Books like 'Desdemona and the Deep'
Readers who enjoyed Desdemona and the Deep by C.S.E. Cooney also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure high fantasy horror lgbtq fae myths magic fairy-tale friendship
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Scorching Sun by Apollos Thorne
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPassing through the Vampire Gate, Elorion enters the true heart of the Underworld for the first time. The sooner he completes his mission, the sooner he and the girls can return home. The task is impossible at his current level, so he follows the lich down the only viable path. A path laden with bodies and blood... -
![Of Sand and Snow by Bryce O'Connor]()
Of Sand and Snow by Bryce O'Connor
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWith fifty thousand freed slaves at their back, Raz i'Syul Arro and Syrah Brahnt leave the savannahs of Perce behind. Karesh Syl is no more. Karesh Nan burns at their backs. Beyond the border before them the South looms, ready and waiting, and together Raz and Syrah pray they are prepared for the great offense they must now undertake against the fringe cities... -
![Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher]()
Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSummer is a perfectly ordinary 11 year old girl with a perfectly ordinary, needy, over-protective single mother. She always does what she is told and has become very good at listening and consoling her mother’s fears, but finds the experience increasingly exhausting... -
![The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick]()
The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTrust is the thread that binds. And the rope that hangs.In Nadežra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.Derossi Vargo has always known... -
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![A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie]()
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsThe chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever.On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments... -
![The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo]()
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsLove speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price... -
![Winter's King by Bryce O'Connor]()
Winter's King by Bryce O'Connor
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Monster of Karth has risen once more. Quin Tern has met his fate, and his council has born the price of crossing Raz i'Syul Arro. Now, as the cruel walls of Azbar fade into the winter storms at his back, Raz rides north, seeking to take the High Priest Talo Brahnt up on an offer he never should have refused... -
![As Iron Falls by Bryce O'Connor]()
As Iron Falls by Bryce O'Connor
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe High Citadel cannot be seen to harbor a killer. This is a simple truth, and one that Raz i'Syul Arro has little choice but to respect. As the winter storms fall away in favor of the North's pleasant summer months, Raz finds himself having once more to face the cruelties of the world with spear and sword in hand. For the first time, though, the Monster no longer walks his path alone... -
![In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente]()
In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsCatherynne M. Valente enchanted readers with her spellbinding In the Night Garden. Now she continues to weave her storytelling magic in a new book of Orphan’s Tales—an epic of the fantastic and the exotic, the monstrous and mysterious, that will transport you far away from the everyday…... -
![With Dagger and Song by Helen Scheuerer]()
With Dagger and Song by Helen Scheuerer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn empty crown. A perilous journey. Will she answer when darkness calls?Against all odds, Roh survived the harrowing Queen’s Tournament, but now something far deadlier awaits her: a formidable quest for the three magic birthstones of Saddoriel. The gems have been scattered across the realms – and only when Roh retrieves them can she take her place as queen... -
![Chief of the Blackgorge by Marvin Knight]()
Chief of the Blackgorge by Marvin Knight
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Cultivating Gamelit Harem AdventureA man must repay his debts.Especially when he owes those debts to the princess of the realm. Luckily, she only asks that Theo stay in the palace as her guest. That should be an easy debt to pay, but trouble is afoot in the land and no number of royal dinners or palace balls will stop it... -
![House Name by Michelle West]()
House Name by Michelle West
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats. Jewel has been assigned the task of finding the entryways to the ancient undercity that lies beneath the streets of the empire’s capital in exchange for shelter for her and her den at House Terafin... -
![Blackmark by Jean Lowe Carlson]()
Blackmark by Jean Lowe Carlson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWrongfully accused of treason, veteran Kingsman Elohl seeks the truth of a betrayal that caused the Kingsmen to vanish a decade ago. Inked with the Blackmark and despised for it, Elohl uncovers the truth and exposes ancient enemies. Now, he must give everything to shatter the hidden sect that usurps power from the throne... -
![Magician's End by Raymond E. Feist]()
Magician's End by Raymond E. Feist
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe final volume in the epic Riftwar Cycle.The dragons are calling...Civil war is tearing apart the Kingdom of the Isles, for the throne lies empty and rivals are converging... -
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![Hell's Ascendant by Benjamin Medrano]()
Hell's Ascendant by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThe heavens are about to explode. Reunited at last, Isalla, Kitania, and Rose survived the machinations of Haral despite the odds against them. They’ve won one battle. Now they have to avert a war, racing the clock to unveil their enemies.The Society of the Golden Dawn has not been idle; the conspirators have begun to move more quickly... -
![Ghost in the Inferno by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Inferno by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. She has defeated powerful foes, but more dangerous enemies lie before her.A sorcerous catastrophe threatens to destroy Istarinmul, and the only the mysterious sorceress Annarah, last loremaster of lost Iramis, knows how to stop it... -
![Ghost in the Pact by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Pact by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas has found the lost relics of Iramis, but with the relics comes deadly peril. For Grand Master Callatas is ready to work his terrible Apotheosis, and all he needs to unleash the dark power of the nagataaru is the Staff and the Seal of Iramis…once he takes them from Caina’s dead hands. Yet if Caina and Callatas do not work together, they are doomed... -
![Ghost in the Ring by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Ring by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband. But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order. And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians... -
![Ghost in the Razor by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Razor by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCAINA is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. She has hindered the malevolent plans of the sinister Grand Master Callatas, but has been unable to defeat him. Callatas has slaughtered every foe who ever challenged him, and Caina may be next. CASSANDER NILAS is a ruthless magus of the brutal Umbarian Order, and seeks to destroy the Emperor... -
![Ghost in the Glass by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Glass by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina has a deadly problem. Specifically, she carries the Ring of Rasarion Yagar, a relic created by the tyrannical necromancer-king who once ruled Ulkaar. The deadly sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order wish to seize the Ring for themselves, as do the sinister priests of the ruthless Temnoti cult. And to make matters worse, the Ring is not the only powerful relic of Rasarion Yagar... -
![Flight of Sorcery and Shadow by Meg Cowley]()
Flight of Sorcery and Shadow by Meg Cowley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAedon's captivity is over when darkness descends upon the realm. The elf's only choices become escape or death—a far cry from his past fame and notoriety as a legendary thief. Lost, alone, and desperate to escape the deadly beasts now stalking him, he does not count on meeting Lief, a ranger of the woodland elves...and Aedon's natural worst enemy... -
![Dragon Emperor 12 by Eric Vall]()
Dragon Emperor 12 by Eric Vall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvan and his party continue on to the peninsula of Rahma, but an ultimatum from the king hangs over Evan’s head.If he can’t get the Lord of Atheson to swear fealty to the crown, then he has been tasked with breaking the peninsula off the continent and letting it sink to the bottom of the ocean... -
![Dragon Emperor 10 by Eric Vall]()
Dragon Emperor 10 by Eric Vall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe campaign across Rahma continues, and this time Evan and his party travel to the desert city of Kana.The lizard Demi-Human lord is quick to welcome Evan, but his stoic mage of a sister tells Evan she isn’t impressed with him.Men don’t impress her in general, so she prefers a woman’s touch, and nothing Evan can say will change her mind... -
![Magic-Scars by C.L. Schneider]()
Magic-Scars by C.L. Schneider
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey took it all: his will, his memories, his freedom, his magic. Imprisoned by his enemies, tortured and drugged to keep his magic suppressed, Ian Troy returns to a world as marred and broken as he is. Ravaged by the reign of her new High King, Draken of Langor, Mirra’kelan’s citizens live in fear. The Shinree, misled by Jem Reth’s promises, are no longer slaves, but they are far from free... -
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![Dragon Emperor 13 by Eric Vall]()
Dragon Emperor 13 by Eric Vall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvan’s royal campaign to win over the people of Rahma has taken him to the northern peninsula.And straight to the gates of the underwater city of Pullis.The Green Glass Sect is up to no good under the sea, and it’s up to Evan and his party to save the merfolk from traitors and the ever-corrupting presence of miasma... -
![The Shadow of Glory by D.C. Haenlien]()
The Shadow of Glory by D.C. Haenlien
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsScarred but Victorious.Adelheid returned to the capital of the Vuldar Empire after completing her Reginnaglar Ceremony. Armed with prestige and power, the seventh princess lays down the foundation for her rise. Although Adelheid has set her sights on the future, the past never escaped her eyes. Now, is the time for vengeance for both herself and her fallen knight.For Neun... -
![In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz]()
In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsMore Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classicTake caution ahead—Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.Lest you enter with dread.Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.Step lively, dear reader . . -
![Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto]()
Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn this action-packed finale to the House of the Dead Duology, Wren and her friends put everything they know to the test as they battle the living and the undead to save their world.Wren is still reeling from the revelation that the mother she thought was dead is actually the Corpse Queen, a ghostsmith with the terrifying power to control the undead... -
![Ghost in the Ashes by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Ashes by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCaina Amalas is a Ghost nightfighter, one of the elite agents of the Emperor of Nighmar, and she has defeated both corrupt lords and mighty sorcerers. As the Padishah of Istarinmul prepares to make peace with the Emperor, the Ghosts must keep the Padishah’s ambassador safe from assassins. But when an escaped slave begs for Caina’s help, she finds dark plots stirring in the shadows... -
![Ghost in the Surge by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Surge by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, one of the elite agents of the Emperor of Nighmar. She has defeated powerful sorcerers and corrupt lords, freed slaves and overthrown great evils. But now someone has begun slaughtering the Ghosts of the Imperial capital, and the killer is wearing her face... -
![A Throne From the Ashes by C.C. Peñaranda]()
A Throne From the Ashes by C.C. Peñaranda
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs darkness descends, two destinies will merge. But as embers fly, one may rise from the ashes.A KINGDOM…Far from the land she knows, Faythe is beckoned toward the secrets of her heritage. Through trials of her name and a challenge to her claim, does she have what it takes to rule? Faythe bears a future that haunts; Reylan harbors a past that lingers... -
![Oracle by Michelle West]()
Oracle by Michelle West
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats.Beneath the streets of Averalaan, capital city of the Essalieyan Empire, lie the three Princes of the firstborn, doomed to sleep until the end of days... -
![Ghost in the Stone by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Stone by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCaina Amalas is a Ghost nightfighter, an assassin and spy of the Emperor, and her cunning saved the city of Marsis from a brutal invasion.Now she must keep the war from becoming worse.The nobles of the Imperial city of Cyrioch plan to revolt, and assassins stalk the high lords of the Empire. Only Caina stands between the Empire and a ruinous civil war... -
![The Last Bell by Alex Lidell]()
The Last Bell by Alex Lidell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHostages. Memories. Heartbeats. The long awaited finale to the epic Power of Five story is here.The quint has finally reunited, but their stunning new discovery changes everything.Just as Lera and the males navigate their redefined future, Owalin violently ups the stakes, giving the humans one hour to hand over their kingdoms... -
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![Untolled by J.P. Valentine]()
Untolled by J.P. Valentine
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe came aboard a broken ship,To Lethis on the waves,With lies and tricks and evil spells,Their future, he would pave.Beware, oh King, the Nothing Mage,A force that pierces all,The golden bell that sings of death,‘Till lords and empires fall.In silent dark, in dead of night,He came in from the cold,And through their screams and dying gasps,The bell remained untolled... -
![Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier]()
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA brand new novel in the beloved world of Sevenwaters, a fantasy series that should appeal to "Lord of the Rings" fans (VOYA). The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, sharing a wary trust... -
![The Three Witches and The Master by Max Nowaz]()
The Three Witches and The Master by Max Nowaz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen a beautiful naked woman Eve, unexpectedly turns up at his back door, Adam, an amateur wizard, is not sure if it is his good fortune or not. The young woman has an attitude and starts bossing him around straightaway, issuing commands; which strikes Adam that she may be a practitioner of the black arts... -
![Iron Wolf by Siri Pettersen]()
Iron Wolf by Siri Pettersen
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA new series from the author of The Raven Rings trilogy - Siri Pettersen!Juva knows all about blood readers. Praised for their Sight, they are nothing but swindlers, preying on people’s fears for power and profit. Born by blood readers herself, she knows only too well, and she has vowed never to become one of them... -
![From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court by Benedict Patrick]()
From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court by Benedict Patrick
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIf you value your life, stay out of the forest. As a captive of the Owl Queen’s Court, Nascha’s life has always been one knife’s edge away from disaster. But when she is threatened for nothing more than the colour of her hair, Nascha attempts the unthinkable: escape through the dreaded Magpie King’s forest... -
![Mortal Gods by Benjamin Medrano]()
Mortal Gods by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTorn from her friends, Kitania is captured by a goddess. She can only hope that her friends have survived. Torn from the sides of her friends by angelic magic, Kitania finds herself in the mortal world once more, among those who suspect she’s a demon assassin or spy... -
![A Storm of Smoke and Flame by Marion Blackwood]()
A Storm of Smoke and Flame by Marion Blackwood
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat would you do to protect your home? Lie? Manipulate? Kill?War awaits across the sea. In order to ensure their survival, the Oncoming Storm and a band of misfits set sail for the land beyond the horizon... -
![The Emerald Crown by Michael Wallace]()
The Emerald Crown by Michael Wallace
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Nathaliey, a young wizard, is taken prisoner by marauders trying to break her will and force her to join the sorcerer’s acolytes, the last help she expects is from the griffin riders who have harassed her and her companions through the mountains... -
![Celestial Prison by Avery Song, Veronica Agnus]()
Celestial Prison by Avery Song, Veronica Agnus
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the deep shadows of the supernatural world lies a prison whose captives are organized by supernatural race, capabilities, and destructive power. The lower the level, the more lethal — and desirable — the individual. As a Nephilim at the Psychic Prison for Supernaturals, I'm banished to the depths of its lowest level, a hellhole from which few ever return... -
![Lost Towers by Angelina J. Steffort]()
Lost Towers by Angelina J. Steffort
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith evil rising, every secret can change the course of history.The curse is broken. The Fae are free. And so is Gandrett—at least to walk away from the palace at Lei’Vreah, from the King of Fae who she supposedly is in love with, from the prince who almost died in her arms.Her friends are out there, needing her help... -
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![Leaves May Fall by Carissa Hardcastle]()
Leaves May Fall by Carissa Hardcastle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen it comes to fate, where is the line between being predestined and being condemned?Merriam was born a regular girl in a mundane world. Mollian is a fae prince whose family is charged with guarding the Gate that binds every existence together. Both of their lives were forever changed when they met in the woods as children, sparking a bond in their souls deeper than either of them understood... -
![The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten]()
The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen Lore was thirteen, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the ten years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city... -
![Ghost in the Winds by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Winds by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Apotheosis has come at last, and it will shatter the world. CAINA is trapped in the ruins of an ancient necromancer's tomb. Unless she escapes the lethal trap, there will be no one to stop Grand Master Callatas from unleashing the Apotheosis. KYLON is desperate to save Caina's life... -
![Mother of Death and Dawn by Carissa Broadbent]()
Mother of Death and Dawn by Carissa Broadbent
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love? In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people’s fight for freedom grows more treacherous... -
![Barbarian Outcast by Aaron Crash]()
Barbarian Outcast by Aaron Crash
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe lands to the South are full of depraved women driven mad by forbidden sorcery. Now that sounds like fun for a barbarian from the Black Wolf Clan. The barbarians of the frozen north live to fight, drink, hunt, and screw, and Ymir is a true son of the Ax Tundra, until a demon curses him with magic... -
![Protector of the Grove by Trevor H. Cooley]()
Protector of the Grove by Trevor H. Cooley
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Jharro Grove Saga: Part Two Jhonate’s reprieve from her father has been cut short. She is forced to return home to Malaroo, bringing Justan along with her. The journey she has avoided for so long has become all the more difficult because someone wants Justan dead. The rogue horse Esmine, a mythical beast of remarkable power, has been captured by a troupe of dwarf smugglers...
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