Conrad's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 28 Sep 2024 04:04:10 -0700 60 Conrad's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #1)]]> 8242507 The Dragonbone Chair, Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard. His beloved, internationally bestselling series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn inspired a generation of modern fantasy writers, including George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Christopher Paolini, and defined Tad Williams as one of the most important fantasy writers of our time.

This edition features a brand-new introduction from Tad Williams' editor as well as the original introduction from Williams himself!

BOOK ONE: THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with the brand-new novel, The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don’t miss the upcoming trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown!]]> 668 Tad Williams 1101160772 Conrad 2 4.14 1988 The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #1)
author: Tad Williams
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1988
rating: 2
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date added: 2024/09/28
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]]> Way of the Wizard 210453480 Even gods have their beginnings.

Mine starts in the chasm between worlds. In the blink of eternity between life and death.

If you wish to follow, let this be your road.

First, join your brethren–those others who seek the Power. They are your allies and the key to your success. They will almost certainly try to kill you.

Second, slay a wizard and claim their topknot. Be smart, be quick, and never hesitate. They’re the most dangerous creatures alive. If destiny does not favor you, your bones will be added to the piles beneath their feet.

Third, acquire the hidden location of the Spirit Gardens. Secrets are worth more than kingdoms. Protect them at all costs or your enemies will win, and you will die.

But above all, never look back. Godhood is the goal.

If you have the courage and ambition to do so, read on.

Your path to power awaits.


]]> 278 Michael Michel Conrad 4 Some small spoilers.

Way of the Wizard by Michael Michel is a well written fantasy adventure that offers an engaging story, strong character development, and immersive world-building. The novel follows El, a young man living in poverty in the city of Cannalis under the oppressive rule of the Great Archon and the Stormseye Brotherhood. Driven by personal loss and a desire to escape his harsh life, El ventures into the Wildness to become a Seeker of the Power, armed only with an enchanted scroll and determination.

In the Wildness, El joins a group of adventurers under a ruthless wizard's patronage. His goal is to survive the hostile environment and ultimately become a wizard himself, which requires obtaining a wizard's top-knot. The story excels in its fast-paced, thrilling narrative filled with adventure and twists, enhanced by Michel's polished and accessible prose. The book's compelling characterization, including well-developed secondary characters, ensures deep reader investment.

Michel's world-building is both inventive and grounded in familiar fantasy elements, featuring intriguing aspects like an economy based on the blood of magical creatures and the quest for a wizard’s top-knot. The novel's ending was somewhat abrupt but left me eager for more.

Overall, Way of the Wizard is unique in its original path to power, dynamic character growth, and vivid setting. It stands out as an exceptional addition to the fantasy genre, and I’m eagerly anticipating future books in the series.


Edit: In the book EL isn't given a gender. EL being male is my choice.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.]]> 3.98 Way of the Wizard
author: Michael Michel
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/05/23
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review:
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review
Some small spoilers.

Way of the Wizard by Michael Michel is a well written fantasy adventure that offers an engaging story, strong character development, and immersive world-building. The novel follows El, a young man living in poverty in the city of Cannalis under the oppressive rule of the Great Archon and the Stormseye Brotherhood. Driven by personal loss and a desire to escape his harsh life, El ventures into the Wildness to become a Seeker of the Power, armed only with an enchanted scroll and determination.

In the Wildness, El joins a group of adventurers under a ruthless wizard's patronage. His goal is to survive the hostile environment and ultimately become a wizard himself, which requires obtaining a wizard's top-knot. The story excels in its fast-paced, thrilling narrative filled with adventure and twists, enhanced by Michel's polished and accessible prose. The book's compelling characterization, including well-developed secondary characters, ensures deep reader investment.

Michel's world-building is both inventive and grounded in familiar fantasy elements, featuring intriguing aspects like an economy based on the blood of magical creatures and the quest for a wizard’s top-knot. The novel's ending was somewhat abrupt but left me eager for more.

Overall, Way of the Wizard is unique in its original path to power, dynamic character growth, and vivid setting. It stands out as an exceptional addition to the fantasy genre, and I’m eagerly anticipating future books in the series.


Edit: In the book EL isn't given a gender. EL being male is my choice.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
]]> <![CDATA[Geas of the Black Axe (Legends of the Nameless Dwarf, #2)]]> 28580309
As the lands above the ravine city of Arx Gravis face their gravest peril, the last desperate hope of Creation lies in a dwarf with a grisly past:

The Nameless Dwarf–a pariah, untouchable, the most cursed of dwarven kind.

But in a world plagued by deception, where no action is free from risk, the road to salvation is shadowed with portents of blood.]]> 542 Derek Prior Conrad 5 3.75 Geas of the Black Axe (Legends of the Nameless Dwarf, #2)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Carnifex (Legends of the Nameless Dwarf)]]> 44590903
"Gritty, tense, and brutally tragic. High quality storytelling with great characters and a relentless plot." -- Mitchell Hogan , author of A Crucible of Souls and Aurealis Award winner.

The legend begins...

For more than a thousand years, the dwarves have hidden away from the world in their ravine city of Arx Gravis.

Governed by an inflexible council whose sole aim is to avoid the errors of the past, the defining virtue of their society is that nothing should ever change.

But when the Scriptorium is broken into, and Ravine Guard Carnifex Thane sees a homunculus fleeing the scene of the crime, events are set in motion that will ensure nothing will ever be the same again.

Deception and death are coming to Arx Gravis.

The riddles that preceded Carnifex's birth crystalize into a horrifying fate that inexorably closes in.

But it is in blood that legends are born, and redemption is seeded in the gravest of sins.

For Carnifex is destined to become the Ravine Butcher, before even that grim appellation is forever lost, along with everything that once defined him.



The long-awaited Nameless Dwarf origins novel, and the start of a brand new series, Legends of the Nameless Dwarf, Carnifex by D.P. Prior is a welcome addition to the sword and sorcery tradition that spawned R.E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Lieber, and Lin Carter, and it picks up right where the heroic fantasy of David Gemmell left off. With tight point of view, complex characterization, and an abundance of horror, bloodshed, and the relentless march of an uncaring fate, it also carries the hallmarks of modern day grimdark that readers of Joe Abercrombie and George R.R. Martin are familiar with.]]> 310 Derek Prior 1523301910 Conrad 5 4.00 Carnifex (Legends of the Nameless Dwarf)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> Mountain of Madness 17206298
As forces of unimaginable destruction coalesce around the mountain fortress of a mad sorcerer, the philosopher Aristodeus puts together a team for a last desperate attempt to avert the coming cataclysm:

A knight besieged by doubts, who has been prepared since a child for the current crisis, yet is crumbling under the pressure of the task before him;

An albino assassin who denies the truth of what he really is;

A woman with a black sword as disturbing as the axe responsible for the massacre at Arx Gravis;

And a dwarf with no name, who will either carve out the path of his own redemption or condemn the world to a night that will never end.]]> 235 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 3.67 2012 Mountain of Madness
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Curse of the Black Axe (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf #3)]]> 29096169
After a year of fighting in other people’s wars, Nameless receives a visit from one of the underworld tricksters—a faen—who tells him the day he has long waited for has arrived:

The philosopher Aristodeus has come up with a plan to destroy the black axe and free Nameless from the ocras helm.

With the aid of new companions and an old friend, the assassin Shadrak the Unseen, Nameless must retrieve three artifacts that, combined, will bring an end to his suffering:

The gauntlets of the fire giant, Sartis, whose lair lies in the roots of a volcano;

The invulnerable armor of the Lich Lord of Verusia—an undead tyrant with a penchant for impaling and the drinking of souls;

And the Shield of Warding, beneath which cowers a paranoid god on the fringe of the Abyss.

But things are never that simple. Each of the companions has their own reasons for joining the quests, even Shadrak, who has been bound by an irrevocable contract�

To kill the Nameless Dwarf.]]> 270 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 3.71 2016 Curse of the Black Axe (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf #3)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Land of Nightmare (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 4)]]> 44601196 232 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 4.31 Land of Nightmare (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 4)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Skull of the Lich Lord (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 5)]]> 45449167 346 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 4.30 Skull of the Lich Lord (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 5)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> Fate of the Dwarf Lords 50904256
Seven years later, he has everything a dwarf could possibly wish for—a gym, a beer hall, and a bawdy house across the road.

Then a blood-stained dwarf staggers into town with a message of doom:

Arnoch has sunk beneath the waves, its last defense against the attack of a five-headed dragon.

The one slender hope remaining to the dwarves lies in their distant past: the dwarf lords, who had been created for perils such as this. But for centuries, they have been in exile on Thanatos, a death-world likely to change even the greatest of heroes.

With time running out for Arnoch, Nameless must find the dwarf lords and persuade them to come home.

But before that, he first has to survive them.]]> 331 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 4.62 Fate of the Dwarf Lords
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.62
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> Last of the Exalted 55369869
Then their savior.

Their king.

But after the tragic loss of his wife, the Nameless Dwarf stood down from the throne of Arnoch and went into the mountains to die.

Two hundred years later, the dwarves are a dwindling race on the brink of civil war.

When the hordes of Arnoch storm through the Malfen Pass, refugees flee for their lives, among them the half-Slathian storyteller, Nyra Sahtis, and Sister Caelin, a priestess who was once a trainer of armies.

But with the capital, Jeridium, under siege from a second dwarven faction, there is nowhere for them to run. And so Caelin must seek the aid of the lord she once betrayed, while Nyra is forced to confront everything she left behind when she fled her childhood home in the City of Sorcerers.

As rival dwarven armies converge on Jeridium, the Senate send the assassin Shadrak the Unseen to the Southern Crags to find an old friend in a desperate bid to avert the coming catastrophe.

For ancient evil manipulates from the shadows, and the dwarves are not themselves. And if there is any hope of bringing them to their senses, it comes in the shape of a grief-stricken warrior and his mythical axe:

The Nameless Dwarf.

The hero of legends.

The last of the Exalted.


"Derek Prior always produces masterpieces of storytelling, with great characters full of life, relentless plots, and gripping and intense fight scenes." Mitchell Hogan

"Like Bernard Cornwell on 'shrooms!" Dinorah Wilson]]> 542 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 4.40 Last of the Exalted
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Dead Dwarves Don't Die (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 8)]]> 58191037 346 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 4.61 Dead Dwarves Don't Die (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 8)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.61
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Tomb of the Witch Queen (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 9)]]> 60433226
Mitchell Hogan, author of A Crucible of Souls

The dwarven civil war might have ended, but the powers behind it still fester....

Snuv Scavage is about as lowborn as a dwarf can get. With no parents and no home, she tends Arnoch’s battle-goats and sleeps in their pen. But there is something special about this dwarf. Something written in her blood.

When disturbing reports come in from the city of Jeridium, Snuv is sent to kill the heavily pregnant Skald, Nyra Sahtis, before she can give birth to her unnatural child. But Nyra is watched over by the Church of the Way, whose priests have changed beyond all recognition. And she enjoys the protection of Caelin the Cleaver, the most deadly warrior of her generation.

Meanwhile, the wizard Venton Nap has returned to life on Aosia with only one thing on his to bring back his deceased family from the Supernal Realm. Employing a guide from the backwater town of Malfen, Venton picks up on the ill-fated quest that once ended his life, determined to find the fabled lily cats of Rhylion and wrest from them the secret of life.

As the ages old war between the Lich Lord of Verusia and the Witch Queen of Tho-Agoth at last comes to a head, plunging Medryn-Tha into a new age of darkness, Snuv is confronted by a dwarf with a plain-looking axe, which he claims is the legendary Paxa Boraga.

A dwarf who has done his fair share of fighting, and who knows Snuv better than she knows herself."A masterpiece of sword and sorcery storytelling. A visceral yet thoughtful epic." (Bookwraiths Reviews)]]> 638 Derek Prior Conrad 0 to-read 4.67 Tomb of the Witch Queen (Annals of the Nameless Dwarf Book 9)
author: Derek Prior
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Golden Fire (The Wall of Night, #4)]]> 40378051 464 Helen Lowe Conrad 0 to-read 4.00 The Golden Fire (The Wall of Night, #4)
author: Helen Lowe
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/10/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists]]> 30636532


R. Scott Bakker (The Second Apocalypse)
Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)
Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)
Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)
Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)
Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)
Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)
Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder's Arc)
Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)
Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon's Legacy)
Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)
Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)
Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)
Mark Alder (Banners of Blood)
Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, The Empire Trilogy)
E.V. Morrigan (Glyph War world)
Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven)



Tommy Arnold (cover)
Jason Deem (interior art)
Shawn King (design)]]> 522 Adrian Collins 0648010538 Conrad 5 3.60 2017 Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists
author: Adrian Collins
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
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]]> Yendi (Vlad Taltos, #2) 817357 224 Steven Brust 0441944604 Conrad 5 4.13 1984 Yendi (Vlad Taltos, #2)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/30
date added: 2022/08/30
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review:

]]> Dzur (Vlad Taltos, #10) 133453 In which Vlad Taltos confronts the Left Hand of the Jhereg...and discovers the game has more players than he thought

Vlad Taltos, short-statured, short-lived human in an Empire of tall, long-lived Dragaerans, has always had to keep his wits about him. Long ago, he made a place for himself as a captain of the Jhereg, the noble house that runs the rackets in the great imperial city of Adrilankha. But love, revolution, betrayal, and revenge ensued, and for years now Vlad has been a man on the run, struggling to stay a step ahead of the Jhereg who would kill him without hesitation.

Now Vlad's back in Adrilankha. The rackets he used to run are now under the control of the mysterious "Left Hand of the Jhereg"--a secretive cabal of women who report to no man. His ex-wife needs his help. His old enemies aren't sure whether they want to kill him, or talk to him and then kill him. A goddess may be playing tricks with his memory. And the Great Weapon he's carrying seems to have plans of its own...

Picking up directly where Issola left off, Dzur gives us Vlad Taltos at his best--swashbuckling storytelling with a wry and gritty edge.
]]> 285 Steven Brust 0765301482 Conrad 5 4.16 2006 Dzur (Vlad Taltos, #10)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> Orca (Vlad Taltos, #7) 133464 293 Steven Brust 0441001963 Conrad 4 4.06 1996 Orca (Vlad Taltos, #7)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1996
rating: 4
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date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> Athyra (Vlad Taltos, #6) 140151 246 Steven Brust 0441033423 Conrad 5 4.03 1993 Athyra (Vlad Taltos, #6)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1993
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> Dragon (Vlad Taltos, #8) 133450 288 Steven Brust 0812589165 Conrad 5 4.17 1998 Dragon (Vlad Taltos, #8)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1998
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> Issola (Vlad Taltos, #9) 140143
Teldra wants my help, because Morrolan and Aliera have disappeared, and according to Sethra Lavode, it looks like they may be in the hands of the Jenoine. Do I want to mess with them? The guys who made this place? And I thought I had problems before...

Oh well, what's a little cosmic battle with beings who control time and space? It's better than hunkering down in the woods without even so much as a drinkable cup of klava.]]> 256 Steven Brust 0312859279 Conrad 4 4.29 2001 Issola (Vlad Taltos, #9)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2001
rating: 4
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date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> Teckla (Vlad Taltos, #3) 133466 Aber der eigentliche Witz ist, daß ich sie schütze. Ich. Lord Vlad Taltos - treuer Enkel, liebender Ehemann. Jhereg. Zauberer. Auftragskiller. Alles eben, was diese Typen hassen. Und geradi ich beschütze auch noch diese Parolen sabbernden, schwachsinningen Revoluzzer, von denen jeder einzelne mir die Pest an den Hals wünscht. Aber es kommt noch dicker: der ganze Haufen imperialer Edelleute, alle aus dem Haus der Jhereg, setzt alles daran, mich um die Ecke zu bringen..."]]> 276 Steven Brust 3608935150 Conrad 4 3.94 1986 Teckla (Vlad Taltos, #3)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1986
rating: 4
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date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> Taltos (Vlad Taltos, #4) 915554
Not my idea of an ideal vacation, but this was work. After all, even an assassin has to earn a living.

The trouble is, everyone knows that a living human cannot walk the Paths of the Dead, and return, alive, to the land of men.

But being an Easterner is not exactly like being human, by Dragaeran standards anyway. Thus, the rule doesn't apply to me... I hope.]]> 181 Steven Brust 0441182003 Conrad 5 4.20 1988 Taltos (Vlad Taltos, #4)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1988
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/30
date added: 2022/08/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Son of a Liche (The Dark Profit Saga, #2)]]> 39977753
Still bruised and heartbroken from their last calamitous quest, Gorm Ingerson and his band of washed-up heroes try to make amends for the Orcs they accidentally betrayed. But justice is put on hold when an old foe marches to the city gates. Gorm is horrified to discover a liche pitching the frightened city-dwellers on the merits of the undead lifestyle� at the head of a corpse army.

To save the city from high-pressure sales tactics and an inevitable siege, the Dwarf warrior and his misfit band hatch a harebrained scheme that lands them at the top of the king’s kill list. With death and dark magic on his heels, Gorm must craft his own pitch to round up the troops and put the undead snake-oil salesman and his army of pushers permanently out of business.]]> 618 J. Zachary Pike 0990859657 Conrad 4 4.40 2018 Son of a Liche (The Dark Profit Saga, #2)
author: J. Zachary Pike
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/06/16
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]]> <![CDATA[Orconomics (The Dark Profit Saga, #1)]]> 25326486
Making a Killing in Professional Heroics

The adventuring industry drives the economy of Arth, a world much like our own but with more magic and fewer vowels. Monsters� hoards are claimed, bought by corporate interests, and sold off to plunder funds long before the beasts are slain. Once the contracts and paperwork are settled, the Heroes� Guild issues a quest to kill the monster and bring back its treasure for disbursement to shareholders.


Life in The Shadows

Of course, while professional heroics has been a great boon for Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and all the other peoples of light, it's a terrible arrangement for the Shadowkin. Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, and their ilk must apply for to become Noncombatant Paper Carriers (or NPCs) to avoid being killed and looted by guild heroes. Even after getting their papers, NPCs are treated as second class citizens, driven into the margins of society.


An Insane Quest

Gorm Ingerson, a Dwarven ex-hero with a checkered past, has no idea what he's getting himself into when he stands up for an undocumented Goblin. His act of kindness starts a series of events that ends with Gorm recruited by a prophet of the mad goddess Al'Matra to fulfill a prophecy so crazy that even the Al'Matran temple doesn't believe it.


Money, Magic, and Mayhem

But there’s more to Gorm’s new job than an insane prophecy: powerful corporations and governments, usually indifferent to the affairs of the derelict Al’Matran temple, have shown an unusual interest in the quest. If his party of eccentric misfits can stop fighting each other long enough to recover the Elven Marbles, Gorm might be able to turn a bad deal into a golden opportunity and win back the fame and fortune he lost so long ago.]]> 340 J. Zachary Pike Conrad 4 4.26 2014 Orconomics (The Dark Profit Saga, #1)
author: J. Zachary Pike
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 4
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date added: 2022/06/16
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]]> <![CDATA[The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (The Song of the Shattered Sands, #2.3)]]> 36449949
Brama’s life changes forever when he meets Jax, a foreign noble hoping to escape the assassins sent to kill her and her brother. Brama has feared to use Rümayesh’s power, but asks her now to help save Jax from her fate. Rümayesh, who seems curiously fascinated by Jax, agrees.

Brama has little time to wonder over Rümayesh’s sudden and unexpected interest, for his fate soon becomes entangled with Jax’s. As the assassins close in, Brama fights to save both Jax and her errant brother, preventing him from focusing on what may be the biggest threat of all: Rümayesh herself.]]> 70 Bradley P. Beaulieu 1939649315 Conrad 4 3.84 2017 The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (The Song of the Shattered Sands, #2.3)
author: Bradley P. Beaulieu
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/08/22
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]]> <![CDATA[An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat]]> 3432100
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.]]> 256 Glen Cook 1597801402 Conrad 5 4.11 2008 An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat
author: Glen Cook
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/08/17
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]]> <![CDATA[The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane]]> 363711
“He was . . . a strange blending of Puritan and Cavalier, with a touch of the ancient philosopher, and more than a touch of the pagan. . . . A hunger in his soul drove him on and on, an urge to right all wrongs, protect all weaker things. . . . Wayward and restless as the wind, he was consistent in only one respect—he was true to his ideals of justice and right. Such was Solomon Kane.�

Collected in this volume, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Gary Gianni, are all of the stories and poems that make up the thrilling saga of the dour and deadly Puritan, Solomon Kane. Together they constitute a sprawling epic of weird fantasy adventure that stretches from sixteenth-century England to remote African jungles where no white man has set foot. Here are shudder-inducing tales of vengeful ghosts and bloodthirsty demons, of dark sorceries wielded by evil men and women, all opposed by a grim avenger armed with a fanatic’s faith and a warrior’s savage heart.

This edition also features exclusive story fragments, a biography of Howard by scholar Rusty Burke, and “In Memoriam,� H. P. Lovecraft’s moving tribute to his friend and fellow literary genius.

Skulls in the stars --
The right hand of doom --
Red shadows --
Rattle of bones --
The castle of the devil --
Death's black riders --
The moon of skulls --
The one black stain --
The blue flame of vengance --
The hills of the dead --
Hawk of Basti --
The return of Sir Richard Grenville --
Wings in the night --
The footfalls within --
The children of Asshur --
Solomon Kane's homecoming --
Solomon Kane's homecoming (variant).]]> 414 Robert E. Howard 0345461509 Conrad 4 4.10 2004 The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane
author: Robert E. Howard
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2004
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Shadow Moon (Chronicles of the Shadow War, #1)]]> 160859 Shadow Moon, first in the Chronicles of the Shadow War.

The genius of Star Wars creator George Lucas and the vision of Chris Claremont, the author of the phenomenally bestselling The Uncanny X-Men adventures, merge in what must be the fantasy event of the year.

In Shadow Moon, war and chaos have gripped the land of Tir Asleen. An ancient prophecy reveals one hope: a savior princess who will ascend to the throne when the time is right.  But first, a Nelwyn wanderer must face forces of unimaginable malevolence and dangerous, forbidden rites of necromancy to bring back a powerful warrior from soulless sleep.
]]> 452 George Lucas 0553572857 Conrad 3 3.29 1995 Shadow Moon (Chronicles of the Shadow War, #1)
author: George Lucas
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.29
book published: 1995
rating: 3
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]]> The Broken Sword 715287 274 Poul Anderson 0575074256 Conrad 3 3.87 1954 The Broken Sword
author: Poul Anderson
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1954
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Shadow's Son (Shadow Saga, #1)]]> 6951425 278 Jon Sprunk 1616142014 Conrad 4 3.58 2010 Shadow's Son (Shadow Saga, #1)
author: Jon Sprunk
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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]]> The Folding Knife 6616466
He is ruthless, cunning, and above all, lucky. He brings wealth, power and prestige to his people. But with power comes unwanted attention, and Basso must defend his nation and himself from threats foreign and domestic. In a lifetime of crucial decisions, he's only ever made one mistake.

One mistake, though, can be enough.]]> 432 K.J. Parker 0316038504 Conrad 5 3.97 2010 The Folding Knife
author: K.J. Parker
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The First Book of Lankhmar (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #1-4)]]> 102283 The First Book of Lankhmar includes the first four volumes of the hugely enjoyable Swords series.]]> 762 Fritz Leiber 1857983270 Conrad 4 4.12 2000 The First Book of Lankhmar (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #1-4)
author: Fritz Leiber
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2000
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2)]]> 10790290
Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?

And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.]]> 691 Michael J. Sullivan 0316187747 Conrad 4 4.23 2011 Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2)
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hammer and the Blade (Egil and Nix, #1)]]> 12987245
So why should their big score be any different? The trouble starts when Nix and Egil kill the demonic guardian of a long-lost crypt, nullifying an ancient pact made by the ancestors of an obscenely powerful wizard. Now the wizard will stop at nothing to keep that power from slipping away, even if it means freeing a rapacious beast from its centuries-old prison. And who better than Egil and Nix—the ones responsible for his current predicament—to perform this thankless task?]]> 410 Paul S. Kemp 0857662457 Conrad 4 3.76 2012 The Hammer and the Blade (Egil and Nix, #1)
author: Paul S. Kemp
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Thieves' World (Thieves' World, #1)]]> 552357
Thieves' World is what resulted when the world's top science-fiction and fantasy writers got together to create the amazing new world of Sanctuary, where you mix and mingle with Lythal the Star-browed: his magic is questionable, his sword-play is not. Jubal: ex-gladiator and slave, now a respected citizen (he made his money selling slaves). One Thumb: the crooked bartender at the Vulgar Unicorn ...and even more fantastic characters!

Lynn Abbey, Poul Anderson, Robert Asprin, John Brunner, Joe Haldeman and Andrew J Offutt have dreamed up a world of wonders - a fabulous reading adventure!

Contents:
* Introduction - Robert Asprin
* Sentences of Death - John Brunner
* The Face of Chaos - Lynn Abbey
* The Gate of Flying Knives - Poul Anderson
* Shadowspawn - Andrew Offutt
* The Price of Doing Business - Robert Asprin
* Blood Brothers - Joe Haldeman
* Myrtis - Christine DeWees
* The Secret of the Blue Star - Marion Zimmer Bradley
* The Making of Thieves' World - Robert Asprin]]> 308 Robert Lynn Asprin 0441805914 Conrad 4 3.85 1979 Thieves' World (Thieves' World, #1)
author: Robert Lynn Asprin
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1979
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)]]> 257149 Helikaon. Strong, fast, quick of mind, he is a bold warrior, hated by his enemies, feared even by his Trojan allies. For there is a darkness at the heart of the Golden One, a savagery that, once awakened, can be appeased only with blood.

Argurios the Mykene is a peerless fighter, a man of unbending principles and unbreakable will. Like all of the Mykene warriors, he lives to conquer and to kill. Dispatched by King Agamemnon to scout the defenses of the golden city of Troy, he is Helikaon's sworn enemy.

Andromache is a priestess of Thera betrothed against her will to Hektor, prince of Troy. Scornful of tradition, skilled in the arts of war, and passionate in the ways of her order, Andromache vows to love whom she pleases and to live as she desires.

Now fate is about to thrust these three together; and, from the sparks of passionate love and hate, ignite a fire that will engulf the world.

Readers who know the works of David Gemmell expect nothing less than excellence from this author, whose taut prose, driving plots, and full-bodied characters have won him legions of fans the world over. Now, with this first masterly volume in an epic reimagining of the Trojan War, Gemmell has written an ageless drama of brave deeds and fierce battles, of honor and treachery, of love won and lost.

From the Hardcover edition.]]> 483 David Gemmell 0345494571 Conrad 5 4.32 2005 Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)
author: David Gemmell
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Lord Valentine's Castle (Lord Valentine, #1)]]> 252838
Valentine's journey is a long one, a tour through a series of magnificent environments. Fields of predatory plants give way to impossibly wide rivers, chalk-cliffed islands and unforgiving deserts. The prose is unrelentingly dreamlike—no accident given that on Majipoor, dreams rule the minds of great and humble alike.

Originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in four parts: November 1979, December 1979, January 1980 and February 1980.]]> 506 Robert Silverberg 0061054879 Conrad 4 3.89 1980 Lord Valentine's Castle (Lord Valentine, #1)
author: Robert Silverberg
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1980
rating: 4
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]]> Jhereg (Vlad Taltos, #1) 133454 307 Steven Brust 360893264X Conrad 4 4.15 1983 Jhereg (Vlad Taltos, #1)
author: Steven Brust
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/10/11
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sword of Truth (The Godling Chronicles, #1)]]> 15804084
Only one thing stands between the darkness and the light. Gewey Stedding. Only he has the power to stand against the oncoming storm.

Only he can mend the world. But only if he can discover his power�.]]> 360 Brian D. Anderson 1479104345 Conrad 3 3.82 2011 The Sword of Truth (The Godling Chronicles, #1)
author: Brian D. Anderson
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Sword-Dancer (Tiger and Del, #1)]]> 127645 NORTHERN SWORD MAGIC...

He was Tiger, born of the desert winds, raised as a slave and winning his freedom by weaving a special kind of magic with a warrior's skill. Now he was an almost legendary sword-dancer, ready to take on any challenge--if the price was right...or the woman pretty enough.

She was Del, born of ice and storm, trained by the greatest of Northern sword masters. Now, her ritual training completed, and steeped in the special magic of her own runesword, she had come south in search of the young brother stolen five years before.

But even Del could not master all the dangers of the deadly Punja alone. And meeting Del, Tiger could not turn back from the most intriguing challenge he'd ever faced--the challenge of a magical, mysterious sword-dancer of the North]]> 286 Jennifer Roberson 0886773768 Conrad 3 3.98 1986 Sword-Dancer (Tiger and Del, #1)
author: Jennifer Roberson
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1986
rating: 3
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Daughter of the Empire (The Empire Trilogy, #1)]]> 589979 421 Raymond E. Feist 055327211X Conrad 4 4.28 1987 Daughter of the Empire (The Empire Trilogy, #1)
author: Raymond E. Feist
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1987
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1)]]> 8752885
Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.

Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path-the path to war.
]]> 555 Daniel Abraham 1841498874 Conrad 4 3.79 2011 The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1)
author: Daniel Abraham
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Grim Company (The Grim Company, #1)]]> 17707471
Five hundred years ago, the world was destroyed in the celestial Godswar. Seeking to throw off the shackles of the deities who created them, a cabal of mages rose up and made war upon the Gods. Though they won out, it was at a great cost: the ensuing cataclysm brought forth the Age of Ruin to the world.

Five hundred years later, the world limps on, seemingly winding down to an inevitable end. Dystopian city states have arisen, each presided over by one of the Magelords who first made war.

Corrupted, near-immortal, and far too powerful, those wizards who once sought to free the world now make war upon each other, while the helpless populace limp on from day to day.

Into this blighted world, steps Davarus Cole, a boy obsessed with notions of heroism and adventuring, who burns to do great deeds. One night, in a reckless act, Cole gets himself into a brawl with the authories. He quickly finds himself sent away from the city, where the world still groans from the ancient cataclysm, and the corpses of Gods lie deep beneath the bedrock, leaking wild, uncontrolled magic into the world.]]> 400 Luke Scull 042526484X Conrad 4 3.74 2013 The Grim Company (The Grim Company, #1)
author: Luke Scull
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2013
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance, #1)]]> 9601799
Aaron Felhorn has been groomed since birth to be Thren’s heir. Sent to kill the daughter of a priest, Aaron instead risks his own life to protect her from the wrath of his guild. In doing so, he glimpses a world beyond poison, daggers, and the iron control of his father.

Guilds twist and turn, trading allegiances for survival. The Trifect weakens, its reputation broken, its money dwindling. The players take sides as the war nears its end, and Thren puts in motion a plan to execute hundreds.

Only Aaron can stop the massacre and protect those he loves�

Assassin or protector; every choice has its consequences.]]> 386 David Dalglish 1453706011 Conrad 4 3.75 2010 A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance, #1)
author: David Dalglish
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[A Cavern of Black Ice (Sword of Shadows, #1)]]> 24249 A Cavern of Black Ice is the first book in J.V. Jones's Sword of Shadow series

As a newborn Ash March was abandoned--left for dead at the foot of a frozen mountain. Found and raised by the Penthero Iss, the mighty Surlord of Spire Vanis, she has always known she is different. Terrible dreams plague her and sometimes in the darkness she hears dread voices from another world. Iss watches her as she grows to womanhood, eager to discover what powers his ward might possess. As his interest quickens, he sends his living blade, Marafice Eye, to guard her night and day.

Raif Sevrance, a young man of Clan Blackhail, also knows he is different, with uncanny abilities that distance him from the clan. But when he and his brother survive an ambush that plunges the entire Northern Territories into war, he yet seeks justice for his own . . . even if means he must forsake clan and kin.

Ash and Raif must learn to master their powers and accept their joint fate if they are to defeat an ancient prophecy and prevent the release of the pure evil known as the End Lords.]]> 769 J.V. Jones 076534551X Conrad 3 3.88 1999 A Cavern of Black Ice (Sword of Shadows, #1)
author: J.V. Jones
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1999
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Black Company (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #1)]]> 140671
Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found here.]]> 319 Glen Cook Conrad 5 3.94 1984 The Black Company (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #1)
author: Glen Cook
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1984
rating: 5
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Scourge of the Betrayer (Bloodsounder's Arc, #1)]]> 13279692
Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe ... and Arki might be next.

Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!

A gripping military fantasy explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.]]> 320 Jeff Salyards 1597804061 Conrad 3 3.50 2012 Scourge of the Betrayer (Bloodsounder's Arc, #1)
author: Jeff Salyards
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2012
rating: 3
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5)]]> 1128434 384 Andrzej Sapkowski 0575077832 Conrad 3 4.19 1993 The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5)
author: Andrzej Sapkowski
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1993
rating: 3
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats #1)]]> 18947303
Now Tristia is on the verge of collapse and the barbarians are sniffing at the borders. The Dukes bring chaos to the land, while the Greatcoats are scattered far and wide, reviled as traitors, their legendary coats in tatters.

All they have left are the promises they made to King Paelis, to carry out one final mission. But if they have any hope of fulfilling the King’s dream, the divided Greatcoats must reunite, or they will also have to stand aside as they watch their world burn…]]> 370 Sebastien de Castell 184866379X Conrad 0 4.05 2014 Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats #1)
author: Sebastien de Castell
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen, #1)]]> 15750692
Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, 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 shields 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. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But 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.]]> 672 John Gwynne 0230758452 Conrad 4 4.15 2012 Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen, #1)
author: John Gwynne
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Bard's Blade (The Sorcerer's Song, #1)]]> 45046604 The start of a new fantasy adventure from Brian D. Anderson, bestselling author of The Godling Chronicles and Dragonvein series.

Mariyah enjoys a simple life in Vylari, a land magically sealed off from the outside world, where fear and hatred are all but unknown. There she's a renowned wine maker and her betrothed, Lem, is a musician of rare talent. Their destiny has never been in question. Whatever life brings, they will face it together.

But destiny has a way of choosing its own path, and when a stranger crosses the wards into Vylari for the first time in centuries, the two are faced with a terrible prophecy. For beyond the borders, an ancient evil is returning, its age-old prison shattered.

The two must leave their home behind, and in doing so will face sorcerers and thieves, con-men and assassins, treachery and greed. How far down this path will they have to go to stop the rising darkness and save their home? And how much of themselves will they have to give up along the way?]]> 432 Brian D. Anderson 1250214645 Conrad 0 to-read 3.60 2020 The Bard's Blade (The Sorcerer's Song, #1)
author: Brian D. Anderson
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2019/04/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Blood Debt (Wolf of the North #3)]]> 36309653 An army for a tyrant.
A reckoning long awaited, and a tale reaching its end.

The riveting conclusion to the Wolf of the North trilogy by Duncan M. Hamilton
]]> 378 Duncan M. Hamilton Conrad 5 4.29 2017 The Blood Debt (Wolf of the North #3)
author: Duncan M. Hamilton
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 5
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date added: 2019/03/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Jorundyr's Path (Wolf of the North, #2)]]> 34741771 Book 2 of the Wolf of the North trilogy.

Jorundyr's Path is walked only by the brave. It is survived only by the strong.

As Wulfric pursues Adalhaid's Blood Debt, he soon learns that the path to revenge is never easy, and the desires of men and the will of gods rarely meet. Aethelman seeks answers to questions long ignored. Rodulf chases power and wealth.

From the streets of Elzburg to the dry plains of Darvaros, Wulfric walks Jorundyr's Path and encounters a world larger than he could ever have dreamed of: filled with friends, enemies, and danger--the crucible from which heroes are forged.
]]> 368 Duncan M. Hamilton Conrad 5 4.20 2017 Jorundyr's Path (Wolf of the North, #2)
author: Duncan M. Hamilton
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2017
rating: 5
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date added: 2019/03/13
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wolf of the North (Wolf of the North #1)]]> 32507304
A chance encounter with an ancient and mysterious object awakens a latent gift, and Wulfric’s life changes course. Against a backdrop of war, tragedy, and an enemy whose hatred for him knows no bounds, Wulfric will be forged from a young boy, into the Wolf of the North. This is his tale.]]> 326 Duncan M. Hamilton Conrad 5 4.12 2016 The Wolf of the North (Wolf of the North #1)
author: Duncan M. Hamilton
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2016
rating: 5
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date added: 2019/03/13
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]]> Blackest Knights 42190403 288 C.T. Phipps Conrad 4 4.33 2018 Blackest Knights
author: C.T. Phipps
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2018
rating: 4
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date added: 2018/12/24
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]]> <![CDATA[The Court of Broken Knives (Empires of Dust, #1)]]> 32469783
In the richest empire the world has ever known, the city of Sorlost has always stood, eternal and unconquered. But in a city of dreams governed by an imposturous Emperor, decadence has become the true ruler, and has blinded its inhabitants to their vulnerability. The empire is on the verge of invasion � and only one man can see it.

Haunted by dreams of the empire’s demise, Orhan Emmereth has decided to act. On his orders, a company of soldiers cross the desert to reach the city. Once they enter the Palace, they have one mission: kill the Emperor, then all those who remain. Only from ashes can a new empire be built.

The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers, for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Marching on Sorlost, Marith thinks he is running away from the past which haunts him. But in the Golden City, his destiny awaits him � beautiful, bloody, and more terrible than anyone could have foreseen.]]> 470 Anna Smith Spark 0008204063 Conrad 0 to-read 3.42 2017 The Court of Broken Knives (Empires of Dust, #1)
author: Anna Smith Spark
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/04/29
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Age of Swords (The Legends of the First Empire, #2)]]> 32337902
The gods have been proven mortal and new heroes will arise as the battle continues in the sequel to Age of Myth--from the author of the Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles series.

In Age of Myth, fantasy master Michael J. Sullivan launched readers on an epic journey of magic and adventure, heroism and betrayal, love and loss. Now the thrilling saga continues as the human uprising is threatened by powerful enemies from without--and bitter rivalries from within.

Raithe, the God Killer, may have started the rebellion by killing a Fhrey, but long-standing enmities dividing the Rhunes make it all but impossible to unite against the common foe. And even if the clans can join forces, how will they defeat an enemy whose magical prowess renders them indistinguishable from gods?

The answer lies across the sea in a faraway land populated by a reclusive and dour race who feel nothing but disdain for both Fhrey and mankind. With time running out, Persephone leads the gifted young seer Suri, the Fhrey sorceress Arion, and a small band of misfits in a desperate search for aid--a quest that will take them into the darkest depths of Elan. There, an ancient adversary waits, as fearsome as it is deadly.]]> 496 Michael J. Sullivan 1101965363 Conrad 0 to-read 4.26 2017 Age of Swords (The Legends of the First Empire, #2)
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2017/04/19
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)]]> 32669692
Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.

Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.]]> 432 Michael J. Sullivan 1101965355 Conrad 0 to-read 4.17 2016 Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/04/19
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[King of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #2)]]> 12891107 The second book in the Broken Empire series, Lawrence takes his young anti-hero one step closer to his grand ambition.

To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake. I’ve walked from pawn to player and I’ll win this game of ours, though the cost of it may drown the world in blood�

The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings fight for the Broken Empire. The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war. He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board. First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.

A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches toward Jorg's gates, led by a champion beloved of the people. Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds. Every omen says he will. Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands. But King Jorg is not a good king.

Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. But playing fair was never part of Jorg’s game plan.]]> 449 Mark Lawrence 1937007472 Conrad 4 4.18 2012 King of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #2)
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2015/06/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #1)]]> 9533378
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.]]> 304 Kevin Hearne 0345522478 Conrad 3 4.09 2011 Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #1)
author: Kevin Hearne
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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date added: 2015/06/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, #1)]]> 43889
His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence. In a dark age it takes courage to live, and more than mere courage to challenge those who hold dominion, Richard and Kahlan must take up that challenge or become the next victims. Beyond awaits a bewitching land where even the best of their hearts could betray them. Yet, Richard fears nothing so much as what secrets his sword might reveal about his own soul. Falling in love would destroy them—for reasons Richard can't imagine and Kahlan dare not say.

In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword—to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed . . . or that their time has run out.

This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.]]> 836 Terry Goodkind 0765346524 Conrad 3 4.12 1994 Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, #1)
author: Terry Goodkind
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1994
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)]]> 61886
It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it will ultimately lead him to the place he fears most, the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies, who once placed him in chains, now occupy lofty positions. In addition to the traitorous intrigues of villains, Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle, are faced with a sinister curse that hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. Only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics, can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge—an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous, and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death.]]> 490 Lois McMaster Bujold 0007133618 Conrad 5 4.14 2001 The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2001
rating: 5
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]]> Legend (The Drenai Saga, #1) 618177 DRUSS the Legend. His skill in battle has earned him a fearsome reputation throughout the world and the stories of his life are told everywhere. But the grizzled veteran has spurned a life of fame and fortune and has retreated to the solitude of his mountain lair to await his old enemy, Death.

Meanwhile, barbarian hordes of the Nadir are on the march, conquering all before them. All that stands before them and victory is the legendary six-walled fortress of the Drenai empire, Dros Delnoch. If the fortress falls, so do the Drenai. Druss reluctantly agrees to come out of retirement. But can even Druss live up to his own legends?

Held by many to be Gemmell's most iconic work, the book is considered a classic in the heroic fantasy genre.]]> 362 David Gemmell Conrad 4 4.26 1984 Legend (The Drenai Saga, #1)
author: David Gemmell
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1984
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)]]> 3092732
The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.

However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...]]> 560 Steven Erikson 1596061456 Conrad 5 4.22 1999 Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)
author: Steven Erikson
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1)]]> 3227063 New York Times Bestselling author Brent Weeks...
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.

For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.

But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.]]> 645 Brent Weeks 0316033677 Conrad 5 4.15 2008 The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1)
author: Brent Weeks
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)]]> 944073
Nobleman Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

]]> 515 Joe Abercrombie 0575079797 Conrad 5 4.21 2006 The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)
author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)]]> 45107 alternate cover for ISBN 0006480098

Fitz is a royal bastard, cast out into the world with only his magical link with animals for solace and companionship.
But when Fitz is adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and learn a new life: weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly. Meanwhile, raiders ravage the coasts, leaving the people Forged and soulless. As Fitz grows towards manhood, he will have to face his first terrifying mission, a task that poses as much a risk to himself as it does to his target: Fitz is a threat to the throne� but he may also be the key to the future of the kingdom.

Cover illustration by John Howe

]]> 460 Robin Hobb Conrad 5 4.14 1995 Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)
author: Robin Hobb
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1995
rating: 5
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]]> The Princess Bride 21787
As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it's about everything.]]> 429 William Goldman 0345418263 Conrad 3 4.27 1973 The Princess Bride
author: William Goldman
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1973
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Warded Man (Demon Cycle, #1)]]> 6993490 453 Peter V. Brett 0345518705 Conrad 5 4.14 2008 The Warded Man (Demon Cycle, #1)
author: Peter V. Brett
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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]]> Hogfather 34532
Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker...

Susan the gothic governess has got to sort it out by morning, otherwise there won't be a morning. Ever again...

The 20th Discworld novel is a festive feast of darkness and Death (but with jolly robins and tinsel too).

As they say: "You'd better watch out..."]]> 448 Terry Pratchett 0552154288 Conrad 3 4.25 1996 Hogfather
author: Terry Pratchett
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1996
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)]]> 43615
He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.]]> 231 Stephen King 1501143514 Conrad 3 3.95 1982 The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)
author: Stephen King
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1982
rating: 3
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]]> The Silmarillion 7332 386 J.R.R. Tolkien 0618391118 Conrad 3 3.99 1977 The Silmarillion
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1977
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles, #1)]]> 16043804 TWO MEN WHO HATE EACH OTHER. ONE IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. A LEGEND IN THE MAKING.

A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadius can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.

The Riyria Revelations and The Riyria Chronicles are two separate, but related series, and you can start reading with either Theft of Swords (publication order) or The Crown Tower (chronological order).]]> 384 Michael J. Sullivan 031624371X Conrad 5 4.33 2013 The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles, #1)
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2013
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow of the Torturer (The Book of the New Sun, #1)]]> 60211 262 Gene Wolfe 0671540661 Conrad 4 3.86 1980 The Shadow of the Torturer (The Book of the New Sun, #1)
author: Gene Wolfe
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1980
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Magician (The Riftwar Saga, #1-2)]]> 43916 Raymond E. Feist's classic fantasy epic, Magician, has enchanted readers for over twenty years. The revised edition was prepared to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its publication, and incorporates over 15,000 words of text omitted from previous editions.

At Crydee, a frontier outpost in the tranquil Kingdom of the Isles, an orphan boy, Pug, is apprenticed to a master magician � and the destinies of two worlds are changed forever.

Suddenly the peace of the Kingdom is destroyed as mysterious alien invaders swarm the land. Pug is swept up into the conflict but for him and his warrior friend, Tomas, an odyssey into the unknown has only just begun.

Tomas will inherit a legacy of savage power from an ancient civilization. Pug’s destiny is to lead him through a rift in the fabric of space and time to the mastery of the unimaginable powers of a strange new magic.]]> 681 Raymond E. Feist 0586217835 Conrad 3 4.32 1982 Magician (The Riftwar Saga, #1-2)
author: Raymond E. Feist
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1982
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Under Heaven (Under Heaven, #1)]]> 7139892 Under Heaven, Kay tells a story of honor and power, this time in a setting that evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of eighth-century China. In recognition of his service to the Emperor of Kitai, Shen Tai has been sent a mysterious and dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses. Wisely the gift comes with the stipulation that the horses must be claimed in person. Otherwise, he would probably be dead already.]]> 592 Guy Gavriel Kay 0007342012 Conrad 4 4.15 2010 Under Heaven (Under Heaven, #1)
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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]]> Best Served Cold 2315892
There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.

War may be hell, but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.

Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Barbarian who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...

Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.]]> 534 Joe Abercrombie 0575082453 Conrad 5 4.24 2009 Best Served Cold
author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2009
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #1)]]> 17910124
The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a conspiracy.

His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. He expected a challenge, but after several ‘accidents� and a dying soldier’s warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can take action, he must survive the mercenaries� brutal final initiation.

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father’s murderer in the capital itself. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. And Kaden, heir to an empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God’s disciples teach their harsh ways � which Kaden must master to unlock their ancient powers. When an imperial delegation arrives, he’s learnt enough to perceive evil intent. But will this keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?]]> 480 Brian Staveley 0765336405 Conrad 4 4.08 2014 The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #1)
author: Brian Staveley
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2014
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle, #1)]]> 13616278
Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder.

It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it.

The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abbey is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with.

Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war...]]> 650 Miles Cameron 0575113294 Conrad 4 4.09 2012 The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle, #1)
author: Miles Cameron
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)]]> 17332218 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Words of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, continues the immersive fantasy epic that The Way of Kings began.

Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

The Assassin, Szeth, is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.]]> 1088 Brandon Sanderson 0765326361 Conrad 2 4.76 2014 Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.76
book published: 2014
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1)]]> 402045 884 Marion Zimmer Bradley 0345350499 Conrad 5 4.12 1982 The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1)
author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1982
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)]]> 18693743
The Red Queen’s grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth—drinker, gambler, seducer of women—is one who can see The Silent Sister. Tenth in line for the throne and content with his role as a minor royal, he pretends that the hideous crone is not there. But war is coming. Witnesses claim an undead army is on the march, and the Red Queen has called on her family to defend the realm. Jal thinks it’s all a rumor—nothing that will affect him—but he is wrong.

After escaping a death trap set by the Silent Sister, Jal finds his fate magically intertwined with a fierce Norse warrior. As the two undertake a journey across the Empire to undo the spell, encountering grave dangers, willing women, and an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath along the way, Jalan gradually catches a glimmer of the truth: he and the Norseman are but pieces in a game, part of a series of moves in the long war—and the Red Queen controls the board.]]> 355 Mark Lawrence 0425268780 Conrad 4 4.03 2014 Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2014
rating: 4
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]]> Ysabel 104078
In Guy Gavriel Kay’s new novel, Ysabel, this duality—of exquisite beauty and violent history—is explored in a work that marks a departure from Kay’s historical fantasies set in various analogues of the past.

Ysabel takes place in the world of today: in a modern springtime, in and around the celebrated city of Aix-en-Provence near Marseilles. Dangerous, mythic figures from the Celtic and Roman conflicts of the past erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives.

The protagonist is Ned Marriner, the fifteen year-old son of a well-known photographer. Ned has accompanied his father, Edward Marriner, and a team of assistants to Provence for a six week “shoot.”]]> 416 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451461290 Conrad 5 3.62 2007 Ysabel
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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]]> The Once and Future King 43545 639 T.H. White 0441627404 Conrad 5 4.07 1958 The Once and Future King
author: T.H. White
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1958
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Paladin of Souls (World of the Five Gods, #2)]]> 61904 470 Lois McMaster Bujold 0380818612 Conrad 5 4.17 2003 Paladin of Souls (World of the Five Gods, #2)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Conrad
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2003
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Whitefire Crossing (Shattered Sigil, #1)]]> 10928630
But smuggling a few charms is one thing; smuggling a person through the warded Alathian border is near suicidal. Having made a promise to a dying friend, Dev is forced to take on a singularly dangerous cargo: Kiran. A young apprentice on the run from one of the most powerful mages in Ninavel, Kiran is desperate enough to pay a fortune to sneak into a country where discovery means certain execution - and he'll do whatever it takes to prevent Dev from finding out the terrible truth behind his getaway.

Yet Kiran isn't the only one harboring a deadly secret. Caught up in a web of subterfuge and dark magic, Dev and Kiran must find a way to trust each other - or face not only their own destruction, but that of the entire city of Ninavel.]]> 375 Courtney Schafer 1597802832 Conrad 4 3.70 2011 The Whitefire Crossing (Shattered Sigil, #1)
author: Courtney Schafer
name: Conrad
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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]]>