Books like 'The Tainted'
Readers who enjoyed The Tainted by Glenda Larke also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy high fantasy action / adventure sword-sorcery female-mc
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Eli by Marc Alan Edelheit
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA dangerous mission. A war of the Gods. An epic destiny.When elven rangers Eli’Far and Mae’Cara are dispatched to hunt down the dangerous criminal Mik’Las, the mission seems simple enough. Mik’Las has committed the unthinkable crimes of murder and kidnap, and though he’s a former ranger and skilled in the deadly arts, Eli is confident they will bring him to justice... -
Prism Cloud by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFriendship is strained to its breaking point in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler’s fourth Harbinger novel.When the emperor is assassinated, Sera Fitzempress is the noble most eligible to inherit the empire. Her upcoming marriage to the prince would cement her position... -
Dragon's Reach by J.A. Andrews
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe truth is neither plain, nor simple.Sable, a reluctant thief from the slums, can feel truth when people speak. For years she’s been using that skill to try to break free from the vicious gang boss she's indebted to... -
Dungeon Master's Guide by E. Gary Gygax
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhether you're running a single adventure or masterminding a complete campaign, the Dungeon Masters Guide is the absolute best source for information. There'r nop need to guess the rules. You'll learn spells, monsters, travel, magic lists, and combat rules...Categorized as:
sword-sorcery action-adventure adult book fiction heroic-fantasy high-fantasy fantasy -
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The Empire's Ruin by Brian Staveley
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsOne soldier will bear the hopes of an empireThe Kettral were the glory and despair of the Annurian Empire – elite soldiers who rode war hawks into battle. Now the Kettral’s numbers have dwindled and the great empire is dying. Its grip is further weakened by the failure of the kenta gates, which granted instantaneous access to its vast lands... -
The Thief Who Went To War by Michael McClung
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter barely surviving the attentions of the Knife That Parts the Night, Amra and Holgren are determined to end the threat posed by the remaining sentient, powerful Blades of the Eightfold Goddess... -
A Demon's Pride by V.A. Lewis
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPride and prejudice. Humanity's prejudice against a Demon's pride. The story of Salvos continues! After officially becoming a Gold Rank adventurer, Salvos leaves the Nixa and departs on a new adventure to grow even stronger and find a way back to her companion... -
Skyclad by Scott Browder
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMorgan Mackenzie had a very bad day. First at work, then at home, and then her bathtub fell through a portal to another world, with her in it. Now she's stuck thousands of miles from any sort of civilization with nothing but the bathtub and a lace puffball scrubby. But she learned magic, so that's sorta nice. Now if only she could find some clothes..Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure adult audiobook book fiction heroic-fantasy -
The Dark Army by Marcus Alexander
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 11 ratings'Your abilities as a Keeper allow you to open doors that others can not.'Imprisoned in the mythical world of Bellania, CHARLIE KEEPER is at the mercy of Lord Bane's guards while her loyal friends have been sold into slavery...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure book children-books fiction high-fantasy horror -
Six of Crows - Chapters 1 and 2 by Leigh Bardugo
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDownload the first two chapters of Six of Crows for free! Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price-and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone....A convict with a thirst for revenge... -
Vlk samotář by Miroslav Žamboch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWielcy tego świata już o nim wiedzą.Nielegalne polowania na artefakty z przeszłości – Koniasz!Zrujnowany rynek handlu zbożem – Koniasz!Krach na giełdzie szmaragdów – Koniasz!Skandal dyplomatyczny na Pustyni Gutawskiej – Koniasz!Jeden człowiek! Jeden sprawca wszystkich koszmarnych niepowodzeń! Podróżnik, zwiadowca, awanturnik, najemnik.Rusza polowanie, jakiego dotąd nie znała historia... -
The Gathering by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsScarred by a brutal past, she has sworn to help those in need.As one of the Hundred, Yvonne cannot ignore a plea for help, even if all she wants is a quiet life, somewhere safe for her adopted children to grow into adulthood.Safety is in short supply. Young people, some of them children, are going missing in large numbers, leaving bewildered and grieving families behind... -
The Destiny of Ren Crown by Anne Zoelle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the run with two of her most powerful—and quarrelsome—allies, Ren has to outwit the Department and all those who seek to exploit her powers as she fights for the lives of those she loves and the freedom to live in a world that fears her.The Destiny of Ren Crown is the final book in the Ren Crown series...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure alpha-mc book children-books fiction found-family -
Reyr the Gold by Melissa Mitchell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter 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... -
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The First Tail by Taniko K Williams
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs a child, my dreams of the future were of university, of being a world renowned researcher and pharmacist.Being one of the many unfortunates forced into a virtual reality capsule to live out my days as a popsicle, was not part of that dream.But as I soon learned, not all dreams can be achieved, and sometimes, it’s the dreams we never knew we had that come true...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery fantasy litrpg virtual-reality alchemy coming-of-age fiction -
Weaponsmaster: A Monster Girl Fantasy Adventure by Phil Aerix
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSend living shadows to drag me to another world? They better be ready for a fight!I’ve always been a scrapper, so when I was snatched from my world by shadow creatures and hauled to another one, I did as I’d always done. I fought. But I still didn’t know anything about where I was... -
The First Ancestor by J.D.L. Rosell
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe avenged the fallen. Rebelled against an empire. Commanded a titan itself. Now Leiyn must win a war against death incarnate.Oathbound to a deceased shaman, the ranger Leiyn ventures north with her comrades to fight alongside the Gasts in their ancestral war.But this enemy is like none other Leiyn has faced. Ancient and malevolent, the very world bends to their dominion...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery fantasy high-fantasy epic enemies-to-lovers wlw action-adventure -
Fairhaven Rising by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsModesitt continues his bestselling Saga of Recluce with his twenty-second book in the long-running series. Fairhaven Rising is the first book in a new character arc, and follows The Mage-Fire War.Sixteen years have passed since the mage Beltur helped to found the town of Fairhaven, and Taelya, Beltur's adopted niece, is now a white mage undercaptain in the Road Guards of Fairhaven... -
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
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWe 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
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... -
Cursed by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKing Randor has been defeated. Queen Alassa has taken her throne. The Kingdom of Zangaria can look forward to a new age of peace and prosperity. But their victory came at a terrible price. A moment before his death, King Randor hit Emily with a powerful curse. She's lost her magic. She's losing her mind. She may soon lose her life...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-universe audiobook book dystopia -
The Broken Throne by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Kingdom of Zangaria has fallen into civil war. On one side, King Randor and his forces, determined to impose his rule over the entire kingdom; on another, the noblemen who want to crush the king; on a third, Princess Alassa and the Levellers...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-universe audiobook book dystopia -
The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow's Gate by Michael McClung
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.The third installment in the Amra Thetys series:After surviving Thagoth and returning rich to Lucernis, Amra and Holgren have settled down to a very comfortable, if decidedly unexciting life -- until the night Amra receives an old enemy's head in a box... -
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Accounts Payable by Blaise Corvin
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe last three years have not been easy for Nora Hazard, but she’s been able to create a new life for herself. Since becoming orb-Bonded, she’s managed to survive, then thrive. She’s mastered her power and grown up during her time as a soldier, even experiencing love. But circumstances will force Nora to make new choices... -
Talion: Revenant by Michael A. Stackpole
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe man he is sworn to protect is the man who butchered his family.Justices--the select of the Talion, endowed with fearsome magick and lethal martial skills--roam the Shattered Empire, crushing the lawless and championing the oppressed. Their word is law and their judgement binding on highborn and low.Nolan is a Justice born in what once was the free nation of Sinjaria... -
The Prince by Vickie Knestaut, Danny Knestaut
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTrysten's first fighting season as Dragoneer of the Aerona weyr proves to be dangerous and filled with threats from all sides. While preparing for more attacks from the Western kingdom, Trysten must deal with a prince who arrives to enforce the King's rules and take her title.As he looks into the mystery of the Second Horde, the Prince discovers the secret of Trysten's heritage... -
Wedding Hells by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAfter her victory over Master Grey, Emily wants nothing more than to relax and give herself time to recover from the duel. Her magic, pushed to the limits, is no longer reliable, forcing her to learn to control it from scratch. Every time she delays using her magic, she risks headaches ... or worse... -
Prophecy's End by Richard Phillips
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA mage’s ungodly goal: rule among the dead. A noblewoman’s destiny: deliver the kingdom of Endar from evil. The final battle is at hand.Kragan, wielder of malignant magic, is nearing his ultimate goal. Lorness Carol Rafel is pursuing her millennia-old destiny as well... -
The Bridge to Nowhere by Austin J. Bailey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree days. Seven mages. One traitor… In this epic conclusion to the Magemother trilogy, Brinley ventures into the upside-down world of Inveress with a traitor at her side. Meanwhile, trapped inside the Panthion, Hugo searches for the truth that will save him from destruction. Together, they will find danger and death, loyalty and friendship...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age fiction high-fantasy -
Thief of the Night Guild by Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe impossible becomes inevitable with the fate of her loved ones hanging in the balance…A cunning thief of unrivaled ingenuity, Ilanna is determined to secure her freedom at any cost. No price is too high to break the shackles of the Night Guild's callous cruelty.With her future on the line, nothing will stand in her way, not even the most powerful man in Praamis, Duke Phonnis... -
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 -
Dragonbride by Raani York
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShalima, “Daughter of the Light”, was born under special circumstances. She was raised by her aunts instead of her mother because she needed to be prepared to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Scriptures, which told that she was the only Magician on Earth.Her aunts carefully prepared her for her obligations and her sacred duty... -
The Queen's Chair by Chloe Garner
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat do you do with a merchant's spare daughter? What do you do when you are a merchant's spare daughter?Stasia has known her entire life that she was not destined for the lives that her friends and her sisters were expected to lead...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery fantasy alpha-mc action-adventure supernatural epic historical -
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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 sword-sorcery romance fantasy high-fantasy historical-fiction historical poc-mc -
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 sword-sorcery romance fantasy high-fantasy historical-fiction historical poc-mc -
Reincarnated as a Familiar, Vol. 2 by D.S. Craig
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCuriosity killed the cat.After their close call with the archdemon Thel’al, Astria and Lesti are finally given permission to leave the academy grounds. Eager to get out into the city, they head to the market. Almost immediately, they hear whispers of strange happenings in the city. Unable to ignore the problem, they begin to investigate on their own...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery fantasy litrpg witches-wizards mystery fiction action-adventure -
The School of Hard Knocks by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA plot is being hatched at Mountaintop Academy, a plot that threatens the lives of Emily and her friends... and the integrity of the Allied Lands. In a desperate bid to uncover the secrets of Mountaintop, and recover her stolen notes, Emily goes undercover into Mountaintop, a mission that may cost her everything..Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure audiobook book dragons fiction high-fantasy -
The Shattered Sword by T.J. Reynolds
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA broke gamer. A deadly online world. Can Dhalia level up fast enough to keep the debt collectors at bay?Dhalia has to pay off her dead father’s bills or risk her life in the lithium mines. Which...no thank you. Besides, the world is run by tech, and this gamer girl is determined to explore the virtual world her father was so obsessed with and get rich while she’s at it...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure audiobook book cyberpunk dungeons-dragons epic -
Shadow Cursed by D.K. Holmberg
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Carthenne Rel first came to Nyaesh, she feared the A’ras. Now she trains with them, struggling to use the magic they teach, and cut off from the shadow blessing within her. Isolated for her differences, she has only a few friends among the other students. When the strange and powerful Master Invar offers to teach her to access the powers warring within her, Carth is isolated even more... -
Shadow Born by D.K. Holmberg
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCarthenne Rel survived the Hjan attack on the A'ras and has left the north, the only place she ever really known. Now she travels to better understand what it means that she's shadow born. Stranded by storms in a dangerous port city, she's captured while helping rescue a young girl from slavers... -
Warrior Prime by Victor Gischler
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPeyne Erlich’s mission from the king is to learn everything he can about the rival kingdom’s magical ink mage warriors. What he finds is Zayda Yond.Ever since Zayda was sold into bondage by her financially destitute father, her masters have taught her a punishing lesson: erase the past. Collared with an unmovable band of exotic metal, her future is that of a slave...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book dark-fantasy dystopia -
Outlaw by K. Eason
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe battle against the gods continues in the heart-pounding sequel to Enemy.Snow never planned on having a partner. Never planned on picking fights with a god. And certainly never expected to start a revolution.But that was before the goddess Tal’Shik returned, looking for revenge on the republic that rejected her... -
A Small Town in Southern Illvaria by acaswell
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA young woman must navigate the dangers of a strange new world filled with magic and mystery in this imaginative and highly detailed LitRPG adventure.When Alice Verianna went to sleep, she was just another teen from the Denver suburbs. She definitely didn’t expect to be transported to a magical alternate dimension, inhabited by monsters and presided over by a mysterious System... -
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Aerona Stands by Vickie Knestaut, Danny Knestaut
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTrysten's heroism and dragon riding skills may have won over the prince of Cadwaller, but her future as Dragoneer of Aerona weyr remains uncertain. A threat unlike any the village has ever faced is on the move. Aerona lies in the path of destruction... -
Work Experience by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn the summer between Second and Third Year at Whitehall, Emily accompanies Lady Barb on her rounds of the Cairngorm Mountains bringing magical help to the locals and searching for new magicians... -
Amelia The Level Zero Hero Book 1 by V.A. Lewis, Melas Delta
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWho needs a Class when you're already the strongest anyways? Ten years ago, Amelia woke up alone and lost in a broken world where she had to fight for her survival. Now, after reaching the pinnacle of power, defeating the Void itself, and escaping the abyss, she has finally found her way back into the real world. But instead of returning to Earth, she arrives in the land of Vacuos...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery fantasy humor action-adventure audiobook young-adult fiction -
Sovereign Sacrifice by Elise Kova
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsVi 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
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA 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 Shamer's War by Lene Kaaberbøl
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe spellbinding final volume of the Shamer ChroniclesThe Dragon Lord of Dunark is ruthlessly hunting down Shamers and burning them at the stake. He must be brought down, and so a rebellion is formed.Rebellions need leaders, and what better choice than the legitimate heir to Dunark, Dina's friend Nico? Nico is reluctant to kill even a rabbit...Categorized as:
female-mc sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure book children dragons female-author
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