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After

Scroll of Years

Chris Willrich2013

6 of 6 directions open

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  • The Ladies of Mandrigyn

    Barbara Hambly1984

    Women from a conquered city kidnap a mercenary captain and poison him to force him to train them into an army. It is a military training story.

    playful → earnest, still sword and sorcery

    pace0·prose-1·bleak0

Denser prose

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  • The Claw of the Conciliator

    Gene Wolfe1981

    An exiled torturer travels with a gem that can heal the dead. The narrative uses archaic vocabulary and an unreliable perspective.

    playful → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

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

    playful → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    Same playful register

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2)

    Michael J. Sullivan

    A thief and a mercenary are framed for a king's murder. They must work together to clear their names across a traditional fantasy setting.

    Same playful register, still sword and sorcery

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Kane

    L.A. Casey

    A woman navigates her changing relationship with a childhood friend known for his reckless behavior.

    Same playful register

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Love Bites

    Lynsay Sands2004

    A vampire turns a coroner into an immortal to save her life after an accident. They navigate their new bond while being pursued by others.

    Same playful register

    pace0·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.

    playful → sardonic

    pace+1·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.

    Same playful register, still heist

    pace+1·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.

    playful → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak0

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.

    playful → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

  • Unfinished Tales

    J.R.R. Tolkien1980

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

    playful → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·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.

    playful → dreamlike

    pace-2·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.

    playful → bleak, still epic fantasy

    pace0·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.

    playful → grim, still epic fantasy

    pace0·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.

    playful → tense, still epic fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+2