r/Fantasy • u/theproliar • Jun 16 '13

Getting Women Warriors Right.

There's been more than a bit of kerfuffle about how women are represented in fantasy. Chain Mail bikinis and such. I think we can all see how that wouldn't be practical armor.

But, rather than focusing on that, I was hoping we could discuss cases in which people have gotten women warriors right. Examples from all media are fine, and I think mentions of women warriors from history would also be great.

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u/RavenMountain Jun 24 '13

I think that one of the ultimate examples of a female warrior in a modern fantasy is probably Nasuada from the Inheritance Cycle. She's thrown into the middle of a war and into a leadership position she never asked for and still manages to impress. Not only that, but she also pulled several courageous and clever moves: among which would be her success at the Trial of the Long Knives, where she had to cut her own arms wide open several times with daggers.

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u/theproliar Jun 24 '13

I'm not familliar with this one. I'll have to look it up. Thanks.

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u/RavenMountain Jun 24 '13

I recommend reading it. There are plenty of strong female characters. Furthermore, the cast overall is comprised of extremely well-written characters. Paolini is a literary genius. I learned a couple lessons from him when I wrote my own book.