Book picks similar to
Today Is Too Late by Burke Fitzpatrick


fantasy
magic
epic-fantasy
pn-sword-n-sorcery

The Darkness That Comes Before


R. Scott Bakker - 2003
    Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series creates a world from whole cloth-its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals. It's a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future, as untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus - part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence - from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.

Blood of Heirs


Alicia Wanstall-Burke - 2018
    But caught between her warring parents, Lidan’s world begins to unravel when another of her father’s wives falls pregnant. Before she has time to consider the threat of a brother, a bloody swathe is cut through the heart of the clan and Lidan must fight, not only to prove her worth, but simply to survive. Ranoth Olseta wants nothing more than to be a worthy successor to his father’s throne. When his home is threatened by the aggressive Woaden Empire, Ran becomes his city’s saviour, but powers within him are revealed by the enemy and he is condemned to death. Confused and betrayed, Ran is forced to flee his homeland, vowing to reclaim what he has lost, even if it kills him.Facing an unknown future, and battling forces both familiar and foreign, can Lidan and Ran overcome the odds threatening to drag them into inescapable darkness?

Skin & Bones


Susan Harris - 2016
    Dr. Ever Chace wants nothing more than to be able to stand out in this crazy place she calls home. When she’s asked to consult on a case where teens are being brutalized, she relishes the chance to make a difference by helping to stop a monster. But when she’s teamed up to work alongside a sexy shifter, she ends up with more than she bargained for. Derek Doyle has been a member of the Paranormal Investigations Team since the monsters first revealed themselves to the world. Considering he believes it takes a monster to catch a monster, he’s definitely in the right place. As a lone wolf not used to letting many people in, he isn’t prepared for the effect his new partner, consultant Dr. Ever Chace, has on him. With a murderer on the loose, Ever and Derek will have to put their attraction aside while the hunt continues. Easier said than done… right?

A Quest of Heroes


Morgan Rice - 2012
    A Quest for Heroes revolves around the epic coming of age story of one special boy, a 14 year old from a small village on the outskirts of the Kingdom of the Ring. The youngest of four, the least favorite of his father, hated by his brothers, Thorgrin senses he is different from the others. He dreams of becoming a great warrior, of joining the King’s men and protecting the Ring from the hordes of creatures on the other side of the Canyon. When he comes of age and is forbidden by his father to try out for the King’s Legion, he refuses to take no for an answer: he journeys out on his own, determined to force his way into King’s Court and be taken seriously. But King’s Court is rife with its own family dramas, power struggles, ambitions, jealousy, violence and betrayal. King MacGil must choose an heir from amongst his children, and the ancient Dynasty Sword, the source of all their power, still sits untouched, waiting for the chosen one to arrive. Thorgrin arrives as an outsider and battles to be accepted, and to join the King’s Legion. Thorgrin comes to learn he has mysterious powers he does not understand, that he has a special gift, and a special destiny. Against all odds he falls in love with the king’s daughter, and as their forbidden relationship blossoms, he discovers he has powerful rivals. As he struggles to make sense of his powers, the king’s sorcerer takes him under his wing and tells him of a mother he never knew, in a land far away, beyond the Canyon, beyond even the land of the Dragons. Before Thorgrin can venture out and become the warrior he yearns to be, he must complete his training. But this may be cut short, as he finds himself propelled into the center of royal plots and counterplots, ones that may threaten his love and bring him down—and the entire kingdom with him. With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A Quest for Heroes is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders. It is 82,000 words.

Free the Darkness


Kel Kade - 2015
    With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bequeathed to him by a dead king, the young warrior relentlessly pursues his only lead. A single elite warrior escaped during the battle and may have knowledge of who Rezkin is and who is responsible for the slaughter at the young man’s home. Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence. His last orders, spoken on the lips of his dying Master, were to "Kill with conscience" and "Protect and honor your friends." Living in isolation from the outworld under a strict regimen of training and education, the young warrior has no understanding of a conscience or friends. Determined to adhere to his last orders, Rezkin extends his protection to an unlikely assortment of individuals he meets along the way, often leading to humorous and poignant incidents. As if pursuing an elite warrior across a kingdom, figuring out who he is and why everyone he knows is dead, and attempting to find these so-called friends and protect them is not enough, strange things are happening in the kingdom. New dangers begin to arise that threaten not only Rezkin and his friends, but possibly everyone in Ashai.

The Riddler's Gift


Greg Hamerton - 2007
    Then Tabitha Serannon awakens an ancient power and the world begins to change.She is hunted for her talent. The Shadowcasters whisper in her ears as their evil closes around her. Soon the Riddler walks beside her, but is he on her side?She has a moment to learn the magic before she loses her grasp of the Lifesong, but the path she must follow leads into Darkness; into terror, treachery and desire.To survive she must give voice to a music that she hardly understands, an enchantment that will echo through all time.

The Paranormal 13


C.J. ArcherChristine Pope - 2014
    Poe The Girl by Lola St Vil Rest For The Wicked by Cate Dean Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel The Witch Hunter by Nicole R Taylor Beyond the Fortuneteller's Tent by Kristy Tate Nolander by Becca Mills The Medium by C.J. Archer Dream Student by J.J. DiBendetto Deception by Stacy Claflin The Black Parade by Kyoko M The Thought Readers by Dima Zales

Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness


Kristie Lynn Higgins - 2007
    The Dry Clouds covered half the planet and forced those living under them to exist in endless night. On this world, corporations were in charge and breaking your contract with them could mean the termination of your life.<br><br>Kimberly Griffin, a Life Closer (legal assassin) existed in a world of death. She Closed people for a living. It was a lonely demeaning existence, though she wouldn't admit it. There was nothing to drive her in the bleak reality until one day she ran into Kat.<br><br>Kat, also known as the Pandora Project, was hunted by bio-mechas called Un-Men. She was an experiment of the Sphinx Corporation, and they were testing her to see if she could be the ultimate weapon. Kat refused to be a killer and tried to discover the truth behind her existence. Could she be a new form of bio-mecha?<br><br>Kim discovered someone close to her had been murdered. Is Kat the key to finding out who did it? Or will her association with Kat only cause her more grief?<br><br>Pandora of ancient times opened a box and let all good escape. Would Pandora be the hope the planet needed? Or would she destroy the world?<br><br> **Shades of Gray Series**<br><br>(STARTING POINT QUADRILOGY)<br>1. Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness<br>2. From Moscow, With Love<br>3. Cerberus Versus Pandora<br>4. Sisters<br><br>(ZOMBIE TWILIGHT QUADRILOGY)<br>5. Night Of The Twilight- The Chimera Strain<br>6. Dawn Of The Twilight- Outbreak<br>7. Day Of The Twilight- Patient Zero<br>8. Land Of The Twilight- Closing of Days<br><br>(MYTHS AND DESPAIR QUADRILOGY)<br>9. Rise of the Gorgons<br>10. Woe To The Watcher<br>11. Woe To The One Who Has Held His Heart's Tongue<br>12. Woe To The One Who Thought They Could Only Hurt

Next August


Kelly Moore
    He’s a public figure— a billionaire business genius and eligible bachelor—with no personal life, and he likes it that way. Tragedy has followed August throughout his life, and by the time he meets Nashville Jacoby, the secrets he’s harboring aren’t just sad, they’re dangerous.Nashville is a nurse from the Deep South—the consummate country girl. She works hard, takes care of her family, and dreams of a simple life. She’s drawn to August, despite his refusal to open up to her, his intimidating fortune, and his controlling tendencies. He’s not only mesmerized by her physical beauty, he’s enthralled by her kind heart and sassy honesty. Their intense sexual chemistry surprises them both, and soon they’re locked in a passionate love affair. When August’s secrets finally catch up with him, however, their relationship isn’t the only thing that’s at stake. Someone from the past wants revenge on August and isn’t afraid to destroy the one thing August’s money can’t buy—the woman he loves.

Threads That Bind


Brant Williams - 2012
    Everything changes the summer before her junior year of high school when her eyesight inexplicably corrects itself, and she begins to rapidly lose weight. However, her new look comes with an unexpectedly expensive price. Madison’s first kiss with the boy she has had a crush on for years triggers powers she can’t control, almost killing him.She discovers she is a Berserker, a powerful being chosen to guard the world from the Havocs, ancient creatures brought into our world by magic thousands of years ago. They cause destruction and death, but cannot be killed. Only the Berserkers’ life-blood can bind – and free – the Havocs. One Havoc is free and wants Madison’s blood to free another. Instead of enjoying her new look and popularity at school, Madison must now work with the Berserkers to master her powers and bind the Havoc before it kills her. Oh, and if that weren’t bad enough, it turns out she is the first female Berserker since, well - ever.

Seraphina's Lament


Sarah Chorn - 2019
    The Sunset Lands are broken, torn apart by a war of ideology paid for with the lives of the peasants. Drought holds the east as famine ravages the farmlands. In the west, borders slam shut in the face of waves of refugees, dooming all of those trying to flee to slow starvation, or a future in forced labor camps. There is no salvation.In the city of Lord’s Reach, Seraphina, a slave with unique talents, sets in motion a series of events that will change everything. In a fight for the soul of the nation, everyone is a player. But something ominous is calling people to Lord’s Reach and the very nature of magic itself is changing. Paths will converge, the battle for the Sunset Lands has shifted, and now humanity itself is at stake. First, you must break before you can become.

Dirty Talk


Lucia Jordan - 2016
    And even now that they’re all grown up, things haven’t changed much. But when Mandy sprains her ankle and is unable to attend an all-important work event, Carrie agrees, after much nettling, to go in her sister’s place. Pretending to be Mandy isn’t as easy as it sounds though, despite the fact that they’re identical twins—if she screws up, Mandy will certainly lose her job. Carrie doesn’t expect much to come of the evening, but she soon realizes that pretending to be the sexy, wild sister is completely exhilarating. As she becomes more caught up in the act, she finds herself in the company of a mysterious man whose dominant touch and allure is all it takes for her to forsake any reservations she’d had about letting loose. Soon, she is pressing her body up against him, moving as one on the dance floor. Will Carrie allow herself to follow her desires, wherever they may take her, and even if it’s only for one night?

Fire Mage


John Forrester - 2011
    Mastery over fire, wind, and storm. They live in the last free city in a world plagued by dark sorcerers. Talis Storm and friend Mara discover a terrible secret. The Jiserian Empire has targeted their city for attack. An army of undead soldiers. Flying necromancers. None have ever survived. When a surprise aerial invasion hits the Order’s temple, Talis casts fire magic for the first time. But his spell is wild and does more harm than good. Sorcerers try to capture Talis and Mara and they flee into the temple crypts. Awoken from an ancient rest, a fallen champion slays the sorcerers and gives Talis a legendary map. The map leads them on a quest to discover the lost temple of the sun. To save his city, Talis must discover the power of magic locked away inside the ancient temple. And become a true fire mage. Theft of Dragons & Lord of Dragons, part of a new fantasy series, is now available. Blacklight Chronicles series: Fire Mage, Sun Mage, Shadow Mage, Dragon Mage, Star Mage

The Dark Shore


A.A. Attanasio - 1996
    Upon the Bright Shore lie the dominions of Irth; above, the Abiding Star emanates magical Charm; below, in the Gulf, exist the cold, heavy, Charmless worlds of the Dark Shore. Irth's entire socioeconomic system, from wizardry to healing, depends on Charm. Once, the wizarduke of the ruling Council was challenged by the rebellious Bold Ones; their chief, Wrat, seized Drev's magic sword, slew Drev's sister, and attempted to conquer Irth. Drew cast them bodily into the Gulf. While upon the Dark Shore Wrat nursed his rage, acquired a black magic more powerful than Charm, and formed an unholy alliance with a gremlin. Now, seeking a frightful revenge, mad Wrat has returned to Irth as the Dark Lord, accompanied, courtesy of the gremlin, by hordes of dreadful cacodemons; these, being creatures of the Dark Shore, are invulnerable to Charm. So Drev hides in the desert while seeking his soulmate, the waif Tywi, whose protectors are the thief Dogbrick and his mysterious, capable companion, Ripcat. Two aristocratic children (few others have survived Wrat's onslaught), Jyoti and Poch, while trying to locate their aged weapons master, Caval, learn how to kill cacodemons without using Charm. Finally, Caval recollects his own sojourn on the Dark Shore, and his companion, the magus Reece, who returned with him to Irth--as Ripcat.

Prophecy of the Female Warrior


Kate Young - 2012
    She buys groceries, picks up the dry cleaning and hosts dinner parties. Everything was picture perfect from the outside looking in until the life she was born to live collided with the life she was living. Her husband is murdered by a creature from another realm, a creature that is only visible to her. Through her pain, his death awakens a part of her she didn't know existed. She is then thrust into a life of Vampires, Werewolves and Sexy Nephilim Warriors. Drawn to her by a bond as old as their race, a Nephilim Warrior finds Anna at her darkest hour and seeks to arouse what lies dormant within her. The scorching sexual attraction she and the Warrior feel for one another may be beyond anything either of them can control...