Recommendations based on "Before the Crow A Grimdark Epic"

The Final Chapter In The Bestselling, Critically Acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, In Which A Con-woman And An Idealistic Djinn Prince Join Forces To Save A Magical Kingdom From A Devastating Civil War. Daevabad Has Fallen. After A Brutal Conquest Stripped The City Of Its Magic, Nahid Leader Banu Manizheh And Her Resurrected Commander, Dara, Must Try To Repair Their Fraying Alliance And Stabilize A Fractious, Warring People. But The Bloodletting And Loss Of His Beloved Nahri Have Unleashed The Worst Demons Of Dara's Dark Past. To Vanquish Them, He Must Face Some Ugly Truths About His History And Put Himself At The Mercy Of Those He Once Considered Enemies. Having Narrowly Escaped Their Murderous Families And Daevabad's Deadly Politics, Nahri And Ali, Now Safe In Cairo, Face Difficult Choices Of Their Own. While Nahri Finds Peace In The Old Rhythms And Familiar Comforts Of Her Human Home, She Is Haunted By The Knowledge That The Loved Ones She Left Behind And The People Who Considered Her A Savior Are At The Mercy Of A New Tyrant. Ali, Too, Cannot Help But Look Back, And Is Determined To Return To Rescue His City And The Family That Remains. Seeking Support In His Mother's Homeland, He Discovers That His Connection To The Marid Goes Far Deeper Than Expected And Threatens Not Only His Relationship With Nahri, But His Very Faith. As Peace Grows More Elusive And Old Players Return, Nahri, Ali, And Dara Come To Understand That In Order To Remake The World, They May Need To Fight Those They Once Loved...and Take A Stand For Those They Once Hurt.

In the peaceful land of the Rhiddaer, Jahdo the  ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a secret meeting  between a city council man and a dangerous,  mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of  intrigue and black magic that drags him far from  home. In the company of a blind bard, Jahdo must  travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds  him. But there the boy is caught up in dangers far  greater than he has ever known. Two powerful  sorcerers--one human, the other elven--are battling to  save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their  strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry  Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and  magic . . . and to the dragon upon whom all their  live may depend. Days Of Blood And  Fire begins an exciting new chapter in the  chronicles of Deverry and the Westlands, with a story  suited to new readers and loyal fans  alike.

Award-wining author Guy Gavriel’s sixth novel, hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, is both a brilliant adventure and a moving story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake -- or destroy -- a world.The ruling Asharites have come from the desert sands, worshipping the stars, their warrior blood fierce and pure. But over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, that stern piety has eroded. The Asharies empire has splintered into decadent city-states lead by warring petty kinds.King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, adding city after city to his realm, even though Cartada is threatened by forces both within and without. Almalik is aided by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan -- poet, diplomat, soldier -- until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.Meanwhile, in the north, the Jaddite’s most celebrated -- and feared -- military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, is driven into exile in the wake of events following the death of the king he loved. Rodrigo leads his mercenary company south, to the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan.In the exquisite lakeside city of Ragosa, Rodrigo Belmonte and Ammar ibn Kharian meet and serve -- for a time -- the same master. Sharing the interwoven fate of these two men from different worlds -- and increasingly torn in her feelings -- is Jehane, the beautiful, accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

Continuing the impressive debut fantasy series from author Peter V. Brett, The Desert Spear is book two of the Demon Cycle, pulling the reader into a world of demons, darkness and heroes. The Deliverer has returned, but who is he? Arlen Bales, formerly of the small hamlet of Tibbet's Brook, learnt harsh lessons about life as he grew up in a world where hungry demons stalk the night and humanity is trapped by its own fear. He chose a different path; chose to fight inherited apathy and the corelings, and eventually he became the Painted Man, a reluctant saviour. But the figure emerging from the desert, calling himself the Deliverer, is not Arlen. He is a friend and betrayer, and though he carries the spear from the Deliverer's tomb, he also heads a vast army intent on a holy war against the demon plague... and anyone else who stands in his way.

‘This is the original game of thrones’ George R.R. MartinFrom the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin’s epic work.“Accursed! Accursed! You shall be accursed to the thirteenth generation!”The Iron King – Philip the Fair – is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot rule his own family: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous; while his red-blooded daughter Isabella is unhappily married to an English king who prefers the company of men.A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty…

An enchanting tale of love and loss, glory and grandeur, set in the twilight of Rome's power . . . where the Celtic chieftains of Britain battle to save their land from an onrushing darkness . . . In this modern classic, Stephen Lawhead presents a majestic retelling of Western literature's most compelling epic. Merlin. His golden eyes saw the shape of a world yet to be. His wisdom would light the path of the coming King. Born of a union between druid and faery, he was trained as a bard and schooled in the ways of battle. But his heart and calling were greater than a warrior's. Son of the great Taliesin, the song of his father coursed through his soul. Yet his life and mission were to be his own. And though sovereignty was his, he would lay it aside to serve a king of his own choosing. As his powers transcended those of mortal men, so, too, would his trials, his griefs . . . and the dark might of his most fearsome enemy. In the twilight of Tome's rule over the Island of the Mighty, as smaller men vied for ascendancy, his would be the hand to lay the foundations of a new order -- the Kingdom of Summer . . . and Arthur, Pendragon of Britain. Merlin is book two in the Pendragon Cycle.

Return to the world of the Farseers...Robin Hobb's best loved characters, Fitz , The Fool and Nighteyes the wolf, face new adventures and trials in the first book of The Tawny Man trilogy. When Assassin's Quest closed, Fitz was living in self-imposed exile. Wracked with pain, he had chosen to discard the magical gifts that had seen him survive the wonders and torments of navigating the legendary city of the Elderlings, and of raising a dragon. Now, in this the first of a new trilogy, we are returned to the world of the Six Duchies and the lives of those who managed to survive the events of the first Assassin trilogy. Fifteen years have passed and events are about to sweep Fitz out of his quiet backwater life and into the main political current again. Persecution of the Witted has become rampant throughout the Six Duchies despite Queen Kettricken's effort to damp it. The Witted themselves have begun to strike back. So when 15 year old Prince Dutiful disappears, is it only because he is nervous about his betrothal ceremony to an Outislander princess, or has he been taken hostage by the Witted? Worse, is he perhaps another 'Piebald Prince', a Farseer tainted by Wit magic? As the desperate situation worsens, Kettricken has no choice but to summon Fitz to Buckkeep, for who better to track the young prince down than another gifted with the Wit, together with his bonded companion, the wolf Nighteyes?

The third and final book in The Nightfall Saga, the thrilling and action-packed epic fantasy series set in the world of The Demon Cycle, from Sunday Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett "Heart-wrenching, smart, and modern ... The Desert Prince has set a new standard for fantasy."–Wesley Chu, author of The War Arts Saga

The King of Vordan is dying, and his daughter, Raesinia, is destined to become the first Queen in centuries. But politics knows no loyalties, especially for Duke Orlanko, Minister of Information and spymaster of the empire. The most feared man in the Vordan will bow his knee to no Queen, unless she is firmly under his influence. Freshly returned from their recent victories in the colonies, Colonel Janus, Marcus and Winter must play a new and far deadlier game than the open warfare of the front, using all their talents, earthly or supernatural.

From holy cup comes holy light; The faithful hands sets world aright. And in the Seven Martyrs' sight, Mere man shall end this endless night. Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and his last hope of ending the endless night - the Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of the Augustin Empire to claim the life of the Forever King. Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives - speeding towards Augustin's besieged capital in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath forever. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King's legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may be the last time, there will be no-one left for them to trust. Not even each other. From Sunday Times bestselling author of The Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.