Books like 'The Pillars of Sand'
Readers who enjoyed The Pillars of Sand by Mark T. Barnes & Nick Podehl also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy high fantasy dark fantasy horror supernatural action / adventure epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery dark
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Wrath by John Gwynne
24 ratingsEvents are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has taken control of the fortress at Drassil and three of the Seven Treasures are in his possession. And together with Calidus and his ally Queen Rhin, Nathair will do anything to obtain the remaining Treasures. With all seven under his command, he can open a portal to the Otherworld... -
Ruin by John Gwynne
24 ratingsThe Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos. The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures... -
The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan
27 ratingsThe capital has fallen...Field Marshal Tamas returns to his beloved country to find that for the first time in history, the capital city of Adro lies in the hands of a foreign invader. His son is missing, his allies are indistinguishable from his foes, and reinforcements are several weeks away.An army divided.. -
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... -
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Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski
41 ratingsGeralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.This is a collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski
44 ratingsGeralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.This is a collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure anti-hero audiobook -
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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop
24 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... -
The Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence
24 ratingsFrom the international bestselling author of the Broken Empire Trilogy, the thrilling conclusion to the Red Queen’s War... Mark Lawrence’s “epic fantasy” (The Washington Post) continues as a reluctant prince returns from the bowels of Hell to engage in his greatest battle yet—among the living and the dead... -
City of Fallen Souls by Jez Cajiao
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... -
Kingdoms and Chaos by Kel Kade
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... -
Overworld by Rohan M. Vider
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... -
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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
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The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
24 ratingsIn her national bestselling Black Jewels novels, Anne Bishop’s “surefire spell craft…leave[s] readers’ hearts pounding.” Now her “feverish pacing and terrifying twists” are showcased once again. In a tumultuous world ruled by witches and warlocks who wear their power as jewels, one Queen’s chance at redemption is the last hope for a desperate people…Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past... -
Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
30 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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery action-adventure anti-hero apocalyptic audiobook -
The Forgotten Faithful by Jez Cajiao
12 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... -
The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett
38 ratingsThe sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that prey upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind half-forgotten symbols of power. Legends tell of a Deliverer: a general who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. But is the return of the Deliverer just another myth? Perhaps not... -
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...Categorized as:
epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure age-gap angst animals -
The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett
32 ratingsOn the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all... -
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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
Soldiers Live by Glen Cook
18 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... -
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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery action-adventure anti-hero apocalyptic audiobook -
Twilight's Dawn by Anne Bishop
21 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s “darkly fascinating” Black Jewel novels have enthralled readers and critics alike with their mixture of fantasy, intrigue, and romance. Now in Twilight’s Dawn, Bishop returns to the Blood realm with four all-new captivating novellas... -
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The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
42 ratingsAs darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way... -
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
25 ratingsOriginally appearing in the Dangerous Women anthology and now available as a solo ebook, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is a chilling novella of the Cosmere, the universe shared by Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive.When the familiar and seemingly safe turns lethal, therein danger lies... -
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
49 ratingsGeralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good..Categorized as:
dark epic sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
43 ratingsGeralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good..Categorized as:
dark epic sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook dark-fantasy -
Ghost in the Mask by Jonathan Moeller
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... -
Dawn of the Exile by Mitchell Hogan
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... -
Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman
24 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... -
Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski
32 ratingsThe Witcher returns in this action-packed sequel to The Tower of Swallows, in the New York Times bestselling series that inspired The Witcher video games. After walking through the portal in the Tower of Swallows while narrowly escaping death, Ciri finds herself in a completely different world... an Elven world. She is trapped with no way out...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Core by Peter V. Brett
26 ratingsFor time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose—men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal... -
From Cold Ashes Risen by Rob J. Hayes
10 ratingsThe Corpse Queen Comes.Eskara has lost everything. The War Eternal has cost her everything she loves, and the Iron Legion has taken the rest. Yet there is something that is still hers, something that kept her warm during her time in the Pit. Anger and a lust for vengeance. First on the list of those who must pay, the Emperor of Terrelan... -
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Bound in Blood by P.C. Hodgell
10 ratingsWhen Jame returned to Knorth hall to help her brother Torisen name all the fallen fighters' death banners stored there, she made the disturbing discovery that those banners splattered with their owners' blood also have trapped their owners' souls. She also found a contract proving her cousin Kindrie to be legitimate, proving that there are three full-blooded Knorth... -
City of Daggers by Scott Straughan
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... -
Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
44 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher.For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf... -
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...Categorized as:
dark epic heroic-fantasy sword-sorcery 21st-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson
12 ratingsThe war is over, but something is rotten in the state of Eidyn.With a ragged peace in place, demons burn farmlands, violent Reivers roam the wilds and plague has spread beyond the Black Meadows. The country is on its knees.In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first magically-skilled draoidh to be named King’s Envoy... -
Glory to the Brave by Luke Chmilenko
13 ratingsHeroes don’t stand for themselves. They stand for others who cannot.Betrayed by those they’d taken in and narrowly avoiding a disaster of untold proportions, Lyrian and his friends are once again thrust into a fight for their very survival, this time against Carver and his band of murderous adventurers... -
Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell
14 ratingsA deformed genius plots vengeance while struggling to survive. A wastrel prince comes of age, finding a power he never imagined. Two worlds are destined to collide. Only one can be king. Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love... -
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
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... -
The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop
17 ratingsPOWER HAS A PRICE. SO DOES LOVE. Return to the dark, sensual, and powerful world of the Black Jewels in this long-awaited new story in the New York Times bestselling fantasy saga.After a youthful mistake, Lord Dillon's reputation is in tatters, leaving him vulnerable to aristo girls looking for a bit of fun. To restore his reputation and honor, he needs a handfast--a one-year contract of marriage... -
The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
18 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... -
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When Darkness Falls by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
18 ratingsWhen Darkness Falls, the third book in The Obsidian Trilogy from Mercedes Lackey and James MalloryA great working of Wild Magic and High Magic strikes at the heart of the Demon Queen's plots, but the human city, the Golden City of the Bells, falls farther under her sway with each day that passes... -
When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman
20 ratingsTwo men, absolute enemies, must unite to conquer an evil greater than anything their world has ever known. One is a warrior priest ready to sacrifice anything and everything for the cause of humanity's progress; the other, a sorcerer who has survived for countless centuries by a total submission to evil. In their joint quest, both will be irrevocably changed... -
The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett
28 ratingsThe Skull Throne of Krasia stands empty. Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, it is a seat of honor and ancient, powerful magic, keeping the demon corelings at bay. From atop the throne, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging its isolated peoples into a unified army to rise up and end the demon war once and for all... -
Ghost in the Maze by Jonathan Moeller
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... -
House of Bastiion by K.L. Kolarich
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 epic action-adventure book coming-of-age dark-fantasy enemies-to-lovers fiction -
Evil Overlord: The Makening by Michael McClung
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...
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