Books like 'Illumination'
Readers who enjoyed Illumination by Karen Brooks also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 96 ratingsAelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ― but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture...Categorized as:
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Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 97 ratingsKingdoms will collide.The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't...Categorized as:
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Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 98 ratingsEveryone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her...Categorized as:
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Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 102 ratingsCelaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world...Categorized as:
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Fourth Wing (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEnter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history... -
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 51 ratingsA thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed—Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch...Categorized as:
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Vardaesia by Lynette Noni
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEmbrace the wonder “When Day and Night combine and fight against one Enemy,then Dark and Light shall meet mid-strike and set the Captives free.” In the wake of loss and devastation, Alex must cast aside her grief to seek aid from those who banished the Meyarins long ago...Categorized as:
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The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsReturn to Daevabad in the spellbinding sequel to THE CITY OF BRASS.Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there...Categorized as:
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Under the Oak Tree: Season 2 -3- by Suji Kim
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsStuttering Maximilian Croyso spent a lifetime suffering the abuse of her cruel father, Duke Croyso. The Duke’s final act of cruelty? Marrying Maxi off to the war hero Riftan, legendary slayer of dragons. Now these two complete strangers have to try to make the arranged marriage that neither wanted work out.At first, the brooding Riftan and shy, nervous Maxi have nothing in common...Categorized as:
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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 101 ratings"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown...Categorized as:
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Upheaval by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsVICTORY IS AT HAND! ALL THEY NEED IS A MIRACLE…The evil Emperor is in our heroine’s sights—all she needs now is a military and cultural miracle... -
Under the Oak Tree: Season 2 -4- by Suji Kim
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStuttering Maximilian Croyso spent a lifetime suffering the abuse of her cruel father, Duke Croyso. The Duke’s final act of cruelty? Marrying Maxi off to the war hero Riftan, legendary slayer of dragons. Now these two complete strangers have to try to make the arranged marriage that neither wanted work out.At first, the brooding Riftan and shy, nervous Maxi have nothing in common... -
Dissent by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsHER MIND IS MORPHING BY THE MINUTE…PREPARE TO HAVE YOURS BLOWN! Cancel your lunch and dinner dates, and clear out your inbox at work before picking up DISSENT, the SEVENTH installment of the action-packed sci-fi fantasy series, Rise Of The Iliri! Because this is the truth: This epic series, spellbinding from the first, only becomes more powerfully enthralling with each adventure...Categorized as:
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Inseparable by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDISASTER! THE BLACK BLADES DISBANDED, AN ALLIANCE IN TURMOIL... The intersecting worlds of the iliri, grauori, and men collide when an alliance is declared, and the humans renege. In the midst of offering an olive branch to other races, they seem secretly hellbent on destroying them all—and they begin by putting Sal on trial and disbanding the Black Blades... -
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Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA FORCED WEDDING. A DOUBLE EXECUTION. TWO THIEVES HAVE OTHER PLANS.The New Empire intends to celebrate its victory over the Nationalists with a day that will never be forgotten. On the high holiday of Wintertide, they plan to execute two traitors (Degan Gaunt and the Witch of Melengar) as well as force the Empress into a marriage of their own design...Categorized as:
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The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsHan Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her...Categorized as:
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Tenacity by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWAR, HEARTBREAK, MORE WAR…AND A NEW FRIENDIn the fifth epic of the Rise of the Iliri, Auryn Hadley interjects a compelling sci-fi action fantasy with a heart-warming tale of everyday community and the heart-wrenching reality of war—and the loss it mandates... -
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... -
A Hero's Tale by Catherine M. Wilson
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn Book II, Tamras moved from her home into the lands beyond its border. In Book three, the stage widens further: she deals with the struggles of whole peoples. Caught up in intrigues that would once have been far above her, the heroine risks everything unless she can not only learn to swim in treacherous waters, but to master them. The heroine 's inner journey continues to match her outer one...Categorized as:
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Defiance by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsHER ONLY CHOICE IS TO CHANGE HER WORLD… Salryc Luxx has come a long way in just four years, from slave to conscript, to elite Black Blade assassin, rising rapidly as her extraordinary abilities are revealed... -
Resilience by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsTHE FINAL SHOWDOWN IS NEAR…BUT WHO IS THE REAL ENEMY?Auryn Hadley’s sixth action-adventure in The Rise of the Iliri fantasy series asks how far mankind will go to protect their pride. Because it seems they’ll guard it at the expense of all else...Categorized as:
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Mroczne Wybrzeza. Tom 3. Pozlacany waz by Danielle L. Jensen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen comes a thrilling new novel in the Dark Shores world, a series that Sarah J. Maas called „everything I look for in a fantasy novel.”THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORYLydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good... -
Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsLibrarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN 0451456734 here.Jaenelle Angelline now reigns as Queen-protector of the Shadow Realm. No longer will the corrupt Blood slaughter her people and defile her lands. But where one chapter ends, a final, unseen battle remains to be written, and Jaenelle must unleash the terrible power that is Witch to destroy her enemies once and for all...Categorized as:
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Hope by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBy 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... -
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The Lore of the Evermen by James Maxwell
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe fourth book in the epic Evermen Saga.The Lord of the Night is coming. The future of civilization is at stake.Miro, high lord of Altura, is in the Imperial capital to prepare the Empire for the onslaught. He knows his homeland lies directly in the enemy's path but struggles to form the alliances he needs.As the high lords bicker, Ella seeks the help of the newly crowned emperor, Killian...Categorized as:
female-mc paranormal sword-sorcery war action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age -
Fantasy of Fire by Kelly St. Clare
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFantasy of Fire is the third action-packed title in The Tainted Accords series.An army is half way to Glacium. And not just any army - it belongs to my mother. ************************************************************************** Time is running out as I rush to prevent a war which will kill thousands; The Solati people, my brothers, and the many Bruma I've come to care for...Categorized as:
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Fantasy of Freedom by Kelly St. Clare
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFantasy of Freedom is the final action-packed title in The Tainted Accords series. This is the heaviest the veil has ever felt. But I am the strongest I have ever been. The veil is nothing...Categorized as:
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Weight of the Crown by A.C. Cobble
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe epic conclusion to the Benjamin Ashwood series! Ben and his friends have defeated a deadly threat to mankind, and gained powerful allies along the way, but sometimes the biggest danger is ourselves. In the final book in the Benjamin Ashwood series, Ben will have to take the mantle of leadership to prevent a war that will devastate Alcott... -
Under the Oak Tree: Season 2 -5- by Suji Kim
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStuttering Maximilian Croyso spent a lifetime suffering the abuse of her cruel father, Duke Croyso. The Duke’s final act of cruelty? Marrying Maxi off to the war hero Riftan, legendary slayer of dragons. Now these two complete strangers have to try to make the arranged marriage that neither wanted work out.At first, the brooding Riftan and shy, nervous Maxi have nothing in common...Categorized as:
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Invasion by K.F. Breene
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe Hunter was not trained to admit defeat.With the title of Chosen secured, Shanti and Cayan must look to the next steps in ripping back their freedom from the most deadly tyrant in the land. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones with an agenda.Without mental power to defend themselves, the Westwood Lands are trapped within their own walls... -
The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive...Categorized as:
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Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsAly’s adventure continues…. No longer a slave, Alanna’s daughter is now spying as part of an underground rebellion against the colonial rulers of the Copper Isles. The people in the rebellion believe that a prophecy in which a new queen will rise up to take the throne is about to be realized...Categorized as:
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The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 51 ratingsHaunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own...Categorized as:
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Instinctual by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsEVERY MAN WANTS HER. MANY WANT TO KILL HER.Good luck to them….In the second beautifully-crafted paranormal romance of this reverse harem epic fantasy series, author Auryn Hadley explores Sal’s gently-morphing relationship to the Black Blades—her comarades-in-arms and lovers (although very little is gentle about their mating)... -
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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 Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsA queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched Ithicana be conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.And it is bait she fully intends to take...Categorized as:
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Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe world on the other side of the rift: Kelewan, a land seething with political intrigue and deadly conspiracies. Following the opulent panoply of Daughter Of The Empire and the dazzling pageantry of Servant Of The Empire comes the resounding conclusion to the Empire trilogy...Categorized as:
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Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice...Categorized as:
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Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsRebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes...Categorized as:
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Servant of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsSecond in Feist & Wurts' wonderful epic trilogy -- one of the most successful fantasy collaborations of all time THE EMPIRE TRILOGY: BOOK II Nobody knows how to play the Game of the Council better than Mara of the Acoma...Categorized as:
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Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBlood sings to blood, Froi . . . Those born last will make the first . . . For Charyn will be barren no more. Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper...Categorized as:
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The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe Saint of War spares the life of a servant girl so she can fulfill her destiny as the kingdom’s greatest warrior in this short story of love and loyalty by New York Times bestselling author Alix E. Harrow.Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor... -
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThe champion must not waver.The champion must not fear.The gate of darkness closes.Elisa is a fugitive.Her enemies have stolen the man she loves, and they await her at the gate of darkness. Her country is on the brink of civil war, with her own soldiers ordered to kill her on sight...Categorized as:
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Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFans of Susan Dennard's Witchlands series have fallen in love with the Bloodwitch Aeduan. And now, finally, comes his story.High in a snowy mountain range, a monastery that holds more than just faith clings to the side of a cliff. Below, thwarted by a lake, a bloodthirsty horde of raiders await the coming of winter and the frozen path to destroy the sanctuary and its secrets...Categorized as:
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The Blight of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn The Blight of Muirwood, the second book in the Muirwood Trilogy, Lia finds herself filled with inner turmoil after the great battle of Winterrowd that led to the death of the wicked king and her closest ally...Categorized as:
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A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBased on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world... -
The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe final volume of the Gemmell Morningstar Award-shortlisted Swords and Fire fantasy trilogy, in which political scion Amalia and her bound fire warlock Zaira must save the Empire from a ruthless, magical enemy. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, The Queen of the Tearling, and Uprooted...Categorized as:
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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... -
We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe 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...Categorized as:
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When We Were Crowned by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA GLADIATOR QUEEN IS JUST LIKE A GLADIATOR—SHE DOESN'T FIGHT FAIR! AND SHE'S BECOME THE THING SHE MOST FEARED BEING--A PREGNANT GLADIATOR.Long Live the Gladiator Queen!With the crown safely on Leyli's head, her problems should've been over. Her country is safe. Her family is together. What more could a new Queen ask for? Unfortunately, spending her mornings purging her stomach isn't it...
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