Recommendations based on "Dragonfall (Dragon Scales)"

The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

“I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year [...] I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.” -- BooknestA Library Journal, Paste Magazine, Vulture, BookBub, and ENTROPY Best Books pick!Washington Post "5 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel" pick!A Bustle "30 Best Fiction Books" pick!A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.But surprises aren’t always good.Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

Rin’s story continues in this acclaimed sequel to The Poppy War—an epic fantasy combining the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters.The war is over.The war has just begun.Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.Though she does not want to live, she refuses to die until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed Rin’s homeland to its enemies. Her only hope is to join forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new republic.But neither the Empress nor the Dragon Warlord are what they seem. The more Rin witnesses, the more she fears her love for Nikan will force her to use the Phoenix’s deadly power once more.Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.

☽ MAGIC. DRAGONS. ROMANCE. THE No.1 BESTSELLING FANTASY PHENOMENON ☽ 'With dragons, doomed lovers and magic, this will be huge' Stylist 'An absolutely stunning fantasy world' Raven Kennedy, author of international bestseller, The Plated Prisoner Series 'A wild ride that thrills as much as it enchants ... An instant classic' Thea Guanzon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars She's an assassin on the run Raeve's job is to complete orders and never get caught. Until a rival assassin devastates her world, and she is captured by a group of powerful fae. He's the dragon rider who'll stop at nothing to save her Crushed by the loss of his great love, Kaan Vaegor hunts the world for answers. Then a clue lures him to the capital's high-security prison, where he finds Raeve ... Together, they'll burn it all down Now they seek truths that threaten to shatter everything they knew about their world - and each other. No.1 bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched will transport you into a world filled with magic, dragons and a love that blazes through the ages... ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Readers love this fantasy phenomenon! 'The new fantasy romance of 2024 that you NEED to read!!!' 'By far the best book I've read this year' '👌 Just wow... what did I just read!! I don't think I'll be forgetting this book any time soon! What a masterpiece 🥰' 'Infinity five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️' 'Whoa, I love this book so much! This is the best fantasy book I read this year' 'I'm almost certain I've already read my favourite book of the year' 'THIS IS FANTASY ROMANCE. Full stop.' Let the magic continue. Pre-order the sequel, THE BALLAD OF FALLING DRAGONS, out February 24th 2026!

The most exciting debut of 2025 - an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park... with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn't worried. She's going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war. With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious 'job', she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort - if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn't, they'll all die. At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she's grown up in isn't as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must decide: What war is she really fighting? An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice. A Language of Dragons was Children's #1 bestseller in the TCM chart on 07 January 2025.

TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE LAST SUNRISE…A sensational new epic fantasy trilogy from the bestselling author of The Nevernight Chronicle.

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld. Two academic rivals from Cambridge must travel to hell to rescue the soul of their advisor. Getting there was easy. Surviving it - and each other - is another thing entirely. 2025's most unexpected love story is going to be hell in the new novel by Sunday Times Numb[Bokinfo].

"The heart is a battlefield. War has raged for a decade in Lir, and orphaned soldier Talasyn has learned to keep her powers hidden to survive. As the last known Lightweaver on the continent, she can create radiant weapons that cut through the invading Shadowforged warriors' dark magic. But all that changes when she is forced to reveal her abilities on the battlefield to defend herself from the Shadowforged prince himself, Alaric Ossinast. In a clash of light and dark, their magic combines to create a new force the likes of which has never been seen. This rare power could be the key to saving many lives-if Talasyn and Alaric don't destroy each other first. Pushed together into a fraught political engagement, the two adversaries find themselves pawns in a much bigger game between conflicting nations. Neither is pleased by the arrangement, but when a new threat emerges, necessity forces the pair to confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion-one that could save their world, or end it. An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer"--