Gritty epic fantasy books

A song of ice and fire is both loved and despised for the fact that it is often gritty and bizarre, and full of excessive violence, death, sex, with a seemingly realistic history. But a song of ice and fire is not the only fantasy epic out there. The 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones reedsy. An utterly engrossing high fantasy epic from a major new talent that explores. I got out of fantasy for a long time because i wasnt really entertained by the classical fantasy genre, i loved lotr but everything else seemed to be a for all ages type of affair so i moved on. But this world doesnt have enough depth and the writing is strangely lacking in detail for a fantasy novel, so i had trouble visualising the world. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Whether a single book or a series, what do you think is the best epic fantasy of all time.

The single most awe inspiring work of fantasy in terms of depth and texture of the world, the authenticity of the cultures, the sheer number of characters and the complexity of the plot. Now, if only everyone would adopt my definitions, think how much easier it would be for me to find the books. In short, fantasy is a genre of epic strength and incandescent beauty. Ed mcdonald a gritty epic fantasy set on the edge of a blighted frontier filled with malevolent magic and an everchanging landscape. I made a few rules in creating this list of best epic fantasy series. Jordan was an absolute titan of fantasy, with his books selling upwards of 80 million copies, according to some sources. Esslemont have also written a number of additional stories set in the malazan empire. Fantasy is unlimited and has the highest potential.

Jul 22, 2019 jordans epic high fantasy saga of 15 books including a prequel is so compelling and beloved that when he died in 2007, a fellow fantasy author and fan of the wheel of time, brandon sanderson, stepped up to finish the epic series with instructions and notes left for him by jordan. The first instalment of mervyn peakes epic fantasy series, which features three books and a novella, was published in 1946. I find that most epic fantasy tries to avoid the gritty reality and deal more with the powerful and gifted. Unfortunately, all those got fans have been left out in the cold for eight years. Popular dark and gritty books goodreads share book. Was looking to sink my teeth into a dark epic fantasy or scifi series although even standalone books work if you want dark, then wool and its sequels by hugh howey might fit the bill. The 10 best completed sf and fantasy series according to me. Theres a lot of jargon thrown at you in the first couple of pages but the action is so exciting that it doesnt matter at the time. A list of the fantasy books that we most enjoyed reading. Take the darkness gritty epic fantasy dark gods book 2 kindle edition by king, arthur, rohrer, manfred. Dec 18, 2018 read one of the best fantasy books of 2018 including epic fantasy books like tomi adeyemis children of blood and bone. She tackles an epic fantasy like a pro and indeed her output of successfully published and award winning books the rites of heirdon diptych, the rise of nazil trilogy, kurintor nyusi, and tamesa among them, proves that she is now considered one of our more significant epic fantasy authors.

This book is gritty, dark, military fantasy at its. May 22, 20 fantasy novels that are good despite their covers. So with out further ado, its time to talk about the best fantasy audiobooks series. To me, its like youre at an art museum, and on one wall theres a gorgeous painting in its 24x24 inch frame. After all the events of the year, escaping to some grimdark dystopian world was almost a relief. These series in my opinion constitute the top epic fantasy series for audiobook listening. Martin may 12, 2017 may, 2017 adam vine as a budding author who just released the first book in my own dark fantasy series, it seems, looking back, that however much ive tried to give books of every genre equal opportunity to be read, it has always been this one that. Keep reading for books like game of thrones to satisfy your itch for fantasyand lust for legendary adventure.

Gritty the grimy details of the world are shown, but the story may either be grimdark fantasy, dark fantasy, or adventure fantasy. It so perfectly straddles the line between mystical and believable that its appeal goes beyond the genre itself, finding devoted fans in a variety of readers. A dedicated introvert, levi has been locking himself away with books for most of his life. David benem writes epic, heroic fantasy with a bit of a twist. Tolkien is the grandfather of fantasy as we know it, having invented many of the characteristics popularly associated with fictional races such as elves, dwarves, halflings, and orcs. That epic fantasy favors eurocentric influences is an understatement the size of the tolkein family estate. Good fantasy books have been transporting people to other places and times for hundreds of years. Its a wild and gritty epic fantasy debut that invites you to enter the world of orcs and halforcs as youve never seen them before. Jan 02, 2020 with everpresent popularity of works of j. To give a few examples of series which i read and loved and which i wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who hasnt and is looking to read similar stuff. A song of ice and fire is an antidualisticthinking series, george r.

The author is allowed to craft a world and plot artfully, whereas a non fantasy book is restricted to reality. Jan 24, 2020 check out our list of the best fantasy books of alltime below. The 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones. Epic fantasy dark gods book 1 kindle edition by king, arthur. We created this site to help you find the best fantasy books out there, while avoiding the stuff that has a tendency to give fantasy a bad name. Macavoy, elizabeth moons paksenarrion series, the first thomas covenant trilogy by stephan donaldson. The black company could adequately be described as realistic fantasy, a term applied to martins a song of ice and fire and ericksons malazan series. And, unlike most epic fantasy, gemmells books are often short and digestible, with writing that is boiled down to the essentials of story and character. Hello gentle reader, when people ask me what genre my wip the last queen is, i usually reply fantasy. Set on the archipelago of earthsea, the books follow the sorcerer ged and the other islanders as they contend with magic schools, seafaring, necromancy, and dragons. The books are exciting and they set an example of what is good and what isnt. Twenty mustread finished fantasy epics the ranting dragon. Sep 25, 2018 jordan was an absolute titan of fantasy, with his books selling upwards of 80 million copies, according to some sources.

Even worse is that it is not always fair to judge a book before youve read it from cover to cover, which means you have to invest some serious time that rarely pans out. To start off with, the earthsea cycle is a must read for any fantasy fan. My 10 favorite dark fantasy books that arent by george r. Best fantasy series of all time for audiobooks best fantasy. Gritty epic fantasy dark gods book 1 by arthur king. Author of genre novels including dieselpunk, horror, and ya. May 20, 2019 her books blends scifi and epic fantasy concepts with gritty and realisticallyportrayed character relationships in a way that is thoroughly modern, while her technical flourishesplaying with pointofview and second person narrationare deployed so confidently, readers dont even realize just how hard they are to pull off. But if i wanted to be precise, i would say gritty epic fantasy. Secret of the seven by aaronmichael hall is an epic fantasy novel and the first of series books that so far include rise, seed of scorn, and the recently released piercing the darkness. Oct 20, 2014 gritty the grimy details of the world are shown, but the story may either be grimdark fantasy, dark fantasy, or adventure fantasy. The 50 best fantasy books of the 21st century so far paste.

I saw many post about fantasy book with romance but people usually asked either about high epic fantasy or dark fantasy with mature content. Epic fantasy books offer an escape into a world completely unlike our own, worlds full of danger and intrigue, trolls and dragons, magic and often a heroic journey or battle for power. To celebrate the heritage of the genre, weve assembled a list of some of our favorite fantasy series of all time. Apr 03, 2020 the first instalment of mervyn peakes epic fantasy series, which features three books and a novella, was published in 1946. Jordan took tolkiens legacy and transformed it for the modern era. Having been voted the greatest book of the millennium chances are you are already familiar with this epic manuscript. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading take my heart gritty epic fantasy dark gods book 3.

With a large number of characters and locations in an elaborate world, this is fantasy. And, yes, the sheer size and scope of tolkiens creatively complex world have made fantasy fans yearn to inhabit middle earth for decades. That book opened my eyes to the world of dark gritty fantasy and im trying to find more. Now, if only everyone would adopt my definitions, think how much easier it would be for me to find the books i would most like to read. I have read the black company and a few anne bishops books, but i want something a little more. If youre not a fan of hong kong crime films, imagine a wuxia version of the godfather. Martins game of thrones is an epic achievement of fantasy literature. This ones also for readers whod like an urban take on gritty secondary world fantasy. The others can shift around depending on how i feel or what i am reading. An easy death is the alluringly gritty opener of charlaine harris. Dec 22, 2017 14 epic fantasy series you need to read that arent a song of ice and fire. To start off we have the malazan book of the fallen by steven erikson. Best epicfantasy book series of all time thetoptens. Oct 21, 2011 although fantasy has evolved in many ways since tolkien first set pen to paper, his story endures and his work still stands to this day as the most recognizable example of epic fantasy.

Darkgrittyadult epic fantasy or scifi mobileread forums. His saga combines both military and epic fantasy into a delightful mix. The blade itself by joe abercrombie, before they are hanged by joe abercrombie, last argument of kings by joe abercrombi. Take my heart gritty epic fantasy dark gods book 3 kindle edition by arthur king. For books about the common man confronted with the magical and having a dose of reality perhaps the book of kells by r. Aug 28, 2012 ive never heard the term gritty fantasy before, but that is probably because a i dont believe that most books fall neatly into genres and b i havent gotten to the point of trying to publish a novel yet, so i havent had the need to clarify what fantasy subgenre my own novel fits into. Martin, the hunger for well thoughtout stories and multilayered characters grew bigger. Thinking about the likes of the witcher for example, with a serious, problematic and kind of realistic world. Aug 20, 2015 the 51 best fantasy series ever written. As tomass power grows, the nobility better watch their backs, in this dark and gritty epic fantasy series. Oct 20, 2017 today, fantasy remains my favorite genre, and id love to share some of my favorites.

Like other dark fantasy books, the highlight of black sun rising is not the novels warrior priest protagonist damien vryce but his uneasy ally, the vampiric gerald tarrant, who fights a centuriesold internal struggle between living up to his humanity or succumbing to evil. Guys, there are so many great recentlyreleased fantasy books, and so many great books that lie outside of the. Official website of bard constantine, writer of gritty science fiction and epic fantasy. The trend was started by glen cooks black company series in the mid 1980s. You might have heard of the grey bastards because it won mark lawrences selfpublished fantasy blogoff 2016 meaning that a panel of ten top fantasy bloggers picked it as the winner out of. You will dislike covenant but donaldson does write. Why raymond e feist rift war isnt there i have no idea, however if any epic, fantasy battle series came close, this would be it. The 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones we get it. No fantasy book series is more epic in scope than the malazan book of the fallen. Every fantasy fan should read this trilogy at least once, if only to witness the birth of the genre as we know it. Martins a song of ice and fire series followed in the mid 1990s. Her books blends scifi and epic fantasy concepts with gritty and realisticallyportrayed character relationships in a way that is thoroughly modern, while her technical flourishesplaying with pointofview and second person narrationare deployed so confidently, readers dont even realize just how hard they are to pull off.

Even if this wasnt such a great story and it is it would still be near the top. Author aaronmichael hall is an extraordinary talent. Blog posted on friday, dec 21 the 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones we get it. An epic quest to save the land from an encroaching evil. The 10 best completed sf and fantasy series according to. Lucky for us, it was a great year for gritty science fiction and fantasy books.

When you talk about works that brought a new darkness to fantasy. Martin with the epic scope of the greek classics such as the iliad. Apr 11, 2018 that epic fantasy favors eurocentric influences is an understatement the size of the tolkein family estate. Was looking to sink my teeth into a dark epic fantasy or scifi series although even standalone books work. I cant pinpoint the catalyst, though im sure george r. Its tough to balance the darkness thats present in the best gritty fantasy books with humor and a lighthearted tone, but he often succeeds. The gaslight dogs is a rare book that draws upon inuit culture for its worldbuilding. I usually read books like the stormlight archive, gentleman bastard, or demon cycle.

It follows the residents of castle gormenghast a giant, gothic. First, since its a series list, at least 2 books needed to be published in the series for it to be included. David benem introspective, gritty fantasy manybooks. The book follows a female shaman and a military captain from an invading country who must work. What im looking for is something in between tolkien where everyone is either embodiment of good or evil and william kings gotrek and felix where every. Before fantasy became gritty, there was gritty fantasy in the form of glenn cooks black company an influential work that can be felt in many modern fantasy books. Jan 23, 2017 after having briefly stepped away from the swordswinging comfort of the humongous epic fantasy genre, im back in it, with a vengeance. A supposedly lowborn hero whos actually the heir to a great kingdom. Take the darkness gritty epic fantasy dark gods book 2. Fantasy doesnt come much bigger or more epic than this tenvolume series, which starts with gardens of the moon and deadhouse gates. Like most fantasy books, the rise of nazil is populated by fantastic creatures. Tolkien transformed the fantasy genre forever when he debuted his epic tale the hobbit in 1937, further altering the genres state with his subsequent trilogy the lord of the rings. Some typical characteristics of epic fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, dwarves, magic or sorcery, wizards or magicians, invented languages, quests, comingofage themes, and multivolume narratives. This is a gritty epic fantasy that starts off well.

And thats what gritty epic fantasy, also known as realistic fantasy, has to offer. As our author of the day, benem talks about creating realistic magic, sharing a pint with tolkien and why his writing is so philosophical in nature. He likes to write books that make you think, and what remains of heroes is a fine example. Not particulary dark, but leviathans wake and its sequels by james s. Epic fantasy is generally serious in tone and often epic in scope, dealing with themes of grand struggle against supernatural, evil forces. The best fantasy books of 2019 in our humble opinion. Usually im not that precise, because then i would have to explain what gritty epic fantasy is and i would end up talking. To be fair, martin himself was also writing for a long time before a game of thrones came out but thrones, in particular, is usually referred to as a gamechanger for epic fantasy. Much is made of the bloody violence and interesting characters that pervade abercrombies books. Brilliant prose, epic storylines, gritty realism, fascinating mix of gray characters, erickson combines the best of george r. People are weak, and the poorer and more oppressed they are, the weaker they becomeuntil they cant take it. Friedmans black sun rising came out just five years before a game of thrones. These audiobooks have the best narrators, story lines, characters and have three or more books in the series. This is a book that brings you into a new and immersive world.

In its mythical land called faelondul, the humans are the ones who are oppressed by the whiteskinned nazilians perhaps an allegory to realworld race issues. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading take the darkness gritty epic fantasy dark gods book. Its a great series for the lord of the rings fans as. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading take the body. Here is a list of top 20 fantasy books of all time to occupy your imagination posttolkien and martin. The childhood stories of whimsy and wonder have given way to more grownup stories of adventure tinged with gritty realism that he has described as epic grit.

Maybe its the explosive growth of the whole grimdark thing. May 12, 2017 my 10 favorite dark fantasy books that arent by george r. Jan 22, 2020 however, as long as were all waiting for martin to put us out of our misery, theres no better time to expand your literary horizons and set out on a quest for some new worlds. In the third gritty installment of the ravens mark series, blackwing captain ryhalt galharrow finds that all power comes with a price a sorcerous cataclysm has. Take my heart gritty epic fantasy dark gods book 3.

One of the things that removes it from the world of epic fantasy like, say. Today, fantasy remains my favorite genre, and id love to share some of my favorites. Leave reality behind and enter the land of faelondul. Gritty epic fantasy meets the godfather meets martial arts. Here we take a look at some of the best epic fantasy book series through time, from the most famous, to exciting new debuts. The last sacrifice is a first among gritty, grimdark fantasy.