Book picks similar to
Windborn by Alex S. Bradshaw
fantasy
self-published
spfbo-7
dnf
The Other Magic
Derrick Smythe - 2019
Whatever otherworldly power had come over him in those moments of passion had fled his body the second he realized what he had done…In a realm where only clerics are permitted to practice magic, Kibure’s inexplicable use of power places him in grave danger. In a twist of fate, the rogue priestess hired to strip him of his power chooses instead to help him escape. Her reasons for doing so are her own, but something worse than death awaits if they are unable to evade the Empire's most potent wieldersThis epic fantasy series will be especially enjoyed by fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Michael J. Sullivan, Patrick Rothfuss, and Michael Wisehart.
The Witchwood Crown
Tad Williams - 2017
Many of today’s top-selling fantasy authors, from Patrick Rothfuss to George R. R. Martin to Christopher Paolini credit Tad with being the inspiration for their own series.Now, twenty-four years after the conclusion of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Tad returns to his beloved universe and characters with The Witchwood Crown, the first novel in the long-awaited sequel trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard.Thirty years have passed since the events of the earlier novels, and the world has reached a critical turning point once again. The realm is threatened by divisive forces, even as old allies are lost, and others are lured down darker paths. Perhaps most terrifying of all, the Norns—the long-vanquished elvish foe—are stirring once again, preparing to reclaim the mortal-ruled lands that once were theirs....
Cast in Firelight
Dana Swift - 2021
But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross... and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Susan Dennard, and Mary E. Pearson.
Oathbound
Todd Herzman - 2021
A surgecaller who escaped into the wilds, his only goal was to survive.Now he is Oathbound, forced to fight in an arena, forced to become stronger than he’d thought possible.As he realises he can become strong, the need for revenge fills his heart, and a new goal forms in his mind.But his goal is impossible: kill the dragon rider, the Immortal of Fire.To succeed, he’ll have to do more than just survive—he’ll have to advance beyond anything the realm has ever seen.
In the spirit of progression fantasies like Cradle and Mage Errant, enter a realm with magical beasts, where surgecallers can cultivate essence to strengthen their weapons, enhance their bodies and wield elemental magic.
The Marked Princess
E.P. Stavs - 2020
She'd much rather be practicing her swordplay with her best friend, Edmund, or teasing her straight-laced guard, Alex. Marriage isn't exactly high on her list of priorities.But Josselyn isn't your typical princess, and this isn't your typical fairy-tale story. When a plot to overthrow the kingdom sends her fleeing for her life, Josselyn will discover just how different she truly is as the ancient, celestial magic dwelling beneath her marked skin emerges in the most startling of ways. Will she be strong enough to face the darkness there and save her kingdom? Or will she crumple under the weight of self-doubt?Celestial beasts, steamy dances, and a fierce-as-hell warrior princess all mark the exciting first installment of E.P. Stavs's The Shendri Series.
Fae: The Wild Hunt
Graham Austin-King - 2014
The fae... The stuff of bedtime stories and fables. But sometimes the faerie tales are true. Sometimes they are a warning... For a hundred generations the fae have been locked away from the world, in the cold, the Outside. They have faded out of sight and mind, into myth and folklore. But now the barriers are weakening and they push against the tattered remnants of the Wyrde as they seek a way to return. As a new religion spreads across the world, sweeping the old ways and beliefs away before it, a warlike people look across the frozen ocean towards the shores of Anlan, hungry for new lands. War is coming, even as the Wyrde of the Droos is fading. As the fae begin to force their way through the shreds of the Wyrde, will mankind be able to accept the truth concealed in the tales of children in time to prepare for the Wild Hunt?
Melokai
Rosalyn Kelly - 2017
Prosperous, peaceful, and happy, her people love her. Or so she thinks.Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy.Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power?Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation.She thinks it’s the end, but it’s just the beginning...
The Song of All
Tina LeCount Myers - 2018
Irjan, a human warrior, is ruthless and lethal, a legend among the Brethren of Hunters. But even legends grow tired and disillusioned.Scarred and weary of bloodshed, Irjan turns his back on his oath and his calling to hide away and live a peaceful life as a farmer, husband, and father. But his past is not so easily left behind. When an ambitious village priest conspires with the vengeful comrades Irjan has forsaken, the fragile peace in the Northlands of Davvieana is at stake.His bloody past revealed, Irjan’s present unravels as he faces an ultimatum: return to hunt the immortals or lose his child. But with his son’s life hanging in the balance, as Irjan follows the tracks through the dark and desolate snow-covered forests, it is not death he searches for, but life.
Ascension
Brian K. Fuller - 2014
Then the half-mad and completely bored Shadan Khairn invaded Gen's village to winter there and start a war. He shoved a sword in Gen's hands and tormented his body, shaping a bard into a warrior to be killed for sport. As the days of torture pile up like the snow, Gen searches for death. But the day is at hand when the shattered shards of the world will knit together again and the world’s slain god be reborn. The mighty Ha'Ulrich will be the father, the mysterious Chalaine the mother. In dangerous times, the holy couple doesn't need a bard. They need a warrior. And Gen needs a reason to live.
House of Dragons
Jessica Cluess - 2020
A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win?When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call....THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free--he must take what he wants.THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.
The Blood-Tainted Winter
T.L. Greylock - 2015
His ship is fast and sleek, his crew skilled and eager, and they will seek out new lands and win fame in the eyes of the gods. But Raef’s father refuses to allow the journey and when a stranger brings word that the king is dead and a gathering has been called to choose a successor, Raef must set aside his dream for his duty to his ancestral lands and his father.When factions split at the gathering to choose a successor, Raef finds himself mired in bloodshed and treachery. Forced to make an uneasy alliance with a man he does not trust, Raef must navigate the tides of a war among three kings while seeking revenge for cold-blooded murder.But winter has come early to Midgard, and even the gods will feel the cold.
Orconomics
J. Zachary Pike - 2014
For the licensed wizards and warriors of Arth, slaying and looting the forces of evil is just a job. The Heroes' Guild has turned adventuring into a career, selling the rights to monsters’ hoards of treasure as investment opportunities. Corporations spend immense sums sponsoring heroes to undertake quests, betting they’ll reap the profits in plunder funds when the loot is divvied up.Questing was all business for famous Dwarven berserker Gorm Ingerson, until a botched expedition wiped out his party, disgraced his name, and reduced him to a thieving vagabond. Twenty years later, a chance encounter sees Gorm forcibly recruited by a priest of a mad goddess to undertake a quest that has a reputation for getting heroes killed. But there’s more to Gorm’s new job than an insane prophecy; powerful corporations and governments have shown an unusual interest in the job. Gorm might be able to turn a bad deal into a golden opportunity and win back the fame and fortune he lost so long ago.Promising fun, fantasy, and financial calamity, Orconomics: A Satire is the first book in The Dark Profit Saga, an economically epic trilogy.
Into the Labyrinth
John Bierce - 2018
He can barely cast any spells at all, and those he does cast tend to fail explosively. If that wasn't bad enough, he's also managed to attract the ire of the most promising student of his year- who also happens to be the nephew of a king. Hugh has no friends, no talent, and definitely doesn't expect a mage to choose him as an apprentice at all during the upcoming Choosing. When a very unusual mage does choose him as apprentice, however, his life starts to take a sharp turn for the better. Now all he has to worry about is the final test for the first years- being sent into the terrifying labyrinth below Skyhold.
Duel of Fire
Jordan Rivet - 2016
The secluded kingdom has been peaceful for a hundred years. Swords are used for sport, and successful athletes live like kings as long as the crowds love them. Eighteen-year-old Dara needs to find a wealthy patron in order to duel professionally and avoid a lifetime working in her parents’ Fire Lantern shop. Her efforts are disrupted when her coach asks her to train with Prince Siv, an infuriating—if handsome—young man who refuses to take the sport as seriously as she does. But the prince’s life may be in danger, and soon Dara will discover that Vertigon isn’t as peaceful as she thought. As threats emerge from the shadows, Dara will have to raise her sword to protect Siv—if he doesn’t irritate her so much that she decides to run him through herself. From the author of the Seabound Chronicles comes a new fantasy series about sword fighting, cur-dragons, molten Fire magic, and one young woman’s effort to prove herself.
The Gateway
Glenn G. Thater - 2008
Thater transports us to an age of high adventure where knights battle supernatural horrors, magic is real but hidden, and the line between good and evil is all too thin.The Harbinger of Doom saga centers around one Lord Angle Theta, an enigmatic warrior of unknown origins and mystical power. No mortal man is his match in battle. No sorcery can contain or confound him. No scholar or sage can outwit him. But for all his skills, he is but one of us; a man, a human, who shares our faults, our dreams, and our ambitions. He boldly strides across the land, fearless, peerless, and cloaked in mystery; all his will bent on righting such wrongs as he deems fit.Until the day the Gateway opened and turned the world on its head. On that fateful day, Korrgonn came and washed away our dreams. And his outre' realm of Nifleheim set its unholy mark upon our world and claimed it for their own. Only Theta and his companions see the enemies aligning against us. Only they foresee our end coming- the end of civilization, the end of the world of man. Only they can hope to turn the tide of madness and preserve all that we hold dear. But no man, not even our greatest hero, can stand against the Lords of Nifleheim and the dark armies at their command. Fiends that infiltrate unseen within our ranks, that tear down our temples and our traditions; that devour us from within, unseen, unknown, unheralded, and unopposed until the hour grows far too late. Through the murk and mist that hangs before our eyes, one man only sees true. One man pierces the veil of magic that blinds us all and marks the world as it truly is, revealing secrets, secrets of Angle Theta, so horrifying as to shatter a man's mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.When mad sorcerers open a gateway to the very pits of hell, releasing outre demons of darkest nightmare upon the world, only the intrepid knights of House Eotrus stand in their way. Claradon Eotrus takes up the mantle of his noble house to avenge his father and hold back the tide of chaos that threatens to engulf the world and destroy mankind. Claradon recruits Angle Theta and Gabriel Garn, mysterious knights of mystical power to stand with him. Theta and Garn take up their swords one last time against the coming darkness -- a darkness from which only one will emerge.BOOKS BY GLENN G. THATERTHE HARBINGER OF DOOM SAGAGATEWAY TO NIFLEHEIMTHE FALLEN ANGLEKNIGHT ETERNALDWELLERS OF THE DEEPVOLUME 5+ forthcomingHARBINGER OF DOOM(Combines The Gateway and The Fallen Angle into a single volume)THE HERO AND THE FIEND(A novelette set in the Harbinger of Doom universe)THE GATEWAY (A novella length version of Gateway to Nifleheim)