Book picks similar to
Portents of Chaos by K.C. Julius


fantasy
dragons
1st-in-series
magic-user-witch-wizard-sorcerer

The Bow of Destiny: An Epic Fantasy Adventure


P.H. Solomon - 2015
    Hunted in the present. Uncertain what is real. Athson has seen things that aren't there and suffered fits since being tragically orphaned as a child at the hands of trolls and Corgren the wizard. When a strange will mentioning a mysterious bow comes into his possession, he's not sure it's real. But the trolls that soon pursue him are all too real and dangerous. And what's worse, these raiders serve Corgren and his master, the hidden dragon, Magdronu, who are responsible for the destruction of his childhood home. Athson is drawn into a quest for the concealed Bow of Hart by the mystic Withling, Hastra, but Athson isn't always sure what's real and who his enemies are. With Corgren and Magdronu involved, Athson must face not only frequent danger but his grasp on reality and the reasons behind his tragic past.

Fatemarked


David Estes - 2017
    Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come.An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him.A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.Enter a world of magic and dragons, kings and queens, and victory and defeat, during a time when honor and valor still meant something.

The Uncommon Rider


Sarah Noffke - 2019
     And it’s a girl.   Never before has a female been chosen to ride a dragon. The Elite, a guild comprised exclusively of dragon riders, is dead according to most. No one has seen a rider in decades. The problems they used to fight overwhelm the world. Dragons are thought to be near extinction. However, the Elite aren’t dead… It’s just that a bunch of crusty, old men who do nothing that benefits the world at large are easy to mistake as useless corpses. Sophia Beaufont is about to change all of that. When the dragon egg that magnetized to her hatches, it sets Sophia on a new course. The Elite are immediately notified. She’s expected to train. To defend. To fight. Sophia is ready to conquer evil, as the dragon riders should have been doing for centuries. However, the Elite have been turning a blind eye, allowing the world to be overrun by criminals. That’s all about to change. S. Beaufont isn’t a girl who will be told to sit down and relax when a war is brewing that only a dragon rider can extinguish.

The Shadow of the Gods


John Gwynne - 2021
    A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods . . .

The Seven Day Switch


Kelly Harms - 2021
    What a difference a week makes in a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud novel by the Washington Post bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler.Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other mothers’ nightmares. Despite her all-organic, SunButter-loving, free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed neighbor, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life choices every chance she gets.Wendy Charles is a celebrated productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against Wendy whenever she can.Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are? They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a neighborhood potluck and too much sangria, they wake up—um, what?—in each other’s bodies. Everything Celeste and Wendy thought they knew about the “other kind of mom” is flipped upside down—along with their messy, complicated, maybe not so different lives.

The Rage of Dragons


Evan Winter - 2017
    Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

Miss Mabel's School for Girls


Katie Cross - 2014
    Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.

Bound


C.K. Bryant - 2011
    Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira's life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she's falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive. BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

Dawning


M.S. Verish - 2012
    He is a Demon, surrounded by the chaos inherent in his own shadowy nature, and it is the magic of Shadow that is killing him. Unwilling to accept his imminent demise, the nameless Demon embarks on a mission to find the witches who may hold his cure. He discovers the alternative to his death may be a greater price than he is willing to accept, and what is acceptance in a world full of Humans?In the company of the immortal prisoner he has liberated, the Demon struggles to survive, understand who he is, and shape a future that once seemed impossible. It is, for better or worse, a new beginning, a Dawning in this foreign world.

The Dragon Wakes


Sarah Dalton - 2016
    Powerful brothers at war. An orphan girl sold as a bride. Long ago, the Kingdom of Estala was a place of dragons and sorcerers. Those with magical powers were more than human, they were Menti. But now Menti sorcery is outlawed by the capricious king, and those who wield it are hunted down by the fanatical Order of Insight to be made into slaves, or worse, executed. Two young heroes find themselves unwillingly thrown into the centre of these uncertain times. Prince Luca, King Davead’s second son, has always been the sickliest of the royal children, but in a shocking turn of events, Luca finds himself at the heart of a magical power so great it may consume him forever. If he fails to control those powers, he could be put to death by his own father. Reva Avalon grew up believing she would marry her childhood friend, Prince Luca. But after she is orphaned in the Menti uprising, the King of Estala sells her to his most feared general instead. Young and frightened, but still strong-willed, Reva must survive a harsh new life away from the palace. And in the realm rebellion looms, as do the return of the mighty dragon shifters. Some long for the return of the dragons… others fear it will be the end of the world as it is known.

Rune Scale


Devin Hanson - 2016
    In a world where all the power is held by the secretive Alchemists Guild, Andrew must scrounge for scraps of knowledge as he sets out on the most dangerous quest imaginable.When dragons fly the skies, the gods hold no sway over the fates of men.

Wrath of the Royals


Craig Halloran - 2009
    “Do as they say or disappear,” the commoners would warn. But Venir and Melegal could not have cared less what anyone had to say. They had been this way since their childhood.As the underlings rally all of the evil forces they can muster to destroy the mystical and legendary Darkslayer, something unexpected has upset the delicate balance between good and evil on the world called Bish, making the Darkslayer a pawn in other insidious disputes.Strife and turmoil are constant features of life as humans struggle to survive among a wide array of creatures, including orcs, ogres, and the most evil of all—the underlings. When recklessness provokes a Royal household, Venir is forced to flee the city, along with his great two-headed dog and his comrade, the skinny thief Melegal. The Royals and underlings soon unleash some unusual powers against him and start to close in. Facing the final showdown, nothing unfolds as it should.

The Magic Shop


Justin Swapp - 2013
    And why should he? Marcus and his twin sister, Ellie, live in the loft above their grandparents magic shop, and he's all too familiar with the hand buzzers, card tricks, and fake vomit kits. So, imagine his shock when he stumbles upon his grandfather hiding something in a secret room in the magic shop -- the one that all the rumors are about. Join Marcus and Ellie as they unravel a laundry list of family secrets, and are thrown into a world they never knew existed. Not only is the family business is a front, but Marcus has to develop his powers before the Dun-Bahr find him and assimilate the magic he was born to protect. Will they survive? Will they find their parents? First Marcus and Ellie must discover the secret their grandparents have been keeping from them all these years. It all comes down to what's hidden at the Magic Shop.

Traitor's Blade


Sebastien de Castell - 2014
    Trained in the fighting arts and the laws of Tristia, the Greatcoats are travelling Magisters upholding King’s Law. They are heroes. Or at least they were, until they stood aside while the Dukes took the kingdom, and impaled their King’s head on a spike.Now Tristia is on the verge of collapse and the barbarians are sniffing at the borders. The Dukes bring chaos to the land, while the Greatcoats are scattered far and wide, reviled as traitors, their legendary coats in tatters. All they have left are the promises they made to King Paelis, to carry out one final mission.But if they have any hope of fulfilling the King’s dream, the divided Greatcoats must reunite, or they will also have to stand aside as they watch their world burn…

Glimpse


Stacey Wallace Benefiel - 2010
    At her sixteenth birthday party, held in the basement of her dad’s church, she finally finds the courage to talk to him. Turns out, the devastating crush is mutual.As Avery takes her hand and leads her out onto the makeshift dance floor, Zellie is overwhelmed by her first vision of his death; shocking because not only are they both covered in his blood, but they’re old, like thirty-five, and she is pregnant.Afraid to tell anyone about the vision, (she’d just be labeled a freaky black magic witch, right?) Zellie keeps the knowledge of Avery’s future to herself and tries to act like any other teenager in love. When they get caught on their way to a secret rendezvous by her mom and his dad, they are forbidden to see each other.Convinced that their parents are freaking out unnecessarily, Avery and Zellie vow to be together no matter what. They continue their relationship in secret until Zellie learns that their parents are just trying to prevent her and Avery from suffering like they did. The visions are hereditary, they’re dangerous, and if they stay together the visions will come true.Now Zellie must choose between severing all ties with Avery, like her mom did to prevent his father’s death, and finding a way to change Avery’s future.