(Part 2) Best dark fantasy books according to redditors
We found 3,542 Reddit comments discussing the best dark fantasy books. We ranked the 880 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
![Transformation [LitRPG series. Book I]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CjECi7VrL.jpg)
Brian's book is just one of the novels in the Orbit Cyber Monday sale. All are $2.99 and a list of the fantasy titles is provided here:
Title|Author|Book #|Series|Rating | # Ratings
:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:
The Fifth Season | N.K. Jemisin | 1 | Broken Earth | 4.31 | 34,271
The Black Prism | Brent Weeks | 1 | Lightbringer | 4.24 | 68,494
The Last Wish | Andrzej Sapkowski | 1 | Introducing the Witcher | 4.20 | 58,433
Blood of Elves | Andrzej Sapkowski | 1 | The Witcher | 4.23 | 32,039
The Shadow of What Was Lost | James Islington | 1 | Licanius Trilogy | 4.16 | 9,656
Sins of Empire | Brian McClellan | 1 | Gods of Blood and Powder | 4.47 | 3,727
Promise of Blood | Brian McClellan | 1 | Powder Mage| 4.16| 26,245
The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | 1 | First Law | 4.14| 111,811
Theft of Swords^1 | Michael J. Sullivan | 1 | Riyria Revelations | 4.21 | 38,525
The City Stained Red | Sam Sykes | 1 | Bring Down Heaven | 3.68 | 1,088
The Red Knight | Miles Cameron | 1 | Traitor Son Cycle | 4.12 | 10,607
Skyborn | David Dalglish | 1 | Seraphim | 3.92 | 1,010
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^1 In full disclosure - this is a book that I wrote.
The Dungeon Lord name kept me from reading the series for quite a while. The format of common noun + common noun usually heralds nothing good, but while the series is pretty mediocre, it's top-tier LitRPG because most LitRPG is trash.
For a while, I didn't read Mother of Learning, as the title puts me in mind of those translated light novels that are always rendered in broken, over the top, anime style English. The opening paragraphs and even the first chapter aren't really anything remarkable either, but once the story gets going it gets really good.
I really enjoy Kit Falbo's The Crafting of Chess, and I don't feel like it gets a lot of advertising/talk. https://www.amazon.com/Crafting-Chess-LitRPG-adventure-ebook/dp/B07P1YRHTX/
Also, Sarah Lin's trilogy New Game Minus https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Faces-LitRPG-Adventure-Minus-ebook/dp/B07KMMT9TX/
She has a superb Urban Fantasy Wuxiua coming out too.
Let the right one in
I'd recommend Hugo Huesca's Dungeon Lord. It hits all/most of your likes, and very few/any of your dislikes.
I completely understand. Some characters rub me the wrong way as well! Thanks for giving my work a try. And I'd encourage you to keep giving indie writers opportunities. There are some great works out there. I'd recommend Phil Tucker's The Path of Flames, Timandra Whitecastel's Touch of Iron, and Benedict Patrick's They Only Come Out at Night.
You must have a super strict definition of what you consider "progression fantasy" (vs I guess other fantasy that doesn't have strict RPG quantification).
Some other series that I consider progression fantasy and I enjoyed:
To me "normal" length book is 300-350 pages.
> why aren't established fantasy authors rushing to deliver?
New niche (niche-ier?) genre labels appear all the time, so there are probably a ton of fantasy stories out there that have that "progression" aspect to it that you are overlooking.
Seriously, just climb down through Amazon's category labels to the bottom of fantasy limb and read there.
The difference between "fantasy" and "progression fantasy" is how much the author details the main character(s) montages.
You should definitely give 'Black Sun Rising' of the Coldfire trilogy a read my friend.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rising-Coldfire-Trilogy-Book/dp/0886775272
Gerald Tarrant is one of the most awesome, unscrupulous and down right entertaining bad guys around.
The Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. (And her related works in the same world--I haven't read her new series yet, so I can't really say if it's similar or not.) They're heavy on the romance without being too "fluffy".
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/20451/who-says-this-ol-cant-become-a-splendid-slime
Office Lady reincarnated as a slime. A little worried that the author's slowing down is turning into the author stopping this series.
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https://www.amazon.com/That-Reincarnated-Slime-light-novel-ebook/dp/B076H132D2/ref=pd_cp_351_1/131-0686409-1127854?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B076H132D2&pd_rd_r=1040ec8c-2170-481c-b955-6b04dc76527e&pd_rd_w=glHS3&pd_rd_wg=hzJUj&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=N3XZPC8B5H02AJQ4705Q&psc=1&refRID=N3XZPC8B5H02AJQ4705Q
Office Worker reincarnated as a slime. Really fun series, Eventually City management/politics with big battles.
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https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/20568/tree-of-aeons-an-isekai-story
Guy reincarnates as a sentient tree. Slow paced skill growth into city building/unit management.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CQMYQT5/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title
Reincarnated as a Lovecraftian horror: Yuri princess edition
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Oh, just noticed you also said born as a monster....
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/8894/everybody-loves-large-chests
MC is a monster, one of the best litrpg monster series I've read, HOWEVER, it does have lots of raunchy NSFW content mixed in there. The Amazon versions (starting with https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076NSQ6JT/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title ) toned down the sex scenes but it does still have a lot of them.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NNWZT9M/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3
A skeleton from an world set up like an RPG gets teleported in space and begins a Sci-Fi adventure on an abandoned spaceport.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078KGS4V4?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_pwh_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
Toy Golem leveling up and fighting to rescue his owner.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LHHY85/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title
A goblin joins a camp of bandits.
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So, so many reincarnated as a dungeon core novels, but not sure if that fits in with your "monster" request.
> There are an infinite amount of different aspects to mana, and the type that you cultivate will determine many of your abilities. There's the classics like fire, air, shadow, etc. but also more abstract types like gravity, energy, life, existence.
Like this a lot!
> The parts I have plotted out will take place on the Island of Paradise, an island rich in ambient mana but nearly unknown to the outside world, and the region of Gavel, a subcontinent defined by the constant war between the resident colonies of powerful kingdoms sent there to establish a hold on the land.
Cool!
> Kiro: a member of the lowest class on the island of paradise, he is one of the few people on the entire planet forbidden from using mana. Though he has above-average latent talent, a mishap in the test he was given has left him, in a practical sense, crippled.
Mm. You mentioned this being similar to Cradle already, and it is. It's just a super common xianxia trope in general, though. Sundered Soul, Hollow Core...you get the idea. It's turning into a really common trope, both in western xianxia and Chinese originals.
> Ok I just realized that he kinda sounds like a copy-paste of Lindon from Will Wight's cradle, but trust me he goes a completely different direction.
If a part of the premise or hero sounds so similar to a famous book that you feel like you need to defend it before you even write it, it's probably going to come across as too similar to readers as well. This doesn't mean you can't draw inspiration from other books - everyone does that - but you may want to have elements that you use to distinguish the story before you get into the tropes that feel similar to the existing books.
> Sera: born on the same day as Kiro, they were thought to be destined rivals. She grows up the prodigy of her generation, using wit and charm and overwhelming force to race up the ranks at record pace. And, instead of rivals, she grows up Kiro's closest friend. Lately, she has been training as a sect apprentice, hoping to gain even more insight on the path of immortality.
I like rivals, but you may want to change the name. This is the same name as the sister from Arcane Ascension and sounds very similar.
> Aetna: a long-forgotten saint of storms and wisdom, she has been slumbering for so long that she has fallen several levels of power. Still, she retains her immortality and hopes to find some treasures that will restore her to her former glory. Some new, not-dead-in-a-thousand-year-old-tomb followers also wouldn't go amiss...
Please just don't make her a thousand year old anime loli. Thanks in advance.
Overall, this book concept sounds cool, and I wish you luck with writing it!
I'll second that, and recommend the book as well (Winter Tide; I haven't read the second in the series yet).
While on the subject, I'll be lazy and just put my full reply here: I'll recommend Tor.com's short fiction in general. Not all of it is perfect, of course, but I'd say generally above average and most definitely SJ themed to the point that finding a straight couple in a romance or a straight human male protagonist is a needle in a haystack. It usually doesn't come across as hamfisted, instead quite casual, which I prefer.
Elizabeth Bear's Deriving Life
More Ruthanna Emrys: The Word of Flesh and Soul (local interest quote: “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” ) and Those Who Watch (my personal introduction to the modern Lovecraftian revival)
Sharing largely because of the name: Pat Cadigan, AI and the Trolley Problem
Beneath Ceaseless Skies and Lightspeed have a similar SJ bend, maybe not quite the same extent, and frequent good stories.
Novels... Malka Older's The Centenal Cycle. Interesting form of "micro-governments" and democracy, the interactions between micro-governments, etc. Same trend of "casual acknowledgement of SJ trends, not too hamfisted" that allows for representation but doesn't feel like you're being bludgeoned.
Despite being a heavy litRPG reader I'm probably not the person to ask due to my highly idiosyncratic tastes (I mostly avoid books set in VR for example) I recommend the following:
I just read Changing Faces: New Game Minus, and the MC is a former NPC that becomes a "player", but doesn't know it's a game world. So he's dealing with nonsensical game mechanics (getting exp, getting stronger at a level up, etc.) and fully aware of how ridiculous it would be in a realistic world.
Definitely not clueless or stupid/bashful.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Faces-Game-Minus-Book-ebook/dp/B07KMMT9TX
Some other recs:
Drew Hayes' series: Spells, Swords, & Stealth - "NPCs" in a Dungeons and Dragons-esque world have to become adventurers. The main characters definitely are aware of D&D tropes and aren't stupid. This is a really good series, and it's a good time to get into it as the next book is coming out next month.
https://www.amazon.ca/NPCs-Spells-Swords-Stealth-Book-ebook/dp/B00KB2RLKO
Hero of Thera: The MC gets sucked into a new world with game-like mechanics (leveling up, picking classes, new skills, new gear, etc.). So that I guess is an Isekai book. What sets it apart is the great writing and worldbuilding.
Also a good time to get into this, as book 2 should be coming out next month.
https://www.amazon.ca/Hero-Thera-LitRPG-Eric-Nylund-ebook/dp/B0719CYNCG
Full disclosure - I edited book 4 of Spells, Swords & Stealth and book 2 of Hero of Thera. But I'd recommend them even if I hadn't.
That sounds almost exactly like Black Sun Rising. It is more of a fantasy book though, with some light science fiction touches. The natural force at work on this planet is called "the fae".
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Sun-Rising-Coldfire-Trilogy/dp/0756403146/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347638379&sr=8-1&keywords=black+sun+rising
The book itself is good, with the highlight being the unique setting the author created.
The Child Thief, by Brom.
It's a modern, dark retelling of Peter Pan, filled with fairies and monsters. In the book, peter doesn't whisk children away for fun and adventure, rather he recruits them to fight a war for his homeland. I'm not usually into fantasy books, but I could not put this book down.
Is this request open in the future? I have a finished epic fantasy novel that I'm not quite ready to publish yet (kind of puttering around with it anxiously). Right now I've only published LitRPG books, which based on your preferences I wouldn't necessarily recommend to you.
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EDIT: Okay, if you guys insist, here goes!
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New Game Minus is my attempt to do something a little different in the LitRPG genre, with an NPC as protagonist to flip some common tropes around:
Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KMMT9TX/
Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N8CH9GN/
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Street Cultivation is a new experiment I just started, serializing a story for free. I'm aiming for a modern-feeling, down-to-earth xianxia story. Only three chapters right now, but they're free here:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/23220/street-cultivation-a-modern-wuxialitrpg-hybrid
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One day I'll publish my epic fantasy, though! These were both side projects I wrote as breaks from other writing, whereas I've been pouring love into that one for years.
> Each entry in round one has a 1 in 30 chance of making it through to the final ten, and in a contest largely hinging on judges’ personal tastes, it’s anyone’s game.
Surprisingly, I have a harder time finding self-published books that are interesting to me from cover and book description. That cover and description are great and then I am hugely disappointed by the book, has rarely happened to me yet. Probably just lucky.
Decided to look through 4+ star fantasy releases on amazon of the last 30 days.
This books main character seems to be a dungeon... what?... that's a peculiar perspective, even if the book wouldn't be any good. Somebody called it a "Dungeon-centric novel" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6SCHC8/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_1
Sounds like, "The Black Jewels: Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness" by Anne Bishop.
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Jewels-Trilogy-Daughter-Darkness/dp/0451529014/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=Anne+Bishop&qid=1565537092&s=gateway&sr=8-17
The Etched City by K.J. Bishop.
I read the first two chapters and thought I knew exactly what this book was all about. It was weird and mind blowing (to me) and Bishop is now my favourite author that is still alive.
It's been stated already, but it depends on if you're indie or trad.
In traditional publishing, it largely depends on your contract. Josiah Bancroft, for example, appears to have made the retaining of his original cover a clause in his contract for Senlin Ascends, while in cases like Jonathan French's The Grey Bastards, you have a publisher redoing a cover despite them having a fantastic cover in the first place. Ever deal is different, and the demands and desires of ever house/author/agent may be different.
It's one of the major advantages of self-publishing, especially if you have an eye of art, design, and talent. Having what is essentially complete control over your IP at all times can be exhausting and alarming, but if you have the energy, time, and capitol to invest into your product, you can knock out some killer creations.
A few examples of great indie covers, just for giggles. Remember that these are all driven and crafted solely by the authors and artists they employ to craft them:
Paternus - Dyrk Ashton
A Warrior's Path - Davis Ashura
Touch of Iron - Timandra Whitecastle
Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords - Benedict Patrick
Sanyare: The Last Descendant - Megan Haskell
You should definitely check out The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop.
I know my description doesn't really do it justice, but it's about a young girl who is discovered to become an alarmingly powerful witch. This is during a time of great political rife both amongst the ruling class of "aristocrat" witches/warlords and humans, as well as between the various aristocrats.
It's dark, gritty, and the characters are very memorable.
The Song of Kali I found kinda scary when I read it several years ago.
It may be clichéd but I also found Salem's Lot by Stephen King scary. People have also mentioned The Road, but I found that very depressing rather than scary.
Let the Right One In is pretty good (the original Swedish novel; forget the crappy Hollywood movie), though it does have some rather disturbing scenes.
I'd love to find a good zombie book, but to be honest there just doesn't seem to be such a thing.
New game minus : https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Faces-Game-Minus-Book-ebook/dp/B07KMMT9TX
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MC is an NPC (sort off, the real nature of the world is ambiguousat first) who start as a lich necromancer but swap body with a barbarian adventurer and has to learn to exploit the power of the "box gods" (as in "message boxes" that he start to get after that).
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While he does get some magic like abilities later as support, his main combat style will be bashing things with his greatwords with the occasionnal BattleCry or Qi-like short ranged strike
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The serie is complete as a bonus
Is this the book? https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Innsmouth-Legacy-Ruthanna-Emrys/dp/0765390906
I haven't played the game, but I do have bound collections of ESO lore I got from [Amazon.](The Elder Scrolls Online - Volumes I & II: The Land & The Lore (Box Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1783293225/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MuhMAbYWJGR6G)
Tim:
First, I'm really enjoying "Touch of Iron" (borrow it on KU today!: https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Iron-Living-Blade-Book-ebook/dp/B01ES9AQL6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1506348776&sr=8-4&keywords=timandra)
Second, can you talk about your writing process? How much planning has gone into your trilogy, and how much was discovery along the way?
Third, name your three favorite non-fantasy authors.
Not quite a crossover between Harry Potter and Naruto, but I just finished reading Hollow Core and you could easily call it "Harry Potter and the Cultivator's Clique".
I'm not entirely sure I liked the book, mind you - the protagonist is too much of a mushroom for my liking (he's kept in the dark and fed bullshit for most of the novel), but it was entertaining enough that I finished the thing.
Edit: added a link, since the book's SEO is awful (apparently hollow-core slab is a kind of foundation used to build houses, who knew?)
I also like the idea of getting that first novel put together, but having an overall outline is great.
This reminds me a little of c.s.friedmans coldfire trilogy.
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Rising-Coldfire-C-S-Friedman/dp/0756403146/
Timandra Whitecastle doesn't get a lot of mentions around here. She's new, and I will fully admit I've only read the sample thus far, but her Touch of Iron novel has had many comparing her favorably to Joe Abercrombie.
Here it is, and the sequel is JUST around the corner. March release.
I'd also submit Claire Frank's Echoes of Imara series. Rare husband-wife protag duo. Both badass in different ways.
I second this. The Complete Concordance is great for tracking connections. I would also second /u/sebaceouscrawdad recommendation to continue TDT until finish and then going back to read all the other novels w/ connections -- this way the Constant Reader wouldn't be spoiled by anything in the Concordance.
Some of the things are defined through context, "gunna" (your stuff you're traveling with), "bucka" (some kinds of wagon), then there are the ones that make no sense until explained like ka and tet.
If you're super stuck and planning to read the whole series, take a look at Robin Furth's "Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance" Amazon link
P.S: There is an updated and expanded one coming in November to reflect Wind Through the Keyhole.
Hmm it should be already: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07B8PLZK7
I've actually read a horror novel similar with the title character born like this if you're interested. It's called The Child Thief by Brom. It's a dark, realistic reinterpretation of Peter Pan where he seduces abused, and forgotten kids to follow him with promises of unimaginable fun. There is flat out gore and creepiness. OP is right. Nothing wholesome ever comes from demon spawn.
KJ Bishop's The Etched City might be what you're looking for. It's a strange book, and not a lot of people like it, but you might want to check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/Etched-City-K-J-Bishop/dp/0553382918
If you haven't found it yet you may want to check out [Royal Road](https://www.royalroad.com/home).
Wandering Inn is a book in the litrpg sub-genre, and r/litrpg is where I look for books sometimes. A lot of the litrpg books are on Kindle Unlimited. Two of the best series I've read thru KU are [Awaken Online](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J0E8Z8A?ref_=dbs_pwh_calw_0&storeType=ebooks) and the [Viridian Gate](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MU0DYXW?ref_=dbs_pwh_calw_0&storeType=ebooks) series
There is a book series named Skeleton in Space . This picture reminded me of that right away.
I would suggest C. S. Friedman. She has a lot of the flawed character thing going on in many of her books. She does a bit more sci-fi than fantasy, but honestly either way she's great.
This Alien Shore is good, and a stand-alone:
http://www.amazon.com/This-Alien-Shore-C-S-Friedman/dp/0886777992/ref=la_B000AQ1TUO_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410005630&sr=1-9
Feast of Souls is the start of a good trilogy:
http://www.amazon.com/Feast-Souls-Magister-Trilogy-Book/dp/0756404630/ref=la_B000AQ1TUO_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410005630&sr=1-5
And Black Sun Rising is also the start of a good trilogy:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rising-Coldfire-Trilogy-Book/dp/0886775272/ref=la_B000AQ1TUO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410005630&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Kings-Dark-Tower-Concordance/dp/0743297342 Here you go.
This is the best version of Peter Pan I've ever read. Brom is the best!
Wooo, I already had this one !
White Trash Zombie
And used is perfectly fine :D
Thanks for the contest c:
White Trash Zombie
I checked it out after reading this, read the sample, and fell in love with it right away. And the sample has made me want more, of course. >.< I'd like the first, since I don't have any of them yet, if I win. Also, as much as I'd prefer new, used would be okay if it meant multiple people being able to get the book as well.
In a similar vein, but probably more what you're looking for, this was an excellent book that my ex convinced me to read.
I wouldn't say that you need to read it first. It would make sense without knowing about the connections to the other books. I just thought it was kind of cool how it tied to so many other stories. There was a book made by King's assistant that chronicled the connections.
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Definitely on the darker side and the writing isn't perfect, but they're some of the most entertaining books I've read. I would also recommend her Tir Alainn trilogy; the first book is a bit rough, but the second two more than make up for it.
The Truth Series by Dawn Cook, as well as her other two books The Decoy Princess and Princess at Sea. Great characterization, lots of humor (particularly in the Princess books) combined with compelling storylines.
The Shadowleague books by Maggie Furey. Fast paced, lots of action, and some very memorable characters.
The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Mariller, as well as the Bridei Chronicles by the same author. Both are grounded in Celtic folklore and mythology, with the Sevenwaters books being based on the fairytale The Six Swans.
And just for the heck of it, Chronicles of the Necromancer, by Gail Martin and Kingmaker, Kingbreaker by Karen Miller. Not my favorite, but both are mildly entertaining.
Here are some good litrpg books on kindle for newbies to the genre:
https://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Online-Volumes-Land/dp/1783293225/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FEQCRZTFDAVXW9P9NH7G
Thanks! The book is finished! Now it is in Pre-order at Amazon. At the 7th of November it'll appear at the Kindle.
If you liked this book, please consider leaving a review. It’s very important for me and my translators. I have this book translated out of pocket, and your review will help me to fund the translation of the rest of the series as quickly as possible.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JR4S88K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540724072&sr=8-1&keywords=starsky+valery
Thanks ahead! Have a nice day!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skyrim-Library-Volumes-III-Box/dp/1783293233/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540148515&amp;sr=8-7&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=elder+scrolls+book&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51036TG4nHL&amp;ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elder-Scrolls-Online-Volumes-Land/dp/1783293225/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540148515&amp;sr=8-4&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=elder+scrolls+book&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41fgv7bYQrL&amp;ref=plSrch
Don't know if there are any more for earlier games though
You mean these?
https://www.amazon.com/Skyrim-Library-Volumes-III-Box/dp/1783293233
https://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Online-Volumes-Land/dp/1783293225
The Skyrim books are of course somewhat focused on the province of Skyrim, though there is information about Tamriel at large.
ESO takes place all over Tamriel, so the books have information about all the provinces.
-flops in- (All eBooks btw - ones to look out for in bold)
AJ Wiseman 2018/11/1 Breaking Bard: Serenade (Chronicles of Rithmarck Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HD3CJ13
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C. Wintertide 2018/11/1 Neverfall: Mark of the Hero (A Gamelit Lit RPG Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8RKR9R
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demi 2018/11/1 World Of Legends Online: Volume 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K49L5CM
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Kimiko Petaway 2018/11/1 How To Tame Your Dragon Volume III: A LitRPG Harem Adventure https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K4V5WDH
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L.E. Carter 2018/11/1 Sorcerer's Quest: A LitRPG Adventure https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JNDXLCG
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Cobyboy and Tithi Luadthong 2018/11/2 The FPS Deity: A Fantasy LitRPG Series- First Contact (Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K565VC7
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Dakota Krout 2018/11/2 Dungeon Desolation (The Divine Dungeon Book 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HYVJKRP
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Riley Morrison 2018/11/2 Visaria Online: Odyssey: A litRPG Fantasy Adventure Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JN734XQ
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Java Springs 2018/11/3 Gacha System- Dungeon Core Spawner: Chronicles of a Transmigrated Summoner (Gachapon System Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5YN4BF
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M. A. Carlson 2018/11/3 World Tree Online: The Duchess of Hammers: 2nd Dive Begins https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K18B1XR
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A. J. Chaudhury 2018/11/4 The Goat King's Wives Online https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6G56FR
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A.P. Gore and Patricia Jones 2018/11/4 Cursemancer: BlackFlame Online Book 1 (LitRpg Adventure) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JQ2XBP2
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Anna Eluvae 2018/11/4 Claiming His Legacy: Part I https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6XTC2W
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FRIDA D'MENTO 2018/11/4 SUPERF***ED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6XQYBB
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Matthew Powell 2018/11/4 The Three Recruits: The Ascendant Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6TTJ9W
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Nick Cole 2018/11/4 Pop Kult Warlord (Soda Pop Soldier Book 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6SRSLW
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Robert Bevan and Joan Reginaldo 2018/11/4 6d6 (Caverns and Creatures) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6WFHZW
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Stuart Grosse 2018/11/4 Lewd Dungeon: Book 9 - Falling to Darkness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6TKCHW
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Natalie Hunter 2018/11/6 The Queen's Revenge (Magic & Melodrama Book 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K8L4YYF
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Stuart Grosse 2018/11/7 Rules-Free VRMMO Life: Omnibus IV (Volumes 13-16) (VRMMO Life Omnibus Book 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KB6NSW3
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Valery Starsky and Valeria Kornosenko 2018/11/7 Transformation LitRPG https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JR4S88K
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Jan Stryvant 2018/11/8 Red Skies (The Valens Legacy Book 11) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KC2BKHY
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Stuart Grosse 2018/11/8 Into the Black: Book XVI: Moving Forward https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KC5HZBT
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Stuart Grosse 2018/11/8 Into the Black: Omnibus IV: Books 13-16 (Into the Black Omnibus Book 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KC7PN15
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Stuart Grosse 2018/11/8 Rules-Free VRMMO Life: Volume XVII - Malcanthet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KBXBJ5V
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Derek Rhys 2018/11/9 HereAfter: Dragons Rising https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KD43BS6
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K.T. Hanna 2018/11/9 Fragments (Somnia Online Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KCZ7HN3
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Rebecca Jensen 2018/11/9 The Excisionists: Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDJRJQG
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William D. Arand 2018/11/9 Super Sales on Super Heroes Omnibus Edition: Rise and Fall (Books 1-3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDKCSLL
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Harmon Cooper 2018/11/14 Apotheosis Boom (The Feedback Loop Book 8) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K7QVXSB
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A. J. Galelyn 2018/11/15 For A Few Minutes More: A Book of Cerulea (Sam's Song 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K4V8HB9
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Crissy Moss 2018/11/16 Steel Soul: Yevelia Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JY63F42
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Nick Ryder 2018/11/16 Hero's Dungeon 2: A Superhero Dungeon Core Novel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JMQVYMZ
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Avril Sabine and Storm Petersen 2018/11/18 Guardians Of The Round Table 3: Singed Feathers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GQ2V1YQ
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William Dickey 2018/11/18 The Otherist: The Ice Lands (Book 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDKGBN9
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Vasily Mahanenko and Eugenia Dmitrieva 2018/11/19 A Song of Shadow (The Bard from Barliona Book #2) LitRPG series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GX1C6X1
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Antony W.F. Chow 2018/11/20 CHRONICLES of a PC Gamer Stuck Inside an RPG: Book Two: Successor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDJXF4K
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D. L. Harrison 2018/11/20 Island Kingdoms' War: Evolution Online III (A LitRPG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFH3722
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A.T. Gilbert 2018/11/22 Fate of Camlan: A LitRPG Adventure (Camlan Realm Book 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JDX2TCT
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Dean Henegar 2018/11/23 Limitless Lands Book 2: Conquest (A LitRPG Adventure) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K1DX253
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Nicholas Knight 2018/11/25 Kaiju for Dummies: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDCFVLQ
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Terry W. Ervin II 2018/11/26 Guild: A LitRPG Novella (Monsters, Maces and Magic Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JQB93MP
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James Hunter and eden Hudson 2018/11/27 Civil War: A litRPG Adventure (The Rogue Dungeon Book 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K56G2T9
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ilo man 2018/11/29 Goblin Goblin: XdCeX Online - Discretion Guaranteed (Wanton Witch Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6VR5RY
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Angel Ramon 2018/11/30 Angel’s Nightmare Adventure: Ultimate Nightmare Set (A GameLit Survivor Horror Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KBGJC6S
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Edward Brody and Matias Trabold 2018/11/30 Eden's Gate: The Omen: A LitRPG Adventure https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JGF91JP
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Most of the traditional fantasy That I've read on unlimited is in your list. Ive lost most of my time recently on LitRPG and Urban Fantasy. Some of my Unlimited reads not in your list:
Urban:
LitRPG:
Random Wuxia (What The Cradle Series Is based on I Think?) (Side note, I went down a rabbit hole with these and others like it. Soooo many hours lost reading.):
Ancient Ruins and it's sequel by Benjamin Medrano are the only other ones I've read.
I like the world better than divine and it's more serious and less game-like than slime.
How did you like the magical academy one? Haven't read that one yet.
Daaaamn. I just saw the collection of all 3 on Amazon UK and I had no idea I wanted these until now. Didn't realise they had illustrations too, that makes them so much more worthwhile than just copy and pastes of the in-game texts. Same applies to the ESO set.
Let the Right One In
The Irony of American History (rereading/skimming for quotes technically)
The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot (sample)
Coldfire trilogy. Yeah, it's sci fi/fantasy. Yeah it has a priest and a vampire in it. (totally not sparkly. Really a vampire, complete with a coffin and grave dirt and running water and the whole thing)
But it made me question my inner definition of right and wrong.
It made me realize that the world is not made up of black and white decisions, but rather, some VERY subtle shades of gray.
Basically, the whole series is about a priest who goes out to save the world from evil and winds up in an uneasy alliance/friendship with his faith's version of the devil himself.
And it is this relationship that winds up saving the world from destruction.
A great read for even those who don't believe in god/gods/demons w/e.
Seeing as Blood Meridian is my favorite book, I'll try to give you some suggestions in a few different genres.
Jack O'connell's Word Made Flesh and Skin Palace are gritty, litty noirs. He has a way with verisimilitude and description. Also check out Jim Thompson's cynical 50's dime crime novels (Pop. 1250, the Grifters, and A Hell of a Woman are several standouts).
China Mieville's Perdido Street Station is an excellent, imaginative high concept steampunk-fantasy that dwells in grime and blood.
KJ Bishop's The Etched City, a rad, mad dream-like fantasy about love, cruelty, and loss.
If you desire something from the literary realm, I recommend 2666 by Bolano. Really, it's like nothing else out there and its depiction of violence in the fourth section is as bleak and unsparing as Blood Meridian.
Yes, but no good ones. The Split Infinity series by Piers Anthony.
Histaff: A Sci-Fi LitRPG is a realy bad book about a skeleton transported to outer space.
I've never read it, but there is The Wizard From Earth by S.J. Ryan
Yes!
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-John-Ajvide-Lindqvist/dp/0312355297/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1247770822&amp;sr=8-2
Check these out: https://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-Online-Volumes-Land/dp/1783293225/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=elder+scrolls+book&amp;qid=1554673389&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2
I dont have the box set but I have book one; want to get the blue one next! You can also search on Amazon or Ebay for the collector’s edition books. I recently got the one from The Imperial Edition.
Dungeon Lord might be worth looking into.
My Life as a White Trash Zombie
Ex-Heroes
The Last Bastion of the Living
Boneshaker
Patient Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel
I have read all but two of these. Have not read Boneshaker or The Last Bastion of the Living but on my to-do list because they look promising.
edit: I Am Legend is actually about vampires. Not sure if you just wanted exclusively zombie books. I have not read it in a few years, but the vibes that it puts off in the book makes it easy to get it confused with a zombie type world. My fault.
Black Sun Rising
http://www.amazon.com/Etched-City-K-J-Bishop/dp/0553382918
Not as gritty as Apocalypse Gates, but still great apoc stories:
Shadow Sun Survival and it's sequel. Kills those that need killing, sets up safe spaces across the country, kills monsters, dungeon dives, and all to high quality writing.
Equalize: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG. Earth wakes up and gets pissed that humans have been stealing her (magical) lifeblood (oil, and their derivatives). Reclaims everything oil-based (that it can reach) by absorbing it into monsters, which also focus damage onto anything containing oil-products or that look industrial. That's just the premise, and there's lots of death/dying. MC gets some decent magic and magic luck, and does some killing.
If you can handle bad Russian translations and OP MCs, then I would also suggest the 2 Transformation books.
GalaxSec: A Sci-Fi LitRPG (Skeleton in Space Book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YNML6NF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
Comes out tomorrow (11th Oct). The 1st book Histaff didn't get much love here, but I really enjoyed it.
It is on amazon.ca
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B07B8PLZK7/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1520574773&amp;sr=1-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=the+carnival+of+night&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51uAv95jRWL&amp;ref=plSrch
How about a book where one of the main characters is the dungeon?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ancient-Ruins-Dreams-Book-ebook/dp/B01N6SCHC8
Oh! I hadn't noticed. As it so happens, I found two dates in Amazon and I didn't even notice. This actually leaves me utterly confused. I'm guessing it's probably the first link below as that includes the cover. (aug 28 date). I'll just leave it as that until I get a better confirmation.
http://www.amazon.com/City-Stained-Red-Sam-Sykes-ebook/dp/B00GFHFRUK
http://www.amazon.com/City-Stained-Bring-Down-Heaven-ebook/dp/B00I828B1M
My Life as a White Trash Zombie
White Trash Zombie
I'm fine with new or used! <3
This book, please.
White Trash Zombie
Go read The Child Thief.
Kind of. It has a character directory, so if someone is mentioned and you don't remember them you can get a brief description. It also has geography info for all the worlds, and cross-references with characters appearing in other King novels. More info here
The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes is also up for sale - $2.99
I like Sam's writing - fun, clever, and action.
I'd borrow a premise from a CS Friedman series I enjoyed.
In the books, the planet everyone is on is inhabited by a psychic creature that is very sensitive to people's thoughts, but not self-aware. The result is that people's beliefs about things influences reality.
So, if you're worried that an experiment will fail, you'll make it fail.
This has all sorts of interesting consequences, but foremost among these is that the entire reason science works begins to break down. People lose faith in technology and regress to a more savage way of doing business. Really strong willed people are functionally mages.
Imagine what would happen if such a creature came to earth one day?
It's this book series, btw.
Based on what you like so far, I'd suggest Ursula LeGuin, especially A Wizard of Earthsea; C.S. Friedman, particularly The Coldfire Trilogy, J.D. Hallowell, Dragon Fate, Andre' Norton, Witch World chronicles; Marion Zimmer Bradley, the Darkover novels (The Bloody Sun is as good a place to start as any for these); and Anne McCaffrey, The Dragonriders of Pern.
That should hold you for a while.
Winter Tide (The Innsmouth Legacy) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0765390906/
Winter's Tide by Ruthanna Emyrs. Tor commissioned some super generic art a decade ago and they've re-used on half a dozen projects, most recently the cover of her book (which sounds decently interesting otherwise). At this point, you could put it on the the next ASOIAF book and I would probably still refuse to read it on principle.
I'd be interested if anyone thinks the cover art is attractive.
I love what you did with Death. His almost eccentric personality makes this story memorable to me. The human approach you took with him as well as the fact that Death's colleagues had an office with piles of paperwork to sift through reminded me of fellow /r/writingprompts user /u/nickofnight's novella The Carnival of the Night.
I will be more than happy to provide constructive criticism in the future. Good luck and happy writing!
I have not read the book but I've seen both films and I know the scene you are talking about. Wrong or not the "vampire" is described as female in the descriptions of US version, the original film, and the english printing of the book. I understand your point, but the official marketing material for every available english version of this tale presents the "Eli"/"Abby" character as female in the public facing description.
see the following:
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Kodi-Smit-McPhee/dp/B004LRZ2YC/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1416675493&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=let+me+in
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-One-English-Subtitled/dp/B001V7YJMG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1416675341&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=let+the+right+one+in
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-John-Ajvide-Lindqvist/dp/0312355297/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1416675341&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=let+the+right+one+in
Writing on behalf of my author friend, who does not use Reddit.
Ancient Ruins is a dark fantasy, adult-themed lesbian romance that combines several genres, from LitRPG dungeon building, Dungeons & Dragons style adventurers, and horrible slavers using magical compulsions to enslave elves. This book is not explicit in any points, is for sale for $0.99 until Saturday the 25th.
Currently rated at 4.6 stars on Amazon, with nearly 40 reviews, including:
>I didn't expect to find a book this satisfyingly good so deep into my recommended list. I could expend on the characters but instead I'll focus on the experience. This book feels like it's set in one very well thought out DnD universe. As some one who enjoys reading about and experiencing such worlds through roleplaying it felt like I was getting all the juicy lore bits of a videogame told to me in a novel.
>It seemed odd that all the reviews were good, with not a bad one in sight. Now, after reading, I understand. This is a very good book with no major flaws. I recommend you try to read this book in as few sittings as possible. This way you will not interrupt the flow of the story, which is one of best things about this book.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Sorry, I've only been getting into them recently (or at least finding ones I liked enough to finish recently anyways) so I'm probably not the best person to ask :(
That said, I read and reviewed one called Changing Faces recently that I thought was excellent. But that's about the extent of my recommendation list.
Link to my review
Link to book
Transformation litrpg by Valery Starsky. There is MC
I am on the lookout for things to read myself
I am on mobile so horrible formatting incoming
From litrpg top picks are:
From fantasy in general
Sci-fi
Too lazy to remember more at this point
Two things jump to mind for me, both fantasy.
The Coldfire Trilogy is set on a really strange world with a kind of natural force that gives life to people's fears or desires. It's really unique, and a great story with a great antihero.
Brandon Sanderson has also created some pretty unique worlds, his Stormlight Archives is probably his best work so far and the world there is refreshingly different than your typical fantasy fare.
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.
UF is in relatively contemporary setting, so you can't have UF in the early 1900s.
Check out Winter Tide, it's pretty much just what you're looking for I think.
Well since no one else has taken you up on this...
I was not able to find much for .99 but here are three (all under 3.00), any of which I would very much enjoy if you feel so inclined and are willing to change your 99 cent policy haha!
The Golem and the Jinni,
Tolkien's Letters, and/or
The City Stained Red.
Thanks for your kind consideration!
There's a new title just published called Winter's Tide that contributes to the Innsmotuh legacy.
Also, The Night Ocean sounds interesting. I picked it up the other day.
I haven't read it yet, but this on is an my to read pile. City Stained red by Sam Sykessounds like what your looking for.
This book.
I bought a diaper cover for my son at the beginning of the month, and a few days ago some of the threading came out. It didn’t effect functionality, just appearances, and their customer service handled it so well. They were out of the print, so she let me pick any one I wanted, and they’re letting me keep the damaged diaper (which I think I can repair on my own), which I didn’t expect.
All in all, 10/10, would recommend Lalabyebaby.
In the SciFi/Fantasy realm - try the Coldfire Trilogy by Celia S. Friedman - http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rising-Coldfire-Trilogy-Book/dp/0886775272
The lead character is one of the most ruthlessly amoral characters you'll encounter.
Maybe Hollow Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 1) by Gage Lee? Definitely "Another World".
the original book
the original Swedish film
the also amazing English remake (with Chloe Moretz!)
all are wonderful. i recommend reading/watching ASAP
Eh.. . this is more dungeon story than Litrpg
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Ruins-Dreams-Book-ebook/dp/B01N6SCHC8
white trash zombie I had never heard of these books before, but def would like to check this out, used or new. Thanks for the contest
Last week, Ethria, Soulship, Hollow Core, Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains, The Messenger, and of course Uncrowned.
I'm currently taking a break from new content and re-reading Challenger's Call, before I move on to God of Gnomes and beyond.