Dark Fantasy

At its most basic, dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element. A stricter definition is difficult to pin down, as authors, publishers, and readers have used "dark fantasy" in various contexts throughout the years.

Dark fantasy is often used as a synonym for supernatural horror. Some authors and critics also apply the term to high fantasy stories that feature anti-heroic or morally ambiguous protagonists. Fantasy works by writers typically associated with the horror genre are sometimes described as "dark fantasy." Conversely, the term is also used t
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The Girl with a Thousand Faces
Verity Guild
Bone of My Bone
Death's Daughter (Children of the Old Ones, #1)
All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron, #2)
Mortedant's Peril (The Trials of Irody Hasp, #1)
A Queen Crowned in Flames (Bonded to Beasts #2)
A Dark and Wild Wood
A Mark Cursed by Stars (The Cursed Celestials Book 1)
Crown Me Dead (Heartstring Duet, #1)
The Wicked Sea (The Wicked Sea, #1)
Deathbringer (Deathbringer, #1)
An Arcane Study of Stars
Honor & Heresy
Bloodsinger (The Fire That Binds, #2)
Crown Me Dead (Heartstring Duet, #1)
Alchemised
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)
Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)
The Poet Empress
Blood Over Bright Haven
The Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy, #2)
Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)
Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)
Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1)
The Devils (The Devils, #1)
The Ascended (Aesymarean Duet, #1)
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Legacy, #2)
One Small Echo (Shadowsong, #1)
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-ChanThe Witch's Heart by Genevieve GornichecEmpire of the Vampire by Jay KristoffProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirHall of Smoke by H.M. Long
Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2021
211 books — 244 voters
The Name of the Wind by Patrick RothfussA Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinThe Wise Man's Fear by Patrick RothfussMistborn by Brandon SandersonThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
My Favorite Fantasy Books
956 books — 701 voters

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. MaasGraceling by Kristin CashorePoison Study by Maria V. SnyderCrown of Midnight by Sarah J. MaasThe Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
Books With Heroes/Heroines Who Are Assassins
1,318 books — 4,707 voters
The Cavalier by Israh AziziThe Legacy of the Key by S.L. MorganWhen Secrets Bloom by Patricia  FurstenbergThe Uninvited by S.L. MorganMy Eyes Are Black Holes by Logan Ryan Smith
Neat Covers
137 books — 113 voters

The Blade Itself by Joe AbercrombiePrince of Thorns by Mark  LawrenceA Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinLast Argument of Kings by Joe AbercrombieBefore They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
The Grimdarks
486 books — 1,206 voters

The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)
Prince of Thorns (Broken Empire, #1)
Alchemised
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
Before They Are Hanged (The First Law, #2)
Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)
Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1)
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower, #1)
The Black Company (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #1)
Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels, #1)
The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5)
Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1)
Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)
King of Thorns (Broken Empire, #2)

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