Books like 'Cages and Crowns'
Readers who enjoyed Cages and Crowns by Celaena Cuico also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy action / adventure dark fantasy horror high fantasy political-intrigue royalty romantic-love found-family forced-proximity
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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...Categorized as:
dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity magic paranormal royalty action-adventure age-gap -
The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe Bonehunters march for Kolanse, led by Adjunct Tavore. This woman with no gifts of magic, deemed plain, unprepossessing, displaying nothing to instill loyalty or confidence, will challenge the gods - if her own mutinous troops don't kill her first.Her enemy, the Forkrul Assail, seek to cleanse the world, to annihilate everything... -
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...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure anti-hero assassins -
Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsAll is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future... -
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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... -
City of Fallen Souls by Jez Cajiao
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJax survived the Smugglers Path, as did most of his party, but he’s suffered losses, found out just how far he’s willing to go for Oracle, and seen his own darker side… as have his followers...Categorized as:
dark magic mythical-creatures paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult -
Kingdoms and Chaos by Kel Kade
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe future of the Ashaiian haven, the newly founded Kingdom of Cael, is anything but secured. Rezkin must seek recognition from the King of Gendishen if his people are to maintain possession of their island home and the enchanted secret it contains. In an unexpected twist, events overtake Rezkin, and he is thrust into a frustrating adventure to seek a worthless prize...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure assassins audiobook -
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsIn Darujhistan, the city of blue fire, it is said that love and death shall arrive dancing. It is summer and the heat is oppressive, but for the small round man in the faded red waistcoat, discomfiture is not just because of the sun. All is not well. Dire portents plague his nights and haunt the city streets like fiends of shadow... -
Deadhouse Landing by Ian C. Esslemont
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter the disappointments of Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over. To do so they join forces with a small band of Napans who have fled a civil war on their own home island... -
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 magic mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure apocalyptic audiobook -
Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsReturn to the "intense...erotic...and imaginative" world of the national bestselling Black Jewels novels with this sequel to The Shadow Queen. In Anne Bishop's "vividly painted" realm, witches and warlocks channel their power through magical jewels - and one Queen has emerged from the shadows to bring hope to an impoverished people... -
Dancer's Lament by Ian C. Esslemont
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTaking Malazan fans back to that troubled continent's turbulent early history. The opening chapter in Ian C. Esslemont's epic new fantasy sequence, the Path to Ascendancy trilogy.For ages warfare has crippled the continent as minor city states, baronies, and principalities fought in an endless round of hostilities... -
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...Categorized as:
dark magic mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure adult -
The Forgotten Faithful by Jez Cajiao
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThings are looking up for Jax, more or less, He’s met a cool girl (Who’s a wisp), got some new friends (Who’re Dwarves and Cat people and Elves and all sorts), and started a war… (Whoops!)That last one might not be the best idea he’s had yet, admittedly, but the guy was an ass, and he deserved it...Categorized as:
dark magic mythical-creatures paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult -
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Blood of Empire by Brian McClellan
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAs the final battle approaches a sellsword, a spy, and a general must find unlikely and dangerous allies in order to turn the tides of war in this epic fantasy tale of magic and gunpowder by acclaimed author Brian McClellan... -
Citadel by Jez Cajiao
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWith the God of Death out for his life, Jax has a choice to make, and it’s time for the brothers to face each other…Nimon, The God of Death, has named Jax and all who follow him ‘Apostate’ decreeing their death and has dispatched his Dark Legion, the Imperial Legion’s antithesis, to see the job done once and for all...Categorized as:
dark magic mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure adult audiobook -
Greenblood by Actus
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe world is safe – from Henry.Damien has managed to survive all the challenges thrown at him, and he’s even starting to enjoy his time at Blackmist. With Henry and Sylph by his side, he just might actually make it through Blackmist without getting killed.Herald has other plans...Categorized as:
magic dark mythical-creatures sword-sorcery paranormal fantasy litrpg progression-fantasy -
Sylver Seeker by Kennit Kenway
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter fulfilling the duty all Arch Necromancers are tasked with, the last thing Sylver Sezari expected was to be reborn. He was usually the one reanimating dead things. How ironic. But reborn he was. And after crawling his way back into the land of the living, he finds himself a strange land, a strange time, and with a strange floating screen in front of his new face... -
Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsKing Jorg Ancrath is twenty now—and king of seven nations. His goal—revenge against his father—has not yet been realized, and the demons that haunt him have only grown stronger. Yet no matter how tortured his path, he intends to take the next step in his upward climb. Jorg would be emperor. It is a position not to be gained by the sword but rather by vote... -
Dungeon Lord: Abominable Creatures by Hugo Huesca
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Light strives to purify the kingdom of Starevos from evil... and only Dungeon Lord Edward Wright stands in their way. The Heroes of the Militant Church, led by Inquisitor Gallio, scour the forest in search of the Haunt, while Ed desperately attempts to uncover the secret behind the Heroes' origin... -
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...Categorized as:
dark enemies-to-lovers magic paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure alpha-mc assassins -
The Warring Son by Bryce O'Connor
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratings**Book 2 in the Top 10 Bestselling Epic Fantasy series on Amazon** Raz i'Syul Arro is a hunted man. To the south, the Mahsadën of Miropa are gone. The šef lay dead, slain at Raz's own hands, their cruel will ripped from the shadows of the city... -
Skulduggery 4 by Logan Jacobs
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBuilding a Criminal EmpireLord of the Rings + Breaking Bad + The Sopranos = Skulduggery With each rival my syndicate eliminates two more appear, and they are out for blood. The assassin’s guild, the dwarven miners, and the elven overlords are all looking to put our heads on a pike... -
Ghost in the Ring by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband. But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order. And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians... -
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Magic-Scars by C.L. Schneider
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey took it all: his will, his memories, his freedom, his magic. Imprisoned by his enemies, tortured and drugged to keep his magic suppressed, Ian Troy returns to a world as marred and broken as he is. Ravaged by the reign of her new High King, Draken of Langor, Mirra’kelan’s citizens live in fear. The Shinree, misled by Jem Reth’s promises, are no longer slaves, but they are far from free... -
Queen of the Night Guild by Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHer life burned to ashes. Her city under siege. She will sacrifice everything she has for bloody vengeance.Ilanna has lost everything: her friends, her home, her family, her dreams of freedom. All that remains is a burning desire to find the bastards who burned down her city and tried to kill her.But a traitor hides among the ranks of the Night Guild, poisoning her friends and allies with lies... -
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... -
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...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure assassins audiobook -
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... -
City of Daggers by Scott Straughan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe lawless North is changing. The strongest bandits have begun claiming territory for themselves, and there is only so much to go around. The spectre of violence hangs heavy over the land. Daggerpoint is a hive of villainy and evil, ruled by no one. Thugs and murderers roam the streets, where anything is available for the right price, even the darkest of secrets and most dangerous of magics...Categorized as:
dark magic political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult anti-hero assassins -
God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn outcast magician must risk his body and mind to save the world from horrifying demons, in the heart-pounding epic fantasy sequel to The Traitor God.Tyrant magus Edrin Walker destroyed the monster sent by the Skallgrim, but not before it laid waste to Setharis, and infested their magical elite with mind-controlling parasites... -
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...Categorized as:
magic dark sword-sorcery romantic-love mythical-creatures paranormal fantasy mystery -
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 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... -
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A Mark of Kings by Bryce O'Connor, Luke Chmilenko
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsDespite his youth, Declan Idrys knows of the evils of the world. He knows of the bastards and brigands who plague the King’s lands, of the monsters skulking in the wooded depths of the realm...Categorized as:
dark magic mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure adult audiobook -
Soldiers Live by Glen Cook
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen sorcerers and demigods go to war, those wars are fought by mercenaries, "dog soldiers," grunts in the trenches. And the stories of those soldiers are the stories of Glen Cook's hugely popular "Black Company" novels. If the Joseph Heller of Catch-22 were to tell the story of The Lord of the Rings, it might read like the Black Company books. There is nothing else in fantasy like them... -
The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsMilitary might and arcane power clash in Django Wexler’s thrilling new Shadow Campaigns novel. The Beast, the ancient demon imprisoned beneath the fortress-city of Elysium for a thousand years, has been loosed on the world. It absorbs mind after mind, spreading like a plague through the north...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult alpha-mc -
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Terciel and Elinor, and the Charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series... -
Crowfall by Ed McDonald
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsCrowfall is a gritty epic fantasy for fans of Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch and Daniel Polansky.'Dark, twisty and excellent . . . Grimdark with heart' Mark LawrenceA sorceress cataclysm has hit the Range, the final defensive line between the Republic and the immortal Deep Kings... -
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...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult assassins -
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...Categorized as:
dark enemies-to-lovers magic paranormal action-adventure book coming-of-age dark-fantasy -
Legacy of Light by Matthew Ward
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWarfare, myth and magic collide in Legacy of Light, the spectacular conclusion to Matthew Ward's acclaimed Legacy trilogy.For the first time in many years, the Tressian Republic and the Hadari Empire are at peace. But war never sleeps.In Tregard, Empress Melanna Saranal struggles to protect a throne won at great cost... -
Evil Overlord: The Makening by Michael McClung
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIf evil was easy, everybody would be doing it, and there would be more Dark Lords running around than you could shake a stick at. But the road to Utter Domination isn't easy, smooth or straight, as the boy who will one day become Gar the Pitiless will discover. He may one day rise to rule all he surveys - but first he'll have to survive a world that seems bent on his destruction... -
A Bloody Road by Scott Straughan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe war between savage bandit lords continues, and the stage is set for murder and betrayal. After his defeat in Daggerpoint, Werrick personally leads his forces into battle against Herad. The victor will be able to claim the vast North as their own and crown themselves its first king. While only a painful death awaits the loser and all who follow them...Categorized as:
dark magic paranormal political-intrigue sword-sorcery action-adventure adult anti-hero -
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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... -
The Broken God by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDark gods and dangerous magic clash in this third book of Gareth Hanrahan's acclaimed epic fantasy series, The Black Iron Legacy. Enter a city of dragons and darkness... The Godswar has come to Guerdon, dividing the city between three occupying powers. A fragile armistice holds back the gods, but other dangerous forces seek to exert their influence...Categorized as:
dark mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure adult audiobook book -
A Warrior's Burden: Book One of Saga of the Known Lands by Jacob Peppers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhere he walks, death follows. He was once known as Prince Bernard, ruler of his people and the man who led them in the Fey War against creatures out of myth and legend, beings out of nightmare. A man renowned for his strength, a man feared by his own people as much as his enemies. But there are other names for him, too. Kingslayer. Oathbreaker. Traitor. The Crimson Prince.And they are all true...Categorized as:
dark mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure adult book classics -
Brunner the Bounty Hunter by C.L. Werner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOmnibus edition collecting all three novels in the Brunner the Bounty Hunter series. Dark and savage tales set in the world of Warhammer, by author C.L. Werner...Categorized as:
dark mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure anthologies classics dark-fantasy -
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... -
Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsMore than a millennium after the human race forges an uneasy stalemate against the demonic human-psyche feeders known as the fae, a pain-hungry demon called Calesta declares war on all living beings. Reprint...
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