Books like 'The Merchant of Dreams'
Readers who enjoyed The Merchant of Dreams by Anne Lyle also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance alternate history high fantasy mystery action / adventure historical-fiction magic paranormal
-
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
29 ratingsBy scheming and theft, the Thief of Eddis has become King of Attolia. Eugenides wanted the queen, not the crown, but he finds himself trapped in a web of his own making.Then he drags a naive young guard into the center of the political maelstrom. Poor Costis knows he is the victim of the king's caprice, but his contempt for Eugenides slowly turns to grudging respect...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book -
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:
epic historical-fiction lgbtq magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history audiobook -
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
33 ratingsRevengeWhen Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, stole Hamiathes's Gift, the Queen of Attolia lost more than a mythical relic. She lost face. Everyone knew that Eudenides had outwitted and escaped her. To restore her reputation and reassert her power, the Queen of Attolia will go to any length and accept any help that is offered... she will risk her country to execute the perfect revenge...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book -
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:
epic historical-fiction lgbtq magic paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history -
-
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
31 ratingsI lean forward, pushing my body out past the battlements. The wind plucks at my cloak, buffets against me, as if it would carry me off in flight, just like the birds or the knight's soul. Let go, it cries, I will take you far, far away. I want to laugh at the exhilarating feeling, I will catch you, it whistles seductively.The convent has returned Sybella to a life that nearly drove her mad...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal abuse action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history assassins -
The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas
24 ratingsAfter spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history audiobook -
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:
historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history assassins audiobook -
Sword Dance by A.J. Demas
12 ratingsFive years ago, Damiskos’s brilliant military career was cut short, leaving him with a permanent disability and scars that are not all physical. Adrift and still grieving, he tries to find meaning in an unsatisfying job. Work takes him to the remote seaside villa of an old friend, where, among an odd assortment of guests, he meets the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda... -
Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn
26 ratingsPraised for its epic scope and descriptive detail, Across the Nightingale Floor, the first book in the Tales of the Otori series, was an international bestseller and critical success, named by the London Times as "the most compelling novel to have been published this year...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history assassins audiobook -
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
28 ratingsIn his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard.The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal 21st-century action-adventure alternate-history assassins -
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:
epic historical-fiction lgbtq magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history angels -
Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
20 ratingsScarlet's true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet's love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood...Categorized as:
historical-fiction abuse action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history audiobook book crime -
The Palace of Lost Memories by C.J. Archer
17 ratingsFrom the author of the USA Today bestselling GLASS AND STEELE series comes this captivating new fantasy. The king's magnificent palace was built in a matter of weeks. No one saw the builders, no villagers are allowed beyond the gilded gate, and only one servant has ever left...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book -
The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross
16 ratingsThey are the light against the darkness.The steel against the necromancy of the Druj.And they use demons to hunt demons….Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they leash wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal abuse action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history -
-
A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer
16 ratingsIn a world where males are rarely born, they've become a commodity-traded and sold like property. Jerin Whistler has come of age for marriage and his handsome features have come to the attention of the royal princesses. But such attentions can be dangerous-especially as Jerin uncovers the dark mysteries the royal family is hiding... -
The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill
14 ratingsChloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery. Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles' Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte's fleet... -
King Kelson's Bride by Katherine Kurtz
14 ratings“Kurtz’s strengths lie in her patient accumulation of telling detail, well-articulated plots, and believable magics. Should bring the fans flocking, and attract newcomers too.”—Kirkus ReviewsSpeculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history angels -
All the Paths of Shadow by Frank Tuttle
12 ratings“Walk warily, walk swiftly, walk away.”The king’s orders were clear enough. “Move the tower’s shadow,” he bellowed. “I refuse to deliver my commencement speech from the dark.”As the newly appointed mage to the Crown of Tirlin, Meralda Ovis has no choice but to undertake King Yvin’s ill-conceived task... -
The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn
24 ratingsThe Harsh Cry of the Heron is the rich and stirring finale to a series whose imaginative vision has enthralled millions of readers worldwide, and an extraordinary novel that stands as a thrilling achievement in its own right...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal 21st-century action-adventure alternate-history assassins -
The Last Mage Guardian by Sabrina Chase
6 ratingsHer great-uncle, the mage Oron, bequeathed to her his oak-shaded chateau and a debt of magical honor. But Miss Ardhuin Andrews must hide her magical talents. How can she repay the debt? Political intrigue, duty, and echoes of an old war not truly ended combine to create a smoldering crisis in a world where magic and science coexist...Categorized as:
industrial-era magic paranormal steampunk action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history book -
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...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history assassins -
Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
18 ratingsOn Wilde Island, there is no peace between dragons, fairies, and humans.Wilde Island is in an uproar over the recent death of its king. As the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans begins to fray, the royal witch hunter with a hidden agenda begins a vengeful quest to burn girls suspected of witchcraft before a new king is crowned...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history animals book dragons -
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker
24 ratingsThe magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history audiobook betrayal -
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
44 ratingsWhy be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history assassins audiobook -
-
A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer
18 ratingsTeenager Faris Nallaneen is the heir to the small northern dukedom of Galazon. Too young still to claim her title, her despotic Uncle Brinker has ruled in her place. Now he demands she be sent to Greenlaw College. For her benefit he insists. To keep me out of the way, more like it!But Greenlaw is not just any school-as Faris and her new best friend Jane discover. At Greenlaw students major in . -
Winterwood by Jacey Bedford
10 ratingsSet in 1800 in Britain, Mad King George is on the throne with Napoleon Bonaparte knocking on the door. Unregistered magic users are pursued to the death, while in every genteel home resides uncomplaining rowankind bondservants who have become so commonplace that no one can recall where they came from... -
The Beholder by Anna Bright
18 ratingsSelah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come...Categorized as:
historical-fiction action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book drama fairy-tale family -
Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman
18 ratingsImagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise... -
Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
18 ratingsOn her eighteenth birthday, Lady Truthful, nicknamed “Newt,” will inherit her family’s treasure: the Newington Emerald. A dazzling heart-shaped gem, the Emerald also bestows its wearer with magical powers.When the Emerald disappears one stormy night, Newt sets off to recover it... -
The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
16 ratingsThe tiny nation of Swansgaard is a lovely place with abundant natural resources, including the royal family, which has been blessed with twelve daughters and a son...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc alternate-history audiobook -
The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett
16 ratingsRaised in a genteel but impoverished household, Ivy Lockwell, eldest of three daughters, is desperate to save her father, a former magician, from the madness that has overwhelmed him and finds the key to saving both him and the entire land from darkness lies in the secrets she uncovers while serving as governess to the wards of the enigmatic Mr. Quent. A first novel. 30,000 first printing...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction industrial-era magic paranormal steampunk 21st-century action-adventure -
The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
27 ratingsBig and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.