Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
This week, I’m spotlighting books to read if you like Shadow and Bone. This is such a great series, as is the Six of Crows duology! I’ve read both a few times, and I couldn’t wait to watch the Netflix series. It was soooo good. I watched season two last week, and though it’s different from the books, I still thought it was great. The magic, the suspense and action, the found family vibes, the romance!!
I adore the Shadow and Bone series and the Six of Crows Duology and will basically read anything Leigh Bardugo writes. The books and the show are so immersive and entertaining, and it’s probably no surprise I’ve spotlighted them on my blog before:
- Can We Talk About the Romance? Swoon-Worthy Lines from the Shadow and Bone Series
- Can We Talk About the Romance? Swoon-Worthy Lines from Six of Crows
- How’d They Get So Smart? Words of Wisdom from Six of Crows
- There’s Some Humor Too – Funny Moments in Six of Crows
- Can We Talk About the Romance? Swoon-Worthy Lines in Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom
Let’s check out some other books with Shadow and Bone vibes:
1. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: An Ember in the Ashes #1
Page Length: 456
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Synopsis: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
2. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Title: The Gilded Wolves
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Series: The Gilded Wolves #1
Page Length: 388
Publication Date: Jan. 15, 2019
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Synopsis: t’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.
Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
3. The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
Title: The Bone Shard Daughter
Author: Andrea Stewart
Series: The Drowning Empire #1
Page Length: 449
Publication Date: Sept. 8, 2020
Publisher: Orbit
Synopsis: The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.
Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognize her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.
4. This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
Series: The Last Finestra
Page Length: 448
Publication Date: June 28, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Synopsis: Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.
Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.
Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?
Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
5. Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine
Title: Rise of the Vicious Princess
Author: C.J. Redwine
Page Length: 400
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
Synopsis: The first in a YA political fantasy duology about a fierce princess determined to bring lasting peace to her kingdom regardless of the cost to her heart.
Princess Charis Willowthorn is the dutiful sword of Calera. Raised to be ruthless and cunning, her only goal is to hold her war-torn kingdom together long enough to find a path toward peace with their ancient foe, Montevallo, even if the cost is her own heart.
When violence erupts in the castle itself and an unseen enemy begins sinking Calera’s ships, Charis realizes a threat much greater than Montevallo is coming for her people. So she forms a plan. By day, she is Calera’s formidable princess intent on forging an alliance with Montevallo. By night, she disguises herself as a smuggler and roams the sea with a trusted group of loyalists, hunting for their new enemies. And through it all, there’s the one boy she can’t have—who guards her life but steals her heart.
But her enemies are much closer than Charis realizes, and her heart isn’t the only thing she has left to lose.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
6. The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani
Title: The Theft of Sunlight
Author: Intisar Khanani
Series: Dauntless Path #2
Page Length: 528
Publisher: Harper Teen
Synopsis: I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.
Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer – even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.
Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.
7. Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift
Series: Wickery (Book 1)
Page Length: 448
Publication Date: Jan. 19, 2020
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Synopsis: Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.
Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who’s mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.
Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery’s most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.
Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross…and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.
Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery’s fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it’s complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | My Review
8. A Legacy of Darkness by J.M. Wallace
Series: A Legacy of Darkness #1
Publication Date: Oct. 10, 2021
Synopsis: A reluctant King haunted by his father’s actions.
A Druid girl haunted by her bloody childhood.
And an impossible quest to save their country…
Darkness spreads through the kingdom of Asterion. Shaye Wistari witnesses it with her own eyes as she returns home from across the sea. Fearful of the monsters lurking in the waters to the East, she must revisit the bloody memories of her childhood.
When the newly crowned King tracks her down to enlist her help, she learns only she, the last of the Druid line, can save the country she has tried to leave behind. Paired with the son of the man who slaughtered her people and stole her magic, she sets off on an impossible quest to save the innocent citizens of Asterion.
Alongside a group of unlikely allies, Shaye embarks on a desperate journey to reclaim her power and face the ghosts of her past. She must confront her own demons, or the darkness will overtake her, leaving Asterion vulnerable to destruction.
A Legacy of Darkness is the first book in this exciting fantasy trilogy. From it, you can expect danger, political intrigue, and thrilling passion, as Shaye and King Sorin fight the darkness closing in on them.
9. Shielded by Kaylynn Flanders
Title: Shielded
Author: Kaylynn Flanders
Series: Shielded
Page Length: 432
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Synopsis: For fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn comes a thrilling new fantasy about a kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her.
The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It’s losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.
As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn’s–her brother’s–magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.
Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong–the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it’s too late–for her and for her entire kingdom.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | My Review
10. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Title: These Violent Delights
Author: Chloe Gong
Series: These Violent Delights #1
Page Length: 449
Publication Date: Nov. 17, 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Synopsis: The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.
But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.
Have you read any of these? What other books like Shadow and Bone would you recommend? Comment below!!
I’m also having a massive Bardugo-verse month, with Shadow and Bone season two, and reading Demon in the Wood and Ninth House and Hell Bent! I love that you’ve written about these so many times–there’s really nothing out there quite like Six of Crows. Great post!
FangirlFlax @ FangirlFlax
https://fangirlflax.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/top-ten-tuesday-five-books-for-people-who-liked-author-x/
Oh wow! That is a great Bardugo-filled month!
It’s been magical, haha!
I haven’t watched the second season of Shadow and Bone yet, but I’m so excited to start it and I’m happy to hear you loved it! I also loved An Ember in the Ashes and The Gilded Wolves is on my TBR
Oooh, The Gilded Wolves has total Six of Crows vibes. Sooo good! And I hope you enjoy season 2!!
The Theft of Sunlight sounds so good.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-for-people-who-liked-shel-silverstein/
It’s fantastic! One of my top series last year. 🙂
I will have to look into these more because I enjoyed what I’ve read of Bardugo’s.
This is a great list!! I totally agree with so many of these (the ones I’ve read). I loved Six of Crows but struggled with Shadow and Bone and never read the third book. I did love the show but haven’t watched season two yet! I’m waiting on Chris. haha
lol – I hope you both enjoy it when you get a chance to watch. Now we’re watching The Last of Us. Sooooo good!!
I am too scared to watch The Last of Us!! I saw the monsters. LOL
OMG I just finished episode three – soooo good! But, yeah, it’s a little scary.
haha- I might be able to do it when I’m not pregnant.. The pregnancy dreams are SO VIVID. lol
I just finished the last episode today. Loved the show despite the changes. I read that there will possibly be a Six of Crows spin-off. I have my fingers crossed! You gave me a couple here to add to my TBR, too!
Fingers crossed!! I love the whole Six of Crows crew and would LOVE a spin-off.
I haven’t read many on this list but I did really enjoy Shadow and Bone so I definitely need to check out some of these books!
I hope you enjoy them if you get a chance to check them out! 🙂
Fabulous list – I’ve read several of these!
Thank you! 🙂 I hope you enjoyed them!
Great list!! I’ve been watching the second season when my husband is home. I also named my 2 year old deaf tuxedo cat Jesper (he’s my favorite character).
Thanks so much! And I love that you named your cat Jesper. He’s the best! I hope you enjoy the rest of the season.
Ahh I loved This Vicious Grace and can definitely see that connection!
Yes! It was such a good one!
I loved Shadow and Bone so was really interested to read this post. I’m just finishing the bone shard trilogy so I’ll have to check out the others on your list
Yay! The Bone Shard Trilogy was fantastic! I hope you enjoy any other you read.
I’ve only read three of these but almost all of the others are on my TBR and I can’t wait to get to them. I definitely get the comps that you make though—I can feel the vibes, lol 😃 Great list, Julie!
Thanks so much, Dini!
I loved The Gilded Wolves, but I wasn’t so keen on An Ember In The Ashes. I did try to read These Violent Delights but I wasn’t in the mood for it at the time, maybe another time I’ll be able to dive in and enjoy it more.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/top-ten-tuesday-413/
I haven’t read of watched Shadow and Bone, but the books are on my TBR. I will be reading This Vicious Grace it was the one you recommended to me for 12 Friends, 12 Books.
Ooooh, I hope you like it!!
Julie! Once again you nailed it with a great topic (and list!) I’ve only read a few of the books on your list, but I clearly need to read more of these, so I appreciate the recs!
Thank you!! I think you’d like a lot of these, Leah!
This is such a great topic. I love both the books and the show. I haven’t read most of these… So, some of them will be going on my TBR. I’ve had my eye on Cast in Firelight for a while, and seeing it here makes me want to pick it up even more! 🙂
Nice! I’ve been hearing rumors about a SoC spin-off show. Fingers crossed!!! And Cast in Firelight is really good. I hope you love it if you decide to read it!