The Train (#1) (Fantasies of a 21st Century Woman)

The Curse of the Mistwraith is the first volume in the Wars of Light and Shadow series, and though the story is self-contained, the many hints to what will come in the future will likely have you picking up more novels in the series.

The novel has many Tolkienesque elements that readers will enjoy, from a fellowship of characters to dark wraiths, and is told in a similar, larger-than-life manner. Wurts's world is intricate, full of fantasy favorites, including the medieval European setting, mages, sorceresses, and hints at centaurs and unicorns. Though the novel does not center on a female character the main protagonists are two half-brothers , there is an entire ancient order devoted to women, the Koriathain Order, who use crystals to obtain and use magical powers.

Wurts warrants inclusion on this list not only for a solid work of epic fantasy but for her creative use of storytelling in setting up the novel's structure, which consists of numerous sections divided into chapters. The Curse of the Mistwraith is an engaging read with wonderful prose certainly worth delving into. This first installment in the Worldbreaker Saga the second came out last October is an epic fantasy with intriguing world s , an engaging plot, and complex characters. Throughout the plus page novel, Hurley takes world-building to a new level, and challenges the norms of the fantasy genre with her discussions of gender fluidity, alternative marriage and family structures, all within a fascinating and dynamic setting that is a character itself.

The book's actual characters, in large part multifaceted women who are neither flawless nor strictly evil, struggle through everything from a world rife with ethnic tensions to the very basic desire of a girl to be reunited with her mother. And don't get too attached to the characters either think a Game of Thrones style approach to character safety. But if you're searching for a knock-out novel that pulls you into a magical world of doppelgangers, assassins, blood sacrifices and a whole lot more, pick up The Mirror Empire.

You won't be disappointed. A Secret History is one of the few novels on this list with ties to the present world, framed from the start and throughout as a story a historian finds in dusty manuscripts. Gentle is so serious about her writing and creating an authentic world that she got a Master's degree in War Studies in order to write this novel.

The historical portion of the novel follows Ash, a woman in the 15th century who is guided by a mysterious Voice and gets involved in real historical wars retold with magical elements. Ash is a shrewd mercenary whose imperfections only make her more admirable as she navigates her world with a toughness that at times might seem cruel. Though it may seem long, the plot twists and turns, with unexpected elements like artificial intelligence and transvestites that will keep you reading all the way to the unexpected ending.

The year it came out, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell won no less than six awards, including Time's Best Novel of the Year. Norrell a "Hogwarts for grownups," and Neil Gaiman enthusiastically raved about the Clarke's prose and story in The Guardian, listing her among one of his favorite authors. The massive novel is somewhat different from typical high fantasy, and instead is set in 19th century England, where the titular magicians set out to change the reputation and use of magic during the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

The novel is in large part a story of their relationship as well as an investigation of opposites: Clarke's heavy use of footnotes to flesh out her intricate alternate world are another element setting the novel apart from most fiction novels, and while some readers might be put off by them, those looking to lose themselves in a well-rounded world will find them intriguing and helpful.

While critics may dislike the length pages and at lament the at times slow-moving pace, fans emphatically praise her witty style, and characters of a magical world that could have been our own. The unforgettable Phdre n Delaunay, the main character of this multiple award-winning novel, is a woman who experiences pain as pleasure. It's not what it sounds like though; Kushiel's Dart is no 50 Shades of Grey.

The novel takes on adult themes, yes, prominently discussing human sexuality within the setting of a fantasy world. While this rarity in the world of fantasy certainly makes the work stand out, the book is so much more than that. In the somewhat mystical novel, Phdre navigates her world as a courtesan and spy, uncovering intricate plots while simultaneously learning how to wield the power she holds as a woman, enjoying sex while using it for the power that the act has to control others.

Carey's lush description and world building of this alternate medieval Europe colonized by rebellious angels creates an environment that is certainly a departure from traditional fantasy, and an incredibly well-done one at that. The Napoleonic Wars seem to be an especially fascinating era for writers; this series is the second on the list set in this time period at the turn of the 19th century. His Majesty's Dragon, the first in the Temeraire series, takes place in an alternate version of the world where intelligent dragons are used as military air forces in both Asia and Europe.

The books center on the dragon Temeraire and his handler, Will Lawrence, who fight on the side of British forces, Lawrence having become a dragonrider when an egg unexpectedly falls into his hands. Lawrence, originally part of the Naval Corps, must learn to navigate the very different world of the Aerial Corps of which he has just joined, while at the same time rearing his dragon and teaching him about the world.

This development of the curious bond between dragon and rider is one of the strengths of this book, with fans reveling in their humorous and heartwarming interactions. While the book may not contain many female characters, the ones that do exist are progressive for their time, riding dragons themselves.

There is no good vs. Tears of a Heart marks the tale of a young man, Aeden, who unwittingly shapes the world. The writing is beautiful, layered, and timely. Chase Blackwood weaves an intricate tale that hints at so much more. And that may be its greatest challenge. Tears of a Heart, the first book in the series, was beautifully written, and interesting. It shows us an amazing world filled with detail and depth, but for a portion of it, just a touch slow. The writing, such beautiful writing, overshadows this, as does the ending. Tower of the Arkein , the next book in the series, is where the story truly begins to unfold, and where Chase Blackwood shines as an author.

It is fast paced, full of action, adventure, and love. A very strong entry in the fantasy genre, and if the next book is equally as good, expect it to make quite a splash. You can buy on Amazon now. The Goblin Emperor received awards and nominations for all of the well-known fantasy and sci-fi book awards when it came out a couple of years ago, so if that's not reason enough to pick this one up, we'll lay it out for you. First, the plot is engrossing, following the story of Maia, a humble, half-goblin prince who never expected to get into the family business until a not-so-accidental crash kills the emperor and his three older brothers, leaving him no choice.

The story, told in third person through Maia's perspective, follows him as he struggles against everything thrown at him, and attempts to remain true to his values and stick up for what he believes in, albeit a bit hesitantly at first for much of the book.

• The Keepers Curse?
• A Year on Planet Alzheimer: and a little longer in Canada.
• .

Throughout, Addison gracefully addresses themes of love, gender, sexuality, social class, and power structures, adding to the depth of the novel. Readers shouldn't be off-put at first by the large cast of characters elaborate family names, as the always available glossary helps keep them on track. There's no sequel yet , and the story wraps up with a satisfying ending. Say what you may, but on a list of fantasy books with female authors, J.

Rowling, likely the most popular female fantasy author of all time, can hardly be left out. The Harry Potter series created engaged, imaginative readers out of an entire generation, thanks to Rowling's intricate and well-fleshed out world within a steaming train's ride of our own. Rowling draws a lot upon mythology in her work, including mythological animals like hippogriffs, character names, and incorporating the story lines of myths themselves into various plots and subplots, giving the so-called children's book a depth not usually found in books this easy to read.

Adults that didn't read the series growing up might shy away from starting this series later in life, but this would be a mistake.

Brian W Aldiss: Non-Stop (1958)

The series belongs on this list especially for its strong female characters, most prominently Hermione Granger and Professor McGonagall, both highly intelligent women who steer the Harry and others back on track when they go astray. Bottom line though, the books are transporting, enjoyable reads that will unleash the imagination of readers of any age.

For lovers of urban fantasy, The War for the Oaks is a must-read, as it more or less pioneered today's ever popular fantasy subgenre, one where fantasy elements seep into a present, often gritty world. Here, in present day s Minneapolis, the main character, Eddi, must learn how to use the music that she creates the beginning starts off as her quitting the rock band she was in and running away into the night to put a halt to a faerie war. The novel also features a love triangle between Eddi and two faeries, and though it may sound cheesy, Eddi's treatment of this predicament is refreshingly mature, especially compared to many other urban fantasy romances that have flooded the market today.

This is a book for musicians and music aficionados especially, as music plays a central role in the story, with Eddi's band playing rock standards as well as songs of her own. The Golden Key is the only book on this list with multiple authors and three of them at that , perhaps because such works have a tendency to be disjointed, a result of the difficulty caused by attempting to meld multiple authors' differing styles.

1. Romeo.
2. Die Bedeutung und Rechtswirkung von Tarifverträgen (German Edition).
3. Ship-Shaped Offshore Installations: Design, Building, and Operation.
4. Navigation menu?
5. The CIA in Xinjiang, Part One.
6. Similar Recommendations;

This isn't the case here, with each author writing one section of the three part book Jennifer Roberson wrote the first, Melanie Rawn wrote the second, and Kate Elliott wrote the third. Tying the three stories together is a unifying plot, following two forever interconnected families whose histories are recorded using paintings instead of words. The Grijalva family of gifted painters guide events around them according to their desires, while the royal do'Verradas rule Tira Virte, the story's country of focus, a country which is in many ways an alternate version of Spain.

The novel spans multiple generations over the course of years, but mostly follows the main characters, Sario and his beloved cousin Saavedra, both gifted members of the Grijalva family. However, she was not able to sell them. Because the Hyatts, the family of Yolen's grandmother, Mina Hyatt Yolen, only had girls, a number of the children of Yolen's generation were given their last name as a middle name in order to perpetuate it. When Yolen was barely one year old, the family moved to California to accommodate Will's new job working for Hollywood film studios, doing publicity on films such as American Tragedy and Knut Rockne.

She attended PS 93 , where she enjoyed writing and singing, and became friends with future radio presenter Susan Stamberg. She also engaged writing by creating a newspaper for her apartment with her brother that she sold for five cents a copy. She was accepted to Music and Art High School. During the summer prior to that semester, she attended a Vermont summer camp , which was her first involvement with the Society of Friends Quakers. Her family also moved to a large ranch house in Westport, Connecticut , where she attended Bedford Junior high for ninth grade, and then Staples High School , where she sang in the choir, was captain of the girls' basketball team, was News Editor of the school paper, and vice president of the Spanish and Latin Clubs.

After graduating she attended Smith College. Though she says she did not have the highest grades, she wrote a book of poetry, was President of the Press Board, and participated in school musicals and other shows as an actress and by writing song lyrics. After graduating she moved back to New York City.

Although Yolen considered herself a poet, journalist and nonfiction writer, she became a children's book writer. Her first published book was Pirates in Petticoats , which was published on her 22nd birthday. She has co-written three books with her son, the writer and musician Adam Stemple , Pay the Piper and Troll Bridge , both part of the Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale series, and the children's book Crow Not Crow , an introduction into bird watching.

Rowling , the author of that series:. I'm pretty sure she never read my book. We were both using fantasy tropes — the wizard school, the pictures on the wall that move. I happen to have a hero whose name was Henry, not Harry. He also had a red-headed best friend and a girl who was also his best friend — though my girl was black, not white. And there was a wicked wizard who was trying to destroy the school, who was once a teacher at the school. But those are all fantasy tropes These things are out there Women in art have been faced with challenges due to gender biases in the mainstream fine art world.

Beginning in the late s and s, feminist artists and art historians created a Feminist art movement that overtly addresses the role of women in the art world and explores the role of women in art history [1] and in society. There are no records of who the artists of the prehistoric eras were, but studies of many early ethnographers and cultural anthropologists indicate that women often were the principal artisans in Neolithic cultures, in which they created pottery, textiles, baskets, painted surfaces and jewelry. Collaboration on large projects was typical.

Extrapolation to the artwork and skills of the Paleolithic era suggests that these cultures followed similar patterns.

Love in the 21st Century: Fantasies Part 1

It is no exaggeration, then, to say that this art is the expression of the most genuine aspect of Indian civilization. The earliest records of western cultures rarely mention specific individuals, although women are depicted in all of the art and some are shown laboring as artists. Ancient references by Homer , Cicero , and Virgil mention the prominent roles of women in textiles, poetry, music, and other cultural activities, without discussion of individual artists.

Among the earliest European historical records concerning individual artists is that of Pliny the Elder , who wrote about a number of Greek women who were painters, including Helena of Egypt , daughter of Timon of Egypt, [4] [5] Some modern critics posit that Alexander Mosaic might not have been the work of Philoxenus , but of Helena of Egypt. One of the few named women painters who might have worked in Ancient Greece, [6] [7] she was reputed to have produced a painting of the battle of Issus which hung in the Temple of Peace during the time of Vespasian.

While only some of their work survives, in Ancient Greek pottery there is a caputi hydria in the Torno Collection in Milan. Herrad of Landsberg , Self portrait from Hortus deliciarum , c. In the early Medieval period, women often worked alongside men. Manuscript illuminations, embroideries, and carved capitals from the period clearly demonstrate examples of women at work in these arts.

Documents show that they also were brewers, butchers, wool merchants, and iron mongers. Artists of the time period, including women, were from a small subset of society whose status allowed them freedom from these more strenuous types of work. Women artists often were of two literate classes, either wealthy aristocratic women or nuns. Women in the former category often created embroideries and textiles; those in the later category often produced illuminations.

There were a number of embroidery workshops in England at the time, particularly at Canterbury and Winchester; Opus Anglicanum or English embroidery was already famous across Europe — a 13th-century papal inventory counted over two hundred pieces. It is presumed that women were almost entirely responsible for this production.

One of the most famous embroideries of the Medieval period is the Bayeux Tapestry , which was embroidered with wool and is feet long. The Bayeux Tapestry may have been created in either a commercial workshop by a royal or an aristocratic lady and her retinue, or in a workshop in a nunnery. In the 14th century, a royal workshop is documented, based at the Tower of London , and there may have been other earlier arrangements.

Manuscript illumination affords us many of the named artists of the Medieval Period including Ende , a 10th-century Spanish nun; Guda , a 12th-century German nun; and Claricia , a 12th-century laywoman in a Bavarian scriptorium. These women, and many more unnamed illuminators, benefited from the nature of convents as the major loci of learning for women in the period and the most tenable option for intellectuals among them.

In many parts of Europe, with the Gregorian Reforms of the 11th century and the rise in feudalism, women faced many strictures that they did not face in the Early Medieval period. With these societal changes, the status of the convent changed. In the British Isles, the Norman Conquest marked the beginning of the gradual decline of the convent as a seat of learning and a place where women could gain power. Convents were made subsidiary to male abbots, rather than being headed by an abbess, as they had been previously.

Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

In Pagan Scandinavia in Sweden the only historically confirmed female runemaster , Gunnborga , worked in the 11th century. In Germany, however, under the Ottonian Dynasty , convents retained their position as institutions of learning. This might be partially because convents were often headed and populated by unmarried women from royal and aristocratic families. Therefore, the greatest late Medieval period work by women originates in Germany, as exemplified by that of Herrade of Landsberg and Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard of Bingen — is a particularly fine example of a German Medieval intellectual and artist.

She wrote The Divine Works of a Simple Man , The Meritorious Life , sixty-five hymns, a miracle play, and a long treatise of nine books on the different natures of trees, plants, animals, birds, fish, minerals, and metals. From an early age, she claimed to have visions. When the Papacy supported these claims by the headmistress, her position as an important intellectual was galvanized. The visions became part of one of her seminal works in , Scivias Know the Ways of the Lord , which consists of thirty-five visions relating and illustrating the history of salvation.

The illustrations in the Scivias , as exemplified in the first illustration, depict Hildegarde experiencing visions while seated in the monastery at Bingen. They differ greatly from others created in Germany during the same period, as they are characterized by bright colors, emphasis on line, and simplified forms. While Hildegard likely did not pen the images, their idiosyncratic nature leads one to believe they were created under her close supervision.

The 12th century saw the rise of the city in Europe, along with the rise in trade, travel, and universities. These changes in society also engendered changes in the lives of women. Women were allowed to head their husbands' businesses if they were widowed. During this time, women also were allowed to be part of some artisan guilds.

Guild records show that women were particularly active in the textile industries in Flanders and Northern France. Medieval manuscripts have many marginalia depicting women with spindles. In England, women were responsible for creating Opus Anglicanum , or rich embroideries for ecclesiastical or secular use on clothes and various types of hangings. Women also became more active in illumination.

By the 13th century most illuminated manuscripts were being produced by commercial workshops, and by the end of the Middle Ages, when production of manuscripts had become an important industry in certain centres, women seem to have represented a majority of the artists and scribes employed, especially in Paris. The movement to printing , and of book illustration to the printmaking techniques of woodcut and engraving , where women seem to have been little involved, represented a setback to the progress of women artists.

She is the patron saint of artists. Caterina van Hemessen , Self-portrait Sofonisba Anguissola , Self-Portrait , Fede Galizia , Judith with the Head of Holofernes , The figure of Judith is believed to be a self-portrait. Catherine of Bologna Caterina dei Vigri. This is the first period in Western history in which a number of secular female artists gained international reputations.

The rise in women artists during this period may be attributed to major cultural shifts. One such shift was a move toward humanism , a philosophy affirming the dignity of all people, that became central to Renaissance thinking and helped raise the status of women. In addition, the identity of the individual artist in general was regarded as more important; significant artists from this period whose identities are unknown virtually cease to exist.

1000 novels everyone must read: Science Fiction & Fantasy (part one)

Boccaccio , a 14th-century humanist, wrote De mulieribus claris Latin for On Famous Women —59 , a collection of biographies of women. Among the biographies he included was that of Thamar or Thmyris , an ancient Greek vase painter. Curiously, among the 15th-century manuscript illuminations of On Famous Women , Thamar was depicted painting a self-portrait or perhaps painting a small image of the Virgin and Child. Christine de Pizan , a remarkable late medieval French writer, rhetorician, and critic, wrote Book of the City of Ladies in , a text about an allegorical city in which independent women lived free from the slander of men.

In her work she included real women artists, such as Anastasia , who was considered one of the best Parisian illuminators, although none of her work has survived. Other humanist texts led to increased education for Italian women. This enormously popular work stated that men and women should be educated in the social arts. His influence made it acceptable for women to engage in the visual, musical, and literary arts. Thanks to Castiglione, this was the first period of renaissance history in which noblewomen were able to study painting. Sofonisba Anguissola was the most successful of these minor aristocrats who first benefited from humanist education and then went on to recognition as painters.

In addition to conventional subject matter, artists such as Lavinia Fontana and Caterina van Hemessen began to depict themselves in self-portraits, not just as painters but also as musicians and scholars, thereby highlighting their well-rounded education. Along with the rise in humanism, there was a shift from craftsmen to artists.