Books like 'Senlin Ascends'
Readers who enjoyed Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsFor Gaius Octavian, life has been one long battle. Now, the end of all he fought for is close at hand. The brutal, dreaded Vord are on the march against Alera. And perhaps for the final time, Gaius Octavian and his legions must stand against the enemies of his people. And it will take all his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness...Categorized as:
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The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsBy scheming and theft, the Thief of Eddis has become King of Attolia. Eugenides wanted the queen, not the crown, but he finds himself trapped in a web of his own making.Then he drags a naive young guard into the center of the political maelstrom. Poor Costis knows he is the victim of the king's caprice, but his contempt for Eugenides slowly turns to grudging respect...Categorized as:
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Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 55 ratingsIn his acclaimed Codex Alera novels, bestselling author Jim Butcher has created a fascinating world in which the powerful forces of nature take physical form. For millennia, the people of Alera have used their unique bond with these elementals for protection. Now, as enemies become allies, and friends become bitter foes, a danger beyond reckoning looms. . .Categorized as:
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Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThe power-hungry High Lord of Kalare has launched a rebellion against the aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus, who with the loyal forces of Alera must fight beside the unlikeliest of allies-the equally contentious High Lord of Aquitaine...Categorized as:
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The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 56 ratingsMore than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles... -
Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe conclusion to the thrilling memoirs of Lady Isabella Trent and her legacy of dragon evolutionary research and anthropological adventures... -
In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIn the Labyrinth of Drakes, the thrilling new book in the acclaimed fantasy series from Marie Brennan, the glamorous Lady Trent takes her adventurous explorations to the deserts of Akhia.Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia... -
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsMighty Kushiel, of rod and wealLate of the brazen portalsWith blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealedPricks the eyen of chosen mortalsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child...Categorized as:
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The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsRevengeWhen Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, stole Hamiathes's Gift, the Queen of Attolia lost more than a mythical relic. She lost face. Everyone knew that Eudenides had outwitted and escaped her. To restore her reputation and reassert her power, the Queen of Attolia will go to any length and accept any help that is offered... she will risk her country to execute the perfect revenge...Categorized as:
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Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure...Categorized as:
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Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsImriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phèdre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions.Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty, and desire...Categorized as:
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The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 89 ratingsLost in a new world, Lyra finds Will—a boy on the run, a murderer—a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power... -
Lamplighter by D.M. Cornish
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe eagerly awaited second book of the critically acclaimed trilogy! Orphan Rossamund Bookchild has been sworn into the Emperor's service his duty is to light the lamps along the Emperor's highways and protect travelers from the ferocious bogles that live in the wild...Categorized as:
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The Silver Hand by Stephen R. Lawhead
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe great king, Meldryn Mawr, is dead, and his kingdom lies in ruins. Treachery and brutality rule the land, and Albion is the scene of an epic struggle for the throne. Lewis Gillies returns as Llew, seeking the true meaning behind a mysterious prophecy - the making of a true king and the revealing of a long awaited champion: Silver Hand...Categorized as:
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Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsI lean forward, pushing my body out past the battlements. The wind plucks at my cloak, buffets against me, as if it would carry me off in flight, just like the birds or the knight's soul. Let go, it cries, I will take you far, far away. I want to laugh at the exhilarating feeling, I will catch you, it whistles seductively.The convent has returned Sybella to a life that nearly drove her mad...Categorized as:
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The Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 30 ratings, may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed—until now... -
The Dragons of Winter by James A. Owen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Archipelago of Dreams is no more…but the battle to save it has just begun in the penultimate book in the acclaimed Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series.The Caretakers are at war. The Archipelago of Dreams has fallen to the Echthroi, and the link to the Summer Country has been lost...Categorized as:
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Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAs the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs) Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study...Categorized as:
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The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter stealing her father’s eyes back from Prince Rodolfo, Petra Kronos lives in constant danger. She and her tin spider, Astrophil, end up hiding out in London, where she learns more about her magical abilities. London has its charms (like Petra’s attractive fencing master), but Petra needs to get back to Bohemia and her father... -
The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAfter spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in... -
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsWill is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels, his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel - by the command of his dying father.But how can he go looking for Lord Asriel when Lyra is gone? Only with her help can he fathom the myriad plots and intrigues that beset him...Categorized as:
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The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsKing Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life...Categorized as:
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Sword Dance by A.J. Demas
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFive years ago, Damiskos’s brilliant military career was cut short, leaving him with a permanent disability and scars that are not all physical. Adrift and still grieving, he tries to find meaning in an unsatisfying job. Work takes him to the remote seaside villa of an old friend, where, among an odd assortment of guests, he meets the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda... -
Flora's Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFlora Fyrdraaca wants nothing more than to be a ranger, and for that she must master the magickal—and dangerous—language of Gramatica. But before she can find the ideal teacher, her aspirations are put to the test... -
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Nightbirds on Nantucket by Joan Aiken
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHaving had enough of life on board the ship that saved her from a watery grave, Dido Twite wants nothing more than to sail home to England. Instead, Captain Casket's ship lands in Nantucket, where Dido and the captain's daughter, Dutiful Penitence, are left in the care of Dutiful's sinister Aunt Tribulation. In Tribulation's farmhouse, life is unbearable... -
Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPraised for its epic scope and descriptive detail, Across the Nightingale Floor, the first book in the Tales of the Otori series, was an international bestseller and critical success, named by the London Times as "the most compelling novel to have been published this year...Categorized as:
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Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAnnith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent...Categorized as:
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Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsIn his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard.The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace...Categorized as:
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Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsScarlet's true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet's love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood...Categorized as:
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Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 63 ratingsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye...Categorized as:
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Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOnce again World Fantasy Award-winner Barry Hughart blends folklore and fantasy to create a work of enchantment set in an ancient China that never was…but should have been. Master Li and Number Ten Ox—heroes of Bridge of Birds and The Story of the Stone—return to solve the mystery of how and why respected mandarins are being mysteriously murdered...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction myths 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history ancient-china -
The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsThe thrilling adventure of Lady Trent continues in Marie Brennan's The Tropic of Serpents . . . Attentive readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoir, A Natural History of Dragons, are already familiar with how a bookish and determined young woman named Isabella first set out on the historic course that would one day lead her to becoming the world’s premier dragon naturalist... -
High Deryni by Katherine Kurtz
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsYoung Kelson Haldane has claimed his birthright and assumed the throne of Gwynedd. For the first time in centuries, a king of Deryni heritage, possessing extraordinary magical abilities, rules the realm.But the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms has held sway over the Crown for generations. They decried the Deryni as witches and heretics, drove them underground, and usurped control of the kingdom...Categorized as:
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Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe first book in Stephen Lawhead's magnificent Pendragon Cycle. Taliesin tells the stirring tale of Britain's greatest bard, who envisioned the coming of the Summer Kingdom...Categorized as:
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The Palace of Lost Memories by C.J. Archer
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom the author of the USA Today bestselling GLASS AND STEELE series comes this captivating new fantasy. The king's magnificent palace was built in a matter of weeks. No one saw the builders, no villagers are allowed beyond the gilded gate, and only one servant has ever left...Categorized as:
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A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a world where males are rarely born, they've become a commodity-traded and sold like property. Jerin Whistler has come of age for marriage and his handsome features have come to the attention of the royal princesses. But such attentions can be dangerous-especially as Jerin uncovers the dark mysteries the royal family is hiding... -
Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFrom New York Times #1 bestselling author Patricia C. Wrede, the second in the series of magic on the western frontier.Eff is riding west, away from the safety of the frontier city she's always known.... Eff could be a powerful magician if she wanted to. Except she's not sure she wants that kind of responsibility... -
King Kelson's Bride by Katherine Kurtz
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Kurtz’s strengths lie in her patient accumulation of telling detail, well-articulated plots, and believable magics. Should bring the fans flocking, and attract newcomers too.”—Kirkus ReviewsSpeculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed...Categorized as:
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All the Paths of Shadow by Frank Tuttle
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Walk warily, walk swiftly, walk away.”The king’s orders were clear enough. “Move the tower’s shadow,” he bellowed. “I refuse to deliver my commencement speech from the dark.”As the newly appointed mage to the Crown of Tirlin, Meralda Ovis has no choice but to undertake King Yvin’s ill-conceived task...Categorized as:
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Wyrde and Wayward by Charlotte E. English
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratings‘If you had not already realised it, this is a very strange house you are come to.’ The Scions of the House of Werth are all born normal. It is what happens afterwards that sets them apart. It is not easy being the most supernatural family in England...Categorized as:
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Aerie by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIn the fourth and final novel of Mercedes Lackey's Dragon Jousters series, Kiron, the man who had once been a dragon-boy called Vetch, has united the dragon riders and managed to rid their world of both war and magical domination...Categorized as:
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The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Harsh Cry of the Heron is the rich and stirring finale to a series whose imaginative vision has enthralled millions of readers worldwide, and an extraordinary novel that stands as a thrilling achievement in its own right...Categorized as:
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The Last Mage Guardian by Sabrina Chase
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHer great-uncle, the mage Oron, bequeathed to her his oak-shaded chateau and a debt of magical honor. But Miss Ardhuin Andrews must hide her magical talents. How can she repay the debt? Political intrigue, duty, and echoes of an old war not truly ended combine to create a smoldering crisis in a world where magic and science coexist...Categorized as:
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The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThey are the light against the darkness.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...Categorized as:
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Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for... -
The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsTonino is the only person in the famous Montana household who wasn't born with an instinct for creating spells, but he has other gifts. His ability to communicate with cats just might help defend the city of Caprona against a mysterious enchanter -- but only if Tonino can learn to cooperate with a girl from the hated Petrocchi family of spell-makers...Categorized as:
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The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsChloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery. Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles' Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte's fleet... -
Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsOn Wilde Island, there is no peace between dragons, fairies, and humans.Wilde Island is in an uproar over the recent death of its king. As the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans begins to fray, the royal witch hunter with a hidden agenda begins a vengeful quest to burn girls suspected of witchcraft before a new king is crowned...Categorized as:
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The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe has only seen the world through maps. She had no idea they were so dangerous. Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods... -
Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsDeath wasn’t the end, it was only the beginning…Sybella has always been the darkest of Death’s daughters, trained at the convent of Saint Mortain to serve as his justice. But she has a new mission now...Categorized as:
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