Recommendations based on "The Black King"

A young man with forbidden magic finds himself drawn into an ancient war against a dangerous enemy in book one of the Licanius Trilogy, the series that fans are heralding as the next Wheel of Time.As destiny calls, a journey begins.It has been twenty years since the godlike Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them -- the Gifted -- are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers.As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he and his friends Wirr and Asha set into motion a chain of events that will change everything.To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is. . .And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir.The Licanius Trilogy is a series readers will have a hard time putting down -- a relentless coming-of-age epic from the very first page."Storytelling assurance rare for a debut . . . Fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire."" -- Guardian

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

A new novel from internationally bestselling author Raymond E. Feist.The world of Garn once boasted five great kingdoms, until the King of Ithrace was defeated and every member of his family executed by Lodavico, the ruthless King of Sandura, a man with ambitions to rule the world.Ithrace's ruling family were the legendary Firemanes, and represented a great danger to the other kings. Now four great kingdoms remain, on the brink of war. But rumour has it that the newborn son of the last king of Ithrace survived, carried off during battle and sequestered by the Quelli Nacosti, a secret society whose members are trained to infiltrate and spy upon the rich and powerful throughout Garn. Terrified that this may be true, and that the child will grow to maturity with bloody revenge in his heart, the four kings have placed a huge bounty on the child's head.In the small village of Oncon, Declan is apprenticed to a master blacksmith, learning the secrets of producing the mythical king's steel. Oncon is situated in the Covenant, a neutral region lying between two warring kingdoms. Since the Covenant was declared, the region has existed in peace, until violence explodes as slavers descend upon the village to capture young men to press as soldiers for Sandura.Declan must escape, to take his priceless knowledge to Baron Daylon Dumarch, ruler of Marquensas, perhaps the only man who can defeat Lodavico of Sandura, who has now allied himself with the fanatical Church of the One, which is marching across the continent, imposing its extreme form of religion upon the population and burning unbelievers as they go.Meanwhile, on the island of Coaltachin, the secret domain of the Quelli Nacosti, three friends are being schooled in the deadly arts of espionage and Donte, son of one of the most powerful masters of the order; Hava, a serious girl with fighting abilities that can set any opponent on their back; and Hatu, a strange, conflicted lad in whom fury and calm.

Called A 'hell Of A Debut' By Bestselling Author Conn Iggulden, Malice By John Gwynne Is The First In The Faithful And The Fallen Series. Young Corban Watches Enviously As Boys Become Warriors, Learning The Art Of War. He Yearns To Wield His Sword And Spear To Protect His King’s Realm. But That Day Will Come All Too Soon. Only When He Loses Those He Loves Will He Learn The True Price Of Courage. The Banished Lands Has A Violent Past Where Armies Of Men And Giants Clashed In Battle, The Earth Running Dark With Their Heartsblood. Although The Giant-clans Were Broken In Ages Past, Their Ruined Fortresses Still Scar The Land. But Now Giants Stir Anew, The Very Stones Weep Blood And There Are Sightings Of Giant Wyrms. Those Who Can Still Read The Signs See A Threat Far Greater Than The Ancient Wars. Sorrow Will Darken The World, As Angels And Demons Make It Their Battlefield. Then There Will Be A War To End All Wars. High King Aquilus Summons His Fellow Kings To Council, Seeking An Alliance In This Time Of Need. Prophesy Indicates Darkness And Light Will Demand Two Champions, The Black Sun And The Bright Star. They Would Be Wise To Seek Out Both, For If The Black Sun Gains Ascendancy, Mankind’s Hopes And Dreams Will Fall To Dust.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface comes an all-new, fully illustrated, hardcover Deluxe Collector’s Edition of R. F. Kuang’s The Dragon Republic, with a full-wrap illustrated jacket and black-and-white interior art by JungShan Chang throughout, plus embossed case, designed endpapers, and stenciled edges! Considered one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, the second book in the beloved Poppy War Trilogy continues Rin’s epic struggle to defend her homeland at any cost. The war is over. The war has just begun. Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has ended, the war still rages for Rin. Haunted by the atrocity she committed to save her people, the shaman and warrior is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vise, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with fearsome power. While the young warrior welcomes death, she must remain alive until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed her homeland. Rin’s only hope is to join forces with the enemy of her enemy—the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to destroy the Empress. But Rin soon learns that the Empress and the Dragon Warlord are not what they seem, leading her to contemplate the unthinkable: using the Phoenix’s deadly power once more. Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.

The thrilling conclusion to Jon Skovron's adventure fantasy series, two young people from a fracturing empire spread across savage seas must find a way to keep their nation together. Still reeling from the events at Dawn's Light, Hope struggles to understand what it means to be a warrior who has vowed to never again take up a sword.Red is enjoying his new role as imperial spy. Perhaps a bit too much. But his loyalties will be tested when his employer, Lady Hempist, relents and assigns him the one task he's been begging for all along: recruiting Hope and Brigga Lin to help rid the empire of biomancery once and for all.Fate brought them together; it will tear their empire apart.The Empire of StormsHope and RedBane and ShadowBlood and Tempest

Bane the Bastard is the illegitimate son of the Rigante king who men called Demonblade. Born of treachery, Bane grew up an outcast in his own land, feared by his fellow highlanders, and denied by the father whose unmistakable mark he bore–the eyes of Connavar, one tawny brown, the other emerald green.Hounded from the country of his birth, Bane found acceptance across the seas–only to have it stripped away in an instant by a cruel and deadly swordsman. Now fighting as a gladiator in the blood-soaked arenas of the Empire, Bane lives for one thing: revenge. And he pursues his goal with the same single-minded determination that won his father a crown.But more is at stake than a young warrior’s quest for vengeance. The armies of the Stone are preparing to march on the lands of the Rigante. The fate of human and Seidh alike will be decided by the clash of swords–and by the bonds of twisted love and bitterness between a father and a son . . .

The final book in the award-winning Knights of the Borrowed Dark trilogy, perfect for fans of Skulduggery Pleasant. 'You have no idea what real war is . . . but I'm afraid you're going to find out.' There's nothing like an apocalypse to kick off the school year. Denizen Hardwick has travelled to Daybreak, the ancestral home of the Order of the Borrowed Dark, to continue his training as a knight. But lessons have barely begun before an unexpected arrival appears with news that throws the fortress into uproar. The Endless King has fallen, his dark realm rising in a brutal civil war. When the conflict strikes closer to home, Denizen and his friends face their greatest challenge yet. For if Daybreak falls, so does the world . . . 'Action-packed, atmospheric and powerfully imagined' - Sunday Times

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the creator of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the epic fantasy trilogy that began with A Plague of Giants, about a war that broke a continent—and opened the door to a new world.A TORDOTCOM BEST BOOK OF THE YEARSeeker and SowerPen Yas ben Min’s cousin was one of the legendary heroes of the wars against the giants until her untimely death. Pen has grown up in her famous cousin’s shadow, but when she’s given a quest to plant the seed of the magical Fourth Tree, she has a chance to step into the light—and usher in a new age for her country.Fighter and FriendAbhi’s life—and the world—changed when he discovered a lost magic: the power to speak to animals. After fighting so many battles, he’s weary and longs for home and his love, Tamhan. But before he can return, there is one last mission that only Abhi can complete: to speak to the colossal creatures who wait beneath the waves—the krakens.Sailor and ExplorerKoesha and her shipmates have already made an impossible journey by navigating the Northern Yawn, at the end of which she secured an unusual cloak. But when that cloak turns out to be the key to unlocking the mystery of the Seventh Kenning, Koesha has to risk everything on another life-threatening journey and hope that she can steer her crew to safety.Don’t miss any of Kevin Hearne’s action-packed Seven Kennings seriesA PLAGUE OF GIANTS • A BLIGHT OF BLACKWINGS • A CURSE OF KRAKENS

The empire has fallen and another rises in its place in the action-packed continuation of Devin Madson's sweeping epic fantasy quartet. Ambition and schemes have left the Kisian Empire in ashes. Empress Miko Ts'ai will have to move fast if she hopes to secure a foothold in its ruins. However, the line between enemies and allies may not be as clear-cut as they first appeared. After failing to win back his Swords, former Captain Rah e'Torin finds shelter among the Levanti deserters. But his presence in the camp threatens to fracture the group, putting him on a collision course with their enigmatic leader. Assassin Cassandra Marius knows Leo Villius's secret-one that could thwart his ambitions to conquer Kisia. But her time in Empress Hana's body is running out and each attempt they make to exploit Leo's weakness may be playing into his plans. And, as Leo's control over the Levanti emperor grows, Dishiva is caught in his web. To successfully challenge him, she'll have to decide how many of her people are worth sacrificing in order to win. Praise for We Ride the Storm 'Highly recommended' John Gwynne 'Madson is an exciting new author in fantasy' Mark Lawrence 'A complex tale of war, politics and lust for power' Guardian 'Damn this was a good book. We Ride The Storm is perfect for devourers of grimdark fantasy and a triumph of a debut' Fantasy Hive 'A visceral, intriguing, intense and emotionally charged ride' Grimdark Magazine 'Breathtakingly triumphant . . . it has become one of my favourite books of all time' Novel Notions 'Buckle your seatbelts and prepare for a hell of a ride' Fantasy Book Critic 'Complex and immersive . . . doesn't let go until the final electrifying pages' Fantasy Book Review