Books like Kane
24 fantasy books to read after Kane, by Wagner, Karl Edward, the closest match first.
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1. Night Winds
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
First standalone hardcover, illustrated edition of Karl Edward Wagner's Night Winds, a collection of stories with the anti-hero, Kane.
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2. Bloodstone
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house. When an...
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3. Dark Crusade
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
First standalone hardcover, illustrated edition of Karl Edward Wagner's Dark Crusade, a novel about his great anti-hero, Kane.
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4. Death Angel's Shadow
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
The first collection of tales of Kane, an immortal wanderer, a Cain-like murderer, sorcerer and swordsman who has been cursed to walk the world through the ages. It collects the...
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5. Darkness Weaves
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
The first novel in the Kane series, Wagner is often credited with reenergizing the sub-genre.
First standalone hardcover, illustrated edition of Karl Edward Wagner's Darkness Weaves, a novel about his great anti-hero, Kane.
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6. Night Winds
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
From goodreads: "KANE - The Mystic Swordsman ranges Earth and Time to confront the demons of darkness Where once the mighty Kane has passed, no one who lives forgets. Now,...
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7. Bloodstone
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
Small-town reporter and witch Stacy Justice's barely recovered from investigating a fire when a 14-year-old girl appears on her doorstep, claiming to be her sister and insisting that "their" mother's...
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8. The Book Of Kane
by Wagner, Karl Edward
- Same series
- Same author
A collection of five tales of Kane, the immortal wanderer who appears in all ages and all lands, by Karl Edward Wagner: "Reflections for the Winter of My Soul", "Misericorde",...
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9. 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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10. The Barrow
by Smylie, Mark
- On the same lists
The Barrow was a 2014 release of pure, unadulterated grimdark with a cast of antiheroes. Vicious, action-packed, brutal with more bad language throne in than Eminem song. And did I...
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11. 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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The Red Queen's War book 1 Start here
12. Prince Of Fools
by Lawrence, Mark
- On the same lists
Mark Lawrence's newest 2014 release in his new The Red Queen's War trilogy, set in the same world as his Broken Empire trilogy. This time around he focuses his efforts...
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A Land Fit For Heroes book 1 Start here
13. 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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The Book Of The New Sun book 1 Start here
14. 1981: The Shadow Of The Torturer
by Wolfe, Gene
- On the same lists
The sun has dimmed, the Earth is cooler and has been transformed in wondrous ways.
'The Shadow of the Torturer' is the first book in Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. Narrated by Severian, a member of the Guild of Torturers, the...
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Grim Company book 1 Start here
15. 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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The Acts Of Caine book 1 Start here
16. 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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17. 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 Prince Of Nothing book 1 Start here
18. The Darkness That Comes Before
by Bakker, R. Scott
- On the same lists
This book and the Prince of Nothing trilogy, as well as the other books that follow, are so dark that you'll need a shower after reading them. And therapy. This...
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Gentleman Bastards book 1 Start here
19. 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
20. 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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21. 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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22. 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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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 1 Start here
23. Lord Foul's Bane
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- On the same lists
Epic Fantasy that's also very High Fantasy. Features an antihero hero.
Lord Foul's Bane begins the epic Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, a series in which a leprosy-stricken man in the real world is transported to a stereotypical fantasy world....
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
24. The Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
An elite mercenary unit is the focus of this series. It is a mix of fantasy, gritty realism, and military fiction. It is often cited as an inspiration for the Grimdark sub-genre.
In an era when fantasy was about honorable farm boys with magic swords and a noble destiny, Glen Cook said 'fuck that mess; let's have some amoral pricks doing bad...
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 Kane.
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