80s-90s-00s✨High Fantasy✨by female authors
A list of First books in Fantasy series (or standalones) published in 1980s-2000s written by female authors. Many of these authors are/were prolific writers so most additions are limited to their debut book or most popular series. Go read more by these authors!
created by leanbot
last updated May, 2026
Comments
Fantastic list!!!
I don't know if you're open to someone co-authoring with a man, but Leigh Eddings has a special place in my heart for having written alongside David Eddings but having her name not listed as an author for around a decade or more (heck, even now her name is often dropped). Of particular interest, she developed the female characters and dialogue in their books, which was something we needed so much in the fantasy genre back then! (And still, obviously!!)
Thank the literary goddesses for all these pioneers!! 👏
leanbotOP
Thank you for the recommendation! I've added one of their books.
Fantastic, thank you!! ♡♡♡
Love this. Several of my favorites when I was growing up are on this list and I'm looking forward to reading more of them, especially now that I might be able to find more of them, rather than being limited to whatever is available at the thrift store.
leanbotOP
Let me know if you see any I have missed! I have a little personal project to read as many of these as I can too 😃
Oh, the nostalgia! I haven't read a lot of the books on the list, but the ones I did read were pretty formative. I sure do miss those fully painted covers with elaborate swoopy lettering, too. What a vibe.
Thanks for putting this together!
leanbotOP
I am a big fan of the vintage covers too! Enjoy
