Books like 'Shadows Linger'
Readers who enjoyed Shadows Linger by Glen Cook also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy dark fantasy high fantasy grimdark action / adventure horror mystery 20th-century violent-conflict
-
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 56 ratingsMia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she's far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she's no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she's told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits... -
![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... -
![The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan]()
The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsThe hounds at our heels will soon know we are lionsTamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements... -
![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 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...Categorized as:
20th-century dark epic heroic-fantasy historical magic sword-sorcery violent-conflict -
![Nevernight by Jay Kristoff]()
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsIn a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life... -
![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...Categorized as:
20th-century dark epic heroic-fantasy historical magic sword-sorcery violent-conflict -
![The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe]()
The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAlternative cover editions for this ISBN exist here and here.Beneath the dying sun the disgraced torturer, Severian, at last comes to his place of exile - Thrax, the city of Windowless Rooms.But Severian's journey is not ended, and high in Earth's ancient mountains he draws closer to his destiny... -
![Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas Lietzau]()
Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas Lietzau
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIf your mind is the enemy, where do you run?Years after a harrowing war experience, ex-mercenary Jespar Dal'Varek has taken to drifting. It's a lonely existence, but, barring the occasional bout of melancholia, he has found the closest thing to peace a man like him deserves. Life is "all right."Or so he believes... -
![The Blind Dragon: A Tale from the Canon of Tarn by Peter Fane]()
The Blind Dragon: A Tale from the Canon of Tarn by Peter Fane
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"There we are," Anna whispered. The dragon foal went still at her voice. Then it snorted and swiveled its snout towards her. Its eyes were still shut. Its tail quivered and its nostrils flared. A menacing growl rose from its chest. "Easy there," Anna said gently. "Easy." She placed her palm on its forehead, applying calm pressure between its eyes... -
![The Son of the Morning by Jacob Peppers]()
The Son of the Morning by Jacob Peppers
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFifty years ago, the nightwalkers appeared, creatures of shadow and darkness, thirsting for blood and death. Thousands died and the kingdom of Entarna was brought to its knees. Then the Chosen came, six men and women endowed with powers by Amedan, the God of Fire and Light. The Chosen joined with the kingdom’s armies and together they managed to defeat the night’s creatures. At least for a time... -
![The Pariah by Anthony Ryan]()
The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsBorn into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army... -
![Dreams of Steel by Glen Cook]()
Dreams of Steel by Glen Cook
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsCroaker has fallen and, following the Company's disastrous defeat at Dejagore, Lady is one of the few survivors--determined to avenge the Company and herself against the Shadowmasters, no matter what the cost... -
-
![She is the Darkness by Glen Cook]()
She is the Darkness by Glen Cook
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe wind whines and howls with bitter breath. Lightning snarls and barks. Rage is an animate force upon the plain of glittering stone. Even shadows are afraid.At the heart of the plain stands a vast grey stronghold, unknown, older than any written memory. One ancient tower has collapsed across the fissure... -
![Water Sleeps by Glen Cook]()
Water Sleeps by Glen Cook
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsRegrouping in Taglios, the surviving members of the Black Company are determined to free their fellow warriors held in stasis beneath the glittering plain. Journey there under terrible conditions, they arrive just in time for a magical conflagration in which the bones of the world will be revealed, the history of the Company unveiled, and new world gained and lost...all at a terrible price... -
![Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence]()
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister—unseen by most and unspoken of by all... -
![The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan]()
The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling Raven’s Shadow Trilogy was a perfect read for “fans of broadscale epic fantasy along the lines of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels.”* Now, Anthony Ryan begins a new saga, The Draconis Memoria...Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes... -
![A Dance of Mirrors by David Dalglish]()
A Dance of Mirrors by David Dalglish
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author David DalglishOne has conquered a city. The other covets an entire nation. In book #3 of the Shadowdance series, Haern is the King's Watcher, protector against thieves and nobles who would fill the night with blood. Yet hundreds of miles away, an assassin known as the Wraith has begun slaughtering those in power, leaving the symbol of the Watcher in mockery... -
![Cry Havoc by Mike Morris]()
Cry Havoc by Mike Morris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey say when the demons come, you either fight or you die. The Black Dogs know this all too well. For three hundred years, the warrior priests have sacrificed their lives to keep the island nation of Abios safe from the flesh-eating Nostros, while the rest of the world fell under the demons’ savagery. However, an armada now stands poised to invade mankind’s last bastion... -
![SunRider by Rafael Hohmann]()
SunRider by Rafael Hohmann
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMagic pieces of armor have begun to rain from Lenova's skies, granting men God-like powers. Mountains move, lightning bends to command, and a man's future can be written in a book before it has even happened. In all this emerging chaos, teenage Finn SunRider holds only the simple goal of escaping his enslavement and exploring the world he lives in... -
![The Dark Defiles by Richard K. Morgan]()
The Dark Defiles by Richard K. Morgan
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe final part of Richard Morgan's fast-moving and brutal fantasy brings Ringil to his final reckoning and sees the world tipping into another war with the dragon folk. And, most terrifying of all, the prophecy of a dark lord come to rule may be coming true very close to home .. -
![Priest of Bones by Peter McLean]()
Priest of Bones by Peter McLean
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe war is over, and army priest Tomas Piety heads home with Sergeant Bloody Anne at his side. But things have changed while he was away: his crime empire has been stolen and the people of Ellinburg--his people--have run out of food and hope and places to hide. Tomas sets out to reclaim what was his with help from Anne, his brother, Jochan, and his new gang: the Pious Men... -
![Riddle in Stone by Robert Evert]()
Riddle in Stone by Robert Evert
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA debut novel of epic fantasy featuring an unlikely hero and his life-changing adventure from the author of the Quests of the Kings Trilogy. Long after the last of the great heroes of old has died, the Undead King is stirring again, amassing a goblin horde ready to sweep out of the mountains and destroy all of humanity... -
-
![Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman]()
Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsOn the distant world of Erna, four people--Priest, Adept, Sorcerer, and Apprentice--are drawn together to battle the forces of evil, led by the demonic fae, a soul-destroying force that preys on the human mind... -
![Bleak Seasons by Glen Cook]()
Bleak Seasons by Glen Cook
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 32 ratings"Let me tell you who I am, on the chance that these scribblings do survive....I am Murgen, Standard bearer of the Black Company, though I bear the shame of having lost that standard in battle. I am keeping these Annals because Croaker is dead. One-Eye won't, and hardly anyone else can read or write... -
![Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman]()
Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe dark and mesmerizing "Magister" saga continues... "Wings of Wrath" is the second novel in C. S. Friedman's "Magister" trilogy?a true high fantasy replete with vampire-style magic, erotic action, war, treachery, sorcerous danger, and one of the most terrifying dragon-like creatures in fantasy... -
![I Know Not by James Daniel Ross]()
I Know Not by James Daniel Ross
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeing a bastard is sometimes a survival trait.I am not a bad man. Well, I must be honest with myself: I don’t try to be a bad man. It just seems to… happen.I woke up in a castle populated by corpses. Devoid of past or present, bereft of even a name, so I must be honest with myself.I discovered I am a wizard with a blade, silent as the wind, and as deadly as a forest fire... -
![Blood Follows by Steven Erikson]()
Blood Follows by Steven Erikson
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAll is not well in Lamentable Moll. A sinister, diabolical killer stalks the port city's narrow, barrow-humped streets, and panic grips the citizens like a fever. Emancipor Reese is no exception, and indeed, with his legendary ill luck, it's worse for him than for most. Not only was his previous employer the unknown killer's latest victim, but Emancipor is out of work... -
![The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock]()
The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsJohn Daker dreams of other worlds, and a name: Erekosë. He finds the strength to answer the call, travelling to a strange land ruled by the aging King Rigenos of Necranal. Humanity is united in a desperate fight against the inhuman Eldren, and he must fight with them. But the actions of his brethren turns his loyalties, and as Erekosë he will take a terrible revenge...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy historical military sword-sorcery violent-conflict action-adventure -
![Rogues by George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie]()
Rogues by George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIf you’re a fan of fiction that is more than just black and white, this latest story collection from #1 New York Times bestselling author George R.R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois is filled with subtle shades of gray... -
![The Last Sacrifice by James A. Moore]()
The Last Sacrifice by James A. Moore
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSince time began, the Grakhul – immortal servants of the gods – have taken human sacrifices to keep the world in balance and the gods appeased. When the choose the family of warrior Brogan McTyre, everything changes. Brogan begins the toughest battle of his life to free his family from their terrible fate. But when you challenge the gods, you challenge the very fabric of society...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy military sword-sorcery violent-conflict action-adventure adult -
![The Black Company by Glen Cook]()
The Black Company by Glen Cook
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsSome feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead. Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her.. -
![The Dragon in the Sword by Michael Moorcock]()
The Dragon in the Sword by Michael Moorcock
Rated: 3.84 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe third novel in the History of John Daker, The Eternal Champion...Categorized as:
classics dark epic heroic-fantasy military sword-sorcery violent-conflict action-adventure -
-
![Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene]()
Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene
Rated: 3.59 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsYron the moon god died, but now he's reborn in the false king's son. His human father wanted to kill him, but his mother sacrificed her life to save him. He'll return one day to claim his birthright. He'll change your life. He'll change everything. Smiler's Fair: the great moving carnival where any pleasure can be had, if you're willing to pay the price... -
![Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence]()
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Rated: 3.76 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsBefore the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother's tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse... -
![Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson]()
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
Rated: 3.72 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsHe called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever because he dared not believe in the strange alternate world in which he suddenly found himself.Yet the Land tempted him. He had been sick; now he seemed better than ever before. Through no fault of his own, he had been outcast, unclean, a pariah... -
![The Vagrant by Peter Newman]()
The Vagrant by Peter Newman
Rated: 3.66 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe Vagrant is his name. He has no other. Friendless and alone he walks across a desolate, war-torn landscape, carrying nothing but a kit-bag, a legendary sword and a baby. His purpose is to reach the Shining City, last bastion of the human race, and deliver the sword, the only weapon that may make a difference in the ongoing war... -
![The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe]()
The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
Rated: 3.62 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe Shadow of the Torturer is the first volume in the four-volume series, The Book of the New Sun. It is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession - showing mercy toward his victim - and follows his subsequent journey out of his home city of Nessus... -
![The Last Four Things by Paul Hoffman]()
The Last Four Things by Paul Hoffman
Rated: 3.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe epic story of Thomas Cale-introduced so memorably in "The Left Hand of God"--continues as the Redeemers use his prodigious gifts to further their sacred goal: the extinction of humankind and the end of the world. To the warrior-monks known as the Redeemers, who rule over massive armies of child slaves, "the last four things" represent the culmination of a faithful life. Death. Judgement... -
![Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James]()
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Rated: 3.44 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIn the first novel in Marlon James's Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
