Book picks similar to
The Darkness Returns by Michael D. Nadeau


fantasy
fantasy-epic
high-fantasy
recommended-twice

Reprisal


Charles Tillman - 2020
    The local police are good at their job, but they’re not well-equipped to handle things that go bump in the night.Especially not the ones terrorizing this once-peaceful island paradise.While dealing with the incursion, Akio discovers new information. The situation is escalating—and all evidence points to enemies from his past.A dangerous science he’d thought was destroyed.The Forsaken are rising to take their place as the alpha predators.Now, it’s a race against overwhelming odds as Akio unravels long-laid complex plans and takes the fight to those who threaten the last bastion of civilization on post-apocalyptic Earth.Can he stop this evil before it enslaves humanity?Or will the Forsaken succeed in taking over the world?

Chronicles of Pelenor Trilogy Collection:


Meg Cowley - 2019
    Rising evil. Tangled loyalties. Harper discovers a legendary Dragonheart...and instantly becomes the most wanted person in Pelenor, where magic, dragons, and elves rule. She must survive - or die. Searching for the elven King's missing Dragonheart is his ruthless Spymaster Dimitri, who has his own agenda to revolutionise Pelenor.Harper is thrust into a web of intrigue, and her new companions - a roguish elven thief and his ragtag band - are not be the trustworthy friends she thinks.When Harper and Dimitri's paths collide, the only thing more dangerous than lies might be the truth, for either will destroy them.Harper and Dimitri must ally to ensure both survive the King's wrath in a court where betrayal is as easy as breathing. Who will drown in deceit, and who will rise triumphant?Dimitri’s plans backfire as he realises that time, hate, and the darkest of magics have twisted the visionary he hoped to follow, Saradon, into an evil that seeks dominion over all – and Dimitri is bound to his cause.Harper is bound to Saradon too in ways she could not imagine. She holds great darkness within her – and the only chance for salvation. Betrayal rules Pelenor - but will Harper betray herself to save those she loves? Saradon rules Pelenor with an iron fist. The Court of Tournai is beholden to him. A new Order, loyal to the Dark One of Altarea, rises under his dominion.Trapped under Saradon’s control, Harper is drawn into a darkness she cannot escape – and from which her friends cannot save her. War comes for Pelenor. The Dark One of Altarea will have his dominion. Will Pelenor be the first to fall, or can Harper and her far-flung companions somehow avert catastrophe? USA Today Bestselling Author and 2018 SPFBO Semi-Finalist Meg Cowley returns with a stunning new romantic epic fantasy trilogy set in the same world as her acclaimed Books of Caledan series. Filled with vivid characters, complex plots, and hints of romance, the Chronicles of Pelenor is perfect for fans of SJ Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses and Miranda Honfleur’s Blade & Rose. Read Heart of Dragons now.

Stormborn Saga: Guardian of the Seas


J.T. Williams - 2017
    Chosen by the Ascended. Destined for Darkness.Valrin was born of the sea. Raised by his adopted elven aunt on a small fishing island he knows nothing of his past and wonders of his future.... until the unexpected arrival of a mysterious ship changes everything.Joining a misfit crew running from a dangerous dwarven empire, Valrin learns quickly what it means to be Stormborn. In this epic three book set, you will meet the strangest of the strange. From men forbidden to die to cannibalistic shadow elves and a dwarven necromancer. Embark upon the cold, dark Glacial Seas and unlock the power of an ancient lost race.Embrace this epic fantasy adventure and discover that sometimes the most dangerous enemy can be your own dark desires.

Steel Orc: Player Reborn


Deck Davis - 2019
    An orc in a strange world, with the skeletons of humongous beasts scattered around him. This isn’t a normal morning. Deep in the world of an online game, Tripp finds himself alone, weaponless, and with nobody to call a friend. Worse, the game’s god-like controller has taken an interest in him, and that interest manifests itself in cruel ways. If he is to survive, he has to learn how to craft legendary weapons and find allies to fight with him. He must battle his way through a labyrinth of monsters and traps, while surviving wave upon wave of creatures unleashed into the land of Godden’s Reach. It isn’t enough to make a sword. When the metal cools, he must learn how to weave magic into it. Read Steel Orc Now – your battle awaits. 'I loved the book. It's an awesome standalone. Very insightful and smart. Very engaging, it was hard to put down.' 'A compelling world, an epic story, fantastic characters. One of the best authors around and it's a complete story.'

Soldiers and Marines (The complete trilogy)


Martin Archer - 2015
    War in the East and Israel's Next War are the fourth and fifth books in the series.

Winter Wyvern


Todd McCaffrey - 2019
    Would a dying dragon change her fate? On the outskirts of the capital, sixteen-year old Krea, is fighting to survive. She’s bullied, attacked, and some say she’s cursed. She doesn’t believe them. This girl is a fighter. In a meadow, surrounded by blue flowers, a dragon fights for her life and a chance at immortality. There’s just one problem, she needs a new twin soul. When Krea finds Wymarc, the dragon makes an offer. Is the dragon’s gift going to change her life for the better or send her to her doom? You’ll love this fantasy for its characters you care about, meddlesome gods, and the brilliant story craft. Get it now.

The Crafter's Son


Matthew B. Berg - 2019
    But can he master his powers in time to help thwart the plans of a vengeful god? Breeden Andehar grew up the son of a boatwright in a village far from the capital city of Arlon. At sixteen, he is given a chance to receive an education at the local monastery alongside three sons of nobility, a cloth merchant’s daughter and a clever orphan. Breeden and his new friends have their education cut short when a bitter rivalry between two brother gods spawns a conflict which threatens the entire Land. The Crafter’s Son is the first book in a new coming of age epic fantasy series. If you liked The Sword of Shannara, The Wheel of Time, The Dragonbone Chair, or the Stormlight Archive, then you’ll love Matthew B. Berg’s brand new epic fantasy! Pick up The Crafter’s Son to discover this exciting new series today!

Gentleman's Wars 2: A Tower Defense LitRPG Series (The Great Game)


Andrew Karevik - 2021
    Who’s behind the murder of his family? Who has been after his territories, and why?One promising lead comes from Lady Efera, the very same who had taken a liking to his lands and whom he defeated in an all-out battle. But that information won’t come free. If Richard wants that piece of the puzzle, he will need to help Efera take back the lands she lost to a fierce Baron. Easier said than done, especially when said Baron and his coalition show up at Richard’s door with an ultimatum. He has two weeks to hand over the woman’s Starmetal Signet, or he’ll be the one to suffer the consequences. But Juliet is not a stranger to Richard anymore; now that she’s married to the Frankinsons, she has become his blood too. His responsibility.Once again, it’s a race for survival. Facing imminent invasion by a force far superior to his own, Richard will need to scramble like never before. He will have to secure new alliances and find new ways to improve his defenses. There’s no other way around it, he needs to quickly move up the ranks so as to unlock new units and be able to hire the advisors who will help him master this complex game.The first step to this impossible plan is to reach out to the Kintelis, an elven clan living in isolation in the west. But Richard definitely can’t seem to catch a break; he has barely come in contact with the elves that his carriage is attacked by a group of bandits…

The Dragon God Saga (The Wood Cutter's Son)


Thomas A. Wright - 2018
     From the author of the best-selling series “The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison”. Magic is waning. The ancient dragons of Torinth that once darkened the sky with their numbers are all but extinct. Older than even the dragons, the elementals, spirits of earth, sky, water and fire, have slumbered for millennia, leaving the races of Torinth to fend for themselves. The Kingdom of Northern Wastes feels not only the loss of magic but a foreboding change in seasons—winter grows longer with each passing season. The queen has set her eye on the south and the bounty of a fertile land. In the Southlands, Morgan, the third son of a lumber merchant, expects nothing from his future but hard work felling trees and chopping firewood. His property borders land belonging to the elven Kingdom of the Black Mountains, where Alexis, the third princess to the elven throne, is ranger. Alexis joined the rangers with hopes of forgetting the royal court, her family and a betrothal in which she had no say. Fascinated by the woodcutter’s son, she traverses the border between their properties, knowing they could never meet. Now an elemental has awoken, and set her sights on these two figures. In a time of uneasy kingdoms and threats of a pending war, she reaches out to Alexis and Morgan and arranges a conversation that will change the future of all of Torinth.

The Way of Kings (5 of 5)


Brandon Sanderson - 2010
    Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.It has been centuries since the fall of the 10 consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where 10 armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.Director Rose Supan says, “Brandon Sanderson is at the top of his game with THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES. It's an honor to direct this story. The actors as well as our production team are thrilled to be a part of the process as well. I can proudly proclaim that the listener is in for a truly immersive experience!”

The Traveller's Stone (The Haven Series, #1)


S.J. Howland - 2019
    Howland has created a wondrous fantasy world, inhabited by the creatures of myth and fairytale. Any fan of J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis or Philip Pullman will immediately feel at home in this fantastical place." - LoveReading Xander King does not believe in fairytales. He prefers rational explanations, keeping his head down and trying to avoid the inevitable comparisons with his genius mother. The last thing he expects is to have his life turned upside down by terrifying shadows and an encounter with a mysterious stone tablet, challenging his entire view of reality and catapulting him into the parallel world of Haven.Faced with extraordinary creatures, ancient secrets and a heritage he does not understand, Xander is drawn into the struggle to protect the border between his own reality and Haven, and prevent disaster overcoming them both. But, as darkness spreads, he must confront new questions. Where does he belong, and is anything in Haven really as it seems? Discover the mesmerising world of Haven and the truths long-hidden in the ancient stories in this gripping fantasy adventure.

Through Titan's Trail


Austin Dragon - 2018
    From the far reaches of the Seven Empires of Pan-Earth, men travel from Avalonia—the sole gateway into the realm of the Magical Lands for the year-long journey along a path created by the ancient Titans themselves.It is a journey like no other through unimaginable dangers, both mortal and magical, of men and monsters, by day and night—all to reach the limitless riches of the magic kingdom of Atlantea. Only under the protection of the Four Kings—the Kings’ Caravan—is such a journey possible. Or is it?A new alliance forms under the stranger known as Traveler as the most fantastic and deadliest adventure of all time, this fable quest, begins! Through Titan’s Trail is Book One of the Fabled Quest Chronicles. ˃˃˃Check out all of Author Austin Dragon’s books in epic fantasy, sci-fi, and classic horror, and more here http://www.austindragon.com/books/ Be the first to hear about all of Austin’s new releases and special offers by signing up here: http://www.austindragon.com/VIP

Magician: Apprentice Riftwar Saga #1


Raymond E. Feist - 2006
    Feist's Riftwar Saga begins here! Pug and Tomas are two young boys in Crydee with dreams of becoming soldiers. Choosing different paths, Pug becomes a Magician Apprentice, but a menace from a different world will threaten all there is.

The Windwalker Trilogy


Michael James Ploof - 2016
     TALON: Book 1 of the Windwalker Archive follows the early years of a unique boy, a fifteen year old runt living on the barbarian island of Volnoss. Born premature during the frozen plague that took his mother, shunned by his father, and raised by his grandmother, Talon has always felt like he doesn't belong. For years he dreams of growing big and strong like the giants that surround him. But as the day of measure draws near, he begins to realize that he will never be named a Vald, and will be cast to the village of the Skomm to live a life of slavery. Barely surviving the beating that follows his failure to meet the measure, Talon is banished to the village of misfits. There he finds friends in the most unlikely of places, and begins to hope he might find some happiness as a Skomm. As Talon tries to settle into his life in the slave village he is challenged at every turn. The Vaka overseers have it in for him, as does the Chiefson of Timber Wolf Tribe. The Kelda Agaeti is drawing near, called by the Skomm the night of dying, when seven warriors from neighboring tribes win the right to go on a bloody rampage through the village. After barely surviving a random attack by drunken Vald that left nearly a dozen dead, Talon and his friends decide that they must somehow escape the island. For Chiefson Fylkin has vowed to kill him first on the night of dying. What follows is a fast-paced race against time, an underdog story wrought with action and adventure, rich with magic, culture, friendship and lore. Set two hundred years before the events of Whill of Agora, The Windwalker Archive reveals the origins of Dirk Blackthorn’s spirit wolf, Chief. Fans of the Legends of Agora books will be introduced to unforgettable new characters, and revisit a few old friends. Although this trilogy takes place chronologically before Whill of Agora, it can be read before or after as a standalone series.

Pigsty Princess


Nancy S. Brandt - 2015
    She is given the made up title of Progenna, because she can't be in line for the throne and therefore, can't be a Princess. All her life, she is reminded that she isn't quite good enough. When her father decides she is to marry Pir Leo Valentine, an eighty-four year old man with a scar across his face that took his eye and only one hand, she runs away from the palace.Orlando of Talla is a pig farmer and former soldier who served the King until he watched his Sovereign burn an entire harbor town rather than lose a battle. Now he tries to live a quiet life while leading a band of rebels who steal from the nobility to bring prisoners home from that war.Orlando is also the bastard son of a nobleman, and therefore, he has a Sensitivity, one of Blood that allows him to feel the Sensitivities of others. He finds the injured Progenna in the forest and immediately realizes that the stories about Mariana aren't true. Ra-ther than being an Insensitive, Mariana may be the most powerful Sensitive in Valborough.