Book picks similar to
The Whispers of Shadows by Lisa M. James


fantasy
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kick-ass-heroines
1st-in-series

River of Spears


Kade Derricks - 2015
    The rarest of gems, one capable of turning any mage into an unstoppable force of destruction. A gem found only in the empty lands surrounding the Tyber River. And now war has come. Endless war between Esteria and the native Tyberons, a savage and mysterious people who prowl the grass-covered land with spearpoints ready. Unable to end the conflict the Esterians rely on mercenaries to bolster their military, desperate men like Dain Gladstone, a disgraced Paladin. Dain dreams of a peaceful life, a quiet home of his own, and he’s willing to fight for it. The Esterians have a new plan to conquer their enemies. A bold expedition to strike into the heart of the Tyberons and Dain finds himself caught at its center. Can his dream survive the River of Spears?

Theft of Dragons


John Forrester - 2014
    The Black Heart Clan assassins have hunted him ever since. In the six years that have passed, King Braxion continues his ruthless tyranny against citizens and neighboring Kingdoms alike. He controls the dragon nobility through powerful spells of beast shamanism cast by the Hakkadians, sorcerers from the northlands.Princess Sebine, the girl the King believes is his daughter, plots to one day break free from the palace and discover the mystery behind her true father. Tempted by the lure of sorcery, she studies in secret with the Hakkadians in the palace dungeons. When a merchant from the east delivers her the Ring of Galdora as a gift from the Elven Kingdom of Drazal'tan, the course of her life will change forever.At the author's request, this book is offered without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Clash of Heroes: Nath Dragon meets The Darkslayer (Book 1 of 5)


Craig Halloran - 2015
    Nath Dragon and company are called upon to recover them, but this quest will have dire consequences. Long ago, Nath and Brenwar crossed paths with a dangerous foe, Corzan the Necromancer. The goblin-like magic user has been simmering for decades and plotting vengeance on Nath Dragon. Now, harnessing the power of the Thunder Stones, the evil mage unleashes a trap that should dispatch Nalzambor's greatest hero forever. New adversaries surge in the world of Bish … Suffering one great loss after the other, the underlings unleash a drastic plan. Using their lethal arcane powers they attempt to summon a monster of incalculable power from the mystic realm beyond. Instead, Nath Dragon, with black scales from his arms to his neck, emerges from the portal, but without his memories. The underlings deceive Nath and turn him loose and send him to hunt down and kill the legendary Darkslayer. What will happen when these two titans of battle finally clash? Who will triumph in the end? Only one thing is for sure, this will be an awesome, unprecedented, one-of-a-kind adventure that you will never forget!

The Dragon and Her Boy


Nolan Crabgrass - 2014
     After struggling with the death of her lifemate of over a century, Tara spends what the leaders of her clan considers an unreasonable amount of time in finding another. The clan needs offspring, they insist. While soaring over a meadow, Tara sees a dragon intruder attack a shepherd. Outraged, she intervenes and saves the young man from certain death. Breaking a two hundred year old pact between man and dragon forbidding any contact between the two, a powerful yet dangerous bond slowly grows between the dragon and her boy. This is a fun short story, at 5300 words. Stories two and three are already written. They continue the series and will be available shortly! I hope you enjoy them all.

The Darkbow Collection - Six Epic Fantasy Novels (The Kobalos Trilogy, and The Horrors of Bond Trilogy)


Ty Johnston - 2014
     CITY OF ROGUES: Book I of The Kobalos Trilogy Kron Darkbow seeks vengeance, and he plans to have it no matter the costs. Returning to the city of his birth after 15 years, he hunts down the wizard responsible for the deaths of those he loved only to find out another was responsible for the murders. That other is Belgad the Liar, a former barbarian chieftain who is now boss of the city's underworld.  ROAD TO WRATH: Book II of The Kobalos Trilogy Kron Darkbow has fled the city of Bond, along with healer mage Randall Tendbones and professional duelist Adara Corvus. Everywhere they turn are enemies. Even the goal of their travels offers no peace, for the group rides to the land of Kobalos where Randall must face that nation’s Lord Verkain, the alleged Dark King of the North.  DARK KING OF THE NORTH: Book III of The Kobalos Trilogy Kron Darkbow and companions have survived the mean streets of the city of Bond and the dangers of the Prison Lands, but now they dare to journey into Kobalos, a dark northern land ruled by King Verkain, a powerful mage rumored to be immortal and mad.  Always on their trail is underworld crime boss Belgad the Liar and his crew of deadly killers. Not only does Belgad seek vengeance against Kron, but he also wants to capture Kron's friend, the healer Randall Tendbones, the last of Verkain's children whom the king wants dead.  It is in Kobalos, in the darkest of hours, alone with enemies all around, Darkbow becomes the last hope for all. But to defeat his foes, first he must learn to defeat his own rage. GHOSTS OF THE ASYLUM: Book I of The Horrors of Bond Trilogy The streets of the city of Bond boil with discontent.  Political struggles within a power vacuum bring dreams of dominance to some among the lower levels of the city’s underbelly. Common thugs and guild bosses alike conspire together, their goal to eliminate the figure of Kron Darkbow.  Permanently.  Kron has become a symbol on the streets, and his removal would not only clear the way for others, but also would be a sign of who has the real power in Bond.  Amidst the chaos, buildings burn, riots go nearly unchecked, and even the city guard find themselves forced to retreat.  DEMON CHAINS: Book II of The Horrors of Bond Trilogy A sick murderer stalks the streets of the city of Bond.  The killer leaves behind tortured and twisted bodies sliced and ripped apart, often after the most horrible of violations. It falls upon Kron Darkbow to hunt this killer preying upon the weak and the strong alike, but he soon realizes there is more than one culprit involved in these horrible crimes. A dark mage and his demon partner are at fault, and with each death they grow more and more powerful.  THE COMPANY OF SEVEN: Book III of The Horrors of Bond Trilogy An undead mage thousands of years old slinks through the city of Bond.  Rising up from beneath the soil, he soon finds himself allied with escaped fugitives from the Prisonlands, a former knight, a pair of assassins and the chief of thieves.  Each has their own wants, their own goals, but the wizard's are the most deadly to the citizens of Bond, and he refuses to be denied his destiny.

Secret Memories #1


J.S. Donovan - 2018
    As she seeks retribution, a re-invigorated killer strikes again, and Angela discovers that nothing about the night of her parents’ killings is what it seems.

New Dawn


Andrew J. Morgan - 2016
    . . With mankind on the brink of economic collapse, a population growing at an unmanageable rate and a limited supply of natural resources, there is only one place we can look to for our future . . . the stars. A deep space mining tug is sent to a planet codenamed New Dawn to begin a mission to relocate humanity.. . . the only person you can trust . . . is youThe mission falls into chaos when a crewmember dies unexpectedly. Geologist Jake Brooks must keep his wits about him to uncover what really happened—but are the confines of the ship clouding his judgment? Is there really a sinister motive behind the death—and the mission—or is he letting his mind get the better of him? What really awaits him on New Dawn? He must push on to reveal the truth, no matter who or what stands in his way . . .Please note: New Dawn is not a hard sci-fi novel.Here's what people are saying about New Dawn:"The suspense is killing me!""A perfect ending""A whodunit in space!"

The Brink


Martyn J. Pass - 2016
    Humanity had barely survived The Panic 70 years earlier and now the slow death brought on by the collapse of society seems unavoidable, especially as it seems the worst is still to come. Accompanied by a strange hound he rescued from the labs deep beneath the Fort, Alan sets out to aid the survivors who struggle to hold back mankind's final hour, joining up with a handful of soldiers desperately trying to fan the embers of mankind into life once more. But Alan has a secret he's desperate to hide and which threatens to be revealed with every action he takes. Can his fear of discovery be overcome so that mankind can stand a chance of surviving? Or will humanity topple over the brink as he stands by and watches? Following on from Project - 16, The Brink tells the story of a man who faces a destiny he neither wants nor is prepared for and starts Alan Harding on a path to legend.

Act Of Contrition


Dominic Milne - 2015
    Eddie is a reckless and dissolute operator, under investigation by the force and in debt to local mob chief, Vincent Mullis. When a killer starts targeting prostitutes in north London, Mullis is unusually keen for Eddie to solve the crime, but why? A serial killer is targeting prostitutes in Islington, the victims having a number of unusual links. The killings begin the same week that convicted killer and local man, Paddy Graham, is released from prison following a life sentence for murder. DS Eddie Kane has inadvertently found himself under the thumb of Vincent Mullis, who has taken ownership of a debt Eddie has built up with terminally-ill bookmaker, Arnie Duggan. Eddie’s troubles begin to spiral out of control when he is placed under investigation following a drugs-bust gone wrong. While suspended, he is forced to investigate the murders for Mullis, who wants to get to the murderer before the police. He then reluctantly hears a murder confession from his former bookmaker... In this heart-stopping, gripping crime drama, Eddie’s investigations lead him into a murky world of pornography, murder and revenge, all of which seems to centre around a local church and the charismatic vicar, Jonathan Carter. Eddie is feeling the pressure from all sides, but will there be any chance of salvation?

Eversong


A.C. Salter - 2016
    But she put her voice to a song, the wrong song and now the web is unravelling and she begins to understand why she is different, why she has violet eyes, why she has a ferocious temper that erupts on the slightest of whims. A darkness is rising, the tide growing stronger as legions of an evil army, loyal to a dead God, prepare to cross the weakening barrier to deliver chaos and death to Earth. Elora maybe the only weapon Earth has to stand against the evil, if she doesn't destroy the world first.

Office Wars: The Mailroom Clerk


James G. Patton - 2017
    He sleeps in a real bed and eats real food and only jumps into Neuroma to work. All he wanted was to log in, work and log out and live in general obscurity. Getting the attention of a CEO, meeting a stranger in real life, and forced to play in a secret game of corporations were not penciled into his calendar. While that was bad, he started to question whether Odditek was still in control, or had their complacency created the noose tightening around their neck. Bran was not yet aware of the choice before him. He could no longer stand back and watch, and he had to pick a side and fight before he lost the ability to choose. Would he recognize the inevitable in time? Was it possible to make a ‘correct’ choice, or had the lines blurred so much that hero and villain were indistinguishable? This novel is part of an Odditek series and is a LitRPG novel. I realize it’s the first Odditek series, but more are coming. This series started as a companion series to a book called Lantern Online. I wanted a way to build up the world as it now exists, and to explain what Odditek is. Neuroma and Nerves are mentioned in Lantern Online, and I felt all that information was taking away from my story and is mostly not relevant, but good to know information. I took a lot of it out and added it to this series. Anyway, out of that came Office Wars. I hope it's different than most LitRPG you will read, and brings another dimension to the genre. Explicit language! I will not lie, there is a satirical nature to this story, and a lot of the language and scenarios are morally questionable on purpose. In this story and I use a lot of curse words and controversial commentary. Just look on Facebook or any half a dozen social media sites, and you will see similar language, conversations, and other nonsense. If we all moved into a digital world, this is how I view that world.

The Five Kingdoms Books 1-3


Toby Neighbors - 2012
    Throughout the realm, magic lies dormant, sleeping, almost forgotten until Zollin discovers that he is a wizard. While he revels in his new powers and the realization that his life has purpose, malevolent wizards from the Torr, led by the scheming Branock, tirelessly seek him out. When at last they discover Zollin, a confrontation will ensue that will change the five kingdoms forever. Zollin is forced to flee his home and, with a small group of friends, find a way to survive until he can learn to use his powers to protect the people he cares about. Wizard Rising is a coming of age story that dives headfirst into a realm where magic is about to reawaken. So buckle up and hang on; the action comes fast and you won’t be able to put it down. Magic Awakening Power always comes at a price. In the Realm of the Five Kingdoms magic has been strictly controlled for centuries. Only a small group of wizards, known as the Torr, exercise the greatest magical powers, but their quest for control has pushed magic in the Five Kingdoms to the brink of extinction. When a young wizard named Zollin refused to submit his power to the Torr, he started more than just a desperate race for survival, his defiance sparked a magical awakening. As Zollin wrestles to understand and control his amazing powers, the world will change forever. Fantastic creatures will once again roam the Five Kingdoms, prompting a frenzied struggle from the people who seek to exploit Zollin’s power for their own gain. As nations clash and the powerful maneuver for supremacy, no one is safe, especially those closest to Zollin. Will the people he cares for the most be lost? Or can a young wizard, only just beginning to comprehend his purpose, risk everything to save what has become most precious to him? Hidden Fire What does it take to face a dragon? When a young wizard named Zollin begins to awaken the magical world, he also sets events in motion that will change the Five Kingdoms forever. In the north a dragon ravages villages and towns. The King's armies are powerless to stop the beast. Refugees begin fleeing to the larger cities in hope of finding safety. In the south, the Council of Kings plot an invasion. Under the influence of the Torr, a group of wizards who have held the Five Kingdoms in their power for three centuries, they turn their attention to bringing Zollin into their fold. They will stop at nothing to control his power, even if it means the assassination of the Crown Prince. As Zollin and his friends strive to bring peace to the Kingdom of Yelsia, they are faced with harrowing dangers and heart wrenching decisions that threaten to tear them apart.

Origin


Dave Higgins - 2016
    Edmond was born to village idiots who put all his skill points into Luck. They knew an opportunity to win the lottery when they saw it.Edmond doesn’t want to be a winning ticket. He dreams of becoming a great hero and scholar. Impossible goals when your Intelligence and Wisdom stats couldn’t be lower.Is Edmond nothing but a walking rabbit’s foot? Will his parents’ dreams of easy fortune come true? It’s all just a lucky roll away.

For Sale by Owner


D.D. Godley - 2017
    Lieutenant Joshua Simpson receives his final order, “bond with it.”While “bonding with it” the Lieutenant discovers the frightening truth about humanity. Where did we come from? How did we get here? Who are these visitors?˃˃˃ Disclosure: October 16th, 2020 -One-thousand breeding couples are abducted.Why? How are these abductions related to Lieutenant Joshua Simpson?Book Two of this series is Refuge Planet: Colonization.You will believe.

Saving Gideon


Mary May - 2013
    His skills and kills are legendary across the Heavens. However, his heart is starting to grow cold toward the Lord and everyone else. The Lord see's this so he has Gideon reassigned to a guardianship over a little girl named Charlotte, that Gideon will nickname Charlie. The plan is while watching Charlie grow the heart of this battle worn warrior will learn how to love again.