10 best new dark fantasy books for fans of The Witcher and Game of Thrones

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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)

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)

The opening of The First Law series establishes Joe Abercrombie’s gritty setting and the intertwining stories of his complex protagonists. The rich cast of characters navigating a world on the brink of war will satisfy Game of Thrones fans as Abercrombie moves between four narrators, each with their own sense of humor and largely selfish motivations. It’s the sort of book that will keep you up late reading as you try to puzzle out the conspiracies and mysteries everyone is swept up in.

James Islington, The Shadow of What Was Lost (2014)

James Islington initially self-published the first book of The Licanius Trilogy, which is set in a world scarred by civil war. A student at one of the only magical schools left discovers he possesses a forbidden power and has to flee to stop an invasion of monsters. While the plot might sound more like classical fantasy, Islington gets pretty dark with his high body count and brutal plot twists. If you’re a fan of Islington’s Hierarchy series, it’s well worth going back to read his debut.

Sabaa Tahir, An Ember in the Ashes (2015)

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)

The first book in V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy, A Darker Shade of Magic follows Kell, a talented magician with the power to travel between parallel versions of London. Kell winds up in over his head when he is used as a courier for a dangerous relic from a fallen world. It’s a story of betrayal and ambition with very high stakes.

N. K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season (2016)

N. K. Jemisin’s Hugo Award-winning novel is extremely bleak, beginning with the world being destroyed and following three women dealing with the aftermath. The first book in the Broken Earth series explores the devastating effects of climate change and intolerance, as people with the same sort of power that shattered the world have to hide their abilities for fear of being killed by angry mobs or their own families. If you’re looking for something by Jemisin that’s still dark but a little less brutal, try her debut novel The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

Naomi Novik, A Deadly Education (2020)

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)

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)

Dark academia is one of the most popular recent subgenres of dark fantasy, and R. F. Kuang’s Babel is a perfect example. Set in an alternate version of 1830s Oxford, the Nebula-winning book explores the oppressive nature of language and the power of resistance. A group of students has to weigh the comforts and prestige that could be theirs if they join the imperialist system against the possibility they could break the cycle.

Richard K. Morgan, No Man’s Land (2026)

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.