Books like 'Valiant'
Readers who enjoyed Valiant by Sarah McGuire also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance action / adventure high fantasy military, war & conflict retellings fairy-tale children friendship
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The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThe final chapter in the Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.Daevabad has fallen.After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people... -
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsFollowing their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen. Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame... -
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... -
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... -
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A Dance with Dragons: After the Feast by George R.R. Martin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 26 ratings'Some had been heroes, some weaklings, knaves, or cravens. Most were only men. The best of them overcame their flaws, did their duty, and died with their swords in their hands. The worst... the worst were those who played the game of thrones'The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance... -
Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making, conclusion to the New York Times–bestselling Queen’s Thief series, by Megan Whalen Turner. This beloved and award-winning series began with the acclaimed novel The Thief... -
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:
friendship historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal royalty war action-adventure -
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsBy scheming and theft, the Thief of Eddis has become King of Attolia. Eugenides wanted the queen, not the crown, but he finds himself trapped in a web of his own making.Then he drags a naive young guard into the center of the political maelstrom. Poor Costis knows he is the victim of the king's caprice, but his contempt for Eugenides slowly turns to grudging respect... -
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:
female-mc historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal war action-adventure alpha-mc -
Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsFrom Tamora Pierce, the final book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award.Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. She has triumphed in countless bloody battles, and her adventures are already legendary... -
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... -
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... -
In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsDisguised as a boy, Alanna of Trebond becomes a squire, to none other than the prince of the realm. But Prince Jonathan is much more to Alanna; he is her ally, her best friend, and one of the few who knows that she's really a girl... -
The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sequel to the critically acclaimed The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, The Words of Kings and Prophets is the powerful new historical fantasy novel by Shauna Lawless.Ireland, 1000 AD. Gormflaith is unhappily married to Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and although a queen she struggles with her limited position... -
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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... -
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... -
Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsRebel by chance. Traitor by choice.Gunslinger Amani al'Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she’s fighting to liberate the entire desert nation of Miraji from a bloodthirsty sultan who slew his own father to capture the throne... -
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... -
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsThis is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle... -
Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThere's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power... -
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsA kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya... -
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 77 ratingsA world divided.A queendom without an heir.An ancient enemy awakens.The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.Ead Duryan is an outsider at court... -
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... -
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsRevengeWhen Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, stole Hamiathes's Gift, the Queen of Attolia lost more than a mythical relic. She lost face. Everyone knew that Eudenides had outwitted and escaped her. To restore her reputation and reassert her power, the Queen of Attolia will go to any length and accept any help that is offered... she will risk her country to execute the perfect revenge... -
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The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsHeld captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together.Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw... -
Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsThe evil king is dead, the war is over, and Meliara -- barefoot countess and reluctant heroine -- has been swept up into a different kind of battle in the dance halls and drawing rooms of the royal palace. Physical warfare is easy compared to the genteel skirmishes of the royal court... -
The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsOne war.Too many deadly battles.Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does... -
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsPoor Creel. She can't believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon. It's a ploy to lure a heroic knight so that he will fight the dragon, marry Creel out of chivalrous obligation, and lift the entire family out of poverty. Creel isn't worried. After all, nobody has seen a dragon in centuries... -
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsShe does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from both foreign realms and within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled... -
Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIn GATHERING DARKNESS, book three of the New York Times bestselling Falling Kingdoms series, the stakes have never been higher as three teams push forward on a race to find the Kindred, the four elemental crystals possessing ancient all-powerful magic, first:Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces... -
Sacrifice by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsSacrifice: the thrilling conclusion to the Snow Queen series! Rakel, once feared and exiled for possessing magic, is now hailed a hero. Leading resistance forces against the Chosen—an army of magic users that invaded her homeland—she is granted everything she has longed for: acceptance, a home, and the love of her friends. But the battle for her country has just begun... -
Der letzte Kampf by Rachel E. Carter
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsHe’s the Black Mage and she’s the traitor to the Crown.Ryiah’s world was shattered the night she discovered King Blayne’s nefarious plans. Now, she has to betray the one she loves most in order to save the realm from war... -
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAfter a year at the king's palace, Miri has learned all about being a proper princess. But the tables turn when the student must become the teacher!Instead of returning to her beloved Mount Eskel, Miri is ordered to journey to a distant swamp and start a princess academy for three sisters, cousins of the royal family... -
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsLia has survived Venda—but so has a great evil bent on the destruction of Morrighan. And only Lia can stop it.With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down... -
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Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsLaying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos... -
Flight of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsExiled and on the run, Selene Ravenwood is in search of the real reason her family was given the gift of dreamwalking but first she must adapt to her marriage with the man she was originally assigned to kill. With war impending and a dark being after her gift, she finds herself at a crossroads but time is running out and soon her choice will be made for her... -
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThorn Bathu was born to fight. But when she kills a boy in the training square she finds herself named a murderer.Fate places her life in the hands of the deep-cunning Father Yarvi as he sets out to cross half the world in search of allies against the ruthless High King. Beside her is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill... -
The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsSome kisses come at a price.War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised... -
A Crimson Frost by Marcia Lynn McClure
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBeloved of her father, King Dacian, and adored by her people, the Scarlet Princess Monet endeavored to serve her kingdom well—for the people of the Kingdom of Karvana were good, and worthy of service. Long Monet had known that even her marriage would serve her people. Her husband would be chosen for her—for this was the way of royal existence...Categorized as:
fairy-tale historical-fiction medieval royalty war action-adventure arranged-marriage arthurian -
Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe ruthless Empress Amara of Kraeshia has taken the Mytican throne, and now uncertainty looms over the three kingdoms. Since Lucia unleashed the fire Kindred, wreaking havoc throughout the land, Myticans have been looking for someone—anyone—they can trust. They believe in Amara, not knowing her grand promises are built on lies... -
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWith the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion... -
Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsHunted, Killed—Survived?As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement... -
Royal Decoy (1) by Heather Frost
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA SERVANT blackmailed into becoming a princess’s decoy.A BODYGUARD determined to keep her alive. A PRINCE forced to execute his father’s brutal laws.A PRISONER used to keep him compliant. A WORLD on the brink of war. In one horrible night, Clare goes from kitchen maid to royal decoy. She has three months to become the princess's perfect double so she can ensure her betrothal to an enemy prince... -
A Kingdom of Nomads by S.B. Nova
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the darkness grows, so must the light…Branded as enemies of the fae kingdom, Serena and her friends are on the run from the witch queen, Morgan. They reach sanctuary, only to discover shocking secrets that separate them.Serena’s newfound destiny takes her to a land plagued by endless war. To survive there, she is forced to bloody her sword, escape an evil king, and confront a god... -
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Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsI lean forward, pushing my body out past the battlements. The wind plucks at my cloak, buffets against me, as if it would carry me off in flight, just like the birds or the knight's soul. Let go, it cries, I will take you far, far away. I want to laugh at the exhilarating feeling, I will catch you, it whistles seductively.The convent has returned Sybella to a life that nearly drove her mad... -
Pool of Dreams by Sam Burns, W.M. Fawkes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA fae who betrayed his prince for a doomed passion.Syren sacrificed the man he loved to spare humanity from the wrath of the fae. For three hundred years, he’s been stuck on the mortal plane, floating alone in his pool while his powers slipped away... -
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsCompared to Outlander and The Mists of Avalon, this thrilling first novel of a debut trilogy reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin sister of the man who inspired the legend of Merlin. I write because I have seen the darkness that will come. Already there are those who seek to tell a new history.. -
The Rook by Frost Kay
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Dark Court is no place for a lady.After tricking the king, Tempest has finally won her prize - a place on the king's council - but it comes with a steep price. The monarch wishes for her to once again infiltrate the Jester's Dark Court and crush the remaining rebellion.Trapped between her kingdom and her honor, she throws herself into the task, determined to discover her true enemies... -
Voice of Power by Melanie Cellier
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn Elena's world words have power over life and death--but none more so than hers.As the daughter of shopkeepers, Elena has always known that the mysteries of reading and writing were closed to her. Only the mageborn can risk harnessing the power unleashed from putting pen to paper. Until Elena discovers an impossible new ability and joins the elite ranks of the mages... -
The Traitor's Ruin by Erin Beaty
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter proving her worth in book one as a deft spy and strategic matchmaker, Sage Fowler is now comfortably positioned in high society as the royal tutor. When she’s called upon to teach his majesty’s soldiers how to read and write, she jumps at the chance to serve her kingdom of Demora—and to be reunited with her fiancé, Captain Alex Quinn. During a skirmish, Sage and Alex are separated...Categorized as:
friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal royalty war action-adventure audiobook
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