Books like 'The Jade Egg'
Readers who enjoyed The Jade Egg by D.K. Holmberg also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure mystery dark fantasy high fantasy magic assassins epic male-mc dark
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The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 79 ratings“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”My name is Kvothe.I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in... -
![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...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age dark epic magic political-intrigue 21st-century action-adventure -
![Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson]()
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 97 ratingsThe Mists rule the night.The Lord Ruler owns the world.Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.He failed.For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.Yet somehow, hope survives...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age dark epic magic political-intrigue 21st-century action-adventure -
![Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff]()
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... -
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![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... -
![Ghostwater by Will Wight]()
Ghostwater by Will Wight
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsLong ago, the Monarch Northstrider created a world of his own. This world, known as Ghostwater, housed some of his most valuable experiments. Now, it has been damaged by the attack of the Bleeding Phoenix, and a team of Skysworn have been sent to recover whatever they can from the dying world...Categorized as:
coming-of-age dark epic magic sword-sorcery action-adventure ancient-china ancient-civilization -
![Blood Song by Anthony Ryan]()
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsThe Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm.” Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith... -
![Reign of Madness by Kel Kade]()
Reign of Madness by Kel Kade
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe mysterious, indomitable warrior? Ruthless criminal overlord? The Riel’gesh – mythical demigod? Dedicated friend and protector? Equipped with skills far beyond those of the outworlders, Rezkin has been suddenly thrust into a foreign world. The young warrior clings his only known purpose as he continues his search for any information about his identity and the reason for his existence... -
![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:
dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure anti-hero -
![A Darkness At The Door by Intisar Khanani]()
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... -
![The Rose and the Thorn by Michael J. Sullivan]()
The Rose and the Thorn by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsTWO THIEVES WANT ANSWERS. RIYRIA IS BORN.For more than a year Royce Melborn has tried to forget Gwen DeLancy, the woman who saved him and his partner Hadrian Blackwater from certain death. Unable to get her out of his mind, the two thieves return to Medford but receive a very different reception --- Gwen refuses to see them... -
![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...Categorized as:
dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure anti-hero -
![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... -
![The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan]()
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThree times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria.When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire... -
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![The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan]()
The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsTWO MEN WHO HATE EACH OTHER. ONE IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. A LEGEND IN THE MAKING.A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions... -
![Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan]()
Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsA PUPPET IS CROWNED. THE TRUE HEIR REMAINS HIDDEN. A ROGUE'S SECRET COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.War has come to Melengar and Princess Arista runs a desperate gamble when she defies her brother and hires Royce and Hadrian for a dangerous mission. As the power of the Nyphron Empire grows, so does Royce's suspicion that the wizard Esrahaddon is using the thieves as pawns in his own game... -
![The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend by David Gemmell]()
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsHe was known as Druss. The Deathwalker. Though the blood of merciless butchers coursed through his veins, he had found a fragile peace through his love for beautiful, mystical Rowena. Then came the day when Druss returned to their village and found everyone dead--massacred by slavers who had stolen the women to sell for gold. Rowena was among the missing... -
![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...Categorized as:
assassins dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure anti-hero -
![The Swords of Night and Day by David Gemmell]()
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.. -
![King of Assassins by R.J. Barker]()
King of Assassins by R.J. Barker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe epic conclusion to RJ Barker's debut fantasy trilogy, set in a world ravaged by magic, featuring a cast of assassins, knights, and ambitious noblemen.Many years of peace have passed in Maniyadoc, years of relative calm for the assassin Girton Club-Foot. Even the Forgetting Plague, which ravaged the rest of the kingdoms, seemed to pass them by... -
![The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch]()
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 79 ratingsAn orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler... -
![Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie]()
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsSpringtime in Styria. And that means war. Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white...Categorized as:
assassins dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure anti-hero -
![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...Categorized as:
assassins dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure -
![Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch]()
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsLibrarian note: An older cover for this edition can be found here: 31-Jul-2007.After a brutal battle with the underworld that nearly destroyed him, Locke Lamora and his trusted sidekick, Jean, fled the island city of their birth and landed on the exotic shores of Tal Verrar to nurse their wounds... -
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![The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch]()
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsWith what should have been the greatest heist of their career gone spectacularly sour, Locke and his trusted partner, Jean, have barely escaped with their lives. Or at least Jean has. But Locke is slowly succumbing to a deadly poison that no alchemist or physiker can cure... -
![The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie]()
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 75 ratingsLogen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies...Categorized as:
dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure anti-hero -
![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... -
![Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky]()
Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Alkhalend, Jewel of the Waters, capital of Usmai, greatest of the Successor States, inheritor to the necromantic dominion that was the Moeribandi Empire and tomorrow's frontline in the Palleseen's relentless march to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world.Loret is fresh off the boat, and just in time... -
![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... -
![Waylander by David Gemmell]()
Waylander by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsAll of Waylander's instincts had screamed at him to spurn the contract from Kaem the cruel, the killer of nations. But he had ignored them. He had made his kill. And even as he went to collect his gold, he knew that he had been betrayed... -
![Hawk by Steven Brust]()
Hawk by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsYears ago, Vlad Taltos came to make his way as a human amidst the impossibly tall, fantastically long-lived natives of the Dragaeran Empire. He joined the Jhereg, the Dragaeran House (of which there are seventeen) that handles the Empire's vices: gambling, rackets, organized crime. He became a professional assassin. He was good at it... -
![Elantris by Brandon Sanderson]()
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...Categorized as:
dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure audiobook -
![Ravenheart by David Gemmell]()
Ravenheart by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsEight hundred years have passed since King Connavar of the Rigante and his bastard son, Bane, defeated the invading army of Stone. Now the Rigante have lost the freedom and culture so many gave their lives to preserve. Only one woman remains who follows the ancient ways–the Wyrd of Wishing Tree Wood–and she alone knows the nature of the evil soon to be unleashed... -
![Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb]()
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsFitz is about to discover the truth about the Fool's prophecy.Having been resurected from his fatal tortures in Regal's dungeons, Fitz has once more foiled the Prince's attempts to be rid of him.Now, restored to his own body, Fitz begins the painful, slow process of learning to be a man again... -
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![Midnight Falcon by David Gemmell]()
Midnight Falcon by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBane the Bastard is the illegitimate son of the Rigante king who men called Demonblade. Born of treachery, Bane grew up an outcast in his own land, feared by his fellow highlanders, and denied by the father whose unmistakable mark he bore–the eyes of Connavar, one tawny brown, the other emerald green... -
![Stormrider by David Gemmell]()
Stormrider by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsOne glorious spark, one moment of Rigante rebellion has ignited a revolution and forged a legend. In the mountains of the north, the outlaw leader known as Ravenheart waits, knowing the forces of the blackhearted Moidart will come, led by the brutal ruler’s only son, Stormrider... -
![Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey]()
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... -
![In the Realm of the Wolf by David Gemmell]()
In the Realm of the Wolf by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsEnter the extraordinary, action-filled world that became Legend--as the exciting Drenai adventure continues to unfold . . .A mighty warrior and a feared assassin among the Drenai, Waylander the Slayer is now a man hunted by his own people--with a fortune in gold offered as grim reward for his murder... -
![The Black Prism by Brent Weeks]()
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsGuile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live... -
![Ghost in the Mask by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Mask by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCaina Amalas is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through cunning and valor she has cast down both proud lords and mighty sorcerers. But a power darker than any she has ever faced is awakening...Categorized as:
assassins dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure audiobook -
![The Fates of Yoran by D.K. Holmberg]()
The Fates of Yoran by D.K. Holmberg
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen the Fates attack Yoran, the Chain Breaker must fight back.After establishing an uneasy truce with the constables, Gavin has settled in Yoran to offer protection to his friends and the remaining magical element in the city.When a job reveals a dangerous new threat in the city, Gavin must take action. This time the target isn’t Gavin, but the city itself...Categorized as:
assassins coming-of-age dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure -
![Untolled by J.P. Valentine]()
Untolled by J.P. Valentine
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe came aboard a broken ship,To Lethis on the waves,With lies and tricks and evil spells,Their future, he would pave.Beware, oh King, the Nothing Mage,A force that pierces all,The golden bell that sings of death,‘Till lords and empires fall.In silent dark, in dead of night,He came in from the cold,And through their screams and dying gasps,The bell remained untolled... -
![Night Study by Maria V. Snyder]()
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... -
![Legends of Ahn by Kel Kade]()
Legends of Ahn by Kel Kade
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsRezkin is an elite warrior who aims to restore order in Ashai after Caydean’s attack on the King’s Tournament transformed former allies and trading partners into enemies. With no army and only a ragtag group of refugees, Rezkin must wrest control of the kingdom from the mad and powerful usurper, who seems bent on destruction, and this may not be the biggest challenge...Categorized as:
assassins dark epic magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure anti-hero -
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![The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan]()
The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThey killed the king. They pinned it on two men. They chose poorly.There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time... -
![Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind]()
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 75 ratingsIn the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help . . . and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence... -
![Knight's Shadow by Sebastien de Castell]()
Knight's Shadow by Sebastien de Castell
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 37 ratings'One hell of a good book' Conn Iggulden The Greatcoats have found the heir to the throne . . . but now they must keep her alive, against all the odds. Falcio Val Mond has completed the final task given to him by the late King Paelis: he has found the King's Charoites (well, one at least)... -
![Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan]()
Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 44 ratings“The blood-song rose with an unexpected tune, a warm hum mingling recognition with an impression of safety. He had a sense it was welcoming him home.” Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer... -
![Taltos by Steven Brust]()
Taltos by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsJourney to the land of the dead. All expenses paid!Not my idea of an ideal vacation, but this was work. After all, even an assassin has to earn a living. The trouble is, everyone knows that a living human cannot walk the Paths of the Dead, and return, alive, to the land of men. But being an Easterner is not exactly like being human, by Dragaeran standards anyway... -
![Jhereg by Steven Brust]()
Jhereg by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe first to be published, this is actually the fourth novel in the timeline of the VLAD TALTOS series. The books recount the adventures of the wisecracking hired killer Vlad, a human on a planet mainly inhabited by the long-lived, extremely tall sorcerers known as the Dragaerans...
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