Books like 'First Year'
Readers who enjoyed First Year by Rachel E. Carter also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance high fantasy action / adventure supernatural mystery magic paranormal enemies-to-lovers
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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... -
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... -
The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsCelaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . -
The Reckoning by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMissing girls. A plea for help she can’t ignore. An ancient enemy with plans of his own. Nine-year-old girls are missing from across the lands. Yvonne has promised to find them, and she always keeps her promises. Even when she doesn’t know where to start looking. There’s more trouble around. Mercenaries are disappearing... -
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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... -
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... -
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... -
Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe “powerful and emotionally-charged” fantasy series from the author of the Sevenwaters novels continues, as Blackthorn and Grim face haunting secrets and old adversaries... Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine... Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good... -
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... -
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsA princess in exile, the boy she left at the altar, six enchanted cranes, and a dragon from the deepest sea.Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers epic friendship magic paranormal royalty slow-burn action-adventure -
Finale by Stephanie Garber
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 60 ratingsA love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist... -
Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe trouble with humans is that they're far too sensitive. Forget you put a woman in the local jail for a few months - and she takes it so personally! And yet she is the one trying to assassinate the queen. And now I'm trapped with Elina Shestakova of the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight..Categorized as:
alpha-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc magic medieval paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
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...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers epic high-school magic medieval paranormal royalty action-adventure -
Queen of Song and Souls by C.L. Wilson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsTwo lovers, two hearts, one soul.Only joined can they be truly complete.Only joined can they survive the darkness.The Fey King Rain and his truemate Ellysetta share a passionate love unrivaled in the history of their world—and a forbidden power that made them outcasts from the Fading Lands... -
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Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsMaster storyteller Julie Kagawa concludes the enthralling journey into the heart of the fantastical Empire of Iwagoto in the third book of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy. As darkness rises and chaos reigns, a fierce kitsune and her shadowy protector will face down the greatest evil of all. A captivating fantasy for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas and Marie Lu... -
A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsGifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss... -
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... -
The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsGemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side... -
Viper's Creed by T.L. Shreffler
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSora is having visions. Strange, terrifying visions brought on by her Cat's Eye necklace, an ancient and magical device. Spurred to action, she leaves her mother's cabin to find Crash, the mysterious assassin who once changed her life. She is certain that together, they can discover what the necklace is trying to tell her... -
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... -
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... -
The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFor Karigan G'ladheon, the call of magic in her blood is too strong to resist. Karigan returns to the Green Riders, the magical messengers of the king, to find she's badly needed. Rider magic has become unstable, many Riders have been lost, and the Rider corps is seriously threatened. The timing couldn't be worse. An ancient evil, long dormant, has reawakened, and the world is in peril... -
I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem by Jocelynn Drake
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWho hasn't wanted to disappear into their favorite book? Live in the world of their favorite characters?Well, when this author fell off a bridge thanks to flipping a magic coin, I woke up in the one place I didn't want to be—my own unfinished novel.Now I'm trying to untangle this twisted plot, put the hero back on track to finding his brother's killer, and getting his happily ever after... -
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The Plan Commences by Kristen Ashley
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsOnce upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation... -
Frostbite by Adrienne Woods
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsLosing Lucian McKenzie, the Prince of her heart and discovering her true identity has made Elena Watkins' life almost unbearable. However, new trials will test the 17 year-old's strength and push her to limits she didn’t think were possible.Only a mysterious offer from Blake Leaf, the Rubicon and a dragon predestined for evil, reveals there may be a light at the end of Elena’s dark tunnel... -
The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsSwallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive... -
First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsGHOSTLY RIDERSKarigan G'ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia's elite magical messengers... -
Imposter by Tate James
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThree trials. Three weeks. Three Royal Princes. It should have been an easy task, for a skilled mercenary like Rybet Waise. Simply break into the royal palace, and rescue her friend from the executioner's block. But when Rybet accidentally qualifies for the Trials, she finds herself with little choice but to see them through... -
Wayfarer's Keep by T.A. White
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBranded a traitor by her people, Shea and her warlord—the fiercely dangerous Fallon—travel to the Pathfinders’ seat of power at her father’s request, hoping to form an alliance despite the distrust between them. It doesn’t take long before Shea and Fallon realize something is dangerously wrong in the place she once called home... -
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... -
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.. -
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc by Jennifer Cody
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBerklak:Being a half-orc is fun most of the time. Most people think I’m all orc, and that usually slicks things up so I can glide in and out of town without much fuss. Most of the time things go really smoothly for me... -
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA brand new novel in the beloved world of Sevenwaters, a fantasy series that should appeal to "Lord of the Rings" fans (VOYA). The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, sharing a wary trust... -
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The Queen and the Cure by Amy Harmon
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThere will be a battle, and you will need to protect your heart. Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He'd never envied his brother or wanted to be king. He was the bastard son of the late King Zoltev and a servant girl, and the ignominy of his birth had never bothered him. But there is more to a man than his parentage... -
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThe ancient world of magic is no more. Its heroes are dead, its halls are ruins, and its great battles between Light and Dark are forgotten. Only the Stewards remember, and they keep their centuries-long vigil, sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns.Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother... -
The Border by A.H. Lee
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsRoland thought necromancers were inhuman monsters. Until he met Sairis.Roland and Sairis have escaped from a traumatic assassination attempt, solved the mystery of their attacker, and enjoyed plenty of heavy petting along the way. Roland knows that it’s too soon for love, but he feels like he’s falling head over heels...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers friendship magic paranormal royalty slow-burn witches-wizards action-adventure -
Enemies & Shadows by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world... -
The High Lord by Trudi Canavan
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsIn the city of Imardin, where those who wield magic wield power, a young street-girl, adopted by the Magician's Guild, finds herself at the centre of a terrible plot that may destroy the entire world...Sonea has learned much at the magicians' guild and the other novices now treat her with a grudging respect...Categorized as:
alpha-mc boarding-school enemies-to-lovers epic female-mc high-school magic medieval -
Find Me Their Bones by Sara Wolf
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNo one can save her.In order to protect Prince Lucien d’Malvane’s heart, Zera had to betray him. Now, he hates the sight of her. Trapped in Cavanos as a prisoner of the king, she awaits the inevitable moment her witch severs their magical connection and finally ends her life.But fate isn't ready to give her up just yet... -
The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe dazzling conclusion to #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead's The Glittering Court series.Meet Tamsin, the Glittering Court's hard-angled emerald. Her outsized aspirations make her a fierce competitor, rising to the top of the ranks. But when the ship she boards for the New World is tragically lost at sea, she is quite literally thrown off-course...Categorized as:
dystopia epic friendship love-triangle paranormal royalty action-adventure audiobook -
Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers epic friendship magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook -
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... -
Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book One by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFive years after abandoning the Sagrada Acedemy, Elezar Grunito has become infamous in the sanctified circles of noble dueling rings for his brutal temper and lethal blade. Men and women of all ranks gather to cheer and jeer, none of them knowing Elezar’s true purpose. But a violent death outside the ring marks Elezar as a wanted man and sends him into hiding in the far northern wilds of Labara... -
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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... -
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie-blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic-can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship magic medieval paranormal royalty witches-wizards action-adventure -
Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsAlosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders... -
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 76 ratingsA heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free... -
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... -
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsA Throne of Glass novella.On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates...
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