Books like 'The King-Killing Queen'
Readers who enjoyed The King-Killing Queen by Shawn Speakman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
high fantasy fantasy mystery horror action / adventure witches-wizards magic dark myths fae
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Reign of Madness by Kel Kade
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe mysterious, indomitable warrior? Ruthless criminal overlord? The Riel’gesh – mythical demigod? Dedicated friend and protector? Equipped with skills far beyond those of the outworlders, Rezkin has been suddenly thrust into a foreign world. The young warrior clings his only known purpose as he continues his search for any information about his identity and the reason for his existence... -
Lirael by Garth Nix
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsLirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr's birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands... -
Assassin's Noon by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOne dead man. A fortified house full of innocent people.One of the city's wealthiest and most powerful residents is found dead in his own home. Murder is suspected, but the house was supposed to be absolutely secure against any intruder. Thea is faced with a hostile group of household servants inside the house and demands for swift justice outside its walls... -
The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTrust is the thread that binds. And the rope that hangs.In Nadežra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.Derossi Vargo has always known... -
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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... -
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times... -
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... -
The Tower of the Swallow by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThe world has fallen into war. Ciri, the child of prophecy, has vanished. Hunted by friends and foes alike, she has taken on the guise of a petty bandit and lives free for the first time in her life. But the net around her is closing. Geralt, the Witcher, has assembled a group of allies determined to rescue her. Both sides of the war have sent brutal mercenaries to hunt her down... -
The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIn her national bestselling Black Jewels novels, Anne Bishop’s “surefire spell craft…leave[s] readers’ hearts pounding.” Now her “feverish pacing and terrifying twists” are showcased once again. In a tumultuous world ruled by witches and warlocks who wear their power as jewels, one Queen’s chance at redemption is the last hope for a desperate people…Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past... -
The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsArthur Pendragon is King! Unchallenged on the battlefield, he melds the country together in a time of promise. But sinister powers plot to destroy Camelot, and when the witch-queen Morgause -- Arthur's own half sister -- ensnares him in an incestuous liaison, a fatal web of love, betrayal, and bloody vengeance is woven...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic myths paranormal retellings witches-wizards 20th-century -
The Skull of the World by Kate Forsyth
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the land of Eileanan, the Pact of Peace has not meant the end of unrest. And, though Isabeau would like to return home to help her family in these uncertain times, she must first venture to the Skull of the World where she will discover her true talents as a witch. And when she does return home, she does so transformed with the power to overcome her family's enemies once and for all... -
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic myths paranormal retellings 20th-century action-adventure -
The Vampire Queen by Brandi Elledge
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's not easy being the worst vampire ever Tandi may have been killed by ghouls, but now she's a brand new vampire. And she's determined to be the best. But determination can't take her very far when she won't even kill a deer for its blood. Not to mention she's not as subservient to her master--the Prince of Vampires--as she should be... -
The Searching by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOath-sworn to help those in need, Yvonne has been framed for murder.Tracking down those responsible for the destruction of the Stone Walls was a difficult enough task, but someone has made it much harder. The King is dead, and Yvonne is accused of his murder... -
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The Rending by Vanessa Nelson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe only place of safety for the desperate has been destroyed.Yvonne has finally found a place to settle, where her children can grow, and she can think about her own future. Even as she celebrates, a shock rings across the world. Someone has attacked the Sisters in the Stone Walls... -
In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsMore Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classicTake caution ahead—Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.Lest you enter with dread.Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.Step lively, dear reader . . -
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher Geralt is a witcher: guardian of the innocent; protector of those in need; a defender, in dark times, against some of the most frightening creatures of myth and legend. His task, now, is to protect Ciri... -
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... -
Untolled by J.P. Valentine
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe came aboard a broken ship,To Lethis on the waves,With lies and tricks and evil spells,Their future, he would pave.Beware, oh King, the Nothing Mage,A force that pierces all,The golden bell that sings of death,‘Till lords and empires fall.In silent dark, in dead of night,He came in from the cold,And through their screams and dying gasps,The bell remained untolled... -
Masque by W.R. Gingell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBeauty met the Beast and there was . . . Bloody murder? It’s the Annual Ambassadorial Ball in Glause, and Lady Isabella Farrah, the daughter of New Civet’s Ambassador, is feeling pleasantly scintillated. In the library is Lord Pecus, a charming gentleman whose double mask hides a beastly face, and who has decided that Isabella is the very person to break the Pecus curse... -
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... -
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... -
Attack of the Fiend by Joseph Delaney
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 40 ratings"I see your future clearly. Your master will be dead, and you will be alone. It would be better if you had never been born."Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who banishes boggarts and drives away ghosts. But now a new danger is threatening Tom's world. The witches are rising and the three most powerful clans are uniting in order to conjure an unimaginable evil...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure -
The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsStephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement. Roland Deschain and his ka-tet—Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies... -
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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth. Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign... -
The Spook's Revenge by Joseph Delaney
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘He’s the seventh son of a seventh son. His name is Thomas J. Ward and he’s my gift to the County. When he’s old enough we’ll send you word. Train him well. He’ll be the best apprentice you’ve ever had and he’ll also be your last.’These were the words of Tom's Mam to the county Spook some years ago... -
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... -
House of Bastiion by K.L. Kolarich
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHE SERIESHouse of Bastiion is the first installment in the epic fantasy series, The Haidren Legacy. An immersive adventure armed with dark politics, sharp objects, and bickering characters, this treacherous saga packs a legendary punch for adult and NA readers alike. Fans of Brandon Sanderson, George R.R... -
Lavish Destruction by Myra Danvers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“It’s the fight, isn’t it? The struggle. The idea that I’ll pin you down and take what I want…” He smiled, slow and dangerous. Watching me struggle to deny him. Watching me fail… Enslaved to a man I hate, I’m bound. All that I was is gone. Taken. Stripped away, only to feed the beast who dares to call himself my equal, while having the gall to leave me helpless to his whims... -
The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDragon fire, dark magic, and the bonds of friendship clash in a thrilling finale to the middle-grade fantasy trilogy by best-selling author Michelle Knudsen.Apprentice mage Calen shocked everyone when he disappeared—apparently willingly—with Krelig, the incredibly powerful and evil mage intent on destroying the Magistatum and forcing the world to submit to his rule... -
Ghost in the Cowl by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOverviewCaina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.But the victory cost her everything.Now she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends... -
Leaves May Fall by Carissa Hardcastle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen it comes to fate, where is the line between being predestined and being condemned?Merriam was born a regular girl in a mundane world. Mollian is a fae prince whose family is charged with guarding the Gate that binds every existence together. Both of their lives were forever changed when they met in the woods as children, sparking a bond in their souls deeper than either of them understood... -
Dzur by Steven Brust
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn which Vlad Taltos confronts the Left Hand of the Jhereg...and discovers the game has more players than he thoughtVlad Taltos, short-statured, short-lived human in an Empire of tall, long-lived Dragaerans, has always had to keep his wits about him. Long ago, he made a place for himself as a captain of the Jhereg, the noble house that runs the rackets in the great imperial city of Adrilankha... -
The Son of the Morning by Jacob Peppers
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFifty years ago, the nightwalkers appeared, creatures of shadow and darkness, thirsting for blood and death. Thousands died and the kingdom of Entarna was brought to its knees. Then the Chosen came, six men and women endowed with powers by Amedan, the God of Fire and Light. The Chosen joined with the kingdom’s armies and together they managed to defeat the night’s creatures. At least for a time... -
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A Warrior's Penance by Davis Ashura
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe thunderous conclusion to the award-winning fantasy epic…Following Stronghold’s destruction, Rukh and Jessira lead the ragged remnants of the OutCastes on the long march to Ashoka. There, they seek sanctuary for her people, but in order to do so, they must overcome unyielding law that demands exile for all ghrinas... -
The Adventurers Guild by Zack Loran Clark, Nick Eliopulos
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDisney-Hyperion has acquired world rights to a middle-grade fantasy series called The Adventurers Guild, by Zack Clark and Nick Eliopulos, in a three-book deal... -
Night of the Soul Stealer by Joseph Delaney
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsIt's going to be a long, hard, cruel winter. And there couldn't be a worse place to spend it than up on Anglezarke.Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who captures witches and drives away ghosts. As the weather gets colder and the nights draw in, the Spook receives an unexpected visitor...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook -
Closer to the Chest by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHerald Mags, the King of Valdemar’s Herald Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven, but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In his own established alternate personas, Mags observes the Court and the alleys alike, quietly gathering information to keep Haven and the Kingdom safe... -
Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsBryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments... -
Wit'ch Star by James Clemens
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe three deadly Weirgates are destroyed, but the threat of the Dark Lord remains. And so Elena and her companions have gone their separate ways to prepare for what is yet to come. Elena herself has journeyed to the beautiful city of A'loa Glen, there to recover her strength and spirit.Enter Harequin Quail.Some might call him a fool, but the little main in the jester's suit claims to be a spy... -
Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsOliver was a very minor mage. His familiar reminded him of this several times a day.He only knew three spells, and one of them was to control his allergy to armadillo dander. His attempts to summon elementals resulted in nosebleeds, and there is nothing more embarrassing than having your elemental leave the circle to get you a tissue, pat you comfortingly, and then disappear in a puff of magic... -
Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsNow it's the dark's turn to be afraid The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, deal with the dark. Together they rid the county of witches, ghosts, and boggarts. But now there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown...Categorized as:
dark epic historical-fiction magic myths paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure -
Wit'ch War by James Clemens
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIn her hands, the young wit'ch Elena holds the awesome energies of blood magick--and more. For the fate of all Alasea hinges on her recovery of the Blood Diary, a potent talisman forged five hundred years ago, then locked away behind wards too strong for any mage to break. But only with the secrets recorded in its pages can Elena defeat the evil magicks of the Dark Lord... -
Ghost in the Flames by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCaina is now a Ghost nightfighter, with the cunning of an elite spy and the skill of a master assassin.But this time, it might take more than that to keep her alive.Caina has been sent to hunt a murderous pyromancer, a master of fiery sorcery, and she soon discovers that more is at stake than just a few murders. Because if she doesn't find the pyromancer soon, the entire world might burn... -
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Wit'ch Gate by James Clemens
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn a spectacular feat of daring and magic, Elena and her army of outlaws and rebels have defeated evil's minions and released the mystic secrets of the Blood Diary. But the malevolent Dark Lord has unleashed the Weirgates—black wells of ferocious energy that are his greatest source of power... -
Ghost in the Blood by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCaina is a Ghost nightfighter, one of the Emperor’s elite spies and assassins, and few enemies of the Empire ever escape her cunning. Yet all Caina’s wit and skill might not be enough to save her from a terrible fate.Sent to hunt down a cruel slave trader, Caina encounters something far darker. An ancient evil, a thing of legend and terror... -
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 83 ratings“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon... -
Orlind by Charlotte E. English
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOrlind. Locked behind impassable mountains, buried under the weight of a vast - and terrible - history, the Seventh Realm has remained a mystery all the long ages through.Until now.For the Lokant sorcerers' power and might grows by the day - and all their thought is bent upon Orlind... -
The Fury of Kings by R.S. Moule
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the shadow of Eryispek—a mountain said to have no summit—a dark power is stirring. Storms rage in the frozen heights. Unexplained disappearances shake the kingdom below. And old enemies are sharpening their swords…Andrick the Barrelbreaker first led an army at sixteen.His victories secured the throne of Erland for his brother and shattered the rebellious noble houses in the West... -
The Truth of Shadows by Jacob Peppers
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree strangers chosen by the gods. A castle-servant who can bend fire and light to his will. A musician whose song can soothe even the wildest of hearts. And a nobleman with the gods’ own luck. Three strangers gifted with powers beyond that of normal mortals stand against the armies of shadow. But there are other gods, other powers lurking in the darkness, and they too will find their champions...
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