On the Tenth Day of Sauciness

My true love gave to me:

Ten Kick-Ass Chicas 

Nine Naughty Excerpts

Eight Most Wanted Novels

Seven Dreamy Kisses

Six Sexy Couples

Five Hot Book Boyfriends 

Four Supporting Characters 

Three Characters Cities 

Two Painful Endings

and
One Piece of Gandy Candy

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As you may have noticed, we are somewhat...passionate about our (book) men around here. But, there are plenty of female characters we feel the same way about. From the classics to contemporary works, the literary world is teeming with great heroines. Obviously, I can't include them all and Zee has already covered some of my favorites in her great post. But, here are ten of some of the best female characters in literature. Warning: Some Spoilers ahead!!

Éowyn of House Eorl (The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien)

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Éowyn is a noblewoman of the kingdom of Rohan. They are a people of warriors. Éowyn longs to go off to war and fight for her people. She resents being left behind, even if it is to lead the people of Rohan. She is good with a blade and, like all of the people of Rohan, a great rider. She has sacrificed much in her life to live up to the duties and expectations of a woman of her position and she's done it all while loving a man who loves someone else. But, like most of our heroines, she persists in her dreams. She rides to battle in disguise and becomes an integral part of the Battle of Pelennor Fields. She defeats a great foe and helps to turn the tide of the battle to victory. She never gives up on her desire to fight alongside the men of her kingdom and it pays off. She joins the ranks of kick ass women in Middle Earth history.

Leila Dalton (Night Prince series by Jeaniene Frost)

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Leila Dalton is a superhero. She can electrocute people. She can see the past and future through touch and can locate people in the present through objects they've merely touched. She's also a badly scarred and lonely woman. Because of her powers, she can't touch other humans without a glove barrier. Yet, she carries on and makes a life for herself as best she can. When she is kidnapped and faced with an impossible situation, she battles it head on without giving up hope. And unlike some of our heroines, she admits her attraction to Vlad straightaway, even though she mistrusts him. She doesn't deny it or fight it. She rather reluctantly falls for him actually.  But, she is still her own woman and has no problem putting the all-mighty, arrogant Vlad in his place. This alone makes her pretty damn kick ass in my book. I can't wait to see how her character grows in the books to come.

Josephine March (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)

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Jo is a spitfire. She is not at all what a lady of her upbringing should be like. She's improper, bookish, and as much of a tomboy as a girl in her time can be. She is so focused on her writing and taking care of her sisters that she is completely oblivious to the fact that two men are totally and completely in love with her. She is very strong willed for a woman of her time. She doesn't bow to expectations, instead, she chooses and makes her own path. She is also quite selfless, as the reader realizes when she sells her hair rather than ask for charity from her crotchety Aunt March. She also leaves a job she loves, teaching two little girls, to come home and care for Beth when she falls ill. Her tenacity and her willingness to buck convention are to me, what make her a kick ass chick.

Dani O'Malley (The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning)

georgiehenley.fansiter.com Resilient is the only word to use when it comes to describing Dani. She is the one of the toughest and wisest fourteen year olds ever. She also has super powers, super speed and super senses to be precise. She doesn't quite have super intelligence (yet), but she does have a pretty large helping of it. She is also in possession of one of two Fae killing weapons and definitely knows how to use it.  Since she is so young, she has some serious growing up to do before truly earning the Kick Ass Chick moniker. But, she is well on her way there. Lisbeth Salander (The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson) unprofessionalcritic.blogspot.com Lisbeth is possibly one of the the most interesting characters ever written. She is definitely one of the more socially awkward characters that I've read. She is so, so smart.  But she seems to have a hard time expressing herself to others. both in day-to-day conversation and in more emotionally charged talks. Knowing what she's gone through in her short life, I don't blame her. She always finds a way to take care of herself, financially and in quite a few physical altercations as well. Lisbeth has her own code of justice that she operates under, and which has gotten her into trouble from time to time. But that is part of what makes her so kick ass. She is willing to stand up for herself and what is right, even if what is right isn't exactly legal. Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen) byudates.blogspot.com Elizabeth, or Lizzy or Eliza, is much like Jo March. She is very smart and she has no problem defying expectations. She is expected to marry for convenience, but she has no interest in that. She wants to love the person she marries, an almost unheard of concept in her time. She also is frequently embarrassed by her mother and younger sisters' behavior, which can be silly and gossipy. Her ability to read people is a big part of Elizabeth's kick ass nature. She isn't swayed by good looks and charming manners. She sees through people's veneers to what is underneath. She deduces motivations better than anyone else in her family. She does, however, suffer from a little bit of prejudice as far as the infamous Mr. Darcy is concerned. However, she isn't stubborn enough to hold to those impressions,if they prove to be false, much to Darcy's relief. Cesaria "Chess" Putnam (Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane) amazon.com Let me start this by saying that when I started reading the Downside books, I was not a Chess fan. At All. I am a bit of a control freak, so I don't understand addicts that just want to lose themselves in the high. That sounds terrifying to me. But as the books went on, I grew to really enjoy Chess. She is smart, street wise and strong. Stronger than most people actually. Despite all of her problems, Chess perseveres. She has an apartment, she has a job that she loves and is quite good at, she is an extremely powerful witch, even if she is sometimes reluctant to admit it. Her power and her intelligence help her out of some pretty tricky and dangerous situations. With Terrible by her side, she is almost unstoppable and definitely kick ass! Brienne of Tarth (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin)  sharetv.org Brienne is a lot like Éowyn. She's a female warrior in a time dominated by men. She enters a tournament in disguise. After winning and unmasking herself, she asks that her prize be a place in the royal guard. She is also in love with a man who doesn't love her back. Brienne faces a lot of criticism and jokes about her appearance and her skill as a warrior. But she perseveres and, unbeknownst to her, nearly bests a man who is arguably the most skilled sword fighter in the land. This already makes her pretty kick ass, but her loyalty is what pushes it over the top for me. She is loyal to a fault. It very nearly kills her several times over. But it also inspires respect in very unlikely places. Brienne is definitely the most kick ass chick in all of Westeros.  Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins) hungergamesdwtc.net I want to be Katniss when I grow up, disregarding the fact that she is 16 and I'm 29. Although I'd prefer to not have to fight to the death twice and lead a revolution of course. Anyway, Katniss is everything I want in a heroine. She is strong, she is tenacious, she takes care of her family and friends while putting herself in dire peril. She is also totally fierce with a bow and arrow and not too shabby with knives. She is quite clever and cunning, although she has her moments of sheer blindness.  What she loses in romantic naivety, she more than makes up for in smarts, strength, speed and general kick-assery.  All of these things and more make Katniss one of the most kick ass heroines of all. Hermione Granger (The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling)  http://thegifinyourfolder.tumblr.com Although this moment is slightly different than the moment in the book, it is probably one of my favorites in both mediums. If I were to choose one character from the Harry Potter books that I am most like, it would be Hermione. I am not nearly as smart as she is though. Besides Dumbledore, she may be the most intelligent person in the series and she is only 17 at the end. She is also an extremely gifted witch able to master nearly any spell, even if she's only studied it in theory. Had Hermione not been around, Harry's life and the wizarding world may have turned out quite differently. She is also a loyal and caring friend. Harry and Ron may not have made it through the seven years of their friendship without her. She brought them back together more than once. But, her intelligence and sheer power as a witch make her one kick ass chick. So Wench followers, do you agree with my Kick Ass Chick choices?  Is there someone I missed that you would include?  Let us know below!