19 Fearless and Soft FMCs in Fantasy Books

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales—she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood. Her only solace is Angharad, an epic about a girl who loves and destroys the Fairy King. When a contest is announced to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy knows it’s her fate. But Hiraeth Manor is crumbling, its residents unfriendly—especially scholar Preston Héloury, who wants to expose the author as a fraud.

As they uncover secrets, dark forces close in, and the truth may destroy them both.

Tress has lived a simple life on her island, collecting cups from sailors and listening to stories from her friend Charlie. But when Charlie’s father takes him on a voyage to find a bride, disaster strikes. To save him, Tress stows away on a ship bound for the deadly Midnight Sea, home to a powerful Sorceress.

Facing spore-filled oceans and ruthless pirates, she must leave her quiet life behind and carve her own path in a world where a single drop of water can mean instant death.

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent a decade surviving Zalindov, a brutal death prison, as its healer. When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva must keep the dying woman alive for the Trial by Ordeal—deadly elemental challenges meant for the worst criminals. Then a message from her family arrives: Don’t let her die. We are coming. Knowing the queen won’t survive, Kiva risks everything by taking her place.

But with a deadly plague, a rebellious uprising, and a mysterious inmate stirring her heart, Kiva’s true battle is just beginning.

Yumi has spent her life in strict obedience, summoning spirits to aid her society, but she longs for a taste of normalcy. Painter, a lonely street patrolman, dreams of being a hero but only finds isolation. Both live apart from the world—until fate brings them together. To set things right, they must confront their pasts and uncover the mystery binding them.

If they fail, they risk not only their growing bond but the fragile balance of the worlds they’ve fought so hard to protect.

She is the heir to a once-great Sultanate—intelligent, disciplined, and ready to rule. He is an unwanted prince—chaotic, dangerous, and willing to do anything to protect his people. Her magic is light; his, shadow. They need each other, but the cost may be too great. Magic is dying, and only the long-banished death mages can save it.

As war looms, machines threaten to replace magic, and they must fight for their people’s survival—while struggling to balance not just power, but the forbidden passion growing between them.

Evangeline Fox has always believed in true love—until she learns the love of her life is marrying someone else. Desperate to stop the wedding, she strikes a deal with the charming but dangerous Prince of Hearts. In return for his help, he demands three kisses, given whenever he chooses. But after the first, Evangeline realizes she’s caught in a perilous game.

The Prince wants more than she bargained for—leading her toward either a perfect happily ever after or a beautiful, devastating tragedy.

Stephen’s god died on the longest day of the year…

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind…

Isobel is a gifted artist with a dangerous clientele—the immortal fair folk, who crave human Craft but cannot create themselves. Her paintings are highly prized, but when she receives her first royal patron, Rook, the autumn prince, she makes a fatal mistake: painting sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that could cost him everything.

Furious, Rook takes her to his kingdom for judgment, but as danger closes in, trust turns to love—an unforgivable crime. Now, Isobel must use her art to defy the fairy courts before it’s too late.

As gods wage war once more, eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to keep her family together. Her mother battles addiction, and her brother is missing on the front lines. Determined to win a columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette, she copes by writing letters to her brother, slipping them under her wardrobe—where they mysteriously vanish. They end up in the hands of her rival, Roman Kitt, who writes back anonymously.

Their secret bond pulls Iris to the battlefield, where love, destiny, and humanity’s fate hang in the balance.

Finding a husband in Regency England is tricky—especially when you only have half a soul. Ever since a faerie’s curse, Theodora Ettings has lacked fear and embarrassment, leading to endless social mishaps. Hoping to blend in during the London Season, she instead catches the attention of Elias Wilder, the ill-mannered yet brilliant Lord Sorcier.

Pulled into dangerous faerie dealings, Dora risks her reputation and her heart. But as she spends more time with Elias, she wonders—can you truly fall in love with only half a soul?

England, 1184: Exiled for the pale shadows of her vitiligo, Anna has spent over a decade struggling to survive. But one act of kindness toward a mysterious stranger—and a bite of a divine peach—changes everything. Now, untouched by time or harm, she watches the world shift while every human connection fades.

Only one being always returns, no matter the years or distance—the shapeshifting god who granted her immortality. As centuries pass, their fates remain entwined in a bond neither can escape.

Lord Colum of Sevenwaters has six strong sons, but it is his only daughter, Sorcha, who must save them all. When her father is bewitched and her brothers cursed, she is the only one who can break the spell. Forced to leave her home, Sorcha embarks on a perilous journey of sacrifice and suffering.

But when she’s captured by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, her mission seems doomed. Yet magic knows no bounds, and Sorcha must choose between duty and a love that comes only once.

Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne is destined for darkness. With a demon father and a lifetime of sinister schemes, he’s on the verge of completing his most wicked spell—until she happens.

Amma is bubbly, blonde, and an absolute nuisance. After a magical mishap binds them together, Damien is forced to drag the infuriating thief across the realm. Killing her would solve everything, but she’s annoyingly useful…and worse, she’s making him feel.

Will Damien embrace his villainous birthright or let Amma’s irritating virtue ruin his carefully crafted evil?

A letter and a journey across dark waters bring Jack Tamerlaine back to Cadence after ten years away. As a bard, he alone can summon the elemental spirits that rule the land—spirits who may hold the key to finding the missing girls.

Adaira, his sharp-tongued childhood rival and future clan leader, insists he help. But as they search, they uncover an ancient, dangerous secret lurking beneath Cadence’s surface.

Music may call the spirits, but will it be enough to stop the darkness rising?

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has always known her magic—stitching emotions into fabric—will one day kill her. Determined to secure a better future for her family, she seizes the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in Avaland.

But Avaland is no fairytale. Beneath the glittering balls and garden parties, unrest simmers. The groom, Kit Carmine, is sharp-tongued and reluctant, yet as he and Niamh grow close, scandal looms. A gossip columnist demands her help exposing royal secrets, forcing Niamh to choose between survival, truth, and an impossible love.

This isn’t the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince—it’s the kind where she kills him.

Marra, a shy, convent-raised third daughter, has spent years watching her sister suffer in an abusive royal marriage. No hero has come to save her, so Marra decides to become one.

To gain the power she needs, she must complete three impossible tasks. But those challenges are just the beginning of a dark, magical journey to free her sister and bring down a tyrant’s throne.

In the Wilds of Kandala, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade risks everything to help the poor, stealing Moonflower petals to create a life-saving elixir hoarded by the wealthy. Meanwhile, Prince Corrick, the King’s Justice, enforces brutal laws to maintain order as rebellion looms.

When an act of cruelty brings them face to face, their clash of duty and defiance sparks something unexpected. As tensions rise, they must decide—destroy each other or work together to save a kingdom on the brink of collapse.

Freed from the madness that once confined her, Dowager Royina Ista sets out on a pilgrimage—an escape from guilt, regret, and the dark truths of Chalion’s past. But the road is not as free as she hopes.

Something watches from the northern border, where old wars and powerful forces still linger. When Ista’s party is attacked, a fierce noble warrior comes to their aid, but his own secrets are woven with hers in a divine scheme. Once again, the gods have chosen Ista as their instrument—whether for salvation or ruin.

In the Transylvanian woods, Jena and her four sisters live a charmed life at Castle Piscul Draculi, sneaking through a hidden portal each Full Moon to dance in the magical Other Kingdom. But when their father falls ill and leaves, their controlling cousin Cezar takes charge, and Jena suspects his motives aren’t as noble as he claims.

As Cezar tightens his grip and Jena’s sister falls for a forbidden creature of the Other Kingdom, Jena must fight for her home, her family, and the magic she holds dear.