As noted on Monday, when introducing this two-part backlist post, the characters are featured in alphabetical order by name, but no preference should be inferred from the order in which they appear.

J is for John Aversin in Barbara Hambly’s Dragonsbane (Genre: Fantasy)

At face value a fairly ordinary sort of guy, John Aversin is the local leader (knight/baron) in the largely abandoned northern part of the kingdom in which he lives. He is a leader out of necessity and duty, but when events (a  dragon) require him to travel to the settled, populous part of the kingdom he also becomes a leader by example: in terms of compassion toward and fair treatment of those less favourably circumstanced than himself, and being willing to put himself at risk for the greater good.

M is for Mara of the Acoma in Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts’ “Empire” Trilogy (Genre: Epic Fantasy)

No discussion of leaders would be complete without Mara of the Acoma, who assumes leadership of her House when  its security and fortunes are at their lowest ebb. Throughout the EMPIRE trilogy, Mara’s survival as a political leader depends on her intelligence, strategy, and judgement – and the courage to think outside the square and take bold political risks. As a ruler, Mara chiefly acts through others, whether her soldiers, spies, or advisors – yet there is absolutely no question that she is a compelling and powerful leader.

P is for Paul Muad’dib in Frank Herbert’s Dune (Genre: Science Fiction)

Dune is one of the great science fiction novels and Paul Atreides follows an almost classic “hero’s journey”/ leadershp arc. Heir to Duke Leto Atreides, the titular ruler of the planet Arrakis, aka Dune, Paul flees into the planet’s deep deserts when his father is betrayed and murdered. (He is accompanied by his mother, Jessica, herself a notable leader.) He is accepted into the Fremen who dwell there and given the name Muad’dib, eventually rising through the ranks to become their paramount leader and general. Paul Muad’dib’s leadership is not only political and military, there are elements of the messianic in the Fremen’s acceptance of him. This is a book with plenty of realpolitik-ing and eventually, through both military victory and political maneuvering, Paul not only regains rulership of Dune but overthrows the established imperial rule in the universe of the book. Interestingly (to me!), I’ve never really liked Paul that much as a character, but he unquestionably has outstanding credentials in the “great leaders” stakes.

P is also for Pyanfar Chanur, from CJ Cherryh’s The Pride of Chanur & “Chanur” Series (Genre: Space Opera; SF)

The space captain Pyanfar Chanur is a renaissance figure: part merchant, part privateer, bold, swashbuckling, and tenacious. She also sees the big picture and knows how to play a long game. In many ways, Pyanfar is the classic hero figure who is forced into prominence by unexpected events and necessity. Circumstances drive her, but in the end she turns the tables and drives them, forming alliances beyond her own kind and forging an uneasy accord between many divergent species. Pyanfar is also humorous, stubborn, devious, and flamboyant—but at rock bottom, as honourable as the circumstances will allow.

S is for Signy and Beatritz de Barbentain, and Ariane de Carenzu: A Concert of Leadership in Guy Gavriel Kay’s A Song For Arbonne (Genre: Fantasy)

These three women play vital leadership roles in Guy Gavriel Kay’s A Song for Arbonne. Signy is the elderly Countess of Arbonne, who has only ruled alone since the death of her husband. Her daughter, Beatritz, is a religious leader and as such has political as well as spiritual power. Ariane, however, is the Queen of the Court of Love, an unquestioned leader in her society, but one whose power is solely that of influence and personality — which can count for a great deal. Mainly, though, I want to focus on the “concert”: that however powerful or important in their own right—and all three play vital parts in the story—it is by working in alliance with each other and others, that their individual contributions to Arbonne’s cause are most effective.

T is for Tyrion Lannister  in George RR Martin’s “A Song Of Ice and Fire” Series (Genre: Epic Fantasy)

Tyrion has a pretty rough row to hoe in the world of Westeros, but from the outset I found him one of the most intriguing characters in the series. First off, he is smart and able; he is also astute and personally brave as well—a quality that is often overlooked simply because he’s a dwarf. Tyrion leads a successful military defence of the capital city in the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings, and survives a great many political machinations as well. Unquestionably, Tyrion Lannister is one of the ablest, if also the most underappreciated, leaders in the “A Song of Ice and Fires” series.