Recommendations based on "The afterward"

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)

After successfully evading an Urgals ambush, Eragon is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire.

From the imagination of two of fantasy’s greatest names comes a magnificent epic of heroic and dynastic struggle.At age 17, Mara's ceremonial pledge of servantship to the goddess Lashima is interrupted by the news that her father and brother have been killed in battle on Trigia, the world through the rift.Now Ruling Lady of the Acoma, Mara finds that not only are her family's ancient enemies, the Minwanabi, responsible for the deaths of her loved ones, but her military forces have been decimated by the betrayal and House Acoma is now vulnerable to complete destruction.

The next installment in New York Times bestselling author Taran Matharu's Soulbound Saga, continuing the harrowing journey of Jai as he navigates returning to his own people, growing in his magic and as a warrior, fending off attacks both without and within...and, of course, bonding even more with his dragon! Jai dreams of being a dragon rider. He dreams of freedom from the Sabine Empire and a world in which he can lead his people, the Kidara, to freedom. But even though he has his dragon, Winter, she is still growing, just as he's still growing in his own power. And the road to victory is even more fraught than he had hoped. Because even when he finds a tribe on the Great Steppe, they are not his people. More, they are outcasts, the Tainted, and he finds that he knows little of the customs and political intricacies that take place in these vast grasslands. He is a stranger amongst his own kind, and that is even more apparent when he reunites with the Kidara, for Jai's uncle rules, and is loath to cede power to his nephew. And even if Jai was sure he could take the reins of the leadership, he isn't sure he could actually hold them. But the legionaries and Gryphon Guard of the Sabine Empire are wreaking havoc against the other tribes of the Great Steppe, and Jai is forced to learn a lifetime's worth of knowledge in a matter of months. From taming the massive khiroi that make up the tribe's calvary, to levelling up his magic, to becoming a true warrior, worrying over the fate of the woman he loves, and strengthening his bond with Winter, Jai is a dragon rider with a massive weight on his young shoulders. And his greatest hope is that the shoulders of Winter will soon be strong enough to help carry him.

The long-awaited second book of the fourth story arc - Sword of the Canon - in the epic fantasy series, the Wars of Light and Shadow.Lysaer’s unstable integrity lies under threat of total downfall, and as his determined protector, Daliana will face the most frightening decision of her young life.Arithon, Master of Shadow, is marked for death and still hunted, when his critical quest to recover his obscured past entangles him in a web of deep intrigue and ancient perils beyond his imagining.Elaira’s urgent pursuit of the Biedar Tribes’ secret embroils her in the terrible directive of the Fellowship Sorcerers, while Dakar — the Mad Prophet — confronts the hard reckoning for the colossal mistake of his misspent past, and Tarens is steered by a destiny far from his crofter’s origins.The penultimate volume of The Wars of Light and Shadow will touch the grand depths of Athera’s endowment, and deliver the thrilling finale of arc IV, the Sword of the Canon.War, blood, magic, mystery – and the most hidden powers of all – will stand or fall on their hour of unveiling.

Mark Lawrence brings to a thrilling close his epic trilogy of a boy who would be king, a king who would desire an empire and an empire on the edge of destruction King 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. For there is only one power worth wielding absolute power. Jorg would be emperor. It is a position not to be gained by the sword but rather by vote. And never in living memory has anyone secured a majority of the vote, leaving the Broken Empire long without a leader. Jorg has plans to change that one way or the other. He s uncovered even more of the lost technology of the land, and he won t hesitate to use it. But he soon finds an adversary standing in his way, a necromancer unlike any he has ever faced a figure hated and feared even more than himself: the Dead King. The boy who would rule all may have finally met his match..."

Here, in the eagerly awaited sequel to David Eddings' bestselling The Belgariad, is the first book of The Malloreon, an epic quest across strange lands and among stranger peoples--a magnificent fantasy of men, Kings, Sorcerers, and Gods caught up in the culmination of the seven-thousand-year war between two opposing Destinies to determine the fate of all creation. Garion had slain the evil God Torak and been crowned King of Riva. The Prophecy was fulfilled--or so it seemed. While the strange child Erand was growing up in the Vale of Aldur with Plgara and Durnik, showing only occasional flashes of inexplicable knowledge and power, Garion was learning to rule and to be the husband of his fiery little Queen Ce'Nedra. Eleven years passed. Then suddenly the Voice of Prophecy cried out a warning: "Beware Zandramas!" Not even Belgarath the Sorcerer knew who or what Zandramas was. But Garion discovered hints in a previously obscured part of the Mrin Codex. Worse, he learned that the Dark Prophecy was still waging its ancient struggle against the Prophecy of Light. Again, a great evil was brewing in the East. And again, Garion found himself a pawn, caught between the two ancient Prophecies, with the fate of the world somehow resting on him.

Beyond the Emperor's law In the city of Elantra, the law is upheld by a few groups, and the most feared are the Wolves—the Emperor’s executioners. The newest member of this elite force is Severn Handred. Granted a leave of absence to pursue information about his unknown past, Severn joins a mission to an enclave well outside the boundaries of the Empire. And he will be in danger the entire time. Still, the instincts that led him to the Wolves and the sense of duty that keeps him there can’t be discarded as easily as the tabard he wears. While he's in the heart of the West March, enmeshed in a tangled web of mysteries that have been held for centuries, Severn's belief in justice is going to be tested. It's one mortal man and his single ally against a community of immortals who will kill to keep their secrets. But they don't know who they're up against. “This world feels so complex and so complete.” —ReadingReality.net on The Emperor's Wolves The Wolves of Elantra Book 1: The Emperor's Wolves Book 2: Sword and Shadow

From the author of the global phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice!Hal and his brotherband crew are hot on the trail of the pirate Zavac and they have one thing only on their minds: Stopping the bloodthirsty thief before he can do more damage. Of course, they also know Zavac has the Andomal, the priceless Skandian artifact stolen when the brotherband let down their guard. The chase leads down mighty rivers, terrifying rapids, to the lawless fortress of Ragusa. If Hal is to succeed, he will need to go beyond his brotherband training. He will need to challenge the pirate one-on-one, knowing only one of them will survive. The epic series from Ranger's Apprentice author John Flanagan continues, delivering pulse-pounding adventure and fun. Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Tristan and his friends haveescaped the Holy Land, but theirdangerous journey is far fromover! Picking up right where the breathtaking actionleft off, Tristan and his friends, the archer RobardHode and the assassin Maryam, have escapedthe Holy Land, but they are still a long wayfrom the end of their perilous journey. And whilethey may have eluded the villainous Templar SirHugh, they know he will never be far behind. Their only hope is to reach safety in England. Butbefore they do that they run straight into a rebelband of Cathars, a heretical sect fighting off the oppressionof France's king. When Tristan falls for thebeautiful leader of the Cathars, though, his loyaltiesare torn between aiding her in her hour of need orfleeing with his sacred charge--to protect the HolyGrail.