Book picks similar to
Fate's Star by Elizabeth Vaughan
fantasy
romance
fantasy-romance
elves
The Cadet of Tildor
Alex Lidell - 2013
R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.
The Mirror of Her Dreams
Stephen R. Donaldson - 1986
Donaldson changed the face of fantasy fiction forever. In The Mirror of Her Dreams, the astonishing first novel in the two-volume Mordant’s Need series, Donaldson shows us a world of wondrous beauty and seductive illusion, where mirrors hold the deadliest of magics and nothing is what it seems. . . .The daughter of rich but neglectful parents, Terisa Morgan lives alone in a New York City apartment, a young woman who has grown to doubt her own existence. Surrounded by the flat reassurance of mirrors, she leads an unfulfilled life—until the night a strange man named Geraden comes crashing through one of her mirrors, on a quest to find a champion to save his kingdom of Mordant from a pervasive evil that threatens the land. Terisa is no champion. She wields neither magic nor power. And yet, much to her own surprise, when Geraden begs her to come back with him, she agrees.Now, in a culture where women are little more than the playthings of powerful men, in a castle honeycombed with secret passages and clever traps, in a kingdom threatened from without and within by enemies able to appear and vanish out of thin air, Terisa must become more than the pale reflection of a person. For the way back to Earth is closed to her. And the enemies of Mordant will stop at nothing to see her dead.
Crown of Secrets
Melanie Cellier - 2020
So when she's sent to the Academy in neighboring Kallorway to forge ties with her people's traditional enemies, she's determined to succeed and prove she can still be of value to her kingdom.Prince Darius of Kallorway is the strongest mage in his family--and the only reason his weak father is still clinging to his throne. Starting at the Academy at the same time as Verene, the crown prince is cold and distant and shows no desire to connect with her. Instead he seems suspicious of both her presence and her claimed lack of power.Surrounded by unfamiliar politics and long-held enemies, Verene discovers that some at the Academy want her gone by whatever means necessary. As the threats grow ever more sinister, she starts to question all of her assumptions. The hardened prince might just be her best hope of survival and--even more shockingly--he might be right about her power. If Verene wants to survive Kallorway and the Academy, she must uncover her hidden powers and take her true place among the mages.If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and clean romance, then try this new adventure in the Spoken Mage world now!The Hidden Mage reading order:Crown of SecretsCrown of DangerCrown of Strength (coming December 2020)Crown of Power (coming February 2021)Verene lives in a world of written power--a world turned upside down by the first ever Spoken Mage. If you missed the adventures of her mother, Elena, then check out the completed Spoken Mage series, starting with Voice of Power.
The Kingmaker Chronicles Complete Set
Amanda Bouchet - 2018
She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods—and her homicidal mother—have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever. Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm—until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic.Breath of Fire The second in heart racing the series, the Gods are telling Cat that she's some sort of new Origin, which apparently means it's her job to give Thalyria a fresh start. Griffin crowned her with the symbols of the three realms...but If she's supposed to be not just a queen but the Queen, she'd better start acting like it.Heart on Fire The riveting conclusiong, Cat needs to learn how to trust in the Gods, in Griffin, and mostly in herself if she's going to united the kingdoms as rule Thalyria like her destiny calls. That's when true understanding thuds into place. Hope isn't just an abstract concept; it's her. She has the power of the Gods at her fingertips, and she's the only thing that has ever gotten in her way.Praise for the Kingmaker Chronicles: An NPR Best Book of 2016 A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016 and 2017 An Amazon Best Book of 2016 and 2017 Amazon Best Book of the Month A Washington Post Best Romance of the Month A Bustle Best Romance of 2016A Barnes & Noble Bookseller Pick
Between Dawn and Dusk
Jamie Schlosser - 2020
A big muscly problem, with icy blue eyes, long dark hair, and tight leather pants.Keryth is the Night Realm king. My father’s greatest enemy. And my fated mate.It isn’t easy being a fae princess of the Day Realm. Our kingdom has suffered hardships, but if my father won’t approve of the mating bond with Keryth, they’ll be putting another body in a casket—mine. If we’re kept apart, we’ll both die.Too bad my father doesn’t care about that. His solution is to lock me away forever.When Keryth comes to rescue me, I know we can take on anything as long as we’re together. But old rivalries die hard, and the past sins of our families come back to haunt us, affecting our future and the ones we love the most.This novella is an introduction to a world of fated mates, mayhem, and magic. Although Zella and Keryth get their happily ever after, this story ends on a cliffhanger for another character. Continue Kirian's story in The Fae King's Curse!
The Way of Shadows
Brent Weeks - 2008
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.
Mark of Truth
Graceley Knox - 2017
She’s determined to marry Ever off for political gain, no matter the consequences—even if it means Ever’s life. Searching for the truth leads to disturbing doubts about Ever’s heritage, and just as answers appear, so does Dare Fitzpatrick. Captain of the Royal Goblin Guards and son to the current Goblin King, he claims he knows who Ever’s real father is and that she could be in danger. Ever doubts Dare, until he helps her escape the clutches of her would-be suitor and grants her shelter within the Goblin Kingdom. Staying in Goblin, which has previously been off-limits to half-breeds, is a risk Ever has to take to keep everyone she loves safe. Neither of them planned on the fiery heat between them, but Dare won’t take no for an answer. Ever knows she can’t risk losing her heart to the cocky goblin, despite her attraction to him. At least that’s the plan. Until it all falls apart.
Right Hand Magic
Nancy A. Collins - 2010
As Tate is drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick...
Cast in Moonlight
Michelle Sagara - 2001
She also has a smart mouth, sharp wits and mysterious markings on her skin. All of which make her perfect bait for a child prostitution sting in the city of Elantra - if she survives her first meeting with the Hawks!Join Kaylin for more adventures in the Chronicles of Elantra.Cast in Moonlight can be read in the anthology Harvest Moon.
The Goblin King
Shona Husk - 2011
When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?Back Cover Synopsis:Once upon a time...A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold. In legends he became known as The Goblin King.For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled: A Willing Queen.But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy him forever.
The Last Namsara
Kristen Ciccarelli - 2017
But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.
A Promise of Fire
Amanda BouchetAmanda Bouchet - 2016
She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods-and her homicidal mother-have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever.Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm-until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic. Cat fights him at every turn, but Griffin's fairness, loyalty, and smoldering advances make him increasingly hard to resist and leave her wondering if life really does have to be short, and lived alone.
Roar
Cora Carmack - 2017
Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage. She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough. Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
The Prince
Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2018
Armentrout comes a new story in her Wicked series… She’s everything he wants…. Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. The Prince. There is nothing in the mortal world more dangerous than him. Haunted by a past he couldn’t control, all Caden desires is revenge against those who’d wronged him, trapping him in never-ending nightmare. And there is one person he knows can help him. She’s everything he can’t have… Raised within the Order, Brighton Jussier knows just how dangerous the Prince is, reformed or not. She’d seen firsthand what atrocities he could be capable of. The last thing she wants to do is help him, but he leaves her little choice. Forced to work alongside him, she begins to see the man under the bitter ice. Yearning for him feels like the definition of insanity, but there’s no denying the heat in his touch and the wicked promise is his stare. She’s everything he’ll take…. But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare that is hell bent on destroying the world and everyone close to him. The last thing either of them needs is a distraction, but with the attraction growing between them each now, the one thing he wants more than anything may be the one thing that will be his undoing. She’s everything he’d die for…. **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Flamecaster
Cinda Williams Chima - 2016
The son of the queen of the Fells, Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it?A blood-based curse.Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.Destiny’s fiery hand.Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.