LitQueuelitqueue

After

Queen of the Conquered

Kacen Callender2019

5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Daughter of the Blood

    Anne Bishop1998

    Three men protect a young girl destined to become a powerful queen in a world of dark magic. It follows her growth and the politics of her realm.

    Same bleak register, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

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

    bleak → meditative, still unreliable narrator

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → playful

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-3

  • 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.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The Da Vinci Code

    Dan Brown2003

    A symbologist and a cryptologist flee the police while solving puzzles hidden in art. They search for a secret regarding the Holy Grail.

    bleak → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-3

  • 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.

    bleak → earnest

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3

  • The Martian

    Andy Weir2011

    A man does arithmetic to stay alive on Mars. Problem, attempt, result, repeat.

    bleak → wry

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-3

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-2·bleak-3

  • 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·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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·prose-1·bleak-2

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+1·bleak-2

  • 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+1·bleak-2

  • 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+1·bleak-2