Book picks similar to
The Serpent's Orb by Guy Antibes


fantasy
young-adult
ya
fantasy-high-fantasy

Runic Apprentice


D.L. Harrison - 2020
    He has everything he could want. A good master, a wonderful young lady he planned to court as soon as he had the coin to do so, and who cared for him as well.Everything changes in one moment, as he forges his first sword, places his maker’s mark for the first time, and discovers the truth that will turn all his life’s plans, hopes, and expectations into ashes.Olin is a rune mage, and it looked like his life was going to be turned upside down again, as he once more took up apprenticeship duties. He has very little choice in the matter, all mages served the royal family, compulsorily.That won’t be his last surprise either. Join Olin on his path of discovery, as he does his best to forge his own destiny under the yolk of expectations, customs, and traditions of mage society.Note: This is the first book of a trilogy. No major cliffhangers but expect a few unresolved plot threads. This story is told in the third person limited, from Olin’s point of view.

The Hidden Princess


Cara Coe - 2015
    To keep the balance, no inhabitants are allowed to cross into another kingdom. To do so is to be charged as a spy... At only thirteen, Princess Amelie of Candor developed the powers of persuasion - she can seduce men to do her bidding. Unable to suppress her magic and affecting the males in the palace, she is sent away to live in a small convent of nuns. Time and seclusion eventually has rumors circulating around the princess's disappearance. It isn't until years later when assassination attempts threaten the royal family that she is brought back in secret to use her unusual skills to gather information. Her mission sends her into dangerous territory: into the neighboring kingdom of Draeden. A run-in with one of their princes results in her capture and she is taken in to Draeden's palace to stand trial. But there's a lot more on the line than she could have ever known. Somewhere along the way she falls for the prince and her heart, which she never thought could beat for someone else, is suddenly her biggest risk of all. Prince Seth has been immune to magic since he was young which suits him because he dwells in the kingdom of Draeden where powers are forbidden. Even so, when he learns that underground mages in his kingdom are disappearing, he and a band of his soldiers are determined to investigate. When he stumbles across a spy from Candor with the power to seduce men, her magic has no affect on him. But underneath her magic - the woman he comes to know - reins him in with a power far greater than any mage could produce. What becomes of two enemies that fall in love?

The Legend of the Kestrel


Peter Wacht - 2019
     The prophecy spoke of Thomas Kestrel: outcast, lord, sorcerer, warrior, and perhaps savior of the Kingdoms — if he survives. In The Legend of the Kestrel, the first book in The Sylvan Chronicles, Thomas escapes the Shadow Lord’s assassins as a young boy and begins to master the Talent and the ways of the blade, acquiring the skills he’ll need to survive in a world of magic and constant danger. As his skill in the Talent grows and he learns the ways of the Sylvana, men and women dedicated to protecting the Kingdoms from the Shadow Lord and the Dark Horde, he bears the burden of having to return to the Highlands to reclaim his proper place. He befriends a Highlander who would die for him, struggles with his love for a princess with a mind of her own who will betray him, and tries to piece together the puzzle of his life — while the High King’s assassins, aided by the minions of the Shadow Lord, pursue him. Thomas discovers that not only must he stand against a High King bent on conquering the Kingdoms, but also the Shadow Lord, a creature of ancient evil who threatens to unleash a time of darkness and sorrow on the land. Thomas is torn by his desire to lead his own life and his duty to a people who view him with suspicion and fear. He knows that doing the right thing will only push him farther away from the life he wants for himself — and closer to his own death. Does he have the inner strength to accept his fate and free a people that never had any use for him? Can he prevent the Dark Horde from descending on the Kingdoms and extinguishing the light forever? Does he have the courage and skill to stand against the Shadow Lord?

A New Age


Jordan Baker - 2013
    Raised in the middle of nowhere, where he was taught to be an expert swordsman, Aaron finds his life irreversibly changed by events that send him on a journey to discover his true destiny.

Remnant


Aaron Pogue - 2012
    Gone the high culture of the Mountain Tribes, the learned writings of the Twin Empires. Among the remnant of survivors, barbarism reigns. Men hunt men, sacrifice the weak, and do whatever they must to survive in the face of the dragonswarm.Rinuld, a man once deeply devoted to a fallen Empire, stands amidst this chaos. Despite danger and deprivation, he's fashioned a semblance of safety. Now he faces a form of brutality unthinkable scant years before, and it forces a decision. Rinuld can hide from the monsters, or he can risk his life for the memory of civilization by saving a young girl."Remnant" is a short story set in the fantasy world of the bestselling novel Taming Fire. Beginning thousands of years before the events of the Dragonprince Trilogy, "Remnant" reveals what happened last time the dragons woke.Approximately 10,000 words.

The Fuller's Apprentice


Angela Holder - 2015
    His work as an apprentice fuller is boring, and playing in the mill’s machinery isn’t that dangerous. Everything goes fine—at first. All right, he’s lucky the wizard Elkan and his familiar, a donkey named Sar, are there to save his life. Even better, when his furious master fires him, Elkan offers him a job as his assistant. Josiah jumps at the chance. Traveling around Tevenar for a year, meeting all sorts of interesting people, helping the dedicated young wizard and clever donkey serve them with the Mother’s healing magic—what could be more fun? But Josiah soon learns that while matters of life and death may be exciting, they’re seldom fun. Impulsive actions, even when taken with the best of intentions, can have devastating consequences. And some choices have the power to change the future of Tevenar forever.

Sword's Call


C.A. Szarek - 2013
    Lord Varthan, a former archduke and betrayer of the king, covets the sword and invades Greenwald. Lady Ceralda Ryhan, daughter of the murdered duke, gains the sword and flees, trusting only her white wolf, Trikser-magically bonded to her. Cera needs nothing more to aid in her fight. Jorrin Aldern, half elfin and half human, left his home in the mountains of Aramour to find his human father who disappeared twenty turns before, but finds Cera with Varthan and his shades on her tail instead. His dual heritage and empathic magic will tempt Cera in ways she never thought she'd desire. But can he convince her trust and love can pave the path to redemption or will the epic battle end in tragedy and evil conquer them all?

The Lightning Mage


Whiskey Flowers - 2019
    Although one of the few mages the kingdom of Kirby has, Jonathan is not expecting to be welcomed with open arms for two reasons. The first is that he is a commoner, the majority of mages are nobles and believe commoners should not have access to such power. The second is that commoner mages are normally weak and Jonathan is one of the strongest mages the kingdom of Kirby has ever seen and has a spell no noble mage can match. Join Jonathan as he proves to everyone while they are better off avoiding instead of making an enemy of The Lightning Mage.

The Bow of Destiny: An Epic Fantasy Adventure


P.H. Solomon - 2015
    Hunted in the present. Uncertain what is real. Athson has seen things that aren't there and suffered fits since being tragically orphaned as a child at the hands of trolls and Corgren the wizard. When a strange will mentioning a mysterious bow comes into his possession, he's not sure it's real. But the trolls that soon pursue him are all too real and dangerous. And what's worse, these raiders serve Corgren and his master, the hidden dragon, Magdronu, who are responsible for the destruction of his childhood home. Athson is drawn into a quest for the concealed Bow of Hart by the mystic Withling, Hastra, but Athson isn't always sure what's real and who his enemies are. With Corgren and Magdronu involved, Athson must face not only frequent danger but his grasp on reality and the reasons behind his tragic past.

The Dragon Sage


Jay Lynn - 2018
    Fans of Throne of Glass and A Game of Thrones will not be able to put down this epic fantasy adventure. Standing alone in a dark cell, Alec waits for the death he cannot seem to escape. The pungent smell of sweat and blood are permanently absorbed into his scarred skin. Though he can no longer hear them, the blood thirsty roars of the crowds still fill his ears. He knows his master won’t allow him to leave the arena alive this time. As a light calling out in the darkness, Jade appears offering Alec salvation. He would do anything to escape this fate, including traveling to a foreign land as her bodyguard. Freedom is not what Alec imagined. Stafford’s Battlemaster hates him, his fellow soldiers ignore him, and their healer refuses to treat him. Outside the city’s walls, a mysterious dragon becomes Alec’s constant shadow. Within, heated confrontations with Jade awaken a different type of fire Alec fears he will not be able to hide. Suddenly gifted with powerful magic, Alec’s once dormant abilities show him a world much different from the darkness he has known. Both new friends and dangerous challenges await the spirited warrior as he sets out to find his place in this enchanted kingdom. The journey may prove even more treacherous then the arena as Alec discovers everything he thought he knew about his past is a lie.

Foundling Wizard


James A. Eggebeen - 2012
     For over a hundred years, the Temple of Ran has been sacrificing young wizards in order to steal their power. When Lorit discovers that he holds the rare ability to use magic, he becomes their next target. At first, he runs, working to master his abilities on the move so that one day he might be able to resist them. But that was before the Temple targets his beloved sister, Onult. In order to save her life, he infuses her with his own power. Now, they're both targets. Together, they'll battle to make the world safe for magicians everywhere... if they can survive the temple's power-hungry priests. If they can't, their enemy will absorb their magic and become unstoppable. Experience the start of an Epic Fantasy Series filled with dark magic, sinister villains, and non-stop adventure. It's perfect for fans of D.K. Holmberg, Will Wight, and K.F. Breene.

Natural Magic


D.B. King - 2021
    By day's end, he discovers he possesses magical abilities. Except his magic is unique. He doesn't require grimoires and incantations to cast spells. Alec's magic is entirely natural. He can, somehow, absorb the elements from objects and manipulate them according to his will.This power is incredible, but difficult to master. If he's going to learn how to use his natural magic, it'll take the tutelage of Archmage Diamondspear, one of the most adept magic users in the kingdom.And Alec's training is not without its dangers. His abilities manifest and grow when he is in dire circumstances, and his teachers are not beyond putting Alec in the gravest of situations if it means his powers will increase. He'll battle monsters and creatures from his own world, and even those from other worlds.Join Alec as he faces unknown dangers and learns how to harness natural magic.This coming-of-age fantasy saga features incremental magic and skill progression, light romance elements, and a heavy magic setting.

Lusam: The Dragon Mage Wars Book One


Dean Cadman - 2015
    She taught him the basics of magic, and discovered quite by accident, that he possessed a unique skill never seen before, the ability to hide his magical aura from the mage-sight of others. Dark secrets surround Lusam's origins, and the dark agents of the Empire will stop at nothing to kill Lusam. But before Lusam could be taught all he needed to know about his past, his grandmother unexpectedly dies of a fever, and Lusam finds himself homeless on the unforgiving streets of Helveel. Unbeknown to Lusam, the only thing keeping him alive is a promise he made to his grandmother, to always hide his aura, no matter what. Lusam meets and befriends a young thief fleeing her old city of Stelgad, before making a magical discovery that will change both their lives forever, and possibly the fate of the entire world.

The Tower of Sorcery


James Galloway
    Written by James Galloway purely for fun in the course of many years. Read by fanatical fans for even more fun. It has never been published and it can be found online, absolutely for free, on the author's website (http://forums.sennadar.com).Or download from http://www.weavespinner.net/worlds_of...

Hand Made Mage


James Haddock - 2019
    He is caught grave robbing by an undead insane Mage with a twisted sense of humor. The Mage burns a set of rune engraved rings into Ghost's hand, and fingers. Unknown to Ghost these rings allow him to manipulate the four elements. Returning to the Guild to report his failure, everyone thinks he has riches from the crypt, and they want it. While being held captive by the Criminal Guild, Ghost meets Prince Kade, the fourth son of the King, who has troubles of his own. Ghost uses his newfound powers to escape from the Guild saving the Prince in the process. Spies from a foreign kingdom are trying to kill Prince Kade, and Ghost must keep them both alive, while helping Prince Kade raise an army to stop an invasion. Ghost finds out trust to soon given, is unwise and dangerous. He is learning people will do anything for gold and power. As Ghost's power grows, his enemies learn he is a far more deadly enemy than anything they have ever faced.