Books like 'The Serpent Bride'
Readers who enjoyed The Serpent Bride by Sara Douglass also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy romance high fantasy action / adventure dark fantasy epic magic dark paranormal
-
Fourth Wing (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEnter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history... -
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsHuman or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart. The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself... -
Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA FORCED WEDDING. A DOUBLE EXECUTION. TWO THIEVES HAVE OTHER PLANS.The New Empire intends to celebrate its victory over the Nationalists with a day that will never be forgotten. On the high holiday of Wintertide, they plan to execute two traitors (Degan Gaunt and the Witch of Melengar) as well as force the Empress into a marriage of their own design... -
A Darkness At The Door by Intisar Khanani
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI've been cursed, betrayed, and sold into slavery – but the truth I carry can't be allowed to die.Only Rae knows the extent of the corruption at the heart of the kingdom of Menaiya, from the noble lord who betrayed her, to the Circle of Mages whose wards protect the slavers from discovery. Injured and imprisoned on a slave ship, Rae's options are quickly running out... -
-
Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsLibrarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN 0451456734 here.Jaenelle Angelline now reigns as Queen-protector of the Shadow Realm. No longer will the corrupt Blood slaughter her people and defile her lands. But where one chapter ends, a final, unseen battle remains to be written, and Jaenelle must unleash the terrible power that is Witch to destroy her enemies once and for all... -
Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsReturn to the "intense...erotic...and imaginative" world of the national bestselling Black Jewels novels with this sequel to The Shadow Queen. In Anne Bishop's "vividly painted" realm, witches and warlocks channel their power through magical jewels - and one Queen has emerged from the shadows to bring hope to an impoverished people... -
Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsHaving learned a lesson about thwarting the will of the gods, Imriel and Sidonie publicly confess their affair, only to see the country boil over in turmoil. Younger generations, infatuated by their heart-twisting, star-cross romance, defend the couple...Categorized as:
dark epic magic paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history alternate-universe -
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsLibrarian's note: See alternate cover for this edition here.Enough time has passed for the young girl Jaenelle, heir to the magical Darkness, for her physical wounds to heal, while amnesia keeps her frightening memories at bay. But with Saetan--a Black-Jewelled Warlord Prince and Jaenelle's foster-father--to protect her, she will continue to grow. Her magic will mature. Her memories will return... -
The Swords of Night and Day by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsEven in death, Skilgannon the Damned's name lives on. Now, as an ancient evil threatens to flood the Drenai heartlands in a tide of blood, he returns...A thousand years after they fell in battle, two heroes - Druss and Skilgannon - are revered throughout the war-torn lands of the Dernai, where men and women live in abject fear of the dark sorceress known as the Eternal.. -
Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe “powerful and emotionally-charged” fantasy series from the author of the Sevenwaters novels continues, as Blackthorn and Grim face haunting secrets and old adversaries... Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine... Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good... -
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer... -
The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIn her national bestselling Black Jewels novels, Anne Bishop’s “surefire spell craft…leave[s] readers’ hearts pounding.” Now her “feverish pacing and terrifying twists” are showcased once again. In a tumultuous world ruled by witches and warlocks who wear their power as jewels, one Queen’s chance at redemption is the last hope for a desperate people…Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past... -
Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsReturn to the realm of the Blood in Dreams Made Flesh—featuring four revelatory all-new adventures of Jaenelle and her kindred….Jaenelle is the most powerful Witch ever known, centuries of hopes and dreams made flesh at last... -
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsMighty Kushiel, of rod and wealLate of the brazen portalsWith blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealedPricks the eyen of chosen mortalsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child... -
-
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOnce upon a time, there was a horrible girl... Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago... -
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... -
Moonveiled Journeys by Selkie Myth
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJourney to the Center of Pallos!Lule is dead. Toke is missing.Escaping from the devastating battle between the dragon and the Guardians, Elaine and the dwarves have fallen deep into an abandoned, unused mineshaft. Danger lurks around every corner, from starvation, traps, orcs, and more! Elaine must survive in the hostile stone tomb, cut away from the sky, away from her friends and comrades... -
The Blight of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn The Blight of Muirwood, the second book in the Muirwood Trilogy, Lia finds herself filled with inner turmoil after the great battle of Winterrowd that led to the death of the wicked king and her closest ally... -
Shattered Past by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAn elite forces officer with a dreadful reputation. A bookish paleontologist with a love for mysteries. An ancient stronghold full of secrets that will take both of them to unearth... -
Twilight's Dawn by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s “darkly fascinating” Black Jewel novels have enthralled readers and critics alike with their mixture of fantasy, intrigue, and romance. Now in Twilight’s Dawn, Bishop returns to the Blood realm with four all-new captivating novellas... -
His Holy Bones by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 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... -
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 77 ratingsElantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed... -
Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsThe epic conclusion to the internationally bestselling Nevernight Chronicle from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff.The greatest games in Godsgrave’s history have ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic.Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run... -
Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsImriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phèdre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions.Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty, and desire... -
-
Der letzte Kampf by Rachel E. Carter
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsHe’s the Black Mage and she’s the traitor to the Crown.Ryiah’s world was shattered the night she discovered King Blayne’s nefarious plans. Now, she has to betray the one she loves most in order to save the realm from war... -
The Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIn the highly anticipated finale to the Bone Witch trilogy, Tea’s life—and the fate of the kingdoms—hangs in the balance Tea is a bone witch with the dark magic needed to raise the dead. She has used this magic to breathe life into those she has loved and lost…and those who would join her army against the deceitful royals... -
Shadow Wings by Raye Wagner, Kelly St. Clare
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsI will never be controlled again. A manipulative dragon shifter. A sexy phaetyn prince. Me? I shouldn’t even exist. With peace established in Verald, I should be free; Lord Tyrrik is liberated from his blood oath, after all. But the freedom in Verald is an illusion. If I remain, destruction will surely follow. As soon as I come into my powers, the blood-thirsty emperor of Draecon will know... -
Night Study by Maria V. Snyder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder transports readers back to the realms of Sitia and Ixia in an exciting new Study novel full of magic, danger and intrigue. Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before... -
Servant of the Crown by Brian McClellan
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsCaptain Tamas is an ambitious young officer in the Adran army. As a commoner, he is one of very few without noble blood to hold a rank. When he challenges the son of a duke over an insult, the subsequent duel lands him in hot water with the nobility and the royal cabal of Privileged sorcerers... -
Iron Wolf by Siri Pettersen
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA new series from the author of The Raven Rings trilogy - Siri Pettersen!Juva knows all about blood readers. Praised for their Sight, they are nothing but swindlers, preying on people’s fears for power and profit. Born by blood readers herself, she knows only too well, and she has vowed never to become one of them... -
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThe ancient world of magic is no more. Its heroes are dead, its halls are ruins, and its great battles between Light and Dark are forgotten. Only the Stewards remember, and they keep their centuries-long vigil, sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns.Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother... -
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Terciel and Elinor, and the Charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series... -
Rise by Andrea Cremer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe sequel to Rift and the prequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Nightshade.Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy... -
Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIn this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron... -
-
Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsIn Wizard's First Rule, Richard Cypher's world was turned upside down. Once a simple woods guide, Richard was forced to become the Seeker of Truth, to save the world from the vile dominance of Darken Rahl, the most viciously savage and powerful wizard the world had ever seen... -
Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA story about magic and the captivating power of dreams.A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal action-adventure audiobook book dark-fantasy enemies-to-lovers -
A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsCaptured by a king of darkness. Forced to find the light within. Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King... -
Witches' Blood by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 20 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... -
Incendiary by Carole Cummings
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Book 4 of Wolf's-own"Fen Jacin-rei finds himself again on the run after discovering the reality of what he is and why the gods won't let him go. His one source of support, Kamen Malick, is suddenly unavailable, and now hounded and chased by ghosts who want to drive him into insanity and keep him there, Fen will have to face life all alone.Or maybe not... -
House of Bastiion by K.L. Kolarich
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHE SERIESHouse of Bastiion is the first installment in the epic fantasy series, The Haidren Legacy. An immersive adventure armed with dark politics, sharp objects, and bickering characters, this treacherous saga packs a legendary punch for adult and NA readers alike. Fans of Brandon Sanderson, George R.R... -
Wicked Ties by Shanora Williams
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Vakeeli, trust will get you killed…After being betrayed by one of the few people he trusts, Caz has become a prisoner in his own mind. For once, he can’t work his way out of a deadly situation…but with a mate like Willow, there’s always a way... -
The Blood of Doves by Melissa McSherry
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs an orphan, Kasia was raised in the slums of Lethe, forced to steal and kill to survive, but somehow always managed to evade the law. Her luck eventually runs out when she finds herself on the brink of death. A handsome stranger rescues her, bringing her back to his realm. Once there, he informs her of her past, a past she refuses to believe to be true... -
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... -
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... -
-
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsDescending into darkness, about to be overwhelmed by evil, those people still free are powerless to stop the coming dawn of a savage new world, while Richard faces the guilt of knowing that he must let it happen. Alone, he must bear the weight of a sin he dare not confess to the one person he loves…and has lost... -
The Gods of Men by Barbara Kloss
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSable hated the gods. She hated what men did in their name.Magic is forbidden throughout the Five Provinces; those born with it are hunted and killed. Sable doesn’t know her music holds power over souls—not until, at age nine, she plays her flute before the desert court and accidentally stops her baby sister’s heart, killing her... -
Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsEverything Richard Rahl has learned will be for naught as the ruthless Emperor Jagang returns with his vast legions...heralded by a mystical plague that kills innocents in the thousands.Richard must now challenge the undefeatable: the magic that thwarts magic, sealed away for three thousand years in the Temple of Winds... -
Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsReturn to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin…and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice.Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes... -
Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsOnce there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts—the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow... -
The Pool of Two Moons by Kate Forsyth
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt has been 16 years since the Day of Reckoning, when magic and witchcraft were outlawed throughout all of Eileanan. And though rumors say that she is dead, the Arch-Sorceress Meghan of the Beasts still lives. Traveling with her are the true heir to the throne and the red-haired warrior Iseult. Their fates are woven together in a quest to bring magic back to the land...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.