Five fictional women of under-appreciated strength

Melissa Grey is a writer of young adult fiction powered entirely by candlelight and cups of tea. She can also ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow at the same time. Her debut novel is The Girl at Midnight.

One of Grey's top five "fictional women of under-appreciated or otherwise unconventional strength," as shared at Tor.com:

Clara—Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Winterspell‘s Clara is a complex character. Thanks to her godfather Drosselmeyer’s tutelage, she can kill a man with her bare hands, but she’s still haunted by an almost paralyzing fear. Clara comes of age in an alternate version of New York governed by a shadowy (and deadly) criminal cabal and is pursued relentlessly by the creepiest, scariest man imaginable—and he’s got the trail of dead bodies to prove it. Clara lives her life in a fog of fear and insecurity until she’s forced to find her strength to save the lives of the ones she loves—or die in the attempt.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue