Oh, is this the thread I was supposed to start?
I kept thinking about it, but there were so many ways to approach it that I just couldn't pick one.
Haven't read Lawhead, but if Laureanna likes it, it's probably good.
In general, I'm with
Maiden. I dislike books where "strong" = "violent", for men and women. And I dislike books where the female protagonist acts and thinks like a man, as if the less feminine a character the stronger she is. The choice for females seems to be: meek, subservient and empty-headed, or wild, heavily armed and rebellious.
That said, I've no problem with a female character who defend themselves with violence when they have to.
In another thread I've mentioned Cynthia Voigt for handling strong (no quotes required) females especially well. In
Jackaroo, Gwyn is an innkeeper's daughter, and she is locked into woman's tasks and responsibilities. But she is strong physically, she knows what she wants; she makes her choices and she pays the price for them; she can survive on her own and yes, she has to fight at one point and fight she does.