Book picks similar to
The Dragon’s Castle (Apprentice, #2) by James Cardona
fantasy
first-reads
sword-and-sorcery
wizards
Everything is Worth Killing: Isaac's Tale (An Apocalyptic LitRPG)
Alex Oakchest - 2019
Dozens of warmongering ogres. Hundreds of dynamite-wielding gnomes. And one normal guy in the middle of it all. Bad mornings. We've all had 'em. But what if you woke up in a post-apocalyptic land filled with wizards, dragons, and ogres? Not only that, but you woke up as a prisoner of a clan of mages who don’t even speak your language? What if these guys expected you to know magic, but left you to figure out for yourself how to cast it? These are the problems Isaac must solve. And what's he going to do when death knocks on his door? He's going to blast a fireball through the letterbox and send death running. But first...he just needs to learn how to even cast a fireball. Follow his journey through a land filled with creatures that want to kill him, and watch as he refuses to let them. Accompany him into a land of mystery and danger, where life is tough and learning spells and skills takes work. A land where Isaac is determined to stop being the prey and become the predator. This is his journey to make allies and friends in this new world. A journey through battles against slaver ogres and wingless dragons and gnome dictators. Through experimentation and adaptation, where he learns that killing one enemy helps him against the next. It’s also his journey to find a warm, comfy bed. This is the tale of a someone who used to be a normal guy. It's Isaac’s tale of adapting to a world where everything is worth killing. Over 500 pages of fast-moving fantasy, set in a brutal apocalyptic world. This is a mesmerizing story about one guy's quest for power and survival, with light litrpg/game-like elements and a focus on him learning how to use magic. 'Amazing - I love it because of how original it is. This is a hidden gem. The story is good and I'm enjoying the style.' - Early Reviewer 'A breath of fresh air. Isaac is not some over-powered or genius guy. He is just a dude trying to survive in the cruel world he was thrown in, and he is trying to make head and tail of what is going on.' - Early reviewer 'Enjoyable - I especially like the rationality of the main character and how he approaches problems. Unique, definitely worth reading.' - Early reviewer.
Mark of the Medallion
Mike Shelton - 2020
And after a tragic fire leaves him orphaned with out-of-control thoughts and powers, he can't wait to escape constant taunting at the wizard academy. So when a dicey faction entices him with companionship, he ignores the grim warning signs.Even as Kyril's power grows within the group, he's left out of the crew's dangerous plans to derail the authorities. And when being accepted comes at the expense of making questionable choices, he fears his newfound friendships aren't worth the deadly price.Can Kyril master his new magic before his shady companions send him to his doom?Mark of the Medallion is the spellbinding first novel in The Wizard Academies YA fantasy series. If you like sword and sorcery, enchanted adventures, and suspenseful coming-of-age stories, then you'll love Mike Shelton's action-packed tale.Get it now!
Wage Slave Rebellion
Stephen W. Gee - 2014
It's a world of danger and excitement, and Mazik Kil'Raeus is . . . a door-to-door salesman. Though a skilled spellcaster, Mazik couldn't get a good job out of college, and now he's stuck in a dead-end one he hates. Along with his friends, Gavi Ven'Kalil (waiter at a local bar) and Raedren Ian'Moro (apprentice healer . . . it's not as glamorous as it sounds), Mazik is not happy with the way his life is going. Frustrated with boring work, selfish bosses, and wasting their lives for meager pay, the three friends decide to do something crazy—they're going to become monster-slaying adventurers. Not that it will be easy. With a consortium of powerful guilds determined to keep people like them out, they'll have to wow everyone to make it. That's when they set their eyes on a difficult quest: stopping a group of kidnappers who have been terrorizing their city for months. But when the kidnappers turn out to be acolytes of a power-hungry god, the quest transforms into an explosive battle that rampages across the city. The three friends are in over their heads, and nobody expects them to come out on top. That's an adventure they relish. After all, it's better to risk uncertainty and death now, than to accept mediocrity and die without ever having lived. WAGE SLAVE REBELLION combines the fantasy adventure of The Hobbit with the pulse-pounding combat of a Marvel action movie. It's medieval sword & sorcery meets urban high fantasy, in a tale about refusing to accept limits and living life to its fullest, no matter what anyone else has to say. WHO SHOULDN'T READ THIS BOOK: Anyone who doesn't like stories with drinking, cussing, fighting, or killing likely won't enjoy this book. The main characters are adults, and they live in a dangerous world; they act accordingly. Anyone who prefers their books serious or grimdark may be disappointed. This book has adult themes and situations, but above all else it's intended to be fun. If that doesn't sound like something you would enjoy, this book may not be for you. WHO SHOULD READ WITH BOOK: Anyone looking for an action-packed, fun-filled fantasy adventure. If you enjoy friendly banter, thrilling heroics, and tons of explosions, this book is for you. If you like stories with a certain lightness of tone which eschew angst in favor of punching problems in the face, this book is definitely for you. And if you've ever loathed your job or dreamed about going on adventures with your best friends, this book was written with you in mind. Want behind-the-scenes info, sneak peeks, and to be the first to learn about sequel announcements? Sign up for the author’s email list at www.stephenwgee.com. You’ll get a free prequel short story when you sign up. NOW AVAILABLE: The exciting sequel to WAGE SLAVE REBELLION and the second book in the FIRESIGN series. Join Mazik, Gavi, and Raedren as they continue their adventures in FREELANCE HEROICS.
My Path to Magic
Irina Syromyatnikova - 2013
In Russia, "My Path to Magic" is a very popular series of three novels in the subgenre of technomagic. The first book of the same name is followed by "A Combat Alchemist" and "Benefits of the Dark Side."Against a backdrop of numerous fantasy novels, this book stands out as a wolfhound among lapdogs. It features intrigue, eclectic ambience, easily relatable characters, a detailed and convincingly pictured world, and a balanced, well-developed plot. The number of characters is not so large as to get lost in them, but not so few as to lose interest. The series stands out as a surprisingly strong technofantasy.
Heir to the Darkmage
Lisa Cassidy - 2021
Danger thrills her. But magic always has a price.Twenty years have passed since the Darkmage was destroyed and the war between mages ended. For Lira Astor, the single living heir to the Darkmage, escaping her name is impossible. People still fear what is long dead, and they see in her the rise of another dangerous mage with deadly ambition. Desperate to claw her way free of her grandfather’s shadow, to make her own name amongst the world of mages, Lira is willing to do whatever it takes. Even if that means joining the secretive rebel group looking to restore his vision.Survival is a lesson Lira learned early and often, yet when she is abducted and held prisoner in a deadly game of cat and mouse, she finds herself facing a nemesis she may be no match for. Forced to band together with unlikely allies who challenge everything she believes about what it means to be a mage, she will have to rely on every bit of ruthlessness she possesses.Because the war may only just be beginning……and Lira Astor intends to come out on top.
For Better or Curse
Misty Bane - 2020
There’s no trick or treachery she hasn’t seen in her time as a wedding planner, and her Coco Cha-Spell bag of enchanted treats holds a solution for every one of them.Groom with cold feet? A little Heat of the Moment powder sprinkled in his shoes will take care of that.Overbearing mother of the bride? Nothing a few drops of Deception of Perfection potion in her champagne glass won't fix.Blabbering best man? Switch his bow tie out for a tongue tie—that’ll keep him quiet.But when an ancient family curse dooms a banshee bride’s beau to an early grave—on the day of the wedding, no less—Bailey might have finally stumbled into a situation even she can’t fix. She’s a witch, not a necromancer.Just when she’s about to hang up her hat and call it a night, she notices one devilish little detail that she can’t quite shake—the groom’s death doesn’t look like an accident. It looks like murder.
The Irresistible Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport #16)
Christina Tetreault - 2021
And when his best friend suggests Alec could never handle a job that requires manual labor, he accepts the bet. One week later, Alec arrives on Sanborn Island, fully expecting to be the winner at the end of the month. What he doesn’t expect is to fall for his boss.Gianna Ferguson has lived on Sanborn Island, one of New England’s premier getaways, her entire life, so she is well acquainted with spoiled, wealthy playboys. When her cousin asks her to give Alec Sherbrooke a job with the family landscaping business for the summer, she is not enthusiastic about the idea, but she agrees.It’s not long before Gianna sees Alec as more than just another playboy looking for some summer fun. But will mistakes from Gianna’s past prevent Alec and Gianna from getting what both their hearts desire?
Out of Eggnog Aphrodite - A Between the Chronicles Novella
S.E. Babin - 2016
Abby has a house far away from Olympus. Cue a mass exodus from Zeus' legendary temper and into the small town of Asheville, North Carolina. Guess who's coming to Christmas dinner? Everyone. Imagine a house crammed full of mythical legends and two of Abby's ex-lovers. You've never experienced a more awkward holiday than the one about to happen at Abby's house.