Books like 'Skull Gate'
Readers who enjoyed Skull Gate by Robin Wayne Bailey also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy high fantasy supernatural horror sword-sorcery myths dark magical-realism
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The Rascor Plains by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsScorio thought victory was within his grasp. He had bested the Final Gauntlet and overcome the treachery of Chancellor Praximar. But the Rascor Plains are full of peril, and his quest for truth has only just begun... -
Bastion by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsScorio will rise from the ashes to conquer the ten layers of hell.Reborn without memories, Scorio learns that he is a Great Soul, a legendary defender of the ancient city of Bastion... -
Light Singer by Audrey Grey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHaven escaped the clutches of the new Sun Sovereign and found solace in Shadoria, but for how long? Now that the extent of her powers is known, Solis, Noctis, and mortals all hunt her. Meanwhile, chaos reigns across the land... -
Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsGeralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.This is a collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH...Categorized as:
dark myths sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
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Overworld by Rohan M. Vider
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA magic apocalypse. Refugees from Earth. A new world. Elves, orcs, and dragons!Portals from Overworld have appeared on Earth, and beings intent on conscripting humanity into the mysterious Trials have invaded.Earth is doomed. Humanity has been exiled...Categorized as:
dark magical-realism sword-sorcery action-adventure apocalyptic audiobook book dark-fantasy -
Something Wicked by K.T. Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSomething Wicked is the third and final novel in the brilliant Chronicles of Breed.Miserable after the loss of (another) friend, and alone in a strange, new world, Breed is taken prisoner by a gang of undead thugs.Stripped of power, Breed is used as a bait dog in an arena where the only reward for surviving is the chance to die another day... -
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsLove speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price...Categorized as:
dark magical-realism myths action-adventure animals anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsGeralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.This is a collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH...Categorized as:
dark myths sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
Creation Mage 4 by Dante King
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI'm Justin Mauler, student of Mazirian Academy, Creation Mage, and now the new owner of a poltergeist named Barry Chillgrave.Who'd have expected having a deceased buccaneer as your resident dungeon-running poltergeist would lead to trouble?Yeah, it's pretty much a given.And now I’ve discovered that my spell list might be limited... -
Tooth And Claw by K.T. Davies
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe World Needs A Hero, but all its got is Breed. Leaving the Empire to face the wrath of an angry demon and its infernal hordes, Breed takes a ship and flees to Shen. With pockets full of gold, the hammer of the Hammer of the North, a crate of whiskey, and a conscience unburdened by guilt, life doesn't get any better, does it? Well, yes, it does, but it gets a lot worse first... -
House Name by Michelle West
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats. Jewel has been assigned the task of finding the entryways to the ancient undercity that lies beneath the streets of the empire’s capital in exchange for shelter for her and her den at House Terafin... -
Blackmark by Jean Lowe Carlson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWrongfully accused of treason, veteran Kingsman Elohl seeks the truth of a betrayal that caused the Kingsmen to vanish a decade ago. Inked with the Blackmark and despised for it, Elohl uncovers the truth and exposes ancient enemies. Now, he must give everything to shatter the hidden sect that usurps power from the throne... -
Troll Nation by James A. Hunter, Eden Hudson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBuild. Evolve. Conquer. The dawn of the Troll Nation has begun … Roark von Graf—former noble and hedge-mage, current mid-level mob in a MMORPG—has taken down the Dungeon Lord of the Cruel Citadel, but the battle has only started.Lowen, right hand to the Tyrant King, has come to Hearthworld, and he is building an army of his own... -
Boundless by R.A. Salvatore
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis second book in New York Times bestselling author R. A. Salvatore’s all-new trilogy—full of swordplay, danger, and imaginative thrills—features one of fantasy’s most beloved and enduring characters, Drizzt Do’Urden.Split between time and two worlds, Zaknafein had always been conflicted... -
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Ghost in the Razor by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCAINA is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. She has hindered the malevolent plans of the sinister Grand Master Callatas, but has been unable to defeat him. Callatas has slaughtered every foe who ever challenged him, and Caina may be next. CASSANDER NILAS is a ruthless magus of the brutal Umbarian Order, and seeks to destroy the Emperor... -
Ghost in the Throne by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas cheated death and escaped certain doom. So did her mortal enemy, the sorcerer Cassander Nilas. Now the city of Istarinmul teeters on the brink of civil war and sorcerous annihilation. Unless Caina summons all her bravery and cunning, Cassander's dark spell will kill millions of people. Starting with the people she loves.. -
Inferno by Kat Ross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the last volume of the Fourth Talisman series, the worlds of the living and the dead collide in a final confrontation that will leave Nocturne and Solis forever changed....Three talismans adrift.Two mad kings. One poisonous crown.As dark forces gather at the Rock of Ariamazes in Samarqand, Nazafareen discovers that there are worse places than the afterlife... -
King of Shadows by Mike Truk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRevenge, they say, is a dish best served bloody and twitching.For Kellik, nothing matters so much as defeating his father and destroying his reign over Port Gloom.But as powerful as Kellik has become, his father will surely crush him if he doesn't stay three steps ahead... -
Ghost in the Seal by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is out of time. She has risked too much for too long, and her enemies have finally closed around her. The Staff and Seal of Iramis have been found, and threaten to destroy the world with their sorcerous powers. The terrible Apotheosis of the evil Grand Master Callatas will succeed unless Caina makes one final sacrifice. Unless she makes the ultimate sacrifice.. -
Needs of the Empire by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the run – againBranded an enemy by the Church and Emperor, Daphne Holdfast is forced to flee the Imperial City with her young daughter Karalyn, whose own mage powers are now beginning to reveal themselves.They intend to travel to Rahain, a land in turmoil following the devastating invasion and occupation by Alliance forces... -
Ghost in the Ashes by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCaina Amalas is a Ghost nightfighter, one of the elite agents of the Emperor of Nighmar, and she has defeated both corrupt lords and mighty sorcerers. As the Padishah of Istarinmul prepares to make peace with the Emperor, the Ghosts must keep the Padishah’s ambassador safe from assassins. But when an escaped slave begs for Caina’s help, she finds dark plots stirring in the shadows... -
Ghost in the Mask by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCaina Amalas is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through cunning and valor she has cast down both proud lords and mighty sorcerers. But a power darker than any she has ever faced is awakening... -
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... -
Dawn of the Exile by Mitchell Hogan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFor the damned, redemption may be just a mad dream…Years have passed since the demon Tarrik and his master, the sorcerer Ren, destroyed the servants of Samal and suppressed the very essence of the vile lord. The cost was greater than even a demon could have imagined. But in the realms of demons and humans, no evil can be fully controlled, and no one’s true fate can be foretold. Including Tarrik’s... -
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The King of the Vile by David Dalglish
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Ashhur will awaken in a blaze of fire…” ---- Mordan has lost their king, and Harruq Tun is a poor replacement. He has slain a god, but he cannot quell the unrest growing between the angels and the humans they are supposed to protect. The thin line between protectors and rulers blurs with each bloody death... -
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 79 ratingsGeralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good..Categorized as:
dark myths sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
Ghost in the Storm by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is a Ghost nightfighter, one of the Emperor's elite spies and assassins. And though she remains anonymous, already legends grow around her. Whispers speak of the Ghost nightfighter who stopped the fire of the gods from consuming Rasadda, who defeated sorcerers of terrible power, who liberated slaves and threw down cruel lords.Yet now the storm is coming to claim her.. -
Ghost in the Stone by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCaina Amalas is a Ghost nightfighter, an assassin and spy of the Emperor, and her cunning saved the city of Marsis from a brutal invasion.Now she must keep the war from becoming worse.The nobles of the Imperial city of Cyrioch plan to revolt, and assassins stalk the high lords of the Empire. Only Caina stands between the Empire and a ruinous civil war... -
Ghost in the Forge by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCaina Amalas is a Ghost nightfigher, a spy and agent of the Emperor, and time and time again she has overcome mighty foes through boldness and cunning.But even her boldness might not be enough to stop the coming destruction.A secretive cabal of sorcerers has created a weapon so powerful that its wielder will have dominion over the entire world - and the weapon is for sale to the highest bidder... -
Alpha Zero by Arthur Stone
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI should not exist.All children like me are stillborn, or die in infancy. Those who cannot grow stronger, die. No empty child has ever reached a year of age, yet I am now thirteen.It has been a long and miserable thirteen years, where the best I can manage to do is walk with difficulty. Sometimes, I cannot even manage that.My clan has paid dearly for every minute of my life... -
All-Knowing Novice by Kenneth Arant
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKnowledge is power. Knowledge is safety. Knowledge is Happiness. But only if you can act on it...In spite of his best efforts, sixteen-year-old Taryn is an outcast. No one in the city will sully themselves by associating with a Clanless, and without someone to jumpstart his Eco core, he's unable to fulfill his dream of walking the path of a cultivator... -
Black Talon by Jaime Castle, Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKullen is the Emperor’s assassin. The sharp hand of justice. The Black Talon.Gifted a soul-forged bond with his dragon, Umbris, Kullen is tasked with hunting any and all who oppose the Empire.But when the secretive Crimson Fang murders two noblemen before his very eyes, Kullen must discover the truth of who they are and what they want... -
The Iron Circlet by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe war for the soul of the Ascendant Empire is coming to a head. Factions with fell intent move to undermine or destroy that which has stood for centuries, while armies muster promising slaughter.In this time of desperation, old enemies find common ground. Ancient truths emerge to shatter long held beliefs... -
The White Song by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe White Song is the final installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series.The hour of reckoning is at hand. The skies darken with the forces of the enemy while the hopes of the armies of the light dwindle to but a candle flame. Morals, compunctions, oaths - all must be set aside, every sacrifice made, every advantage and ally sought if there is to be any chance for survival... -
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The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsGeralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good..Categorized as:
dark myths sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
A Warrior's Knowledge by Davis Ashura
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlternate Cover Edition for ISBN-10: 099112765X / ISBN-13: 9780991127658."The redemption of the fallen man is neither easy nor quick. It is fraught with hardship and loss, and those who seek to aid someone traveling this twisted path might do best to journey ahead and light the way." (The Word and the Deed)Rukh Shektan has lost everything: his home, his standing, and his future... -
Civil War by James A. Hunter, Eden Hudson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBuild. Evolve. Conquer. Welcome to the Civil War ... Roark von Graf—former noble and hedge-mage, current mid-level mob in a MMORPG—has his sights set on taking down the tyrannical Dungeon Lord. But the reigning Troll despot is nearly as devious as Roark, and his followers are much higher level... -
Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 74 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher.For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf... -
The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe war is over, but something is rotten in the state of Eidyn.With a ragged peace in place, demons burn farmlands, violent Reivers roam the wilds and plague has spread beyond the Black Meadows. The country is on its knees.In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first magically-skilled draoidh to be named King’s Envoy... -
Ghost in the Maze by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas is a Ghost circlemaster, leader of the Emperor's spies in Istarinmul. Yet the people of Istarinmul know her as the Balarigar, the daring master thief who challenged the corrupt lords and cruel princes of the city. And now Grand Master Callatas, the most powerful sorcerer of Istarinmul, wants her dead, and without allies Caina will not survive... -
Ghost in the Hunt by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCAINA AMALAS is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, the leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. With the aid of mysterious allies, she fights to stop the sinister plans of the ruthless Grand Master Callatas. But Callatas has spent two centuries preparing to remake humanity, and he will exterminate any who dare to oppose him... -
Pilgrim 2 by Harmon Cooper
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA former assassin. An unspeakable past. The powerful people who want him dead.Retiring peacefully in Genshin Valley was never an option for Danzen Ravja, regardless of his intentions... -
Immortal Swordslinger 4 by Dante King
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEthan Murphy lo Pashat has returned to Radiant Dragon, and everything seems normal until a mysterious monastery appears in Flametongue Valley. Guildmaster Xilarion sends Ethan and his friends to the monastery for a new kind of training that will unlock their most powerful forms of Augmenting so far... -
Dungeon Master 6 by Eric Vall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor months, Master and his loyal and beautiful minions have battled the sinister mage Tuzakeur across the world in a winner take all race for unlimited power. On the island of Canarta, Master and the sorcerer will have their final confrontation, but there is one thing neither of them accounted for: Canarta is home to the world’s last living dragon, and it doesn’t like intruders... -
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Dungeon Master 4 by Eric Vall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat would you do if a group of usurpers tried to murder your minion-wife and take away your kingdom? Would you destroy them, follow them home to their sovereign island, kill all the gods they worship, and then conquer their land? Yep. You would do that, and you’d laugh the entire time. The Master becomes even darker as his power increases... -
Queen of the Night by Craig Schaefer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt all ends here. It ends as Livia Serafini returns to her homeland with an army at her back, an exiled refugee turned ruthless conqueror, bringing war and witchcraft to any who dare stand in her way... -
Absolution by N.H. Paxton, James A. Hunter
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Russian weapon engineer's work is never done. Not while the Imperial Legion marches. After dying, losing his soulmate twice, building elemental cannons, and knocking down more than metaphorical walls for the Crimson Alliance, Vlad is looking for a place to call his own: a crafting guild that will be able to produce the most overpowered loot the world of V.G.O. has ever seen... -
The Severed City by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s time for someone to pay. Killop has escaped the dungeons of the Rahain and fled into the mountains.All he desires is to begin his search for Daphne, but his people are crying out for a leader to free them from their chains of servitude... -
Path of the Blood Phoenix by J.D. Astra, James A. Hunter
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan a single promise change the world?Even with the Crimson Alliance formed, Rowanheath taken, and Carrera dispatched, the onslaught never ends for Abby Hollander. Keeping the Spider Queen in check and handling water provisions was never what Abby wanted to do with her life, but it's what the war demands of her... -
Ally by K. Eason
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe city of Illharek teeters on the edge of war. Rival godsworn battle in both the Suburban streets and the Senate chambers. And in the fields and forests, a Taliri army plots its attack.When a rebel faction of Taliri offers to help defeat Tal’Shik, Dekklis sends Snow and her partner, Veiko, north to Cardik’s ruins...
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