Book picks similar to
Fall of the Western Kings by J. Drew Brumbaugh


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The Darkness: A Short Tale of Uncommon Daring & Ultimate Defiance


Justine Avery - 2015
    Now, there's a reason to be. Lux and his younger brother Lunam enjoy the full freedom of the simple life and all the childhood adventures offered by growing up in a small village in a picturesque glen. Life is tranquil, peaceful, and just about perfect—except for one formidable fact... Every day is followed by night. And, with the night, comes the DARKNESS. Slowly shrouding the valley and relentlessly seeping into every nook and cranny on its nightly rampage, the darkness returns to feast on its victims. No man, woman, child, animal—or even, insect—is safe. The darkness consumes all; the darkness's hunger is never satisfied. When the sun falls from the sky, the villagers, young and old, must take to arms, guarding their homes, loved ones, and livestock with every ray of light they can muster. Even young Lux and Lunam are well-soldiered in their responsibilities to safeguard themselves and their parents during the nightly vigil, the nightly fight to live to see another day. It's always been this way—the truths and ritual passed down from generation to generation since ancient times. No one dares question why. Nothing can change the frightening fact of the lives of the villagers or emancipate them from their singular foe—nothing, except a child's imagination and a curiosity as immutable as the darkness's own appetite. There's just one truth guiding every man, woman, and child to strive to see another day: "Darkness Comes but Once a Night."

Deliverance


J.W. Elliot - 2017
    But when they murdered his parents and enslaved his sister and his sweetheart, they left him no choice. Brion of Wexford is the son of a crippled trapper living a quiet life on the edge of the vast and unruly heathland. But when Salassani raiders destroy his world, he must venture into the heathland to attempt the impossible task of finding the girls, rescuing them, and conveying them safely home across hundreds of miles of enemy territory. Now Brion finds himself pursued by men bent on his destruction, deprived of his protectors, and haunted by the knowledge that his murdered father has hidden a dark secret that could reshape Brion’s entire identity. Brion must find a way to stay alive long enough to get the girls safely home. This is an adventure series perfect for fans of John Flanagan’s Ranger's Apprentice, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Solomon's Compass


Carol Kilgore - 2013
    The lure of buried treasure. And a sexy former SEAL who makes U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell crazy. What more could any woman want. Right? Taylor is on a quest to unearth her uncle’s buried treasure—a journey so far out of the realm of her real life she can barely fathom it. There’s one other minor glitch. Taylor's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead. All the same, Taylor is in Rock Harbor, Texas, to settle her uncle's estate, including following his directions to the treasure. When someone tries to kill her, Taylor's quest becomes personal. She tosses Randy's official cause of death—Drowning Due to Accident—out the window and starts looking at his Rock Harbor acquaintances. Could Randy's treasure be real? Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses. He loathes the charade dictated by his father’s plan to protect Taylor Campbell. But Jake will do what it takes to protect Taylor from the fate that befell her uncle and the other members of a tight circle of Coast Guardsmen called the Compass Points who served together on Point boats in Vietnam. Due to the danger involved, Jake’s dad has ordered him not to become involved with Taylor. Disobeying his father was Jake’s first mistake. Taylor is attracted to Jake as well, but she refuses to wait for Jake to locate the killer when she knows her plan will force her uncle’s murderer into action. But the killer's actions are just what Jake is afraid of.

A Pilgrim for Freedom


Michael B. Novakovic - 2016
    It is one part the account of a refugee family who barely survived explosions and hunger while seeking safety during World War II, and includes vivid descriptions of the hardships Mike, his siblings, and parents endured. It is another part the story of an immigrant family who came to the United States (by way of Argentina) after the war and with great ingenuity and industry worked their way up to levels of success that had been unimaginable during the darkest days of war. Finally, it is also the chronicle of a loyal and valiant soldier who sought to pay back his debts to the United States for defeating fascism and communism through distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force's intelligence operations. In sum, it is a riches-to-rags-to-riches story that testifies both to the resilience of one man and to the ideals of the nation that inspired him.

Only She Sees


Manel Loureiro - 2017
    But the accident has changed her. Her eyes have been opened to horrors she never knew existed. Is her family really under attack, or is it all in her mind?While Cassandra tries to prove the feeling of being stalked, her police-investigator husband, Daniel, hunts a killer of his own. As both the body count and Cassandra’s hysteria rise, Daniel becomes obsessed with the case and suspicious of Cassandra’s part in it. Afraid of losing her increasingly fragile grip on reality, Cassandra plunges into a search for answers that may come at the cost of her sanity. Racing to a shattering confrontation with an evil she can barely comprehend, Cassandra must decide: How far will she go, what darkness will she embrace, to save those she loves?

I Choose You


Charles A. Bush - 2014
    She was valedictorian of her Yale undergrad class, is ranked top of her Yale Medical School class, and unlike her promiscuous roommate, she would rather spend her free nights reading Jane Austen than out partying. Undeniably, the lifelong promise that she made to her dying mother to become a doctor, is firmly in her grasp and she is focused not to let anything or anyone deter her from fulfilling it. That is, until the last day of her second year of medical school, when her friends surprise her with a summer vacation to England. While in England, she breaks one of her many sacred rules and falls for, Jude, a professional footballer with an appetite for wild parties and beautiful women. Over the course of their improbable summer romance, Jude introduces Emily to a new world of excitement and spontaneity, leaving her to question the secluded life she had always known, while Emily shows Jude the depths of the human heart and all the joy it can bring. However, once the summer ends, their love is tested by distance, social class, and the sacrifices needed to make enduring love blossom. And when fate intervenes by sending their lives spiraling on separate paths, will a memorable summer romance years ago be enough to bring them back together? I Choose You is a charming love story that has been compared to the unforgettable romances of A Walk to Remember, and Dear John (Nicholas Sparks). Bush explores the many intricacies of young love and the choices we must make to live life to the fullest.

The Swordsman of Fae


A.L. Issett - 2016
    During an attack, 16 y/o Josh left for dead by his frightened brother and is taken by the goblins and experimented on. Josh is reforged as Crux, a warrior without equal capable of feats even human mages cannot perform. No one has seen a warrior like Crux who in the upcoming war will show all how dangerous he can be.

A Year Without Summer


Shreyan Laha - 2020
    Kolkata had frozen to its lowest of -15 degreecelcius. Widespread diseases were common. Sharat was no exception as he was forced to quit his Zamindar lifestyle after his parents died. On the other hand in 2018, there was Niharika, living in the best of times - in a fairly modern society. She loved her life - her group of friends, her family and everything around her. Little did they know that something awaited them far away in a deserted civilisation 6 billion years into the future; in the planet Nocturne which was ravaged by compounds of a rare element called Barrenium. A Year Without Summer is a tale on how lives can intertwine with no restrictions in space time and dimensions.

The Children of the Gods Series Books 23-25: Dark Widow Trilogy


I.T. Lucas - 2021
    

The Sum of All Magic (Dragon’s Daughter Book 6)


Kevin McLaughlin - 2021
    

Fractured Earth: An Apocalyptic LitRPG (Viceroy's Pride Book 3)


Cale Plamann - 2022
    

Teriel: The Warrior's Stone


Per Inge Sælid - 2016
    In the midst of the darkness, a glimmer of hope is about to appear in the most unlikely of places: deep in the caves under Mount Horgathe. Destiny has chosen a 15-year-old slave, born and raised in a mine, to fight for his people's freedom. The young man's name is Teriel.

Above the Storm (WarMage Redux Book 5)


Martha Carr - 2022
    

Necro Mage


Robyn Wideman - 2019
    Lady Avera tasks Kiana Clairmont with a quest to see if Quinton can be brought back to life by harnessing the powers of a necromance. The problem is there are no necromancers in Solotine. Kiana must embark on a dangerous journey to take Quinton's body to find a necromance, but new enemies will stop at nothing to prevent her from bringing Quinton back to life. STONEBLOOD SAGA Book 6.5 This is a 30,000 word sword and sorcery Novella filled with action, adventure, and magic.

Shapechanger's Progress (Shapechanger Tales)


Laer Carroll - 2012
    She also encounters another shapechanger. And discovers that her kind are not always benign.