I’ve really missed doing Friday Favorites, and since no one was currently hosting it, Cait @ Functionally Fictional decided to jump into the gap. Each week, she provides a prompt, and I get to talk about my favorite books that fit the topic. Feel free to join in – the more the merrier!

I guess we’re sticking with the girl power theme this week. After posting about books featuring female friendships on Tuesday, now I get to talk about some of my favorite book heroines! There’s a lot to choose from, but here are some I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Dr. Rowan Mayfair from The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. Rowan is not only a brilliant neurosurgeon and a powerful witch, she’s seriously awesome. 
2. Ryxander from The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso. I loved Ryx right from the start, and her character is so cool.
3. Touraine from The Unbroken by C.L. Clarke. Touraine is a badass through and through, and I dare you to read this book and not love her.
4. Kaul Shaelinsan from Jade City by Fonda Lee. How can you not love a woman who stands up and succeeds in a male-dominated gang and society? Short answer? You can’t.
5. Mari from The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish. She’s my absolute favorite character from the entire series, and she’s the perfect combination of sweet nurturer and tough cookie.
6. Galadriel from A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. I didn’t like her originally, but her character grew on me over the course of the series, and she showed so much growth that I adored her by the end.
7. Priya from The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. Priya is sweet and kind and brilliant and tough all at the same time, and she really makes this book a pleasure to read.
8. Xiala from Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. She’s a little (ok, a lot) wild, and doesn’t conform to any norms, but makes her own way through the world that can be dangerous to people like her.
9. Dr. Kay Scarpetta from Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell. She’s the heart and soul of this series, and I love how her brilliant mind works.
10. Briseis from This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron. I’m a sucker for women finding and owning their power, and this series is a perfect example. Plus it combines Black girl magic with plants and Greek mythology to create an incredible story.

Who are some of your favorite heroines?