Tortall: The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce
A coworker at the library suggested this book for my Adult Summer Reading Club Bingo. She said she didn't like Harry Potter because she read this series first. To me, this is still fantasy, but it is a different sort of fantasy than Harry Potter. I would put this more in a "classic" fantasy where it is set in a completely different world.
I'd review each book individually, but this is better off reviewed as a whole. The basic plot is that Alanna is far better suited to be a knight than her twin brother Thom, who wants to be a sorcerer. Alanna and Thom switch spots with Thom being trained in magic and Alanna being trained as Alan of Trebond as a knight.
The series follows Alanna as she learns to control her magic and use it for good. She must learn who to trust, including herself, as she goes on many wild adventures and grows from Alan of Trebond into Alanna, the Lioness Rampant. She faces and defeats many foes until she is ready for the penultimate confrontation.
She is a strong, confidant girl who grows into an amazing woman. Although she hides and denies her femininity at first as part of her disguise, she learns to embrace it. Her growth in this area reminds me of this part from Avatar: The Last Airbender:
I would definitely suggest this to older teens and adults as there is some sensitive topics (puberty, birth control, implied sex) who are more emotionally capable to handle these implications.
Similar Series (Strong Independent Woman Protagonist)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Ages 8+)
Princess Pulverizer by Nancy E. Krulik (Ages 5+)
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale (Ages 5+)
The Belgariad by David Eddings (Ages 13+)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Ages 18+)
Wonder Woman (All Ages)
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