18 Fantasy Books with Rivals, Frenemies, and Nemeses (set against an image of a chess board)

18 Fantasy Books with Rivals, Frenemies, and Nemeses

Some of the most compelling dynamics in fiction are the ones that aren’t so clear cut, or that mix many different emotions together. When two characters – strong, intelligent, and full of conviction – face off through combat, a clash of ideals, or political and strategic maneuvering, they bring out the best and worst in each other.

Famous pairs include Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, Charles Xavier and Magneto, Yagami Light and L, and Anakin and Obi Wan. Many more fantasy books feature thrilling dynamics between commanders, mages, nobility, warriors, assassins, and more.

I’ve included books that feature:

  • Individuals who respect each others’ skills – perhaps grudgingly, or perhaps they’re the other’s biggest fan boy
  • “Met my match,” “fated showdown,” and “I’m most alive when facing you” vibes
  • Mutual obsession and delight in the contest
  • Honoring or grieving the other if they defeat them
  • A mixture of brotherhood and enmity (often these dynamics start as one and end as the other)

What this list does NOT include:

  • Pure enmity – characters who only hate each others’ guts and just want to destroy the other and move on with life
  • Antagonists the reader is meant to loathe and we’re nothing but happy when they’re gone (even if the protagonist doesn’t loathe them – see F*** Moash for details)
  • Rivals that don’t appear until later in the series

I’ve organized these books by the 4 major ways they tend to play out:

  1. Contests of Strength or Duels to the Death
  2. Strategic Maneuvering and Intellectual Sparring
  3. Enemies to Allies or Friends
  4. Clashes of Ideology

Contests of Strength or Duels to the Death

These are the raw physical conflicts, the characters who live for the thrill of the fight, who demand “he’s mine, no one else touch him,” and then hold the other in their arms as they lay dying (though not all these examples end in death).

1. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

Ammar Ibn Khairan and Captain Rodrigo Belmonte are famous warriors on opposite sides of a brewing war. But when each of them stumbles into a political mess, they find themselves exiled to the same city where they are hired as mercenaries.

An unlikely friendship develops in a single summer, but when Belmonte’s King marches south to retake the land conquered by Ammar’s people, they must decide what’s truly worth fighting for.

This one will gut you! Read my review here.

2. Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archives #4) by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive is an incredible series and I highly recommend reading the whole thing. There are excellent duels (Szeth) in previous books, but several astonishingly excellent ones in the 4th.

Spearman, Windrunner, and idealist Kaladin faces off against 2 enemies – one who shares his sense of honor and enjoys their duels, and another cruelly neurotic enemy who is obsessively determined to end him.

This book also features the only compelling intellectual rivalry I’ve ever seen between two women. When the immortal Raboniel takes Queen Navani captive, they develop mutual respect for one another as they investigate properties of magic that could destroy them all.

3. The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty #1) by Ken Liu

Kuni Garu and Mata Zyndu fight together to overthrow the emperor in a world inspired by China’s warring states period.

At first, they respect each other deeply—Kuni is the cunning, street-smart bandit who wins people over with charisma and adaptability, while Mata is the towering, idealistic warrior-noble obsessed with restoring honor and the old aristocratic order.

But their visions for the postwar world diverge completely, and they end up opposing one another ideologically and across the battlefield.

4. Heroes Die (The Acts of Caine #1) by Matthew Woodring Stover

Caine (real name Hari Michaelson), is an Actor and warrior who travels to a brutal alternate reality called Overworld, livestreaming his adventures back to Earth. He’s skilled, vicious, and extremely pragmatic, but completely under the control of a dystopian caste-system only too happy to send him to die.

When his wife and fellow Actress goes missing in Overworld, his masters give him the chance to rescue her, but only if he’ll agree to assassin Ma’elKoth, a charismatic and terrifying mage Emperor. But Ma’elKolth gets to Caine first, and they have a history…

Strategic Maneuvering and Intellectual Sparring

Politics, mind games, secretive plots, genius war tactics, cat and mouse games, you name it! The characters in these stories may not face off in a grand duel, but all their focus still lies in maneuvering and outmaneuvering the other through cleverness, subterfuge, manipulation, or more.

5. Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber #1) by Roger Zelazny

A group of ancient, magically powerful siblings vie for the throne at the heart of all universes after their father vanishes mysteriously. The siblings are all fixated on each other, sparring verbally, fuming about centuries old slights, setting traps, and chasing each other through universes of their own constructing.

Corwin is clever, funny, and out for revenge against his brother Eric, who has nearly killed him on several occasions. There are sword duels and strategic battles, but above all else, it is a mind game between these two brothers who are the only real 2 choices for the throne.

6. Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen #1) by Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon cover: a circular tower rises from a jagged mountainside, silhouetted against a cloudy, full moon night.

Honestly, despite this series being recommended by most hardcore fantasy readers, I have no idea what it’s about. The blurb mentions so many players and conflicts that the “main” plot always escapes me. It seems the driving force is Empress Laseen’s ruthless expansion, particularly her latest campaign against the free city of Darujhistan.

But the cast is massive, including imperial commanders, mages on various sides, assassins and thieves from feuding guilds, warriors, and gods. I’ve heard readers mention various characters that could be called rivals or nemeses. Since this series is known primarily for its sprawling, interconnected plot, I thought I’d stick it in the mind games category!

7. The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing #1) by R. Scott Bakker

Anasûrimbor Kellhus, a monk-warrior-philosopher from a secretive, almost superhuman order, is intelligent, manipulative, and charismatic. Drusas Achamian is a weary, cynical sorcerer and spy for the Mandate School, burdened with prophetic dreams of an ancient apocalypse, guilt, and doubt.

Kellhus is playing chess on ten boards at once and Achamian knows it but can’t break free. This is more of a mind duel—one man is essentially conquering the other’s will while appearing to be his friend. It’s all the more tense because both are on the same side (for now), fighting in a massive holy war.

8. Promise of Blood (Powder Mage #1) by Brian McClellan

Field Marshal Tamas begins the book by orchestrating a coup, executing his king, and dismantling the monarchy’s ruling structures. This puts him in direct conflict with the Privileged, the elite sorcerers who were loyal to the king, who he continues to hunt down.

One of the surviving loyalist mages, Borbador, commands devastating sorcery, able to level battalions with a gesture. Tamas dominates military logistics, espionage, and large-scale troop movement. Their rivalry is played out mostly through military campaigns, political maneuvering, and indirect confrontations, which become more personal in later books.

9. Colours in the Steel (The Fencer Trilogy #1) by K.J. Parker

Temrai, a cunning and ruthless Chief from the Plains, infiltrates Perimadeia, the Triple City, to learn how to conquer it through siege. Opposite him stands Bardas Loredan, a skilled fencer, and the surviving member of a legendary band of soldiers who killed Temrai’s family.

For the past 12 years Loredan has worked as a “lawyer,” representing clients in duels to the death. But his past comes back to haunt him as a curse tightens around him and Temrai sets his scheme into action.

10. Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1) by Jim Butler

In the Calderon Valley of Alera, young Tavi is the only boy without a fury—no elemental power to command wind, flame, or stone. When a surprise Marat invasion shatters the peace, Tavi must rely only on his resourcefulness to turn the tides of war.

In later books, Tavi encounters Varg, a towering Marat war leader—brutal, cunning, and sworn to the destruction of Alera. In Varg, he finds something unexpected: a gadara—an adversary whose skill, honor, and unflinching candor make him, in some ways, more reliable than Tavi’s supposed allies.

11. The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle #1) by Miles Cameron

The Red Knight, Gabriel Muriens, the cocky captain of a mercenary company is hired to defend a nunnery against the Wild, a host of inhuman creatures. The Wild’s leader, the sorcerer Thorn, quickly becomes aware of the Red Knight’s presence and takes a personal interest in breaking him. The two face off in battles and political maneuvering, but do not come face-to-face until later books.

Enemies to Allies or Friends

The characters start out simply as enemies (though perhaps already have respect for the other), but their dynamic shifts throughout the story. Sometimes, a conflict like a civil war has ended, and former opponents realize they need not hold onto old grudges not of their making. Often, such characters must work together to defend against or defeat a greater evil.

The opposite dynamic – friends to enemies – exists as well, of course. But I often find those dynamics feature more bitterness (betrayed war buddy out for revenge) than satisfaction in the clash – though this list does feature a few friends to opponents.

12. Tuyo by Rachel Neumeier

Ryo inGara’s clan, hunted and outnumbered by the invading Warlord Aras, leaves him behind as a “tuyo” – a scapegoat prize upon which their enemies can take revenge, in exchange for the clan’s safety. But Aras spares Ryo’s life and asks for his fealty, eager to understand the mentality of the Northern winter clans who have been raiding his southern villages. Beginning to suspect the influence of a dark sorcerer, Aras and Ryo must work together to prevent war between their peoples.

13. Honored Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar #1) by Raymond E. Feist

Mercenary commander Dennis Hartraft and Captain Asayaga, leader of an invading Tsurani force, have circled one another for years. But when a group of dark elves threatens to annihilate both war bands at the start of a brutal winter, they join together in an unlikely alliance. Filled with mistrust and plagued by cultural misunderstandings, the two groups are barely held together by the leaders’ grudging respect for one another.

14. Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy #1) by C.S. Friedman

Damien Vryce, a human priest from a technologically advanced but faith-driven society, and Gerald Tarrant, the infamous Hunter, an immortal being who is both monster and man, form an uneasy alliance of necessity, filled with ideological clashes and mutual manipulation.

Damien sees Tarrant as an abomination, while Tarrant sees Damien as naïve. Neither trusts the other’s motives, and each believes the other will betray him if given the chance, but they need the other’s skills as they and a small team set out to defeat a greater supernatural threat.

15. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

The demon Aziraphale and the angel Crowley spend thousands of years upon the earth, doing the work of Hell and Heaven respectively. But sometimes they bend the rules a little, giving each other a helping hand, and subtly subverting the agendas of each party. Over time, they form their own side, facing heaven and hell together to save the planet they both love. Each is the other’s only true friend. Not that they’d ever admit it!

Clash of Ideology

These stories often feature rivals on the same side of a conflict who disagree about how a country should be run, a war should be waged, or what ends justify the means. These conflicts are often slow-burn, with philosophical discussions and disagreements, and fallout from consequences that escalate to more open fights.

16. The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow #1) by Janny Wurts

Shadow mage and pirate prince, Arithon, would much rather ditch the politics to live as an itinerant bard. Proud and charismatic, Prince Lysaer longs to fulfill his duty to his people, but is devastated by his inability to develop his light magic. Half-brothers, Arithon and Lysaer are mortal enemies – until their father’s quest for vengeance casts them through a portal and into a world from which they cannot return.

Alone in a land where they are hunted for their bloodline, an immortal wizard takes them under his wing as the subjects of an ancient prophecy – only if they pair their shadow and light magic together can they overcome the mistwraith’s curse upon the land. But their ideological differences are far from over.

17. Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen #1) by John Gwynne

Corban and Nathair, crown prince of Tenebral, are being shaped by opposite sides of a much larger prophecy about the coming God-War — one foretold to pit the Bright Star (savior) against the Black Sun (destroyer).

The rivalry grows in the background through political moves, battlefield encounters, and each one’s conviction that they’re in the right. This one is a slow build, with the final showdown not happening till later books.

18. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark

Mr. Gilbert Norrell is a reclusive, book-hoarding scholar who believes magic should be controlled, respectable, and kept in the hands of a few (preferably just himself).

Jonathan Strange is young, impulsive, and brilliant—more interested in exploring the wild, dangerous side of magic and bringing back the legendary “old ways” tied to the mysterious Raven King.

They start with mutual respect, but their differences in temperament and philosophy quickly lead to friction, and a dueling of egos and ideas.

Who are your favorite rivals, nemeses, and frenemies in fantasy books?


Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.

I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!

Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…

22 High/Epic Adult Fantasy Books with 1 POV & a Male Protagonist

Books with a massive set of multiple POVs drive me crazy. I prefer stories with a tighter focus that invite readers to enjoy (and work to unravel) some mysteries about the larger world. Sometimes less is more.

But these days, multi-POV fantasy books seem to be the norm, especially in adult fantasy. It’s so hard to find books that feature only one point-of-view character, but I’ve done some legwork for you!

Note: this list focuses on male protagonists and dark, mythic, political, and military fantasy, rather than romance, satire, or coming-of-age.

I’ve read about half of these so far, and all others have at least a thousand 4+ star reviews. Most of these authors have a larger body of work which also feature a similar style.

  1. Classic and pre-2000s fantasy with 1 POV
  2. Modern fantasy books with 1 POV
  3. Fantasy books with predominantly 1 POV – but with brief cutaways

This article contains affiliate links – I may earn a small amount on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Classic and Pre-2000’s Fantasy with 1 POV

1. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

Ok, technically this is science fantasy, but it FEELS so epic, and most of the story takes place in a medieval setting. The main character is a centuries-old mage poet and swordsmaster who stepped out of literal golden age Avalon! One of my absolute favorites!

Corwin is a prince of Amber, the “immortal city from which every other city has taken its shape.” All other worlds, including Earth, are shadows of that reality. Corwin has spent centuries on Earth with no memory of his birth.

But when someone in the family tries to kill him, Corwin begins a search for his past, discovering the universe itself will bend to his shaping. He is one of nine men who might rule Amber, if he can fight past the armies of his brother and nemesis Eric.

2. Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb

Young Fitz is the bastard son of Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill.
 
As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz grows to manhood and soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

3. Elric of Melniboné (The Elric Saga #1) by Michael Moorcock

Elric is the brooding, albino emperor of the dying Kingdom of Melnibone. With Melnibone’s years of grandeur and decadence long since passed, Elric’s amoral cousin Yrkoon sets his eyes on the throne. Elric, realizing he is his country’s best hope, must face his nefarious cousin in an epic battle for the right to rule.

4. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril returns to the noble household he once served and is named secretary-tutor to the strong-willed princess. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for in the royal court of Cardegoss, the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions.

Worse yet, a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the blighted House of Chalion. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge.

5. The Shadow of the Torturer (The Book of the New Sun #1) by Gene Wolfe

The writing style in this one is quite dense, and absolutely packed with complex vocabulary. The language is masterful, but it’s no light read. Keep a dictionary tab open!

The Shadow of the Torturer cover: a cloaked man in a strange mask holds a longsword, standing upon a curling pedestal throne that rises into a cloudy sky.

Severian is a torturer, born to the guild and with an exceptionally promising career ahead of him… until he falls in love with one of his victims, a beautiful young noblewoman. Severian helps her commit suicide and escape her fate. For a torturer, there is no more unforgivable act.

He is exiled from the guild with little more than Terminus Est, a fabled sword, to his name. Along the way, a strange gem falls into his possession, which only makes his enemies pursue him with ever-more determination…

6. The Legend of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert

This was published back in 1993, but the link will take you to an updated Kindle version that the publisher released in 2019, which is why it has apparently few reviews.

He has been known by countless names and deeds – thief, swordsman, assassin, adventurer. But chief among those personae is that of Nightfall, gifted with unique powers which any sorcerer would kill to possess.

Yet even the cleverest of beings must occasionally slip. When Nightfall falls prey to a royal trap, he is bound by sorcery and oath to guard a young prince on his quest. He will need every trick and talent to keep both himself and his idealistic charge from death at the hands of unknown betrayers.

Modern Fantasy Books with 1 POV

7. The Hands of the Emperor (Lays of the Hearthfire #1) by Victoria Goddard

Cliopher Mdang is the personal secretary of the Last god Emperor of Astandalas, the Lord Magus of Zunidh, the Sun-on-Earth.

He has spent more time with the Emperor of Astandalas than any other person. But he has never once touched his lord, nor called him by name. He has never initiated a conversation.

One day, Cliopher invites the Sun-on-Earth home to the Wide Seas for a holiday. The mere invitation could have seen Cliopher executed for blasphemy. The acceptance upends the world.

Read my 5-star review here!

8. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind cover: a cloaked figure faces a single tree in an overcast grassland, the world tinged a blue-grey.

My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

9. Traitor’s Blade (Greatcoats #1) by Sebastian de Castell

The Greatcoats are travelling magistrates bringing justice to all… or at least they were, before they watched the Dukes impale their King’s head on a spike. Now the land’s heroes are reviled as traitors, their Greatcoats in tatters.

Facio, Kest and Brasti have been reduced to working as mercenaries, but when they find their employer dead – and are forced to watch as the killer plants evidence framing them for the murder – they realize the royal conspiracy is spreading.

10. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker

A siege is approaching, and the city has little time to prepare. The people have no food and no weapons, and the enemy has sworn to slaughter them all.

To save the city will take a miracle, but what it has is Orhan. A colonel of engineers, Orhan has far more experience with bridge-building than battles, is a cheat and a liar, and has a serious problem with authority. He is, in other words, perfect for the job.

11. Transformation (Rai Kirah #1) by Carol Berg

Note: this book is much better than its cover.

Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for sixteen years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden’s power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons.  

But from the moment he is sold to the arrogant, careless Prince Aleksander, the heir to the Derzhi Empire, Seyonne’s desperately crafted apathy crumbles. When he discovers a demon lurking in the Derzhi court, he must find hope and strength in a most unlikely place…

12. Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence

Prince Jalan Kendeth—drinker, gambler, seducer of women—has a secret. He can see the Red Queen’s, his grandmother’s, greatest weapon: The Silent Sister. But content with his role as a minor royal, Jal pretends that the hideous crone is not there.

After escaping a death trap set by the Silent Sister, Jal finds his fate magically intertwined with a fierce Norse warrior. But war with the undead is coming, and as the two undertake a journey to undo the spell, they realize they are but pieces in a game—and the Red Queen controls the board.

13. The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes wall-scaling, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics.

But today, Kinch has picked the wrong mark. Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds himself braving krakens and giants with Galva in an epic journey to find her missing queen.

14. Among Thieves by Hulick Douglas

Drothe is a Nose, an informant who finds and takes care of trouble inside his criminal organization. On his latest assignment, Drothe unearths that someone is trying to stir up trouble between lower-level criminal organizations, including Drothe’s.

Rumors stir of a book containing imperial glimmer (or magic), and two crime bosses known as the Gray Princes are on the hunt. Drothe discovers the book, gaining the power to bring down emperors, shatter the criminal underworld, and unlock forbidden magic – if he can survive long enough to use it.

Fantasy Books with Predominantly 1 POV – but with brief cutaways

These books are told almost entirely (95%) from 1 point of view, with only brief cutaways to secondary characters. Note that some of these, like The Night Angel Trilogy and the Codex Alera, start incorporating more perspectives later in the series.

15. The Way of Shadows (Night Angel Trilogy #1) by Brent Weeks

The Way of Shadows cover: a cloaked man takes up a fighting stance, a dagger in each fist. Shadows swirl around him.

For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art – and he is the city’s most accomplished artist.

For Azoth, survival is precarious. 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.

16. Blood Song by Anthony Ryan

Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order to be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a warrior of the Faith.
 
Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the Unified Realm—and Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright knows no bounds. Even his cherished memories of his mother are soon challenged by what he learns within the Order.
 
But Vaelin cannot escape a future that will alter not only the Realm but the world.

17. The Black Company by Glen Cook

Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead. 

Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her… 

18. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Kings of the Wyld cover: a group of rough looking armored men stand together holding shields and bloodied swords.

Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.

Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay’s door with a plea for help – the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

It’s time to get the band back together.

19. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

Among the Omehi, one in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the 200 year war. Young, gift-less Tau plans to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land.

But when those closest to him are murdered, his grief turns to vengeance. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

20. Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1) by Jim Butcher

For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies—elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting.

At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans’ most savage enemy—the Marat horde—return to the Valley, Tavi’s courage and resourcefulness will be a power greater than any fury, one that could turn the tides of war…

21. Age of Assassins by R.J. Barker

Girton Club-foot has no family, a crippled leg, and is apprenticed to the best assassin in the land. He’s learning the art of taking lives, but his latest mission tasks him with a far more difficult challenge: to save a life.

Someone is trying to kill the heir to the throne, and it is up to Girton to uncover the traitor and prevent the prince’s murder.

In a castle thick with lies, Girton finds friends he never expected, and a conspiracy that could destroy an entire kingdom.

22. The Silverblood Promise (The Last Legacy #1) by James Logan

Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and—thanks to a duel that ended badly—the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house.

When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father’s death.

His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. But the price of truth is the deadliest of all.


Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.

I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!

Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…