LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Way of Shadows

Brent Weeks2008

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same tense register, still grimdark

1 more ↓

  • The Hunger of the Gods

    John Gwynne2022

    A dragon god is freed, prompting three warriors to pursue separate paths of rescue and revenge across a Norse-inspired landscape.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

tense → meditative

3 more ↓

  • Ink

    Hal Duncan2007

    Gods and mortals clash in a shifting city where reality is written on skin. The story follows a cycle of mythic archetypes across time.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    tense → cold, still grimdark

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Against All Things Ending

    Stephen R. Donaldson2010

    Thomas Covenant is resurrected, an act that threatens to destroy the world. Linden Avery and her son search for a way to stop the coming apocalypse.

    tense → bleak, still grimdark

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The Mane Event

    Shelly Laurenston2007

    A female cop reunites with a childhood friend who is now a lion-shifter. They navigate a romantic attraction while he pursues her in New York.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Mile High

    Liz Tomforde2023

    A professional hockey player and a flight attendant clash on the team's private plane during a season-long road trip.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Behind the Net

    Stephanie Archer2024

    A former musician becomes the live-in assistant for a professional hockey goalie she knew in high school.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    tense → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Atlantis Gene

    A.G. Riddle2013

    A geneticist and a counter-terrorism agent uncover a global conspiracy involving human evolution and an ancient Antarctic discovery.

    tense → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Monster Hunter International

    Larry Correia2007

    An accountant kills his boss, who has become a werewolf, and is recruited by a private company that hunts monsters for government bounties.

    tense → propulsive

    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.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·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.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·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.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    Same tense register, still grimdark

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Mirror Empire

    Kameron Hurley2014

    Parallel worlds collide as a celestial event allows one reality to invade another. It follows multiple characters during a global genocide.

    tense → cold, still grimdark

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Against All Things Ending

    Stephen R. Donaldson2010

    Thomas Covenant is resurrected, an act that threatens to destroy the world. Linden Avery and her son search for a way to stop the coming apocalypse.

    tense → bleak, still grimdark

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1