Books like 'The Afterward'

Readers who enjoyed The Afterward by E.K. Johnston also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

fantasy  romance  high fantasy  action / adventure  lgbtq  wlw  magic  poc-mc  epic  found-family 

  • Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

    Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

    Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us deeper into the Cosmere universe with a rollicking, riveting tale that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride...
  • Hope by Auryn Hadley

    Hope by Auryn Hadley

    Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    By reader request, Hope is a full-length epilogue novel to show what comes after the series ends. The war is over. The dead have been laid to rest. Peace is on the horizon, and Anglia is a country that needs to be put back together...
  • The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni

    The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · 33 ratings
    Kiva trades one cage for another when she leaves behind a deadly prison for a deceptive palace.Kiva Meridan is a survivor.She survived not only Zalindov prison, but also the deadly Trial by Ordeal. Now Kiva’s purpose goes beyond survival to vengeance. For the past ten years, her only goal was to reunite with her family and destroy the people responsible for ruining their lives...
  • Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

    Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 41 ratings
    Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11...
  • The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick

    The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Trust 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...
  • Reign of Mist by Helen Scheuerer

    Reign of Mist by Helen Scheuerer

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    The realm’s darkest secret is out. The cruelty of the capital and the power-hungry King Arden have scattered Bleak and her companions across the continents. On the run in a foreign land, Bleak finds herself tied to some unexpected strangers...
  • The Void of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

    The Void of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 32 ratings
    When banished Princess Maia is captured by her father and threatened with execution, it appears that all is lost…until the people rise in rebellion against their king. Suddenly, the cast-aside royal finds herself crowned the first Queen of Comoros. But enemies appear on all sides as her father’s conniving supporters assemble a new army against the fledgling ruler...
  • A King of Masks and Magic by Lisa Cassidy

    A King of Masks and Magic by Lisa Cassidy

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    A storm is coming…The Shadowhawk has been unmasked to those he trusts most. Montagn, the most powerful empire in the world, prepares for invasion. And back in the tangled alleys and dark streets of Dock City, Vengeance lurks.Badly injured after the ambush that nearly claimed his life, Cuinn Acondor is recovering in the Twin Thrones, determined to grow strong so that he can go home and do more...
  • At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard

    At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Cliopher Mdang has been appointed Viceroy of Zunidh by his beloved Radiancy, the Last Emperor, who has now left him behind in the Palace to safeguard the world during his absence on a quest to find an appropriately magical heir...
  • Blood & Steel by Helen Scheuerer

    Blood & Steel by Helen Scheuerer

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms...
  • The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

    The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    The smallest spark can bind two hearts . . . or start a revolution.In the magic-soaked capital city of Oluwan, country bumpkin Small Sade needs a job—preferably as a maid, with employers who don’t mind her unique appearance and unlucky foot. But before she can be hired, she accidentally binds herself to a powerful god known only as the Crocodile, who is rumored to devour pretty girls...
  • Wings of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto

    Wings of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    In the heart-stopping finale to the Crown of Feathers trilogy, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls “absolutely unforgettable,” Veronyka must face her most devastating enemy yet: her own sister...
  • The Obsidian Palace by Benjamin Medrano

    The Obsidian Palace by Benjamin Medrano

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Ruethwyn’s body had been made whole and her magic restored in the Frostglades to the north, though in a way she’d never anticipated. Supported by her friends, at long last, she looks to the future and her ultimate goal, to rescue those who Resvarygrath had stolen from her...
  • Embrace the Light by Jocelynn Drake

    Embrace the Light by Jocelynn Drake

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    A Tragic Story Comes to Light.At last, Caelan and his companions are heading to see a long-time ally of Erya.But New Rosanthe soldiers have already moved into the city, and nothing is quite as it seems.Even as old betrayals reveal new enemies, Caelan’s main goal remains the God of Wisdom and the truth.The only problem is that time is running out and the Dead God is waiting to claim him...
  • The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi

    The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Murder. Secrets. Sacrifice: Three women seek the truth of the empire's past. And the truth they find has the power to ignite a war in the sequel to The Final Strife, the continuation of a visionary fantasy trilogy inspired by Africa and Arabia.Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens' Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn't commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil...
    Categorized as:
    wlw  lgbtq  poc-mc  epic  sword-sorcery  romance  fantasy  fiction
  • Iron Heart by Nina Varela

    Iron Heart by Nina Varela

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 35 ratings
    Critically acclaimed author Nina Varela delivers a stunning sequel to the richly imagined queer epic fantasy Crier’s War, which SLJ called “perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass.”For too long, Automae have lorded over the kingdom of Rabu, oppressing its human citizens. But the human revolution has risen, and at its heart is Ayla...
    Categorized as:
    epic  female-mc  found-family  lgbtq  magic  paranormal  poc-mc  wlw
  • The World of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

    The World of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    The official guide to the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series complete with characters, creatures, new artwork, and more!Everyone knows the story of the assassin queen. But now, fans of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series will be immersed in her journey like never before...
  • The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

    The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Kings become outcasts and lovers become foes in the thrilling sequel to Margaret Owen's The Merciful Crow.As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows...
  • We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

    We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 38 ratings
    The battle on Sharr is over. The dark forest has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally returning magic to all of Arawiya...
  • Breaking Legacies by Zoe Reed

    Breaking Legacies by Zoe Reed

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    In a land impoverished by a war that started before she was born, Kiena has provided for her mother and brother by becoming one of the best hunters in the kingdom. But when a lifelong friend with connections recommends her to the king to track down a runaway princess, her life gets turned upside down. Finding the princess is easy...
    Categorized as:
    epic  female-mc  lgbtq  magic  paranormal  wlw  action-adventure  angst
  • Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

    Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 32 ratings
    The third book in the thrilling four-book Shattered Realms series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams ChimaThe empress in the east—the unspeakably cruel ruler whose power grew in Flamecaster and Shadowcaster—tightens her grip in this chilling third installment in the series...
  • Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

    Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 32 ratings
    For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities.Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that's what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends...
  • The Rending by Vanessa Nelson

    The Rending by Vanessa Nelson

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    The only place of safety for the desperate has been destroyed.Yvonne has finally found a place to settle, where her children can grow, and she can think about her own future. Even as she celebrates, a shock rings across the world. Someone has attacked the Sisters in the Stone Walls...
  • Reyr the Gold by Melissa Mitchell

    Reyr the Gold by Melissa Mitchell

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    After fulfilling an Unbreakable Promise to Cyrus, Claire has finally accepted her new life in Dragonwall. She has a new Promise and purpose—one she created for herself. She must save Dragonwall, that much is certain. What isn’t so certain, is how she will achieve this end. Powerful magic courses through her veins, and she has no idea how to control it.Mastering magic isn’t Claire’s only challenge...
  • Deathcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

    Deathcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 32 ratings
    SPLINTERED ALLEGIANCE.Warrior Alyssa ana’Raisa would do anything to protect her home, the Fells, and her legacy, the Gray Wolf Line. But as a prisoner of Empress Celestine, Lyss is forced to turn her fearsome talents as an army commander against her beloved homeland. Refusal would swiftly lead to her death, and her death would end the Gray Wolf Line.ANCIENT DANGER...
  • Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto

    Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    In this action-packed finale to the House of the Dead Duology, Wren and her friends put everything they know to the test as they battle the living and the undead to save their world.Wren is still reeling from the revelation that the mother she thought was dead is actually the Corpse Queen, a ghostsmith with the terrifying power to control the undead...
  • The King of Koraha by Maria V. Snyder

    The King of Koraha by Maria V. Snyder

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Hard on the heels of trouble in Zirdai city, Shyla Sun-Kissed and Rendor are ordered to report to the King of Koraha - a summons that is deadly to ignore. The King holds the key to Koraha's existence, but a formidable new enemy threatens Koraha's very survival and the King desperately needs Shyla and Rendor's help...
  • To Play With Magic by Draith

    To Play With Magic by Draith

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    "With a comfortable onesie, and the ability to stop time, anything is possible."Dragons, Catgirls, Guns, and Magic. Oh, and the ability to stop time. What more could a modern gal want?Well... If my past would stay locked in a dark corner back on Earth, that'd be nice.Right. There was that one other thing. Finding a way home before the world ends...
  • The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

    The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    In the first book of a visionary African and Arabian-inspired fantasy trilogy, three women band together against a cruel Empire that divides people by blood. Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control. Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance. Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible...
  • Fist of the Furor by R.K. Ryals

    Fist of the Furor by R.K. Ryals

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    “People die for freedom …”There is chaos in the kingdom of Medeisia. The rebels have gone into the mountains to hide, protected by the dragons...
  • Tempest by R.K. Ryals

    Tempest by R.K. Ryals

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    We must overcome and prevail ...King Raemon of Medeisia is slaughtering tattooed scribes and mages, forcing them into hiding. All marked and those associated with them are destroyed. The people are desperate. Months after challenging Raemon, the marked rebels of Medeisia must rise against their bloodthirsty king or chance being annihilated...
  • A Tournament of Crowns by Elise Kova

    A Tournament of Crowns by Elise Kova

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    A Royal Tournament. Thrilling Magic. Deadly Mysteries. Slow-Burn Romance.Last night, Eira killed a man.However justified her actions were, many now regard her as a cold-blooded murderer and a heretic who extinguished their hope. But there’s no time to explain herself. She barely has a chance to wash the blood off her hands before the Tournament of Five Kingdoms begins...
  • As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool

    As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    In this sequel to the critically-acclaimed There Will Come a Darkness, kingdoms have begun to fall to a doomsday cult, the magical Graced are being persecuted, and an ancient power threatens to break free. But with the world hurtling toward its prophesized end, Anton’s haunting vision reveals the dangerous beginnings of a plan to stop the Age of Darkness...
  • Blood of the Earth by David A. Wells

    Blood of the Earth by David A. Wells

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Alexander’s costly victory at Northport provides only a brief reprieve from the onslaught of enemy forces converging on those loyal to the Old Law. Prince Phane has created a deadly new soldier – man mixed with darkness – imbued with terrible power and a purpose so sinister that that it could turn those Alexander loves most against him … or take them away from him forever...
  • Namesake by Adrienne Young

    Namesake by Adrienne Young

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and the rest of the crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when Fable becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme...
  • Shadebloom by Felicia Davin

    Shadebloom by Felicia Davin

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Separated from her companions and abducted, Alizhan is delivered back to Laalvur, right into Iriyat’s clutches. Iriyat has tightened her hold on the city in Alizhan’s absence, magically manipulating the other Council members and further charming the public. No one believes her capable of plotting an experiment that could destroy cities...
  • The Sorcerer's Alpha by Corey Kerr

    The Sorcerer's Alpha by Corey Kerr

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    They’re lost in the wilderness. And there’s only one tent. When a routine mission goes horribly awry, expert wilderness scout Marut finds himself solely responsible for protecting one of the powerful court sorcerers. Marut is suspicious of magic and more comfortable with horses than people, but he comes to begrudgingly respect Sycamore as they flee for their lives...
    Categorized as:
    magic  lgbtq  epic  poc-mc  paranormal  fantasy  omegaverse  mlm
  • The Fallen City of Lescado by Draith

    The Fallen City of Lescado by Draith

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    The Apocalypse is on its way to Earth.And I don't have time to care.Ironic, since I have the ability to stop time.But having escaped capture by Ivicka and her dragon, I've barely had time to get used to my new class before the rules change again. Apparently, undead catgirls here can throw bolts of lightning and levitate chunks of earth the size of my mom's old Toyota...
  • The Avatar's Flames by Benjamin Medrano

    The Avatar's Flames by Benjamin Medrano

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Ruethwyn’s life was promising. Talented in magic, the young elven woman didn’t fit in in her hometown, but was scheduled to attend the most renowned academy of magic in the kingdom, and was even building up the courage to confess her love in the hope that it might be returned. That all ended in a dragon’s fire...
  • Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool

    Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    In the jaw-dropping conclusion to the Age of Darkness trilogy, hearts will shatter, cities will fall, and a god will rise. "Solidifies Katy Rose Pool's status as one of the best fantasy writers of the 21st century."—Popsugar on As the Shadow RisesFollowing the destruction of the City of Mercy, an ancient god has been resurrected and sealed inside Beru's body...
  • The Crystal Gryphon by Andre Norton

    The Crystal Gryphon by Andre Norton

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    The story of Kerovan, whose cloven hooves set him apart from the human folk of the Dales, as he seeks his rights as heir to the throne of Ulm at a time when strange sea invaders are shattering the old kingdoms, and equally enigmatic manifestations of the Old Ones coming to interfere with humanity...
  • Failed Future by Elise Kova

    Failed Future by Elise Kova

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    When worlds collide, and things are rarely what they seem, there may be no one Vi can trust.Having forsaken her crown for a chance to save her family, and the world, Vi Solaris washes up on the shores of Meru. She's wounded and barely alive. But Vi's fight for survival is only just beginning.As a princess in a foreign land, everyone is after her...
  • Sovereign Sacrifice by Elise Kova

    Sovereign Sacrifice by Elise Kova

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Vi was supposed to be the perfect crown princess. Then, she abandoned her throne.Vi was supposed to save the world as its Champion. Then, the world she loved vanished.Now, all she knows is that she has deadly magic and brutal cunning and she's ready to settle some scores.Old loves and new allies tell her to play it safe. But Vi is done with caution...
  • Soldier of Dorsa by Eliza Andrews

    Soldier of Dorsa by Eliza Andrews

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    A war is brewing in the Empire.Not the War in the East — that is a war everyone already knows about, the war that some wanted to end so badly that they murdered an Emperor to stop it. No, this is a different war. A war between the Shadowlands and the mortal world, a war between light and darkness. A war the Brotherhood of Culo has warned about for generations. But no one wanted to listen...
  • The Speaker by Traci Chee

    The Speaker by Traci Chee

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Having barely escaped the clutches of the Guard, Sefia and Archer are back on the run, slipping into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move. Haunted by painful memories, Archer struggles to overcome the trauma of his past with the impressors, whose cruelty plagues him whenever he closes his eyes...
  • Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova

    Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she's reluctantly joined forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. They're united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation...
  • Prophecy: Child of Earth by Elizabeth Haydon

    Prophecy: Child of Earth by Elizabeth Haydon

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 35 ratings
    In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged-- three companions who, through great adversity, became a force to be reckoned with: Rhapsody the Singer; Achmed the assassin-king; and Grunthor, the giant Sergeant-Major. Prophecy continues their powerful epic. Driven by a prophetic vision, Rhapsody races to rescue a religious leader while Achmed and Grunthor seek the F'dor-- an ancient and powerful demon...
  • The Sundered Blade by Kenley Davidson

    The Sundered Blade by Kenley Davidson

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    War is coming.Under the shadow of dragons’ wings, the Five Thrones wait to learn whose hand will direct their future.Will the tyrant, Melger, fall?Or will Vaniell and Karreya fail in their quest to save the the lands and the people they love?Bonds will be tested. Hearts will be broken. And by the choices of a destined few, the fate of the world will be forever changed...
  • Enigma by Lindsay Buroker

    Enigma by Lindsay Buroker

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    After surviving ancient booby traps, deadly puzzles, and torture-happy imperial marines, cryptanalyst Tikaya Komitopis can’t wait to return home, even if that means explaining to her family how she came to love Fleet Admiral Rias Starcrest, the empire’s most notorious commander and the man responsible for the decimation of her people during the war...
  • Sunrunner's Fire by Melanie Rawn

    Sunrunner's Fire by Melanie Rawn

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 33 ratings
    It began with the discovery of the star scroll—the last repository of forgotten spells of sorcery, the only surviving record of the ancient foe who in times past had nearly destroyed the Sunrunners and their magic...
The Afterward by E.K. Johnston
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