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Princess Kindar of Anost dreams of playing the hero and succeeding to her mother’s throne. But dreams are for fools. Reality involves two healthy sisters and a wasting disease of suffocating cough that’s killing her by inches. When her elder sister is murdered, the blame falls on Kindar, putting her head on the chopping block.
No one who survives eighteen years of choke lung lacks determination. A novice wizard, Maladonis Bin, approaches with a vision—a cure in a barren land of volcanic fumes. As choices go, a charming bootlicker that trips over his own feet isn’t the best option, but beggars can’t be choosers. Kindar escapes with Mal and several longtime attendants only to have her eyes opened that her country faces dark times.
Her mother’s decision to close the prosperous mines spurs poverty and joblessness, inciting rebellion and opening Anost to foreign invasion. As Mal urges her toward a cure that will prove his visions, suddenly, an ally turns traitor, delivering Kindar to a rebel army, who have their own plans for a sickly princess.
With the killer poised to strike again, the rebels bearing down, and the country falling apart, she must weigh her personal hunt for a cure against saving her people.
I'd like to celebrate by offering a free query critique (including two revisions) and an autographed paperback copy to one winner. To make it easy to enter, you get one entry just for leaving a comment telling about your favorite strong woman in fiction. Please leave you twitter handle in the comment or email address so I can find the winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
There are too many amazing strong women in fiction for me to pick just one, so I'll go with the most recent one on my mind - Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers. I remember seeing her on the shelves for the first time. I was browsing the comic book section and saw a cover that said "Captain Marvel," but the person on the cover was a woman who looked just like me (okay, me with a super body and a much better haircut). So of course I had to find out more.
ReplyDeleteI love that she's smart and snarky. I love that she's a fighter jet pilot. I love that her title is now Captain Marvel instead of Ms. Marvel - that was the very first thing that drew me to her. I also love how rich her life is in the comics. She's surrounded by a diverse world that she's trying her best to help save, sometimes trying so hard that she pushes herself past her limits. I love how she's supported by an incredible cast of women superheroes.
And good god, I want her hair.
My twitter handle is @skrutskie
My favorite strong woman is probably Jo March, of *Little Women* fame. She's not one of those people who can break your back with a single karate chop, but her spirit is so stubborn and funny that I can't help but name her.
ReplyDeleteMy e-mail address is randomrantsrcubed@gmail.com
That brings back memories.
DeleteMy favorite has to be Eowyn, and I think I'd judge her strength not by muscle power (though she does decapitate the Witch King of Angmar) but by sheer determination. Also, I love Mulan, not necessarily Disney Mulan but Hua Mulan, because one moment she's out there in combat and the next she's dressed up and made up waiting to her comrades. Classic!
ReplyDeleteMy twitter handle is @whatshewrote
One of my very favorite parts in LoTR!
DeleteMy favorite strong woman? That's a difficult choice! In fiction, I'd have to say Karen Blixen, the MC in Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa. Karen perseveres no matter what life throws at her.
ReplyDeleteI just love the character of Idgie in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Flannie Flagg. Funny, kind, feisty.
ReplyDeleteSorry forgot my twitter handle d'oh! It's @eevyEl
ReplyDeleteFavorite, favorite, let's see...I can't think of a single one I like most above all.
ReplyDeleteBut I'll say Misaka Ackerman, from Attack On Titan. She's skilled, determined, one of the strongest and most capable at what she does, a force to be reckoned with.
Alanna from Song Of the Lioness! @jennyleesd
ReplyDeleteErm, top favorite maybe? I was really impressed with how strong, both mentally and physically, Karana was in the Island of the Blue Dolphins. I mean, I wouldn't have survived. Meg in the Wrinkle in Time series
ReplyDeleteHermione
DeleteSorry, it keeps freezing on me.
DeleteAnd Tris
Delete@candice_marleyc
Hands down, my favorite strong woman in all of fiction is Cordelia Naismith from Lois Bujold's Shards of Honor. Cordelia is strong because she holds on to her ideals above convenience, and even though she's in incredibly compromising circumstances, she refuses to be bent to some lesser code of honor.
ReplyDelete@RenaTheWriter
My favorite is the mc in The Awakening by Kate Chopin. My favorite book of all time.
ReplyDelete@DottieD126 (twitter)
Picking one isn't exactly easy. There's so many strong women in fiction, most of whom don't usually get the credit they deserve. I'm thinking that Kelley Armstrong's wide variety of strong protagonists in her Women of The Otherworld series are my favorite. They each have their own strengths, their own weaknesses, and a perfect blend of independence and vulnerability. Elena, Savannah, Paige, Jaime, Hope--all from the same world, but all having their own stories to tell. @thirtynerdy
ReplyDeleteMy favorite strong woman..as cliche as it is...is Hermione Granger. I love the fack shes nerdy and quirky and super proud of that. She doesn't let anyone change her.
ReplyDelete@SarahMatulis
She is strong by staying true to herself.
DeleteChoices, choices. I think I have to pick Dede Maribel, who narrates IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES. I doubt very much I could face what she and her sisters do with their fierce pride and loyalty to the cause and each other.
ReplyDeleteOoops, forgot twitter handle.... @egmoorewriter
DeleteMy favorite strong woman would have to be Cimorene from Dealing With Dragons. She is forever my hero(ine), even years and years later.
ReplyDelete@xDanaCollins
I like Hermione Granger. I love Harry Potter books over all! And she is same time strong but still little bit girlish
ReplyDeleteJenna
My favorite female character of all time is Sorcha, from Daughter of the Forest. Strong, brave and loyal, goes through hell to free her brothers from a curse. I still cry my eyes out in the sequel, Son of the Shadows, when there's this particular scene regarding her.
ReplyDeleteaand I forgot my twitter handle -- @pinguicha
ReplyDeleteMy favorite strong female character is Stephanie Plumb of the Janet Evanovich series. She is vulnerable, a fish out of water, and has no special talent or super powers. But she never gives up. Even when the odds are stacked against her--even when she knows she is in over her head; she never gives up. The character seems real, like a person I would want as a friend.
ReplyDelete@BurchOrville on twitter
My favourite strong female protagonist is Rose from the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series. I didn't choose her just because she's a total badass; rather I admire the way she struggled with the darkness inside in an attempt to gain control & to become a better person. What she did in order to save the soul of Dimitri, well, no spoilers, but it was remarkable! ; ) @AlinaSergachov
ReplyDeleteMy favorite will always be Jo March from Little Women and Emma Bovary. I'm @TashCotter on twitter.
ReplyDeleteHmm, Arya from game of thrones, she is brave and a little hardheaded when it comes to doing what she is told.
ReplyDelete@cielorayn
DeleteMy favorite strong female protagonist at the moment is Karigan from the Green Rider series. Also a fan of pretty much all the female main characters of Anne Bishop and Juliet Marillier.
ReplyDeletetwitter is @anevergreen
I love the Green Rider! Great Choice! I've only read the first book... how are the others in the series? @babybeachblues
DeleteThe Green Rider series is one of my favorites! So glad to see it mentioned here. I have the newest book waiting on my kindle.
DeleteI love how Jane Austen writes her female characters: strong, but always with quirks and imperfections that make them human. @patchi_writes
ReplyDeleteI think Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones is overlooked a lot, but is incredibly strong. Her strength may no be physical, but she keeps her head up, no matter what happens to her, and she's super smart and knows how to read people. @SamJoycebooks
ReplyDeleteIt may be because I'm reading the third book right now, but I love Diana Bishop in the All Souls triology. Thanks for this contest and congrats on the one year anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add @tracygoeke. Oops! Sorry!
DeleteThere are so many good choices, but I think I'm going with Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird."
ReplyDelete@kdevossuthor
It would have to be Emma Woodhouse. She's strong and cares about her family more than anything.
ReplyDeleteAnd congratulations on the anniversary! :)
Happy Anniversary to KINDAR'S CURE. I can't believe it's already been a year since your release. Time flies. :) I already own your book (of course, and I love Kindar), so I won't be enterring the contest. I read David Eddings in junior high school, and I still love Polgara and C'Nedra from the Belgariad series. Actually, all of the women in this series were tough as nails.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to Kindar, and thanks for choosing a great way to celebrate! One of my (many) favorite strong women of fiction is Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins. She did what she had to to survive when life threw pretty much everything at her, and, while she had her ups and downs, she wasn't angsty about it. I love that it's based on a true story, too. My twitter ID is @EB_Wheeler
ReplyDeleteMy favorite female protagonist deals with her Anorexia, incorrigible nephew, and has a boyfriend who thinks only of himself. His "I am whose I am" borders on annoying. Of course I'm talking about Olive Oil.
ReplyDeletetwitter name @raballard
My favorite right now is Alexia Terrabotti. She's from Gail Carriger's Souless series. She's not afraid to be different in the Victorian steampunk age. She isn't focused on marriage or being proper or anything like that. She isn't afraid to stand up for herself and be who she is. I think that's very important in this day and age and I love her for that! @Aightball
ReplyDeleteI would go with Katniss from the Hunger Games. @SujaSukumar
ReplyDeleteHappy one year bookaversary!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! Thanks for hosting this fun giveaway and celebration of your book! Since there are so many amazingly strong women in fiction, I'll have to pick my newest favorite....June from Marie Lu's LEGEND. She had to overcome not only tons of physical and mental challenges, but she also had to stand up for what she knew was right in the face of going against the status quo and leaders in her society.
ReplyDelete@csschwarz
Elizabeth Bennet in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE has always been one of my favorite female characters. Battling wit to wit without ever missing a beat or losing civility makes her a admirable heroine that will continue to stand the test of time. Beauty fades and bodies break, but a strong mind is something all women can to aspire to.
ReplyDelete@CP_Manner
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ReplyDeleteThere are so many strong women to choose from, but my winner is fresh in my mind from the last book I read: The Bear. She is a five year old girl, saving her brother and surviving the wilderness. She is brave and strong and continues to be after the ordeal. I love her!
ReplyDelete@paintandwords
And her name is Anna, aka nana by her little brother.
DeleteMy favorite strong woman in fiction is Katniss from HUNGER GAMES. Cold? Yes. But willing to face near-certain death to save her sister, and then kicking-butt? Katniss rocks. @rebeccasmallen
ReplyDeleteHermione Granger! Though rather than call her "strong" (which seems like the only positive adjective ever used to describe female characters) I'd just say she's interesting and well-rounded. Long live S.P.E.W.! ;) @jgraham1066
ReplyDeleteAvry from Maria Snyder's Healer series is up in the top three. Congrats on your book birthday! @cynthia_stacey
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with someone below. My favorite strong "woman" (she's still young) in fiction is Arya in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. She has a way of turning tragedy into strength, whether it's the death of her family members or the cruelty of everyone around her.
ReplyDelete@whikerms
I favor Kyra from Bridget Zinn's POISON. Kyra is determined and adaptable, but she also have moments of weakness. Her determination to do what is in her power to accomplish what's right helps her overcome her weaknesses, which to me, is what makes her strong.
ReplyDeleteKimberlyAKay@yahoo.com
I loved Katie from Nicholas Spark's SAFE HAVEN. I wish I was that brave.
ReplyDelete@mcraft2679
My all time favorite strong female protagonist is Talia from the QUEENS OWN trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. It's the first book I ever remember falling in love with .. I was about 11 years old at the time. Talia's journey to become one of the most powerful and cherished heralds in Valdimar was exciting, scary, lovely, suspenseful, and perfect. Scrolling through the comments to see if there are any other Lackey heads in here :).
ReplyDelete@babybeachblues
Katniss from The Hunger Games. I like how she seems cold-hearted but willing to sacrifice herself to save her sister's life. In return, she ends up becoming a symbol to the rebellion. For me, Katniss marks the revolutionary of badass women (as you can see, many heroines in other books are all badasses). I think it's quite an interesting shift to see the portrayal of women nowadays that we don't need Prince Charming to save us. We're capable of saving ourselves.
ReplyDelete@sa_jeffrey
Wow! So much variety. I love all these responses. Some I know and some I've never read.
ReplyDeleteThere's Elizabeth Bennet. A classic example.
ReplyDeleteLately, I can't stop thinking about Fia from the Mind Games duology by Kiersten White.
Oops... Forgot my Twitter:
Delete@KatieDoyle_IN
Right now I'm thinking Catelyn Stark from Game of Thrones. She is a true, feisty she-wolf, fighting for her children with regardless of her safety. She's wiser than a king, practical with cunning and is so bad- ass she actually fights off a would-be assassin with a knife WITH JUST HER BARE HANDS. Plus (SPOILER ALERT) she truly embodies 'What is Dead May Never Die.' She's not the most exciting or headline grabbing character from the books/TV show (I'm a fan of both) but she's supremely strong.
ReplyDelete@Lizzythebrit
My favorite strong woman fictional character is... Amelia Peabody Emerson. She's smart, she's brash, she's fearless, she's devoted to her husband (but ready to take him on in an argument at a moment's notice) and family, and she carries a sword parasol. Loves to crawl through dark bat-filled pyramids. Can dispatch a villain with either a pistol or her sharp tongue. A model for inclusiveness in a time when it was practically considered a mortal sin. And making her mark in a man's world, as she and Emerson together discover and excavate some of the great tombs of the Valley of the Kings.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite right now is Tris from Divergent. I love that she is strong both physically and in character even though she's a "small package". She finds bravery in her selflessness and in the end make the most selfless and brave move she possibly could.
ReplyDelete@Je55ieMullin5
My favorite strong woman in fiction has to be Claire Fraser from Outlander. I'm so excited to these this favorite series of mine being turned into a TV series.
ReplyDelete-@JRHoward9
No question Jayne Eyre:
ReplyDelete“Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal — as we are!”
At fifteen years old I cried the first time I read this.
-@rceres
Aerin from Robin McKinley's THE HERO AND THE CROWN. As a young girl, reading about a sword-wielding princess who saved the kingdom rather than needing to be rescued opened new worlds of possibility for me.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite strong female is Anne Shirley. She faces rejection and prejudice with grace and a sense of humor. Reading Anne of Green Gables always makes me want to be a better person.
ReplyDeleteMina Harker in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" or Dolores Claiborne in Stephen King's "Dolores Claiborne". Happy Birthday! @ja_holten
ReplyDeleteI would have to say any of the women from the Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier. I love those books, but Scorcha from the first one, Daughter of the Forest, has a special place in my heart. She overcame some incredible circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say Kate Daniels from Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. She's tough and badass and so flawed, but has a big heart and would die for the people she loves.
ReplyDeleteMy twitter handles is @r_e_morrison
My favorite strong woman is probably Alanna in Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Quartet. I LOVED her agency and how her coming of age was rendered. It was great.
ReplyDeleteOh and, directions. Twitter handle is @jabloczynski.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite strong woman, especially in Romance, is a twit of a girl named Shanna in SHANNA, by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. It's an older book, but still a favorite. Although Shanna dishes out plenty of challenges to her hero, her intelligence and determination to be her own woman in an era where that's unheard of is admirable. I can read SHANNA a million times and would be willing to read it again. :) Twitter handle is @Dorris208
ReplyDeleteKatsa from GRACELING by Kristin Cashore. She's one of the strong female characters that's stuck with me for years. And Princess Leia. I remember dressing up as her for Halloween in 3rd grade. I have no idea what any of my other costumes were. Princess Leia in the white robe and the bun hair. That was the best!
ReplyDeleteTwitter handle @annemariewrites
DeleteI'm just going to go with a recent read. Sam from Joy Hensley's RITES OF PASSAGE. She's a girl at a formerly all male military academy, and she hangs in through a million things that would have made me quit. @appifanie
ReplyDeleteGenya from the Grisha trilogy
ReplyDeleteoops, @destinywrites
DeleteMy favorite strong female character is Mackayla Lane in Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series - also my favorite books! As Mac would say - "Hope strengthens. Fear Kills. And, stay to the lights!" My twitter handle is @danafaletti
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of favorites, but Anne from Anne of Green Gables came to mind right away. (Which is funny, because I haven't read them in years. I think I need to crack them open again!)
ReplyDeleteZuzanna from Daughter of Smoke and Bone is another favorite. Loved her!
My Twitter handle is @larathelark!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDid my first comment not work? Well, if it never shows up, I'll reiterate...
ReplyDeleteFrankie Landau-Banks is the type of girl I'd want my teenage daughters to become and be friends with. The type of girl who likes having a boyfriend but also wants to be treated like a human being, not a cutesy, ineffective "bunny rabbit."
@larathelark
Tough to choose just one, but I'll go with Irene Kelly from Jan Burke's wonderful mystery series.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, congratulations on the one-year anniversary!
Elizabeth Bennett, forever. She was the first time I saw myself in a literary character and didn't shrink back from my own flaws.
ReplyDelete@erinjsteele
DeleteJanie in Their Eyes were Watching God. Zora Neale Hurston made that character all at once joyful and happy and also willful and pround and independent in ways that still stick with me. Period.
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough one. I can't say of all time, because there are two many, but here are two that stand out. Alice Lindgren in American Wife for more contemporary (based on Laura Bush, Sittenfeld created a smart, steadfast, and enormously compelling character no matter your politics or feelings toward the former president) and Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for classic (fascinating to watch her come of age and build a life for herself out of the ruins of such extreme poverty). My Twitter handle is @damiella.
ReplyDelete*too many, not two many.
DeleteGood question....I love MG so I have to pick Hermione Granger overall. For her bad-a$$ery and brains - Lisbeth Salander but she is some kind of crazy! For her courage - Dora Rare - The Birth House. @jrbarrrrrrr
ReplyDeleteAnne Shirley @rbattenfelder
ReplyDeleteI think I have to go with Ariane Emory 2 from C J Cherryh's Cyteen and Regenesis. A child and then a teenager, growing up in a claustrophobic world of brilliant psychological manipulators who think they can control her - the poor, deluded fools. @WTBDavidG
ReplyDeleteI've read so many great strong female characters, but my favorite is still Alanna from Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series. She wasn't afraid to be exactly who she was -- a trait my high school self really admired.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many, but I believe I'd have to say Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. It seems almost cliche, really. However, I identify with her trying to hold on to some semblance of her own identity in a period when a woman was forced to live a conventional life. What courage to hold out for what she wanted! Oh, and Wonder Woman. Who I've had to embody since becoming a single mother of two boys.
ReplyDelete@dalofields
First of all, Happy Anniversary! I'm going to say Bridget Jones--especially the Bridget Jones in the most recent book. Sure, she sometimes is a little misguided and a little silly, but she keeps on going no matter what comes her way, and she's always trying to improve her circumstances. She never gives up. And, best of all, she does it with hilarity. Any time I'm feeling down, I can pick up one of the Bridget Jones books and feel better within minutes. @storyparkgirl
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ReplyDeleteI'm tempted to go with a classic, like Jo March or Lizzy Bennett--both whom are wonderfully fab.
ReplyDeleteBut my absolute favorite heroine would be Cimorene, the most awesome tomboy princess of Linderwall ! She's clever, tough, and able to manage just fine on her own, thank you very much.
As a childhood tomboy, I could relate to her quite a bit, and she's one of the main reasons I fell in love with children's fantasy.
@MReyesWrites
Happy book anniversary! Tough question. I'm going to say Jane Eyre because she's my favorite. @chelleswrite
ReplyDeleteThere are so many many! But I would have to say Offred from Margaret Atwood's *The Handmaid's Tale." She's an ordinary woman placed in extraordinary circumstances who has to find ways to fight against the patriarchal system that oppresses her.
ReplyDeleteand @cbhalverson :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Aviendha from the Wheel of Time. She's fierce, strong, and loyal.
ReplyDelete@sarajocluff
Can I be totally lame and not pick favorites?!! Lol!
ReplyDeleteTwitter Handle @JennaLynneD
It's kind of obvious, but I love Katniss. She kicks serious butt.
ReplyDeleteCelie from The Color Purple by Alice Walker. A wonderful statement to feminism :-)
ReplyDelete@ShayaRoy
AH! Twitter handle is @ksagepatterson. (I just commented. Sorry!)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is Hermione Granger of Harry Potter because she's fiercely intelligent and hard worker and unapologetic about it. She uses those skills to her own advantage and her friends' advantage time after time again and doesn't cave in to peer pressure.
ReplyDeleteTwitter: @beestoj