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After

Hellboy, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction

Mike Mignola

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The Gate of Gods

    Martha Wells2005

    In the conclusion of a trilogy, Tremaine Valiarde searches a secondary world for the magical means to save her nation from invaders.

    Same wry register, still reluctant hero

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Soldier of Sidon

    Gene Wolfe2006

    A mercenary in ancient Egypt loses his memory every time he sleeps. He records his days in a scroll while interacting with gods and spirits.

    wry → meditative

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak0

  • In the Night Garden

    Catherynne M. Valente2006

    A girl with tattooed eyelids tells a prince interlocking stories of monsters and folklore. The narrative is a series of nested myths.

    wry → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak0

  • At Swim-Two-Birds

    Flann O'Brien1939

    A student writes a story about a man whose own characters rebel and plot against him. It incorporates Irish myth and multiple layers of fiction.

    wry → playful

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak-1

To recover

wry → playful

3 more ↓

  • Stardust

    Neil Gaiman1999

    A young man crosses a magical border to retrieve a fallen star for his beloved. He discovers the star is a woman being hunted by witches.

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Pawn of Prophecy

    David Eddings1982

    A farm boy travels with a storyteller and a sorceress to recover a stolen magical orb. It is a traditional quest through various kingdoms.

    wry → earnest

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

  • In a Holidaze

    Christina Lauren2020

    A woman stuck in a time loop relives the same Christmas vacation at a Utah cabin. She tries to fix her mistakes and win over a long-time crush.

    wry → warm

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Orcs

    Stan Nicholls2004

    A band of orc mercenaries travels to a new world to lead a revolution against human invaders who have enslaved the local population.

    wry → propulsive, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Changes

    Jim Butcher2010

    A wizard discovers he has a daughter who has been kidnapped by vampires. He must race against time and sacrifice his principles to save her.

    wry → propulsive

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • 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.

    wry → propulsive

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    wry → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • Unfinished Tales

    J.R.R. Tolkien1980

    A collection of incomplete narratives and essays that expand the history, geography, and lore of Middle-earth.

    wry → meditative

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • Moonwise

    Greer Gilman1991

    Two women are pulled into a world created by their own folk-tales. The narrative uses dense, archaic language to describe a shifting landscape.

    wry → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Song of Kali

    Dan Simmons1985

    An American poet travels to Calcutta to find a manuscript by a dead writer. He encounters a cult that worships the goddess of destruction.

    wry → bleak, still cosmic horror

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Empire of the Damned

    Jay Kristoff2024

    A vampire hunter protects the Holy Grail while navigating a war between rival vampire bloodlines. The world is trapped in a permanent night.

    wry → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

  • The Damnation Game

    Clive Barker1985

    An ex-con becomes a bodyguard for a billionaire who made a deal with a supernatural gambler. The debt comes due through gore and resurrection.

    wry → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2