Female equivalent of Sharpe?

Robert E Howard had a character called "Dark Agnes." She's a 16th century Frenchwoman, and very much in the swashbuckling mode. The stories featuring her are collected in The Sword Woman from Del Rey.

If you like a little fantasy with your history, you could try a book titled Crazy Greta, from Musa Publishing.

They're historical now but were contemporary (mostly) when written but the Modesty Blaise novels by Peter O'Donnell are mostly set in the 40s through 60s.

Here's an interesting list, and another, from Wikipedia of notable female soldiers and revolutionaries - I'm sure there would have been some good yarns spun about at least a few. Madame Wang sounds a badass.

ULTRAGOTHA said:

They're historical now but were contemporary (mostly) when written but the Modesty Blaise novels by Peter O'Donnell are mostly set in the 40s through 60s.

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Modesty Blaise rocks. Modesty & Willie Garvin are favorites of mine. The comics have also been collected & reprinted in trade paperback.

Hannah Snell -
http://www.artfinder.com/work/hannah-snell-the-female-soldier/in/tag.cross-dressing-1/

Mid nineteenth century Rani Laxmibai - she appears in one of the Flashman novels.
http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/rani-laxmibai.html

Just thought that there are some females fighters in the Sharpe books - isn't there a Spanish woman who leads a group of patriots?

Shakesbear said:

Hannah Snell -
http://www.artfinder.com/work/hannah-snell-the-female-soldier/in/tag.cross-dressing-1/

Mid nineteenth century Rani Laxmibai - she appears in one of the Flashman novels.
http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/rani-laxmibai.html

Just thought that there are some females fighters in the Sharpe books - isn't there a Spanish woman who leads a group of patriots?

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I recall the Spanish lady from the TV series (but not her name, I watched it a long time ago). I've been meaning to read the Sharpe books.

That's Flashman in the Great Game. The Rani of Jhansi is a supporting character, though a cool one. Flashman usually meets some very lively ladies, the sort that are as handy with a knife as with a tea cozy or whatever.

Red Sonja in Shadow of the Vulture (also in The Sword Woman) is a supporting character, but so cool she overshadows the MC. Got a re-boot as a fantasy character and just took off.

There are lots of spec-fic heroines. Jirel of Joiry (CL Moore) is historical-fantasy, albeit light on the history. Tomoe Gozen by Jessica Amanda Salmonson is fantasy, but with some historical background. I don't know so many female MCs in strictly historical fiction.

There are...

just so many women who defended their castle or manor whilst their husband was gadding off on a Crusade or in London. (See the Pastern (sp?) Letters for one)

There were many women travellers who lived exciting lives, and craftswomen who traded and ran craft workshops.

During episodes of war women defended their homes.

There are lots of original letters and diaries written by women who casually mentioned warlike deeds!

But a female Sharpe - no, but female guerrillas yes. Spain, Italy, the Balkans.

I've always thought the idea of Samurai women and onna bushi (warrior nuns) in Japan exemplify the spirit of the fighting woman. I'll see if i can't track down any books that might fit the subject for you.

I would love to find a book based on the Dahomey Amazons.

Evangeline said:

I would love to find a book based on the Dahomey Amazons.

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Odd you should mention it, they turn up in Flash for Freedom.

Both Anne Bonny and Mary Read have numerous fictionalized adventures, though YMMV as to how they figure as a distaff Sharpe. The various tellings of Mulan also might be of interest, but I suggest steering clear of the depictions which are influenced by the animated feature film.

Years ago I read a series by Juliette Benzoni - Catherine & a bunch of sequels. (Long long out of print in English, but copies are still floating around out there.) Set in the 100 Years War - Joan of Arc features heavily in at least 1 of the installments. Lots of swashbuckling & also romantic adventures: IIRC Catherine gets herself into a lot of trouble, then gets herself out again rather handily. She's not a soldier, though, or a military type, so maybe not what you're looking for.

caffeine said:

Does anybody know if there's a female equivalent to Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe?

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No stories that I know of, but the Night Witches were quite real:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches

Ito said:

I've always thought the idea of Samurai women and onna bushi (warrior nuns) in Japan exemplify the spirit of the fighting woman. I'll see if i can't track down any books that might fit the subject for you.

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The first ideas that came to my head were Joan of Arc and the Onna Bushi.

If you happen to find any books on them, please let us know!

Try the memoirs of Nadezhda Durova, who dressed as a man and became a Russian hussar during the early nineteenth century. They've been translated into English under the title The Cavalry Maiden.

Hannah Snell might be the equivalent of Sharpe.

The "India Black" series may be of interest to you. She is a Victorian madam turned spy for Queen Victoria. I don't know if she's a kicking a*s type of spy, but I sensed she might be that type from reading the back of the books. It lacks the war back drop though. Good luck.