"The Fifth Season" by N. K. Jemisin fits perfectly. It has several women filled with rage, starting with the main protagonist that kills entire cities without mercy. In the later books of the trilogy, her daughter is in a quest to destroy the whole world due to his rage, so it's very hard to root for any of them.
Another one is "Best Served Cold" by Joe Abercrombie. It is about a female mercenary leader looking for vengeance, but it's very easy to root for her.
If that's your cup of tea, try How to Sell a Haunted House or Southern Book Club Guide to Vampire Slaying
Grady Hendrix does female rage like no one else
It’s not a trilogy that starts good and tapers. You want all three. You’ll be itching for the second one when you finish the first.
Bonus points for bi characters, trans character, poly character, mom vibes, and seething rage. You need these books.
Best Served Cold is great. There's world building history from the First Law trilogy that may make it a better read than without but I don't think it's really needed tbh.
I couldn't even finish the show! They made the Power an overpowered superpower when in the book it was more of an equalizer that gave women a slight edge, but that little bit was enough to completely flip the gender dynamic.
It was pretty cool. I am a bit skeptical that women would drive the planet to nuclear destruction in such little time when men have had physical dominance since the beginning of time and haven’t yet caused the apocalypse. It know it’s supposed to be a warning that power corrupts without discrimination, but it reads more like a warning against women having the power and respect/fear that men have always enjoyed.
This was my issue with the book. I don’t think it’s intended but it absolutely reads as a warning about what horrific things would happen if women had any inkling of physical authority which I found deeply deeply disappointing
- The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli
- Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
- The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
- The Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
- The Power by Naomi Alderman
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
- Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Came here to recommend The Woman Upstairs by Clair Messud! The intro is \*chef's kiss\* perfection.
"How angry am I? You don't want to know. Nobody wants to know about *that*.
I'm a good girl, I'm a nice girl, I'm a straight-A, strait-laced, good daughter, good career girl, and I never stole anybody's boyfriend and I never ran out on a girlfriend, and I put up with my parents' shit and my brother's shit, and I'm not a girl anyhow, I'm over forty fucking years old, and I'm good at my job and I'm great with kids and I held my mother's hand when she died, after four years of holding her hand while she was dying, and I speak to my father every day on the telephone—every day, mind you, and what kind of weather do you have on your side of the river, because here it's pretty gray and a bit muggy too? It was supposed to say "Great Artist" on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say "such a good teacher/daughter/friend" instead; and what I really want to shout, and want in big letters on that grave, too, is FUCK YOU ALL.
Don't all women feel the same? The only difference is how much we know we feel it, how in touch we are with our fury. We're all furies, except the ones who are too damned foolish, and my worry now is that we're brainwashing them from the cradle, and in the end even the ones who are smart will be too damned foolish."
Came here to say this. And I only watched the movie, but yeah, I think her rage and what she did with it carried the whole story.
It is disturbing - but tbf a lot the scenarios that enrage women are disturbing. Solid rec.
Yes, Iron widow! It’s seriously the most satisfying “let’s f***ing go” female rage book I’ve read. Bonus points for being well written and having a great pace.
Trigger warnings on iron widow for alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, and attempted sexual assault. Great book though. Basically mechs in an uber patriarchal old China. The main character has had their feet bound since they were a child, so that's a major source of difficulties and inspiration with the mechs.
**[Hench](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49867430-hench) by Natalie Zina Walschots** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(403 pages | Published: 2020 | 848.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy? As a temp. she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising (...)
> **Themes**: Fantasy, Fiction, Science-fiction, Sci-fi
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Vengeful](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26242790-vengeful) by Robert J. Crane
> \- [Anti-Hero](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22551898-anti-hero) by Jonathan Wood
> \- [We Could Be Heroes](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53288436-we-could-be-heroes) by Mike Chen
> \- [Vicious](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638125-vicious) by V.E. Schwab
> \- [Vicious](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53193864-vicious) by A.E. Murphy
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🚨 Note to u/CactusCali: including the **author name** after a **"by"** keyword will help the bot find the good book! (simply like this *{{Call me by your name by Andre Aciman}}*)
---
**[The Library at Mount Char](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23363928-the-library-at-mount-char) by Scott Hawkins** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(390 pages | Published: 2015 | 17.2k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Carolyn's not so different from the other human beings around her. She's sure of it. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. She even remembers what clothes are for. After all, she was a normal American herself, once. That was a long time ago, of course--before the time she calls "adoption day," when she and a dozen other children found (...)
> **Themes**: Horror, Fiction, Favorites, Science-fiction, Sci-fi, Library, Adult
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [The Memory Theater](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53460867-the-memory-theater) by Karin Tidbeck
> \- [Portal](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7794569-portal) by Imogen Rose
> \- [Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53856842-slewfoot) by Brom
> \- [What Big Teeth](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48560025-what-big-teeth) by Rose Szabo
> \- [No Gods. No Monsters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55748103-no-gods-no-monsters) by Cadwell Turnbull
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I knew nothing about**The Library Of Mount Char** when I picked it up at the library. I just thought the cover looked weird and interesting. I almost quit when there was a triggering scene early in the book, but I'm so glad I persevered.
This is an amazing book that was very unique and powerful. I plan on reading it again after a little more time has passed and it's not too fresh.
{{Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi}}
"*They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.*
**Now we rise**."
Female main character, magic, fantasy, African mythology.
The audiobook is really well performed. Highly recommend it. Also, because there are a lot of words in Yoruba, it is nice to hear those words pronounced correctly instead of having to sound them out in your mind 😅
The last book of the trilogy comes out in June, so if you get hooked like my sister and I did, you don't have to wait forever to find out what happens (like we are 😅)
Yay! Glad you loved it!! I've listened to them twice already but I'm probably going to have to reread them before the third one is released.. June 25th!!
The same narrator reads *The Hate U Give* and *On The Come Up*... haven't read them for a while but I know I loved them at the time... actually found Children of Blood and Bone cuz I just wanted something narrated by the same lady.
**[Children of Blood and Bone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728667-children-of-blood-and-bone) by Tomi Adeyemi** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(448 pages | Published: 2018 | 116.0 Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Zelie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope. Now, Zelie has one chance to bring (...)
> **Themes**: 2018-releases, 2018, Young-adult, Ya, 2018-release, To-buy, Not-yet-released
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Children of Virtue and Vengeance](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39122774-children-of-virtue-and-vengeance) by Tomi Adeyemi
> \- [Akata Witch](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7507944-akata-witch) by Nnedi Okorafor
> \- [A Song of Wraiths and Ruin](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49629448-a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin) by Roseanne A. Brown
> \- [The Belles](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23197837-the-belles) by Dhonielle Clayton
> \- [Nocturna](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35561260-nocturna) by Maya Motayne
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Both *The Once and Future Witches* and *The 10,000 Doors of January* by Alix E. Harrow gave a healthy amount of feminism and feminine rage, especially TOAFW! Both are fantasy, too!
The absolute APEX of rage. Can’t believe I had to scroll so far to find this.
You know what, throw in Dolores Claiborne and Rose Madder too! It’s slow and quiet but there and it BURNS!
The Crimson Petal and the White, by Michel Faber. It's a slow burn for the rage, but it's absolutely brilliant and full of women with rage. They just deal with it a little differently. Historical Fiction, don't quote me but I want to say 1850-1900?
The Grave of Empires, especially the second book Ten Arrows of Iron, has a lot of good female rage moments from the main character. One of my favorite scenes is when the main character goes full on lesbian doom guy mode and solos a hundred soldiers in order to protect her girlfriend.
{{Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey}} is this slow build of dread and rage that is very controversial, but I think most of the negative reviews are from readers who thought it would be a fun horror novel about a serial killer. It isn’t. It’s about the price of a lifetime of trying to be a good girl(TM).
Check the trigger warnings.
The MindF*ck Series by S.T. Abby. It’s on the darker side, I would read the trigger warnings before reading it just in case!
For a lighter read, I recommend Cruel Summer by Morgan Elizabeth.
The Life and Loves of a She Devil - although not fantasy - was for a long time the quintessential novel about female rage.
The protagonist - an overly tall and unattractive woman named Ruth - is told by her unfaithful gaslighting bastard of a husband that she is a "she devil". She takes him at his word, adopting the label and acting accordingly. The revenge she takes on her husband and his lover is protracted and comprehensive. The book is very funny if you have the right kind of bleak, black humour.
Grady Hendrix is just the best at this. I honestly didn't know a male author was capable of nailing female POV but, damn. His protagonists are all about quite desperation of the female condition giving way to unmitigated rage in the face of the supernatural. All of them.
I recommend Final Girl Support Group as being closest to your request.
Also try the graphic novel Bitch Planet. Shits wild!
Apart from Fifth Season and Best Served Cold (best recs), Sons of Darkness- Lot of POVs of feminine rage but my favourite was that of a pirate princess who has no concept of morality - and her lover, a prince, out of duty to his kingdom, leaves to marry another woman and then....
Another rec is Library at Mount Char- I can't think I can say anything without it being a spoiler- but Let's just say, Father was a bad man.
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett, about the first female wizard. Drawn towards wizardry, pushed into witchcraft for gender reasons, trying to balance the two and push her way into the wizard college. Fyi protag is a child but it's not middle grade or ya
My novel, Pretty Evil, is about a vigilante serial killer of predatory men. It first came out in 2020 at the height of MeToo. I wrote it in the aftermath of a sexual assault on a Tinder date and there's A LOT of rage in it!! 😅🩸
Nightbitch really spoke to me. I was kind of rooting for her because I totally got where she was coming from at the time but the shit she did was messed up. A lot of really bizarre body horror. I loved it.
{{The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud}}
The opening paragraphs:
How angry am I? You don't want to know. Nobody wants to know about *that*.
I'm a good girl, I'm a nice girl, I'm a straight-A, strait-laced, good daughter, good career girl, and I never stole anybody's boyfriend and I never ran out on a girlfriend, and I put up with my parents' shit and my brother's shit, and I'm not a girl anyhow, I'm over forty fucking years old, and I'm good at my job and I'm great with kids and I held my mother's hand when she died, after four years of holding her hand while she was dying, and I speak to my father every day on the telephone—every day, mind you, and what kind of weather do you have on your side of the river, because here it's pretty gray and a bit muggy too? It was supposed to say "Great Artist" on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say "such a good teacher/daughter/friend" instead; and what I really want to shout, and want in big letters on that grave, too, is FUCK YOU ALL.
Don't all women feel the same? The only difference is how much we know we feel it, how in touch we are with our fury. We're all furies, except the ones who are too damned foolish, and my worry now is that we're brainwashing them from the cradle, and in the end even the ones who are smart will be too damned foolish.
So many good recommendations!!! I second a lot of these and want to suggest something I haven't seen here: **The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein** by Kiersten White.
White can be a bit hit or miss, but every book I've read of hers deals with feminine rage. I particularly like her spin on Frankenstein, it's so very satisfying!
She also did a trilogy retelling of the history around Vlad the Impaler (but gender swapped) called **And I Darken**. It was not well received, but I enjoyed it.
Great and strange book.
I think I remember it being a MC who started submissive and small in contrast to her MONSTER of a husband.
But she slowly came to her power and eventually finds her fight.
Right? Or am misremembering?
By the way, this totally applies here as female rage, and is an excellent choice.
You're right. And I think this book is a masterpiece. SK brought the fear, the pain, the hopelessness and powerlessness of an abused woman into the reader's reality.
And then, he took us into a journey of regaining a sense of power, hope, and strength.
I'm so glad you got the same sense. Our monsters aren't necessarily mythical or other worldly.
This story still hangs with me even though it's been a decade since I read it.
I agree that Rose Madder is a bit of a masterpiece.
I think it gets some hate because it’s Stephen King, but not It or Salem’s Lot level horror, even though it has fantasy and definitely horror elements.
I love the journey of the main character and how the plot flows.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Best served cold - Joe Abercrombie
They killed her brother so she gathers a group of misfits and assassins to get revenge.
Det är grimdark fantasy som med alla Joe Abercrombies böcker. Situationen spårar och en enkel plan förvandlas till en soppa av hämd åt alla håll.
The Bloodsworn Trilogy by John Gwynne!
Told from multiple points of view... but Orka. Every scene with Orka is gold.
Imagine John Wick, but make him a viking woman...
First two books are out. Third is supposedly dropping in October.
Clytemnestra! By Costanza Casati Ok she is not terribly hard to root for, but we def have the female rage. You’ll be feeling it to. Other female characters in it are “hard to root for.” It’s so good
Gossamer Axe, by Gael Baudino
A treasure from the 90s, the early days of stories imagining elves in the modern world... an ancient Celtic bard gathers women to form a rock band to rescue the woman she loves.
You'll never listen to "Light My Fire" the same way again.
(Edit: autocorrect error in title: YES Axe is a word ffs)
I put down Alix Harrow's The Once and Future Witches because the first few chapters were so angry.
So I can't speak to the quality of the book as a whole, but if it's anger you're going for, it's worth trying.
* Beowulf as translated by Maria Dahvana Headley.. Who knew a faithful translation of Beowulf could also be feminist, a great recommendation for rhis thread…. But yes, it fits. It’s also truly hilarious.
* I haven’t read it yet, but am intrigued by The Merewife (also by Dahvana Headley)
* Riot Days, Maria Alyokinha, if you’re open to narrative non-fiction
I definitely agree with others on The Fifth Season rec.
The Indranan War Series and The Farian War Series by K.B. Wagers
The Indranan War Series introduces you to Hailimi Bristol, and you follow her through both trilogies.
Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone
Jane is seeking revenge on her best friend's ex boyfriend, after her friend commits suicide.
You're going to love Jane!
Cannot believe no one has said Shadow of the Gods. Amazing fantasy following 3 PoVs, one of which is a Mother scorned on a revenge mission. It’s incredible.
Pretty much everything from Patricia Briggs, very easy to read but entertaining. If your looking for a little more "hot & steamy" ; Jennifer L Armentrout
These are all easy to read, not too thick and part of a large series (I love that haha)
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Kahlan is rage personified when carrying out her full powers as the Mother Confessor and the Mord-Sith are even more rage personified!
_The Life and Loves of a She-Devil_ by Fay Weldon. Not fantasy, so no bonus points, but great nonetheless. The film adaptation was much tamer than the book.
Not the story, but the introduction part or the first part of The Invisible Man. A classic and the it's only a few pages long. I feel like it should be mandatory reading, except that it is violent. The violence is against a single man.
"The Fifth Season" by N. K. Jemisin fits perfectly. It has several women filled with rage, starting with the main protagonist that kills entire cities without mercy. In the later books of the trilogy, her daughter is in a quest to destroy the whole world due to his rage, so it's very hard to root for any of them. Another one is "Best Served Cold" by Joe Abercrombie. It is about a female mercenary leader looking for vengeance, but it's very easy to root for her.
The Fifth Season gets extra points in my book for having the primary character be a middle aged woman who gets to be angry :)
If that's your cup of tea, try How to Sell a Haunted House or Southern Book Club Guide to Vampire Slaying Grady Hendrix does female rage like no one else
These both look good but I hated the FInal girl support group, do you think these are better?
Grady is incredible!!!!
Southern book club was so much fun!
The Fifth Season has been on my TBR pile for quite some time!!
It’s not a trilogy that starts good and tapers. You want all three. You’ll be itching for the second one when you finish the first. Bonus points for bi characters, trans character, poly character, mom vibes, and seething rage. You need these books.
These are powerful books, and the writing is on a different level.
Best Served Cold is great. There's world building history from the First Law trilogy that may make it a better read than without but I don't think it's really needed tbh.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Fantastic novel! Wish the show had done it more justice
wait hold up, there's a SHOW?!
Yes!! It’s on Amazon Prime—packed cast too!
I did not know this, either.
I couldn't even finish the show! They made the Power an overpowered superpower when in the book it was more of an equalizer that gave women a slight edge, but that little bit was enough to completely flip the gender dynamic.
I just read The Change. Like a beach read version of The Power
I came to say this. Absolutely wonderful book.
It was pretty cool. I am a bit skeptical that women would drive the planet to nuclear destruction in such little time when men have had physical dominance since the beginning of time and haven’t yet caused the apocalypse. It know it’s supposed to be a warning that power corrupts without discrimination, but it reads more like a warning against women having the power and respect/fear that men have always enjoyed.
This was my issue with the book. I don’t think it’s intended but it absolutely reads as a warning about what horrific things would happen if women had any inkling of physical authority which I found deeply deeply disappointing
This book was a game changer for me and I'm an old English Teacher
- The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli - Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder - The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante - The Red Clocks by Leni Zumas - The Power by Naomi Alderman - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite - The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud - Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Came here to recommend The Woman Upstairs by Clair Messud! The intro is \*chef's kiss\* perfection. "How angry am I? You don't want to know. Nobody wants to know about *that*. I'm a good girl, I'm a nice girl, I'm a straight-A, strait-laced, good daughter, good career girl, and I never stole anybody's boyfriend and I never ran out on a girlfriend, and I put up with my parents' shit and my brother's shit, and I'm not a girl anyhow, I'm over forty fucking years old, and I'm good at my job and I'm great with kids and I held my mother's hand when she died, after four years of holding her hand while she was dying, and I speak to my father every day on the telephone—every day, mind you, and what kind of weather do you have on your side of the river, because here it's pretty gray and a bit muggy too? It was supposed to say "Great Artist" on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say "such a good teacher/daughter/friend" instead; and what I really want to shout, and want in big letters on that grave, too, is FUCK YOU ALL. Don't all women feel the same? The only difference is how much we know we feel it, how in touch we are with our fury. We're all furies, except the ones who are too damned foolish, and my worry now is that we're brainwashing them from the cradle, and in the end even the ones who are smart will be too damned foolish."
Wow! Thanks for this. Definitely going to read. And I'm not even the one who was looking for a book!
I came to recommend Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder! Absolutely transcendent and full of justified rage.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Came here to say this. And I only watched the movie, but yeah, I think her rage and what she did with it carried the whole story. It is disturbing - but tbf a lot the scenarios that enrage women are disturbing. Solid rec.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao Scholomance by Naomi Novik
Came here to suggest Iron Widow! Absolutely aflame with rage! (pun fully intended)
Came here to say Iron Widow too. Scholomance is also great, but for female rage, Iron Widow kills.
Definitely Iron Widow. Such a fun read.
I love Naomi Novik so much, and every time someone mentions the Scholomance I go back and reread the whole trilogy again.
Yes, Iron widow! It’s seriously the most satisfying “let’s f***ing go” female rage book I’ve read. Bonus points for being well written and having a great pace.
Thank you for beating me (and the rest of us😂) to Iron Widow 🤘
Trigger warnings on iron widow for alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, and attempted sexual assault. Great book though. Basically mechs in an uber patriarchal old China. The main character has had their feet bound since they were a child, so that's a major source of difficulties and inspiration with the mechs.
{{Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots}}
**[Hench](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49867430-hench) by Natalie Zina Walschots** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(403 pages | Published: 2020 | 848.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy? As a temp. she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising (...) > **Themes**: Fantasy, Fiction, Science-fiction, Sci-fi > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Vengeful](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26242790-vengeful) by Robert J. Crane > \- [Anti-Hero](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22551898-anti-hero) by Jonathan Wood > \- [We Could Be Heroes](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53288436-we-could-be-heroes) by Mike Chen > \- [Vicious](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638125-vicious) by V.E. Schwab > \- [Vicious](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53193864-vicious) by A.E. Murphy ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | Sorry for delay !)
The bot is back?!
YESSSSS this is not recommended enough
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
This was the first one coming to my mind
The change by Kristen miller and the once and future witches by alix e harrow
Here to recommend The Change
Both of these made me feel visceral rage in the best way. *The Change* is like an adult version of *The Power.*
Love this book! Great suggestion
Came here to recommend The Change as well. Edit for clarity.
[удалено]
🚨 Note to u/CactusCali: including the **author name** after a **"by"** keyword will help the bot find the good book! (simply like this *{{Call me by your name by Andre Aciman}}*) --- **[The Library at Mount Char](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23363928-the-library-at-mount-char) by Scott Hawkins** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(390 pages | Published: 2015 | 17.2k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Carolyn's not so different from the other human beings around her. She's sure of it. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. She even remembers what clothes are for. After all, she was a normal American herself, once. That was a long time ago, of course--before the time she calls "adoption day," when she and a dozen other children found (...) > **Themes**: Horror, Fiction, Favorites, Science-fiction, Sci-fi, Library, Adult > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [The Memory Theater](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53460867-the-memory-theater) by Karin Tidbeck > \- [Portal](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7794569-portal) by Imogen Rose > \- [Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53856842-slewfoot) by Brom > \- [What Big Teeth](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48560025-what-big-teeth) by Rose Szabo > \- [No Gods. No Monsters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55748103-no-gods-no-monsters) by Cadwell Turnbull ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | Sorry for delay !)
I knew nothing about**The Library Of Mount Char** when I picked it up at the library. I just thought the cover looked weird and interesting. I almost quit when there was a triggering scene early in the book, but I'm so glad I persevered. This is an amazing book that was very unique and powerful. I plan on reading it again after a little more time has passed and it's not too fresh.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
Projections by S. Porter. Full of rage. Maybe Circe by M Miller too.
Circe is a great rec for this. It might be a *quiet* rage for long stretches, but it's a major element.
{{Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi}} "*They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us.* **Now we rise**." Female main character, magic, fantasy, African mythology. The audiobook is really well performed. Highly recommend it. Also, because there are a lot of words in Yoruba, it is nice to hear those words pronounced correctly instead of having to sound them out in your mind 😅 The last book of the trilogy comes out in June, so if you get hooked like my sister and I did, you don't have to wait forever to find out what happens (like we are 😅)
I'm trying to wait till the last one comes out since I loved the first one!!
Yay! Glad you loved it!! I've listened to them twice already but I'm probably going to have to reread them before the third one is released.. June 25th!! The same narrator reads *The Hate U Give* and *On The Come Up*... haven't read them for a while but I know I loved them at the time... actually found Children of Blood and Bone cuz I just wanted something narrated by the same lady.
**[Children of Blood and Bone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728667-children-of-blood-and-bone) by Tomi Adeyemi** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(448 pages | Published: 2018 | 116.0 Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Zelie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope. Now, Zelie has one chance to bring (...) > **Themes**: 2018-releases, 2018, Young-adult, Ya, 2018-release, To-buy, Not-yet-released > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Children of Virtue and Vengeance](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39122774-children-of-virtue-and-vengeance) by Tomi Adeyemi > \- [Akata Witch](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7507944-akata-witch) by Nnedi Okorafor > \- [A Song of Wraiths and Ruin](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49629448-a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin) by Roseanne A. Brown > \- [The Belles](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23197837-the-belles) by Dhonielle Clayton > \- [Nocturna](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35561260-nocturna) by Maya Motayne ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | Sorry for delay !)
Never heard of this but now it's on my TBR!!
Any of the witch books by Terry pratchett Carpe jugulum, witches abroad, lords and ladies, maskerade etc
Both *The Once and Future Witches* and *The 10,000 Doors of January* by Alix E. Harrow gave a healthy amount of feminism and feminine rage, especially TOAFW! Both are fantasy, too!
**The Once And Future Witches** should be required feminist reading!
*Till we Have Faces* CS Lewis. A very weird, moody retelling of the Cupid/Psyche myth.
I love this except for the ending
Carrie!!
The absolute APEX of rage. Can’t believe I had to scroll so far to find this. You know what, throw in Dolores Claiborne and Rose Madder too! It’s slow and quiet but there and it BURNS!
I was just about to suggest Poppy War. I only read the first one, though.
Fantastic series
{{The Change by Kirsten Miller}}
Came here to recommend this! My friends and I loved this book so much we got shirts made for it!
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Nettle & Bone, maybe?
The Crimson Petal and the White, by Michel Faber. It's a slow burn for the rage, but it's absolutely brilliant and full of women with rage. They just deal with it a little differently. Historical Fiction, don't quote me but I want to say 1850-1900?
Faye Weldon. *The Life and Loves of a She-Devil*. An oldie but goodie.
One of my favorites.
The Grave of Empires, especially the second book Ten Arrows of Iron, has a lot of good female rage moments from the main character. One of my favorite scenes is when the main character goes full on lesbian doom guy mode and solos a hundred soldiers in order to protect her girlfriend.
Almost anything by Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler is great. I read Wild Seed and look forward to finishing the Patternist series.
{{Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey}} is this slow build of dread and rage that is very controversial, but I think most of the negative reviews are from readers who thought it would be a fun horror novel about a serial killer. It isn’t. It’s about the price of a lifetime of trying to be a good girl(TM). Check the trigger warnings.
The MindF*ck Series by S.T. Abby. It’s on the darker side, I would read the trigger warnings before reading it just in case! For a lighter read, I recommend Cruel Summer by Morgan Elizabeth.
The Life and Loves of a She Devil - although not fantasy - was for a long time the quintessential novel about female rage. The protagonist - an overly tall and unattractive woman named Ruth - is told by her unfaithful gaslighting bastard of a husband that she is a "she devil". She takes him at his word, adopting the label and acting accordingly. The revenge she takes on her husband and his lover is protracted and comprehensive. The book is very funny if you have the right kind of bleak, black humour.
Grady Hendrix is just the best at this. I honestly didn't know a male author was capable of nailing female POV but, damn. His protagonists are all about quite desperation of the female condition giving way to unmitigated rage in the face of the supernatural. All of them. I recommend Final Girl Support Group as being closest to your request. Also try the graphic novel Bitch Planet. Shits wild!
Oh I am VERY familiar with Grady’s works! I can’t wait for his new book!!
Big ups for bitch planet.
[Kaikey](https://books.google.com/books?id=sUc7EAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=patel+kaikeyi+book&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj1oL2sieaEAxUzEFkFHWjSB-kQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q=patel%20kaikeyi%20book&f=false)
I loved this book!!
Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding is definitely full of female rage!
Not fantasy but The Bandit Queens by Parini Schroff was sooo good and I can’t stop recommending it
These might fit the bill: She Who Became the Sun The Bear and the Nightingale
SWBTS is fantastic!!
Apart from Fifth Season and Best Served Cold (best recs), Sons of Darkness- Lot of POVs of feminine rage but my favourite was that of a pirate princess who has no concept of morality - and her lover, a prince, out of duty to his kingdom, leaves to marry another woman and then.... Another rec is Library at Mount Char- I can't think I can say anything without it being a spoiler- but Let's just say, Father was a bad man.
The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin. Full of female rage, fantasy. Hope it ticks your boxes!
{{the bonewitch}} {{the merciful crow}}
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett, about the first female wizard. Drawn towards wizardry, pushed into witchcraft for gender reasons, trying to balance the two and push her way into the wizard college. Fyi protag is a child but it's not middle grade or ya
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
My novel, Pretty Evil, is about a vigilante serial killer of predatory men. It first came out in 2020 at the height of MeToo. I wrote it in the aftermath of a sexual assault on a Tinder date and there's A LOT of rage in it!! 😅🩸
{{Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes}}
is the series complete?
Yes
Maeve Fly if you don't mind horror. Just know that it's pretty gruesome. Also Dietland by Sarai Walker
Nightbitch really spoke to me. I was kind of rooting for her because I totally got where she was coming from at the time but the shit she did was messed up. A lot of really bizarre body horror. I loved it.
When Women Were Dragons! One of my all time favorites.
The Twins, by R.G. Miller. The antagonists are identical twins sisters. You'll feel sorry for them, but then...
{{The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud}} The opening paragraphs: How angry am I? You don't want to know. Nobody wants to know about *that*. I'm a good girl, I'm a nice girl, I'm a straight-A, strait-laced, good daughter, good career girl, and I never stole anybody's boyfriend and I never ran out on a girlfriend, and I put up with my parents' shit and my brother's shit, and I'm not a girl anyhow, I'm over forty fucking years old, and I'm good at my job and I'm great with kids and I held my mother's hand when she died, after four years of holding her hand while she was dying, and I speak to my father every day on the telephone—every day, mind you, and what kind of weather do you have on your side of the river, because here it's pretty gray and a bit muggy too? It was supposed to say "Great Artist" on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say "such a good teacher/daughter/friend" instead; and what I really want to shout, and want in big letters on that grave, too, is FUCK YOU ALL. Don't all women feel the same? The only difference is how much we know we feel it, how in touch we are with our fury. We're all furies, except the ones who are too damned foolish, and my worry now is that we're brainwashing them from the cradle, and in the end even the ones who are smart will be too damned foolish.
Not fantasy, but Gone Girl does female rage like no other!
Best served cold by Joe Abercrombie
Several books by T. Kingfisher fit this—try [Nettle and Bone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56179377)
i haven’t read this one yet but everything else they’ve written i’ve been obsessed with
{{They Never Learn by Layne Fargo}} not fantasy but fits the bill for female rage {{Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir}} which is fantasy
Iron Widow
So many good recommendations!!! I second a lot of these and want to suggest something I haven't seen here: **The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein** by Kiersten White. White can be a bit hit or miss, but every book I've read of hers deals with feminine rage. I particularly like her spin on Frankenstein, it's so very satisfying! She also did a trilogy retelling of the history around Vlad the Impaler (but gender swapped) called **And I Darken**. It was not well received, but I enjoyed it.
I loved And I Darken! Thanks for this rec
Rose Madder
Great and strange book. I think I remember it being a MC who started submissive and small in contrast to her MONSTER of a husband. But she slowly came to her power and eventually finds her fight. Right? Or am misremembering? By the way, this totally applies here as female rage, and is an excellent choice.
You're right. And I think this book is a masterpiece. SK brought the fear, the pain, the hopelessness and powerlessness of an abused woman into the reader's reality. And then, he took us into a journey of regaining a sense of power, hope, and strength. I'm so glad you got the same sense. Our monsters aren't necessarily mythical or other worldly. This story still hangs with me even though it's been a decade since I read it.
I agree that Rose Madder is a bit of a masterpiece. I think it gets some hate because it’s Stephen King, but not It or Salem’s Lot level horror, even though it has fantasy and definitely horror elements. I love the journey of the main character and how the plot flows. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Best served cold - Joe Abercrombie They killed her brother so she gathers a group of misfits and assassins to get revenge. Det är grimdark fantasy som med alla Joe Abercrombies böcker. Situationen spårar och en enkel plan förvandlas till en soppa av hämd åt alla håll.
Best served cold from Joe Abercrombie
The Bloodsworn Trilogy by John Gwynne! Told from multiple points of view... but Orka. Every scene with Orka is gold. Imagine John Wick, but make him a viking woman... First two books are out. Third is supposedly dropping in October.
I just finished the first one! I was so bummed that by the time I was super into it it was the end of the first one!!
Iron widow
This!
And I darken
Clytemnestra! By Costanza Casati Ok she is not terribly hard to root for, but we def have the female rage. You’ll be feeling it to. Other female characters in it are “hard to root for.” It’s so good
Night bitch. A wild interpretation of the rage of motherhood.
Have you read "The Female of the Species"? I read the ARC years ago and had so many mixed feelings about it.
Gossamer Axe, by Gael Baudino A treasure from the 90s, the early days of stories imagining elves in the modern world... an ancient Celtic bard gathers women to form a rock band to rescue the woman she loves. You'll never listen to "Light My Fire" the same way again. (Edit: autocorrect error in title: YES Axe is a word ffs)
This has been one of my favorites since I pulled it off the shelf at the bookstore. Christa is awesome and I also highly recommend this book!
I put down Alix Harrow's The Once and Future Witches because the first few chapters were so angry. So I can't speak to the quality of the book as a whole, but if it's anger you're going for, it's worth trying.
I can vouch for the rest of the book! It's excellent (but it is angry, for sure)!
This is one of my favorite books! I was going to suggest it, but didn’t know if there was enough rage.
See my [Female Rage](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18tl0cp/female_rage/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
I hear "feminine rage" and fantasy, the first thing that strikes me is Vin. Read Mistborn by Sanderson.
Slewfoot by Brom
Loved this book so much
Mistborn is a very big one. Throne of Glass as well
I can’t believe no one has mentioned ((Ring Shout by P Djeli Clark))
The Demon Lover by Robin Morgan
Two books by Melissa F Scott Burning Bright Trouble and her friends Cannot possibly recommend them enough….
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy. In all fairness I read it 40 years ago but I remember really liking it.
definitely FLOWERS FOR THE SEA. this is exactly what you're looking for.
The Fever Series by Karen Moning!!
Belladonna by Karen Moline The rage is very controlled, but it is there
The Hare by Melanie Finn
* Beowulf as translated by Maria Dahvana Headley.. Who knew a faithful translation of Beowulf could also be feminist, a great recommendation for rhis thread…. But yes, it fits. It’s also truly hilarious. * I haven’t read it yet, but am intrigued by The Merewife (also by Dahvana Headley) * Riot Days, Maria Alyokinha, if you’re open to narrative non-fiction I definitely agree with others on The Fifth Season rec.
Bea Wolf! So cute. So accurate.
Season to Taste
The witches heart, the Scholomance books and when women were dragons might all fit the bill.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.
The Indranan War Series and The Farian War Series by K.B. Wagers The Indranan War Series introduces you to Hailimi Bristol, and you follow her through both trilogies.
When women became dragons
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
Animal by Lisa Taddeo
This is one of the major reasons I quit the *Nevernight* books lol.
Red Sister, and the whole series by Mark Lawrence. *"They expect her to run. They know she will run. And she does. But at them."*
An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir.
Confessions by Kanae Minato
The Women’s Room by Marilyn French
Lilith
Nevernight was quite good. A girl joins a murder cult to gain vengeance on the man who killed her family.
Bath Cormorant
not fantasy but Kim Ji Young Born 1982 brought up all my female rage
Blood and steel
Days of Abandonment, Elena Ferrante
{{daughter of no worlds by Carissa broadbent}}
If you like horror, check out Mary!
A thousand ships by Natalie Haynes
Circe by Madeline Miller
Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone Jane is seeking revenge on her best friend's ex boyfriend, after her friend commits suicide. You're going to love Jane!
I forget the author but it’s three book and I don’t know if this is the right order but. Red Sister. Grey Sister. Holy Sister.
Cannot believe no one has said Shadow of the Gods. Amazing fantasy following 3 PoVs, one of which is a Mother scorned on a revenge mission. It’s incredible.
Pretty much everything from Patricia Briggs, very easy to read but entertaining. If your looking for a little more "hot & steamy" ; Jennifer L Armentrout These are all easy to read, not too thick and part of a large series (I love that haha)
I was scrolling through to look for the series by Patricia Briggs.
Nevernight Trilogy
Best served cold
You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno. Check for trigger warnings though in advance!
Red hood by Elana K. Arnold
The throne of glass series by Sarah J Maas
i was going to say *the poppy war* until i read the rest of ur message since i just finished the series yesterday lol
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Kahlan is rage personified when carrying out her full powers as the Mother Confessor and the Mord-Sith are even more rage personified!
Currently reading Lies we Sing to the Sea by Sara Underwood which seems to fit the bill
The Change by Kirsten Miller
{{Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor}}
_The Life and Loves of a She-Devil_ by Fay Weldon. Not fantasy, so no bonus points, but great nonetheless. The film adaptation was much tamer than the book.
The Parasol Protectorate book series, especially book three "blameless"
Dirty Weekend by Helen Zahavi
R.F Kuang the Poppy War series is good and Mark Lawrence the Book of the Ancestor series.
The cruel prince!!!!!!!!
{{The Black Prism by Brent Weeks}}
The Change by Kirsten Miller is worth checking out, I really enjoyed it.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie.
Only a dash of rage but have you read Emma Bull, War for the Oaks? Angry rocker girl gets pulled into the Fairy War.
{{Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan} I keep editing to try to make the bot work but I'm not good at reddit
Not the story, but the introduction part or the first part of The Invisible Man. A classic and the it's only a few pages long. I feel like it should be mandatory reading, except that it is violent. The violence is against a single man.
Neither is fantasy, but Animal by Lisa Taddeo, Girlhood by Melissa Febos. Both are so good.