Books like 'Villains by Necessity'
Readers who enjoyed Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure high fantasy comedy humor dragons assassins magic anti-hero epic
-
The Primal Hunter 8 by Zogarth
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEnjoying his time in the evil Order of the Malefic Viper, Jake finds himself unprepared as Earth calls…Out of nowhere, Jake gets his alchemy training interrupted as he is forced back to the first universe to deal with a sudden emergency. Earth has been invaded by another Chosen with plans that do not include a fair fight, assisted by natives unsatisfied with the status quo... -
![Peace Spawner: Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker 4 by Alvin Atwater]()
Peace Spawner: Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker 4 by Alvin Atwater
Rated: 4.73 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe adventures of Nate and company continues…An encounter with the world’s greatest threat awakens something within the potion maker…Truths of Nate and his purpose begin to manifest…One simply cannot ignore their bloodline…Things will never be the same again... -
![Bloodline by Will Wight]()
Bloodline by Will Wight
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIt’s time to go back home.In the years since Lindon left Sacred Valley, he has attained power beyond anything his family thought possible. Now he’ll have to put those powers to the test, because a Dreadgod is on its way.Lindon and his allies set out to evacuate the valley before the arrival of the Wandering Titan, but their sacred arts are weakened by an ancient curse... -
![Nautical Noobs by Ryan Rimmel]()
Nautical Noobs by Ryan Rimmel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn Jim’s absence, Zorlando has been doing a pretty good job keeping Windfall safe. He doesn’t know, and may not be equipped for, what is heading straight toward Noobtown, though... -
-
![He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon]()
He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsJason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters.It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil.He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day...Categorized as:
assassins epic humor magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure -
![This Class is Bonkers! by J.P. Valentine]()
This Class is Bonkers! by J.P. Valentine
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWith the way behind them sealed, the only way forward for Eve and her friends is down. Down the narrow steps carved into the mountain. Down into the oppressive toxic fog. Down into the Dead Fields.But the Dead Fields are not so dead as they seem. Things lurk in the mist, things far beyond the levels of Eve, Wes, Preston, and especially the hatchling Reginald. But Eve doesn't care... -
![Mimic & Me 2 by Cassius Lange, Ryan Tang]()
Mimic & Me 2 by Cassius Lange, Ryan Tang
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve escaped from a nest of backbiting nobles…only to fall into a whole city of them!The Baron Sherazad sent me as far away from Eslant as possible. Now I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere, in a nest full of enemies, with only a demented mimic and a renegade elf to watch my back.Arrdeam’s rulers are determined to keep their civilians weak and under control, but that won’t work for me... -
![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... -
![Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Talking to Dragons, Patricia Wrede, Calling on Dragons, Dealing With Dragons by Books LLC]()
Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Talking to Dragons, Patricia Wrede, Calling on Dragons, Dealing With Dragons by Books LLC
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChapters: Talking to Dragons, Patricia Wrede, Calling on Dragons, Dealing With Dragons. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge...Categorized as:
dragons humor magic paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure book children-books -
![Split the Party by Drew Hayes]()
Split the Party by Drew Hayes
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFleeing from a vengeful king has sent the former NPCs across Solium’s borders, into the kingdom of Alcatham. As wanted fugitives, they head to the small farming village of Briarwillow, hoping to blend in, lay-low, and avoid trouble at all costs. Unfortunately, Briarwillow has problems all its own, and its troubles quickly become theirs... -
![The Kingdom Razed by Dragons by Virlyce]()
The Kingdom Razed by Dragons by Virlyce
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBlue mages learn skills from beasts. This is the story of one fortunate enough to be taken in by dragons. This is a sequel to The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons... -
![Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike]()
Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsBrimming with swords, sorcery, and wit, Orconomics: A Satire introduces Arth, a world much like our own but with more magic and fewer vowels. For the licensed wizards and warriors of Arth, slaying and looting the forces of evil is just a job. The Heroes' Guild has turned adventuring into a career, selling the rights to monsters’ hoards of treasure as investment opportunities... -
![Stuff and Nonsense by Andrew Seiple]()
Stuff and Nonsense by Andrew Seiple
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 ratings"It's a wonderful book and made me so happy when I started to read it." --Whoopi Goldberg, the View Meet Threadbare. He is twelve inches tall, full of fluff, and really, really bad at being a hero. Magically animated and discarded by his maker as a failed experiment, he is saved by a little girl. But she's got problems of her own, and he might not be able to help her... -
![The Human Familiar by Honor Raconteur]()
The Human Familiar by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhile Bannen had every intention of finding adventure, being yanked through a magical portal two continents away isn’t quite what he imagined happening. For that matter, being magically bound to a mage-in-training hadn’t ever crossed his mind. Being the first human familiar ever summoned in Corcoran? Not on his to-do list... -
-
![Sew You Want to be a Hero by Andrew Seiple]()
Sew You Want to be a Hero by Andrew Seiple
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThreadbare has not had a very good time of it, recently. His little girl has been taken from him, and he must travel the kingdom, finding allies old and new, living and dead, to help him rescue Celia. Fortunately, he's got a voice now, and access to all those fun skills he couldn't use before... -
![In the Land of Leadale, Vol. 3 by Ceez]()
In the Land of Leadale, Vol. 3 by Ceez
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsNow a full-fledged adventurer, the high elf Cayna is back on the road to find the next Guardian Tower. She stops at a fishing village where there's talk of a castle at the bottom of the ocean, but she finds the village covered in a strange mist and overrun with scores of undead! After a chance reunion with one of her former guild members, Cayna has another boss battle awaiting her.. -
![Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Vol. 9 (light novel) (Konosuba by Natsume Akatsuki]()
Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Vol. 9 (light novel) (Konosuba by Natsume Akatsuki
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Demon Lord's forces are headed to Axel Town. And among them is a user of.. -
![Didn't I Say To Make My Abilities Average In The Next Life?! Light Novel Vol. 4 by FUNA]()
Didn't I Say To Make My Abilities Average In The Next Life?! Light Novel Vol. 4 by FUNA
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGoing the Extra Mile!When the Crimson Vow's newest job brings them up against not just a horde of beastmen but an elder dragon, Mile is forced to fight for her life in earnest, in what will become her greatest struggle yet! Can she dig deep and tap the combined power of her three selves to protect her... -
![Evil Overlord: The Makening by Michael McClung]()
Evil Overlord: The Makening by Michael McClung
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIf evil was easy, everybody would be doing it, and there would be more Dark Lords running around than you could shake a stick at. But the road to Utter Domination isn't easy, smooth or straight, as the boy who will one day become Gar the Pitiless will discover. He may one day rise to rule all he surveys - but first he'll have to survive a world that seems bent on his destruction...Categorized as:
anti-hero assassins humor paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult -
![Ведьма-хранительница by Ольга Громыко]()
Ведьма-хранительница by Ольга Громыко
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsКто сказал «Тяжело в учении, легко в бою»? А подать его сюда, в бой! Школа Чародеев, Пифий и Травниц закончена, но проблемы молодой дипломированной ведьмы только начинаются.Школа магов окончена. Вольху Редную ждут в Догеве, стране вампиров... -
![Iorich by Steven Brust]()
Iorich by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsHouse Jhereg, Dragaera's organized crime syndicate, is still hunting Vlad Taltos. There's a big price on his head on Draegara City. Then he hears disturbing news. Aliera--longtime friend, sometime ally--has been arrested by the Empire on a charge of practicing elder sorcery, a capital crime.It doesn't make sense. Everybody knows Aliera's been dabbling in elder sorcery for ages... -
![Phoenix by Steven Brust]()
Phoenix by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsVerra, Vlad's patron goddess, hires him to assassinate a king whose country lies outside the Dragaeran Empire, resulting in increased tension between the two places. Meanwhile, the peasant Teckla and the human Easterners persevere in their fight for civil rights... -
![Into The Abyss by J.L. Langland]()
Into The Abyss by J.L. Langland
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTurns out: "The Demon Weed" really is a Gateway Drug! Who knew?Tom Perkinje certainly didn't. He had never smoked anything in his life, but as the new kid in town trying to make friends, he'd gone to a party and had foolishly let his new buddy Reggie talk him into trying a joint that he'd picked up from a new dealer... -
![Yendi by Steven Brust]()
Yendi by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsVlad Taltos tells the story of his early days in the House Jhereg, how he found himself in a Jhereg war, and how he fell in love with the wonderful woman, Cawti, who killed him... -
-
![Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings, Leigh Eddings]()
Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings, Leigh Eddings
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsBestselling authors David and Leigh Eddings welcome readers back to the time before The Belgariad and The Malloreon series. Join them as they chronicle that fateful conflict between two mortally opposed Destinies, in a monumental war of men and kings and Gods.When the world was young and Gods still walked among their mortal children, a headstrong orphan boy set out to explore the world... -
![Верховная Ведьма by Ольга Громыко]()
Верховная Ведьма by Ольга Громыко
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChto nuzhno dlya schast'ya Verkhovnoj Ved'me samoj obychnoj doliny, naselennoj samymi obychnymi vampirami? Lyubimaya rabota? Uspeshnaya kar'era? Stepen' arkhimaga? Ili.. -
![Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings, Leigh Eddings]()
Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings, Leigh Eddings
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsShe soars above a world of warriors, kings, and priests. The daughter of Belgarath and the shape-shifter Poledra, she has fought wars, plotted palace coups, and worked her powerful magic for three thousand years. Now, Polgara looks back at her magnificent life, in this fitting crown jewel to the saga that is the Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean cycles... -
![The First Chill Of Autumn by W.R. Gingell]()
The First Chill Of Autumn by W.R. Gingell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLlassar is an occupied country– but nobody seems to know it. Fae began to filter slowly into the land shortly after the birth of the crown princess, Dion ferch Alawn, supposedly fleeing a dark threat in Faery known as the Guardians. But that was fifteen years ago, and now there isn’t a town in Llassar that isn’t populated by or under the control of the fae... -
![Broken Lords by A.F. Dery]()
Broken Lords by A.F. Dery
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAnswering the High Lord's summons, the leaders of the Union meet at his Court. Thane, Dread Lord of Eladria, is among them and eager to see justice done to his former friend-turned-adversary, Malachi, but their meeting raises more questions than answers. An unexpected catastrophe shakes his trust to its very core and he is forced to question all he once held true... -
![The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Volume 7 by Gamei Hitsuji]()
The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Volume 7 by Gamei Hitsuji
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReiji’s party meets back up with Suimei and company to discuss the various threats challenging them now. Is there a dark connection they’ve been overlooking this whole time? Either way, it’ll be hard for them to put their heads together when Suimei is still keeping secrets... -
![The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter (Light Novel) Vol. 2 by Meguru Seto]()
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter (Light Novel) Vol. 2 by Meguru Seto
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDRYAD IN DISTRESSAs a full-time student and adventurer, Noir spends his days fighting monsters, studying for exams, and flirting to power his special skills. Whenever he can, he returns to the hidden dungeon to continue his secret training... -
![Goblin Tales by Jim C. Hines]()
Goblin Tales by Jim C. Hines
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA vengeful ghost trapped in a goblin's ear ... a flaming spider who must help stop a goddess from conquering a science fiction convention ... a goblin nursery worker who finds herself trapped in the middle of a war. This collection features five humorous short stories that explore the fantasy realm from the perspective of the lowest of the low, the unlikeliest of unheroes: the goblins... -
![Vainqueur the Dragon by Maxime J. Durand]()
Vainqueur the Dragon by Maxime J. Durand
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsVainqueur Knightsbane is your average dragon: a giant, fire-breathing lizard who loves to take naps on his golden hoard, kidnap princesses for fun, and make the life of adventurers miserable. Vainqueur's only pleasure in life is to watch his treasure get bigger, one coin at a time... -
![Spellweaver by Lynn Kurland]()
Spellweaver by Lynn Kurland
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author returns to the Nine Kingdoms for another spellbinding story of magical romance. Ruith had long managed to ignore the magic in his veins, until aiding Sarah with her ill-fated quest forced him into places where his heritage was impossible to deny... -
-
![After the Rabbit by Nelson Chereta]()
After the Rabbit by Nelson Chereta
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWaldo Rabbit is back. He and his two companions are on their way to Norwich in search of Waldo’s third and final familiar. Meanwhile, they are being pursued by Waldo’s grandfather, the archlich, as well as by Melissa the White Mage. Waldo is both the hunter and the hunted. Can he find his last familiar before his enemies can find him? It looks like everyone is after the rabbit... -
![The Warlock in Spite of Himself by Christopher Stasheff]()
The Warlock in Spite of Himself by Christopher Stasheff
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBack in Print: the novel that launched the epic Warlock series. In an interstellar romp that proves science and sorcery can mix, only hard-headed realist Rod Gallowglass can save the people of Gramarye from their doom by becoming--The Warlock in Spite of Himself--if only he believed in magic... -
![Hit or Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin]()
Hit or Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe apprentice Skeeve is just getting used to his duties as Court Magician of Possiltum. Then King Roderick decides to take a powder, leaving Skeeve in his place to marry his homicidal fiancee and face the Mob's fairy godfather-who makes him an offer he can't refuse... -
![Myth Directions by Robert Lynn Asprin]()
Myth Directions by Robert Lynn Asprin
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe beautiful Tanda wants the Trophy--and it's up to Skeeve to get it for her. The problem is, getting it will take more than luck. It will take all Skeeve's unproven magical talents, a scaly but clever Pervect, and a charming demon not above a little interdimensional thievery... -
![Another Fine Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin]()
Another Fine Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsSkeeve was a magician's apprentice--until an assassin struck and his master was killed. Now, with a purple-tongued demon named Aahz as a companion, he's on a quest to get even... -
![The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust]()
The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsA thousand years before the birth of Vlad Taltos, the Dragaeran Empire is a hotbed of intrigue, sorcery, intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, and intrigue. For those who would be heroes, it is a delightful time to be alive--and an easy place to die.Khaavren of the House of Tiassa is a son of landless nobility, possessor of a good sword and "tolerably well acquainted with its use... -
![Myth Conceptions by Robert Lynn Asprin]()
Myth Conceptions by Robert Lynn Asprin
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsRobert Asprin’s classic fantasy, now available in eBook!With cover and interior illustrations by Phil Foglio!A Myth-Adventure in Combat ... Having defeated the mad wizard, Isstvan, Skeeve and Aahz have taken over the remote inn that was the enemy’s hideout... -
![NPCs by Drew Hayes]()
NPCs by Drew Hayes
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsWhat happens when the haggling is done and the shops are closed? When the quest has been given, the steeds saddled, and the adventurers are off to their next encounter? They keep the world running, the food cooked, and the horses shoed, yet what adventurer has ever spared a thought or concern for the Non-Player Characters?In the town of Maplebark, four such NPCs settle in for a night of actively... -
![The Rabbit Great and Terrible by Nelson Chereta, Gary Furlong]()
The Rabbit Great and Terrible by Nelson Chereta, Gary Furlong
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTorikai is the Golden City, the City of Ruin and Fortune, and a place where you can find almost anything... for the right price. Waldo and company arrive looking for information. What they find is a suspicious mage guild, a delusional queen, an entire city awash in greed and deception, and an old acquaintance who is VERY happy to see him again... -
![The Wurms of Blearmouth by Steven Erikson]()
The Wurms of Blearmouth by Steven Erikson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA new novella from New York Times bestselling author Steven Erikson, set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Wurms of Blearmouth.Tyranny comes in many guises, and tyrants thrive in palaces and one-room hovels, in back alleys and playgrounds. Tyrants abound on the verges of civilization, where disorder frays the rule of civil conduct and propriety surrenders to brutal imposition... -
-
![Rabbit the Barbarian by Nelson Chereta]()
Rabbit the Barbarian by Nelson Chereta
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt last! Waldo, Alice, and Gronk have arrived at World's End and located a dragon! What once seemed absolutely impossible is now nearly within reach. With determination to get either a dragon's egg or a dragon Waldo sets out. He is soon face to face with the red dragon Luna and she is... not quite what he expected... -
![False Idols by Jon Hollins]()
False Idols by Jon Hollins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGuardians of the Galaxy meets The Hobbit in this rollicking fantasy adventure series. The Dragons who once ruled over the land are dead.The motley crew that stumbled through that revolution are rich and praised as saviors.Everyone gets to live happily ever after, right?Right?Well, it might have worked out that way if the dragons in Kondorra had been the only ones... -
![Conqueror by Isaac Hooke]()
Conqueror by Isaac Hooke
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMalem has joined the forces of good and wages war against the vast host of Vorgon, the Balor who has come to destroy the world. Malem has four beautiful women fighting at his side, one of them a former general of Vorgon's army--a night elf tamed by his unique skill. He also has a few hill giants and other monsters ready to follow him to the gates of hell itself. But it's not enough... -
![The Dragon Squisher by Scott McCormick]()
The Dragon Squisher by Scott McCormick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMeet Nigel: digger of latrines, shoveler of poop, and the single greatest threat to all the humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings of Esteria... -
![Bad Faith by Jon Hollins]()
Bad Faith by Jon Hollins
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWill and his comrades went to war to overthrow the reign of dragons, winning battle after battle, and acclaim as conquering heroes.But now they've angered the gods, and may just need the dragons to help them this time.. -
![Fire and Sword by Dylan Doose]()
Fire and Sword by Dylan Doose
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThree men condemned to die: Aldous Weaver, a lonely heretic monk turned sorcerer, is imprisoned for accidentally incinerating the leader of his order. Kendrick the Cold, an infamous crusader turned fugitive, is a villain who knows he can never be a hero. Theron Ward, an aristocrat with a penchant for slaughtering monsters, is a legend in his own mind...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
