Books like 'Shadow's End'
Readers who enjoyed Shadow's End by Moira Katson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy high fantasy warriors politics political-intrigue assassins female-mc epic royalty
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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:
epic female-mc medieval political-intrigue politics royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThe triumphant conclusion to the Tawny Man trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies. The moving end to the tale of the Farseers, in which kingdoms must stand or fall on the beat of a dragon's wings, or a Fool's heart...Categorized as:
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The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 88 ratingsThe impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler—the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years—has been vanquished...Categorized as:
assassins epic female-mc political-intrigue politics royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
A Sharpened Axe by Jill M. Beene
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA cursed nation. An unlikely heroine. Deadly stakes. This love could kill...A jaded fae princess and a few words whispered in the dark...that’s all it took for the prosperous country of Leiria to fall under a curse. Disease, famine and calamity followed. Fifteen years later, Samiris is one of the Chosen, a group of young women brought to the palace to try and break the curse... -
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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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Warrior's Ransom by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter a pilgrimage to the East Kingdoms seeking a blessing from the Fountain, source of the land’s magic, Sir Ransom Barton returns home in search of two dreams: Claire de Murrow, the heiress he loves, and a patron for his warrior skills. Unexpectedly, Ransom finds himself in the favor of Devon, the notorious Elder King... -
The King's Traitor by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAgainst all odds, Owen Kiskaddon grew from frightened boy to confident youth to trusted officer in the court of Kingfountain—and watched its regent, Severn Argentine, grow ever more ruthless and power-mad. Robbed of his beloved protector, his noble mentor, and his true love, Owen has anticipated the day when the king he fears and reviles, yet loyally serves, will be toppled...Categorized as:
epic espionage political-intrigue politics royalty action-adventure alternate-history arthurian -
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsalternate cover for ISBN 9780006486015Fifteen years have passed since the end of the Red Ship War with the terrifying Outislanders. Since then, Fitz has wandered the world accompanied only by his wolf and Wit-partner, Nighteyes, finally settling in a tiny cottage as remote from Buckkeep and the Farseers as possible.But lately the world has come crashing in again...Categorized as:
assassins epic medieval political-intrigue politics royalty 21st-century action-adventure -
Golden Fool by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsThe acclaimed Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies established Robin Hobb as one of the most splendidly imaginative practitioners of world-class fantasy. Now, in Book 2 of her most stunning trilogy yet, Hobb continues the soul-shattering tale of FitzChivalry Farseer...Categorized as:
assassins epic medieval political-intrigue politics royalty 21st-century action-adventure -
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... -
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... -
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThree times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria.When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire... -
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:
epic espionage female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
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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The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 51 ratingsWhen the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The mission is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer--and she doesn't like what she finds there...Categorized as:
assassins epic female-mc political-intrigue royalty warriors action-adventure alpha-mc -
The Prince's Blade by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe nightmare has begun… but where is the Black Dragon?After a thousand years, the Eternal Enemy has breached the Great Walls, devastating great swathes of the City. Thousands lie dead, while the survivors huddle behind the old and decaying walls of the inner defences... -
Falls of Iron by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLostwell – a dying world of volcanos, earthquakes, endless wastes and wild dragons.For Corthie and Aila, Lostwell is a stepping stone to the home of the Holdfasts, and for Blackrose and Maddie it is the way to Dragon Eyre. But for Belinda, Lostwell means something else – the land where she once ruled as Queen... -
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:
assassins epic espionage female-mc political-intrigue royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsThe international bestselling series with over 5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone!Several years have passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, first met, and Will is finally a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy?boring, even?until Lord Syron, master of a castle far in the north, is struck down by a mysterious illness...Categorized as:
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Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsTHE SECRET IS IN THE TOWER. THE PROBLEM IS THE BEAST. THE ANSWER IS TWO THIEVES.When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer... -
Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsAlianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying...Categorized as:
epic espionage female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
When We Were Kings by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsON THE FIRST DAY SHE MET HER MATCH. THEN SHE KILLED 16 MEN. Tossed into the gladiator arena, the delicate girl in the fancy pink dress should have been the first to die. Leyli had other plans. Surviving was at the top of her list. Revenge was a close second.Having grown up behind the sheltered walls of the Oberhame Palace, she knew what the crowd wanted... -
Fantasy of Flight by Kelly St. Clare, Melissa Scott
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsMy veil is gone and I need it back.Stuck in the lethal Outer Rings of Glacium, I must fight to survive while keeping my true identity the gravest of secrets. Only then can I continue the search for Prince Kedrick's murderer and navigate my way back to King Jovan's castle.No one can discover I'm the Tatuma of Osolis - the princess of their enemy world.. -
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... -
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Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsThe legend continues…Regal’s treasonous attempt to usurp the Six Duchies throne from his half-brother Verity has been foiled...Categorized as:
assassins epic medieval political-intrigue politics royalty 20th-century action-adventure -
The Dragon's Blade by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Champion in chains, a Demigod in hiding and a Dragon betrayed.The new Prince of Tara rules the City of the Eternal Siege and nothing will get in his way – all must kneel before him or die.But what is power without the woman he desires? For three hundred years, the Prince has longed for Aila, wanting her as his bride... -
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:
assassins epic female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
Cage of Destiny by Jennifer Anne Davis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDestined from birth to be the next empress of Emperion, Allyssa grew up at court weighed down by the expectations of the crown. Kingdom and duty always came first. Until now. Having survived the brutal kingdom of Russek, she is given the choice to walk away and live a peaceful, quiet life. But it also means giving up everything she knows and everyone she loves...Categorized as:
assassins female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty action-adventure age-gap alpha-mc -
Court's Fool by Frost Kay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe line between good and evil blur in the final installment of best selling enemies - to - lovers series The Aermian Feuds.Sage knew destroying the Warlord wouldn't be easy, but she never anticipated the toll it would take on her kingdom and her soul. Everywhere she turned, the world dripped with blood, heartache, and betrayal.Sanee was under siege.Jasmine was missing... -
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:
epic female-mc political-intrigue politics action-adventure book female-author fiction -
Cage of Darkness by Jennifer Anne Davis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhile traveling to Fren, Allyssa and Odar are hijacked by a ruthless assassin who divulges a stunning secret that changes everything. Trying to come to terms with this newfound revelation, Allyssa is taken to Russek and delivered into the hands of a malicious and twisted royal family...Categorized as:
assassins female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty action-adventure alpha-mc arranged-marriage -
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...Categorized as:
epic female-mc medieval political-intrigue politics royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsMagic and murder engulf the realm of Kelewan. Fierce warlords ignite a bitter blood feud to enslave the empire of Tsuranuanni. While in the opulent Imperial courts, assassins and spy-master plot cunning and devious intrigues against the rightful heir. Now Mara, a young, untested Ruling lady, is called upon to lead her people in a heroic struggle for survival...Categorized as:
assassins epic female-mc medieval political-intrigue politics action-adventure adult -
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...Categorized as:
assassins epic female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
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Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsWhen the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger...Categorized as:
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Ghost in the Inferno by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. She has defeated powerful foes, but more dangerous enemies lie before her.A sorcerous catastrophe threatens to destroy Istarinmul, and the only the mysterious sorceress Annarah, last loremaster of lost Iramis, knows how to stop it... -
Ghost in the Pact by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas has found the lost relics of Iramis, but with the relics comes deadly peril. For Grand Master Callatas is ready to work his terrible Apotheosis, and all he needs to unleash the dark power of the nagataaru is the Staff and the Seal of Iramis…once he takes them from Caina’s dead hands. Yet if Caina and Callatas do not work together, they are doomed... -
Royal Spy by Heather Frost
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA DECOY recruited to be a spy.A PRINCE compelled to become an assassin.A SERJAH pressured by an unwanted crown.A WORLD covered in shadows.Mere months ago, Clare was just a kitchen maid. Now, she is a decoy for Princess Serene and a novice spy, caught in the royal family's web of secrets...Categorized as:
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The Assassin's Dragon by W.M. Fawkes, Sam Burns
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn Atheldinas, everyone’s secrets have been uncovered. Tristram is a half-dragon, Nicholas is a villain scheming to take the throne from his cousin Roland, and eternally sharp Bet is nothing less than a hero.The cost has been high, and now Tristram is forced to amass the armies of Llangard to save his king from Jarl Vidar, the mysterious figure who’s hellbent on tearing Llangard in two...Categorized as:
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Ghost in the Surge by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, one of the elite agents of the Emperor of Nighmar. She has defeated powerful sorcerers and corrupt lords, freed slaves and overthrown great evils. But now someone has begun slaughtering the Ghosts of the Imperial capital, and the killer is wearing her face... -
Last Dragon Standing by G.A. Aiken
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsHe’s not the only flame in town…I know what they see when they look at me. The charming, soft-spoken dragoness bred from the most powerful of royal bloodlines. A disguise stronger than any battle shield that allows me to keep all suitors at tail’s length. A technique that’s worked until him. Until Ragnar the Cunning, handsome barbarian warlord and warrior mage from the desolate Northlands...Categorized as:
assassins female-mc medieval political-intrigue royalty warriors action-adventure adult -
Deliverance by J.W. Elliot
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBrion never meant to start a war. But when they murdered his parents and enslaved his sister and his sweetheart, they left him no choice. Brion of Wexford is the son of a crippled trapper living a quiet life on the edge of the vast and unruly heathland...Categorized as:
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The Assassin and the Healer by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMeet the Assassin: beautiful, defiant, destined for greatness. Celaena Sardothien has challenged her master. Now she must pay the price. Her journey to the Red Desert will be an arduous one, but it may change the fate of her cursed world forever.. -
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...Categorized as:
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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...Categorized as:
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Banished by Michael Wisehart
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAyrion is the worst assassin his people have ever seen.A mercenary who doesn't like to kill.Desperate to become the youngest warrior of his clan, Ayrion will stop at nothing to reach his goal, not even the one thing all Upakans fear:. . . Magic.However, when a fatal accident forces him to flee, Ayrion barters passage aboard the only ship willing to take one of his kind...Categorized as:
assassins epic medieval political-intrigue action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
Enemy's Queen by Frost Kay
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBeauty and perfection come at a price… Abducted and thrust into a court obsessed with perfection, scarred Sage Ramses’ dream of peace and happiness is no longer a possibility. An ancient creature of darkness rules the land along with a people that are no longer human, and she’s forced to learn how to survive despite her inadequacies...Categorized as:
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Professional Integrity by Michael J. Sullivan, Tim Gerard Reynolds
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOne of the genre's favorite pairs returns in a classic fantasy short for both Riyria veterans and first-time readers.Several years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start their thieves-for-hire organization better known as Riyria. Things have gone well enough for the team as they do "jobs" for various nobles throughout Elan... -
Blackveil by Kristen Britain
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsRead Kristen Britain's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community. The long-awaited sequel to Green Rider, First Rider's Call, and The High King's Tomb. Once a simple student, Karigan G'ladheon finds herself in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand when she becomes a legendary Green Rider-one of the magical messengers of the king...Categorized as:
epic female-mc medieval political-intrigue politics royalty action-adventure alpha-mc -
The Crimson Vault by Will Wight
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAs the conflict between Enosh and Damasca builds to war, Simon finds himself caught in the middle.Alin is bound by prophecy to the Grandmasters of Enosh, but he begins to doubt his fate when he discovers that their talk of freedom hides a darker agenda.Leah has never questioned her loyalty to Damasca...
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