Book picks similar to
Blade of Ghosts by Julian Gyll


fantasy
dnf
cultivation
progression-fantasy

Hollow Core


Gage Lee - 2019
    To survive, he will have to master long-lost jinsei techniques, repair his wounded soul, and face down a most unexpected enemy: the academy's ruthless headmaster and cunning professors.Hollow is the first book in the School of Swords and Serpents series, a tale of wuxia adventure, cultivation mastery, and lurking threats. “Wow, this book is crazy-good. If the Harry Potter series were somehow violently smashed together with the characters from Mortal Kombat, you might have something that comes close to the School of Swords and Serpents.” —James A. Hunter, Bestselling Author of Rogue Dungeon, Bibliomancer, and the LitRPG epic Viridian Gate Online

The Choice of Magic


Michael G. Manning - 2019
    It was the enlightenment that lifted humanity from the squalor of superstition, and the worship of fell spirits and capricious gods, but those days are gone. The shining glory of the sorcerers burned away the subtlety of wisdom, replacing it with easy power, held only in the hands of the elite—a new age built upon the elemental supremacy of aristocrats and the ignorance of the masses.But this will change, for the greatest power comes with knowledge, and the deeper teachings of wizardry have not been utterly lost. The last wizard of the old tradition still survives in solitude, nursing tired grudges and waiting for death.His passing might have gone unnoticed, but for the imposition of a youth too stubborn to accept his refusal to take an apprentice. With a new student comes new hope, and that hope has caused old powers to stir again. That the world will change is inevitable, but the shape of the future is anything but certain.

Darkening Skies


eden Hudson - 2019
    A princess bartered away as a treaty bride. A lurking evil with the power to topple the world.  Ji Yu Raijin is happy to live out his life serving his school, cultivating his life force, and learning the Path of Darkening Skies, an ancient and noble warrior art—until the day comes when he has to choose: remain true to the teachings of his path and allow his art to die out or commit an unforgivable sin and save the world.Second princess Shyong San Koida was born the only cripple in a dynasty of powerful warriors. With a broken life force, the only way Koida can contribute to her family’s empire is by sealing a strategic alliance to a barbarian leader with her hand in marriage. But hidden forces within the court conspire to stop the union and obliterate the Shyong San dynasty at all costs.At the intersection of the servant boy and the princess’s stories lies a secret, malignant art bent on destroying not only them, but the entire world. Darkening Skies is the first novel in the Path of the Thunderbird series, for fans of wuxia, xanxia, cultivation novels, demon beasts, and all styles of martial arts. Darkening Skies is written by eden Hudson, enthusiastic but terrible martial arts student and best-selling author of Jubal Van Zandt and the litRPG fantasy Rogue Dungeon.

King's Gate


Daniel Pierce - 2018
    When he opens his eyes, he discovers a world of magic, elves, monsters, and demons, not all of which are eager to meet him.With no idea how to get home, he'll need to adapt, grow, and kill to survive.But Alex is a stranger in a strange land, which means he's bound to draw interest. Whether that's from his enemies or the many beautiful women he encounters remains to be seen, but he'll need every ounce of wit, strength, and charm to conquer both.Warning: This story contains adult situations, coarse language, and other fun things. Read at your own risk.

Benjamin Ashwood


A.C. Cobble - 2016
    This classic swords and sorcery tale is inspired by Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and Tolkien's The Hobbit. If you liked them, you will love Benjamin Ashwood.Life is simple in Ben’s small town until an attack brings the arrival of exciting strangers straight out of a story. Before Ben understands what is happening, he embarks on a dangerous journey to help his friends. A mage, demons, thieves and assassins are just a few of the perils he will face while trying to make it to safety. But things aren’t always what they seem and safety is a fragile concept when the destructive behaviors of the powerful are exercised unchecked. In Ben's world - like our own - political, economic and military might create a system to keep the elite in power at the expense of the common man. As the series unfolds and Ben's knowledge and skill grows, he will have to decide if he wants to live within the system, flee from it or break it.

The Cult of Tiamat (Dragon’s Daughter Book 5)


Kevin McLaughlin - 2021
    It’s been too long since anyone saw Tiamat. Her tale has faded into myth.A cult of her followers still remains, though. These dragons believe that someday, a dragon will rise who is the sum of all dragons, with the powers of every dragon. When that dragon comes, Tiamat will be close behind.Kylara knows nothing of these legends, but she’s about to take center stage in a story which began thousands of years ago.Because the Cult of Tiamat is real, their power has not waned as much as most dragons believe, and many among them feel the time of their prophecy is upon them.And that Kylara is the dragon they’ve been looking for.

The Genesis Game: Volume I


Andrew O'Kelley - 2021
    No one gained more power than the tyrant known as the Black Seraph, the Angel of Genocide. Surviving at the expense of the rest of humanity, Seraph was able to complete the World Dungeon upon reaching the Altar of the End. A hollow victory, as he was cursed by the spirit of the dungeon for ruthlessly focusing on his empowerment.His power was sealed away, deep within the dungeon; Seraph was cast into the past, reincarnated into the body of his child-like self. Forbidden from hoarding power for himself and charged with the mission of ensuring the survival of humanity. But people do not change overnight, and Seraph must find a new path forward and learn there's more to power than being a tyrant if humanity is to survive the Genesis Game.

Blood of Fate


Dan Sugralinov - 2019
    This is the ninety ninth world for this traveler who has spent an entire life in each of his previous worlds. And now he is out of lives, his previous misdeeds leaving him with a negative balance of points and preventing him from reincarnating anew. Once he realizes that he must spend his final life in a poverty-stricken family in a backward world, he awakens the consciousness of the deceased Luca and ends his own physical existence, leaving all his abilities to his heir.One such ability is the use of the Wheel. Every traveler can spend points to spin the Wheel and gain a special talent, a superpower, or... a deadly illness. Luca spins the Wheel and gains the superpower of metamorphosis. Now he can regenerate, recover from deadly wounds and even take on the shape of other beings. The young man takes on the form of the Emperor: to avoid death, help his family and, finally, to bring order to the Empire!

Path of The Dragon Mage: Exiled: A LitRPG Fantasy


S.G. Seabourne - 2021
    However, he still has a chance to win back his throne. The next man or woman to hatch a dragon automatically becomes the ruler. Each member of the royal family is gifted with a dragon egg, but it is the work of a lifetime to hatch it.The first time Corvus touches his dragon egg, he receives an odd notification: He has found a soulbound item and is tasked with an epic quest to hatch it... but only if he can walk the winding path of the dragon mage.Armed with notifications, skill increases, and levels only he can see, Corvus is determined to hatch his dragon.

The White Mage Omnibus


Ben Hale - 2015
    In their absence the world has become known by another name, Earth. The humans have flourished with time, unaware that The Last Oracle is destined to unite them. At her touch magic will be unbound, and known again as truth.But an ancient war harbors a deadly secret. Draeken, the Lord of Chaos, had a second apprentice, one who became trapped with the defeated fiends. Fueled by revenge and dark magic he has mastered a power that Draeken himself could not, and the time is fast approaching for it to be unleashed.The Dark is waiting . . .This Boxed Set contains the first three books in the bestselling White Mage Saga; The Last Oracle, The Sword of Elseerian, and Descent Unto Dark. The final two books and the bonus prequel are currently available on Amazon.

Beginner Quest


Nephilim Night - 2021
    Pitied by one of the Gods, he was given the chance to participate in the next round of bets between the gods. It was an eternally violent game known as Towers and Rifts.The world he found himself in was nothing like the one he’d spent centuries cultivating and becoming stronger. He was right back at the bottom along with everyone else but for the knowledge he retained.The day the tower spawned, everyone was given access to a strange and game-like system he only knew about from memories of the body he inherited. The first order of the day: to heal from the horrible wounds that came along with the new body and to tackle the ‘Beginner’s Quest’ everyone was given.Viktor was at the top before he died the first time so he knew what it was like to be powerful, in control, and a warrior without an equal. Nothing would stop him from getting to the top using this second chance he'd been given.Experience the start of an epic LitRPG Cultivation Fantasy Series perfect for fans of authors like Tao Wong, C.M. Carney, and M.H. Johnson. Towers & Rifts is filled with cultivation, measurable power progression, crunchy stats, loot, immortal gods, intriguing characters, and everything lovers of all progression fantasy, GameLit/LitRPG, xianxia, and xuanhuan expect.

Dungeons & Gangsters


Marco Frazetta - 2019
    Little league trophies, comic book collection, straight A’s. Hell, I got myself into Dragontusk University of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A real Harry Potter, I was gonna be. But then I found out, the life of slaying dragons, the life of rescuing princesses, the life of a white picket fence and family photo Christmas cards... that was never for me.I’m a hobgoblin. And if one thing hobgoblins care about, it’s blood. Blood ties, blood debts. I’ve started with Mickey Mouse scores: holding up liquor stores, dealing tree, squeezing Kobold Delis.But now, a big heist has come my way, and I just might land a real score, a huge score. Now, I just have to let go of worn out dreams, and accept what I am... a stone cold GANGSTER. Warning: This book contains explicit language, explicit action, explicit everything. Adults only, all that jazz. If you’re a precious snowflake, this book is a friggin’ flame thrower.

Ascendant


Craig Alanson - 2016
    They were supposed to tell everyone that he is not a jinx, that all the bad things that happen around him are because he can't control the power inside him, power he doesn't know about. The people of his village, even his parents, are afraid of him, afraid he is cursed. That he is a dangerous, evil jinx. The Wizard's Council didn't tell young Koren, because they know what is best for him. Even after their silent deception destroys his life.Crown Princess Ariana Trehayme will become queen of Tarador on her sixteenth birthday, if her weak, indecisive mother the Regent hasn't allowed their ancient enemy to conquer Tarador before then. Ariana wants her royal army to strike at the enemy, but her mother knows what is best for her, and the realm.Together, Ariana and Koren can save Tarador, if the adults, who know best, will get out of their way.

Catharsis


Travis Bagwell - 2016
    He attends a prestigious private school on scholarship and his parents are reasonably well off. Yet life hasn't been easy for Jason. He has spent most of high school being tormented by both the students and faculty and his parents are never home. Frustrated and alone, his one escape has always been video games. In-game, he can feel the type of power and freedom he lacks in his day-to-day life. Fortunately, a new virtual reality game (the first of its kind) has just been released, which promises the opportunity for an even greater escape. Once he begins playing, Jason quickly finds himself on the path to becoming the game’s villain. In the process, he also starts to suspect that there is something unusual going on within the game. (This novel contains graphic violence and language. Books don't have ratings, but, if they did, this book would be rated "M" for Mature)

Knightmare Arcanist


Shami Stovall - 2019
    Sailing. A murderer among heroes. Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he’ll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma. So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more. In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma. A fast-paced fantasy with magical creatures for those who enjoy the Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera series) by Jim Butcher, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.