Book picks similar to
Brutal by James Alderdice


fantasy
grimdark
spfbo4
undetermined

A Shadow of All Night Falling


Glen Cook - 1979
    From this lonely keep the Star Rider calls forth the war that even wizards dread, fought for a woman's hundred-lifetime love. A woman called Nepanthe, princess to the Stormkings...

Talon the Slayer


A.A. Warren - 2019
    But when he makes his final kill, he discovers it was all a lie... Soon he’ll be sold to a new owner, and his blood will forever be registered as a slave to intergalactic scans.A mysterious alien sorceress named Salena holds the key not only to his freedom, but to his past. Amnesia, a byproduct of a life-pod malfunction, has stolen Talon's memories. But Salena has access to dark energy magic, a starship, and a ragtag mercenary crew that might just be skilled enough to make Talon a free man.When an ancient warlord devastates the galaxy with a weapon of terrifying power, Salena’s mission takes Talon into the most dangerous battle he’s ever faced. It will take the secrets locked in Talon’s memories—as well as his trusty plasma axe—to stop the dark forces that threaten the galaxy…Space fantasy fans will love this action-packed series. Featuring epic space battles, alien magic, and a warrior hero with a plasma axe...

The Brand of the Warlock


Robert Kroese - 2019
    Some say he has the power to summon demons. Others say he is the only one who can vanquish them. His name is Konrad, and he has a secret....The Brand of the Warlock is the first book in the fast-paced sword & sorcery series The Counterfeit Sorcerer. The series follows Konrad as he battles ogres, demons, wraiths and necromancers who threaten the land of Orszag. There are five books in the series.

From Chef To Crafter To Conqueror: Book1 - Chef


Gabriel Rathweg - 2021
    

Oblivion


Jaeger Mitchells - 2018
     They're pushed to the brink of their sanity as they awaken with the knowledge of their death and are thrust into an experimental expansion, which only further threatens to tear them apart. They ally with two young women who seem to know much more than they're letting on, and an AI Overmind, who offers them a deal. But perhaps it's better to let some secrets stay hidden, and sacrificing their humanity may be the only way to survive... NOTE: Contains explicit sexual situations, foul language, polygamy and all that other goodness you expect in a LitRPG novel! Only for 18+, so read at your own risk. PS: 15.11.2018, the new, edited and reworked version went live.

Elseerian


Ben Hale - 2012
    On the brink of total victory, the black horde mysteriously vanished, leaving terrified survivors...and rumors. As the centuries passed, the holocaust faded into legend, and finally myth. But death is stalking heroes once more, and only a miracle will allow life to survive again..a miracle named Elseerian.

The Congruent Apprentice


Dave Schroeder - 2017
    Will they be ready? EYNON was excited to leave his village and set off on his wander year. He’d turned sixteen today, and hoped for at least a few adventures. At high noon, he arrived a crossroads and saw a shimmer of silver in the mud. It was a thin and dirty oval, about the size of his palm. He washed it with squirts of water from his goatskin, then marveled at what was revealed. It was a silver amulet, worked with complex, interlaced designs. An oval blue gem more than an inch across, with deep facets, was set in its center. The silver danced with reflected sunlight and the gem seemed to be filled with sparks. It was the most beautifully-crafted thing he’d ever seen. Eynon noticed strange writing on the back of the amulet. As he raised it to eye level for closer inspection, one of his fingers inadvertently pressed a small stud on the edge. A tremendous blast of blue fire shot out from the gem on the opposite side, striking an ancient leafless oak and turning it into a flaming torch. Someone behind him whistled. Eynon dropped the amulet, afraid of what else it might do, and turned to see an old farmer, leaning on a shovel. “Well, young man,” said the farmer. “It looks like you’re going to need a wizard.”

The Sword


Isaac Hooke - 2019
    Envied by men. Craved by women. The #1 Harem Fantasy Adventure For Men: #1 bestseller in Epic Fantasy #1 bestseller in Metaphysical Fantasy #1 bestseller in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy eBooks Kaeden is a nomad who lives life on his own terms. He prefers the unbounded steppe over a cramped city, and allegiance to the sword over fealty to a king. When he does make the occasional foray into civilization, it is to procure cold mead, a hot bath, and a good woman. The latter preferably for an hour or less. Life is great, until his wanderings bring him to a forest inhabited by nightmares. There, trapped beneath those lightless eaves, he is forced to ally with a mysterious woman whose cunning and beauty could prove to be his downfall. Either way, one thing is certain: if he is to die, then he will do so covered in the blood of his enemies. Note: this book contains violent scenes, unconventional thinking, and harem elements. Read more novels by USA Today bestselling author, Isaac Hooke. Monster Girl Series: 1. Breaker 2. Conqueror 3. Defiler 4. Emperor 5. Fighter Battle Harem Series: 1. Battle Harem 2. Battle Harem 2 3. Battle Harem 3 Star Warrior Series: 1. Star Warrior 2. Bender of Worlds 3. He Who Crosses Death 4. Doom Wielder The Forever Gate Series: 1. The Dream 2. A Second Chance 3. The Mirror Breaks 4. They Have Wakened Death 5. I Have Seen Forever 6. Rebirth 7. Walls of Steel 8. The Pendulum Swings 9. The Last Stand

Ghosts of Gods


Sydney Allen - 2019
     After my time in the army and then finding myself in the mountains of Tibet, I was ready to lay low, to relax. It was time to go home. Or so I thought. No sooner had I set about returning to the normal life then I found myself swept up in a mission to kill the gods in order to save the life of someone very dear to me. The only problem with killing gods aside from, well, having to kill gods? First I had to be able to reach them through a ritual of intimacy and death. Yeah, you can see where that might be problematic. What follows is a tale of godly proportions with harem elements and downright dirty deeds.

Scourge of the Betrayer


Jeff Salyards - 2012
    Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe ... and Arki might be next.Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!A gripping military fantasy explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.

The Wanderer Awakens: Nine Realms Saga


Ken Lange - 2016
    Then he returned home to New Orleans to try and forget it ever happened.Sadly, that’s easier said than done when you’re the head of a global security firm specializing in paranormal threats. Still, it’s not every day that Armageddon rears its ugly head, and soon enough it was business as usual.Fate, however, can only be ignored for so long.Now, the ancient cult he vanquished has reawakened stronger than ever and they’re dead set on revenge. Viktor will need to face his past if he’s to have any hope of stopping them and saving us all from total annihilation.

Endworld: Lord of Ends


Sam Ryder - 2019
    Survival depends on your ability to kick ass and take names.Radiation transforms select humans into mutated creatures who are banished from society--Enders. The males are libido-less wild animals incapable of satisfying the females, who are hot, forward and badass.Cutter has kept to himself for ten years, avoiding the conflict with a sharp tongue, stiff drink and his two best friends, his six-shooters Alpha and Beta. But the perils of the wastelands won't leave him the f--- alone. Two sisters, one human and one Ender, offer him a generous salary to protect them as they set off on a doomed peace mission. It's an offer he can't refuse, even as he knows there's no chance in hell of their succeeding.All the odds are stacked against them, but Cutter soon learns his destiny is to be more than just a bodyguard, even if it involves forging together a crack team of gorgeous human and Ender operatives who will make the insane mission much more pleasurable.Warning: Contains a harem.

The Edge of Hell


Peter Meredith - 2016
    Perhaps he does it with the purest of intentions or perhaps he does it because he’s a greedy, grasping evil son of a bitch. Either way the results are the same: hell on earth.Jack Dreyden, a doctoral candidate in ancient languages, begins his road to hell when he translates an ancient scroll that was never supposed to see the light of day. At first it seems to be the usual semi-coherent mumbo jumbo found in every Egyptian burial chamber, but when Jack is attacked by the living remains of someone who had been dead for the last 5,000 years he is thrown into an adventure that not only threatens his life and his very soul, it also threatens the entire planet.The art of necromancy is suddenly alive and well in New York City and there is no room in this fight for a nice boy like Jack. He finds that the only way to beat a necromancer who can command the true undead by the millions is by getting his hands bloody and his soul filthy. He can only win by getting mean. By taking everything from his enemy, including his crown and his title: King of the Dead.

The Darkslayer: Brutal Beginnings: An Epic Sword and Sorcery Series Introduction


Craig Halloran - 2017
    To the dismay of the city born rogue, Melegal, Venir, wielding a mystic war axe, sets out on a one-man crusade against the insidious race of fiends, called the underlings. Venturing deep into the wasteland’s jungles Venir discovers that the underlings have destroyed a village, slain their people and kidnapped their woman and children. Donning the mantel of power, the ultimate hunter of the Outlands sets out on one of the bloodiest rescues missions of all time. The Darkslayer: Brutal Beginnings is a sword and sorcery/fantasy short story that serves as a quick introduction to a much larger fantasy setting in the world called Bish. Set in a harsh climate with two blistering suns, created by a bored immortal, The Darkslayer brings to light everything a fan of science fiction fantasy could hope for, including the full buffet of monsters and races such as giants, dragons, dwarves, orcs, ogres, underlings and worst of all god-like beings that are unpredictable. Give this action packed short story a try, that is only a taste of two full lengths series that are over16 books and one million words long.

King's Gate


Daniel Pierce - 2018
    When he opens his eyes, he discovers a world of magic, elves, monsters, and demons, not all of which are eager to meet him.With no idea how to get home, he'll need to adapt, grow, and kill to survive.But Alex is a stranger in a strange land, which means he's bound to draw interest. Whether that's from his enemies or the many beautiful women he encounters remains to be seen, but he'll need every ounce of wit, strength, and charm to conquer both.Warning: This story contains adult situations, coarse language, and other fun things. Read at your own risk.