Book picks similar to
Mercerian Tales by Paul J. Bennett


fantasy
political-intrigue
strong-female-characters
humor

Galdir: A Slave's Tale


Fredrik Nath - 2012
    A battle for power among Frankish warlords leads to a mass exodus across the Rhine... All the while, Marcus Aurelius' Roman army pushes further north, changing everything. These three events meet in a cataclysm that changes the course of history. In the background, the aging witch Chlotsuintha predicts it all. Or is she the one pulling the strings to shape her people's future?When Sextus escapes Rome with a pocketful of gold and a knife, how could he even have dreamt of what the fates might have in store for him?Pursued by Roman soldiers for the murder of his master, Sextus enlists the help of a retired gladiator, and falls in love with the gladiator's niece. An invading German army drives them further north, where Sextus discovers his true birthright, and his real name - Galdir. He becomes caught up in a bitter feud as one of the heirs of a dead Frankish warlord; but the blood feud must be put aside when the Romans invade and besiege the Frankish capital.'Galdir' is enthralling Roman fiction - a tale of love, brutal battles and conflict, in which a mystical prophecy winds its way through an epic saga of struggle against Rome, and the consequences of resistance by the Frankish people, its Warlord and its witches.

The Sphinx Scrolls


Stewart Ferris - 2016
     Mayan legends tell of a location where the secret to surviving the end of the world may be found. One part of that legend is recorded on a stone tablet in the dusty attic of Lord ‘Ratty’ Ballashiels’ crumbling manor. The other twin part disappeared from a Berlin museum when the Nazis took power. When Ratty seems about to sell his tablet to the adopted son of Josef Mengele, his friend, the archaeologist Ruby Towers, is appalled. Soon it is clear that more than archaeology is at stake. The quest to rescue historic Central American artefacts becomes a race to prevent an apocalyptic threat when Ruby discovers that the ancients have set in motion something that will threaten the world today.

A Visit To The Impossible Lands


Holly Black - 2018
    

In Treachery Forged


David A. Tatum - 2013
    One of these laws has never been needed… until now. Book I: In Treachery Forged Following the rebellion of the Borden Isles, the Kingdom of Svieda was forced to make a pact with the Sho’Curlas Alliance in order to maintain the world’s balance of power. Many years later, Svieda is betrayed, suddenly and irrevocably, when the Sword King of Svieda is brutally assassinated by the Sho’Curlas Ambassador and their borders are invaded. To help save his country in the ensuing war, Sword Prince Maelgyn must travel to the Province of Sopan, take command of his armies, and join his cousins in battle. Along the way he rescues a Dwarven caravan, forges a badly needed alliance, and accidentally gets married. And then he learns about the dragons….

Stupid 911 Calls (Volume 1)


S. Schell - 2011
    A collection of 45 ridiculous 911 emergency calls, submitted by 911 Call Center Operators across the U.S.Dedicated to you, the Taxpayer who funded these calls.Note: A quick 10-minute read of humorous quotes from real calls.Just enough for a grin of the day!

There and NEVER, EVER BACK AGAIN: A Dark Lord's Diary: (A Memoir and Manifesto For Villains and Monsters)


Jeff Mach - 2019
     The Dwarves: Doomed hammer-swinging dwellers of the underground. The Armies of Man: No one tells a better tale, or causes a more rapid extinction. The White Wizard: Embodiment of all that is good and right; just ask him. ....and The Chosen One: Victim--sorry, meant to say "Hero"--of a glorious prophecy. The Chosen One is destined to bring down the Dark Lord, if not killed first. In which case, The White Wizard will have to find a replacement. Again. Behold! A (relatively) epic narration of world-changing events, told from the point of view of the Dark Lord. 'Tis a story of shattering destiny, drinking, arcane secrets, drinking, and battles worth of the Sagas. Well, not the Sagas of Men, but the Orcs have probably got something to say about it. Let's get going; it's time to steal the Sun. "There and NEVER, EVER BACK AGAIN" is the first novel by Jeff Mach, playwright, event creator, and certified Dark Lord.

Still Loved…Still Missed!


Mridula മൃദുല - 2019
    These stories span characters and emotional states with canny details that touch the depths of your soul. Picturing the complexities of love, misery and mystery, the stories try to gnaw your heart like never before.• What does a flower teach us we often fail to see?• “The belly is an ungrateful wretch.” Is it true?• Ever wondered about the sparseness and illusions in life?• Does death put an end to true love?• Have all the ascetics won over their emotions?With the power of simple language, this book transports the readers to a world scarcely thought of in our bustling lives. The allegories maintain an intense rhythm of life prompting the readers to perceive things from a unique angle.“A whole bookful to make you think, cry, think again and move on.”

Forbidden Touch


Iona Rose - 2021
    

Make You Mine: A Grumpy Boss Hate To Love Romance (Like A Boss Book 2)


Elyse Riggs - 2021
    

Jim Fosse's Expense Claim


John Dolan - 2012
    Once you've met Jim Fosse you'll never feel quite the same about opening your e-mails ...A darkly humorous short story of obsession from John Dolan, author of 'Everyone Burns'.WARNING: Contains sexual references and some really terrible grammar.

To Brave the End: A Tale of the Blackshield Dogs


Frank Dorrian - 2017
    But few of them ever surpassed the bloody reputation of the man known and feared on Caermark's battlefields as Red Harry. But before he was Red Harry, before he was anything, he was Harruvard of Werrewood, a man-at-arms sworn in service to Lord Gadrin Strael. Injured and left for dead during a bitter conflict along Lord Gadrin’s borders, his life was saved by the kindness of a stranger. But as Harruvard's past refused to let him go, that same kindness soon would be stained red. In the deep of winter, beneath creeping snows and biting ice, the black seeds of the monster Harruvard would become were sown by the hands of men, and nurtured by their cruelty.

DemonWars Saga Volume 1: The Demon Awakens - The Demon Spirit - The Demon Apostle


R.A. Salvatore - 2014
    A. Salvatore introduced fantasy readers around the globe to an astonishing new world. As the DemonWars Saga unfolds over these first three books, two intrepid young heroes must confront the dark tides of destiny in an epic search for justice and peace. This eBook bundle includes:  THE DEMON AWAKENSTHE DEMON SPIRITTHE DEMON APOSTLE  A great evil has awakened in the land of Corona: a demon determined to spread death and misery. His goblin armies and fearsome giants ravage the settlements of the frontier, and in the small village of Dundalis their merciless attack leaves behind two shattered orphans: Pony and her lifelong friend Elbryan. Taken in by elves, Elbryan is raised to become a formidable ranger—a fateful role that will lead him into harrowing confrontation.   Meanwhile, on a far-off island, a shower of gemstones falls onto the black sand shores. These heaven-sent stones carry within them an incredible power—the key to all that is good and all that is evil in the world. Now it’s up to one young monk to liberate them from the corrupt monastery that harvests them. Pray that they don’t fall into the wrong, clawed hands.  Praise for the DemonWars Saga  “An enthralling epic adventure story, it introduces memorable characters and an intricate scheme of magic the readers won’t soon forget.”—Terry Brooks, on The Demon Awakens   “A new classic! Wonderfully told! Fans will love it!”—Troy Denning, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Crucible, on The Demon Awakens  “Absorbing . . . one of the finest books yet in Salvatore’s prolific career.”—Publishers Weekly, on The Demon Spirit  “Unforgettable . . . another rousing and masterful DemonWars adventure . . . a must-read for all fans of Salvatore’s work.”—Realms of Fantasy, on The Demon Apostle

Ranger (Heroes MC Fort Hood 2): MC Romance Abuse


Autumn Summers - 2021
    People get pissed at me for what I do, I do it anyway!The first time I saw her, something sparked inside of me, but I was there on business.But the next day I saw how he was treating her and what he was trying to make her do, and I lost it!Yeah, shit blew up real quick.But I couldn’t leave her there to face that abuse.I had to save her.I had to make her mine, so I could protect her.And I will protect her at any cost!This MC Romance abuse is book two in the MC Romance club series, Heroes MC. If you love action, adventure, emotional roller coasters and steamy romance, you won't want to miss this one! 1-Click now to read the story of Ranger!

From Embers


Aaron Pogue - 2011
    But this year it wakes an ancient terror."From Embers" is a short story set in the fantasy world of the bestselling novel Taming Fire. Originally written as the prologue to the Dragonprince trilogy, this story provides a dramatic glimpse at the first days of the cataclysmic dragonswarm.Approximately 5,000 words.

Office Wars: The Mailroom Clerk


James G. Patton - 2017
    He sleeps in a real bed and eats real food and only jumps into Neuroma to work. All he wanted was to log in, work and log out and live in general obscurity. Getting the attention of a CEO, meeting a stranger in real life, and forced to play in a secret game of corporations were not penciled into his calendar. While that was bad, he started to question whether Odditek was still in control, or had their complacency created the noose tightening around their neck. Bran was not yet aware of the choice before him. He could no longer stand back and watch, and he had to pick a side and fight before he lost the ability to choose. Would he recognize the inevitable in time? Was it possible to make a ‘correct’ choice, or had the lines blurred so much that hero and villain were indistinguishable? This novel is part of an Odditek series and is a LitRPG novel. I realize it’s the first Odditek series, but more are coming. This series started as a companion series to a book called Lantern Online. I wanted a way to build up the world as it now exists, and to explain what Odditek is. Neuroma and Nerves are mentioned in Lantern Online, and I felt all that information was taking away from my story and is mostly not relevant, but good to know information. I took a lot of it out and added it to this series. Anyway, out of that came Office Wars. I hope it's different than most LitRPG you will read, and brings another dimension to the genre. Explicit language! I will not lie, there is a satirical nature to this story, and a lot of the language and scenarios are morally questionable on purpose. In this story and I use a lot of curse words and controversial commentary. Just look on Facebook or any half a dozen social media sites, and you will see similar language, conversations, and other nonsense. If we all moved into a digital world, this is how I view that world.