After
The Lost Metal
Brandon Sanderson2022
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing faster
More like it
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Foundryside
Robert Jackson Bennett2018
A thief steals an artifact that allows her to hear the 'instructions' of inanimate objects in a city of industrialized magic.
Same propulsive register, still epic fantasy
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
- pace-1prose0bleak0
Voyage of the Shadowmoon
Sean McMullen2002
A crew on a disguised merchant ship witnesses a magical doomsday weapon and must prevent its use. It combines high fantasy with clockwork tech.
Same propulsive register, still epic fantasy
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
First lord's fury
Jim Butcher2009
The final book of the series follows Gaius Octavian as he leads a military defense against an insectoid hive mind. It concludes the war.
Same propulsive register, still epic fantasy
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Ace of Skulls
Chris Wooding2013
The crew of the airship Ketty Jay navigates a civil war they helped start. They must choose a side while the captain pursues a personal rescue.
Same propulsive register, still steampunk
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1 more ↓ ↑
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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
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
Denser prose
propulsive → dreamlike
- pace-2prose+2bleak+1
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.
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1
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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.
pace-3·prose+2·bleak0
3 more ↓ ↑
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Dæmonomania
John Crowley2000
In the third book of the Aegypt cycle, characters in the 1970s and the Renaissance navigate secret histories and alchemy. It is a slow study.
propulsive → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0
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Ficciones
Jorge Luis Borges1945
A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.
propulsive → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0
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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.
propulsive → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1
To recover
- pace-2prose-1bleak-1
The Princess
Lori Wick2006
In the fictional land of Pendaran, a prince enters an arranged marriage with a commoner who must learn the ways of the royal court.
propulsive → warm
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Anna's return
Marta Perry2010
An unmarried woman returns to her Amish community with an adopted baby. She seeks forgiveness while hiding the child from a violent father.
propulsive → earnest
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3 more ↓ ↑
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Happy, Happy, Happy
Phil Robertson2013
The founder of Duck Commander recounts his life from a difficult upbringing to business success. He focuses on his faith and outdoor lifestyle.
propulsive → earnest
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1
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Walking Disaster
Jamie McGuire2013
This novel retells the events of 'Beautiful Disaster' from the perspective of Travis Maddox. It follows his college years and obsession with Abby.
Same propulsive register
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1
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And One Last Thing...
Molly Harper2010
After a public divorce, a woman moves to a small town to start over and finds herself pursued by a local deputy.
propulsive → wry
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1
Slower
- pace-3prose+2bleak0
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.
propulsive → meditative
pace-3·prose+2·bleak0
- pace-3prose+2bleak+1
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.
propulsive → elegiac
pace-3·prose+2·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
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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-3·prose+2·bleak0
- pace-3prose+2bleak0
Unfinished Tales
J.R.R. Tolkien1980
A collection of incomplete narratives and essays that expand the history, geography, and lore of Middle-earth.
propulsive → meditative
pace-3·prose+2·bleak0
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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.
propulsive → dreamlike
pace-3·prose+2·bleak0
Heavier
- pace-1prose+1bleak+2
An Autumn War
Daniel Abraham2008
An empire that relies on captured spirits for its economy faces a military invasion from a nation using biological warfare.
propulsive → elegiac, still epic fantasy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2
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The Darkness That Comes Before
R. Scott Bakker2003
A monk, a barbarian, and a sorcerer navigate a holy war. The narrative focuses on philosophical manipulation and a cold, strategic view of power.
propulsive → cold, still epic fantasy
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+2
3 more ↓ ↑
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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
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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
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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
