Fantasy Books with Kickass Moms

Where are all the moms in fantasy books? These fantasy book moms are the kickass main character. They aren’t dead, aren’t terrible, and totally save the world in the way only a badass mom can. 

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I can’t be the only one who has noticed that moms in fantasy books are somewhat lacking. We tend to either see moms as evil, dead, bland, or just non-existent. As a mom myself, I love reading about kickass moms in fantasy worlds. 

Kickass Fantasy Book Moms You Need to Read About

Gone are the days that we accept that moms are boring and homely. They can kick ass, wield magic, save the world, and still mother their children to perfection. Seeing these well-rounded mother characters just makes me happy. So I set out to find books with some of the best fantasy book moms on the market today.

I have read hundreds of fantasy books, so I know what I like. And all of these books show moms as the people they are. These are multidimensional women who are not defined simply by the fact they have children but are able to be their own people with badass powers as well as moms. 

The Fifth Season

I am pretty sure this book makes it on every one of my lists. It is one of my absolute favorites though and I won’t stop talking about it.  In the Fifth Season, one of our main characters is Essun, a middle-aged mom of two. She hides her magic and so does her kids. Until one day, while she is away, her toddler son exposes himself and ends up being killed by his own father because of it. The father then takes off with the daughter and Essun is left to hunt them down during an apocalyptic season.

This book is intense, and Jemisin does not hold your hand. The world is dark and violent and you will probably be quite confused for most of your first readthrough. If you can make it through this book though, you will no doubt fall in love with it. Essun is the epitome of a badass fantasy mom.

The Reluctant Queen

So this one is a little bit of a cheat because it is the second book in a series. This is the second book in the Queens of Renthia series by Sarah Beth Durst. My favorite character, Naelin, makes her first appearance in this second book. She is again, a middle-aged mom of two. 

All she wants is to live a simple life with her children and husband, but the world, and her growing powers, have much more planned for her life. She is the pinnacle of an amazing mom. Doting on her children and protecting them the way only a mother can. But we come to find out that she is destined to do so much more, and protect an entire kingdom. 

Shadow of the Gods

The first book in John Gwynne’s newest series, Shadow of the Gods is truly a fantastic first entry to a series. While we follow a lot of different characters, the one we are talking about here is Orka. 

She is a kickass mom who again, just wants to live her simple life with her son and husband. Life has other plans though. She is thrust into a war she doesn’t want to be in in order to save her kidnapped son and avenge her fallen husband. 

This is a story with an epic quest, forbidden magic, and one badass fantasy book mom.

Bloody Rose

This is once again the second book in a series. If you have read Kings of the Wyld and loved it, then you will adore Bloody Rose. This is book two in the Band series and takes place quite a few years after book one and follows completely different characters. So technically, this can be read first. I wouldn’t recommend it though since there are a lot of fun throwbacks and older characters that make appearances in this book.

Bloody Rose herself is quite a divisive character, but she is, in my opinion, quite the fantastic representation of motherhood. She is the mom who never wanted to be a mom, and she struggles with that. While this isn’t the main plotline of the book, it is an important piece of it. 

Sword of Kaigen

Moving on to another reluctant mom story. Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang is a standalone Asian-inspired fantasy. And did I mention it is self-published? You can read this book for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription!

In this book, we follow Misaki, a mom of three who struggles to balance her past with her present. In the past, she was a strong independent crime fighter. But in the present, she is a mom of three living in a highly misogynistic society. Sword of Kaigen is a favorite of all time for me. It is a gut-punch of a book that will have you turning pages until the very end.

Saga

Even if you aren’t a big graphic novel reader, I would still recommend you check out Saga. This is a fantasy graphic novel where we follow a couple who met and fell in love during an intergalactic war. They are from two different races, opposing sides of the war. Not only do they fall in love, but they also have a baby! 

We follow their lives on the run where everyone in the universe is trying to kill them and their child. This is not a kid-friendly graphic novel at all! But it is a great time with beautiful art!

Jasmine Throne

While our main character in Jasmine Throne isn’t a mom, we do have a fantastic side character who is pregnant throughout the book. She is a mama bear before she even gives birth, and one of the strongest characters in this world. 

Her story and the way she gives birth really have me super excited for the second book in this series to come out. 

This Poison Heart

The final book on this list of fantasy mom books is an honorable mention of a YA fantasy book. Obviously, since this is a YA fantasy, we aren’t following the mom as the main character. This book is This Poison Heart. 

The main character though does have two fantastic mothers. They are loving, kind, and present in her life. Surprisingly, this isn’t something we see often in YA fantasy. Most of the time, parents are very hands-off or ever gone altogether. But in This Poison Heart, we see two loving parents raising their daughter in a beautiful way.

Kickass moms in fantasy books

So if you are like me and want to see some moms kicking ass and taking names in a fantasy world, then check out these books! 

Don’t see your favorite? Let me know so I can check out some new fantasy book moms!