Books like 'Chalice'
Readers who enjoyed Chalice by Robin McKinley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance high fantasy action / adventure magic fairy-tale female-mc epic coming-of-age
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Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsAfter years of comparative peace, darkness has fallen upon Ulster. Trouble is brewing and even those in the heart of the forest are not safe. Niamh, elder daughter of Sorcha, is required to make a strategic marriage, while her sister Liadan, who has the gift of Sight and her mother’s talent for healing, finds herself drawn into the shadowy world of the Painted Man and his warrior band...Categorized as:
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A Sharpened Axe by Jill M. Beene
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA cursed nation. An unlikely heroine. Deadly stakes. This love could kill...A jaded fae princess and a few words whispered in the dark...that’s all it took for the prosperous country of Leiria to fall under a curse. Disease, famine and calamity followed. Fifteen years later, Samiris is one of the Chosen, a group of young women brought to the palace to try and break the curse... -
The Silent Shield by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThrust into the heart of events threatening to rip her kingdom apart, young Trynne Kiskaddon will gain new powers and see old allies fall and new heroes rise as the battle for the kingdom and the lands beyond begins.Courtly intrigue and rumors of invasion plunge Kingfountain into turmoil as the search for Trynne’s father begins in earnest...Categorized as:
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The Forsaken Throne by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsA devastating disaster has left the Forbidden Court in ashes, its fountains destroyed, and its magic at risk. It was destined as the site of Trynne Kiskaddon’s coronation as empress. Now, all Trynne can imagine is the roar of flames, the cries of Gahalatine’s people, and the smell of cinders in a city gone dark...Categorized as:
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The Twelve Dancing Princesses by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsQuinn is a loyal soldier of Farset, willing to risk her life on behalf of her country and squad. So, when a fellow soldier volunteers for a dangerous mission, Quinn joins him. Their assignment is to investigate the nightly disappearance of the twelve royal princesses, a mystery none have solved as those who attempt it vanish...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc magic paranormal retellings royalty witches-wizards action-adventure -
Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsFrom Tamora Pierce, the final book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award.Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. She has triumphed in countless bloody battles, and her adventures are already legendary... -
The Hollow Crown by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFollowing the downfall of a tyrant, years have passed in prosperity for the kingdom of Ceredigion. Now, as the time comes to celebrate the new king’s nuptials, the specter of a new enemy emerges to destroy all that has been painstakingly built in those years.Tryneowy Kiskaddon has grown up learning military and diplomatic strategy from her father, one of the king’s closest advisors...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic historical-fiction magic paranormal retellings royalty action-adventure -
In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsDisguised as a boy, Alanna of Trebond becomes a squire, to none other than the prince of the realm. But Prince Jonathan is much more to Alanna; he is her ally, her best friend, and one of the few who knows that she's really a girl... -
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsThis is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle... -
Rumpelstiltskin by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhen 17-year-old Gemma, a seamstress, is ordered by the insane King Torgen to spin straw into gold or be put to death, she knows her life is forfeit. Unwilling to give up, Gemma tries to escape her prison, earning her the respect of the mysterious mage, Stil. Stil offers to complete the impossible task…for a price...Categorized as:
coming-of-age fairy-tale female-mc magic paranormal retellings royalty witches-wizards -
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 74 ratingsMiryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold...Categorized as:
epic fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal retellings -
Puss in Boots by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThough she dreams of adventure, Gabrielle—a peasant girl—is given only a cat for her inheritance and is told she must marry, immediately. So when the cat, Puss, offers her a life of excitement in exchange for a pair of boots, Gabrielle jumps at the opportunity. Through Puss’s cunning and Gabrielle’s good deeds, they become celebrated heroes in small villages across the country...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc magic paranormal retellings royalty witches-wizards action-adventure -
King's Warrior by Frost Kay
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRevolution and war come with a price in the fourth volume of USA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay’s The Aermian Feuds Series. Returning to Aermia should’ve been easy, but nightmares and death haunt her, leaving Sage as an outsider, even in her own family...Categorized as:
epic female-mc historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal royalty action-adventure -
The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Gerta’s friend Kay is stolen away by the mysterious Snow Queen, it’s up to Gerta to find him. Her journey will take her through a dangerous land of snow and witchcraft, accompanied only by a bandit and a talking raven. Can she win her friend’s release, or will following her heart take her to unexpected places? A strange, sly retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s "Snow Queen," by T...Categorized as:
animals fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal retellings -
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Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsPoor Creel. She can't believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon. It's a ploy to lure a heroic knight so that he will fight the dragon, marry Creel out of chivalrous obligation, and lift the entire family out of poverty. Creel isn't worried. After all, nobody has seen a dragon in centuries... -
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 64 ratings"Let her prove herself worthy as a man." Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead... -
Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Smitha has the wealth, status, and beauty that make her the envy of her town—until she rejects a strange man’s marriage proposal and disastrous consequences follow. Smitha becomes cursed, and frost begins to encompass everything she touches...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal retellings -
The Little Selkie by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsDylan—a selkie—makes a terrible mistake when she brashly chases an evil sea witch onto land. Captured and stripped of her pelt—leaving her unable to return to the sea in her sea lion body—Dylan’s only chance of survival is to serve as the sea witch’s tool... -
Cinderella and the Colonel by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.Scratching out a living in a land recovering from war and a hostile takeover, Cinderella—an orphaned, destitute duchess—is desperate to save her lands and servants in spite of the terrible taxes placed upon her by the Erlauf queen, even if it means she must don servants’ clothes and work like a commoner...Categorized as:
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The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsHer castle under siege by an evil knight who keeps beheading all her would-be rescuers, Lady Lynet sets out for help and finds assistance from an odd dwarf named Roger and a scruffy kitchen hand named Beaumains... -
Enchanted by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsASIN moved from less recent editionAfter she is successfully crowned King of Britain and vanquishes those opposed to her rule, Britt thought life would settle down and she could peacefully pretend to be the real King Arthur and search for the lost Round Table. However, her enemies aren’t cowed yet...Categorized as:
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The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAlong with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, and would rather have adventures than play the harp, embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic medieval -
The Land of the Living and the Dead by Shauna Lawless
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe old world will die in flames…Ireland, 1011 AD. Brian Boru is now High King of Ireland. His queen, Gormflaith, instructs their young son in his heritage - but only on his mother's side. For Gormflaith, an immortal Fomorian skilled in fire-magic, intends to finally defeat the Fomorians' hated foes, the Descendants, and establish control over Ireland...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic witches-wizards medieval epic coming-of-age retellings europe -
Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFor Creel, all is right with the world. The dragon king, Shardas, and his queen, Velika, have made a comfy home on the Far Isles, and humans and dragons seem to be at peace. It's the perfect time for Creel to plan her wedding to Prince Luka. Well, it was perfect -- until Velika gets kidnapped, and Creel and Luka set off to save her... -
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The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie-blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic-can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake... -
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsShe was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue, a word she could not taste.Her name was Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans... -
Storm & Shield by J.D. Evans
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“All you see is that I run. Why haven’t you realized I always come back?” She is lightning and storm. A spy, driven out of her home by a tyrant ruler. He is granite and earth. A guard, ordered to keep her contained.To protect herself and her family, she’s learned to go unnoticed, unseen... -
The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA sweeping tale of clashing cultures, warring gods, and forbidden love: In 1000 AD, a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies as war breaks out between their peoples and their gods-one that will determine the fate of them all."There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age epic female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism medieval -
Chosen Champion by Elise Kova
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA princess on the run, with enemies on all sides... Vi Solaris is on the eve of getting everything she’s ever wanted—her family, her home, her throne—and to save the world she’s going to have to give it all up.The Empire sees her as their Crown Princess, returning at long last. But Vi only sees visions of fate guiding her to the world’s gruesome end...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic female-mc magic paranormal royalty witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Banished of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn a stand-alone series set in the world of Muirwood, eighteen-year-old Maia is the exiled princess of Comoros and heir to the throne. As a result of her father’s ceaseless need for authority, she was left disinherited and forced to live as a servant in her enemy’s home...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal royalty action-adventure -
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn 1558, while exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to a remote castle known as Perilous Gard, young Kate Sutton becomes involved in a series of mysterious events that lead her to an underground world peopled by Fairy Folk—whose customs are even older than the Druids’ and include human sacrifice...Categorized as:
children fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism medieval paranormal -
The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe Icemark is a kingdom in grave danger. Its king has been killed in battle, its enemy lies in wait, and its fate rests on the shoulders of one girl. Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, a beautiful princess and an intrepid warrior, must find a way to protect her land from a terrible invasion... -
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal -
Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsChild of the Prophecy is the thrilling conclusion to Juliet Marillier's award-winning Sevenwaters Trilogy.Magic is fading... and the ways of Man are driving the Old Ones to the West, beyond the ken of humankind. The ancient groves are being destroyed, and if nothing is done, Ireland will lose its essential mystic core...Categorized as:
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Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsMaeve, daughter of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, was badly burned as a child and carries the legacy of that fire in her crippled hands. After ten years she’s returning home, a courageous, forthright woman. But while her body’s scars have healed, her spirit remains fragile, fearing the shadows of her past. Sevenwaters is in turmoil...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age epic fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism -
The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsLegend states that there exists a mighty sword that makes its possessor invincible to his enemies. But there is a curse on anyone who lifts the sword for conquest. King Kareed of Archeld goes after this sword anyway, winning it from the King of Bellandra. When he returns home from battle, he brings his daughter, Princess Torina, two special gifts... -
The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSince the day her father's fishing boat returned without him, Peri and her mother have mourned his loss. Her mother sinks into a deep depression and spends her days gazing out at the sea. Unable to control her anger and sadness any longer, Peri uses the small magic she knows to hex the sea... -
Princess Ahira by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsOnce upon a time? Please! What a joke.Princess Ahira is not your average damsel in distress. She hates being a princess and constantly tries to flee from her mother and her lectures. Pleasantly, her life is shattered on the eve of her sixteenth birthday when she is kidnapped by dragons...Categorized as:
coming-of-age fairy-tale magic medieval paranormal retellings royalty witches-wizards -
The Jade Bones by Lani Forbes
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCast into the underworld after an act of shattering betrayal, Mayana and Ahkin must overcome unimaginable odds if they are to return home and reclaim the throne of the Chicome. A river of blood and demons disguised as children are only two of the challenges standing in their way. Fortunately, they are not unequipped... -
Ella by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsReserved yet resilient, Ella Blakeley lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, without hope of escape—until the day Prince Kenton announces a ball that changes everything. Even without mice, magic, or fairy godmothers, Ella might discover a life that’s better than she ever dreamed. This intricately woven twist on Cinderella is an enchanting book you won’t be able to put down...Categorized as:
coming-of-age fairy-tale historical-fiction magic paranormal retellings royalty action-adventure -
Prophecy by M.L. Fergus, Maureen Fergus
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn indentured servant girl, a handsome thief . . . and the start of an epic romantic adventure that will change the course of history, combining the romance and adventure of The Princess Bride with the political intrigue of Game of Thrones. For fans of Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo, Shelby Mahurin and Jennifer L. Armentrout... -
Once: Before Midnight / Golden / Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRead happily ever after with this magical repackage that includes three enchanting, retold fairy tales.In this value-priced bind-up of three beloved retellings, readers will journey to faraway fairy tale lands. Before Midnight revisits Cinderella's story in France, Golden puts a new spin on Rapunzel's romance, and Wild Orchid reimagines the Chinese tale of Mulan...Categorized as:
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Non-Heir by Rachel E. Carter
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPrince. Prodigy. Mage. Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Falling Kingdoms, and Tamora Pierce.This prequel novella is set before the events of The Black Mage series. Novella follows Prince Darren as a child through adolescence and his first run-in with Ryiah at the Academy of Magic...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic magic paranormal royalty witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook -
A Prince Among Frogs by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPrincess Millie and her fiancé, Audun, are busy preparing for their wedding when trouble starts brewing in Greater Greensward. Millie's baby brother, Felix, has been kidnapped and is trapped in a swamp full of other frogs... -
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Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsComing down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding.There, Miri also has a chance to attend school-at the Queen's Castle. But as Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting she also learns that they have some frightening plans...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal -
Winds of Fate by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsLackey, who has enchanted readers since the publication of her first novel, Arrows of the Queen in 1987, scores another hit with the paperback release of the first book in an exciting new series. High magic had been lost to Valdemar when Vanyel gave his life to save his kingdom from destruction by the dark sorceries... -
The Dragon Princess by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsWith E. D. Baker's trademark humor, wacky animal and human characters, and almost all-new cast, this is the story of Emma's daughter, Millie, who is trying to survive being a magical princess who happens to keep turning into a dragon... -
A Broken Queen by Sarah Kozloff
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSarah Kozloff, author of Queen of Raiders, continues her breathtaking and cinematic epic fantasy series The Nine Realms with book three, A Broken Queen, and all four books will be published within a month of each other, so you can binge your favorite new fantasy series.Time can heal all wounds, but not all wounds are visible... -
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 83 ratingsAt birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal -
Dragon Kiss by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAudun is a teenage ice dragon in love...with a human princess. Can he become human and win Millie's heart? Audun is on a quest to find Princess Millie, and to become human in order to win her heart. But The Dragon King has set out a number of tasks Audun must perform before he is permitted to even try to woo Millie...and each one is filled with E. D...
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