Books like The Barrow
30 fantasy books to read after The Barrow, by Smylie, Mark, the closest match first.
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1. Herald Of The Storm
by Ford, Richard
- On the same lists
A new author who pays some serious tribute to Abercrombie with his style of grimdark. Do read if you like depressing, action ridden fantasy with a cast of troubled heroes....
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2. 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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A Land Fit For Heroes book 1 Start here
3. 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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4. 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
5. 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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6. 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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7. Kane
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- On the same lists
One of the original anti-heroes in the fantasy genre; together with the Conan stories by Howard, Wagner's Kane helped shape (even start) the Sword and Sorcery genre.Kane is arguably one...
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8. 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
9. 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
10. 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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11. 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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12. The Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
A military fantasy where there is no real definition of good and bad. These books center on the exploits and struggles of The Black Company, a famous badass mercenary company...
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13. 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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14. 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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15. 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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16. 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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Grim Company book 1 Start here
17. 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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18. The First Law
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
This series takes place in an epic fantasy world at war and contains gritty violence and realistic characters.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny,...
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The Acts Of Caine book 1 Start here
19. Heroes Die
by Stover, Matthew Woodring
- On the same lists
A novel about two worlds that blends Science Fiction and Fantasy. An action packed adventure filled with real danger, sorcery, and a complex social system.
The Acts of Caine series takes adventure fantasy and drags it sixteen miles through the mud, and then tortures what's left. In a dystopian future, humanity has discovered a way...
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20. The Godless World
by Ruckley, Brian
- On the same lists
I would categorize this as the bastard child of Tolkien and Martin: it has some of the ancient lore and world-building mythos present in Tolkien crossed with the dark grittiness...
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Gentleman Bastards book 1 Start here
21. The Lies Of Locke Lamora
by Lynch, Scott
- On the same lists
Not all Grimdark lacks humor. This series blends the darkness of Grimdark Fantasy with some lighter, comedic moments.
There's so much about this wonderful series that's right. From a thrilling Robin Hood caper story (think a magical Oceans 11), compelling and complex characters, deep and expansive world-building, fascinating...
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Elric book 1 Start here
22. Elric Of Melnibone
by Moorcock, Michael
- On the same lists
The first of the Elric Saga, this novel is signficant because the protagonist is a magic user and a bit frail—not quite the typical Sword and Sorcery hero.
Elric is the prince of a dying race, a pale, morose champion of right, despite the cards stacked against him. He's a physical weakling who needs to take drugs and...
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Low Town book 1 Start here
23. Low Town
by Polansky, Daniel
- On the same lists
Low Town (titled the Straight-Razor Cure in the UK), is the first instalment in the Low Town series, and is a noir detective mystery transplanted to a fantasy setting. The...
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24. 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 Vagrant book 1 Start here
25. 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...
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Farseer book 1 Start here
26. Assassin's Apprentice
by Hobb, Robin
- On the same lists
Several sets of linked trilogies and short stories of high fantasy set in the same world.
How could a story about the apprentice of an assassin not be grimdark? It couldn't, that's how. This first entry sparked off three trilogies about the one protagonist, which contain...
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27. The Coldfire Trilogy
by Friedman, C.s.
- On the same lists
Influenced by Isaac Asimov, the magical force in these novels is derived from natural forces and governed by consistent rules, a force that humans must learn to control.
There are few things harder to control than emotion and this makes magic in The Cold Firetrilogy immensely difficult. The planet Erna is controlled by a force known as the...
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28. Broken Empire / Red Queens War
by Lawrence, Mark
- On the same lists
The first in The Broken Empire series, this gritty and violent novel focuses on a single character, who is an anti-hero, with a very dark past.
Mark Lawrence doesn’t use an abundance of technical explanations and diagrams, but that doesn’t make his magic system any less interesting. In fact, it lets him focus on his astonishing...
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29. The Left Hand Of God
by Hoffman, Paul
- On the same lists
One of the more interesting series. The author takes the classic young prodigy destined to change the world conceit and plays around with it in some new ways. For one,...
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Shattered Sea book 1 Start here
30. Half A King
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
Reading a new Abercrombie book is just like going to a fancy restaurant, it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, you relish every moment of the experience. Half...
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 The Barrow.
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