The Darkness That Comes Before
Books like The Darkness That Comes Before
30 fantasy books to read after The Darkness That Comes Before, by Bakker, R. Scott, the closest match first.
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1. The Aspect Emperor
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same series
- Same author
- On the same lists
Exquisitely intelligent and beautifully written . . . this is fantasy with muscle and brains, rife with intrigue and admirable depth of character, set in a world laden with history...
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2. The Prince Of Nothing
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same series
- Same author
In a world saturated by religious fanaticism, Maithanet, enigmatic spiritual leader of the Thousand Temples, declares a Holy War against the infidels. Ikurei Conphas, military genius and nephew to the...
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The Prince Of Nothing book 3
3. The Thousandfold Thought
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same series
- Same author
The Holy War is at the gates of Shimeh. Anasûrimbor Kellhus, who came to the world as an outcast, is now the Warrior-Prophet and commands the Men of the Tusk....
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4. The Whiteluck Warrior
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same series
- Same author
Praised by readers and critics around the world, R. Scott Bakker has become one of the most celebrated voices in fantasy fiction. The Aspect-Emperor trilogy follows on from the acclaimed...
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The Prince Of Nothing book 3
5. The Thousandfold Thought
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same series
- Same author
"In The Darkness That Comes Before, R. Scott Bakker's debut, readers were invited into a darkly threatening, imaginative universe as fully realized as that of any in modern fantasy and...
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The Prince Of Nothing book 3
6. The Thousandfold Thought
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same series
- Same author
The apocalyptic holy war comes to a head and casts into question all the action that has taken place before in this conclusion to the groundbreaking Prince of Nothing series.
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The Acts Of Caine book 1 Start here
7. 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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8. The Great Ordeal
by Bakker, R. Scott
- Same author
The much-anticipated third installment of R. Scott Bakkers acclaimed series, The Aspect-EmperorPraised by fans and critics worldwide, R. Scott Bakker has become one of the most celebrated voices in fantasy...
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 1 Start here
9. 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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First Law World book 1 Start here
10. The Blade Itself
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
Abercrombie's work has become synonymous with the growing sub-genre of grimdark fantasy Naturally there's a lot of crossover between grimdark fantasy (which subverts the tropes of traditional heroic fantasy) and...
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11. Deed Of Paksenarrion
by Moon, Elizabeth
- On the same lists
Heroic military fantasy starring woman? This is the premise of Deed of Paksenarrion, following the exploits of a woman who rises above her station to become a legend. This novel...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
12. 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...
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13. 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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14. Malazan Book Of The Fallen
by Erikson, Steven
- On the same lists
A grand and epic series with a huge cast of characters with epic battles, sieges, mages, and carnage.
Steven Eriksen has been both lauded and criticized for his extreme detail, and that extends to his magic system. In Malazan, magic comes from warrens, a realm from which mages...
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Mythago Wood book 1 Start here
15. Mythago Wood
by Holdstock, Robert
- On the same lists
There are many novels and novellas in this cycle which take place in a forest that has been untouched since the last ice age. It is a labyrinth, a place of peril and living myths.
'Unique' is a vastly overused word. It has about as much meaning as Kim K's twitter feed. But in the case of Mythago Wood, it's warranted. Firstly, Holdstock tells the...
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New Crobuzon book 1 Start here
16. Perdido Street Station
by Miéville, China
- On the same lists
The cycle blends multiple genres, including Steampunk, Sci Fi, and Horror. Magic is commonplace and practiced by skilled professionals.
The famous (or infamous, depending how you view the New Weird movement) novel is generally considered one of the founding pillars of the New Weird genre. This novel meets many...
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Elric book 1 Start here
17. 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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The Demonata book 1 Start here
18. 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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First Law World book 5
19. The Heroes
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as Abercrombie himself describes it this way: "Three men. One battle. No heroes." It was designed to be a standalone novel, but is set...
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Gentleman Bastards book 1 Start here
20. 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
21. 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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22. Tyrants And Kings
by Marco, John
- On the same lists
Military fantasy with some great characterization, gray characters, and a lot of plot twists the whole way through. The author takes great pains to create most characters as morally ambiguous...
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23. Tigana
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
Tigana is based on Renaissance Italy. Kay uses Italian politics to make the story seem plausible.
Tigana is both a sweeping epic and a look into human nature – flaws and all. The characters and plot exist in an area of grey where good and evil...
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Ile-rien book 2
24. Death Of A Necromancer
by Wells, Martha
- On the same lists
A delightful blend of different genres with elements of steampunk, mystery, and Gothic tossed in. It's a unique story that really showcases Well's talents. Death of a Necromancer is Well's...
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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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The Red Queen's War book 1 Start here
26. 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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Watership Down book 1 Start here
27. Watership Down: A Novel
by Adams, Richard
- On the same lists
On one level a classic tale of adventure, with anthropomorphized rabbit characters. On another level, it is an epic struggle between tyranny and freedom.
Yes, we're talking about that book about bunnies. No, we haven't lost our minds. Take note: This isn't a children's book, despite it being about fluffy animals. If you've read...
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28. Talion: Revenant
by Stackpole, Michael A.
- On the same lists
List more than a few entries on this Top 100 list, Talion is a completely underrated fantasy book. Stackapole is a prolific author, writing everything from Star Wars novels, video...
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29. Elantris
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
This fantasy fiction novel will suck you in. Elantris is one of the best standalone fantasy books in the genre. It's about addictive as chocolate and a whole lot healthier!...
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30. The Etched City
by Bishop, K.j.
- On the same lists
The Etched city was formed from the love union between Stephen King and China Mieville. If you want a more complex fantasy novel with a good dose of the bizarre,...
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 Darkness That Comes Before.
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