Books like 'A Thousand Ships'
Readers who enjoyed A Thousand Ships by Eric Shanower also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy action / adventure military, war & conflict historical-fiction myths classics ancient-civilization war retellings
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Shōgun, Volume 1 by James Clavell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis is James Clavell's tour-de-force; an epic saga of one Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, and his integration into the struggles and strife of feudal Japan. Both entertaining and incisive, SHOGUN is a stunningly dramatic re-creation of a very different world... -
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, David Thorpe
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 106 ratingsGreece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles... -
Lost Legio IX by Marc Alan Edelheit
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBestselling, award-winning author of STIGERS TIGERS, Marc Alan Edelheit, delivers a new action-packed fantasy epic filled with gods and magic. One of history’s greatest mysteries, the Ninth Imperial Legion guarding Rome’s northernmost frontier in Britannia disappeared around the year 122 AD. This is their story...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction war action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook -
Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden, Richard Ferrone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsYes, you do recognize the author's name. Conn Iggulden is the coauthor of the bestselling Dangerous Book for Boys. He's also responsible for a magnificent trilogy of historical epics on Mongol empire maker Genghis Khan (1162-1227)...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization drama epic historical-fiction war action-adventure adult audiobook -
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Genghis: Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsGenghis unites Mongol tribes to cross the Gobi Desert and fight the Chin - gleaming cities, soaring walls, and canals. Laying siege to one fortress after another, Genghis cunningly crushes each enemy differently, overcoming moats, barriers, deceptions, and superior firepower—until his army calls the Emperor in Yenking to kneel...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization drama epic historical-fiction war action-adventure adult audiobook -
Conqueror by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom a young scholar to one of history's most powerful warriors, this novel tells the story of Kublai Khan - an extraordinary man who should be remembered alongside Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte as one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction war action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsAt Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths war 20th-century action-adventure -
Queen of Ash and Iron by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFated to lead a rebellion against Rome.Destined to become a legend.Britain, A.D. 47All at once, everything changes.The rebellion of the Northern Iceni under King Caturix results in dire consequences for Boudica. Without Aulus Plautius’s protection, Boudica must face the new, more severe Roman Governor Scapula...Categorized as:
historical-fiction war myths ancient-civilization fantasy spirituality tragedy sword-sorcery -
Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIn The Winter King and Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams... -
Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe balance of King Arthur's unified kingdom is threatened by Merlin's quest for the last of Britain's 13 Treasures; by the conflict between the ancient religion and the new Christianity; and by Britain's war with the Saxons. A master storyteller continues his retelling of the Arthurian legend... -
Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsHe was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Temujin's young life was shaped by a series of brutal acts: the betrayal of his father by a neighboring tribe and the abandonment of his entire family, cruelly left to die on the harsh plain...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics drama epic historical-fiction myths war action-adventure -
Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThis is Simon de Montfort's story—and the story of King Henry III, as weak and changeable as Montfort was brash and unbending. It is a saga of two opposing wills that would later clash in a storm of violence and betrayal, a story straight from the pages of history that brings the world of the thirteenth century completely, provocatively, and magnificently alive... -
Fall of Kings by David Gemmell, Stella Gemmell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsDarkness falls on the Great Green and the Ancient World is fiercely divided.On the killing fields outside the golden city of Troy, forces loyal to the Mykene King Agamemnon mass.Among them is Odysseus, fabled storyteller and reluctant ally to the Mykene...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths retellings war action-adventure -
Killer of Men by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsArimnestos is a farm boy when war breaks out between the citizens of his native Plataea and and their overbearing neighbours, Thebes. Standing in the battle line - the wall of bronze - for the first time, alongside his father and brother, he shares in a famous and unlikely victory. But after being knocked unconscious in the melee, he awakes not a hero, but a slave...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction myths war action-adventure adult audiobook book -
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Shield of Thunder by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThe war of Troy is looming, and all the kings of the Great Green are gathering, friends and enemies, each with their own dark plans of conquest and plunder.Into this maelstrom of treachery and deceit come three travellers; Piria, a runaway priestess nursing a terrible secret, Kalliades, a warrior with a legendary sword, and Banokles who will carve his own legend in the battles to come...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction myths retellings war action-adventure audiobook -
The Crow Queen by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBritain, AD 38, When destiny crowns Cartimandua queen of the Brigantes, she inherits not just the rule of her ancient tribe but an imminent war. Seeking to take advantage of the upheaval amongst the Brigantes, the Parisii tribe strikes. Cartimandua’s enemies soon discover the new Brigantes queen wears a crown of thorns and talons. Carti has no time to waste on petty squabbles... -
Khan: Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe Great Khan is dead—and his vast empire, forged through raw courage, tactical brilliance, and indomitable force, hangs in the balance. Now, with the sons of Genghis Khan maneuvering for supremacy, the very qualities that united the fierce Mongol tribes threaten to tear them apart.Genghis’s tough and canny heir, Ogedai, is on the verge of becoming the new Khan...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction war action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsHe is a man of many names. Some call him the Golden One; others, the Lord of the Silver Bow. To the Dardanians, he is Prince Aeneas. But to his friends, he is Helikaon. Strong, fast, quick of mind, he is a bold warrior, hated by his enemies, feared even by his Trojan allies. For there is a darkness at the heart of the Golden One, a savagery that, once awakened, can be appeased only with blood...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths retellings war action-adventure -
Lifemarked by David Estes
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Four Kingdoms and the fatemarked face the most powerful army the world has ever seen...In Phanes, Roan Loren, the Peacemaker, has high hopes for a united response to the threat from the Horde, but swiftly realizes the only true ally he has is his arch nemesis, Bane...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age -
Shield-Maiden: Gambit of Shadows by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA kingdom at war.A conflict forged in the tragedies of the past.A shield-maiden thrust into the heart of all.Just when Ervie was beginning to break free of the shadows that plagued her, the Gauls set fire to her world. With King Harald murdered, the warhorn calls for revenge. From Skagen to Grund, the Vikings will rally to avenge the heinous attack... -
The Gates of Athens by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvoking two of the most famous battles of the Ancient World—the Battle of Marathon and the Last Stand at Thermopylae—The Gates of Athens is a bravura piece of storytelling by a well acclaimed master of the historical adventure novel.In the new epic historical novel by New York Times bestselling author Conn Iggulden, in ancient Greece an army of slaves gathers on the plains of Marathon . .Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction myths war action-adventure adult audiobook book -
A Bond Undone by Jin Yong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Bond Undone is the second book in Jin Yong's epic Chinese classic and phenomenon Legends of Condor Heroes series, published in the US for the first time!In the Jin capital of Zhongdu, Guo Jing learns the truth of his father’s death and finds he is now betrothed, against his will, to two women. Neither of them is his sweetheart Lotus Huang... -
Lion of Macedon by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsOver and again, the aged seeress Tamis scried all the possible tomorrows. In every one, dark forces threatened Greece; terrible evil was poised to reenter the world. The future held only one hope: a half-caste Spartan boy, Parmenion. So Tamis made it her mission to see that Parmenion would before the deadliest warrior in the world -- no matter what the cost...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths retellings war action-adventure -
Aztec by Gary Jennings
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAztec is the extraordinary story of the last and greatest native civilization of North America...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths war 20th-century action-adventure -
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The Immortal Words by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTo defeat an immortal evil, a young warrior must enter the land of the dead in the spellbinding conclusion to Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler’s epic Grave Kingdom trilogy.As kingdoms fall, brave young warrior Bingmei fights to fulfill a prophecy and save what’s left of the world from the coming darkness... -
The Eagle by Jack Whyte
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBeginning with 'The Skystone', Jack Whyte embarked on an ambitious re-telling of the Arthurian cycle. With 'The Eagle' we come at last to the heart of the tale, the creation of fabled Camelot and the love story that enshrined its glory - and, some say, caused its downfall... -
Stiger's Tigers by Marc Alan Edelheit
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe empire has endured many centuries but is now threatened by multiple wars and a major rebellion in the South. A nobleman from an infamous family, imperial legionary officer, fighter and a right proper bastard of a man… Captain Ben Stiger finds himself reassigned from a crack legion to the rebellion simmering in the South... -
The Buried World by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe young warrior Bingmei pits her courage, combat skills, and very life against a brutal tyrant’s dark magic in the follow-up to Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler’s The Killing Fog. The orphaned Bingmei didn’t choose to be a hero. She has no wish to cross the Death Wall to save the world... -
Sevenfold Sword: Guardian by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe quest of the Seven Swords nears its end, and dark powers rise to seize the world. Ridmark Arban has learned the terrible secret at the heart of the Seven Swords. Now he need only escape Urd Maelwyn, the grim city ruled by the dark elven tyrant known as the Confessor. But few who enter Urd Maelwyn ever leave alive... -
The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsKuni Garu, now known as Emperor Ragin, runs the archipelago kingdom of Dara, but struggles to maintain progress while serving the demands of the people and his vision. Then an unexpected invading force from the Lyucu empire in the far distant west comes to the shores of Dara—and chaos results... -
The Blood of Gods by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThis eBook edition features exclusive bonus content, Conn Iggulden’s original short story “Fig Tree.”One of history’s most notorious assassinations sets the stage for a riveting tale of political intrigue, epic battle, and righteous retribution in a new novel of ancient Rome from #1 New York Times bestselling author Conn Iggulden. THE BLOOD OF GODS Julius Caesar has been cut down...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization drama historical-fiction war action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Nightblade's Honor by Ryan Kirk
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the riveting sequel to Nightblade’s Vengeance, the nightblades must choose a side, and the Kingdom will either rise again… or shatter into pieces.With the realm on the brink of war, the once-celebrated blades have become an easy target for the rage of its devastated citizens... -
I Am the Great Horse by Katherine Roberts
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA thundering epic about Bucephalus, young Alexander the Great's fierce, fiery, battle-scarred stallion--straight from the horse's mouth."I am the dark horse, Bucephalus. I am no black beauty. I am a stallion trained for war...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction myths war action-adventure animals anthropomorphism book -
God of War: The Epic Story of Alexander the Great by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe ultimate historical adventure novel: the life of Alexander the Great in a single, epic...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction myths war action-adventure adult audiobook book -
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Red Branch by Morgan Llywelyn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain -- torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven -- fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction myths retellings war action-adventure adult -
Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley, Maria Dahvana Headley
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAn Irish Times and Vox Best Book of 2020A new, feminist translation of Beowulf by the author of The Mere Wife...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths retellings war 21st-century -
Sons of Thunder by Giles Kristian
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe sequel to Giles Kristian's acclaimed historical debut, Raven: Blood Eye, this brutal, bloody and unputdownable novel continues the story of the Viking Raven and his warrior brotherhood.Never betray a Fellowship and expect to get away with your life...Raven and his Wolfpack of Norsemen have been double crossed... -
The Saxon Shore by Jack Whyte
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsMerlyn Britannicus and Uther Pendragon---the Silver Bear and the Red Dragon---are the leaders of the Colony, lifeblood to the community from which will come the fabled Camulod.But soon their tranquility is in ruins, Uther lies dead from treachery, and all that is left of the dream is the orphaned babe Arthur... -
Rise of Kali: Duryodhana's Mahabharata by Anand Neelakantan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTHE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra, Ajaya is the tale of the Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. From the pen of the author who gave voice to Ravana in the national bestseller, ASURA, comes the riveting narrative which compels us to question the truth behind the Mahabharata... -
The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsRarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths war 21st-century action-adventure -
Dark Prince by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe chaos spirit had chosen the child Alexander to be its human host. But Parmenion, most powerful warrior of ancient Greece, had won a small victory over the darkness that sought to rule through Alexander. The boy's soul had not been destroyed by evil, but instead had merged with it -- and now Parmenion aided Alexander in the battle between light and dark that constantly raged within him...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics epic historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult -
The Deer and the Cauldron: The First Book by Jin Yong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the Dragon Throne of China sits the young Manchu Emperor Kang Xi. Back in 1644, his great-uncle Dorgon broke through the Great Wall from Manchuria in the north-east and took the Imperial capital, Peking. Now twenty years later, the Manchus are quelling the last sparks of Chinese resistance, hounding down members of the underground movement known as the Triad Secret Society... -
Clash Of Empires by Sam Barone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsClash of Empires is the sixth novel in Sam Barone's bronze age historical saga in the tradition of Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell, and Jean Auel. In Dawn of Empire, Eskkar the warrior and Trella the slave girl come together in a mighty struggle to survive a barbarian invasion and build mankind's first walled city...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction action-adventure adult book fiction historical -
Bound by Blood by Mia West
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’ll do anything for the man he loves.Even the unthinkable.Bedwyr has everything he could want. He’s come back from a devastating injury, and he’s a warrior again, regaining his father’s respect battle by successful battle.Best of all: he has Arthur... -
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Battle For Empire by Sam Barone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBattle For Empire is the latest novel in Sam Barone’s six part series, a bronze age historical saga in the tradition of Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell, and Jean Auel.In Dawn of Empire, Eskkar the warrior and Trella the slave girl come together in a mighty struggle to survive a barbarian invasion and build mankind’s first walled city...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization epic historical-fiction war action-adventure adult book fiction -
Captain of the Guard by Ron C. Nieto
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOren Trevaine has never shaken the feeling that he’s not good enough, but he’s determined to avoid the same fate for his men. Oren’s first task as Captain of the Guard is to transform his unruly, undisciplined soldiers into a formidable army—if only they would cooperate.But Oren will need to act fast because the snow is melting with the budding of spring... -
The Three Kingdoms, Volume 2: The Sleeping Dragon by Luo Guanzhong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis exciting new translation will appeal to modern readers who find the twists and turns of Game of Thrones so compelling.The Three Kingdoms is an epic Chinese novel written over six centuries ago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction classics ancient-civilization war myths fiction fantasy action-adventure -
Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy by A.D. Rhine
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSong of great sorrow. Even greater love. Lost between the timeless lines of Homer’s epic, the women of Troy finally stand to be counted. Their story is one you’ve never encountered, and it will change the fate of Troy forever... -
The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 65 ratings1900 BC. In what modern Indians mistakenly call the Indus Valley Civilisation. The inhabitants of that period called it the land of Meluha a near perfect empire created many centuries earlier by Lord Ram, one of the greatest monarchs that ever lived. This once proud empire and its Suryavanshi rulers face severe perils as its primary river, the revered Saraswati, is slowly drying to extinction... -
The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOnce there was a prophecy that a chosen one would rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, an immortal god-king.But the prophecy was wrong.Now Jian, the former chosen hero, is just an ordinary young man trying to find his own way. But he may yet have an extraordinary destiny, because he joins forces with Taishi, his grumpy grandmaster, who instructs him in the ways of her family's powerful war art...
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