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


fantasy
young-adult
ya
fantasy-high-fantasy

The Ring of Allaire


Susan Dexter - 1981
    Now there was only Tristan, an ill-trained apprentice, to carry on the quest to rescue Allaire, a princess held in enchanted sleep in Nimir's frozen halls. Though a thousand master mages had already failed in the quest, Tristan must succeed — or all of Calandra would be doomed by Nimir's greed.First Tristan would have to find the wonder-horse Valadan, who had vanished long ago. Then he had to secure the aid of the one knight among many who was a true Heir to the Throne. Together, they must overcome the Guardian dragon of Nimir's realm.After that — well, there was still the tenth ring to be found, since Allaire was powerless without it.Nothing, of course, was ever that simple. There were complications . . .

The Crafter's Son


Matthew B. Berg - 2019
    But can he master his powers in time to help thwart the plans of a vengeful god? Breeden Andehar grew up the son of a boatwright in a village far from the capital city of Arlon. At sixteen, he is given a chance to receive an education at the local monastery alongside three sons of nobility, a cloth merchant’s daughter and a clever orphan. Breeden and his new friends have their education cut short when a bitter rivalry between two brother gods spawns a conflict which threatens the entire Land. The Crafter’s Son is the first book in a new coming of age epic fantasy series. If you liked The Sword of Shannara, The Wheel of Time, The Dragonbone Chair, or the Stormlight Archive, then you’ll love Matthew B. Berg’s brand new epic fantasy! Pick up The Crafter’s Son to discover this exciting new series today!

The Unforgiven


Michael Anderle - 2020
    A moment when one must decide what one is willing to accept. Death, defeat, or allow one’s carnal rage to take control and consequences be damned.” Skharr DeathEaterA lone DeathEater has forsaken his clan. Leaving behind his previous life, Skharr starts building a future next to a dangerous forest in an unknown land.He tells himself it is better than taking gold for questionable reasons.A lone old man travelling with a donkey offers him a choice: Continue this farm life, or trade him Skharr’s just finished home and tilled land for a map.A map that Skharr can use to live large for years… If he survives.The old peddler watches him. Realizing the intelligence, the polished actions of the huge man is but an act. A carefully orchestrated semblance of civility, and shudders.Of all the Barbarian hordes, the rumor was to never, ever upset a DeathEater.And he had come here to unleash this particular DeathEater back into the world.

Bright Star


Erin Swan - 2019
    Beneath the surface, a tyrant is rising to power. A traumatic experience in Andra's childhood has left her mute and subdued, a servant in the Chief Judge’s manor. But when an assassination team, led by the secretive and alluring Kael, infiltrates the manor and makes a quick escape, she takes her chance and flees with them.Andra is thrust into the ranks of a secret rebellion—a group of outcasts and believers seeking to overthrow the Chief Judge and replace the corrupt government with new members, ones who will restore and preserve the land they love. Now, the girl who was once an outcast must somehow become the leader Paerolia needs. But she is stronger than she believes—and with the help of a fiercely loyal dragon, she may just be the one to lead them all to victory.

The Fourth Element Trilogy


Kat Ross - 2017
    The steel against the necromancy of the Druj. And they use demons to hunt demons…. Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they leash wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister. Scarred by grief, she's willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he's possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other's emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close. As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius's past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake… So begins an epic story of adventure, romance and betrayal that leads to undiscovered magical realms and a final confrontation with a demon queen bent on destroying them all. Praise for the Fourth Element Trilogy "A spellbinding fantasy with some moral weight and a meatier narrative than usual, one likely to leave readers quite satisfied... This tale’s grand scope is set off beautifully by its intimate start. The story grows wonderfully from such a small seed, and it is the moral and subjective implications of the vastness and impersonality of the Empire that work so well to drive the narrative. The plot builds effectively, and maintains a swift pace. Nazafareen’s initial simplistic motivation, hatred, becomes complicated by her link to Darius, and evolves into something much more intriguing and complex. This transition is helped by the clarity with which the characters are drawn. The immensity of the Empire occasionally threatens to smother the personal tale at the heart of the story, but, like shadows around a candle flame, it never quite manages that feat." -Kirkus Reviews "Fantasy lovers who enter this world will be wooed by its expansive world-building, soul-crushing romance, deeply layered characters, and page-turning twists." --Flylef Reviews "One of the best trilogies I've ever read. I will read anything by Kat Ross. Hats off to her for creating these wonderful characters and making us fall in love with them!" --Cover to Cover Reviews "Kat Ross turned me into a puddle of emotions with her final book of the Fourth Element series! Action, betrayal, romance and demons conclude this story which can keep anyone captivated till the final page." --Milky Way of Books "An addictive, action-packed, glorious page-turner!" -Am Kinda Busy Reading "I really hate the word ‘epic’ because, let’s face it, it’s so overused and it’s lost its true meaning, but this book [The Midnight Sea] deserves that word." -Book Reader Chronicles "This is truly a grand finale of a book, mysteries from the very beginning of the series are put to rest and our heroes win in unexpected ways.

To Play the Lady


Naomi Lane - 2011
    She would need to overcome not only her lack of social status, but her mixed heritage. Jenna received the invitation because her father was a wealthy merchant, but since her mother was from the desert across the sea, Jenna had inherited both her mother’s darker coloring and two magical abilities—abilities that would seem odd to Sevalian nobles that all have magic of their own. Any hopes to lead a quiet life at court are dashed after Jenna becomes the subject of palace scandal when her magic is discovered. Worse, Sevalia’s old enemy to the east lays claim to a powerful mage whom Jenna discovers hiding in the eastern mountains—a mage that takes a keen interest in Jenna’s magic. While she had expected being a Lady would be challenging, Jenna learns she will need all her wits and all her magic… just to survive.

Call of the Dragonbonded


J.D. Hart - 2017
    Everything from his vocation to the girl he will marry has been planned. So when he receives the Calling and embarks on his trek to find his life-long animal bond, he is far from prepared for the adventure ahead, or for the Cosmic "gift" he is about to receive.​ On the other side of the realm, the headstrong Princess Veressa of Griffinrock demands secret training from her prudish yet powerful Ranger protector. Veressa, too, receives the Calling and drags her mentor along on one last high adventure. ​ As the paths of these two sixteen-year-olds begin to intertwine, neither can foresee the desperate struggles before them nor the heroic journeys they will be called upon to undertake. Ages: 13 and up Genres: Young adult, coming of age, fantasy, dragons, magic, epic, adventure, mystery Explicit language: None Explicit sex: None Violence: Mild to moderate This is the first of the four-book adventure The Dragonbonded Return series. Be sure to pick up Book 2 in the series! For further details about upcoming books by the author, visit thedragonbonded.com. To receive advance notice of JD Hart's upcoming releases, go to thedragonbonded.com/subscribe and subscribe to the author's mailing list.

The Tainted Crown


Meg Cowley - 2014
    Her heir, Soren, flees with a price on his head after being framed for the killing by his uncle Zaki, who seizes the legendary throne of the Dragon Kings and rules with an iron fist to crush dissent. However, suspicion is rife following Zaki’s ill-omened coronation and a crime ill-fitting the beloved Prince Soren.Now a fugitive roaming the wild, Soren has lost everything. He tries to reconcile his grief and determine how he can reclaim his throne when fate has left him with just one old man, but the odds are greatly against him. If no-one follows him, or believes his innocence, is he worthy to rule?Across the kingdom, Soren’s cousin Eve takes matters into her own hands and journeys to the ethereal Eldarkind on his behalf, however this reveals her own inescapable fate. As she comes to terms with the gift and the curse of magic, Eve risks her life to help Soren.Before the fragile peace shatters, can Soren reclaim the throne - and should he?Discover an epic, coming-of-age fantasy in The Tainted Crown. If you liked The Lord of the Rings, The Inheritance Cycle, or The Books of Pellinor, then you’ll love the Books of Caledan series.

Sword of Fire and Sea


Erin Hoffman - 2011
    For love, he unwittingly doomed his family to generations of a rare genetic disease that follows families who cross elemental boundaries. Now Vidarian, the last surviving member of the Rulorat family, struggles to uphold his family legacy, and finds himself chained to a task as a result of the bride price his great-grandfather paid: the Breakwater Agreement, a seventy-year-old alliance between his family and the High Temple of Kara’zul, domain of the fire priestesses.The priestess Endera has called upon Vidarian to fulfill his family’s obligation by transporting a young fire priestess named Ariadel to a water temple far to the south, through dangerous pirate-controlled territory. A journey perilous in the best of conditions is made more so by their pursuers: rogue telepathic magic-users called the Vkortha who will stop at nothing to recover Ariadel, who has witnessed their forbidden rites.Together, Vidarian and Ariadel will navigate more than treacherous waters: Imperial intrigue, a world that has been slowly losing its magic for generations, secrets that the priestesshoods have kept for longer, the indifference of their elemental goddesses, gryphons—once thought mythical—now returning to the world, and their own labyrinthine family legacies. Vidarian finds himself at the intersection not only of the world’s most volatile elements, but of colliding universes, and the ancient and alien powers that lurk between them.

The Innkeeper's Son


K.C. Herbel - 2017
    One night, a murderous stranger from his secret past emerges to take from him his life and the magic ring that belonged to his mother.Billy must flee home to stay alive and is thrust into an adventure that leads him to the highest courts in the land. But there are perils to such a journey. Monsters, giants, spirits, and brigands prowl the wilds of Lyonesse, not to mention a dragon that wants to eat him! As he struggles to survive and unravel the mysteries encircling his life, Billy becomes aware of a menacing figure lurking in the shadows; a ruthless nemesis that has hunted him his entire life.The Innkeeper’s Son is the first of four novels in The Jester King Fantasy Series.

Cave of Nightmares


V. St. Clair - 2013
    All he wants to do is live a normal life, but after being sent to Mizzenwald for formal magical training, it’s obvious that that isn’t going to happen. Hayden tries to find a place for himself in a world left devastated by the Dark Prism, but with enemies around every corner and a defective dragon for an ally, things aren’t looking good.Surviving his first year of school becomes Hayden’s top priority, but will he have to follow in his father’s footsteps to succeed?

Proven


H.M. Clarke - 2019
    And it is up to the Blackwatch to root it out. All Ryn Weaver ever wanted was to be a warrior. To protect others unable to protect themselves. But on her Proving to join the prestigious Blackwatch Order she finds herself accidentally Paired with Dagan Drake, a Tribunal Mage. Theirs is a reluctant partnership. Given no choice in the matter, Ryn must now work with Dagan to complete his mission to capture a traitor to the realm. With rogue mages and brutish blades coming at her from every turn, will Ryn be able to gain the respect of her new partner and prove herself worthy of her blade? Or will Ryn and her Order fall to the machinations of the evil set against them? Proven is the first installment in a new epic fantasy romance series. If you like electrifying action, rich characters, and magical battles, then you'll love H.M. Clarke's series starter. Click to read Proven now.

Path of a Novice


R.K. Lander - 2017
    Lander. Path of a Novice is an epic fantasy story of battle and magic, honour and discovery. The Silvan Series will bring together the greatest warriors of their time. In the name of justice; in the name of love.His face would kindle love, garner hatred, inspire loyalty - bring persecution.An immortal half-blood becomes a novice warrior and joins the ranks of the Silvans as they battle Sand Lords and Deviants. He only ever had one dream; to become a Silvan captain in an army commanded by the dominant Alpine elves, colonizers of the Great Forest. There had once been another dream though – to know who his father was, but years of unanswered questions later, he told himself it didn’t matter anymore.Meanwhile, the powerful Alpine lords weave a story of racial superiority, relegating the native Silvans to second-class subjects. Village leaders, Spirit Warriors and Foresters are starting to rebel.Fel’annár learns the true meaning of warrior hood when he travels as the only novice warrior in a multi-racial patrol into the Deep Forest. As he battles the enemy for the first time, a power unfolds, one he cannot control – does not want. While friendships are forged, a destiny begins to unravel, one that is tied to a past he knows nothing about. For others though, it is only a matter of time before the truth is revealed and the danger becomes real.Can Fel’annár overcome his fears, become the warrior he always wanted to be, or will his dreams be stunted by his own shrouded past? By one elf’s lust for absolute power?If you love fantastic worlds with compelling characters on a dangerous mission, you can’t miss this first instalment of The Silvan.

Provenance


Kristopher Cruz - 2013
    Born the night that the Archmagus Valeria died, Endrance was gifted with the talent and mind for magic. He'd proven that he was more than capable of mastering the forces of magic and intellectual study at the hands of a master as mad as he was crafty. He was one of the Scribed, mages who had undergone a painful yet powerful ritual that granted them the ability to tattoo spells upon their very skin.He had finally proven himself to his master, and was free to practice magic at his own pace. If that were all fate had in store for him, he would have been happy. However fate wanted more of this man's potential than a lifetime of quiet study.Instead, he was appointed the Spengur of Balator, a country radically different from his own. He would face an entire city of people that prized physical might and shunned the mystic. There he would meet staunch allies, and dangerous foes. There, he could change the world, if he could only survive.It is through the fires of strife that a person is melted down into the core of who they really are, and fate has stoked the flames white hot. Can he survive the blaze? And even more importantly, who will he be if he emerges from the other side?

Dragon Called


Ava Richardson - 2019
     From the moment Dayie washed ashore as an infant, everyone in her tiny village treated her as… different. She didn’t belong, no matter how hard she tried. So when a vicious, invasive plant called Deadweed overruns her village, she’s blamed and sold to the Dragon Traders for fear of her powers and the mystery surrounding her origin. After years of service to the ruthless Dragon Traders, Dayie wants her freedom. To repay her debt, Dayie steals a dragon egg. But she winds up with far more than she bargained for when her egg hatches before she can get it to them. Now she must hide her hotheaded young dragon Zarr or risk losing him: either to the Dragon Traders or the Deadweed that’s creeping ever southward. When the Dragon Traders travel further south to evade capture and Deadweed attacks, Dayie meets a mysterious Dragon Rider named Akeem, who tells her magic is behind the spread of the Deadweed, and that she’s been bonded with Zarr—for life. Now Dayie faces a choice: give up her dragon for her freedom or take her place with Zarr in the Training Hall of Dagban. There, she may have the chance to avenge her parents’ deaths and solve the mystery of ever-spreading Deadweed. Dayie’s destiny awaits, if she’s brave enough to follow it… This novel contains violence