Are you craving romantic comedy, adult fantasy, or YA contemporary with a dominant female character? If yes, we’ve got a bunch of suggestions for you.
Dominant female characters have been infrequent for a long while, leaving them to hide in the shadows of the male character. However, stories with dominant female characters give an uplifting change of pace.
Dominant female characters destroy the stereotypes required of them and take full charge of their fates and lives. As you read through our synopsis of each book, you’ll come across exciting stories that will challenge your view of gender roles.
Books With Dominant Female Characters
1. Six Crimson Cranes By Elizabeth Lim.
- Audible Audiobook
- Elizabeth Lim (Author) – Emily Woo Zeller (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 07/06/2021 (Publication Date) – Listening Library (Publisher)
The dominant female character in the fantastic book is called Shiori’anma. She is the only princess of Kiata, and she has a secret; the forbidden magic runs in her veins, and she must conceal it perfectly. She hides it excellently until the morning of her betrothal rite, where she loses control.
Initially, her mistake seems like luck, extending the marriage ceremony she never wanted, but sadly, it attracts the attention of her stepmother, Raikama. Raikama has dark magic and uses it to banish Kiata, turns the Shiori brothers into cranes, and warns her not to tell anyone if not, for every word she speaks, one of her dear brothers dies.
Alone, voiceless, and penniless, Shiori begins a search for her brothers and eventually uncovers a plot to overtake her father’s throne. This scheme is far more complex and cunning, more deceitful and twisted than her stepmother’s betrayal.
For Shiori to set the kingdom right, she must welcome the magic she has learned all her life to conceal and trust the boy she wishes not to marry, irrespective of the cost.
2. The Friend Zone By Abby Jimenez.
- Audible Audiobook
- Abby Jimenez (Author) – Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 06/11/2019 (Publication Date) – Hachette Audio (Publisher)
The main character and the dominant female in this story is Kristen Petersen. She hates drama, does not entertain guys who don’t get her, and will fight to death for her friends. But Kristen has a secret: she has a medical condition that makes it impossible for her to have kids.
While having a bittersweet feeling about planning her best friend’s wedding, she meets Josh Copeland, the best man of the wedding. Josh is sexy, funny, always one meal ahead of her hangry, and never gets offended by her streak of sarcasm; even Kristen’s dog loves him.
The catch is that Josh is family-oriented and wants a big family, but Kristen knows Josh would be better off with someone else. But her attraction towards Josh keeps growing, and it eventually becomes more challenging to keep him at arm’s length.
This excellent book will keep you laughing and crying as it tackles the sad realities of loss and infertility with heart, a lot of sass, and wit.
3. Shades Of Magic Trilogy. By V.E.SCHWAB.
- V.E. Schwab (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 1584 Pages – 12/09/2020 (Publication Date) – Titan Books (UK) (Publisher)
Kell, the dominant female In this story, is one of the few and the last Antari magician with a coveted and rare ability to journey between parallel Londons: once in a while, black, Grey, White, and Red.
Raised in Arnes, Red London, Kell officially serves as an ambassador in the Maresh Empire; she travels between the court of George III, the one without any magic to see, and the frequent administration in White London.
Unofficially, she has a defiant hobby, one with dangerous penalties- she is a smuggler who services people willing to pay to have a small glimpse of a world they’ll never see; unfortunately, Kell is facing the consequences firsthand.
After one of her exchanges goes wrong, Kell escapes to one of the Londons, the Grey London in particular, and runs into a cut-purse man with lofty ambitions called Delilah Bard. Kell robs Delilah and saves him from a wicked enemy.
Now, deceit prowls at every corner, and dangerous magic is on the loose. To save the Londons, they both need to stay alive. This fantastic novel is full of intrigue, deception, magic, adventure, and a sprinkle of piracy that will engage all lovers of fantasy stories.
4. Into The Heartless Wood By Joanna Ruth Meyer.
- Audible Audiobook
- Joanna Ruth Meyer (Author) – Tara Novie, Ethan James Lynch (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 01/12/2021 (Publication Date) – Vibrance Press (Publisher)
This book tells the impossible love story of a monstrous tree siren and a young boy living near her wood. The story unfolds in a dangerous forest where a group of sirens sings to lure women and men to their deaths.
For a very long time, a witch has constantly harvested hundreds of souls to feed the monstrous tree, using its energy to expand her territories.
On one fateful day, the male lead, Owen Merrick, is lured into the witch’s domain, but Seren, one of the witch’s daughters, does something that has never happened before -she saves Owens’s life instead of ending it.
Every night, Owen climbs over the wall to see Seren while she longs to become human. Unfortunately, a shift in the stars shows a dangerous curse, and Seren’s pursuit of becoming human leads them to an ancient war between the witch and the king, who is trying everything possible to stop her.
5. Marriage Of Inconvenience – By Penny Reid.
- Audible Audiobook
- Penny Reid (Author) – Angela Dawe, Stephen Dexter (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 02/27/2018 (Publication Date) – Cipher-Naught (Publisher)
The dominant female in this story is Kat Tanner. She realizes that existing as a billionaire heiress isn’t all about the glam as said it would be. She changes her name and shuns her family legacy. But now, her youthful mistakes have caught up with her, and so also her silver spoon.
For Kat to avoid imminent catastrophe, she must get married immediately, and her husband-to-be must be reliable and truthful and have no romantic feelings whatsoever for her. Fortunately, she knows the perfect person for the job- Dan O’Malley, her security guard.
He checks all her boxes, and besides, she has a little crush on him. With all her clear expectations, rules, and a valid, binding contract, Kat Tanner is confident she will endure this ordeal with her heart and sanity in one beautiful piece.
6. The Lady’s Tutor. By Robin Schone. Illustrated By Lulu Russell.
- Hardcover Book
- Schone, Robin (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 428 Pages – Five Star (Publisher)
This book features a dominant female character- Lady Eleanor Neil, and a male lead, Nick Gentry. Lady Eleanor hires the services of Nick, who is a male prostitute, to tutor her on the art of seduction to satisfy her husband.
On the contrary, she realizes she doesn’t just want the lessons with Nick; she also wants a relationship.
7. Power Play By Charlotte Stein.
- Stein, Charlotte (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 178 Pages – 05/19/2016 (Publication Date) – Mischief (Publisher)
The dominant female character in this book is Eleanor Harding. Eleanor loves to be in charge, eventually positioning Anastasia Steele in the dark. Now, she is the boss, and everything that seemed impossible can be possible.
Eleanor finally gets promoted, but she loses control over her desires and the important and heated relationship she has with her boss. Soon after, she craves something very different: an office junior called Ben.
Eleanor envisions Ben as the kind of man who can fulfill all her sexual needs, and Ben is more than willing to show Eleanor all she’s been missing, like- what it feels like to be the one in charge. Now she has to decide – is she calling the hot shot here, or is Ben?
8. Saints For All Occasion – By J. Courtney Sullivan.
- Audible Audiobook
- J. Courtney Sullivan (Author) – Susan Denaker (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 05/09/2017 (Publication Date) – Random House Audio (Publisher)
Twenty-one-year-old Nora Flynn and seventeen-year-old Theresa Flynn are sisters who leave their old-fashioned village in Ireland and travel to America. Theresa has a habit of being cunny and mischievous, while Nora is the responsible sister.
Theresa eventually becomes pregnant, but big sister Nora devises a plan to change their lives forever. This novel demonstrates the sacrifice, love, and hope between the two sisters and the secret that separates them.
9. Perennials – By Mandy Berman.
- Audible Audiobook
- Mandy Berman (Author) – Mozhan Marnò (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 06/06/2017 (Publication Date) – Random House Audio (Publisher)
This book is a coming-of-age story that highlights the lasting power of female friendship. It centers on Fiona Larkin and Rachel Rivkin, two strong women who recently discovered that their relationship is becoming complicated as the years go by.
After their first year in college, their relationship crumbles, but when disaster strikes, they have no choice but to reunite to challenge their past and the adults they are both fast becoming.
10. Into The Water – By Paula Hawkins.
- Audible Audiobook
- Paula Hawkins (Author) – Laura Aikman, Daniel Weyman, Imogen Church (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 12 Pages – 05/02/2017 (Publication Date) – Penguin Audio (Publisher)
This book is a psychological thriller with a dominant female character. A single mother is found dead at the riverside, and her fifteen-year-old daughter goes to stay with her aunt, Jules.
Her aunt dreads staying in town as she believes more danger lurks around than what meets the eye.
Dark and deep secrets suffice, and soon, it is discovered that her sister wasn’t the first person to drown and is certainly not the last person.
11. Watch Me Disappear – By Janelle Brown.
- Audible Audiobook
- Janelle Brown (Author) – Kaleo Griffith, Tavia Gilbert (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 07/11/2017 (Publication Date) – Random House Audio (Publisher)
Billie, Olive’s mum, disappears while on a hiking journey a year ago, but the pain of her disappearance still runs deep. The female lead, Olive, has grown quiet and distant, shying away from her relationships with everyone, including her father.
Olive starts to have visions of her mother and turns to her father for help. Now, they both begin to unearth the truth about her mother’s disappearance.
On A Final Note;
The dominant female characters in these thrilling stories are unapologetic, resilient, powerful, and cunning in their life pursuit. As an avid reader, these books mentioned will give you a renewed perspective and empower and motivate women while fostering gender stereotypes.
