Books like 'a great, big tragedy'
Readers who enjoyed a great, big tragedy by Zeppazariel also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
romance fantasy horror high fantasy action / adventure lgbtq wlw drama sad mlm
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The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 87 ratingsHazel stands at a crossroads. She and the remaining crew of the Argo II could return home with the Athena Parthenos statue and try to stop Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter from going to war... -
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 56 ratingsMia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she's far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she's no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she's told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits... -
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsHuman or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart. The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself... -
Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It's inhabited by the race that rose from the seed of angels, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman who recognized that she was pricked by Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one... -
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Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsLibrarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN 0451456734 here.Jaenelle Angelline now reigns as Queen-protector of the Shadow Realm. No longer will the corrupt Blood slaughter her people and defile her lands. But where one chapter ends, a final, unseen battle remains to be written, and Jaenelle must unleash the terrible power that is Witch to destroy her enemies once and for all... -
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... -
Reign of Mist by Helen Scheuerer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe realm’s darkest secret is out. The cruelty of the capital and the power-hungry King Arden have scattered Bleak and her companions across the continents. On the run in a foreign land, Bleak finds herself tied to some unexpected strangers... -
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsLibrarian's note: See alternate cover for this edition here.Enough time has passed for the young girl Jaenelle, heir to the magical Darkness, for her physical wounds to heal, while amnesia keeps her frightening memories at bay. But with Saetan--a Black-Jewelled Warlord Prince and Jaenelle's foster-father--to protect her, she will continue to grow. Her magic will mature. Her memories will return... -
Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsPiper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard's investigations. It's a peaceful, if solitary profession…until the day when he's called to the river to examine the latest in a series of mysterious bodies, mangled by some unknown force.Galen is a paladin of a dead god, lost to holiness and no longer entirely sane... -
Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsReturn to the realm of the Blood in Dreams Made Flesh—featuring four revelatory all-new adventures of Jaenelle and her kindred….Jaenelle is the most powerful Witch ever known, centuries of hopes and dreams made flesh at last... -
Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThe final chapter in Mercedes Lackey's spellbinding fantasy trilogy! The Herald-Mage, Vanyel, and his Companion, Yfandes, are alone responsible for saving the once-peaceful kingdom of Valdemar from the forces of a master who wields a dark, forbidding magic. And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, both Valdemar and its Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price... -
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsIn a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life... -
A Soul to Heal by Opal Reyne
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAll Delora ever wanted was to disappear.Thrown into the Veil for a crime she committed, Delora was discarded by the world. Although afraid of her oncoming demise, she accepts it as it would be a worldly escape from her problems. She didn’t expect that she would wake up from her deadly fall, nor that the person who saved her would be a Duskwalker... -
The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsPull three people out of prison--a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy. What could possibly go wrong? In the sequel to CLOCKWORK BOYS, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys... -
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Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsA paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T... -
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsHalla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle's estate... and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws.. -
Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsHe’s a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She’s a nun from a secretive order, on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters.When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other’s quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead... -
Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsThe epic conclusion to the internationally bestselling Nevernight Chronicle from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff.The greatest games in Godsgrave’s history have ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic.Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run... -
The Mountains Rise by Michael G. Manning
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom the dark depths of the past, comes the tale of the first wizard of Illeniel. Daniel Tennick lived simply, a young shepherd with few troubles and little to occupy his mind, until the warden appeared. Daniel’s power awakens, and he finds himself hunted by the servants of the cruel and uncaring forest gods... -
The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsGujaareh, the city of dreams, suffers under the imperial rule of the Kisuati Protectorate. A city where the only law was peace now knows violence and oppression. A mysterious and deadly plague now haunts the citizens of Gujaareh, dooming the infected to die screaming in their sleep. Someone must show them the way... -
The Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIn the highly anticipated finale to the Bone Witch trilogy, Tea’s life—and the fate of the kingdoms—hangs in the balance Tea is a bone witch with the dark magic needed to raise the dead. She has used this magic to breathe life into those she has loved and lost…and those who would join her army against the deceitful royals... -
Crisis of Faith by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsReconciling two divergent faiths to a single goddess is much more difficult when the conference begins with an assassination attempt. As her followers have to deal with the multiple unknown attackers which are assaulting them, Tyria finds her hands tied by divine law and her struggle to decide who she is, and who she should be... -
Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn this action-packed finale to the House of the Dead Duology, Wren and her friends put everything they know to the test as they battle the living and the undead to save their world.Wren is still reeling from the revelation that the mother she thought was dead is actually the Corpse Queen, a ghostsmith with the terrifying power to control the undead... -
Queen of Light by Meg Anne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOnly one of them can win. Kiri Helena Solene is done burying her loved ones. She is going to put an end to this war, one way or another. Even if it means she loses herself in the process. But in matters of war, Rowena has no intention of losing. The Corruptor knows Helena’s greatest strength is also her weakness, and she has every intention of exploiting it... -
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Magic of Lust by Auryn Hadley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe rules of magic are changing, and she's going to make sure they work for her. Mages are always men. Until her. They harvest the power of simple, primitive emotions. Until her. Jaeda is something new, and the best way to protect herself is to make sure the enemy doesn't have a clue. That's going to be difficult with an Adevian mage about to take her town. Shahwa has become her home... -
The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIn The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection―now she's after revenge...No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva... -
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsStephen's god died on the longest day of the year…Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong... -
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... -
Oathbreakers by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsWhen Idra, leader of the crack mercenaries known as the Sunhawks, failed to return from a journey to her home kingdom of Rethwellan, Tarma and Kethry, warrior and mage, set out in search of their vanished leader. Sisters of sword and spell, their fates bound together by Goddess-sworn oath, they were eternally pledged to fight the forces of evil... -
Ancient Ruins by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsNewly edited for clarity. Sistina awakened after millennia of dormancy, her memories in tatters and born anew. Residing in the ruins of an ancient city, she finds herself drawn into a war between two elven nations and the slaver kingdom of Kelvanis when she rescues a princess from slavery... -
Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsDANICA SHARDAE IS an avian shapeshifter, and the golden hawk’s form in which she takes to the sky is as natural to her as the human one that graces her on land. The only thing more familiar to her is war: It has raged between her people and the serpiente for so long, no one can remember how the fighting began...Categorized as:
drama action-adventure animals arranged-marriage book enemies-to-lovers epic female-author -
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... -
Crisis of Faith by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReconciling two divergent faiths to a single goddess is much more difficult when the conference begins with an assassination attempt. As her followers have to deal with the multiple unknown attackers which are assaulting them, Tyria finds her hands tied by divine law and her struggle to decide who she is, and who she should be... -
The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen Lore was thirteen, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the ten years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city... -
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The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA sweeping tale of clashing cultures, warring gods, and forbidden love: In 1000 AD, a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies as war breaks out between their peoples and their gods-one that will determine the fate of them all."There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale... -
Reign of Ash by Meg Anne
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“You will damn us all.” Kiri Helena Solene thought her trial was over. She was wrong. Prophesied to be the strongest of her kind, Helena is still coming to terms with the depth of her power and what it means to rule. Unfortunately, there’s little time to learn. “Without the tether you will fracture.” As her soul mate, Von is Helena’s balance. Too bad he’s missing... -
The Witches' Blade by A.K. Mulford
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe second powerful novel in the Five Crowns of Okrith fantasy series brings us into a new part of the world as the fae princess Rua joins forces with a truly unlikely ally--all with the same romance and adventure readers have come to expect from A.K. Mulford's viral sensation!A magic sword. A powerful curse. An untested fae princess.And a continent on fire.. -
The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsUnder the rule of a usurper king, the realm of Skala has suffered famine, plague, and invasion. But now the time for the rightful heir has come, a return to the tradition of warrior queens. And the Lightbearer's prophecy is to be upheld at last: so long as a daughter of the royal line defends and rules, Skala will never be subjugated... -
Halls of Power by Benjamin Medrano
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHaving rocked the world via high magic that was believed lost, the dungeon Sistina has shown her power at last, as she has done everything in her power to protect those that she loves. Crowned queen of the new city of Beacon, Phynis Constella is searching for allies as full-scale war erupts between her homeland of Sifaren and the fell nation of Kelvanis... -
The Rebels of Gold by Elise Kova
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA new rebellion rises from the still-smoldering remnants of the five guilds of Loom to stand against Dragon tyranny. Meanwhile, on Nova, those same Dragons fight amongst themselves, as age-old power struggles shift the political landscape in fateful and unexpected ways... -
Dragonoak: The Complete History of Kastelir by Sam Farren
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsAfter being exiled to the farmland around her village, Rowan Northwood takes the only chance at freedom she might ever get: she runs away with a passing Knight and doesn't look back. The woman cares nothing for Rowan's company, but nor does she seem perturbed by the powers that burn within her.Rowan soon learns that the scope of their journey is more than a desperate grasp at adventure... -
Descent of Ravens by A.C. Andrews
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThe old covenant of the gods is broken. Will the world break, too?When an army of vampires invades their home, Rio and Turi must fight for their future while the fate of an empire hangs in the balance... -
The Door into Sunset by Diane Duane
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe author of The New York Times bestseller Spock's World continues the story of Freehorn, Herewiss, Segnbora, Sunspark, and Hasai in an entertaining and magical sequel to The Door into Fire. "Expands the limits of the Swords and Sorcery genre . . . exciting, magical, intelligent".--Publishers Weekly... -
Corambis by Sarah Monette
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the spellbinding conclusion to the brilliant fantasy series, Doctrine of Labyrinths, two brothers discover their ultimate destiny.Exiled from Melusine for the crime of heresy, Felix Harrowgate and his half-brother Mildmay journey to the land of Corambis to face judgement from a ruling body of wizards. Both brothers carry memories, regret, and-hidden deep in their hearts-hope... -
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Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn a realm where toxic mist sweeps the lands and magic is forbidden, all Bleak wants is a cure for her power. Still grieving the death of her guardian and dangerously self-medicating with alcohol, Bleak is snatched from her home by the Commander of the King’s Army, and summoned to the capital. But the king isn’t the only one interested in Bleak's powers... -
Skyhunter by Marie Lu
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn a world broken by war, a team of young warriors is willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love.The Karensa Federation has conquered a dozen countries, leaving Mara as one of the last free nations in the world. Refugees flee to its borders to escape a fate worse than death—transformation into mutant war beasts known as Ghosts, creatures the Federation then sends to attack Mara... -
Curse of the Dark Prince by Ariana Nash
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith the powerful cities of Seran and Loreen having fallen to elves, and the dark flame escaping its bonds, Prince Vasili Caville’s plight has never been more desperate. But for the first time in his lifetime, he’s not alone. With the formidable Nikolas Yazdan at his side, not all is lost. But Nikolas has changed... -
Skullsworn by Brian Staveley
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsBrian Staveley’s new standalone, Skullsworn, returns to the critically acclaimed Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne universe, following a priestess-assassin for the God of Death.“Brilliant.” ―V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling authorFrom the award-winning epic fantasy world of The Emperor’s Blades…Pyrre Lakatur is not, to her mind, an assassin, not a murderer―she is a priestess... -
The Dragons of Nova by Elise Kova
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsCvareh returns home to his sky world of Nova with the genius crafter Arianna as his temperamental guest. The mercurial inventor possesses all the Xin family needs to turn the tides of a centuries-old power struggle, but the secrets she harbors must be earned with trust -- hard to come by for Ari, especially when it comes to Dragons... -
The Sting of Victory by S.D. Simper
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“When faced with monstrosity, become the greater monster. The sting of victory will fade with time.”Haunted by a history of horror and abuse, Flowridia, a witch with a tender heart, finds a second chance in the home of her kingdom’s royal family...
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