting characters. 

Finally, if you’re looking for a high fantasy series that also feels like a cozy comfort read, Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realm books kind of matches that vibe. The first book, Graceling which is also her debut novel introduces readers to a world where those imbued with special powers are marked by their differently colored eyes. It follows the story of Katsa—the king’s niece and prized assassin—who falls in love with a beautiful prince and together they embark on an adventure, discovering new secrets that threaten everything they’ve ever known. Filled with action, intrigue, endearing characters and an utterly sweet romance, Graceling still remains a popular read, and if you enjoy this one, you’ll also probably enjoy the other books in the series that deepen the worldbuilding and narrate the stories of the other characters as well.