11 Thrilling Epic Military Fantasy Novels to Read in 2024
Military fantasy comes in a lot of flavors, but you know you’re in for some things: Soldiers. Battles. Wars on all fronts. Loss and glory. Blood and honor.
Below is a collection of everything you’re looking for in epic military fantasy. From eternal wars to ones newly erupting, from dragons to demons to gods, these 11 novels are sure to scratch that itch left in the wake of Helm’s Deep.
What’s more, from January 16th through 28th, 2024, you have the chance to get these books for free!
Enter the giveaway to possibly win 1 of 33 paperbacks of these books.
Enter for free through the button below! You can also continue reading to learn more about the books.
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
Game of Thrones meets Arabian Nights in this blood-soaked fantasy epic inspired by the Crusades, featuring Lovecraftian gods, mischievous djinns, and astral magic!
They took his daughter, so Micah comes to take their kingdom. Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, thirsty to burn unbelievers.
Only the janissaries can stand against them. Their living legend, Kevah, once beheaded a magus amid a hail of ice daggers. But ever since his wife disappeared, he spends his days in a haze of hashish and poetry.
To save the kingdom, Kevah must conquer his grief and become the legend he once was. But Micah writes his own legend in blood, and his righteous conquest will stop at nothing.
When the gods choose sides, a legend will be etched upon the stars.
The Fall by Ryan Cahill
Dragonbound by fire, Broken by death.
The Order have watched over the continent of Epheria for thousands of years.
But there are those who believe The Order has had its day. That it is corrupt, indulgent, and deceitful – that it is ready to fall.
The City of Ilnaen is on fire.
Dragons fill the skies.
Traitors fill the streets.
The Fall is a novella set in the world of The Bound and The Broken series. It takes place 400 years before the events of Of Blood and Fire.
Conspiracy by A.C. Cobble
The Truth is a weak thing. It has no power. The only power the Truth holds is the power we grant it.
For six hundred years, the kingdom of Wahrheit was ruled by an unbroken line. It rose on a wave of technology and magic and stood alone—a bastion of stability built on pillars of economic and military might. The nation and her people thrived due to the strength of soldiers and the protection of dragons.
But the line has ended—the king is dead.
Noble houses vie to carve out their own domains. Foreign armies march across Wahrheit’s soil for the first time in memory. Without leadership, the king’s army watches helplessly. The fae, a source of enchantment and treachery, work unseen to secure their share of Wahrheit’s blood. And far beyond the kingdom’s borders, a growing threat looms—an empire built to right a bitter wrong.
Only a small band of conspirators stand between the kingdom and chaos: Otto Tilly, captain of the king’s Dragon Knights, the steel fist that shields the weak. Gerhard Fisher, a spy and assassin, who owes more than his life to the former king. Ilse Brinke, the quartermaster, the keeper of the kingdom’s secrets and magic. The wizard, an ancient soul who understands the cost of failure. And by fortune’s curse or fortune's favor, two orphans from the growing war must carry the kingdom forward. As has always been, the burden of the future lies across the shoulders of the young.
Stiger’s Tigers by Marc Alan Edelheit
A tarnished legacy. A dangerous mission. The beginning of an epic destiny…
Nobleman and born soldier Ben Stiger never backs down from a fight. Even as the son of an infamous imperial general, an outcast from society, he refuses to crumble under the unforgiving shadow of his once-powerful family’s disgrace. When he’s reassigned from his crack company to the struggling southern army, he’s eager to help turn the tide against a growing, deadly rebellion.
Supported by his faithful lieutenant, Eli, one of the last remaining elven rangers, and a holy Paladin on a quest for the High Father, Stiger fights to gain control of his new company, resentful and mediocre soldiers… who he must train and then lead on a desperate mission to reach an outpost cut off by the enemy. But as he force-marches his men through hostile territory, the veteran commander faces more than he ever expected, rebels, bandits, a magic relic from an age long gone, and an ancient evil freshly risen that has the potential to destroy the empire he loves and serves.
Can one outcast hero make a difference and save his empire from annihilation?
Stiger’s Tigers is the engrossing first book in the Chronicles of an Imperial Officer epic fantasy series. If you like brave champions, sword and sorcery, breathtaking twists and turns, and authentic battle scenes, then you’ll love Marc Alan Edelheit’s Roman-inspired adventure series.
Fatemarked by David Estes
They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come. An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him. A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.In the spirit of fantasy epics like Throne of Glass and The Lord of the Rings, enter a world of magic and dragons, kings and queens, and victory and defeat, during a time when honor and valor still meant something. Fatemarked is now a #1 Amazon bestseller in NINE categories. Start your 4,000+ page epic adventure today.
In Solitude’s Shadow by David Green
The tides of fate are shifting.
The Banished have returned, and they have set their eyes on the walls of Solitude.
Zanna Alpenwood, a powerful mage, and two hundred aged and forgotten Sparkers are all that stand between the Banished and the nation of Haltveldt. With time running out and the world at stake, Zanna is forced to reach out to her estranged daughter, Calene, and set her on an impossible quest.
Calene quickly learns that enemies make unlikely allies as she teams up with both friend and foe on her journey to save her mother and Haltveldt. Forging their way over land and sea, uncovering dark plots and secret societies, Calene is forced to decide between her masters and her own conscience.
Will they arrive in time to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction? Only one thing is certain; Ruin is assured if Solitude falls.
Shields in Shadow by Andy Peloquin
Burdened with legend. Hardened by battle scars. Hellbent on bloody revenge.
As the son of a famous general, Aravon is proud to captain his own company against his people's enemy. But the experienced veteran’s march toward glory dissolves into pain as ruthless barbarians massacre every last one of his soldiers. Burning for vengeance, he leaps at the chance to spearhead a specially-trained company and pay back his tragic defeat with blood.
Desperate to not repeat his tragic past, Aravon trains his new warriors relentlessly. But the captain fears that all the tactical drills in the world may not matter when they’re forced to defend a helpless village against overwhelming odds. As his quick raids sow chaos amongst the enemy, the bloodthirsty savages threaten to make Aravon's nightmarish history repeat itself…
Can the captain take command of his fighting spirit before the kingdom falls to barbarous invaders?
Shields in Shadow is the first book in the action-packed Silent Champions military fantasy series. If you like square-jawed heroes, well-oiled military action, and epic world-building, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s gripping novel.
Once There Were Heroes by Philip C. Quaintrell
THE GODS ARE DEAD.
IN THEIR ABSENCE, THERE CAN BE ONLY CHAOS. ONLY WAR.
AND THEY ARE NOT ALL THAT HAS FADED FROM THE WORLD OF VERDA...
Once there were heroes. Brave men and women who showed their quality to be above the rest. Those whose deeds earned them the heart of a dragon. Those whose courage and strength resonated with the unborn, who, in their eggs, can wait thousands of years for a warrior worthy of them.
These heroes rose up on young battlefields and defended the weak and oppressed across all of Erador. They did so because they were inspired. They had only to look up and see.
Dragons Riders!
The last noble warriors in the realm. Only heroes can embolden the ordinary. For centuries, millennia, the Dragon Riders galvanised generation after generation, adding Riders to their ranks, birthing dragons from their eggs.
But there are no more heroes. War with the Andarens is like nothing the Riders, nor the armies of Erador, have ever faced. In the place of heroes there are only soldiers now. Fodder for the machine of war.
This time of twilight is set to be the crowning hour of the dark, when the light is losing its grip. There are those who have been waiting, biding their time in the shadows while the heroes of Verda die out. They worship something ancient. Something forgotten by myth and legend. Something evil.
It falls on a few to keep back that darkness. A few who must rise without inspiration and prove themselves worthy.
The Throne of Ice & Ash by J.D.L. Rosell
A throne in peril. A tragic betrayal. Two heirs struggling to save their land. The prophesied war engulfing the world…
Bjorn, youngest heir to the Mad Jarl of Oakharrow,has always felt more at ease with a quill than a sword. Yet when calamity strikes his family, he draws a blade and leads a company of warriors into the cold mountains in pursuit of a mysterious foe. Though he seeks vengeance, an ancient power stirs within him, and the whispers of prophecy beckon him toward an ominous destiny...
Aelthena, Bjorn’s sister, was born with the aptitude to lead, and she’s eager to prove it. But her society’s rules for women, and her love for her brother, restrain her efforts to command. As she walks the fine line between ambition and virtue, enemies of mankind and myth rally against Oakharrow, and even her allies question her right to rule…
The Runewar is rising—it begins with the fall of a throne.
The Throne of Ice & Ash is Book 1 of The Runewar Saga, a new epic fantasy series by best-selling author J.D.L. Rosell. It tells the tale of Viking warriors, runic magic, and legendary creatures inspired by Norse mythology. If you love character-driven sword and sorcery, then embark on this journey through the perilous world of Enea…
Divinity’s Twilight by Christopher Russell
A world consumed by war . . .
An ancient evil resurrected . . .
A millennia old bargain comes due . . .
When two blades clash, the third will fall, and the fate of all will be jeopardized. To save Lozaria, the failures of the past must be atoned for by a new generation of heroes. The time has come for mortals to cast off sight and, in doing so, truly come to see . . .
Victory is never absolute
Seven centuries ago, the forces of order won the Illyriite War on the plains of Har'muth. Darmatus and Rabban Aurelian slew their elder brother, Sarcon, the despotic architect of the conflict, then sacrificed themselves to banish the cataclysmic vortex opened with his dying breath. The first advent of the Oblivion Well was thwarted. Even without their vanished gods, the seven races of Lozaria proved themselves capable of safeguarding their world.
Or so the story goes.
The year is now 697 A.B.H. (After the Battle of Har'muth). Though war itself remains much the same, the weapons with which it is waged have evolved. Airships bearing powerful cannons ply the skies, reducing the influence of mages and their spells. Long range communication has brought far flung regions of Lozaria closer than ever before. At the center of this technological revolution are the three Terran states of Darmatia, Rabban, and Sarconia, who have fought a near ceaseless campaign of 700 years in an attempt to best each other. The roots of their enmity lie buried beneath the wasteland of Har'muth, a place all three nations consider best forgotten.
However, an ancient power sealed within Har'muth has not forgotten them, and the descendants of those who fought on that field must now take a stand to rectify the mistakes of the past.
Seeds of War by João F. Silva
"He ran like the monster he was. And the smoke followed."
GIMLORE is a single mother and war veteran turned crime boss set on protecting her family and her town.
ORBERESIS is a petty thief pretending to be God to protect a terrible secret.
REDNOW is the world's most feared mercenary, but his best days are behind him and there's one job left to do.
In a world of dangerous monsters and devastating smoke magic, the seeds of war are being planted. Allies must be treasured and enemies defeated.
The Smokesmiths is a gritty epic fantasy series with a harsh world of smoke magic, alien creatures and ancient secrets where characters do their best to come out on top. Peace will not last.
Once more, don’t miss your chance to nab free paperbacks of these books! Enter the giveaway through the button below before the 28th.
Check back in the future for more lists like this geared toward other niches within high fantasy. I'll see you then!
- Josiah
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