Books like 'The Ruin of Kings'
Readers who enjoyed The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy high fantasy action / adventure grimdark dark fantasy mystery supernatural dragons epic magic
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Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
34 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 Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan]()
The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan
29 ratingsThe hounds at our heels will soon know we are lionsTamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements... -
![Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie]()
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
44 ratingsSuperior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It’s enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country... -
![Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie]()
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
44 ratingsThe end is coming. Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him but it's going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the King of the Northmen still stands firm, and there's only one man who can stop him. His oldest friend, and his oldest enemy. It's past time for the Bloody-Nine to come home... -
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![Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski]()
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski
38 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... -
![Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson]()
Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson
36 ratingsIn the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends... -
![The Tower of the Swallow by Andrzej Sapkowski]()
The Tower of the Swallow by Andrzej Sapkowski
35 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... -
![Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks]()
Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
43 ratingsA new queen has usurped the throne and is leading Cenaria into disaster. The country has become a broken realm with a threadbare army, little food and no hope. So Kylar Stern plans to reinstate his closest friend Logan as King, but can he really get away with murder?In the north, the Godking's death has thrown Khalidor into civil war... -
![The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski]()
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
42 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... -
![King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence]()
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
34 ratingsThe second book in the Broken Empire series, Lawrence takes his young anti-hero one step closer to his grand ambition.To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake... -
![Nevernight by Jay Kristoff]()
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
39 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... -
![Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks]()
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
43 ratingsThe second novel in the Night Angel trilogy, the breakneck epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks.Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin's life. The Godking's successful coup has left Kylar's master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession... -
![Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick]()
Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick
18 ratingsIt’s been three months since Drothe killed a legend, burned down a portion of the imperial capital, and unexpectedly elevated himself into the ranks of the criminal elite. Now, as the newest Gray Prince in the underworld, he’s learning just how good he used to have it.With barely the beginnings of an organization to his name, Drothe is already being called out by other Gray Princes... -
![The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks]()
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
47 ratingsFrom New York Times Bestselling author Brent Weeks... For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint... -
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![The Son of the Morning by Jacob Peppers]()
The Son of the Morning by Jacob Peppers
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... -
![Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan]()
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
32 ratingsThe Age of Kings is dead . . . and I have killed it. It's a bloody business overthrowing a king...Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving... -
![The Pariah by Anthony Ryan]()
The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
17 ratingsBorn into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army... -
![Dreams of Steel by Glen Cook]()
Dreams of Steel by Glen Cook
20 ratingsCroaker has fallen and, following the Company's disastrous defeat at Dejagore, Lady is one of the few survivors--determined to avenge the Company and herself against the Shadowmasters, no matter what the cost... -
![Corum: The Prince with the Silver Hand by Michael Moorcock]()
Corum: The Prince with the Silver Hand by Michael Moorcock
8 ratings"Book 8 in The Eternal Champion Series. This second volume of the Chronicles of Corum is separated from the first not just by time, but by location. Summoned by hopeful worshippers elsewhere in the Multiverse, Corum responds to their plea and finds himself in a realm of harsh and unyielding winter... -
![She is the Darkness by Glen Cook]()
She is the Darkness by Glen Cook
18 ratingsThe wind whines and howls with bitter breath. Lightning snarls and barks. Rage is an animate force upon the plain of glittering stone. Even shadows are afraid.At the heart of the plain stands a vast grey stronghold, unknown, older than any written memory. One ancient tower has collapsed across the fissure... -
![Water Sleeps by Glen Cook]()
Water Sleeps by Glen Cook
18 ratingsRegrouping in Taglios, the surviving members of the Black Company are determined to free their fellow warriors held in stasis beneath the glittering plain. Journey there under terrible conditions, they arrive just in time for a magical conflagration in which the bones of the world will be revealed, the history of the Company unveiled, and new world gained and lost...all at a terrible price... -
![Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence]()
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
26 ratingsThe Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister—unseen by most and unspoken of by all... -
![The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley]()
The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley
24 ratingsThe climactic third and final novel in the Chronicle of the Unhewn ThroneThe trilogy that began with The Emperor's Blades and continued in The Providence of Fire reaches its epic conclusion, as war engulfs the Annurian Empire... -
![The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung]()
The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung
16 ratings*Winner of the Self Published Fantasy Blog-Off, Hosted by Mark Lawrence*Amra Thetys lives by two simple rules—take care of business, and never let it get personal. Thieves don't last long in Lucernis otherwise. But when a fellow rogue and good friend is butchered on the street in a deal gone wrong, she turns her back on burglary and goes after something more precious than treasure: Revenge... -
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![Cry Havoc by Mike Morris]()
Cry Havoc by Mike Morris
8 ratingsThey say when the demons come, you either fight or you die. The Black Dogs know this all too well. For three hundred years, the warrior priests have sacrificed their lives to keep the island nation of Abios safe from the flesh-eating Nostros, while the rest of the world fell under the demons’ savagery. However, an armada now stands poised to invade mankind’s last bastion... -
![The Thousand Names by Django Wexler]()
The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
25 ratingsEnter an epic fantasy world that echoes with the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel—but where the real battle is against a subtle and sinister magic....Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life... -
![Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman]()
Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman
24 ratingsOn the distant world of Erna, four people--Priest, Adept, Sorcerer, and Apprentice--are drawn together to battle the forces of evil, led by the demonic fae, a soul-destroying force that preys on the human mind... -
![Bleak Seasons by Glen Cook]()
Bleak Seasons by Glen Cook
20 ratings"Let me tell you who I am, on the chance that these scribblings do survive....I am Murgen, Standard bearer of the Black Company, though I bear the shame of having lost that standard in battle. I am keeping these Annals because Croaker is dead. One-Eye won't, and hardly anyone else can read or write... -
![Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson]()
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
43 ratingsThe Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins... -
![Blood Follows by Steven Erikson]()
Blood Follows by Steven Erikson
15 ratingsAll is not well in Lamentable Moll. A sinister, diabolical killer stalks the port city's narrow, barrow-humped streets, and panic grips the citizens like a fever. Emancipor Reese is no exception, and indeed, with his legendary ill luck, it's worse for him than for most. Not only was his previous employer the unknown killer's latest victim, but Emancipor is out of work... -
![Rogues by George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie]()
Rogues by George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie
26 ratingsIf you’re a fan of fiction that is more than just black and white, this latest story collection from #1 New York Times bestselling author George R.R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois is filled with subtle shades of gray... -
![The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley]()
The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley
30 ratingsThe circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again...The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a conspiracy.His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away... -
![Shadow's Lure by Jon Sprunk]()
Shadow's Lure by Jon Sprunk
14 ratingsThe unforgiving Northlands . . . He was at the top of the food chain in Othir. An assassin beyond compare, a dark shadow in the night. But Caim left that life behind when he helped an empress claim her throne. And now his past has come calling again. Searching for the truth behind the disappearance and murder of his parents, Caim discovers a land in thrall to the Shadow... -
![Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene]()
Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene
10 ratingsYron the moon god died, but now he's reborn in the false king's son. His human father wanted to kill him, but his mother sacrificed her life to save him. He'll return one day to claim his birthright. He'll change your life. He'll change everything. Smiler's Fair: the great moving carnival where any pleasure can be had, if you're willing to pay the price... -
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![The Vagrant by Peter Newman]()
The Vagrant by Peter Newman
18 ratingsThe Vagrant is his name. He has no other. Friendless and alone he walks across a desolate, war-torn landscape, carrying nothing but a kit-bag, a legendary sword and a baby. His purpose is to reach the Shining City, last bastion of the human race, and deliver the sword, the only weapon that may make a difference in the ongoing war...Categorized as:
dark demons epic mythical-creatures paranormal sword-sorcery action-adventure apocalyptic -
![The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman]()
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
24 ratingsPaul Hoffman's novel of astonishing scope and imagination, featuring a darkly gifted teenage boy at the center of a brutal holy war, grabs the reader from its incredible opening lines and refuses to let go... -
![The King's Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells]()
The King's Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells
16 ratingsByren never wanted the throne. It was destined for Lence, his twin brother, older by seven minutes and the rightful heir to Rolencia. But the royal heir resents Byren’s growing popularity, and in the court of King Rolen, the shadows are thick with enemies plotting revolution... -
![Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk]()
Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk
18 ratingsIn the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and a few scruples. Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot... -
![The Last Four Things by Paul Hoffman]()
The Last Four Things by Paul Hoffman
20 ratingsThe epic story of Thomas Cale-introduced so memorably in "The Left Hand of God"--continues as the Redeemers use his prodigious gifts to further their sacred goal: the extinction of humankind and the end of the world. To the warrior-monks known as the Redeemers, who rule over massive armies of child slaves, "the last four things" represent the culmination of a faithful life. Death. Judgement... -
![Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James]()
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
26 ratingsIn the first novel in Marlon James's Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say...
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