Books like Traitor's Blade — picked by fans

I love this book because it’s basically The Blues Brothers combined with Dungeons and Dragons. How did Nicholas Eames ever come up with that concept, and make it work so well?

In this breakneck madcap quest, retired hero Clay Cooper sets out to get his original adventuring ‘band’ back together one by one in order to go on one last mission to save his daughter. The jokes had me guffawing, the action had me riveted, and the structuring left me open-mouthed.

It reminds me of Final Fantasy because once again we have an eccentric ensemble cast going on an adventure quest with magic and monsters galore…but not only that: Eames is also on record as a Final Fantasy fan and names some of his characters after Final Fantasy characters, along with sticking in some other Easter eggs related to the franchise. 

I loved the medieval-type fight scenes in this series.

From knights in armor fighting from horseback to longbow experts using deadly archery skills to large battles with lots of cool tactics, this series has all that. It was clear to me that Flanagan did his homework or had some prior knowledge of this stuff, and that made all the fight scenes feel really authentic and credible, while still serving the story and not detracting from it.

I loved seeing how the characters have to learn to wield these weapons and watching them improve over time, then seeing them apply what they’ve learned in battle. 

So, first off, this is one of the best audiobooks of all time. While Scott did an amazing job spinning the tale, Michael Page elevated this work to a whole new level. There was a time around 2010 when fantasy became overly serious and dark. And I was rescued by the Gentlemen Bastards which was fast paced, fun, and fabulous. The absolute best part of this book is its humor, something that is sorely missing in fantasy these days.

Of course the stars of the show are Locke and Jean. Locke is a charismatic, cunning cutthroat and Jean is his loyal right-hand man. Together they make a great pair. Their deep, brotherly friendship and unwavering loyalty to each other is fantastic, and the reason they made my list.

What I loved about the battles and fight scenes in this series was seeing how magic, ordinary weapons, and dragons combined together on the battlefield and created really interesting dynamics and strategy.

Think about what it would be like to face soldiers who’ve been enchanted to feel no pain or to move superhumanly fast. Or think about having to fight armored soldiers while magicians are trying to break into your mind with mental magic. Imagine two dragons dueling in the skies, while their riders fight each other with magic and swords.

That’s the feel of this series, and it’s awesome. I also loved that Paolini dives into the tactical details of a swordfight or skirmish, making it feel visceral, real, and like you’re right there with the characters. 

In my opinion the hardest thing to do in life is changing into a person you weren't born to be.

Drizzt was born in darkness and chose to be a hero of light. I was impressed with the way Drizzt fought his way to be good, although the whole world told him he couldn’t. Even today, his story still gives me courage when I decide something isn’t expected from me.

Also, the idea of having a companion panther, like Guenhwyvar, is still something I consider the coolest. This is the reason I played Hunter in my first WoW days. 

I first discovered Rachel Aaron, when one of my fans recommended her. After reading her first book, I could see why. Eli is a charming roguish thief who can communicate with spirts, and Niko is a no-nonsense ghost. Their contrasting personalities makes for great reading.

Like all of my prior recommendations, humor plays an important part in this tale. But what I like the most is that the pair’s relationship isn’t just about camaraderie during adventures—it’s about mutual growth and understanding as they both learn from one another. This book isn’t as widely read as some of Rachel’s more recent stories, but it’s well worth checking out, and a great example of a bromance done well.

I loved the fight scenes in this series because the main character, Merle Corey, is both an expert swordsman and a powerful wizard—and he’s forced to use both abilities, often in tandem, to defeat his opponents and stay alive as he tries to uncover what or who is behind the multiple attempts on his life.

I loved that Zelazny gives Merle’s magic abilities just enough limitations that he isn’t able to use it to overpower everyone. The writing keeps things fast-paced during the sword fights, while still describing a lot of detail in the tactics and mechanics of what’s happening in the fight. Zelazny also throws in some classical fencing terms, which was a lot of fun to read as a fencer myself. 

While Terry Pratchett is the king of satirical fantasy, for my money, J. Zachary Pike is doing a great job carrying that banner. Like Kings of the Wyld, this book’s strong suit is its humor and a darn fine cast of eclectic characters. But what shines brightly is its originality. Finding a truly unique fantasy isn’t easy, but Orconomics is. In this book, heroes are essentially corporate employees, and quests are commodified through an adventuring system that prioritizes lucrative returns over noble deeds.

When it comes to the bromance aspect, you can’t beat Gorm Ingerson (a disgraced dwarven hero whose glory days are past) and Brahm (the undocumented goblin who Gorm stands up for). The two make a great pair that easily places them on my favorites list.

Black Brother, Black Brother doesn’t have science as its main focus, unless you consider the sport of fencing as a science. I’m including this book because of the complexity of the sibling relationship. Trey is white, popular, and athletic. Donte is black and bullied at his school. Even though they share the same parents (Civil Rights lawyer mom and, and computer architect dad), their experiences in school and in the world are completely different because of their skin color. Dante finds his place, his confidence, and himself when he takes up fencing with the help of an inspiring coach. 

I am half-Mexican. My siblings present as white, I do not. This story touched on the many complexities faced by siblings who are physically different -- as with me and my siblings, and with the characters in my book.

This study of Italian dueling from 1860s unification to 1930s Fascism makes a convincing case that the duel was not some holdover from an aristocratic past, but a modern phenomenon that arose out of liberal politics and a free press. The book covers Italy’s long and active debate about how to curb a practice that clearly violated the law but was rarely ever punished in practice. When I first read this book I was in the middle of my own research, and Hughes was the first writer who seemed to get everything right, or at least to have discovered for Italy the same things that I was finding for South America. A great window into dueling and an even better window into liberal Italy and its politics.