Books like 'The First of Shadows'
Readers who enjoyed The First of Shadows by Deck Matthews also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy low-fantasy epic sword-sorcery
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Last of the Dragorn by Philip C. Quaintrell
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTHERE IS NO WAR. THERE IS ONLY REBELLION.Alijah's reign sweeps from Erador to Ayda. Those who would stand against the king are few, their numbers cast across too many battlefields. Does hope lie in the east? Can the elves turn the tide and keep The Rebellion alive?The weight of Dhenaheim now rests on Doran's shoulders. Chained and imprisoned, the clans are shattered and spread across the realm... -
![The Knights of Erador by Philip C. Quaintrell]()
The Knights of Erador by Philip C. Quaintrell
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Echoes Saga continues!“Here is today’s lesson; heroes die…”It’s fifteen years since the Orcs were defeated. Fifteen years since a new king rose from the battlefield. Fifteen years since Illian knew the horror of war.Fifteen years of peace are about to end.Something is coming. Shadows gather. Whispers of rebellion have reached the king. Darkness stirs beyond Illian’s borders... -
![Age of the King: by Philip C. Quaintrell]()
Age of the King: by Philip C. Quaintrell
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Echoes Saga continues! The scales have tipped. The battle for Namdhor, the north, and the entire realm of man was a sure victory for the orcs. But they lost. Now, under the rule of a would-be-king, the armies of man fuel the war when they should be bolstering their defences... -
![Legend by Sever Bronny]()
Legend by Sever Bronny
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsImagine a spell that can age you a lifetime in heartbeats, turn loved ones into enemies, and set demons upon your soul…and imagine having to use it to save the kingdom… Battle-tested Augum, Bridget and Leera prepare for a final confrontation with the increasingly vicious Lord of the Legion...Categorized as:
epic sword-sorcery fantasy young-adult audiobook fiction witches-wizards coming-of-age -
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![The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien by Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull]()
The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien by Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsJ.R.R. Tolkien's complete artwork for his magisterial novel, published on the sixtieth anniversary of The Lord of the Rings As he wrote The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien’s mental pictures often found expression in drawing, from rough sketches made within the manuscript to more finished illustrations... -
![The Battle for Hjalgar by Torsten Weitze]()
The Battle for Hjalgar by Torsten Weitze
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThings are coming to a head for Ahren and his companions. It is true that they have won the Paladins Fisker and Aluna over to their cause in the campaign against the Adversary, but the Pall Pillar is going through an ominous change... -
![The Tiger’s Imperium by Marc Alan Edelheit]()
The Tiger’s Imperium by Marc Alan Edelheit
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe sixth installment of the award-winning Chronicles of an Imperial Legionary Officer series is here! Ben Stiger, Legate of the Lost Thirteenth Legion, a nobleman from an infamous family, and born fighter, has defeated the enemy army before Lorium and raised the siege of the city. Mortally wounded and dying, the emperor has made Stiger his heir, but in name only... -
![By Grace and Banners Fallen: Prologue to A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson]()
By Grace and Banners Fallen: Prologue to A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSince 1990, when Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time® burst on the world with its first book, The Eye of the World, readers have been anticipating the finale of this extraordinary saga, which has sold over forty million copies in over thirty languages.The wait will soon be over. The fourteenth and final volume, A Memory of Light, will be available in hardcover and audiobook on January 8, 2013... -
![The Sixth Strand by Melissa McPhail]()
The Sixth Strand by Melissa McPhail
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"The strands are as interwoven as the visible spectrum, yet upon closer inspection, one may be found to bind the rest."- Isabel van Gelderan, Epiphany's ProphetThe First Lord's game has reached a critical apex. For the first time in millennia, the teams are equally matched. The field itself holds a kind of equilibrium... -
![The Blade Trilogy by Christopher Mitchell]()
The Blade Trilogy by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA city ruled by Gods, a mortal champion, a misfit girl and a disobedient dragon…Stolen from his home, Corthie Holdfast has arrived in the City of the Eternal Siege as a new Champion.He must fight alongside the Blades, whose lives are dedicated to the defence of the City against the hordes of monstrous Greenhides; or die at the hands of the Gods who rule... -
![The Severed Realm by Michael G. Manning]()
The Severed Realm by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOnly a fool threatens those a Thornbear protects. Mordecai’s shattered family is in chaos, but the world won’t wait for them to recover. Trapped by a fiendish plot he didn’t foresee, Mordecai finds himself powerless to redeem himself or defend his family. Alone and surrounded by enemies, Lady Rose has only her wits to protect those she loves... -
![Eli by Marc Alan Edelheit]()
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... -
![Dragon's Envoy by James Haddock, Gus James]()
Dragon's Envoy by James Haddock, Gus James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt would make a great bard’s song: The orphan son of a mage, a battlefield scavenger saves a knight’s life, is elevated to be his squire, and becomes a dragon’s envoy. But this is no bard’s song. All of this was because of the dragon stone necklace I scavenged from that dead mage. I knew it was magic when I saw it. Well, it was and it wasn’t... -
![Taroniah at School by Peter Rhodan]()
Taroniah at School by Peter Rhodan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTaroniah was the natural born daughter of a liaison between the King of Marland and her mother, one of the Queen's Ladies in Waiting. Sadly, her mother died while she was still quite young and the King's Master of Arms, Robard, and his wife, Terencia, happily adopted her... -
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![Mordecai by Michael G. Manning]()
Mordecai by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsYears have passed since the last of the Dark Gods was defeated, and Lothion has entered an age of peace and prosperity. Mordecai’s oldest children have already begun to make a place for themselves, and his youngest are on the cusp of adulthood. By every outward measure, his life has been a success; he has earned his reward... -
![Dragon's Hero by Ava Richardson]()
Dragon's Hero by Ava Richardson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn outlaw dragon rider and her band of rebels must find a way to defeat an army….The Aurium lied in order to get a foothold in the realm of Ragond, creating a plague and putting all dragons at risk before they magically appeared at the last moment to fix it. Young dragon rider Kira is determined to reveal their treachery and stop them from doing any further damage to her people... -
![The Raveling: The Complete Saga by Alec Hutson]()
The Raveling: The Complete Saga by Alec Hutson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings2016 Ink and Insights Competition – Judges’ Favorite 2017 Readers' Favorite Award for Epic Fantasy 2nd in the 2017 SPFBO #1 Amazon Best Seller in Epic Fantasy Long ago the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms... -
![The Green Sea by Torsten Weitze]()
The Green Sea by Torsten Weitze
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHardly have they left the Forest of Ire and its horrors behind them when the Thirteenth Paladin decides to head for the Green Sea with his friends to fulfil his old promise of bringing the necromancer to justice, who has been holding the fertile lands surrounding the horse people and their Paladin, Blazing Eyes, in his bony grip for far too long... -
![Fusing by J.L. Mullins]()
Fusing by J.L. Mullins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe world reclaims all things. Humanity shelters within their ever-dying cities. Mages and Archons give their lives to create the only path forward.Tala, having witnessed the marvels of the forest cities and the perils lurking in the southern woods, prepares to embark on a treacherous journey back to the plains from Makinaven... -
![The Thief Who Went To War by Michael McClung]()
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... -
![Heart of Black Ice by Terry Goodkind]()
Heart of Black Ice by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings'HEART OF BLACK ICE' IS THE CLIMATIC CONCLUSION TO TERRY GOODKIND'S 'NEW YORK TIMES' BESTSELLING NICCI CHRONICLES.In the wake of the brutal war that swept the Old World in 'Siege of Stone', a new danger is forming along the coast. Taken captive by their enemies, King Grieve, along with Lila and Bannon are about to discover the terrifying force that threatens to bring destruction to the Old World... -
![The Oaken Throne by Sara C. Roethle]()
The Oaken Throne by Sara C. Roethle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA new era has dawned. The forces of humanity are crippled by the ever pressing threat of the Faie. War continues to tear apart the countryside, robbing those who remain of their last shreds of hope. While peace is only a distant dream for some, there exist the brave few who will stand and fight for what they believe in. Magic does not always mean death, and death does not always mean the end... -
![Transcendence and Rebellion by Michael G. Manning]()
Transcendence and Rebellion by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe world is on the cusp of destruction as Mordecai’s power grows beyond the limits of his own control, yet most of the powers that rule the world are oblivious. The only hope of salvaging their civilization lies with his children, but they have been scattered and branded outlaws... -
![Father of the Mountain: The 13th Paladin by Torsten Weitze]()
Father of the Mountain: The 13th Paladin by Torsten Weitze
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA 2021 Prometheus Award nominee!"Mammon will scratch your itch for cranky libertarian sci-fi. Looking forward to the next part!" - John Carmack, creator of Doom and founder of Armadillo Aerospace"★★★★★ This is a compelling page turner and, once again, Kroese.. -
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![Werebear Barbarian King 2 by Eric Vall]()
Werebear Barbarian King 2 by Eric Vall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNow that we’ve conquered the werewolves, my village is expanding by the day. Werecreatures of every species are flocking to live beside their new king, but the rogue wolves are still on the loose.My subjects won’t be safe until the last of our enemies are tracked down and taken out, but the further we travel, the stranger things become... -
![War Bow by P.S. Power]()
War Bow by P.S. Power
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Amazing Series continues! A war of magic and arms is being fought to the East, while young Anders Brolly attempts to learn what he can of the arcane arts, in order to resist the ancient menace which plagues his home, and perhaps the entire world... -
![Stillbright by Daniel M. Ford]()
Stillbright by Daniel M. Ford
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe adventure continues... Ordained by an ancient goddess of mercy and light, former knight Allystaire Coldbourne has become a paladin, a hero out of legend. But evil stalks him, angry gods align against him, and greedy warlords want him dead... -
![The Warded Box by Guy Antibes]()
The Warded Box by Guy Antibes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJack Winder is sent on another errand by the mercurial Fasher Tempest. This time he heads south into the country of Tesoria accompanied by two Tesorian wizards. The country is rent into factions with each one rebelling against the king in their own fashion. In this turbulent environment, Jack must deliver a warded box to the grand wizard of Tesoria far south of the border... -
![Grishel's Feather by Guy Antibes]()
Grishel's Feather by Guy Antibes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJack Winder's mentor has come down with a magical sickness when on his honeymoon. The illness requires an object of power used as a cure. Jack is tasked to find Grishel's Feather and take it to the seaside village where his mentor and his new wife suffer from the debilitating effects of the malady. Jack has no idea where the feather is other than in the adjacent foreign country... -
![The Battlebone by Guy Antibes]()
The Battlebone by Guy Antibes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJack Winder travels to a far country to retrieve an ancient object. In order to proceed to recover the object is, Jack must learn a new culture and a new philosophy if he is to succeed. The quest is complicated by a revolution spawned by an enemy organization... -
![Stones of Light by Zack Argyle]()
Stones of Light by Zack Argyle
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStones of Light continues the story begun in Voice of War, the multi-award-winning start to the Threadlight series. FEAR THE ROSES. FEAR THE LIGHT.Chrys swore to never again let the Apogee take control but, in a moment of desperation, he gave in. Now, he will learn what the Apogee truly wants... -
![The Eternal Empire: The 13th Paladin by Torsten Weitze]()
The Eternal Empire: The 13th Paladin by Torsten Weitze
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTime is running out for Ahren as he and Khara leave their companions under cover of darkness and make their way to the Eternal Empire. The Pall Cloud is spreading relentlessly, yet the full complement of 13 Paladins have still not gathered together... -
![The Secret of the Sword by Terry Brooks]()
The Secret of the Sword by Terry Brooks
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe will face the ultimate battle of dark against light. . . .The flame of hope is flickering throughout the Four Lands. But thanks to Brona, the evil Warlock Lord, a cloud of dark magic is sweeping south, spreading fear and death. Already Brona's savage armies have crushed the forces of the Elves and their king. Now nothing stands between them and the fair city of Tyrsis... -
![Talion: Revenant by Michael A. Stackpole]()
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... -
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![What the Storm Means: Prologue to The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson]()
What the Storm Means: Prologue to The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. In the Prologue to The Gathering Storm, the first volume of the last trilogy of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time epic, Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle... -
![The Dark Mage by Jace Mitchell, Michael Anderle]()
The Dark Mage by Jace Mitchell, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRight Hand Riley Trident is lithe and fast, her tongue every bit as sharp as her sword. Her and her partner, the massive brute William Teller, are new-age knights sworn to defend the kingdom of New Perth. But dark days are on the horizon Rumors swirl of a dark mage to the North. A man who’s harvesting magic from people, using it to strengthen himself... -
![Goldenmark by Jean Lowe Carlson]()
Goldenmark by Jean Lowe Carlson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlood soils the hands of the righteous. Darkness fills the hearts of the brave. Now, bitter enemies must rise as one under a terrifying magic that could destroy them all, as nations fall to an ancient and ruthless power. Dreams will die and legends will be born in this epic conclusion to The Kingsmen Chronicles... -
![Nightblade's End by Ryan Kirk]()
Nightblade's End by Ryan Kirk
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Kingdom is at war, and the blades face extinction. Exhausted and dispirited, Asa wants only to put the conflicts of the past behind her. But with her home burned to the ground and her people hunted in nearly every corner of the Kingdom, there is no escape. Unlike Koji, who has wholeheartedly pledged his sword to Lady Mari, Asa isn’t sure she believes in the future... -
![Journey of Fate by Brian D. Anderson, Derek Perkins]()
Journey of Fate by Brian D. Anderson, Derek Perkins
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt has been 18 years since the fall of the Reborn King, and Jayden Stedding, son of Gewey, dreams of adventure. Life as a farmer in Sharpstone offers very little excitement. But like his father before him, fate will descend like a storm and soon he will learn that with adventure comes peril. And when you are the son of a god, that peril can shatter worlds... -
![Sky Touched by Eric T. Knight]()
Sky Touched by Eric T. Knight
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the children of Stone, Sea and Sky struggle to master their powers, the inhuman denizens of the Abyss begin to move… Despite his efforts to suppress it, the power of Stone is awakening in Fen. The power is wild and implacable, and Fen knows it is only a matter of time before others learn his secret, and he loses everything. Unless his power kills him as it killed his father... -
![Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Ladner Scott]()
Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Ladner Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPeople always seem to talk about fate like a benevolent, guiding force that one can put their trust in. Those people clearly haven’t been dragged through multiple lives without a choice. Fate is the reason Lux finds himself in the back of a prisoner wagon, after being forced to choose between Lia’s life or his freedom... -
![Amulet of Aria by Jeffrey M. Poole]()
Amulet of Aria by Jeffrey M. Poole
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRealizing they can no longer keep the future king safe, bodyguards Steve and Sarah escort the Lentarian prince, Mikal, back to his home world to not only determine the best course of action, but also to verify the king and queen haven’t become targets themselves. In Mikal's home world, dragon raids are on the rise...Categorized as:
epic sword-sorcery action-adventure book fiction high-fantasy paranormal young-adult -
![Fireclaws: Search For The Golden by T. Michael Ford]()
Fireclaws: Search For The Golden by T. Michael Ford
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFive years have passed since the Lifebane met his demise. But the Xarparion world is still anything but tranquil. Mercenaries, rogue wizards, petty tyrants and creatures more foul, have rushed to claim the lands once held by the Lich. Sky Raven and her environs are at peace for now, but storm clouds are gathering... -
![Castle Town by Anya Merchant]()
Castle Town by Anya Merchant
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe king is dying and Prince Makoa wishes to replace him. The mighty Heralder King of Osteanus is privy to many time-honored traditions including the right to call upon the four underqueens as consorts.But Makoa is only one of many dozens of competing princes eager for the same prize... -
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![Ashes by Sarah K.L. Wilson]()
Ashes by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSHE THOUGHT THERE COULD BE NO FUTURE FOR SOMEONE LIKE HERE UNTIL SOMETHING BLOOMED IN HER HEART - A PHOENIX.Disabled and rejected in her community, Sersha has never had a best friend. Until one day, a phoenix enters her world, tied to her heart in a way no one can break... -
![The D'Karon Apprentice by Joseph R. Lallo]()
The D'Karon Apprentice by Joseph R. Lallo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe D’Karon Apprentice is the long awaited sequel to the acclaimed epic fantasy, The Book of Deacon Trilogy. It is a direct follow up to The Battle of Verril. It has been months since the Chosen finally defeated the D’Karon and the Perpetual War came to an end... -
![A Sorcerer's Fist by Guy Antibes]()
A Sorcerer's Fist by Guy Antibes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsArmed with knowledge of an insidious plot to assume power over the world, Ricky Valian must battle religious zealots within the organization that took him in after begin branded traitor. Together with a secret society that Ricky never took seriously, he finds allies that he once thought enemies to fight against the enemy hidden among those he thought were allies... -
![Flight of the Dragon Knight by D.C. Clemens]()
Flight of the Dragon Knight by D.C. Clemens
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith the support of a former king and his resources, Mercer Eberwolf must sail halfway across the world to reach a fabled tomb held by the Advent. Rough seas, a vice-ridden nation, and jagged mountains hinder his path. However, even with a wealthy kingdom's aid, the young dragon knight realizes he will need to summon his fire-breathing ally in order to match his enemy's power and purpose... -
![Warrior by Terry Brooks]()
Warrior by Terry Brooks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn 1997, Terry Brooks reinvented the fantasy genre with Running with the Demon, a dark contemporary urban fantasy. Now he returns to that Word and Void mythos with a novella sure to delight his readers and a story as powerful as that previous trilogy. Sinnissippi Park, in Hopewell, Illinois, has long been a place of magic...Categorized as:
sword-sorcery epic fantasy urban-fantasy action-adventure fiction anthologies young-adult -
![Dawn of Darkness by Amy Hopkins, Michael Anderle]()
Dawn of Darkness by Amy Hopkins, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the greatest horrors exist in the mind, how do you deal with a man who puts them there? Julianne may have saved Tahn, but the battle has only just begun. An upstart young lord decides Tahn is ripe for the picking, but a quick mind-read reveals there's more to this than meets the eye...
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