Books like 'Painted Devils'
Readers who enjoyed Painted Devils by Margaret Owen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy romance action / adventure high fantasy lgbtq romantic-love female-mc dark sword-sorcery witches-wizards
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The Burning Witch by Delemhach
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA young woman navigates a web of politics, assassination attempts, and romance in the first book of a new series set in the world of the House Witch trilogy.Katarina Ashowan was not made for courtly life. Sure, her father is the famous house witch of Daxaria so she was raised among majestic castles, proper manners, and royal expectations... -
Risen by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn the final stretch of the war, the rules are changing faster than Anglia can keep up. The Kaisae of all Iliri is gone. Her mates are holding the army together. Her dreams are changing everything—and Sal? She's not done yet. The Emperor has taken too much from her. Life, loves, and much of her happiness. All she has left is desperation—and blind trust. But she's not alone. She never has been... -
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsQuinn is a loyal soldier of Farset, willing to risk her life on behalf of her country and squad. So, when a fellow soldier volunteers for a dangerous mission, Quinn joins him. Their assignment is to investigate the nightly disappearance of the twelve royal princesses, a mystery none have solved as those who attempt it vanish...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure adaptations alpha-mc book fae -
How I stole the Princess's White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 4 by A.J. Sherwood
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat’s Devan to do when his cousin’s ships and the crew go missing? Set sail with Tan to figure it out.What’s Tan to do when Devan finally makes a move? N.S.F.W. Many times. On many surfaces.Damn creatures are trying to interrupt them. Murder ensues...Categorized as:
lgbtq sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure adult anthologies comedy fiction -
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The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsKiva 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... -
The Reckoning by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMissing girls. A plea for help she can’t ignore. An ancient enemy with plans of his own. Nine-year-old girls are missing from across the lands. Yvonne has promised to find them, and she always keeps her promises. Even when she doesn’t know where to start looking. There’s more trouble around. Mercenaries are disappearing... -
Voice of Life by Melanie Cellier
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe fourth and final book in the Spoken Mage seriesIn her fourth year, Elena should be focused on final exams and graduation. Instead, her future, and the future of those she loves, depends on her ability to stop a decades-long war. Join Elena and Lucas for their final year at the Academy...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book coming-of-age -
Reign of Mist by Helen Scheuerer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe 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... -
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...Categorized as:
dark female-mc witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book dark-fantasy -
King Maker by Audrey Grey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPerfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black, this long awaited third book promises even more action and romance than the last! They broke the curse, but at what cost? Haven and her crew may be considered heroes, but they arrive back in Penryth harboring dangerous secrets...Categorized as:
dark female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book -
A King of Masks and Magic by Lisa Cassidy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA 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... -
The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe 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... -
Crystal Caged by Elise Kova
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe highly anticipated and breathtaking finale of Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles by USA Today bestselling author Elise Kova. One way or another... she will be the end of the world. With powers that weren't supposed to be touched by mortal hands, Vi Solaris is determined to free herself and the world from the deadly vortex it's trapped in...Categorized as:
dark female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age -
The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsShe’d failed them. All of them. And now she was paying the price. Kiva thought she knew what she wanted—revenge. But feelings change, people change... everything has changed.After what happened at the palace, Kiva is desperate to know if her friends and family are safe, and whether those she wronged can ever forgive her... -
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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... -
Embrace the Light by Jocelynn Drake
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA 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... -
Wandfasted by Laurie Forest
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMagic, romance and adventure collide in WANDFASTED, the irresistible ebook prequel to THE BLACK WITCH Twenty years before Elloren Gardner enrolled at the illustrious Verpax University, Erthia was rent asunder during the devastating Realm War. When Tessla Harrow is driven from her home by the fighting, she discovers a depth of power she never knew she had.. -
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... -
Rumpelstiltskin by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhen 17-year-old Gemma, a seamstress, is ordered by the insane King Torgen to spin straw into gold or be put to death, she knows her life is forfeit. Unwilling to give up, Gemma tries to escape her prison, earning her the respect of the mysterious mage, Stil. Stil offers to complete the impossible task…for a price...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure adaptations book coming-of-age fairy-tale -
The Sergeant's Apprentice by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe Nameless World Goes to War! The necromancers have finally resumed their assault on the Allied Lands, sending a mighty army across the Desert of Death and into the Kingdom of Tarsier. Countless farms, villages and towns have already been destroyed as the host makes its way northwards, striking deep into the kingdom’s most vulnerable lands...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book dystopia -
The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsKings 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... -
Puss in Boots by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThough she dreams of adventure, Gabrielle—a peasant girl—is given only a cat for her inheritance and is told she must marry, immediately. So when the cat, Puss, offers her a life of excitement in exchange for a pair of boots, Gabrielle jumps at the opportunity. Through Puss’s cunning and Gabrielle’s good deeds, they become celebrated heroes in small villages across the country...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure adaptations alpha-mc book fairy-tale -
King's Warrior by Frost Kay
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRevolution and war come with a price in the fourth volume of USA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay’s The Aermian Feuds Series. Returning to Aermia should’ve been easy, but nightmares and death haunt her, leaving Sage as an outsider, even in her own family... -
Voice of Dominion by Melanie Cellier
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEven the Spoken Mage has limits to the power of her voiceElena may be the only Spoken Mage in history, but she struggles with limitations. Unable to stockpile written workings as her mageborn year mates do, she runs the constant risk of burning out...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book coming-of-age -
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Voice of Command by Melanie Cellier
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsElena has found the power in her voice--now she must decide how to use it.Finally accepted as a mage, Elena struggles with her commonborn roots. And when disaster strikes the kingdom, she can't shrug off the death toll as the mageborn have always done. Yet the limitations of her spoken magic hold her back--both in saving lives among the people and in competitions in the Academy's arena...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book coming-of-age -
Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsThe 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...Categorized as:
female-mc lgbtq sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book -
Secrets Bound By Sand by T.A. White
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhen the past forms the future, how does a woman with few memories survive? No longer nameless or alone, Tate has put down roots in the city of Aurelia. She’s found a home, friends and a misfit family. When an assassination attempt leads to a dangerous loss of control over her dragon, Tate is sent to the farthest reaches of the empire on a mission she can’t refuse... -
The Searching by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOath-sworn to help those in need, Yvonne has been framed for murder.Tracking down those responsible for the destruction of the Stone Walls was a difficult enough task, but someone has made it much harder. The King is dead, and Yvonne is accused of his murder... -
The Rending by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe 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... -
Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn 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... -
A Throne From the Ashes by C.C. Peñaranda
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs darkness descends, two destinies will merge. But as embers fly, one may rise from the ashes.A KINGDOM…Far from the land she knows, Faythe is beckoned toward the secrets of her heritage. Through trials of her name and a challenge to her claim, does she have what it takes to rule? Faythe bears a future that haunts; Reylan harbors a past that lingers... -
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... -
Magic of Lust by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe rules of magic are changing, and she's going to make sure they work for her. Mages are always men. Until her. They harvest the power of simple, primitive emotions. Until her. Jaeda is something new, and the best way to protect herself is to make sure the enemy doesn't have a clue. That's going to be difficult with an Adevian mage about to take her town. Shahwa has become her home... -
By Dark Deeds by Miranda Honfleur
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHer hands shackled. An assassin hunting the man she loves. Will she save him in time?Elementalist Rielle needs to get to the man she loves before the assassin pursuing him finds her mark. There's only one problem: she's chained aboard a ship bound for a foreign land.And her new life is harsh, with her movements watched, food scarce, and safety even scarcer...Categorized as:
dark female-mc sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure alpha-mc assassins audiobook -
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War Hour by Lauren Loscig
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen powers are earned and not born, who shall wield them?Lysta lives in constant fear of Trialing, a deadly test that bestows an ability upon its victors, but only after pushing their mental and physical limits...Categorized as:
sword-sorcery dark witches-wizards romance fantasy young-adult magic action-adventure -
A Tournament of Crowns by Elise Kova
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA 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... -
Spy's Mask by Frost Kay
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWar and freedom from tyranny comes with a price in the fifth volume of the USA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay's Aermian Feuds Series.No one could have prepared Sage and Tehl for the ruin the Warlord would wreak on the world to get to Aermia. Sage thought she knew how to play his deadly games, but his warped crimes prove she's out of her depth... -
Oathbreakers by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsWhen Idra, leader of the crack mercenaries known as the Sunhawks, failed to return from a journey to her home kingdom of Rethwellan, Tarma and Kethry, warrior and mage, set out in search of their vanished leader. Sisters of sword and spell, their fates bound together by Goddess-sworn oath, they were eternally pledged to fight the forces of evil...Categorized as:
dark female-mc lgbtq sword-sorcery witches-wizards action-adventure animals audiobook -
The Silent City by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.39 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... -
Mira's Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn this sequel to the novella “Penric’s Mission”, the injured Penric, a Temple sorcerer and learned divine, tries to guide the betrayed General Arisaydia and his widowed sister Nikys across the last hundred miles of hostile Cedonia to safety in the Duchy of Orbas... -
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... -
Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn... -
Champion of the Crown by Melissa McShane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWillow North has safely brought the boy-King Felix out of Tremontane and secured the support of neighboring Eskandel in his bid to recover the Crown. Now she faces her greatest challenge yet: convincing the Counts and Barons of Tremontane to support Felix as he confronts his uncle, the pretender to the Crown...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure book coming-of-age epic fiction high-fantasy -
The Empress of Xytae by Effie Calvin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCrown Princess Ioanna of Xytae has kept her truthsayer blessing a secret for twenty years. In any other nation, her powerful magic would be cause for celebration. But Xytae’s patron is the war goddess Reygmadra, and the future empress is expected to be a brutal warrior. Reserved and peaceful by nature, Ioanna knows the court sees her as a disappointment... -
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City in Ruins by R.K. Ryals
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOut of the devastation of war, a leader will rise ...Medeisia is a city in ruins, half of its rebels dead, and a temporary ruler in power …Seventeen-year-old Drastona Consta-Mayria is a pillar of hope for her people. With the construction of a new scribe school underway, and the promise of peace, Medeisia’s future is looking bright...Categorized as:
dark female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-universe book cheating -
Queen & Conqueror by Isabelle Olmo
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow does one conquer a kingdom without spilling blood? You offer your hand in marriage to the king who killed your husband. Almira was raised by a calculating father who forged her in political cunning. She’s prepared for this moment since childhood. Like pieces on a board, she lays out the players one by one. One. King Alton, the brother-killer...Categorized as:
female-mc dark sword-sorcery romance fantasy high-fantasy historical-fiction historical -
Queen & Conqueror by Isabelle Olmo
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow does one conquer a kingdom without spilling blood? You offer your hand in marriage to the king who killed your husband. Almira was raised by a calculating father who forged her in political cunning. She’s prepared for this moment since childhood. Like pieces on a board, she lays out the players one by one. One. King Alton, the brother-killer...Categorized as:
female-mc dark sword-sorcery romance fantasy high-fantasy historical-fiction historical -
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 Fallen City of Lescado by Draith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe 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... -
Broken Promise by Jen Wylie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA year of turmoil takes its toll on Arowyn Mason and her companions. After delivering the Elven prince to his homeland, they decide to ride out the winter in the city of Westport before starting their quest to heal the Fey. Like most things in Aro’s life, nothing goes according to plan.As Kei struggles with the prophecy bound within him, his sanity begins to unravel...
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