TTT: Badass Female Cover Girls

I think I was staring too long at Silence Fallen because this is clearly what spawned by Top Ten Tuesday this week.

Badass female leads. And badass female book covers. What’s not to love about this list, right? RIGHT?

Okay, so I had this thing where every year in a forum, I’d make myself a signature and feature my year’s “Signature Cover Girl.” I’ve been pretty good with that for years now, and when the opportunity came to do a Top Ten Tuesday about book covers, I figure…why not do a top ten list of book covers that showcase their fabulous femme protagonists?

Top Ten Badass Female Cover Girls

River Marked by Patricia Briggs – This is probably one of my favorite Mercy Thompson covers. Mostly because you see Mercy within a tribal-marked backdrop, looking fierce and badass. I mean, okay, so it doesn’t necessarily tell me about what the book is going to be about, but SHE IS FIERCE, OKAY?! (Note: I did end up loving this book, so there.)

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab – This wouldn’t be a list without Delilah Bard. Especially when she graces the second book of the Shades of Magic trilogy so nicely. SO NICELY.

Fire by Kristin Cashore – I don’t have a copy of this cover of Fire, but it is super-lovely. I am rather fond of archer-girls. I’ve been fond of them since I’d read of Maid Marian shooting just as awesomely as Robin Hood in a piece of fiction (which I’m pretty sure was Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley…). Fire is just fabulous.

Monstress by Marjorie Liu – I had immediately yoinked this graphic novel off the NetGalley list because holy hell that cover is amazing! And I mean…of course it’d be on this list!

Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurst – This version is one of the more recent ones, I think. The copy I’d read showcased Mara as an ’80s heroine in white priestess robes, which didn’t really convey the sense of a Japanese-inspired society. I’m super-glad they updated it to this cover, because hell, I’d love to be Mara of the Acoma if I can wear that getup at least once.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – There was another cover I would have preferred to put up here of another Laini Taylor book, but this is Karou. I love Karou. She’s the girl with the blue hair and the string of teeth around her neck. And these covers always leave a bit of ethereal mystery.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh – Yaaaaas Shazi yaaaaaaas. She slays on both covers, but I will say this one I liked most because when you open up the book, you see Shazi inside looking resplendent in her Middle-Eastern-inspired outfit. And she is gorgeous.

Soulless by Gail Carriger – Alexia Tarrabotti and her parasol! I will admit I totally put this book in here because I love the outfit. Well, and Alexia is lovely, too, duh. But mostly that outfit. I’d totally wear it. Well, minus the super-tight corset.

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce – Old school! I must have a couple of covers for this series sitting on my shelf, but this particular one is still my favorite. It’s got that early ’90s vibe, it’s bright and colorful, and it has two of my favorite Song of the Lioness characters ever.

Sabriel by Garth Nix – Also another cool ’90s cover. This was certainly the original before a more modern edition entered the fray, but I loved it for the artwork. And Sabriel’s coat and bandolier were rendered so well! And Sabriel is striking quite the cover girl pose.