Book picks similar to
A Land Torn by Spencer Johnson


fantasy
spencer-johnson
shelf-j-authors
magic-sword-fantasy

Shard Knight


Matthew Ballard - 2013
    A champion who’s earned the right to absorb ancient Meranthian battle magic. Battle magic that places him among the ranks of an elite group of men and women dedicated to preserving Meranthian culture and upholding its law. But what should be a time of celebration ends in horror as Ronan’s mother, Queen Arianne, falls victim to an assassination plot. With his life turned inside out, Ronan’s thirst for revenge threatens to destroy the life of his only friend and leave the kingdom in shambles. Ronan races to unravel the key to an ancient mystery meant to restore the full power of magic before his enemies. The first part of an epic journey awash in magic, adventure, and romance travels through sprawling cities, giant forests, dangerous snow-capped mountains, and long-forgotten underground ruins.

A Dragon for Christmas


Marc Secchia - 2020
    His Elven mother is dying of a wasting disease. His Human father, severely injured in the war, struggles to walk. A brutal Winterfall clasps his mountainous kingdom in talons of ice. The people are starving. His family, his little sisters, depend on him to see them to Dragonmas Day.They need a miracle. But who believes in miracles anymore?Long ago, the mighty Dragon Santaclaws rescued Humankind and resettled them in the magical realm of Tyanbran – but Santaclaws and his miracles are gone, and his Dragons disappeared. Now, a stubborn half-Elf must brave blizzards and treacherous trails to bring food to the kingdom, and find winterberry to ease his mother’s suffering.What he discovers on this journey will shatter all unbelief. The lightning-born treasure he places beneath his Dragonmas tree changes everything, for wishes are different when it comes to Dragons.Wishes take wing, and come true.The start of a new Dragon Rider epic for fans of Anne McCaffrey, Eragon and How to Train Your Dragon. Santa Claus - Santaclaws - is really a dragon.

Frey


Melissa Wright - 2011
    But a tiny spark starts a fury of changes and she finds herself running from everything she's ever known. Hunted by council for practicing dark magic, she is certain she's been wrongfully accused. She flees, and is forced to rely on strangers for protection. But the farther she strays from home, the more her magic and forgotten memories return and she begins to suspect all is not as it seems.

Wolves


C. Gockel - 2012
    Galaxies away Loki is waking up in a prison cell, strangely without a hangover, and with no idea what he’s done wrong — this time anyway. But he does know Thor is hiding something, Odin is up to something wicked, and there seems to be something he’s forgotten...In this tale that is equal parts “Another Fine Myth,” “American Gods,” and “Once Upon a Time,” a very nice midwestern girl and a jaded, still very mischievous Loki must join forces to outwit gods, elves, magic sniffing cats, and nosy neighbors. If Loki can remember exactly what he’s forgotten and Amy can convince him not to be too distracted by Earthly gadgets, her boobs, or three day benders, they just might pull it off...This first volume of "I Bring the Fire" is for anyone who suspects chaos and mischief makers might have their own redeeming qualities, and anyone who just wants a good fantasy romp through modern Earth, ancient Asgard, and beyond!

Galaxy of Heroes


Gus Flory - 2009
    A breathtakingly beautiful cyborg. A battle like no other. An adventure you won't forget!The lives of four space drifters intersect on a planet of hope as the most powerful war machine in the galaxy approaches, threatening to consume them all in a storm of metal and fire.Capt. Jace Spade is a fighter pilot from the Roga System. He is determined to find his maker—the enigmatic Dr. Zander—even if his search means risking all in the conflagrations of the Inner Galaxy.Capt. Mina Casey is also a fighter pilot, but from an advanced human civilization that arose in the Heliac System. Capt. Casey has drifted through the void for eons as visions of a warm planet where she can sink her feet in the sand and watch the sunset filled her dreams.Sgt. Joe Grimes—a Heliac Ranger who once lived for the thrill of the fight—is now disillusioned after the total defeat and destruction of his home world. He would leave all humanity behind if he could only get away.Genie is a beautiful and indestructible cyborg constructed by a technologically advanced civilization for the purpose of interacting with humans. Genie is programmed to love Joe Grimes, but she longs to be free.

Never Forgotten


Kelly Risser - 2014
    Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer. After experiencing vivid visions of her absentee father, Meara decides she deserves answers. With the help of her new friend Evan, a guy she happens to be falling for, she embarks on a journey in the hopes of unlocking family history and finding her true self. But when she meets a handsome stranger at a local club who knows far more about her than he should, her world is again shaken. In him, Meara may have uncovered the key to the very secret that will reveal not only who she is... but what she is.

Violence in the Blood (The Crime Syndicate #1)


Mark Newman - 2016
    He's got everything he ever wanted, except his health. The knives are out. His rivals sense blood. Their time is now. But Thompson's not going down without a fight. Violence in the Blood documents Thompson's rise to power from the backstreets of Glasgow to the industrial heartland of the Midlands. Join the rampage as Malkie and his crew blaze a trail of mayhem and destruction north and south of the border.

Artificial Absolutes


Mary Fan - 2013
    An extensive cover-up thwarts her efforts to report the crime, shaking her trust in the authorities. Only her older brother, Devin, believes her account.Devin hopes to leave behind his violent past and find peace in a marriage to the woman he loves. That hope shatters when he discovers a shocking secret that causes him to be framed for murder.With little more than a cocky attitude, Jane leaves everything she knows to flee with Devin, racing through the most lawless corners of the galaxy as she searches for Adam and proof of her brother’s innocence. Her journey uncovers truths about both of them, leading her to wonder just how much she doesn’t know about the people she loves.

Origin


Lan Chan - 2020
    Mine begins with an underground cage fight and ends in a secret identity.By day I'm Willow Nguyen, not so mild-mannered teenager searching for her missing mother. By night...okay, I'm the same, but it's easier to break into banks under cover of darkness.My world is divided into the Academy and the Kings: the law and the thugs. At the centre of their power are the espers like me: the telepaths, psychics and illusionists.What I can do could change the balance of power in Melbourne. So it makes sense for me to keep a low profile. It's not my fault that I get drawn into an illegal cage fight. Yes, I did have to become a psychotic King's nemesis. No I won't stop fighting until one of us is dead.With great power comes great pain in the backside. I just have to make sure it hurts them more than me. Willow Nguyen might just be a girl, but Spectra will become a legend.Origin is the first novel in the Spectra Series. It is an Australian young adult urban fantasy series with slight Academy overtones. There are flavours of X-men and Dark Angel with a big helping of snark and a slow burn romance.

The Last Queen


Wendy Wang - 2015
    Headstrong Princess Neala is the daughter of Riona the First, Queen of Kaels, a mystical race with command of the five elements, and second in line for the throne. She lives a life of ease but wants nothing more than to be seen for who she is and not as a pawn in her mother’s political games. When civil war breaks out, ravaging her homeland, Princess Neala is determined to unify the realms using her command of the elements and knowledge of the enemy that she alone possesses. Torn between her mother’s commands and her deepest desires, can she maintain her resolve and rise up against the dark alliances that threaten her life and her kingdom?

Archaea


Dain White - 2011
    Captain Dak Smith saw in her something special, an opportunity to burn for the far horizon as an independent, free from the gloms that hold known space in thrall – but he had to get her running first.Armed with a standard-issue captain's eyebrow and an infectious grin, Captain Smith and his hand-picked crew embark on an adventure through deep space filled with scoundrels, pirates, and some incredibly unfortunate peace-loving rocks that happened to be at the wrong place, at the worst time.

Talisman


S.E. Akers - 2011
    . . but sometimes, it's her destiny. When strangers sweep in to save Shiloh Wallace’s rural West Virginia town, she soon realizes her humdrum "human" life will never be the same. The unnerving telepathic event rocks the suspicious high school senior with questions that leaves her desperately seeking the truth. With freak occurrences mounting at every turn, Shiloh finds herself barreling down an unimaginable path that ultimately leads to her destiny. She is a Talisman, an elemental supernatural being who can wield powers drawn from ancient stones that grant her abilities beyond her wildest dreams. Now, along with the aid of her newfound mentors, Shiloh must come to grips with accepting the illustrious Diamond Wand of Adamas as her fate, while saving her town and those she loves from an evil Talisman hell-bent on destroying everything that stands in his way of claiming her coveted diamond as his own.

Blood of the King


Bruce Blake - 2011
    A curse whispered by dying lips. A hero born against his will.Khirro never wanted to be anything more than the farmer he was born to be, but a Shaman's curse binds him to the fallen king and his life changes forever.Driven by the Shaman's dying words, Khirro's journey pits him against an army of the dead, sends him through haunted lands, and thrusts him into the jaws of beasts he wouldn't have believed existed. In one hand he carries the Shaman's enchanted sword, a weapon he can barely use; in the other he holds a vial of the king's blood, the hope of the kingdom. His destination: the Necromancer's keep in the cursed land of Lakesh. Only the mysterious outlaw magician can raise the king from the dead to save them all from the undead invasion, but can Khirro live long enough to deliver the vial?Can a coward save a kingdom?

Lake Caerwych


J. Conrad - 2011
    unless you've lived before.After finding what appears to be an ancient, Celtic necklace, Bridget and her best friend Celena have the strange feeling they've seen the pendant before--a long, long time ago. This, and the unusual familiarity they've felt ever since they met, leads them to ask questions and trace their find back to its source.In Wales, Bridget is compelled to an eerie, megalithic structure and suddenly finds herself in another time and place--as Enid, the dark-haired servant girl she was thousands of years ago. She is immersed in her horrid past and forced to relive it, helpless to avert the tragedy, save her dearest friend or even herself.Waking at dawn inside the ring of stones, she and Celena begin to embark upon the true adventure laid out before them. They need to right the past not only for themselves, but for a much higher purpose--and Paul, a mysterious stranger who jealously guards his own secrets, may be able to help them...Lake Caerwych is a story of friendship, time travel, and haunting adventure in ancient Wales.

Brightwill


Randolph Lalonde - 2014
    There are few strongholds left, and few leaders who have the vision and the power to protect their people. Naze Kinu, the Great Wizard provides a stronghold for the most talented young and old people in the lands. The Amber Refuge is his life’s work, a central stronghold built by his comrades, his power and his reputation. That is why, when he tells his long time aide, Doril, that he intends to tell all about his secret sibling, Riv, his intentions are met with alarm. Naze kept his relation to Riv a secret for half a century. Riv, known in legend as the Slasher Goblin, the Prince Slayer, and the thief of the Enduring Light. Despite the damage his revelation could do to his reputation, Naze is set on telling the true story of his brother, of the days that inspired the legend. Most of those close to him are left to wonder why, and to listen as their leader regales them with the tale of his misadventures with his brother and Oroza, the dragonling. This is the story of Naze and the brother he can no longer deny this is the story of Brightwill in times of drastic change.