Books like Low Town
30 fantasy books to read after Low Town, by Polansky, Daniel, the closest match first.
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Low Town book 1 Start here
1. Low Town
by Polansky, Daniel
- Same series
- Same author
Low Town (titled the Straight-Razor Cure in the UK), is the first instalment in the Low Town series, and is a gritty noir crime story that just happens to be...
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Low Town book 2
2. Tomorrow The Killing
by Polansky, Daniel
- Same series
- Same author
Dark, violent, and shot through with corruption, TOMORROW, THE KILLING is a fantastic successor to THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE, one of the most heralded fantasy debuts of recent times. Once...
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The Red Queen's War book 1 Start here
3. Prince Of Fools
by Lawrence, Mark
- On the same lists
This first entry into the Red Queen's War trilogy is about a layabout, womanizing, alcoholic prince. He's also just funny enough not to think he's an utter bastard. Okay, he's...
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Manifest Delusions book 1 Start here
4. Beyond Redemption
by Fletcher, Michael R.
- On the same lists
In a world where belief defines reality, the world could be a paradise, right? Not in Fletcher's world of Manifest Delusions, where corpses line the streets and narcissists spawn false...
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The Crimson Empire book 1 Start here
5. A Crown For Cold Silver
by Marshall, Alex
- On the same lists
The Crimson Empire trilogy, of which there are two instalments published at the time of writing, is one of the best additions to darker fantasy in recent years. It's the...
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6. The Incorruptibles
by Jacobs, John Horner
- On the same lists
This book is an odd mix of Western, Ancient Roman, steampunk, demons, elves and dwarves. It's a one of a kind book primarily just about the fates of a small...
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The Traitor Son Cycle book 1 Start here
7. The Red Knight
by Cameron, Miles
- On the same lists
The first in its series, this book introduces readers to a mysterious character who returns from a campaign and fights for money.
The Red Knight and the Traitor Son Cycle it begins are the most historically-accurate depictions of medieval-era warfare that I've ever read. In fact, if you want to continue enjoying...
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8. The Witcher
by Sapkowski, Andrzej
- On the same lists
Polish fantasy has come to North America and, judging from how awesome it is, here to stay.If you've played the fabulous 'Witcher' video games, you'll have some idea what this...
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The Dark Tower book 1 Start here
9. The Gunslinger
by King, Stephen
- On the same lists
For a fantasy-ish recommendation, which features a whole many worlds concept.
Roland, the world's last gunslinger, tracks an enigmatic Man in Black toward a forbidding dark tower, fighting forces both mortal and other-worldly on his quest
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10. A Cavern Of Black Ice
by Jones, J. V.
- On the same lists
The first in the Sword of Shadows series (which is still not yet complete with over 5 years since Jones published the last book) and a gritty, epic fantasy. Jones...
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11. Midnight Sun
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- On the same lists
Welcome to the world of Kane, perhaps the most complex characters in early Sword and Sorcery pulp. Wagner with his Kane stores together with Howard's Conan helped shaped the Sword...
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Instrumentalities Of The Night book 1 Start here
12. The Tyranny Of The Night
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
Another entry from the always awesome Glen Cook, a new almost mystical figure in the fantasy world with his genre defining work The Black Company which pretty much helped birth...
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Aeons' Gate book 1 Start here
13. Tome Of The Undergates
by Sykes, Sam
- On the same lists
Another one of those grimdarks that borrows heavily from the Joe Abercrombie style of it. But, perhaps a bit much of it. If you like your world bleak and dirty...
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14. Son Of The Morning
by Alder, Mark
- On the same lists
Wow, what a ride this novel was. Highly ambitious and imaginative, Son of Morning proves itself a player in the genre. The book is a blend of alternative history blended...
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Shattered Sea book 1 Start here
15. Half A King
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
If you don't know who Joe Abercrombie is, then shame on you. His other work is at the forefront of gritty fantasy (hint: you might spot him further down this...
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Milkweed Triptych book 1 Start here
16. Bitter Seeds
by Tregillis, Ian
- On the same lists
Bitter Seeds begins the Milkweed Triptych, a genre-bedning series set in an alternate version of WWII, where the Nazi's have created super-soldiers, and Britain responds by turning to warlocks and...
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17. Red Tide
by Turner, Marc
- On the same lists
Marc Turner stepped into the fantasy genre in 2015 with his first book, When the Heavens Fall, which was a good combination of high fantasy and grimdark. His second release,...
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18. The Forgetting Moon
by Durfee, Brian Lee
- On the same lists
The Forgetting Moon is the first book in The Five Warrior Angels by newcomer Brian Lee Durfee, and boy is it a fun ride. We all know the classic fantasy...
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19. Snakewood
by Selby, Adrian
- On the same lists
This book is about the retired members of a legendary band of mercenaries called 'Kailen's Twenty' being hunted down and murdered for reasons unknown. As such, the surviving members must...
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20. The Dragon's Legacy
by Wolf, Deborah A.
- On the same lists
This is a brand-new novel from a debut author, and is a great addition to the grimdark roster. The world is slowly dying, with fewer babies born every year, and...
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A Land Fit For Heroes book 1 Start here
21. The Steel Remains
by Morgan, Richard K.
- On the same lists
An incredibly dark and gritty epic fantasy that embodies the reaction to shiny fantasy stories. It subverts most traditional fantasy tropes.
This book is a thoroughly grimdark adventure, following a world-weary PTSD sufferer on his quest to save the world he doesn't much care for. It's messy, gross, intense, brooding and...
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22. Low Town
by Polansky, Daniel
- Same author
Warden was a decorated soldier and a spy for the empire. Now he deals drugs in Low Town, the filthy underbelly of the city of Rigus, and keeps a close...
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23. Those Below
by Polansky, Daniel
- Same author
For centuries beyond counting, humanity has served the Others, god-like Eternals who rule from their cloud-capped mountain-city, building a civilization of unimagined beauty and unchecked viciousness. But all that is...
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Night Angel book 1 Start here
24. The Way Of Shadows
by Weeks, Brent
- On the same lists
With magically enhanced assassins, intrigue, and a conflicted protagonist, this trilogy is epic and personal.
The Night Angel trilogy is the story of a young, abused street-thief's transformation into a badass, magically-enhanced assassin. As one might expect from a story about learning to kill people...
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25. Legend
by Gemmell, David
- On the same lists
Drawing heavily on the culture of the ancient Norsemen, Gemmell takes familiar archetypes and crafts them into a well-told tale of sacrifice and dying well. Druss and his once-possessed axe...
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Grim Company book 1 Start here
26. The Grim Company
by Scull, Luke
- On the same lists
With 'grim' in the title, it's not hard to guess that this book is clearly camped in the grimdark sub-genre, and it hits all the right beats for gritty, amoral...
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Elric book 1 Start here
27. Elric Of Melniboné
by Moorcock, Michael
- On the same lists
Elric is the famed albino sorcerer and wielder of Stormbringer, a sentient sword that confers power upon its wielder. All for the totally-reasonable price of being fed souls. Needless to...
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28. Conan The Barbarian
by Howard, Robert E.
- On the same lists
When someone mentions Sword and Sorcery, what comes to mind is Conan the Barbarian, arguably the greatest representation of the genre. It’s true that the story of Conan has been...
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The Demonata book 1 Start here
29. Lord Loss
by Shan, Darren
- On the same lists
This is the opening to a 10-book series for young adults, and holy shit is it heavy for something supposedly aimed at young people. It's urban dark fantasy rather than...
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The Vagrant book 1 Start here
30. The Vagrant
by Newman, Peter
- On the same lists
This book is about the titular vagrant, who is a mute, and his journey across a desolate, demon-ravaged world with a baby and a goat. It sounds pretty weird and...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to Low Town.
The shortlist
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