Recommendations based on "Sapphire Rose"

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns to the world of the Aristene in this epic fantasy novel as a young member of the order faces down old loves and old foes. A must-read for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Shelby Mahurin.The cost was steep, but Reed is officially an Aristene.And not just any Aristene, but a Glorious Death, guiding only those heroes whose glory costs them their lives. It is a heavy burden, but to forget the prince she left behind, Reed throws herself into it, harvesting heroes at what some say is a reckless pace.So when Lyonene is summoned to guide a princess to a glorious marriage, Reed sees an opportunity—a hero who isn’t fated to die—and they secretly arrange for Reed to go in her place. But instead of an easy mission, she arrives to find chaos: an old enemy is rising to threaten the Aristene, and one of the princess’s suitors is Hestion, whom Reed still loves, and who may yet love her.Reed has already given everything to the order. As oaths are broken and lives are lost, what more must she give to save her sisters, and herself?

King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz--or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave, deeply scarred in body and soul. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin: Regal has plundered and abandoned the capital, while the rightful heir, Prince Verity, is lost to his mad quest--perhaps to death. Only Verity's return--or the heir his princess carries--can save the Six Duchies.But Fitz will not wait. Driven by loss and bitter memories, he undertakes a quest: to kill Regal. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him--currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was.

Kylar Stern has given up the way of shadows for a life of peace, but when an old ally returns, Kylar must make a deadly choice in the second novel of the Night Angel Trilogy by NYT bestselling author Brent Weeks.Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin's life. The Godking's successful coup has left Kylar's master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession.But when he learns that Logan might actually be alive and in hiding, Kylar is faced with an agonizing choice: will he give up the way of shadows forever and live in peace with his new family, or will he risk everything by taking on the ultimate hit?Devour this blockbuster tale of assassination and magic by Brent Weeks, which has delighted readers all over the world -- with over one million copies in print!

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

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.

Combining the political intrigue of She Who Became the Sun with the gorgeous world-building of Children of Blood and Bone, Birth of a Dynasty is the start of a thrilling epic fantasy trilogy centered around three families' fight for power in Ahkebulin, a land where magic is feared, giants are real, and prophecy holds sway. We shall not forgive. We shall not forget. We will have our vengeance. After witnessing the massacre of everyone he's ever known and loved, M'Kuru Mukundi, the sole surviving member of the High Noble House Mukundi of Madada, vows revenge. M'kuru flees to a small village where he hides under the guise of farm boy Khalil Rausi... unaware that the real Khalil's father is the bloodthirsty General of Zenzele army, and under the direction of the King's scheming son, Prince Effiom, was responsible for the murder of M'kuru's people. When an imposter claiming to be M'kuru shows up in the village, the real M'kuru--now Khalil--must bide his time amongst his enemies, pretending to be everything that he hates in order to get vengeance. In another part of the country where giants roam free, young Zikora Nnamani, the only daughter of Lord Nnamani, knows nothing of political intrigue--she wants little more than to be a fierce Seh Llinga warrior. But a well-known prophecy places too much potential power on her small shoulders, and--as far as Prince Effiom and the King know--she is the only living threat to their dynasty ruling forever. However, when a messenger arrives to "invite" Zikora to stay at the palace, her family is not in a position to refuse. Before she is taken away, she begins The Rite of Blessing, a magical inheritance that she will need to learn how to use, but that may also bring the world one step closer to the completion of the prophecy that Prince Effiom so fears. Between scheming ladies at court, backstabbing princes on the prowl, and paranoid kings, M'kuru and Zikora must do what they can, no matter how terrible, to save their people and claim vengeance for their families. But they are just two young people against an entire kingdom--and a prophecy destined to thwart their dreams--and the last thing they can do is trust anyone...even each other.

In a forgotten age of darkness, a magnificent king arose to light the landThey called him unfit to rule, a lowborn, callow boy, Uther’s bastard. But his coming had been foretold in the songs of the bard Taliesin. And he had learned powerful secrets at the knee of the mystical sage Merlin.He was ARTHUR—Pendragon of the Island of the Mighty—who would rise to legendary greatness in a Britain torn by violence, greed, and war; who would usher in a glorious reign of peace and prosperity; and who would fall in a desperate attempt to save the one he loved more than life.ARTHUR“Evocate . . . intriguing . . . enthralling.” –Locus

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

The incredible return to the New York Times bestselling world of the Night Angel, where master assassin Kylar Stern embarks on a new adventure as the High King Logan Gyre calls on him to save his kingdom and the hope of peace. "Weeks has been showing other fantasy authors how it's done for over fifteen years." -- Peter V. Brett, author of The Desert Prince "Weeks is a giant of the genre." -- Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld After the war that cost him so much, Kylar Stern is broken and alone. He's determined not to kill again, but an impending amnesty will pardon the one murderer he can't let walk free. He promises himself this is the last time. One last hit to tie up the loose ends of his old, lost life. But Kylar's best -- and maybe only -- friend, the High King Logan Gyre, needs him. To protect a fragile peace, Logan's new kingdom, and the king's twin sons, he needs Kylar to secure a powerful magical artifact that was unearthed during the war. With rumors that a ka'kari may be found, adversaries both old and new are on the hunt. And if Kylar has learned anything, it's that ancient magics are better left in the hands of those he can trust. If he does the job right, he won't need to kill at all. This isn't an assassination -- it's a heist. But some jobs are too hard for an easy conscience, and some enemies are so powerful the only answer lies in the shadows. "Weeks writes in an inescapably engaging style. Breathlessly high stakes, terrible missteps, and unexpected revelations keep the story humming along at a breakneck pace." -- Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter For more from Brent Weeks, check out: The Ka'kari Codex The Night Angel Trilogy The Way of Shadows Shadow's Edge Beyond the Shadows The Kylar Chronicles Night Angel Nemesis The Night Angel Trilogy: 10th Anniversary Edition Night Angel: The Complete Trilogy (omnibus) Perfect Shadow: A Night Angel Novella The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel Lightbringer The Black Prism The Blinding Knife The Broken Eye The Blood Mirror The Burning White

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.