LitQueuelitqueue

After

Queen of the Darkness

Anne Bishop2000

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Running with the Demon

    Terry Brooks1997

    A Knight of the Word and a demon arrive in a small Illinois town during a heatwave. They fight for the soul of a girl with emerging powers.

    dark → tense, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    dark → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

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

    dark → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Mordew

    Alex Pheby2020

    A boy living in a slum discovers he has the power to create life from magical mud. He is taken in by a Master who rules a dark, decaying city.

    dark → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    dark → playful

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Better Off Dead

    Lee Child2021

    Jack Reacher investigates a staged car crash in Arizona and infiltrates a dangerous local crew to find a missing woman.

    dark → propulsive

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Starter Villain

    John Scalzi2023

    A substitute teacher inherits his uncle's secret supervillain business, including a volcano lair and talking cats.

    dark → wry

    pace0·prose-2·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.

    dark → playful

    pace+1·prose-2·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.

    dark → sardonic, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose-1·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.

    dark → propulsive, still dark fantasy

    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.

    dark → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+1·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.

    dark → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·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.

    dark → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

Heavier

dark → bleak, 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.

    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.

    dark → grim, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose0·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.

    dark → cold, still dark fantasy

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+1