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After

Magic: The Gathering: Planeswalker

Lynn Abbey1998

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The warded man

    Peter V. Brett2009

    In a world where demons rise from the ground every night, three survivors search for lost magic to fight back. It follows their lives from childhood.

    Same bleak register, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Ink

    Hal Duncan2007

    Gods and mortals clash in a shifting city where reality is written on skin. The story follows a cycle of mythic archetypes across time.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace0·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    bleak → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • Palimpsest

    Catherynne M. Valente2009

    Four strangers visit a secret city accessible only through sexual contact. They become obsessed with returning to the city and its inhabitants.

    bleak → dreamlike, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Vampires Are Forever

    Lynsay Sands2008

    A woman suspects her business partner is a vampire after he attempts to bite her. He tries to convince her they are fated mates.

    bleak → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Mane Event

    Shelly Laurenston2007

    A female cop reunites with a childhood friend who is now a lion-shifter. They navigate a romantic attraction while he pursues her in New York.

    bleak → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Lost Symbol

    Dan Brown2009

    Symbologist Robert Langdon follows a trail of Masonic puzzles through Washington D.C. monuments to save his kidnapped mentor.

    bleak → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    bleak → playful

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Psycho Beasts

    Jasmine Mas2022

    In the third book of a dark fantasy series, a royal heir faces an ultimatum while navigating a reverse harem relationship.

    bleak → sardonic, still dark fantasy

    pace+2·prose0·bleak0

  • 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.

    bleak → propulsive, still dark fantasy

    pace+2·prose0·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.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Unfinished Tales

    J.R.R. Tolkien1980

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

    bleak → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • 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.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

Same bleak register, still dark fantasy

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    pace+1·prose+1·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.

    bleak → grim, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Snow, Glass, Apples

    Neil Gaiman2019

    A retelling of Snow White from the stepmother's perspective. The princess is a vampiric creature and the queen struggles to protect the kingdom.

    bleak → cold, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1