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J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien

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  • Across the Face of the World

    Russell Kirkpatrick2003

    Two brothers flee their village to warn the world of an ancient immortal's return. They lead a small group on a trek across a frozen landscape.

    elegiac → earnest, still high fantasy

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    elegiac → bleak, still epic fantasy

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • 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.

    elegiac → dreamlike

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

    A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

To recover

elegiac → earnest, still high fantasy

3 more ↓

  • Off to Be the Wizard

    Scott Meyer2013

    A hacker discovers reality is a computer program and flees to the Middle Ages to pose as a wizard. He joins a group of other time-traveling men.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Storm Warning

    Mercedes Lackey1994

    The kingdom of Valdemar prepares for war against an Eastern Empire led by a ruler with unknown magical powers.

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Fifty Shades of Grey

    E.L. James2000

    A college student enters a sexual contract with a wealthy businessman. The story focuses on their power dynamics and BDSM encounters.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    elegiac → sardonic

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

  • 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.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Mind's Eye

    Douglas E. Richards2014

    A man discovers he has the ability to access the internet and process data directly with his mind. He is hunted by a secret organization.

    elegiac → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Boneland

    Alan Garner2012

    An adult Colin searches for his lost sister while an ancient shaman performs rituals in the same landscape. The two timelines mirror one another.

    Same elegiac register

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • 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.

    elegiac → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • 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.

    elegiac → tender

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    elegiac → bleak, still epic fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

  • 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.

    elegiac → grim, still epic fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

  • 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.

    elegiac → tense, still epic fantasy

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2