Books like 'Shadows Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology'
Readers who enjoyed Shadows Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology by Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler & Dan Wells also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy horror high fantasy epic magic paranormal
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The Silent Tempest by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe story of the first Illeniel wizard continues. Tyrion’s life among the She’Har had become quiet, but the sins of his youth have returned to haunt him. The Mordan wardens have discovered one of his children, and the other groves are racing to find and claim the rest of his illegitimate offspring... -
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... -
What Lies Beyond by Edward W. Robertson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe White Lich has conquered Mallon and smashed all resistance to him. Now, he marches on the north. Within weeks, Narashtovik will fall to his armies. Gask will follow. And after that, there can be no stopping him. Dante and Blays have a single hope of victory: the Spear of Stars, the long-lost weapon that may be capable of killing the lich. There's just one problem... -
The Light of Life by Edward W. Robertson
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter a year of fighting across three different lands, Dante and Blays have finally brought Gladdic to justice—and in the process, they've unleashed a horror beyond all reckoning.The enemy is known as the White Lich. He is ancient. He is immensely powerful. And Gladdic believes he will soon enslave all of Tanar Atain... -
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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
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... -
Betrayer's Bane by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTyrion was a good person who had been born to a simple family and raised with love, but the world has shaped him for a different fate. Twisted by violence and torture, he is obsessed with a relentless desire for vengeance, and he has sown the seeds of wrath in his children... -
The Primal Hunter by Zogarth
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOn just another average day, Jake finds himself in a forest filled with monsters, dangers, and opportunity...It was a day like any other when suddenly the world changed. The universe reached a threshold humanity didn’t even know existed, and it was time to finally be integrated into the vast multiverse. A place where power is the only thing anyone can truly rely on... -
Battle by Michelle West
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
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... -
The Warring Son by Bryce O'Connor
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratings**Book 2 in the Top 10 Bestselling Epic Fantasy series on Amazon** Raz i'Syul Arro is a hunted man. To the south, the Mahsadën of Miropa are gone. The šef lay dead, slain at Raz's own hands, their cruel will ripped from the shadows of the city... -
The Mountains Rise by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom the dark depths of the past, comes the tale of the first wizard of Illeniel. Daniel Tennick lived simply, a young shepherd with few troubles and little to occupy his mind, until the warden appeared. Daniel’s power awakens, and he finds himself hunted by the servants of the cruel and uncaring forest gods... -
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... -
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... -
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The Gathering by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsScarred by a brutal past, she has sworn to help those in need.As one of the Hundred, Yvonne cannot ignore a plea for help, even if all she wants is a quiet life, somewhere safe for her adopted children to grow into adulthood.Safety is in short supply. Young people, some of them children, are going missing in large numbers, leaving bewildered and grieving families behind... -
Dragon Rising 1 by Dante King
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJohn Devonte knows women and wargear. And now he gets to combine the two. All in the name of saving the world.John Devonte looked to the outskirts of the Draconic Empire for refuge. After adventuring for the past two decades, hunting monsters and collecting coin, he thought the town of Vismuth would provide some solace.Except what he discovered there was the beginning of the end... -
Crown of Nightmares by Sylvia Mercedes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWho will live?Who will die?Who will be changed . . . forever?Separated from the Evanderians, Ayleth finds herself alone in the malevolent Witchwood.Or perhaps not entirely alone . . .Confronted with the reality of her living grandmother, Ayleth soon learns that the horrors once ascribed to Dread Odile’s name and legend may not be entirely true... -
God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn outcast magician must risk his body and mind to save the world from horrifying demons, in the heart-pounding epic fantasy sequel to The Traitor God.Tyrant magus Edrin Walker destroyed the monster sent by the Skallgrim, but not before it laid waste to Setharis, and infested their magical elite with mind-controlling parasites... -
Black Talon by Jaime Castle, Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKullen is the Emperor’s assassin. The sharp hand of justice. The Black Talon.Gifted a soul-forged bond with his dragon, Umbris, Kullen is tasked with hunting any and all who oppose the Empire.But when the secretive Crimson Fang murders two noblemen before his very eyes, Kullen must discover the truth of who they are and what they want... -
The Iron Circlet by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe war for the soul of the Ascendant Empire is coming to a head. Factions with fell intent move to undermine or destroy that which has stood for centuries, while armies muster promising slaughter.In this time of desperation, old enemies find common ground. Ancient truths emerge to shatter long held beliefs... -
The White Song by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe White Song is the final installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series.The hour of reckoning is at hand. The skies darken with the forces of the enemy while the hopes of the armies of the light dwindle to but a candle flame. Morals, compunctions, oaths - all must be set aside, every sacrifice made, every advantage and ally sought if there is to be any chance for survival... -
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... -
Rage of Lions by Curtis Jobling
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA ruined kingdom, an avenging king . . . and a hero's destiny After discovering he's the long-lost son of the murdered Wolf King and leading a revolt against the tyrant King Leopold the Lion, Drew Ferran must rule over a kingdom in disarray. But the former shepherd has mixed feelings about taking his place on the throne... -
Siege and Sacrifice by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSandis has finally freed herself from her master and his plans to use her as a vessel for the ancient beast Kolosos. But her master has found a new, impossible vessel: Sandis’s brother, Anon—a brother she long thought dead.Kolosos is ancient, massive, and seemingly unbeatable. Fortunately, Sandis has her own monster—an ethereal fire horse that she can summon at will... -
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The Unforgiven by Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“In every person there is a bit of barbarian waiting to be unleashed. A moment when one must decide what one is willing to accept. Death, defeat, or allow one’s carnal rage to take control and consequences be damned.” Skharr DeathEaterA lone DeathEater has forsaken his clan. Leaving behind his previous life, Skharr starts building a future next to a dangerous forest in an unknown land... -
The Defiance of Vim by C.J. Aaron
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFree from the clutches of the kingdom, yet slaves to fate.Ryl, the phrenics, and their meager army make for the security of the Erlyn Woods. As the cost of freedom continues to mount, their hold remains tenuous at best. New additions to their army present unexpected complications and danger. Choices that will define the future of Damaris hang in the balance... -
Behemoth by Trevor H. Cooley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPart Six of the Jharro Grove Saga and the latest chapter in the acclaimed Bowl of Souls Series, a continuing action-filled fantasy series set in a world of magic, mystery, and monsters! THE FINALE OF THE JHARRO GROVE SAGA The Behemoth was created a thousand years ago, its body stretching for miles under Malaroo’s swamplands turning them into a dangerous and uninhabitable place... -
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... -
The Reaper by Melissa K. Roehrich
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBefore he was the Fire Court Third, he was the Reaper.And before he was the Reaper, he was her Ash Rider.Moranna. The Baroness of a colony hidden away on the Southern Islands. She works tirelessly to keep some of the most powerful Fae of the realm safe from those who seek to use them for their gifts.Or that's what Rayner has always believed... -
The Spectral Blaze by Richard Lee Byers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAoth and the Brotherhood of the Griffon have succeeded in rescuing Tchazzar, the lost king of Chessenta and a formidable red dragon, and are rewarded with a contract to aid in his war with a powerful dracolich... -
Sacrifice by Tara Maya
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReviews"I was enchanted by Initiate, drawn into a world that felt as comfortably recognizable and uniquely untried as Narnia, Hogwarts orMiddle Earth."--Casee Marie, The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower"Wow. Holy smoking wow. This is one of the few books I've read that I canhonestly say was totally, 100% original.... However, as unique as it is, it was insanely easy to slip into the story.. -
Blaze The Ice Dragon by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe volcano at Stonewin is frozen over and the lands are blasted with a deadly cold. This is the work of Blaze the Ice Dragon, sent by wicked Wizard Malvel to thwart Tom's quest to save his father... -
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... -
Fae Heir by Lucía Ashta
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWin the trials, earn a crown—or fail and lose everything. The heir of Embermere has unexpectedly died, and now a new prince and princess must be crowned. I’ve been hiding out with the dragons, but then mysterious fae show up at the dragons’ stronghold and abduct me at the King’s command. The royals of Embermere are hosting the Fae Heir Trials to find their successors... -
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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... -
Reckoning by Megg Jensen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTressa’s journey to Desolation ended in tragedy. After losing someone close to her, she retreats to the Charred Barrens, hiding underground and wallowing in self-pity… until prophesy rains blood upon the Dragonlands. Alone, Tressa embarks on a quest to heal all that have been hurt and defeat the enemy for good... -
Queen of Poison by Sylvia Mercedes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBetrayal surrounds her.Doom beckons her.Yet she will hunt one last time.Captured, heartbroken, shackled in torturous iron mittens that keep her shade deeply suppressed, Ayleth knows Fendrel keeps her alive for one purpose: She is his only remaining weapon against the resurrected Dread Odile. Once her task is complete, she will be executed. It’s as simple as that... -
Chasers of the Wind by Alexey Pehov
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCenturies after the disastrous War of the Necromancers, the Nabatorians, aligned with the evil necromancers of Sdis, mount an invasion of the Empire. Luk, a soldier, and Ga-Nor, a Northern barbarian, are thrown together as they attempt to escape the Nabatorian hordes and find their way back to their comrades... -
Child of the Flames by D.W. Hawkins
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Red Swords came with the sunrise and took everything Shawna Llewan held dear. Her family massacred, her home destroyed, she escapes with nothing but her mother’s heirloom and the desire for vengeance. When she’s found by Dormael, a Warlock of the Conclave, she learns that her mother’s keepsake—the reason her family was killed—holds the power to unleash boundless destruction... -
Desolation by Megg Jensen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTressa's army won the battle, but at a terrible cost. So many lives lost. So many lovers torn asunder. And that was just the beginning. An ancient beast rumbles beneath the Dragonlands, thirsting for blood. Dragon blood. Setting aside her heartbreak, Tressa ventures beyond the Dragonlands to the mysterious realm of Desolation, searching for allies and answers... -
The Dark Citadel: The Complete Series by Michael Wallace
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter Darik is sold into slavery upon the collapse of his family’s fortunes, he vows to escape to freedom in the barbarian lands over the western mountains. The city is under threat from a sorcerer and his armies, and Darik plans to use the chaos to escape... -
Wasteland by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRICHARD'S GAZE TRACED ALL OF THE PASSAGEWAYS, THE ROOMS, THE CIRCULAR HALLS, THE DEAD ENDS, THE ENTRAPMENTS, THE LATERAL ROUTES, THE COMPLEX OF TWINNED AND TRIPLED PASSAGEWAYS, CHECKING, HOPING HE WAS WRONG.HE WASN'T."WE'RE IN TROUBLE," HE SAID.Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell are fighting on all fronts... -
A Sliver of Redemption by David Dalglish
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFantasy author David Dalglish continues his series of the half-orc brothers, whose struggles have bathed the land of Dezrel in demon fire…------Book Description:The war god Thulos marches across the world of Dezrel, recruiting soldiers into his demon army and annihilating all who stand against him... -
The Siege of Abythos by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLady Iskra and her followers have survived the onslaught of demons, forged powerful alliances, and are finally ready to wreck righteous vengeance on the Ascendant Empire. Yet even as they begin their endgame, a new danger arises that threatens to annihilate everything in its path, heretic or no: Tharok, the greatest peril to humanity since Ogri the Destroyer... -
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Wit'ch Star by James Clemens
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe three deadly Weirgates are destroyed, but the threat of the Dark Lord remains. And so Elena and her companions have gone their separate ways to prepare for what is yet to come. Elena herself has journeyed to the beautiful city of A'loa Glen, there to recover her strength and spirit.Enter Harequin Quail.Some might call him a fool, but the little main in the jester's suit claims to be a spy... -
With Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsÇeda, now a Blade Maiden in service to the kings of Sharakhai, trains as one of their elite warriors, gleaning secrets even as they send her on covert missions to further their rule... -
Lady of the Drowned Empire by Frankie Diane Mallis
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsLyr's journey continues February 14,... -
Cephrael's Hand by Melissa McPhail
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 26 ratings“All things are composed of patterns...” And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:In Alorin...three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it... -
Wit'ch Gate by James Clemens
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn a spectacular feat of daring and magic, Elena and her army of outlaws and rebels have defeated evil's minions and released the mystic secrets of the Blood Diary. But the malevolent Dark Lord has unleashed the Weirgates—black wells of ferocious energy that are his greatest source of power... -
Stealth the Ghost Panther by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMalvel's last beast has arrived at King Hugos castle. Stealth, the Ghost Panther traps his victims and turns them evil. Tom must find a way to defeat him and get the final piece of the Amulet that Stealth wears around his neck...
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