Grimdark fantasy is an increasingly popular subgenre of literature, and there are plenty of phenomenal series to dive into, ranging from contemporary to some genre-defining classics. Often considered the prolific work that defined the fantasy genre,J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsbooksare known for their idealistic, black-and-white values of good and evil, where the heroes join together to thwart the villain. A major tenet of similar classic fantasy book series is that there is always hope that good can overcome evil. Perhaps the most important quality of grimdark is the lack of hope.
Major qualities that define grimdark includea lack of heroes, morally ambiguous characters, and a genuinely horrible, nightmare-like setting. With that being said, not every great “grimdark” fantasy series embodies each of those qualities, but some are still worth mentioning for the aspects that theydocontain. It’s important to note that genre isn’t a definitive restriction and that different stories will use elements of grimdark in various ways. For example,George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice & Firebook seriesis arguably not as dark as others, but it utilizes many elements of the subgenre.
10The Broken Empire
By Mark Lawrence
Mark Lawrence’sThe Broken Empireis a series that gets better as it goes on, beginning with 2011’sPrince of Thorns. The entry book has a 3.84 score on Goodreads, but Lawrence really establishes himself as the trilogy progresses, withEmperor of Thornshaving a significantly better 4.23 score. The seriesprompts the reader to follow a character, Jorg, who has an exceedingly devastating past, with the murder of his family changing his lifeand pushing him toward becoming a vengeful outlaw.
The reader is forced into his shoes due to the saga’s first-person perspective, and he’s a rather unpleasant figure to follow.
The Broken Empire’sworld is plagued by violence and dread, and Jorg is the perfect representation of its aesthetic. The reader is forced into his shoes due to the saga’s first-person perspective, and he’s a rather unpleasant figure to follow. While Jorg may be an outstanding grimdark antihero,The Broken Empireis lower due to the lack of an ensemble, instead mainly focusing on its lead.
9The Faithful And The Fallen
By John Gwynne
John Gwynne’sThe Faithful and the Fallenseries is one of the contemporary entries, and its lower position is due to the fact thatit teeters on certain grimdark elements but doesn’t fit the parameters as clearly as other series. However, it’s a beloved modern saga that embraces enough aspects of the grimdark subgenre to be mentioned. The series takes place in the Banished Lands, a continent ravaged by its violent past, where a world-ending war threatens all its inhabitants.
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The four-book saga is another that continuously improves, with its final two installments both having roughly 4.5/5 scores on Goodreads, which is an enormously impressive number.John Gwynne’s work receives constant praise for its intense, violent narrative, withThe Faithful and the Fallenalmost unanimously approved for its action scenes. The series doesn’t necessarily push the fantasy genre forward in any way, but it excels in everything it does.
8The Prince Of Nothing
By R. Scott Bakker
Published in the early 2000s, R. Scott Bakker’sThe Prince of Nothingtrilogy is part of a larger saga known asThe Second Apocalypse, which also continues to improve as it goes along. The series is centered around a violent holy war, following a character who gains power and influence over the religious conflict. There’sa lot of influence from Frank Herbert’sDuneand the critiques of the fantastical hero archetype, but it’s far more extensive in its examinationsof these ideas.
This classic series is extraordinarily dark, even more so than the likes of Joe Abercrombie or George R.R. Martin, in thatnot only is the world bleak, but it’s also almost entirely without humor or joyin any form.The Prince of Nothing’sGoodreads score is lower than some of the other great grimdark series due to the divisive nature of its contents. There are many meta-commentaries on the fantasy genre and existential pondering that make R. Scott Bakker the type of fantasy novel that typically readers either love or hate.
7The Elric Saga
By Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock’s classic series doesn’t have the strongest ratings on Goodreads, but it’s undoubtedlya foundational work with widespread influence on many of the most popular grimdarkand fantasy epics. Elric of Melniboné is the lead character, the emperor of a suffering civilization who’s forced to use drugs to maintain his strength. He’s a quintessential grimdark antihero, and his adventures are worth exploring for any lovers of the genre.
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The Elric Sagaearns its position due to the influence of Moorcock’s work on beloved series likeA Song of Ice & Fire. They’re certainly worth reading for any lovers of the fantasy genre, though the book series doesn’t have as much of a cohesive narrative between volumes. Thus, they’re not as sweeping of a series, as each book essentially tells its own complete story.
6Malazan Book Of The Fallen
By Steven Erickson
TheMalazan Book of the Fallenseries is another that teeters close to being grimdark with many elements but isn’t quite as extreme as others. Author Steven Erickson even expressed his distaste for nihilistic fiction in a 2012 interview (viaReactorMag), and this creates an essential distinction betweenMalazanand darker series likeThe Prince of Nothingin that Erickson’s books still feature ideas of hope, despite its characters existing in an incredibly dark world.
With that in mind,Malazanstill takes massive steps away from the morality ofThe Lord of the Rings, and the world and aesthetics are commonly compared to theDark Soulsvideo game franchise.Malazanfeatures an enormous, intricate, weaving narrative filled with morally ambiguous characters, examining humanity at depressingly low points while also offering great moments of hope to balance it out.
5The Black Company
By Glen Cook
While the likes of George R.R. Martin, Steven Erickson, and others are often credited for pushing fantasy into a darker direction, Glen Cook’s novels from the 1980s are even more foundational for modern, grimdark fantasy.The books follow the titular mercenary company through decades of bloody, violent adventures, scarcely stopping to justify the actions of its characters. They’re contract killers in a fantasy setting, and they don’t think much of it. Yet, the characters are still entirely human.
The Black Companyseries is another example where the Goodreads scores don’t fully do justice to the enormous impact of this saga, though they do improve with each volume. Book 3,The White Rose, has an impressive 4.2 score. Glen Cook was way ahead of its time, releasing this series in an era where fantasy was still trying to emulate Tolkien.
4A Song Of Ice & Fire
By George R.R. Martin
As mentioned, George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice & Fireisn’t as purely grimdark as others, so it doesn’t have as high a position. It’s undoubtedly one of the greatest fantasy book series of all time and one of the most prolific works in the genre, but specifically regarding the criteria of grimdark; it’s been surpassed by several that have followed it. Martin’s world isone of the most well-known works for its subversion of fantasy norms, following ambiguous characters in a world that often seems rather grim.
This series may not be as dark as it gets, but it’s still worth mentioning for the vast assortment of iconic morally gray characters
The main distinction that would separateA Song of Ice & Firefrom other grimdark books is that hope does exist, and there are still heroic characters. However, rather than hope and heroism being obstructed by forces of pure evil like in Tolkien, they’re often thwarted by other human characters willing to morally bankrupt themselves for power. This series may not be as dark as it gets, but it’s still worth mentioning for the vast assortment of iconic morally gray characters Martin has created and for its influence in popularizing darker fantasy stories.
3Gentleman Bastard
By Scott Lynch
Scott Lynch’sGentleman Bastardseries, beginning withThe Lies of Locke Lamora, isn’t the typical medieval fantasy series. It’s set in a city that resembles late medieval Venice, exploring the wage gap between the poor underworld and the wealthy upper class. Rather than following great heroes,the reader navigates the lives of con-men and criminals who steal from the rich purely for their own benefit.
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The saga has its light-hearted moments and a decent amount of witty humor, but this can be seen as playing into the irony of the bleak, realistic setting. But that dark humor perfectly plays into the world Lynch creates, with fast-talking con-men characters whose words are often the difference between life and death.The Lies of Locke Lamora, in particular, is fast-paced, gritty, and enormously entertaining for anyone willing to follow some dodgy figures, earning its impressive debut 4.31 score on Goodreads.
2The Poppy War
By R.F. Kuang
R.F. Kuang has become one of the most renowned contemporary authors for her contributions to more than just fantasy, butThe Poppy Wartrilogy is cited as one of the most outstanding modern works in the genre. For those interested in readingfantasy series that aren’t based on medieval Europe, the saga takes its influence from the Sino-Japanese wars. It’s due to that real-world historical influence that R.F. Kuang’s books strike such a strong nerve with their violence and themes.
The Poppy Warmay not seem like a grimdark novel at the start, butonce the war and action begin to pick up, the series truly doesn’t shy away from any horrific possibilities. The lead protagonist, Rin, is increasingly hard to follow, as she’s incredibly ambitious to a fault, making her difficult to like. She’s an outstanding grimdark lead, with Kuang saying the character’s life is meant to parallel Mao Zedong’s. The second book takes a jump further, having a hugely impressive 4.37/5 score from readers on Goodreads.
1The First Law
By Joe Abercrombie
AmongJoe Abercrombie’s best booksareThe First Lawseries, one of the most commonly associated novel series with the term grimdark for good reason.The bar for morality is near the floor in this world, and there’s no character in the outstanding ensemble that isn’t without some notable flaw.The First Lawexists in a world ravaged by corruption, war, and hatred, where heroism is practically a joke and happy endings are non-existent.
The Blade Itselfis the ideal starting point forThe First Lawseries.
Joe Abercrombie’s world is heavily inspired by the moral ambiguity ofA Song of Ice & Fire, but he strips down even more of the heroic, epic nature of Martin’s fantasy. Battles are violent and bloody, sex is cold and selfish, and politics are governed by some of the worst and most incompetent human beings available.The First Lawchallenges the reader to follow some of the most despicable fantasy characters ever created, and it’s one incredible ride.
