Books like 'Descent Unto Dark'
Readers who enjoyed Descent Unto Dark by Ben Hale also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure mystery supernatural military, war & conflict high fantasy magic witches-wizards fae demons
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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]()
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]()
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]()
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... -
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![Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson]()
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]()
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... -
![The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson]()
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 88 ratingsWho is the Hero of Ages? To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness—the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists—is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed... -
![The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima]()
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]()
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]()
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... -
![First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher]()
First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsFor Gaius Octavian, life has been one long battle. Now, the end of all he fought for is close at hand. The brutal, dreaded Vord are on the march against Alera. And perhaps for the final time, Gaius Octavian and his legions must stand against the enemies of his people. And it will take all his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness...Categorized as:
epic magic paranormal sword-sorcery war witches-wizards action-adventure alternate-history -
![Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner]()
Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making, conclusion to the New York Times–bestselling Queen’s Thief series, by Megan Whalen Turner. This beloved and award-winning series began with the acclaimed novel The Thief... -
![The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima]()
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... -
![Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie]()
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsSuperior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It’s enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country...Categorized as:
epic magic sword-sorcery war witches-wizards 21st-century action-adventure anti-hero -
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![Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher]()
Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 55 ratingsIn his acclaimed Codex Alera novels, bestselling author Jim Butcher has created a fascinating world in which the powerful forces of nature take physical form. For millennia, the people of Alera have used their unique bond with these elementals for protection. Now, as enemies become allies, and friends become bitter foes, a danger beyond reckoning looms. . .Categorized as:
epic magic paranormal sword-sorcery war witches-wizards action-adventure alternate-history -
![Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher]()
Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThe power-hungry High Lord of Kalare has launched a rebellion against the aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus, who with the loyal forces of Alera must fight beside the unlikeliest of allies-the equally contentious High Lord of Aquitaine...Categorized as:
epic magic paranormal sword-sorcery war witches-wizards action-adventure alternate-history -
![Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas]()
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... -
![Overtaken by K.F. Breene]()
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... -
![Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie]()
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsThe end is coming. Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him but it's going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the King of the Northmen still stands firm, and there's only one man who can stop him. His oldest friend, and his oldest enemy. It's past time for the Bloody-Nine to come home... -
![Invasion by K.F. Breene]()
Invasion by K.F. Breene
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe Hunter was not trained to admit defeat.With the title of Chosen secured, Shanti and Cayan must look to the next steps in ripping back their freedom from the most deadly tyrant in the land. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones with an agenda.Without mental power to defend themselves, the Westwood Lands are trapped within their own walls... -
![Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski]()
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times... -
![The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas]()
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... -
![The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima]()
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... -
![Crown of Crystal Flame by C.L. Wilson]()
Crown of Crystal Flame by C.L. Wilson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA Song of Love won her heart.A Song of Darkness haunted her soul.A Song in the Dance would seal her fate.Seers had long foreseen an extraordinary destiny for Ellysetta Baristani. Already she had won the heart of the Fey King—the magnificent Rain, ever her ally, eternally her love. She had saved the offspring of the magical tairen and fought beside her legendary mate against the armies of Eld... -
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![Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher]()
Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsFor centuries, the people of Alera have relied on the power of the furies to protect them from outside invaders. But the gravest threat might be closer than they think.Tavi has escaped the Calderon Valley and the mysterious attack of the Marat on his homeland... -
![A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir]()
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... -
![Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw]()
Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsWinner 2016 Readers' Favourite Award for Epic FantasyWinner 2015 LYRA Award for Sci-Fi/FantasyWinner 2015 CIPA EVVY Award for Fiction/FantasyWinner 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award for FantasyWinner 2016 Audible Best Fantasy AudiobookRunner-up 2016 IPPY Awards and 2015 Great Midwest Book Festival for Sci-Fi/Fantasy#1 Bestseller in Epic, Historical and Coming of Age Fantasy... -
![Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks]()
Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsA new queen has usurped the throne and is leading Cenaria into disaster. The country has become a broken realm with a threadbare army, little food and no hope. So Kylar Stern plans to reinstate his closest friend Logan as King, but can he really get away with murder?In the north, the Godking's death has thrown Khalidor into civil war... -
![The Tower of the Swallow by Andrzej Sapkowski]()
The Tower of the Swallow by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThe world has fallen into war. Ciri, the child of prophecy, has vanished. Hunted by friends and foes alike, she has taken on the guise of a petty bandit and lives free for the first time in her life. But the net around her is closing. Geralt, the Witcher, has assembled a group of allies determined to rescue her. Both sides of the war have sent brutal mercenaries to hunt her down... -
![The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan]()
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... -
![Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan, Marc Simonetti]()
Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan, Marc Simonetti
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsA Goodreads Choice Award Nomination for Best Fantasy Novel of 2017 The gods have been proven mortal and new heroes will arise as the battle continues in the sequel to Age of Myth--from the author of the Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles series.In Age of Myth, fantasy master Michael J. Sullivan launched readers on an epic journey of magic and adventure, heroism and betrayal, love and loss... -
![Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson]()
Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsIn the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends... -
![Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks]()
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... -
![Lady of Light and Shadows by C.L. Wilson]()
Lady of Light and Shadows by C.L. Wilson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsShe feared the dark visions and the magic within her. And she dreamed of the miraculous love that could save her.Like an enchanted fairy tale prince he stepped from the sky to claim her—the Fey King, her destiny, her one and true love.But behind the mesmerizing beauty of Rain’s violet eyes Ellysetta saw the passionate hunger of the beast . . -
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![Queen of Song and Souls by C.L. Wilson]()
Queen of Song and Souls by C.L. Wilson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsTwo lovers, two hearts, one soul.Only joined can they be truly complete.Only joined can they survive the darkness.The Fey King Rain and his truemate Ellysetta share a passionate love unrivaled in the history of their world—and a forbidden power that made them outcasts from the Fading Lands... -
![The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart]()
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsFifth century Britain is a country of chaos and division after the Roman withdrawal. This is the world of young Merlin, the illegitimate child of a South Wales princess who will not reveal to her son his father's true identity. Yet Merlin is an extraordinary child, aware at the earliest age that he possesses a great natural gift - the Sight... -
![Endsinger by Jay Kristoff]()
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... -
![The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken]()
The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsGemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side... -
![A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist]()
A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsA Darkness at Sethanon is the stunning climax to Raymond E. Feist's brilliant epic fantasy trilogy, the Riftwar Saga. Here be dragons and sorcery, swordplay, quests, pursuits, intrigues, stratagems, journeys to the darkest realms of the dead and titanic battles between the forces of good and darkest evil... -
![Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen]()
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... -
![A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir]()
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... -
![King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence]()
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsThe second book in the Broken Empire series, Lawrence takes his young anti-hero one step closer to his grand ambition.To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake... -
![The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski]()
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher Geralt is a witcher: guardian of the innocent; protector of those in need; a defender, in dark times, against some of the most frightening creatures of myth and legend. His task, now, is to protect Ciri... -
![His Fairy Share by Meghan Maslow]()
His Fairy Share by Meghan Maslow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Why does this always happen to us?” Quinn Broomsparkle, wizard extraordinaireSix months have passed since wizard Quinn Broomsparkle left behind his indentured servant shackles. He’s in love with his half-dragon/half-fairy familiar, Twig Starfig. He’s got a home. Friends. A job. And a father-in-law he could do without. A pretty close to perfect life... -
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![The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan]()
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsThe Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again...Categorized as:
epic magic paranormal sword-sorcery war witches-wizards 20th-century action-adventure -
![First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain]()
First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsGHOSTLY RIDERSKarigan G'ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia's elite magical messengers... -
![Wayfarer's Keep by T.A. White]()
Wayfarer's Keep by T.A. White
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBranded a traitor by her people, Shea and her warlord—the fiercely dangerous Fallon—travel to the Pathfinders’ seat of power at her father’s request, hoping to form an alliance despite the distrust between them. It doesn’t take long before Shea and Fallon realize something is dangerously wrong in the place she once called home... -
![The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale]()
The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world... -
![Dragon Bonds by Ava Richardson]()
Dragon Bonds by Ava Richardson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Darkening has risen... Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom... -
![Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder]()
Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsLaying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos...
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