For the vintage fantasy girlies ✨

Fantasy titles that have become foundational to the genre and/or that are considered fantasy classics, written by women. Always open to suggestions!

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created by ayzrules

last updated July, 2026

158

37 books

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The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow (The Twelve Kingdoms, #1)

Fuyumi Ono

The Moorchild

Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter

Astrid Lindgren

The Little White Horse

Elizabeth Goudge

The Unicorn Dancer

Rhondi A. Vilott Salsitz

Song of Sorcery (Argonian #1)

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Beauty

Sheri S. Tepper

Witch World (Witch World Series 1: Estcarp Cycle, #1)

Andre Norton

Crown Duel (Crown & Court, #1-2)

Sherwood Smith

The Barbed Coil

J.V. Jones

Inkheart (Inkworld, #1)

Cornelia Funke

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Susanna Clarke

The Book of the Damned (Secret Books of Paradys, #1)

Tanith Lee

Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels, #1)

Anne Bishop

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories

Angela Carter

Kushiel's Dart

Jacqueline Carey

The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow, #1)

Janny Wurts

Assassin's Apprentice

Robin Hobb

Daughter of the Forest

Juliet Marillier

Deerskin

Robin McKinley

Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1)

Anne McCaffrey

Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic, #1)

Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure

Tamora Pierce

A Sorcerer and a Gentleman

Elizabeth Willey

Swordspoint (Riverside, #1)

Ellen Kushner

The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)

Lois McMaster Bujold

Howl’s Moving Castle

Diana Wynne Jones

Arrows of the Queen (Heralds of Valdemar, #1)

Mercedes Lackey

The Dreamstone (Arafel, #1)

C.J. Cherryh

Song for the Basilisk

Patricia A. McKillip

Comments

alienexe

hooray!! i'm always looking for lists like this!!

nezuu

ayzrulesOP

So glad u approve 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

nezuu

always approve, your brain is just 🔥

ayzrulesOP

•

Edited

Awww gosh nezu im blushing !!!!!!!

nezuu

a wrinkle in time being here omg 🥹

farron

Love thiiiiiis

Recs: The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Gouge Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (Ronja rövardotter) by Astrid Lingen The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw The Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記) by Fuyumi Ono (don't believe the English pub dates, this came out in the early 90s)

ayzrulesOP

yessss thank u! added them all!

kneebones

Saving this to use as a TBR later. Swordspoint being included really locked this in for me— a relatively new favourite of mine. (Plus, Tamora Pierce, a very old favourite.) Excited to check out the authors I’m less familiar with on this list.

ayzrulesOP

💖 so glad you like this! I’m keen to read Swordspoint, and it having your endorsement makes me even more excited!

kneebones

Is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke fantasy enough to add to this list?

ayzrulesOP

I’d say so! It’s added!

StJust

OMG I love this list so much 🥹🥹 such nostalgia!!

ayzrulesOP

the StJust approval means the entire WORLD to meeee! 💖💖💖

StJust

Awww ayz you’re too sweet 😭😭🩷

ayzrulesOP

its just the truth!!

the_rags

omg this is a niche i’ve been wanting to dive deeper into for so long, and this list looks like an amazing place to start!! stealing so many of these for my TBR 😮‍💨

ayzrulesOP

apologies for overburdening the TBR but YAYAYAYAY so glad you enjoy!

aeleis

Sheri S. Tepper, Beauty? not strictly fantasy so understandable if it's not quite the right vibe

ayzrulesOP

I think it fits! added!

ruiconteur

👀 saving so i can tbr these

ayzrulesOP

so happy to be able to add to the tbr hehe!

elbow

Any of J.V. Jones’ stuff like the barbed coil or the bakers boy👌 she’s phenomenal

ayzrulesOP

ooh thank you sm for the rec! i've added it!

HeraldMagus

SO MANY old favorites here.

Could I suggest:

Crown Duel/Court Duel duology by Sherwood Smith Witch World by Andre Norton

ayzrulesOP

ooooooo thank you! these sound so good!

amalgama

Very cool 🙂‍↕️⚔️🐉 Do you have a personal favourite out of these picks?

ayzrulesOP

aaah glad you approve 🙂‍↕️ i like the bloody chamber for the prose, but tamora pierce has my childhood heart!

AuthorKristenArgyres

Tamora Pierce was such a huge part of my childhood.

amalgama

Funnily enough I had never heard of Tamora Pierce, sadly I don't think her works have been translated into Spanish! Or at least they hadn't been translated yet back when I was a child

anathemagic

Dream list to feed my TBR 🔥 I love seeing Tanith Lee on here!

ayzrulesOP

i'm so excited to read Tanith Lee's stuff! super happy you like this!

kayleesi

Yeeeees!!! I love this list so much, Kushiel's Dart was foundational for me and I still adore the series.

ayzrulesOP

Ooooh omg yay - I’m excited to read that one!

makiki

LOVE LOVE LOVE this list! I have two recs (that I enjoyed i cannot guarantee how good they actually are i'm here for nostalgia) The Unicorn Dancer by R.A.V Salsitz Song of Sorcery by Elizabeth Scarborough

ayzrulesOP

aaaaa YAY super happy you like this! i've added them both, appreciate the suggestions!

grim.

The Septimus Heap books perhaps? I had a friend who was obsessed with them 🥲

mariangello

Oh hello- did you order one warm cocoa and tucking me into bed? Yes apparently, cause that is how this list feels to me 🥹