Books like 'The Bird and the Blade'
Readers who enjoyed The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical young adult fantasy dark romance high fantasy royalty forbidden love east-asian-mc medieval mystery
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Bright We Burn by Kiersten White
Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . .Categorized as:
medieval royalty high fantasy young adult historical fantasy legends & fairy tales war -
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Vol. 4 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAlso known as MDZS, the comic/manhua version of the New York Times bestselling novels from China that also inspired an animated adaptation and the live-action series The Untamed !Experience this historical fantasy tale of two powerful men who find each other through life and death in this English version of the beautiful, full-color comic!Feared and hated for his sinister abilities, Wei... -
Now I Rise by Kiersten White
Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants... -
The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage by Qian Shan Cha Ke, 千山茶客
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Di daughter of military lineage – pure, amiable, quiet and yielding – foolishly in love with Prince Ding, threw herself into the role of a wife.After assisting him for six years, she finally became the mother to the world (empress), and he the emperor.She accompanied him to fight for the country, to flourish the country’s territory, and even took risk to be a hostage in a foreign country... -
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Killing November by Adriana Mather
It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis... -
Counterpart by Ella Pyne
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLeda doesn’t want to be sacrificed, but there’s no escaping a fate written in stone…In the kingdom of Viridiana, a king makes a deal with the gods; royal blood in exchange for power and prosperity. Every year, one of his children must sacrifice another to prove their loyalty to the throne and to the gods.Leda Locarno, bastard daughter of the king, has known her fate from the beginning... -
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
One Life to One Dawn. In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning...Categorized as:
insta-love multicultural forbidden love mystery royalty fantasy historical young adult -
Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 1 by Aya Kanno
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsRichard’s father, the patriarch of the House of York, is poised to become king of medieval England during the bloody Wars of the Roses. But just as success is imminent, he is abruptly cut down. Plunged into despair, Richard acts out in revenge and must face a powerful and beautiful new enemy... -
The Beauty Trials by Dhonielle Clayton
Rated: 3.57 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIn this all-new novel from the world of Dhonielle Clayton’s sweeping, lush Belles series, rebellious, outspoken, fan-favorite Edel Beauregard enters the Beauty Trials―a deadly competition to find the next Queen of Orléans.Sophia, the dangerous and erratic former queen, has been imprisoned, restoring peace to Orléans... -
And I Darken by Kiersten White
No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival... -
Petals on the Wind by V.C. Andrews, The Real Virginia Andrews
They were such brave children to withstand such suffering. Such clever children to escape such terror! For Carrie, Chris and Cathy, the attic was a dark horror that would not leave their minds, even while they built bright, promising new lives. Of course mother had to pretend they didn't exist. And Grandmother was convinced they had the devil in them. But that wasn't their fault... -
Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon
The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land's greatest honor...and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave. In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame... -
The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
Rated: 3.28 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut. On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine... -
The St. Ambrose School for Girls by Jessica Ward
Rated: 3.35 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsHeathers meets The Secret History in this thrilling coming-of-age novel set in a boarding school where the secrets are devastating—and deadly.When Sarah Taylor arrives at the exclusive St. Ambrose School, she’s carrying more baggage than just what fits in her suitcase... -
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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... -
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 2 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, 墨香铜臭
THE TOUCH OF A HAND, A ROLL OF THE DICEXie Lian has confirmed that the bewitching youth San Lang is actually Hua Cheng, one of the Four Calamities and a supreme ghost despised by all heavenly officials. Still, he has trouble matching the terror of his companion’s reputation with the charming, clever, and protective young man he’s come to know...Categorized as:
mystery high fantasy fantasy ["to-read", "currently-reading", "fantasy", "danmei", "to-buy", "2022-releases", "2022", "2022-tbr", "romance", "lgbt", "favorites", "wishlist", "novels", "want-to-buy", "queer", "lgbtq", "physical-tbr", "mxtx", "lgbtqia", "unreleased", "xianxia", "series", "owned", "light-novels", "chinese-novels", "pre-ordered", "2021", "mo-xiang-tong-xiu"] historical science fiction legends & fairy tales m-m -
Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 5 by Gyeoeul Gwon, SUOL
Penelope and Callisto safely escaped the assassins, but Callisto is left in mortal danger and Penelope...is standing trial for murder?! Accused of murdering seven nobles during the Hunt, she faces a court proceeding that’s in actuality nothing more than an elaborate sham to frame her... -
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:
mystery forbidden love east-asian-mc fantasy young adult from hate to love historical urban fantasy -
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... -
Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 3 by SUOL, Gwon Gyeoeul
“I don’t want to live like this either, only ever being despised.”Life in hard mode for “villain” Penelope Eckhart means with every step forward, she’s shoved five steps back. Just when things seem to be stabilizing between her and the brothers, she finds herself coming to blows with Reynold, who insists on dredging up the past―an affront Penelope refuses to take lying down... -
Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 6 by Gyeoeul Gwon, SUOL
Following the conditions of a contract between herself and Winter, Penelope is once again leaving the duchy! She joins the marquis for volunteer work in a war-stricken nation, and while their time there is hectic, the two are able to grab a moment alone at the seaside... -
Pandora Hearts, Volume 20 by Jun Mochizuki, Jun Mochizuki
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe pathetic farce that has unfolded in earnest is no more than an absurd yarn spun by the man who caused the Tragedy of Sablier by following his heart's desires. The players in his tale begin dancing with abandon, their emotions bottled up inside, as though they are marionettes manipulated by a master puppeteer . . -
A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross
In the stunning conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology, A Fire Endless finds the delicate balance between the human and faerie realm threatened by Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, whose defeat can only come through fire, song, and heart-rending sacrifice.East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines... -
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire. Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival... -
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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother...Categorized as:
forbidden love royalty insta-love mystery multicultural high fantasy young adult fantasy -
Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 1 (악역의 엔딩은 죽음뿐 [Ag-yeog-eui Ending-eun Jug-eumbbun] (Comic) #1) by SUOL, Gwon Gyeoeul
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 34 ratings"A villain living life in hard mode… whose every path leads to death." Playing Daughter of the Duke's Super Love Project as the easy mode heroine, Ivonne, makes charming the male characters a breeze... -
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsFrom NYT bestselling author Brent Weeks comes his breakout fantasy trilogy in which a young boy trains under the city's most legendary and feared assassin Durzo Blint.For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art -- and he is the city's most accomplished artist.For Azoth, survival is just the beginning... -
Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 88 ratingsA new queen has usurped the throne and is leading Cenaria into disaster. The country has become a broken realm with a threadbare army, little food and no hope. So Kylar Stern plans to reinstate his closest friend Logan as King, but can he really get away with murder?In the north, the Godking's death has thrown Khalidor into civil war... -
Pandora Hearts, Volume 3 by Jun Mochizuki
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsHeir to an aristocratic family, Oz Vessalius is a carefree teen. That is until his fifteenth birthday. His entire world changes at his coming of age ceremony when dark forces rise to punish Oz for the sins of a past life. Incarcerated in a prison known as the Abyss, Oz’s life and perhaps his sanity are saved by a black rabbit called Alice... -
Shards of Time by Lynn Flewelling
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsAcclaimed author Lynn Flewelling brings her beloved Nightrunners series to a close—at least for now—with a thrilling novel of murder, mystery, and magic. The governor of the sacred island of Korous and his mistress have been killed inside a locked and guarded room...
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