In his darkly fantastic re-imagining of ancient India, Gourav Mohanty dangles a vibrant cast of dubious heroes from the threads of fate.
A fragile armistice may hold in the West, but everyone knows it cannot last. In the Tree Cities of the East, a Conclave of Peace has assembled to secure the future of the realm. But the delegates—deaf swordswomen and exiled snakelings, spoiled heroes and lovesick princes, immortal assassins and their apprentices—will find no sun to light their path. The season of peace is the finest time to plant the seeds of war.
Times of great upheaval in real life lead a lot of readers in one of two, very opposite, directions. They either look for cozy and bright, or they go the other way with grimdark. If you’re in the latter camp and looking for some great grimdark fantasy reads, I’ve got your back.
What is grimdark? The term came from the original tagline of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game, “In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.” You can probably guess the definition from there, but let me illuminate. Grimdark stories are often speculative, always dark and hostile and violent. Questionable morals abound. Antiheroes are more prevalent than outright heroes. The ends often justify the means. You want to read grimdark, you’d best be prepared for all the content warnings.
When deciding on some of the best grimdark fantasy reads, I was looking for no-pull punches combined with great character arcs. In these books, you’ll find few heroes guided by true-north morals, but they often get to the right place in the end. They usually leave a trail of bodies along the way. In fact, the journeys of these would-be heroes are what separate them as the greatest grimdark fantasy reads.
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
This book starts a series focused on four children. Their father was Leodan, ruler of The Known World. Their family’s power was secured through drugs and human trafficking. When Leodan is assassinated, he sends his four children away separately. Now, they’re trying to avenge their father and rebuild their legacy, this time on sterner and freer things.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy starts here, and it’s hard to find a single lovable character in all its pages. That’s not a bad thing at all, particularly for grimdark fantasy reads. An infamous barbarian, a disfigured torturer, an ambitious and selfish fencer, and so many more morally corrupt characters populate this world headed toward all-out war.
The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
The city of Sorlost is the crown jewel of a seemingly immortal empire, one built on decadence and excess. Orhan Emmereth dreams of the empire’s inevitable demise and decides to act, leading his company of soldiers right into Sorlost to kill everyone, convinced that only through the ashes of the old empire can a new one rise. But not all in the company are as they seem, particularly a young man named Marith.
Fire Punch by Tatsuki Fujimoto
Chainsaw Man has become a cultural phenomenon, and most would agree that it fits the mold of grimdark. It wasn’t Tatsuki Fujimoto’s first manga, however. Fire Punch preceded it, and is arguably even more unhinged and dark. Agni is one of the blessed, someone with special powers. When his village is attacked by another, Agni is sent down a deadly and dark path of revenge.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Space necromancers. I mean, that’s just about the most grimdark pair of words I can imagine. Space. Necromancers. Yep, in a far-off part of the galaxy, nine worlds are absolutely ruled by necromancers. And these necromancers are on the verge of war. Gideon is a swordswoman, and the ninth necromancer needs her services. Things are going to get bloody fast.
Godblind by Anna Stephens
A war is brewing not only on this plane of existence, but between the bloody Red Gods and the god of light and life. The Mireces were exiled long ago for their worship of the Red Gods, and their new king plans an invasion. Dom guards the border, and he’s a powerful seer. He also has dark secrets, secrets that are about to be unveiled when an escaped an enslaved Mireces stumbles across the border.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
While a work of fantasy fiction, Kuang’s The Poppy War is based on the Second Sino-Japanese War (known in the west as the Asian theatre of World War II). If you know anything about history, you can imagine how horrifically grimdark this can get. Rin is a poor girl from a poor province, and when she gets into the revered Sinegard academy, her life is an uphill battle. When all-out war comes, however, her skills and power are put to deadly use.
Psyren by Toshiaki Iwashiro
One more manga for the grimdark fantasy reads! Ageha Yoshina has lost one of his best friends. Her last words were “save me” before she vanished. When Ageha answers a mysterious phone call, he’s transported away to an alternate dimension. The only option is to fight or die, and if he fights, he might be able to save his friend, too.
What are some of your favorite grimdark fantasy reads? We’ve got some guides to grimdark comics and other grimdark books if your inner darkness isn’t quite satisfied.
