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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Japanese Gothic
Blood Bound (Cursed Covenant, #1)
The Wicked Sea (The Wicked Sea, #1)
Deathbringer (Deathbringer, #1)
Crown Me Dead (Heartstring Duet #1)
Honor & Heresy
Bloodsinger (The Fire That Binds, #2)
Year of the Mer
The Arachnid (The Poisoner #2)
West of Wicked (The Great and Terrible Land, #1)
Deathly Fates
To Steal a Throne
Vile Lady Villains
The Thorns We Inherit (Tales of Nyxarra #1)
Love Lethal, Death Divine
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 Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy, #2)
The Poet Empress
Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)
Blood Over Bright Haven
Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1)
Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Legacy, #2)
Cinder Vale (Sins of the Zodiac, #3)
The Devils (The Devils, #1)
Eldritch (The Eating Woods, #2)
The Cat From The Moon by T.E.C. BuchananPrince of Thorns by Mark  LawrenceKing of Thorns by Mark  LawrenceHeavy Duty People by Iain ParkeEmperor of Thorns by Mark  Lawrence
Best Books for Dark Happy Endings
122 books — 187 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
136 books — 108 voters

Interview with the Vampire by Anne RiceVesper Glen by Coryn NobleDracula by Bram StokerThe Vampire Lestat by Anne RiceThe Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
Fantastic Vampire Fiction
125 books — 78 voters
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. RowlingA Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinThe Name of the Wind by Patrick RothfussMistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Best Fantasy World
1,686 books — 2,049 voters

The Dark Wife by Sarah DiemerThe One Who Eats Monsters by Casey MatthewsThe Midnight Hunt by L.L. RaandWitch Wolf by Winter PenningtonSanta Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
F/F Paranormal and Urban Fantasy
448 books — 576 voters
Coilhunter by Dean F. WilsonThe Gunslinger by Stephen  KingBloodrush by Ben GalleyBloodmoon by Ben GalleyBloodfeud by Ben Galley
Weird Westerns
292 books — 268 voters

The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)
Prince of Thorns (Broken Empire, #1)
Alchemised
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)
Before They Are Hanged (The First Law, #2)
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #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)
King of Thorns (Broken Empire, #2)
Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

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