Books like 'Breaking the Gladiator'
Readers who enjoyed Breaking the Gladiator by Nicola Rose also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical dark romance ancient times
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In Memoriam by Alice Winn
It’s 1914, and World War I is ceaselessly churning through thousands of young men on both sides of the fight. The violence of the front feels far away to Henry Gaunt, Sidney Ellwood and the rest of their classmates, safely ensconced in their idyllic boarding school in the English countryside. News of the heroic deaths of their friends only makes the war more exciting... -
Special Forces - Soldiers by Aleksandr Voinov, Marquesate
Special Forces is the story of a Scottish SAS soldier and a Soviet spetsnaz soldier. Two enemies who meet in the line of duty during the early days of the Soviet Union's last war in Afghanistan. Behind enemy lines respect and finally love grow ... but that's only the official version. This epic spans across over twenty-five years of their lives... -
The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read .Renowned hip-hop artist, writer, and activist Sister Souljah brings the streets of New York to life in a powerful and utterly unforgettable first novel.I came busting into the world during one of New York's worst snowstorms, so my mother named me Winter...Categorized as:
african-american contemporary 20th century new adult dark black-mc historical length-medium -
Wolves vs. Hearts by Anna Green
The second volume of The Heart Rate of a Mouse trilogy.A new band, a new city, and new lover - Ryan dusts himself off and starts again, but the god-like status that his former band's tragic end has given him isn't as easy to shake off. As he should be focusing on making a comeback with his new band, he runs into the one person he hasn't been able to forget... -
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The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them. From exotic sandstone palaces..Categorized as:
historical second chances war victorian tortured heroine angst forced proximity virgin heroine -
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't... -
Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat
With their countries on the brink of war, Damen and his new master Prince Laurent must exchange the intrigues of the palace for the sweeping might of the battlefield as they travel to the border to avert a lethal plot. Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent... -
Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat
Damen’s identity has been revealed, and now he must face his master, Prince Laurent, as Damianos of Akielos, the man Laurent has sworn to kill. The struggle that ensues takes them deep into Akielos, where they face their most dangerous opposition yet. On the brink of a momentous battle, the future of two kingdoms hangs in the balance. In the south, Kastor’s forces are massing... -
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 1 by 墨香铜臭, Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does--cast from the heavens and banished to the world below...Categorized as:
fantasy historical m-m height-difference paranormal queer slow burn friends to lovers -
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 3 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR, SOMEONE TO LIVE FORGods should never meddle in the affairs of mortals, but Xie Lian is not one to follow the rules when lives are at risk. He spits in the face of heaven and its laws and descends in a fury to save his country from drought and civil war... -
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat
In this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Dark Rise, Will and his allies have survived the Dark’s first assault, but at a terrible cost.A new threat from the past is rising, and only a handful of heroes remain to fight... -
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath...Categorized as:
fantasy young adult from hate to love historical mystery urban fantasy forbidden love paranormal -
The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsAfter the dramatic events of The Creeping Shadow, the Lockwood team (plus Quill Kipps) deserve some well-earned rest.So naturally they break into the Fittes Mausoleum, on a perilous mission to discover the truth about London's top ghost-hunting agency, and its sinister leader.What they discover will change everything.But there's little time to ponder... -
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne. Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal... -
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Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Just when you thought doomsday was over... Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge. As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs... -
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the much-anticipated sequel to the #1 international bestselling sensation EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE.From holy cup comes holy light;The faithful hands sets world aright.And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,Mere man shall end this endless night... -
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
Witness the fate of beloved heroes - and enemies.THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED...The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise... -
No Paths Are Bound by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, 墨香铜臭
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsBook III is chapters 89-180... -
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken... -
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she's far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she's no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she's told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits... -
Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It's inhabited by the race that rose from the seed of angels, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child... -
The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsAfter leaving Lockwood & Co. at the end of The Hollow Boy, Lucy is a freelance operative, hiring herself out to agencies that value her ever-improving skills. One day she is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Lockwood, who tells her he needs a good Listener for a tough assignment... -
Flight of Magpies by K.J. Charles
Danger in the air. Lovers on the brink. With the justiciary understaffed, a series of horrifying occult murders to be investigated, and a young student who is flying—literally—off the rails, magical law enforcer Stephen Day is under increasing stress. And his relationship with his aristocratic lover, Lord Crane, is beginning to feel the strain... -
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One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.But nothing comes for free, especially magic...Categorized as:
fantasy magic mystery new adult suspense high fantasy gifted heroine from hate to love -
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
From Booker-prizewinner Douglas Stuart an extraordinary, page-turning second novel, a vivid portrayal of working-class life and a highly suspenseful story of the dangerous first love of two young men: Mungo and James. Born under different stars, Protestant Mungo and Catholic James live in the hyper-masculine and violently sectarian world of Glasgow’s housing estates...Categorized as:
historical m-m young adult dark contemporary friends to lovers forbidden love secret-relationship -
The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon
After eight years on the stage with The Company of Fiends, the glow of the spotlight is starting to wear thin for Hazel Nix. The theater is perfect for a girl like her—one with a secret she keeps even from her more monstrous peers—but playing pretend is only exciting for so long... -
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Daughter of the Forest is a testimony to an incredible author's talent, a first novel and the beginning of a trilogy like no other: a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love... -
Jade War by Fonda Lee
The Kaul siblings' battle with rival clans reaches new heights in the heart-pounding continuation of the Green Bone Saga, an epic trilogy about family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of blood and jade...
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