Book picks similar to
Marin's Codex by Benjamin Medrano
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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.
Axe of the Dwarven King
James Galloway
A story of Tarrin's peaceful life among his friends and relatives and the beginning of a new mystery which will lead him on the path of a new adventure of epic proportions.Never published but it can be found online, absolutely for free, on the author's website (http://forums.sennadar.com). Or download from http://www.weavespinner.net/worlds_of...
Unlit
Keri Arthur - 2018
Between those who are free, and those who are not… Though classified as having no magic, Neve March can hear the whispers of the wind and sometimes even control her. But it’s a secret she must hold close if she wishes to continue as Nightwatch—the soldiers who guard Winterborne against those who roam the wastelands and feast on human flesh. When Neve is sent to investigate a faint SOS signal, she not only unearths a woman close to death, but a plot involving an ancient enemy long thought dead. In an effort to expose those behind the plot, Neve goes undercover amongst Winterborne’s elite—a dangerous step that could expose her secret and rip away all that she holds dear. The trail of treachery leads her from Winterborne’s golden halls to the heart of the enemy’s hive, and it will shake her belief of not only who she is, but what she is
Defender
Robert J. Crane - 2011
Those who live in this world are faced with two choices: live an ordinary life or become an adventurer and seek the extraordinary.Cyrus Davidon leads a small guild in the human capital of Reikonos. Caught in an untenable situation, facing death in the den of a dragon, they are saved by the brave fighters of Sanctuary who offer an invitation filled with the promise of greater adventure. Soon Cyrus is embroiled in a mystery - someone is stealing weapons of nearly unlimited power for an unknown purpose, and Sanctuary may be the only thing that stands between the world of Arkaria and total destruction.
ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! (Light Novel) Vol. 1
Kiki - 2018
Despite zero stats across the board and a power she can’t even use, she somehow finds herself included in a party of heroes. But Flum’s life hits rock bottom when the party’s renowned sage, Jean Inteige, decides that the useless girl is dead weight, and arranges to have her sold into slavery.Tossed to monsters to be feasted upon for her master’s entertainment, Flum makes the desperate choice to reach for a cursed weapon…and something new awakens within her. A grimdark tale about one woman’s blood-soaked quest to reclaim her life!
Spellmonger
Terry Mancour - 2011
It was a peaceful, beautiful little fief, far from the dangerous feudal petty squabbles of the Five Duchies, on the world of Callidore. There were cows. Lots of cows. And cheese. For six months things went well: he found a quaint little shop, befriended the local lord, the village folk loved him, he found a sharp young apprentice to help out, and best yet, he met a pretty young widow with the prettiest eyes . . . Then one night Minalan is forced to pick up his mageblade again to defend his adopted home from the vanguard of an army of goblins – gurvani, they call themselves – bent on a genocidal crusade against all mankind. And that was the good news. The bad news was that their shamans were armed with more magical power than has been seen since the days of the ancient Imperial Magocracy – and their leader, a mysterious, vengeful force of hate and dark magic, is headed directly to Boval valley. The good people of Boval and their spellmonger have only one choice, to hole up in the over-sized Boval Castle and hope they can endure a siege against hundreds of thousands.When the people look to him for hope, Minalan does his best, but there are multitudes of goblins, and they want Boval Vale as a staging ground for an invasion of the whole Five Duchies, and only Minalan is standing in their way. Add a jealous rival mage, a motley band of mercenaries, a delusional liege lord who insists victory is at hand despite the hordes at his door, a moody, pregnant girlfriend and a catty ex-girlfriend who specializes in sex magic -- all trapped in a stinking, besieged castle with no hope of rescue, and you’ll understand why Minalan is willing to take his chances with the goblins. All that stands between the gurvani horde and the people of the Five Duchies is one tired, overwhelmed baker’s son who wanted nothing more than to be a simple spellmonger.
Apprentice of Magic
K.M. Shea - 2019
Her time in the magical academy has been a long chain of criticisms, reprimands, and punishments. Her war-like ability to control any weapon has earned her nothing but the fear and scorn of fellow students and instructors. And now, she finds herself before the highest council just one vote away from having her magic sealed forever. Until Enchanter Evariste appears. The mysterious prodigy is one of the few with the authority to go against the Council. Which is exactly what he does when he takes Angelique as his apprentice. Though his lessons are challenging and eccentric he shows her more kindness than she ever hoped to receive. Everything seems perfect. But things are changing in the world. Dark things. Evil things. Once upon a time is about to become very real… Apprentice of Magic is an epic fantasy fairy tale adventure mixed with clean romance and humor. This new series is a companion to the bestselling Timeless Fairy Tales series.
The Gladiator's Downfall
Kristen Banet - 2018
She’s an Andinna. A member of the winged, horned, and tailed warrior race that the Elvasi Empire defeated in the Hundred Year War and then enslaved. She’s a slave, and has been one for a thousand years, the personal property of the Empress of the Elvasi Empire, since the end of the War. She’s a gladiator, thrown onto the sands of the Colosseum to die, though it backfired on those who wanted her dead. She’s the Champion of the Colosseum, and has been for roughly nine hundred years. All of these things have marked her as an outcast among her own people. Hated, distrusted, and despised, she knows the name of her people, but not much else. But she knows where she stands. Keeping her head down and her blades sharp has carried her this far, and she refuses to acknowledge the deepest wishes she holds in her heart. Those will only get her killed. Alone, she’s stood against everything they have ever thrown at her, refusing to give them what they want. What Mave doesn’t know is that it’s all about to change. The Gladiator’s Downfall is a 129,000+, full-length novel. Age of the Andinna is a reverse harem epic fantasy series. The female lead will collect her lovers as the series progresses. There is triggering content in this series including but not limited to: abuse, violence, mature language, and sexual content. It’s recommended for mature audiences.
Fractures
M. Damon Baker - 2019
But when I emerged inside the virtual world of Second Skin, I immediately discovered that things had gone wrong—terribly wrong. I was suddenly trapped in a strange place where nothing was what it seemed; unable to determine what was real… unsure of anything, including myself. Hunted and alone in this harsh land, how will I survive? And even more importantly, who the hell am I? SECOND SKIN series order 1. Fractures 2. Pieces Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of graphic violence and deals with mature themes. Reviews: ★★★★★ "The characters, the settings, the arcs, everything about this book was amazing! I love the MC and I cannot wait to see more!" ★★★★★ "I was hooked by the end of the first chapter! Loved every second of this book!" ★★★★★ "Take a little Larry Dixon and Mercedes Lackey and sprinkle liberally with some Terry Brooks and mix well and that is the feast that this author serves you." ★★★★★ "One of the best litrpg’s I have read in a while, and just a good fantasy book."
No Man Can Tame
Miranda Honfleur - 2018
A dark-elf prince. A kiss of fire and powder.After a failed courtship in an ally kingdom, twenty-one-year-old Princess Alessandra returns home to a land torn apart by mutual hatred between the humans and the dark-elves. The "Beast Princess," as Aless is known by courtiers, confidently sets her mind to ways of making peace, but her father has already decided for her: she is to marry one of the mysterious and monstrous dark-elves to forge a treaty, and go on a Royal Progress across the kingdom to flaunt their harmonious union. While she intends to preserve the peace, the Beast Princess has plans of her own.Prince Veron has been raised knowing his life is not his own, but to be bargained away by his mother, the queen of Nozva Rozkveta, to strengthen the dark-elf queendom. When his mother tells him he is to marry a self-absorbed, vile human, he is determined to do his duty regardless of his personal feelings. After arriving at the human capital, he finds the "Beast Princess" rebellious and untamed—and not to be trusted.Aless and Veron face opposition at every turn, with humans and dark-elves alike opposing the union violently, as well as their own feelings of dissonance toward each other. Can two people from cultures that despise one another fall in love? Can a marriage between them bond two opposing worlds together, or will it tear them apart for good?If you like the fantasy and politics of Danielle L. Jensen’s Malediction Trilogy and the romance of Elizabeth Vaughan’s Chronicles of the Warlands, No Man Can Tame will lure you into its world and not let you go.Buy No Man Can Tame today, and journey into a medieval world of magic and Immortals, masquerades and games, love and blood, and a tale as old as time...
Steelflower
Lilith Saintcrow - 2007
Well, mostly famous, and mostly for the wrong reasons. She’s made a good life for herself, despite being kicked out of her homeland for having no magic. She’s saving up for her retirement, when she can settle down, run an inn, and leave the excitement for others.Then she picks the wrong pocket, wakes up with a hangover, and gets far more than she bargained for. Now she has a huge, furry barbarian to look after, a princeling from her homeland to fend off, and an old debt to fulfill. And for some reason, the God-Emperor’s assassins want to kill her.It’s never easy being an elvish sellsword, and this time it just might be fatal…
Rise of Humanity: Book 1 - Arc One, The Mortal
Zai Zhu - 2018
While all his contemporaries were embracing the various resources supplied by their tribes, he had to leave at the first light of dawn each day and search for the medicinal herbs necessary to cultivate himself. That was, until one day, when the most dangerous and calamitous event the human lands could experience unfolded all around him. Stuck in the middle of a catastrophe, powerless and knowing that no help would ever come and no rescue was possible, he struggled to stay alive. It was then that he found a copper lamp, one that changed his life forever…
Swing Shift
William D. Arand - 2019
Gus’s life was a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. A Detective in the Paranormal Investigations Department. A job he could work day in and day out in relative peace. One cold and forgotten cup of coffee at a time. It was an environment that made some sense to him. At least in comparison to civilian life where almost nothing did. On top of that, it gave him a chance to hide what he was from the rest of the world. An apex predator that made the entirety of the Paranormal world fear him. His very species was often killed as soon as they were found out. By government and citizen alike He’s a Boogieman. A name that made humans laugh, and vampires curse. It was a strange life to be sure. Now though, Gus’s stable non-life is about to be kicked over. Whether he likes it or not, he’s about to be handed a case that’s going to mess up his already screwed up life. Warning and minor spoiler: This novel contains graphic violence, undefined relationships/harem, unconventional opinions/beliefs, and a hero who is as tactful as a dog at a cat show. Read at your own risk.
The Outstretched Shadow
Mercedes Lackey - 2003
His father, leading the wise and benevolent Council of Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of the Bells. Young Mages in training-all men, for women were unfit to practice magic-memorized the intricate details of High Magic and aspired to seats on the council. Then he found the forbidden Books of Wild Magic-or did they find him? The three slim volumes woke Kellen to the wide world outside the City's isolating walls. Their Magic was not dead, strangled by rules and regulations. It felt like a living thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced it and benefited from it. Questioning everything he has known, Kellen discovers too many of the City's dark secrets. Banished, with the Outlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic-and finds himself running for his life with a unicorn at his side. Kellen's life changes almost faster than he can understand or accept. Rescued by a unicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen than anyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elven warriors, and plunged into a world where the magical beings he has learned about as abstract concepts are flesh and blood creatures-Kellen both revels in and fears his new freedom. Especially once he learns about Demons. He'd always thought they were another abstract concept-a stand-in for ultimate evil. But if centaurs and dryads are real, then Demons surely are as well. And the one thing all the Mages of the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage. Turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen's fate? Deep in Obsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in the last great War, they've been biding their time, sowing the seeds of distrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Very soon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliance between High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And all the world will belong to the Endarkened.