Dark fantasy has become one of the most popular literary subgenres thanks to the enormous success George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga and Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher. The genre, which focuses on morally grey characters navigating violent and unjust worlds, has plenty of classics that have never been turned into TV shows or games, like Glen Cook’s The Black Company and Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen.
If you’re looking for a new story involving a little magic and some truly terrible monsters, there are plenty of options that have been released in the last 20 years. From standalone novels that put fantasy spins on some of the most brutal parts of world history to new series following underdogs who have to live by their wits, these are the 10 best dark fantasy books to read now.
Scott Lynch,The Lies of Locke Lamora(2006)
Image:Gollancz
One of the primary influences behind heist-focused tabletop roleplaying game Blades in the Dark, The Lies of Locke Lamora follows a group of con artists in a fantasy version of Venice trying to pull off a big job while under attack from a brutal new crime lord. In the first book of the Gentleman Bastard series, Scott Lynch does a phenomenal job crafting a complicated world filled with numerous factions all looking to get ahead. The book is often very funny and filled with endearing characters, which just makes it sting all the more when they’re brutally killed.
Joe Abercrombie,The Blade Itself(2006)
Image: Orbit
James Islington,The Shadow of What Was Lost(2014)
Image:Little, Brown Book Group
Sabaa Tahir,An Ember in the Ashes(2015)
Image:G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Sabaa Tahir’s series may be written for young adults, but it present a brutal fantasy version of Ancient Rome. A member of an oppressed ethnic minority, Laia works to undermine the Empire’s power in the hopes of rescuing her brother who is accused of making forbidden weapons. That involves infiltrating a notorious military school where students are competing to become the next emperor. The story is low on magic but very high in carnage as characters learn what they will do to survive in a monstrous system.
V.E. Schwab,A Darker Shade of Magic(2015)
Image: Tor
N. K. Jemisin,The Fifth Season(2016)
Image: Orbit
Naomi Novik,A Deadly Education(2020)
Image: Del Rey Books
Harry Potter's Hogwarts has a pretty appalling safety record, but Naomi Novik takes that to another level with her Scholmance series. In her world, teens with magical abilities are locked in a monster-infested death trap and almost all of them die before graduation. Those from privileged backgrounds come with resources and alliances that give them a fighting chance, but others have to resort to dark magic and treachery to make it out. El, a junior with a knack for destructive magic, forms an unlikely friendship with the most heroic boy in school as they set out to change things.
Christopher Buehlman,The Blacktongue Thief(2021)
Image: Macmillan
Dark fantasy often borders on horror, and Christopher Buehlman is a master of both genres. If you want an excellent standalone novel, try Between Two Fires, a grim horror story set during the Black Death. If you’re in the market for a series, though, enjoy the chaos and brutality of The Blacktongue Thief, which is set in a version of Europe ravaged by war between humans and absolutely vicious goblins. The indebted trickster Kinch Na Shannack goes on a quest with an apprentice witch and a knight who worships death to find a missing queen. The sequel, The Thrice-Bound Fool, will be released on Oct. 13.
R. F. Kuang,Babel, or the Necessity of Violence(2022)
Image: Harper Voyager
Richard K. Morgan,No Man’s Land(2026)
Image: Del Ray
Richard K. Morgan blends noir and dark fantasy in No Man’s Land, which follows a World War I veteran who rescues children stolen by the fae and replaced by changelings. Duncan Silver is a man with a lot of anger and secrets, and he calls upon an unusual mix of allies including witches, tree spirits, and tinkerers to face capricious ancient powers. He also has to contend with arrogant humans looking to regain their place in the world.