Which Best Fiction Novels 2016 Feature Strong Female Protagonists?

I have a soft spot for the genre of characters with complicated morals and rough edges, so 'Gideon the Ninth' immediately comes to mind. The protagonist isn't a traditional 'strong' hero; she's a foul-mouthed, irreverent fighter who would rather make sarcastic comments than lead an army. That sense of defiance and reluctant competence felt more real to me than many a noble warrior. Another one I'd mention is 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet'. The strength there comes from empathy and diplomacy, not combat. Rosemary is processing a lot of personal baggage and still manages to build connections and solve problems through understanding. It's a different kind of fortitude, the sort that holds a community together without needing to be the loudest voice in the room. I keep going back to books that explore resilience quietly, without fanfare.

Man, 2016 was a wild year for this specific niche, wasn't it? I'd argue 'The Power' by Naomi Alderman belongs in the conversation, even if it technically came out in late 2016. It flips the script completely—what if teenage girls suddenly developed the power to electrocute people? It's less about surviving a broken system and more about watching the system break in a new, terrifying direction as women become the dominant physical force. The lead characters, from a foster kid to a politician's daughter, are all compelling in how they wield or resist this new power. It’s a brutal, fascinating thought experiment. For a more classic ‘fight the regime’ story, 'Like a River Glorious' by Rae Carson is the second book in her Gold Seer trilogy, and the protagonist, Leah Westfall, is a force of nature. She can sense gold, which in this alternate-history American frontier setting makes her a huge target. She’s building a safe haven while dealing with literal claim jumpers and corrupt businessmen. Her strength is as much in her compassion and loyalty as it is in her special ability. The series starts in 2015, but this 2016 installment is where she really comes into her own as a leader. A darker horse pick is 'The Forgetting' by Sharon Cameron. It’s set in a city where everyone loses their memories every twelve years. The female lead, Nadia, is the only one who doesn’t forget, and she has to piece together the truth while everyone else, including her family, resets. Her strength is sheer, lonely intellect and determination against a gothic, crumbling society. It’s less action-packed but incredibly tense and psychologically driven. I stumbled on it by accident and couldn’t put it down.