Books like 'The Poison Throne'
Readers who enjoyed The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance high fantasy action / adventure dark fantasy mystery supernatural paranormal ghosts
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Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
29 ratingsMighty Kushiel, of rod and wealLate of the brazen portalsWith blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealedPricks the eyen of chosen mortalsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child...Categorized as:
dark epic female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure -
Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
19 ratingsThe “powerful and emotionally-charged” fantasy series from the author of the Sevenwaters novels continues, as Blackthorn and Grim face haunting secrets and old adversaries... Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine... Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good... -
Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey
28 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... -
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
18 ratingsOnce upon a time, there was a horrible girl... Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago... -
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Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
27 ratingsImriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phèdre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions.Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty, and desire...Categorized as:
dark epic historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure -
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
27 ratingsIn a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons, royal dowager Ista, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm... -
Reign of Darkness by Ariana Nash
12 ratings"Know your place, Nikolas." "Under the heel of your boot, Your Highness?"After a terrible inferno destroys the Caville palace, and with the people of Loreen turned against him, Prince Vasili is left with no choice but to flee his ancestral home, leaving Amir to proclaim himself king. But the prince's life isn't the only one left in ashes... -
Curse of the Dark Prince by Ariana Nash
12 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... -
Witches' Blood by Ginn Hale
12 ratingsWhen John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world... -
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
18 ratingsThe ancient world of magic is no more. Its heroes are dead, its halls are ruins, and its great battles between Light and Dark are forgotten. Only the Stewards remember, and they keep their centuries-long vigil, sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns.Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother... -
Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier
18 ratingsAward-winning author Juliet Marillier’s “lavishly detailed”* Blackthorn & Grim series continues as a mysterious creature holds an enchanted and imperiled ancient Ireland in thrall. Disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her companion, Grim, have settled in Dalriada to wait out the seven years of Blackthorn’s bond to her fey mentor, hoping to avoid any dire challenges... -
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
44 ratingsIn the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help . . . and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence... -
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
27 ratingsIsabelle should be blissfully happy – she’s about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn’t the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince’s heart. She’s the ugly stepsister who’s cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella’s shoe ... which is now filling with blood.When the prince discovers Isabelle’s deception, she is turned away in shame...Categorized as:
dark female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure audiobook -
The Novice by Trudi Canavan
33 ratings"Even if a magician's powers surface of their own accord, he will soon be dead if he does not gain the knowledge of how to control them." Alone among all the novices in the Magicians' Guild, only Sonea comes from lowly beginnings. Yet she has won powerful allies—including Lord Dannyl, newly promoted to Guild Ambassador... -
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Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
27 ratingsAnnith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent...Categorized as:
dark female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal political-intrigue -
Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
38 ratingsEverything Richard Rahl has learned will be for naught as the ruthless Emperor Jagang returns with his vast legions...heralded by a mystical plague that kills innocents in the thousands.Richard must now challenge the undefeatable: the magic that thwarts magic, sealed away for three thousand years in the Temple of Winds... -
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
41 ratingsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye...Categorized as:
dark epic female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure -
King of the Dark by Ariana Nash
15 ratingsFrom the author who brought you the award-winning Silk & Steel series comes a new dark MM high fantasy. "Your love is worthless, it's your hate I need." ~Prince Vasili CavilleWhen King Talos Caville surrendered the war to the elves, soldier Nikolas Yazdan vowed never to serve the royals again... -
The Brush of Black Wings by Grace Draven
16 ratingsDuring a foray into the woods of Neith, Martise stumbles upon a ruined temple and reawakens not only a power she thought lost, but also something far more malevolent. An ancient darkness, imprisoned in an eternal cage, sees a chance at freedom in a woman once held in bondage... -
Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow
18 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of the Dreamland series comes a new dark romantic fantasy about a young woman finding hope in her powers of destruction.The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadlior. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound... -
Sword-Dancer by Jennifer Roberson
18 ratingsSOUTHRON BLADE SKILL,NORTHERN SWORD MAGIC...He was Tiger, born of the desert winds, raised as a slave and winning his freedom by weaving a special kind of magic with a warrior's skill. Now he was an almost legendary sword-dancer, ready to take on any challenge--if the price was right...or the woman pretty enough.She was Del, born of ice and storm, trained by the greatest of Northern sword masters... -
The Mirador by Sarah Monette
14 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of The Virtu. The dashing wizard Felix Harrowgate has reclaimed his sanity, magic, and position in society. But even as he returns to his former place in the Mirador--the citadel of power and wizardry--there are many who desire his end... -
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
27 ratingsThere is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic paranormal 21st-century action-adventure audiobook book -
Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder
24 ratingsLike the colorful pieces of sea glass washed up on shore, Opal has weathered rough waters and twisting currents. But instead of finding a tranquil eddy, Opal is caught in a riptide. Her unique glass messengers which allow instant communication over vast distances have become a vital part of Sitian society... -
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Dynasty of Ghosts by P.L. Nunn
12 ratingsIllya has always been different - fey, quiet, and cursed with the ability to see the lingering spirits of the dead. A younger son of a younger son from a backwater mountain province, he is a nobody in the king’s army until he comes to the notice of the Prince Knight himself, the spoiled, stubborn heir to the kingdom of Aldania... -
Ghost by Carole Cummings
10 ratingsDwelling in the land of Ada and defending magic users called the Jin, Fen Jacin-rei is a trained assassin and an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the Voices of the Ancestors, spirits of long-dead magicians. His fate should be one of madness and solitude, yet Fen Jacin-rei desperately clings to his sanity and ferociously protects the family he loves... -
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
60 ratings▶ Alternative Cover Edition #1 Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.Alina Starkov has never been good at anything... -
Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier
25 ratingsAward-winning author Juliet Marillier "weaves magic, mythology, and folklore into every sentence on the page" (The Book Smugglers). Now she begins an all-new and enchanting series that will transport readers to a magical vision of ancient Ireland.. -
Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers
18 ratingsDeath wasn’t the end, it was only the beginning…Sybella has always been the darkest of Death’s daughters, trained at the convent of Saint Mortain to serve as his justice. But she has a new mission now... -
Guardians of the Keep by Carol Berg
14 ratingsFor ten years, the noblewoman Seriana lived in exile, believing her husband Karon was dead, executed for practicing sorcery. But now she learns his soul has been anchored to this world by magic. He has been restored to life-though his memories of Seri are gone... -
Spectyr by Philippa Ballantine
14 ratingsThe second novel in Ballantine's series. In a realm of mystics and magic, the Order of Deacons stands between the here and now and the Otherside. Its mission is to protect the citizens of the Empire from malevolent geists--no matter where or when.. -
The Mist-Torn Witches by Barb Hendee
12 ratingsNational bestselling author Barb Hendee presents a dark, fascinating new series set in the world of the Noble Dead Saga... the story of two sisters who will discover they have far more power than they ever envisioned...In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop... -
Dante's End by Ariana Nash
11 ratingsMonsters are made, not born... Most called him the Jailor. Some called him a monster. If he had a name, nobody had survived meeting him long enough to tell it. They said he sat atop a mound of skulls and marked each death on his throne, like notches on a bedpost. Some tales told of how he had wings as dark as night, and of how he wore a crown of razor wire woven around four horns... -
Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
18 ratingsAurelia is a princess, but they call her a witch. Surrounded by spirits and burdened with forbidden magic, she lives in constant fear of discovery by the witch-hunting Tribunal and their bloodthirsty mobs. When a devastating assassination attempt reveals her magical abilities, Aurelia is forced to flee her country with nothing but her life... -
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Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer
18 ratingsEcho Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child... -
Master of Crows by Grace Draven
27 ratingsWhat would you do to win your freedom?This is the question that sets bondwoman, Martise of Asher, on a dangerous path. In exchange for her freedom, she bargains with her masters, the mage-priests of Conclave, to spy on the renegade sorcerer, Silhara of Neith. The priests want Martise to expose the sorcerer's treachery and turn him over to Conclave justice... -
Gilded Rose by Emma Hamm
12 ratingsA beast is holding me hostage inside a chateau. The world is plagued by creatures called the Dread, and the monster who's captured me is their king. But no matter how hard I try to get away, there's no escaping him. Not when he's magically bound to turn me into one of his creatures... -
Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan
20 ratingsDarkness never works alone...Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become. As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something... -
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
28 ratingsThe stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood... -
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
16 ratingsSadima lives in a world where magic has been banned, leaving poor villagers prey to fakes and charlatans. A magician stole her family's few valuables and left Sadima's mother to die on the day Sadima was born. But vestiges of magic are hidden in old rhymes and hearth tales and in people like Sadima, who conceals her silent communication with animals for fear of rejection and ridicule... -
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
19 ratingsHe saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she’s been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves...Categorized as:
dark epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure audiobook bisexuality -
Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent
12 ratingsA high stakes reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood.For as long as sixteen-year-old Adele can remember the village of Oakvale has been surrounding by the dark woods—a forest filled with terrible monsters that light cannot penetrate. Like every person who grows up in Oakvale she has been told to steer clear of the woods unless absolutely necessary... -
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
47 ratingsAlessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:1) Woo the Shadow King.2) Marry him.3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies...Categorized as:
dark epic female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure -
Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao
25 ratingsIn the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are deemed unnatural--even dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, is one of the most terrifying Affinites.Ana's ability to control blood has long been kept secret, but when her father, the emperor, is murdered, she is the only suspect... -
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The Dark Griffin by K.J. Taylor
10 ratingsBeing chosen as a griffin's companion has allowed Arren Cardockson to gain a place of status within the land of Cymria. But Arren can never escape the prejudice that comes with his Northerner slave origins... -
Lord of Snow and Shadows by Sarah Ash
16 ratingsCombining the best of fantasy traditions with her own unique vision, Sarah Ash brings to dazzling life a new saga filled with epic adventure and unforgettable characters. Far-reaching in scope and imagination, Lord of Snow and Shadows embarks on a journey like no other—into a shape-shifting world teeming with political intrigue, astonishing magic, and passions both dark and light... -
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
24 ratingsIt isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical... -
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
18 ratingsIn a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes... -
The Curse Giver by Dora Machado
14 ratingsLusielle's bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is shattered when she is sentenced to die for a crime she didn't commit. She's on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames.Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line... -
Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan
14 ratingsJulia has the unusual ability to be…unseen. Not invisible, exactly. Just beyond most people’s senses.It’s a dangerous trait in a city that has banned all forms of magic and drowns witches in public Cleansings. But it’s a useful trait for a thief and a spy. And Julia has learned—crime pays.Her latest job is paying very well indeed. Julia is posing as a housemaid in the grand house of Mrs...Categorized as:
dark friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure audiobook
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