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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An Arcane Inheritance
Dawn of the Firebird
Daggermouth
The House Saphir
Dawn of Chaos and Fury (Legacy, #4)
Hollow (Crown of Hearts and Chaos, #1)
Empire of the Dawn (Empire of the Vampire, #3)
Seven Deadly Thorns
Blackthorn
As Many Souls as Stars
The Sacred Space Between
Eternal Ruin (Immortal Dark, #2)
The Burning Queen (The Ravence Trilogy, #2)
Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd, #1)
The Blackfire Blade (The Last Legacy, #2)
Alchemised
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)
The Ascended (Aesymarean Duet, #1)
The Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy, #2)
Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)
Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)
Blood Over Bright Haven
Hollow (Crown of Hearts and Chaos, #1)
Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1)
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Legacy, #2)
Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy, #3)
The Devils (The Devils, #1)
Dawn of Chaos and Fury (Legacy, #4)
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery
Six of Crows by Leigh BardugoVicious by V.E. SchwabThe Cruel Prince by Holly BlackPrince of Thorns by Mark  LawrenceThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Villain Protagonist
384 books — 644 voters
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley JacksonThe Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins GilmanHer Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria MachadoFrankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft ShelleyWe Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Female-Authored Weird Fiction
464 books — 179 voters

Coilhunter by Dean F. WilsonThe Gunslinger by Stephen  KingBloodrush by Ben GalleyBloodmoon by Ben GalleyBloodfeud by Ben Galley
Weird Westerns
281 books — 267 voters

The Poppy War by R.F. KuangThe Dragon Republic by R.F. KuangSpin the Dawn by Elizabeth LimJade City by Fonda LeeWe Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Asian Inspired Fantasy Novels
173 books — 113 voters

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

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