Fictional Women that Had a Profound Impact on Me
Happy women’s history month, blog readers! To celebrate all the accomplishments women have had throughout history and everything they do now to ensure a better future for all women, I thought it would be fun to write about the impactful female characters from some of my favorite books.
Each of these women resonated with me on an emotional, spiritual, and even intellectual ways. What’s most important are different personalities and roles they have—from warriors to the chosen champion and strong sister. These stand-out women have made me continue to think about their actions, over and over again. They have helped me not only feel seen, but encourage me to grow into the woman I’ve wanted to be from when I was young. (I’m twenty-five, but I believe that there is always room for growth, and we are always becoming the people we want to be.)
Each woman is what every writer hopes their characters will be: compelling and impactful. None of them match one another, and I think that’s more than good—that’s human. It’s natural. And differences make us strong. Their authors took immense amount of narrative time, style, and emotions to show how they impact the story, and how the story impacts them in their emotions. I’ve learned how to deal with and feel about love, hate, humiliation, peace, success, honor, and independence through them. These women are mentors to me, and by extension, as are their authors. Through creating unique characters that feel real, I wasn’t just able to believe in the stories—I believed the characters and their situations were real too.
I find that the more women are written about, the more women will see that they can be who they want to be, and we can make our own fate, so long as we give it our all. Fate may push back, but women will still rise and become who they want to be as long as they keep pursuing. Should you be looking for some strong female characters this month, my highest suggestions are to read from the books below.
Juillenne in Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns Series
Juillenne, or Jules as she’s more often called in the series, is the loyal friend of Queen Arsinoe. By book two, I was captured with her spirit and devotions to her friend. Her loyal animal companion, Camden the mountain cat, goes with her everywhere, and she is just as much a part of their group as any other person.
Jules is not only smart, loyal, and fierce, but she is kind and a bit of a romantic in the best ways. Her spirit and dedication captured me. Even when Arsinoe showed little promise, she did everything she could to keep her friend alive and put her on the throne. But she, like the best of us, doesn’t come without her own baggage. She has a tumultuous relationship with her mother, guilt from putting her aunt in a terrible position, and her jealousy takes her to a breathtaking peak. She is fully fleshed out, and I love as the series goes on, she comes more and more to the center. Strong, yet down to earth, Juillenne is the best friend I wish I had in the worst of times.
Citra in Neal Shusterman’s Arc of the Scythe Series
Let’s talk about a woman who makes history in her book world. Citra challenges the minds and worldviews of scythes right when she meets her mentor, Scythe Faraday, in chapter 1. She trains with a relentless fervor, is smart about the way she approaches the Scythedom, and knows what battles to fight—specifically, how she fights them. With a mind as sharp as her blade, I loved her careful approach to moral responsibility. She felt like the lawyer side of me that people always thought I’d be (newsflash: writing is all about subverting arguments into captivating stories).
The Arc of the Scythe series is one I highly recommend everyone to read not just for Citra, but the thought-provoking situations she and her co-main character, Rowan, are thrown in. The way she approaches humanity and the responsibilities of the Scythedom stretched the bounds of my thinking, making me ask my own ethical questions on what it means to be human, and how we should treat society in an age where death is conquered and technology rules. Citra regards life with importance and compassion, even if it means doing more than her fair share of work. Never one to let an opportunity for a well-crafted argument or honest go unheard, Citra can be found in my head, her major scene in The Thunderhead still making me hang on to every word.
Mira in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean Series
I have two sisters, one older and one younger, so I’m the “second child” in my family, as we like to put it. Mira is a woman I see myself in, and I was hooked on her from the first chapter. She is fierce and protective, and it shows in her signet, which allows her to make wards (forcefields) to defend against magical and physical attacks. When the main character, Violet, explains that a rider’s signet usually stems from who they are at their innermost self, she said that Mira, above all, was protective. I had to put the book down because I resonated with that so much. I want to protect my siblings; I want to defend them. I want to make sure no harm comes to others. In every scene Mira is in, I feel as if I have another sister to share my identity with—we take action, care for our families, and do the right thing for those we love.
As this is still a releasing series, it’s hard to know what exact impact Mira’s character will make long term, but so far, she has been my favorite character without exception. Each scene with her in it, I feel as if I’m in the presence of an overwhelmingly kickass character that has the firm kindness needed when in a military family. So long as she stays true to the woman she’s been in books one and two, I have no doubts that Mira will continue to be a fan favorite, especially for me.
Katsa in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling
In a court where she’s made to enforce her uncle's (the king) commands, Katsa is a complex heroine with a true character arc. She goes from the ostracized teenager who is seen as deadly to a woman who survives, and helps make sure other people do as well. Where at the start she is melancholy about her relationships, preferring to keep to herself, she opens up and reveals her own wants, desires, and how they can fit in the confines of a woman with such a powerful grace. This is what I resonated with Katsa most on. After years of feeling like she has to bury her emotions to fulfill her role and ensure other people’s safety, she realizes letting others in and listening to her emotions do not take away her strength. Rather, they add to it.
From her practice brawls with Po and dedication to making each kingdom better through forming her secret Council, Katsa has a sharp mind and even sharper combat skills. When she realizes that she’s in love but doesn’t know if she can handle being under someone’s jurisdiction again, she tells herself that she is allowed to love without the societal commitment. While I, personally, love married life, this make sense considering Katsa’s background and how her uncle exploited his grace for her own gain. Again, this goes back to her own intellect and emotional intelligence: she has a tender heart, knows what she needs, and will find a way to live life that makes use of her skills, supports causes she’s passionate about, and fulfill her need for connection and love on her own terms. Katsa was inspirational to me when I first read Graceling over a decade ago, and she remains so today.
Each book I read is inspiring in its own way, some in multiple ways, but these books have characters that haven’t left my mind or soul for years. They’ve helped to grow and face challenges in my life. My goal is to write women that I would be proud to put on a list such as this, who will inspire her readers as these characters have me.
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