Recommendations based on "Reign of Stars"

The master fantasist’s thrilling conclusion to The Darkwar Saga To save the future of both empires, the powerful sorcerer Pug and the Conclave of Shadows have journeyed into the darkest of terrain: the Dasati home world. There, traveling undercover among the bloodthirsty and ruthless Dasati, they have encountered Bek, a disturbing young stranger whose secrets may prove more important than Pug knows. And back in the realm of Midkemia, as the young warriors Tad, Zane, and their friends protect the Kingdom from raiders, Miranda finds herself a prisoner of the Dasati, and, even more ominously, of Pug’s nemesis, the evil sorcerer Leso Varen. And Pug finds himself allied with a friend thought long dead, a friend whose remarkable powers will be sorely needed in the battle to come . . . a battle that will bring them all together in one great struggle for the future and very soul of Midkemia.

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)

“David Gemmell tells a tale of very real adventure, the stuff of true epic fantasy.”—R.A. Salvatore, New York Times bestselling author Chaos and terror stalked the realm. The king had been slain by traitors, and the sword of power had been lost beyond the Circle of Mist. Armies of Saxons, Angles, Jutes, and Brigantes cut a gory swath across the land, led by puppets of the ruthless Witch Queen—whose minions included dark, bloodthirsty creatures and a savage, undead warrior. All hope lay with young Thuro—in whose veins flowed the blood of kings. He would have to defeat the Witch Queen’s monsters and travel to the land of the Mist, there to seek a ghostly army. And the only one who could prepare Thuro to achieve his birthright was the mountain warrior Culain, the one man who knew the queen’s deadly secret . . . The legend of the mystic Stones of Power begins with a tale of blood and glory, of love and betrayal, as a boy must come of age amidst the seemingly impossible quest to become the High King.

"A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word." —John GwynneThe Pariah begins a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm.Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army.Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. But as dark forces, both human and arcane, gather to oppose Evadine's rise, Alwyn faces a choice: can he be a warrior, or will he always be an outlaw?"This makes a rich treat for George R.R. Martin fans." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)For more from Anthony Ryan, check out:Raven's Shadow TrilogyBlood SongTower LordQueen of FireRaven's Blade DuologyThe Wolf's CallThe Black SongThe Draconis Memoria TrilogyThe Waking FireThe Legion of FlameThe Empire of Ashes

As war rages, both sides are in a race to find the one thing that could turn the tides to their favor -- a stone with the power to turn humans into gods -- in the second book of Brian McClellan's epic fantasy tale of magic and gunpowder. The country is in turmoil. With the capital city occupied, half a million refugees are on the march, looking for safety on the frontier, accompanied by Lady Flint's soldiers. But escaping war is never easy, and soon the battle may find them, whether they are prepared or not. Back in the capital, Michel Bravis smuggles even more refugees out of the city. But internal forces are working against him. With enemies on all sides, Michel may be forced to find help with the very occupiers he's trying to undermine. Meanwhile, Ben Styke is building his own army. He and his mad lancers are gathering every able body they can find and searching for an ancient artifact that may have the power to turn the tides of war in their favor. But what they find may not be what they're looking for. Continue the pistol-packing fantasy series by the author whose debut novel Brandon Sanderson called "just plain awesome!" Gods of Blood and PowderSins of EmpireWrath of Empire For more from Brian McClellan, check out: Powder MagePromise of BloodThe Crimson CampaignThe Autumn Republic

The second book in The Nightfall Saga, the stunning new epic fantasy series set in the world of The Demon Cycle, from New York Times bestselling author Peter V. BrettHumanity thought the war with demonkind was over. Now, after humanity has had less than a generation to rebuild, the demon corelings have returned with a vengeance. The Spear of Ala—the fortress that stands at the gates of the demon’s hive—is the last bastion against the horde, and reports say it may already have fallen.Olive Paper is expected to take the vanguard in the fight. Only an heir of Kaji can wield the artifact that opens the gates of the Spear of Ala, and as Ahmann Jardir’s child, Olive seems destined for a role as leader and savior. But Olive does not wish to follow in her father’s footsteps any more than she did her mother’s.Darin Bales was born with supernatural senses that he struggles to process, but even those who love him believe he can barely take care of himself. Yet to save his mother from the clutches of Alagai Ka, the demon king, Darin will brave anything to mount a rescue.Darin and Olive each strive to walk their own path but find themselves inextricably tied to the legacies of their parents and to a fated confrontation with the demon king and his new hatchling queen. If they fail, humanity may not survive.

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.

Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in the second instalment of high adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy. The dragon keepers and the fledgling dragons are forging a passage up the treacherous Rain Wild River. They are in search of the mythical Elderling city of Kelsingra, and are accompanied by the liveship Tarman, its captain, Leftrin, and a group of hunters who must search the forests for game with which to keep the dragons fed. With them are Alise, who has escaped her cold marriage to the cruel libertine Hest Finbok in order to continue her study of dragons, and Hest's amanuensis, Bingtown dandy, Sedric. Rivalries and romances are already threatening to disrupt the band of explorers: but external forces may prove to be even more dangerous. Chalcedean merchants are keen to lay hands on dragon blood and organs to turn them to medicines and profit. Their traitor has infiltrated the expeditionand will stop at nothing to obtain the coveted body parts. And then there are the Rain Wilds themselves: mysterious, unstable and ever perilous, its mighty river running with acid, its jungle impenetrable and its waterways uncharted. Will the expedition reach their destination unscathed? Does the city of Kelsingra even exist? Only one thing is certain: the journey will leave none of the dragons nor their human companions unchanged by the experience.

Thomas Senlin and his crew of outcasts have been separated, and now they must face the dangers of the labyrinthine tower on their own in this third book in the word-of-mouth phenomenon fantasy series."One of my favorite books of all time." - Mark Lawrence on Senlin AscendsFearing an uprising, the Sphinx sends Senlin to investigate a plot that has taken hold in the ringdom of Pelphia. Alone in the city, Senlin infiltrates a bloody arena where hods battle for the public's entertainment. But his investigation is quickly derailed by a gruesome crime and an unexpected reunion.Posing as a noble lady and her handmaid, Voleta and Iren attempt to reach Marya, who is isolated by her fame. While navigating the court, Voleta attracts the unwanted attention of a powerful prince whose pursuit of her threatens their plan.Edith, now captain of the Sphinx's fierce flagship, joins forces with a fellow wakeman to investigate the disappearance of a beloved friend. She must decide who to trust as her desperate search brings her nearer to the Black Trail where the hods climb in darkness and whisper of the Hod King. As Senlin and his crew become further dragged in to the conspiracies of the Tower, everything falls to one question: Who is The Hod King?The Books of Babel:Senlin AscendsArm of the SphinxThe Hod King

The armies of the Wasp Empire are on the march, and first to feel their might will be the city of Tark – even now preparing for siege. Within its walls Salma and Totho must weather the storm, as the Ant-kinden prepare to stand against numbers and weaponry such as the Lowlands have never seen. And after his earlier victory, the Empire’s secret service has decided veteran artificer Stenwold Maker is too dangerous to live. So disgraced Major Thalric is despatched on a desperate mission, not only to eliminate Stenwold himself, but to destroy his beloved city of Collegium. Thus they hope to end all hope of intelligent resistance to the remorseless imperial advance. While the Empire’s troops are wreaking destruction, the young Emperor is reading a different path. His thoughts are on darker things than mere conquest, and if he attains his goal he will precipitate a reign of blood that will last a thousand years. ‘Full of colourful drama and non-stop action . . . Dragonfly Falling brilliantly continues the Shadows of the Apt epic fantasy series’ FantasyBookCritic blog ‘Reminiscent of much that’s gone before from the likes of Gemmel, Erikson, Sanderson and Cook but with its own unique and clever touch . . .Terrific’ Sci-Fi-London.com