LitQueuelitqueue

After

Valiant

Laurann Dohner2012

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same earnest register, still paranormal romance

1 more ↓

  • Until the Sun Falls from the Sky

    Kristen Ashley2016

    A woman discovers she is the fated mate of a powerful vampire prince in a world of ancient prophecies.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Madame Bovary

    Gustave Flaubert1856

    A doctor's wife in provincial France seeks escape from her mundane life through expensive tastes and extramarital affairs.

    earnest → tense

    pace0·prose+3·bleak+1

  • Paradise Logic

    Sophie Kemp2025

    A young woman follows advice from a magazine to become a perfect partner. Her quest involves surreal jobs and messages from the beyond.

    earnest → epic

    pace0·prose+3·bleak+1

  • Mad Mabel

    Sally Hepworth2025

    An eighty-one-year-old woman with a history of killing people tries to hide her past when a curious young girl moves into the neighborhood.

    earnest → dark

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The Dreaming Stars

    Tim Pratt2018

    A ragtag crew travels the galaxy to stop an ancient alien race from waking up and consuming all sentient life.

    earnest → playful

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

  • To Catch an Heiress

    Julia Quinn2002

    An agent of the crown kidnaps a woman he mistakes for a spy. She plays along with the identity to hide until she reaches her inheritance age.

    earnest → playful

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

  • Vampire, Interrupted

    Lynsay Sands2008

    An immortal trainee private investigator is targeted by an assassin. A five-hundred-year-old vampire intervenes to protect and court her.

    earnest → playful, still paranormal romance

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

Faster

earnest → propulsive, still paranormal romance

3 more ↓

  • The Warlord Wants Forever

    Kresley Cole2011

    A vampire general hunts a valkyrie who stole his heart centuries ago. They are forced together during a magical competition.

    earnest → playful, still paranormal romance

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Wicked All Night

    Jeaniene Frost2021

    A vampire and a siren enter a marriage of convenience to protect her from a supernatural threat. They hunt a dark god across the globe.

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Hounded

    Kevin Hearne2011

    A two-thousand-year-old Druid lives in modern Arizona and runs an occult bookshop. He must fight a vengeful Irish god who wants his sword.

    earnest → wry

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    earnest → playful

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

    The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.

    earnest → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak+2

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Tess of the D’Urbervilles

    Thomas Hardy

    A country girl is sent to claim kinship with wealthy relatives. Her life is derailed by a sequence of social betrayals and rigid moral standards.

    earnest → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Brokeback Mountain

    Annie Proulx1997

    Two ranch hands begin a secret sexual and emotional relationship in 1963 Wyoming. The story follows their occasional meetings over twenty years.

    earnest → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Bright Side

    Kim Holden2014

    An optimistic college student moves to Minnesota for a fresh start while hiding a terminal diagnosis from her best friend.

    earnest → tender

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2