Guardians of the keep

A Madness of Angels

Kate Griffin

A sorcerer is resurrected in modern London two years after his death and must navigate the city's hidden magical life to find his killer.

pace0·prose-1·bleak0

The Claw of the Conciliator

Gene Wolfe1981

An exiled torturer travels with a gem that can heal the dead. The narrative uses archaic vocabulary and an unreliable perspective.

tense → dreamlike

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

Against All Things Ending

Stephen R. Donaldson2010

Thomas Covenant is resurrected, an act that threatens to destroy the world. Linden Avery and her son search for a way to stop the coming apocalypse.

tense → bleak, still epic fantasy

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

Love & Sleep

John Crowley1994

Pierce Moffett researches the history of magic while living in a small town. The narrative shifts between his life and the Renaissance.

tense → meditative

pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

The Duke and I

Julia Quinn2000

A duke and a debutante enter a fake courtship to avoid social pressure. They navigate Regency London's marriage market while hiding their deal.

tense → playful

pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

On Dublin Street

Samantha Young2012

An American woman in Scotland enters a sex-only arrangement with her roommate's brother to avoid emotional intimacy. It is a contemporary romance.

tense → warm

pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

Night Pleasures

Sherrilyn Kenyon2002

An immortal warrior and a skeptical accountant are handcuffed together while being hunted by supernatural predators.

tense → playful

pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

Promise of Blood

Brian McClellan2013

A Field Marshal stages a bloody coup against his king and must defend the new government using soldiers who gain magic powers from gunpowder.

tense → propulsive, still epic fantasy

pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

Dungeon Crawler Carl

Matt Dinniman2020

Earth is converted into an 18-level televised death game. A man and a cat must navigate traps and monsters to survive.

tense → sardonic

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

The Stainless Steel Rat

Harry Harrison1961

A futuristic con man is caught by the Special Corps and forced to use his criminal skills to catch other lawbreakers.

tense → playful

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

The Habitation of the Blessed

Catherynne M. Valente2010

A priest finds the lost kingdom of Prester John. The story is told through three nested layers of journals, myths, and historical accounts.

tense → dreamlike

pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

Among Others

Jo Walton2011

A teenage girl at a 1970s boarding school copes with her twin's death through books and subtle magic. It is written as a series of diary entries.

tense → tender

pace-2·prose-1·bleak-1

Tehanu

Ursula K. Le Guin1990

A widow cares for an aging mage who has lost his magic. The story focuses on domestic life and the aftermath of past adventures.

tense → meditative

pace-2·prose0·bleak-1

Last Argument of Kings

Joe Abercrombie2008

The Union faces internal revolt and external invasion as a dying king leaves a power vacuum. Multiple POV characters navigate a cynical war.

tense → bleak, still epic fantasy

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

The Black Company

Glen Cook1984

An elite mercenary unit serves an immortal sorceress. The story is told through the cynical journals of the company's doctor and historian.

tense → grim, still epic fantasy

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

The Dragon Republic

R. F. Kuang2019

A shaman soldier joins a rebellion to overthrow the Empress while struggling with opium addiction and a vengeful god. It mirrors Chinese history.

Same tense register, still epic fantasy

pace0·prose-1·bleak+1