LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Fires of Heaven

Robert Jordan1993

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • First Rider's Call

    Kristen Britain2003

    Karigan G'ladheon is pulled back into the service of the king's magical messengers. She faces an ancient evil and the ghost of the First Rider.

    propulsive → earnest, still epic fantasy

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Warrior Prophet

    R. Scott Bakker2005

    During a holy war, a monk with the power to manipulate thoughts positions himself as a messiah to seize control of the crusading armies.

    propulsive → cold, still epic fantasy

    pace0·prose+2·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.

    propulsive → dreamlike

    pace0·prose+2·bleak0

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

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

    propulsive → meditative

    pace0·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Neon Gods

    Katee Robert2021

    In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.

    propulsive → tense

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Starter Villain

    John Scalzi2023

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

    propulsive → wry

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Playing with Fire

    Gena Showalter2006

    A barista gains elemental superpowers after being poisoned and must flee from a government agent. They eventually work together to escape.

    propulsive → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Promise of Blood

    Brian McClellan2013

    A Field Marshal stages a bloody coup against his king and must defend the new government using soldiers who gain magic powers from gunpowder.

    Same propulsive register, still epic fantasy

    pace+2·prose0·bleak+1

  • 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.

    propulsive → sardonic

    pace+2·prose-1·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.

    propulsive → playful

    pace+2·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.

    propulsive → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·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.

    propulsive → tender

    pace-1·prose0·bleak0

  • Tehanu

    Ursula K. Le Guin1990

    A widow cares for an aging mage who has lost his magic. The story focuses on domestic life and the aftermath of past adventures.

    propulsive → meditative

    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.

    propulsive → bleak, still epic fantasy

    pace+1·prose+1·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.

    propulsive → grim, still epic fantasy

    pace+1·prose+1·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.

    propulsive → tense, still epic fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2