Blood's Pride


Evie Manieri - 2012
    They forced the once-peaceful fisher folk into slavery and forged an alliance with their former trading partners, the desert-dwelling Nomas tribe, cutting off any hope of salvation.Now, two decades after the invasion, a rebellion gathers strength in the dark corridors of the city. A small faction of Shadari have hired the Mongrel, an infamous mercenary, to aid their fledgling uprising—but with her own shadowy ties to the region, she is a frighteningly volatile ally. Has she really come to lead a revolution, or for a more sinister purpose all her own?Set in a fictional quasi-Medieval Mediterranean region with a strong cast of male and female characters, the series "presents a striking world with civilizations similar to those of the Vikings and the nomadic cultures of the Middle East, and with the Mediterranean sensibilities of the ancient Greeks. Her characters are passionate and memorable, lending a personal touch to a complex tale of clashing cultures and philosophies. Fans of Sharon Shinn, Elspeth Cooper, and Gail Z. Martin should enjoy Manieri's approach to culture and drama." (Library Journal, starred review)

The Written


Ben Galley - 2010
    Only they can wield the fiercest of magics, to protect the Arka, until either death or the madness takes them.Five scholars of Arfell have been assassinated. A spellbook has gone missing – a powerful summoning manual from the time of elves and fire-born daemons. The Arkmages are running out of time and options, and the world is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders.It falls to Farden – one of the Arka's most powerful yet troubled Written mages – to keep Emaneska from falling into chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden is tasked with hunting down the assassin, and recovering the spellbook before it falls into the wrong hands, and the world is cast into shadow.It will mean fighting his way across savage Emaneska and back, a land infested with wyrms, marauders, and betrayal. It will take every fibre of his will, every scrap of magic in his bones, and if he falls, so shall the world.Welcome to Emaneska.The Written is the first volume in The Emaneska Series, a fast-paced, epic and norse-inspired fantasy saga perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, Will Wight, and George R.R. Martin. Join over 100,000 other readers and delve into the iron world of Emaneska.

Blood of Requiem


Daniel Arenson - 2011
     Song of Dragons tells a story of blood, steel, and dragonfire. BOOK ONE: BLOOD OF REQUIEM Long ago stood the kingdom of Requiem, a land of men who could grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem ruled the sky. But Dies Irae, a tyrant leading an army of griffins, hunted Requiem's people, burned their forests, and shattered their temples. Requiem fell. This ancient land now lies in ruin, its halls crumbled, its cries silenced, its skeletons littering the burned earth.In the wilderness, a scattering of survivors lives in hiding. The griffins still hunt them, and every day promises death. Will Requiem's last children perish in exile... or once more become dragons and fly to war?

The Court of Broken Knives


Anna Smith Spark - 2017
    They’re fools and madmen and like the art of war. And their children go hungry while we piss gold and jewels into the dust.In the richest empire the world has ever known, the city of Sorlost has always stood, eternal and unconquered. But in a city of dreams governed by an imposturous Emperor, decadence has become the true ruler, and has blinded its inhabitants to their vulnerability. The empire is on the verge of invasion – and only one man can see it.Haunted by dreams of the empire’s demise, Orhan Emmereth has decided to act. On his orders, a company of soldiers cross the desert to reach the city. Once they enter the Palace, they have one mission: kill the Emperor, then all those who remain. Only from ashes can a new empire be built.The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers, for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Marching on Sorlost, Marith thinks he is running away from the past which haunts him. But in the Golden City, his destiny awaits him – beautiful, bloody, and more terrible than anyone could have foreseen.

Universe Online - Enter the Game: Complete Edition


Ryan 'Viken' Henning - 2015
     Even with our modern technology, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cannot be treated or cured. I've been bed or chair bound since I was a kid. The advent of Virtual Reality technology has given me a chance for a new life. Or rather dozens of them. Heh. I'm an avid gamer, and I wouldn't have it any other way. In the games I could be what I wanted to be, who I wanted to be. A mighty warrior, a powerful spellcaster, the charming rogue. The crafter. The builder. All of those and more have helped to greatly alleviated my problems. But a new game is coming out; one with the power to change the world. It uses a brand new technology, based around the first ever deep immersion Dive Pod. With it there is no more game lag or graphical limits. It is being heralded as the greatest breakthrough in Virtual Reality technologies since its founding. And the first and only game for it: Universe Online. No longer will players be stuck on a single large world to explore. No longer will there a limit to what you can do, what you can be. Fly spaceships between the stars, conquer planets, create custom technology. Mine, Build, Destroy. Explore. Rule. This is my story, and my path in Universe Online.

Realmborn


Dave Eastman - 2015
    Discovering that this is the land of his birth and that he is the rightful heir to the throne of the Realm, a besieged empire in this war-torn world, all he really wants to do is return to his adopted home and his beloved family, but he must first accept his own magical abilities, overcome treachery and save his Realm from a terrifying alien invader. Accompanied by a loyal group of mystical warrior Mage-Knights, a beautiful emissary from an enemy nation, and with the ghost of a dead Sorcerer lodged in his head and guiding the way, Jake’s epic journey sees him face monsters, the undead and the birth of a warrior-King nature he never knew he possessed.

Stone Bound


Eric T. Knight - 2017
    His mother is cut down before his eyes. Yet somehow, when the blade is turned on him, he survives without a scratch. But the attack awakens a strange power inside him, the same power that killed his father years ago.Aislin came from the sea, her origins a mystery. Within her is an innate power over water, as natural as breathing. But she lives in a world of her own, emotionally isolated from everyone else, including Netra, the woman who is raising her. Bullied by the other children, Netra fears that one day Aislin will turn her power on them.Karliss was touched by the wind at birth, destined to be the greatest wind shaman his people have ever seen. But he is careless with his power and he ignores the warnings about the madness that afflicts those who don't protect themselves against the spirits in the wind. When a ritual goes wrong and strikes down his mentor, Karliss suddenly has to deal with the true responsibilities of power.The powerful, inhuman denizens of the Abyss are reaching out to take the world, and only these three children have a chance of stopping them, but only if they can learn to master not just their powers, but themselves...

The Shadow of the High King


Frank Dorrian - 2016
    But those who came long before the Kings of Caermark stir once again, after a hundred years of silence, and even Aenwald’s iron fist may struggle to hold them and the chaos they bring.The mercenary lord, Arnulf, dreams of greater things than a life of bloodshed and murder. Robbed of his birthright and denied justice by King Aenwald, those very dreams may carry their price in blood for his loyal band of men, as he strives to see them made real.The young warrior, Harlin, haunted by the atrocities he suffered as a child, struggles to come to terms with the past. Consumed by hate and obsessed by revenge, how far is he willing to go to see it done, as the horrors within his mind run unchecked and unchained?

Black Cross


J.P. Ashman - 2015
    With Sergeant Falchion unable to forgive himself for aiding the wizard, and desperate factions taking advantage of the devastating aftermath, Falchion embarks on an arduous quest alongside friends and strangers alike. However, even if their attempt to seek aid is successful and the city is saved, they risk revealing a secret that threatens much more than Wesson alone. From a fantasy world not too dissimilar to our own dark and bloody histories, the beginning of an epic tale is told. Incredible magic is unleashed, allies become enemies; unlikely friendships are forged, and a foul plot is discovered that will shatter the long lasting peace of Altoln and her allies, plunging them into a gritty, brutal conflict that falls far from the fluffy fairytales of old.

Cloud Dungeon: Fairy Wonderland


Nathan Valerio - 2018
    The most common interference is the summoning of heroes and reincarnation. This story is no different except that in the process of calling the desired people, the efforts of three goddesses were messed with causing the summoned to not be the older brother or the father. Instead a four year old child was summoned. Backed by her love of fairy tales and folklore, we shall see how this young child with the help of her lazy best friend and pet cat will change the very face of the world starting from a tiny cloud and becoming a dungeon filled with any and all fairy tales she had heard of and watched.

The Bone Witch


Rin Chupeco - 2017
    Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha—one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice. The Bone Witch Trilogy: The Bone Witch (Book 1)The Heart Forger (Book 2)The Shadowglass (Book 3)

Beneath the Silver Rose


T.S. Adrian - 2017
    How could a common courtesan be the progeny of a goddess?Beneath the ballrooms of the Silver Rose palace sleeps an ancient labyrinth. Constructed by a vicious sorcerer, its twisted halls and shadowy guardians once challenged the world’s mightiest champions. When Shadyia is commanded by her madam to seduce a wealthy and mysterious scholar, she becomes ensnared in an ancient conflict between gods, villains, heroes and magicians. The scholar, Aaron of Featherquill, searches for an enchanted treasure, a key that will show the way to a forgotten city of wonders.As Demos Azari, the adviser to a vicious order of crusading knights, schemes to ensnare Shadyia into his devious plot, she must descend into the labyrinth and solve its deadly traps. Accompanied by Aaron and her mischievous lover, Deresi, Shadyia finds the strength to defy Demos and strives to prevent a brutal demigod of chaos from returning to consume the world.Beneath the Silver Rose begins Shadyia’s ascension into the heroine she was meant to become. 5 Stars!I could very easily waffle on for ages here, but I won't. I'll just tell you that I read this, was captivated within the first few pages, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Heir of Night


Helen Lowe - 2010
    A thrilling excursion into a  richly imagined realm of strife and sacrifice, where the fate of a dangerously divided world rests in the hands of one  young woman, The Heir of Night is a fantasy classic in the making, sure to stand alongside the much beloved works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robin McKinley, and Guy Gavriel Kay.

The Leopard Vanguard


T.A. Uner - 2013
    Now assigned to an elite position in the capitol, he finds true love with a beautiful noblewoman. But just when he thinks his life is perfect things fall apart, and Tullus is forced to rethink his future. By chance he encounters a benevolent circus ringleader with a dangerous past, befriends a mythical creature with unique abilities, and learns more about his hidden secret.But murder, political intrigue, and dangerous conspiracies threaten to encircle him, and tear his new world apart.

The Shadow of the Gods


John Gwynne - 2021
    A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods . . .