Recommendations based on "The Favored Son"

Action, intrigue, and magic collide in this epic fantasy following Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor's Justice, who is a detective, judge, and executioner all in one—but with rebellion and unrest building, these are dangerous times to be a Justice . . .The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne.Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?"Richard Swan's sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more." – Sebastien de Castell, author of Spellslinger“A fantastic debut.” – Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

"You fear the forest.. It is not foolish." His words rang like bells in the clearing, each face reacting to their din. "But the forest does not hate you, it does not hunt you. It simply does not care about you."From British Fantasy Award-winning author RJ Barker comes the second installment in a new epic fantasy trilogy set in a forest straight out of darkest folklore with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities.The Forester known as Cahan led the village of Harn in rebellion against the all-powerful, oppressive forces of the Rai. A great victory was won, but to avoid retaliation he must lead the people of Harn into the Wyrdwood.Cahan never wanted this responsibility, but fate has its eye on him, and without him the people will be helpless against the terrors of the forest. But in the ground of Crua, a dark god is growing in power using the strength of decay. It is something new, something worse than the magics of the Rai, and it has its claws in Cahan. The people of Harn need him, and they will need new allies if they are to have any hope of surviving in the depths of the Wyrdwood.Especially if the man they consider a hero, the Forester, Cahan Du-Nahere, is as lost to them as he believes.Praise for Gods of the Wyrdwood"An experienced novelist at the top of his game—this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms." —SFX"A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read." —Daily MailFor more from RJ Barker, check out:The Wounded KingdomAge of AssassinsBlood of AssassinsKing of AssassinsThe Tide Child TrilogyThe Bone ShipsCall of the Bone ShipsThe Bone Ship's Wake

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.

What began with Sabriel 25 years ago comes to an unforgettable conclusion to the Old Kingdom Trilogy in Abhosren by master of fantasy and globally bestselling Garth Nix, now available in a special anniversary edition with original art by Leo and Diane Dillon.The last hope for the living.The Abhorsen Sabriel and King Touchstone are missing, leaving only Lirael—newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting—to stop the Destroyer. If Orannis’s unspeakable powers are unleashed, it will mean the end of all Life. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her and the help of her companions—Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget—Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the evil destructor . . . before it is too late.“Nix brings his trilogy to a literally earth-shattering conclusion. Action explodes from the very first pages. Breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“This title has a cinematic sweep; the tense, climactic confrontation pulls from the very beginning into a tightly constructed, satisfying conclusion.” —BCCB

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.

The fourth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series.The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord—warrior by instinct, Viking by nature—has finally settled down. He has land, a wife and two children, and a duty given to him by King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. But then trouble stirs: a dead man has risen, and new Vikings have arrived to occupy the decayed Roman city of London. Their dream is to conquer Wessex, and to do it they need Uhtred’s help.Alfred has other ideas. He wants Uhtred to expel the Viking raiders from London. Uhtred must weigh his oath to the king against the dangerous turning tide of shifting allegiances and deadly power struggles. And other storm clouds are gathering: Alfred’s daughter is newly married, but by a cruel twist of fate, her very existence now threatens Alfred’s kingdom. It is Uhtred—half Saxon, half Dane—whose uncertain loyalties must now decide England’s future.Sword Song is Cornwell’s finest work yet—vivid with period detail, this breathtaking adventure throroughly reimagines one of the most fascinating tales in all of history—the birth of England—and breathes life into the brilliant king who made it possible: Alfred the Great.

A rousing conclusion to an unforgettable saga—the story of a Swedish warrior's transformative journey and the enduring love that founded a nation. One of the fiercest and most feared warriors of the Knights Templar, Arn de Gotha can finally return home to his beloved Sweden, now that Jerusalem has been lost to Saladin. But during his twenty years of exile, Arn's homeland has been torn apart by warring clans—and the brave nobleman soldier is determined to reunite it and establish lasting peace. Waiting for him is his beloved Cecilia, emerging from a convent to join him after their unfathomably long separation, against the stern demands of her clan. Their reunion could incite a war unless they can convince the clan that love ranks higher than politics, and that it can sustain a new quest: to create a new people, a new society, with Arn at its helm.

Abhorsen-In-Waiting Lirael and Prince Sameth, a Wallmaker, must confront and bind the evil spirit Oranis before it can destroy all life.

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.

A collection of the first four installments of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series. The Saxon Tales Collection includes: The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, and Sword Song.Starting with The Last Kingdom, this is the exciting—yet little known—story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms.This thrilling adventure—based on existing records of Cornwell’s ancestors—depicts a time when law and order were ripped violently apart by a pagan assault on Christian England, an assault that came very close to destroying England.“History comes alive.”—Boston Globe