Recommendations based on "The Black Rood The Celtic Crusades: Book II"

Packed with myth, magic, and bloody vengeance, John Gwynne's "masterfully crafted, brutally compelling, Norse-inspired epic" (Anthony Ryan) continues in The Hunger of the Gods.THE 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 only 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 Shadow of the Gods“There is not a dull chapter in this fantasy epic.” —Vulture (Best of the Year)"A satisfying and riveting read. It’s everything I’ve come to expect from a John Gwynne book." —Robin Hobb"A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic." —Anthony Ryan"A masterclass in storytelling . . . epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart." —FanFiAddictFor more from John Gwynne, check out:The Bloodsworn TrilogyThe Shadow of the GodsThe Hunger of the GodsOf Blood and BoneA Time of DreadA Time of BloodA Time of CourageThe Faithful and the FallenMaliceValorRuinWrath

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)

GRAVE FORCES ARE converging to seize control of the Book of Thoth, a hidden artifact whose pages hold the key to creating—or unraveling—the very threads of existence. Under the care and tutelage of Cooper, Rowan’s most lethal Agent, Max McDaniels and David Menlo embark on a quest to protect the book from the demon Astaroth, who would exploit its secrets with dire consequence. And with Astaroth free after centuries of imprisonment, the world outside Rowan’s gates has already become hostile.Far from home, cut off behind enemy lines, Max and his allies must journey across Europe, descend into the fabled Frankfurt Workshop, brave the tangled corners of the Black Forest . . . and cross beyond the veils of our very world.

An outcast mage caught between two warring empires must either save the world or destroy everything she loves in the second novel of "an unforgettable epic fantasy" trilogy (Publishers Weekly).Sal the Cacophony -- outlaw, outcast, outnumbered -- destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself.For more from Sam Sykes, check out:The Grave of Empires:Seven Blades in BlackTen Arrows of IronBring Down Heaven:The City Stained RedThe Mortal TallyGod's Last BreathThe Affinity for Steel Trilogy:Tome of the UndergatesBlack HaloThe Skybound Sea

The second book in Angus Watson's epic Iron Age fantasy trilogy.Leaders are forged in the fires of war.br>Iron Age warriors Dug and Lowa captured Maidun castle and freed its slaves. But now they must defend it.A Roman invasion is coming from Gaul, but rather than uniting to defend their home, the British tribes go to battle with each other -- and see Maidun as an easy target.Meanwhile, Lowa's spies infiltrate Gaul, discovering the Romans have recruited British druids. And Maidunite Ragnall finds his loyalties torn when he meets Rome's charismatic general, Julius Caesar.War is coming. Who will pay its price?

As the ninth century wanes, England appears about to be plunged into chaos once more. For the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, Uhtred, whose life seems to shadow the making of England, this presents him with difficult choices. King Alfred is dying and his passing threatens the island of Britain to renewed warfare. Alfred wants his son, Edward, to succeed him but there are other Saxon claimants to the throne as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north. Uhtred's loyalty -- and his vows -- were to Alfred, not to his son, and despite his long years of service to Alfred, he is still not committed to the Saxon cause. His own desire is to reclaim his long lost lands and castle to the north. But the challenge to him, as the king's warrior, is that he knows that he will either be the means of making Alfred's dream of a united and Christian England come to pass or be responsible for condemning it to oblivion. This novel is a dramatic story of the power of tribal commitment and the terrible difficulties of divided loyalties.

With The Winter King, the first volume of his magnificent Warlord Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell turns to the story he was born to write: the mythic saga of King Arthur. Now a major television show.The tale begins in Dark Age Britain, a land where Arthur has been banished and Merlin has disappeared, where a child-king sits unprotected on the throne, where religion vies with magic for the souls of the people. It is to this desperate land that Arthur returns, a man at once utterly human and truly heroic: a man of honor, loyalty, and amazing valor; a man who loves Guinevere more passionately than he should; a man whose life is at once tragic and triumphant. As Arthur fights to keep a flicker of civilization alive in a barbaric world, Bernard Cornwell makes a familiar tale into a legend all over again.

With a sly blend of fantasy, humor, and paranormal adventure, Kevin Hearne is the trickster god of action-packed mash-ups. In The Iron Druid Chronicles, Atticus O’Sullivan is a folk hero for the twenty-first century, battling legendary beasts, shadowy mystics, and demonic demigods from around the world. Now get Hounded, Hexed, and Hammered all at once in this eBook bundle, a triple dose of mayhem straight out of Hearne’s genre-smashing imagination. This ebook edition includes a special preview of Kevin Hearne’s upcoming novel A Plague of Giants, as well as two bonus short stories set in the world of The Iron Druid Chronicles: “Clan Rathskeller” and the eBook exclusive “Kaibab Unbound.” HOUNDED Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Tempe, Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time. A handsome, tattooed Irish dude, he looks like he’s about twenty-one years old—actually, he’s twenty-one centuries old and he wields a magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and now Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, and a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil. HEXED Atticus doesn’t care much for witches, but he’s about to make nice with the local coven when suddenly the witch population in Tempe quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II. But with a fallen angel feasting on local students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. HAMMERED Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is a blowhard and a bully, and Viking vampire Leif Helgarson has asked his friend Atticus for help taking down this Norse nightmare. As a rule, Atticus generally tries to stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. Soon, though, Atticus and Leif are off to the plane of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

The Black Song is the action-packed conclusion to the Raven's Blade series by Anthony Ryan, which began with The Wolf's Call. The Steel Horde has laid waste to the Venerable Kingdom, unleashing a storm of fire and blood. Now the leader of this mighty host - Kehlbrand, the warlord who thinks himself a god - turns his eyes to the other merchant kingdoms. No one can stop his divine conquest. No one, perhaps, except Vaelin Al Sorna. Yet Vaelin is on the run, his own army in disarray. Worse, the new blood song he has acquired is as much a curse as a blessing, and seeks to guide him down a path far darker than he could have imagined . . .Praise for the series'Robin Hobb meets Joe Abercrombie . . . This is fantasy with a totally legendary feel' Fantasy Book Review'The Wolf's Call is everything a fantasy fan could ever wish for' Booknest'Anthony Ryan's best work since the release of his incredible debut . . . fantastic storytelling' Novel NotionsBooks by Anthony RyanRaven's ShadowBlood SongTower LordQueen of FireRaven's BladeThe Wolf's CallThe Black SongDraconis MemoriaThe Waking FireThe Legion of FlameThe Empire of AshesThe Covenant of SteelThe PariahThe MartyrThe TraitorWriting as A. J. RyanRed River Seven

The Oathsworn have become feared and respected throughout the Viking world. Their name goes before them and men cower in their presence, but they soon discover that fame comes at a price. While the Oathsworn revel in their newfound glory, Sterki, an old enemy with revenge in his heart, attacks their homestead—the Fjord Elk is sunk, old oar mates die, and the Oathsworn are forced to flee into the mountains. Unaccustomed to losing, the men retreat to lick their wounds. They have been entrusted with the care of Queen Sigrith, pregnant and soon to bear the heir to the crown of Sweden, and though the urge for revenge is strong, Orm's first duty is to protect the queen. He soon realizes that revenge is not the only thing on Sterki's mind; he has joined forces with Styrbjorn, nephew of King Eirik and next in line to the throne—if he can only get rid of the current heir. As the Oathsworn fight to defend themselves and their newfound celebrity and fortune, they're soon to realize that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be.