Recommendations based on "Into a Dark Realm Book Two of the Darkwar Saga"

Andrea Stewart returns with The Bone Shard Emperor, the second installment of this unmissable, action-packed, magic-laced fantasy epic.The Emperor is Dead. Long live the Emperor.Lin Sukai finally sits on the throne she won at so much cost, but her struggles are only just beginning. Her people don’t trust her. Her political alliances are weak. And in the north-east of the Empire, a rebel army of constructs is gathering, its leader determined to take the throne by force.Yet an even greater threat is on the horizon, for the Alanga – the powerful magicians of legend – have returned to the Empire. They claim they come in peace, and Lin will need their help in order to defeat the rebels and restore peace.But can she trust them?

"You fear the forest.. It is not foolish." His words rang like bells in the clearing, each face reacting to their din. "But the forest does not hate you, it does not hunt you. It simply does not care about you."From British Fantasy Award-winning author RJ Barker comes the second installment in a new epic fantasy trilogy set in a forest straight out of darkest folklore with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities.The Forester known as Cahan led the village of Harn in rebellion against the all-powerful, oppressive forces of the Rai. A great victory was won, but to avoid retaliation he must lead the people of Harn into the Wyrdwood.Cahan never wanted this responsibility, but fate has its eye on him, and without him the people will be helpless against the terrors of the forest. But in the ground of Crua, a dark god is growing in power using the strength of decay. It is something new, something worse than the magics of the Rai, and it has its claws in Cahan. The people of Harn need him, and they will need new allies if they are to have any hope of surviving in the depths of the Wyrdwood.Especially if the man they consider a hero, the Forester, Cahan Du-Nahere, is as lost to them as he believes.Praise for Gods of the Wyrdwood"An experienced novelist at the top of his game—this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms." —SFX"A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read." —Daily MailFor more from RJ Barker, check out:The Wounded KingdomAge of AssassinsBlood of AssassinsKing of AssassinsThe Tide Child TrilogyThe Bone ShipsCall of the Bone ShipsThe Bone Ship's Wake

A failed mage learns that just because he's not the chosen one it doesn't mean he can't be a hero in the fifth book of an adventure fantasy series from Sebastien de Castell. Kellen Argos is an outlaw spellslinger with a bad reputation, a long list of enemies, and zero luck. When he accidently smears blood on the Daroman flag, he's dragged before the queen to be executed for his act of treason. Face-to-face with the young monarch, Kellen is offered a chance to save himself. If he can defeat the queen at a game of cards, he'll walk free. . .if not, his life is forfeit. But what begins as a game reveals a conspiracy against the queen's life. And now, Kellen is not only playing for his own freedom, but also for the future of an empire. Spellslinger SeriesSpellslingerShadowblackCharmcasterSoulbinderQueenslayer For more from Sebastien de Castell, check out: The Greatcoats QuartetTraitor's BladeSaint's BloodKnight's ShadowTyrant's Throne span

In this “gritty, heart-pounding” (John Gwynne) conclusion to the New York Times bestselling fantasy trilogy, The Covenant of Steel, Alwyn must make a difficult decide between his heart and his morals as he prepares for his final battle.It’s been a long journey for Alwyn Scribe. Born a bastard and raised an outlaw, he’s now a knight and the most trusted advisor to Lady Evadine Courlain. Together they’ve won countless battles and helped to bring order to a fractured kingdom.Yet Evadine is not the woman Alwyn once knew. As puritanical fury increasingly replaces her benevolent faith, Alwyn begins to question what her true motives really are. As the kingdom braces itself for one final battle, Alwyn’s conscience fights its own war with his heart. Now, more than ever, he must decide whose side he’s really on."Ryan’s thoughtful characterizations and complex plotting are on clear display, enhanced by his evocative prose. This sends the series out on a high note." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Hunger of the Gods continues John Gwynne's acclaimed Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeanceTHE DEAD GODS ARE RISING . . .Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest.As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own - and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance.Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her.Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god.Their hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead . . . and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth.Praise for The Bloodsworn series:'A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic' Anthony Ryan'Visceral, heart-breaking and unputdownable' Jay Kristoff'A satisfying and riveting read. The well-realised characters move against a backdrop of a world stunning in its immensity' Robin Hobb'A masterclass in storytelling . . . epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart' FanFiAddict'Quintessential Gwynne honed to perfection . . . The Shadow of the Gods is absolutely stunning, one hell of an epic series opener and a spectacular dose of Viking-flavoured fantasy' The Tattooed Book Geek'Reminds me of all that I love in the fantasy genre. The Shadow of the Gods is an action-packed cinematic read' Fantasy Hive

Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold meets George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones in the final novel in Richard K. Morgan’s epic A Land Fit for Heroes trilogy, which burst onto the fantasy scene with The Steel Remains and The Cold Commands. Ringil Eskiath, a reluctant hero viewed as a corrupt degenerate by the very people who demand his help, has traveled far in search of the Illwrack Changeling, a deathless human sorcerer-warrior raised by the bloodthirsty Aldrain, former rulers of the world. Separated from his companions—Egar the Dragonbane and Archeth—Ringil risks his soul to master a deadly magic that alone can challenge the might of the Changeling. While Archeth and the Dragonbane embark on a trail of blood and tears that ends up exposing long-buried secrets, Ringil finds himself tested as never before, with his life and all existence hanging in the balance. Praise for The Dark Defiles   “A finale that displays all the purposefully hard edges and grim magnificence that made the first two volumes stand out.”—Kirkus Reviews   “Morgan brings his mammoth A Land Fit for Heroes fantasy trilogy to a rousing conclusion. . . . Expect surprises and suspense, along with the usual derring-do and entertaining characters.”—Booklist   Praise for Richard K. Morgan and his acclaimed series, A Land Fit for Heroes “Bold, brutal, and making no compromises—Richard K. Morgan doesn’t so much twist the clichés of fantasy as take an axe to them. Then set fire to them.”—Joe Abercrombie “Morgan has taken traditional sword and sorcery tropes and given them a hard, contemporary kick. The anitithesis of the cosy fairytale, this one is for big boys.”—The Times (London) “A crisp stylist who demonstrates equal facility with action scenes and angst.”—The New York Times Book Review “A full-immersion experience, uncompromising and bleakly magnificent.”—Kirkus Reviews

Once the legendary knights of the Gabala defended the nine duchies. Their hearts were beautiful; their armor was beyond compare. They were greater than princes, more than men. But they were gone, disappeared through a demon-haunted gateway between worlds. Only one held back -- Manannan, whose every instinct told him to stay. Now he was the coward knight, and in torment. Murder and black magic beset the land. Rumors circulated that the king was enchanted, changed, that his soul was dead . . . and that a reign of terror was about to begin. Now Manannan realized he would have to face his darkest fears: he had no choice but to ride through that dreaded gate and seek out his vanished companions. And the secret he would learn there would tear his soul apart . . . . "A sharp, distinctive medieval fantasy. Dramatic, colorful, taut." -- Locus

The masterpiece that started Terry Goodkind's New York Times bestselling epic Sword of Truth series, and the basis for the TV show Legend of the Seeker.Wizard's First Rule is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.In 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.In a dark age it takes courage to live, and more than mere courage to challenge those who hold dominion, Richard and Kahlan must take up that challenge or become the next victims. Beyond awaits a bewitching land where even the best of their hearts could betray them. Yet, Richard fears nothing so much as what secrets his sword might reveal about his own soul. Falling in love would destroy them--for reasons Richard can't imagine and Kahlan dare not say.In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword--to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed . . . or that their time has run out.

Set a thousand years before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Drew Karpyshyn’s electrifying Darth Bane novels take us deep into the dark side. This action-packed series follows the transformation of a lost young man who becomes a legendary Sith Lord, able to wield the awesome power of the Force as never before. Packed with nonstop thrills, the entire Darth Bane trilogy is now available as an eBook bundle featuring   PATH OF DESTRUCTION RULE OF TWO DYNASTY OF EVIL   After a high-stakes card game ends violently, Dessel, a lowly miner, vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army and ships out to join the war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, a far greater destiny awaits him . . . if he can prove himself worthy. As an acolyte in the Sith Academy, studying at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new identity: Bane. However, in order to gain full acceptance into this chilling Brotherhood, he must surrender completely to the dark side. Only by defying the most sacred traditions of the Sith can Bane hope to triumph—and forge from the ashes a new era of absolute power.

Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule, Book One of A Sword of Truth, was "a wonderfully creative, seamless, and stirring epic fantasy debut." -Kirkus ReviewsPiers Anthony lauded it as "a phenomenal fantasy, endlessly inventive, that surely marks the commencement of one of the major careers in the genre. It starts in early and keeps hitting you with new magical wonders, building into a truly gripping adventure."In Wizard's First Rule, Richard Cypher's world was turned upside down. Once a simple woods guide, Richard was forced to become the Seeker of Truth, to save the world from the vile dominance of Darken Rahl, the most viciously savage and powerful wizard the world had ever seen. He was joined on this epic quest by his beloved Kahlan, the only survivor among the Confessors, who brought a powerful but benevolent justice to the land before Rahl's evil scourge. Aided by Zedd, the last of the wizards who opposed Rahl, they were able to cast him into the underworld, saving the world from the living hell of life under Rahl.But the veil to the underworld has been torn, and Rahl, from beyond the veil, begins to summon a sinister power more dreadful than any he has wielded before. Horrifying creatures escape through the torn veil, wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting world above.If Rahl isn't stopped, he will free the Keeper itself, an evil entity whose power is so vast and foul that once freed, it can never again be contained.Richard and Kahlan must face Rahl and the Keeper's terrible minions. But first, Richard must endure the ministrations of the Sisters of the Light, or die from the pain of magic that is his birthright and his curse. While Richard undertakes the arduous journey to the forbidden city of the Sisters, Kahlan must embark upon a long and dangerous mission to Aydindril, citadel of the old wizards, where she hopes to find Zedd and the help only he can lend to their desperate cause.War, suffering, torture, and deceit lie in their paths, and nothing will save them from a destiny of violent death, unless their courage and faith are joined with luck and they find the elusive...Stone of Tears.