Books like 'The Just City'
Readers who enjoyed The Just City by Jo Walton also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy alternate history mystery supernatural myths time-travel historical-fiction dystopia classics
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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:
gods historical-fiction magic myths paranormal politics action-adventure alternate-history -
![The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu]()
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsA publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume.With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie...Categorized as:
classics dystopia historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths politics retellings -
![The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by John Joseph Adams, Stephen King]()
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by John Joseph Adams, Stephen King
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe game is afoot! Night Shade Books is proud to present the fantastic adventures of the world's greatest detective — mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror, no genre can escape the esteemed detective's needle-sharp intellect and intuition...Categorized as:
classics dark historical-fiction paranormal retellings time-travel 21st-century action-adventure -
![Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg]()
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal alternate-history audiobook book -
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![Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey]()
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... -
![Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine]()
Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsWith the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction magic paranormal politics action-adventure alternate-history audiobook -
![The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner]()
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:
gods historical-fiction magic myths paranormal politics action-adventure alternate-history -
![Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart]()
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:
ancient-civilization classics historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal retellings -
![Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey]()
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... -
![Tempting Fate by April White]()
Tempting Fate by April White
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Clocker, Saira Elian is back on the run and being hunted by Mongers. The Descendants of War are amassing power in the 21st century, bent on controlling all the Immortal Descendants. Their attempt to kidnap Saira, a rare Descendant of Time and Nature, reveals just how brazen they’ve become...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal time-travel action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book -
![The Fire in the Glass by Jacquelyn Benson]()
The Fire in the Glass by Jacquelyn Benson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLondon, 1914. Lily’s visions could stop a killer… if she’ll trust a reclusive aristocrat with her darkest secret.A monster stalks the gaslit streets of Edwardian London, draining the blood of the city’s mediums. Lily Albright knows who’s next.Lily is plagued by visions of the future she can never change...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal alternate-history book fiction gaslamp -
![The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman]()
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...Categorized as:
classics dystopia magic paranormal religion spirituality 20th-century action-adventure -
![Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse]()
Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsKai and Caleb Goodacre have been kidnapped just as rumors of a cult sweeping across the reservation leads Maggie and Hastiin to investigate an outpost, and what they find there will challenge everything they've come to know in this action-packed sequel to Trail of Lightning...Categorized as:
dystopia gods magic magical-realism myths paranormal action-adventure alternate-history -
![The Dark by Marianne Curley]()
The Dark by Marianne Curley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEthan and Isabel, heroes from The Named, are on a more exciting journey than ever and are joined by Isabel's brother Matt, who is still getting accustomed to life in the Guard. Arkarian, their ageless mentor, has been kidnapped and sent by the Goddess of Chaos to a frighteningly dark underworld...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal time-travel action-adventure alternate-history -
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![The Key by Marianne Curley]()
The Key by Marianne Curley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe battle to protect the future is coming to an end as the evil Order of Chaos launches their final attack on the Named. To defeat the Order, the Named must locate the Key to a treasury of weapons hidden somewhere in the ancient city of Atlantis. The race is on to capture the Key before a horde of undead soldiers find it...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic myths paranormal time-travel action-adventure alternate-history book -
![The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman]()
The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA corrupt countessA spy in dangerAnd an assassin at largeThe fifth title in Genevieve Cogman's witty and wonderful Invisible Library series, The Mortal Word is a rollicking literary adventure.Peace talks are always tricky, especially when a key diplomat gets stabbed. This rudely interrupts a top-secret summit between the warring dragons and Fae... -
![Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead]()
Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAlthough born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish Monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths religion spirituality action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book -
![The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman]()
The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAfter being commissioned to find a rare book, Librarian Irene and her assistant, Kai, head to Prohibition-era New York and are thrust into the middle of a political fight with dragons, mobsters, and Fae. In a 1920s-esque New York, Prohibition is in force; fedoras, flapper dresses, and tommy guns are in fashion: and intrigue is afoot... -
![Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers]()
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... -
![Firestarter by Tara Sim]()
Firestarter by Tara Sim
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe crew of the Prometheus is intent on taking down the world’s clock towers so that time can run freely. Now captives, Colton, Daphne, and the others have a stark choice: join the Prometheus’s cause, or fight back in any small way they can and face the consequences. But Zavier, leader of the terrorists, has a bigger plan—to bring back the lost god of time...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal time-travel alternate-history audiobook -
![The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith]()
The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal alternate-history audiobook book -
![Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray]()
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners... -
![The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman]()
The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA Librarian’s work is never done, and once Irene has a quick rest after their latest adventure, she is summoned to the Library. The world where she grew up is in danger of veering deep into chaos, and she needs to obtain a particular book to stop this from happening... -
![Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood]()
Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction magic paranormal religion spirituality 20th-century action-adventure -
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![The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer]()
The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA curated collection of magic…and murder.When a set of bound manuscripts written on magician-made paper is brought to the Glass Library, Sylvia and the professor send the owner away. After all, the library collects books about magic, not containing it.But the murder of the bookbinder who bound them sees the books returned to the library, along with Gabe in his role as consultant for Scotland Yard...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal magical-realism romance fantasy mystery audiobook -
![The Hungry Dreaming by Craig Schaefer]()
The Hungry Dreaming by Craig Schaefer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe discovery of lost letters between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, describing historical events that never happened, sends shockwaves through the academic world. Meanwhile, a citywide surveillance program is coming to New York on a groundswell of dirty money and dead bodies. To hard-nosed Brooklyn reporter Nell Bluth, the two mysteries couldn't be more different... -
![The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman]()
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:
classics dystopia magic paranormal religion spirituality action-adventure alternate-history -
![The Never War by D.J. MacHale]()
The Never War by D.J. MacHale
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsBobby Pendragon has visited the alternate dimension of Denduron and waded through the endangered underwater territory of Cloral. Now Bobby once again finds himself thrust beyond the boundaries of time and space into a place that seems somewhat familiar: First Earth...Categorized as:
dark dystopia historical-fiction magic paranormal time-travel action-adventure alternate-history -
![Chainbreaker by Tara Sim]()
Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsClock mechanic Danny Hart knows he's being watched. But by whom, or what, remains a mystery. To make matters worse, clock towers have begun falling in India, though time hasn't Stopped yet. He'd hoped after reuniting with his father and exploring his relationship with Colton, he'd have some time to settle into his new life. Instead, he's asked to investigate the attacks...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic myths paranormal time-travel action-adventure alternate-history asian-mc -
![Red, White, and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth]()
Red, White, and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Presidential Campaign Trail, 2012: A political operative and a volunteer are brutally murdered while caught in a compromising position. Written in their blood on the wall of the crime scene: IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK.And with that, a centuries-old horror known only as the Boogeyman returns to taunt Nathaniel Cade, the President’s Vampire...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic paranormal politics action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![The Ink Master's Silence by C.J. Archer]()
The Ink Master's Silence by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt should be a happy time for India and Matt, but forces beyond their control conspire to ruin their future. A distraction from their troubles comes in the form of murder. When the editor of The Weekly Gazette is killed, controversial journalist and ink magician Oscar Barratt asks India and Matt to investigate... -
![A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris]()
A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the second of the Gunnie Rose series, in which Lizbeth is hired onto a new crew, transporting a crate into Dixie, the self-exiled southeast territory of the former United States. What the crate contains is something so powerful, that forces from across three territories want to possess it...Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction magic paranormal religion spirituality action-adventure adult -
![Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn]()
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:
classics historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal religion spirituality -
![Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers]()
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:
dark gods historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal action-adventure -
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![The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark]()
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe Haunting of Tram Car 015 returns to the alternate Cairo of Clark's short fiction, where humans live and work alongside otherworldly beings; the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities handles the issues that can arise between the magical and the mundane...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal retellings 21st-century action-adventure -
![Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn]()
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... -
![Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly]()
Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe revolution has come and gone, with Amberlough City striving to rebuild itself from the ashes. The Ospies have been ousted, and the very face of the nation has been changed in the process.Now, a rising politician is determined to bring Amberlough’s traitors to justice.Including double agent Cyril DePaul.Everyone believes Cyril deserves to suffer for his crimes..Categorized as:
dystopia historical-fiction politics adult alternate-history audiobook book espionage -
![The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard]()
The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsJohannes Cabal and his rather inexact powers of necromancy are back once more. This time, his talents are purchased by The Fear Institute as they hunt for the Phobic Animus - the embodiment of fear...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal retellings action-adventure -
![Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine]()
Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLet the world burn.With an iron fist, the Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion and, in the name of the greater good, forbidding the personal ownership of books.Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned... -
![Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey]()
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:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal politics action-adventure alternate-history -
![The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell]()
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsStop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives... -
![Declare by Tim Powers]()
Declare by Tim Powers
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAs a young double agent infiltrating the Soviet spy network in Nazi-occupied Paris, Andrew Hale finds himself caught up in a secret, even more ruthless war. Two decades later, in 1963, he will be forced to confront again the nightmare that has haunted his adult life: a lethal unfinished operation code-named Declare...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal religion retellings spirituality -
![A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark]()
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsEgypt, 1912. In an alternate Cairo infused with the otherworldly, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal retellings action-adventure adult -
![Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart]()
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... -
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![Lost Acre by Andrew Caldecott]()
Lost Acre by Andrew Caldecott
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWynter is here . . .Geryon Wynter has returned to Rotherweird and has not only taken over the town but is busy destroying the countrysiders' life too. Can our small band of heroes find a way to outwit a genius whose master plan is five centuries in the making? Watch this space . .Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
![A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin]()
A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA gorgeous fantasy in the spirit of Pan’s Labyrinth and John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things.Set in a world similar to our own, during a war that parallels World War II, A Green and Ancient Light is the stunning story of a boy who is sent to stay with his grandmother for the summer in a serene fishing village...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal retellings 20th-century alternate-history -
![Lifeblood by Tom Becker]()
Lifeblood by Tom Becker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFollow Jonathan Starling on another creepy adventure on the dark side of town in the highly anticipated second book in the thrilling DARKSIDE series!A series of unexplained murders on the Darkside of London has Jonathan tangled up in another dangerous mystery...Categorized as:
dark dystopia magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history book children-books -
![The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley]()
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA time twisting alternative history that asks whether it's worth changing the past to save the future, even if it costs you everyone you've ever loved. Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England... -
![The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by Steven Sidor]()
The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by Steven Sidor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA mysterious explorer hires a team of adventurers to join him in a hunt for a monstrous beast, in this rip-roaring sequel to Fury From the Tomb. When Egyptologist Rom Hardy receives a strange letter from his old friend, the bounty-hunting sniper Rex McTroy, he finds himself drawn into a chilling mystery... -
![Black Rose by K.L. Bone]()
Black Rose by K.L. Bone
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“May the Black Rose protect you in life and avenge you in death.” – Vow of the Black Rose Six hundred years ago, the Muir Court was wiped from existence, destroyed by an elite group known as the Black Rose Guard. Their Captain, Mara, has a reputation of being a harsh woman who leads the guard with a fierce formality. During her long years, she has known pain, loss, heartache…and one great love...
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