Books like 'The Reader'
Readers who enjoyed The Reader by Traci Chee also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure high fantasy mystery military, war & conflict magic outlaws poc-mc dystopia survival
-
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.76 of 5 stars · 83 ratingsWords of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, continues the immersive fantasy epic that The Way of Kings began.Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes... -
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 97 ratingsKingdoms will collide.The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't... -
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 98 ratingsEveryone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her... -
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 76 ratingsIn Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance... -
-
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the first book in the wildly successful Mistborn trilogy, now in trade paperback. For a thousand years, ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years, the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years, the Lord Ruler reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible... -
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 102 ratingsCelaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world... -
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 97 ratingsThe Mists rule the night.The Lord Ruler owns the world.Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.He failed.For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.Yet somehow, hope survives... -
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 51 ratingsA thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed—Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch... -
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 88 ratingsThe impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler—the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years—has been vanquished... -
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 101 ratings"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown... -
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsThe Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm.” Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age epic magic paranormal political-intrigue war action-adventure -
The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsWhen Horace travels to the exotic land of Nihon- Ja, it isn't long before he finds himself pulled into a battle that is not his - but one he knows in his heart he must wage. A kingdom teeters on the edge of chaos when the Nihon-Ja emperor, a defender of the common man, is forcibly overthrown, and only Horace, Will, and his Araluen companions can restore the emperor to the throne... -
The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsFor Will and Evanlyn, freedom has never felt so fleeing.Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, the Ranger's apprentice and the princess's plan to return to Araluen is spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age epic friendship high-school magic paranormal political-intrigue -
Halt's Peril by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsThe renegade outlaw group known as the Outsiders has journeyed from kingdom to kingdom, conning the innocent out of their few valuables. Will and Halt, his mentor, are ambushed by the cult's deadly assassins when Halt is pierced by a poisoned arrow. Now Will must travel day and night in search of the one person with the power to cure Halt: Malkallam the Sorcerer...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age epic friendship magic paranormal political-intrigue survival -
-
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsHan Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her... -
The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsBracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Rangers rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chosen, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle... -
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 91 ratingsChaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold... -
The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsThe international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone! After years as a Ranger's apprentice, Will is now the protector of his first fief...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age epic friendship high-school magic paranormal political-intrigue -
Overtaken by K.F. Breene
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsReunited with her people, Shanti knows that she must make a move in order to finally put her duty to rest. But as always, Xandre is one step ahead of her.For one brief moment when she lets down her guard, Shanti falls into enemy hands. But if Xandre thought she would be a docile prisoner, he was sadly mistaken... -
The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive... -
Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsA PUPPET IS CROWNED. THE TRUE HEIR REMAINS HIDDEN. A ROGUE'S SECRET COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.War has come to Melengar and Princess Arista runs a desperate gamble when she defies her brother and hires Royce and Hadrian for a dangerous mission. As the power of the Nyphron Empire grows, so does Royce's suspicion that the wizard Esrahaddon is using the thieves as pawns in his own game... -
The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 51 ratingsHaunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own... -
The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsWhen a cult springs up in neighboring Clonmel, promising to quell the recent attacks by lawless marauders, people flock from all over to offer gold in exchange for protection. But Halt is all too familiar with this particular group, and he knows they have a less than charitable agenda... -
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsElias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival... -
-
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsThis is the way the world ends... for the last time.The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night. Alabaster Tenring – madman, world-crusher, savior – has returned with a mission: to train his successor, Essun, and thus seal the fate of the Stillness forever.It continues with a lost daughter, found by the enemy... -
The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsThe international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone!Several years have passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, first met, and Will is finally a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy?boring, even?until Lord Syron, master of a castle far in the north, is struck down by a mysterious illness...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic friendship high-school magic paranormal political-intrigue survival -
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsThey have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom... -
King of Assassins by R.J. Barker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe epic conclusion to RJ Barker's debut fantasy trilogy, set in a world ravaged by magic, featuring a cast of assassins, knights, and ambitious noblemen.Many years of peace have passed in Maniyadoc, years of relative calm for the assassin Girton Club-Foot. Even the Forgetting Plague, which ravaged the rest of the kingdoms, seemed to pass them by...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age epic magic political-intrigue action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 56 ratingsKidnapped after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue Will, and he will do anything to keep his promise–even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia... -
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBlood sings to blood, Froi . . . Those born last will make the first . . . For Charyn will be barren no more. Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper... -
Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThere's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power... -
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsA kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya... -
The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsIn the epic next chapter of Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil, everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their story.As A World Without Princes closed, the end was written and former best friends Sophie and Agatha went their separate ways... -
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsThe second novel in the Night Angel trilogy, the breakneck epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks.Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin's life. The Godking's successful coup has left Kylar's master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession... -
-
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsIn a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dystopia epic family friendship political-intrigue war action-adventure -
To Green Angel Tower, Part 2 by Tad Williams
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe evil minions of the undead Sithi Storm King are beginning their final preparations for the kingdom-shattering culmination of their dark sorceries, drawing King Elias ever deeper into their nightmarish, spell-spun world. As the Storm King’s power grows and the boundaries of time begin to blur, the loyal allies of Prince Josua struggle to rally their forces at the Stone of Farewell... -
The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsHeld captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together.Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw... -
Endsinger by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA TREMBLING EARTHThe flames of civil war sweep across the Shima Imperium. With their plans to renew the Kazumitsu dynasty foiled, the Lotus Guild unleash their deadliest creation—a mechanical goliath known as the Earthcrusher, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear... -
An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe second book in a glorious new fantasy trilogy by the next major force in commercial epic fantasy. In the wake of the devastating attack on Ilin Illan, an amnesty has been declared for all Augurs - finally allowing them to emerge from hiding and openly oppose the dark forces massing against Andarra...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic magic paranormal political-intrigue war action-adventure audiobook -
The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsOne war.Too many deadly battles.Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does... -
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsShe does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from both foreign realms and within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled... -
Soulbinder by Sebastien de Castell
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe fourth book in the page-turning SPELLSLINGER fantasy series. Kellen and his murderous squirrel cat, Reichis, are on their own. They've heard rumour of a mythical monastery, known as the Ebony Abbey. It's a place that outsiders can never find - but Kellen is getting desperate... -
Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIn GATHERING DARKNESS, book three of the New York Times bestselling Falling Kingdoms series, the stakes have never been higher as three teams push forward on a race to find the Kindred, the four elemental crystals possessing ancient all-powerful magic, first:Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces... -
Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn this stand-alone fantasy, Durst introduces an imaginative new world in which a pair of strong and determined women risk their lives battling injustice, corruption, and deadly enemies in their quest to become monster-racing champions.Life, death, and rebirth - in Becar, who you are in this life will determine your next life... -
-
A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsBeyond the Martial Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister's life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. Yet danger lurks on all sides... -
In the Realm of the Wolf by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsEnter the extraordinary, action-filled world that became Legend--as the exciting Drenai adventure continues to unfold . . .A mighty warrior and a feared assassin among the Drenai, Waylander the Slayer is now a man hunted by his own people--with a fortune in gold offered as grim reward for his murder... -
Tuyo by Rachel Neumeier
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRaised a warrior in the harsh winter country, Ryo inGara has always been willing to die for his family and his tribe. When war erupts against the summer country, the prospect of death in battle seems imminent. But when his warleader leaves Ryo as a sacrifice -- a tuyo -- to die at the hands of their enemies, he faces a fate he never imagined... -
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAfter a year at the king's palace, Miri has learned all about being a proper princess. But the tables turn when the student must become the teacher!Instead of returning to her beloved Mount Eskel, Miri is ordered to journey to a distant swamp and start a princess academy for three sisters, cousins of the royal family... -
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsGuile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live... -
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsLia has survived Venda—but so has a great evil bent on the destruction of Morrighan. And only Lia can stop it.With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.