Morally Grey Character

The Secret History

Donna Tartt · Literary Fiction

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of…

dark academia · psychological thriller · morally grey character · found family

The Caretaker

Marcus Kliewer · Mystery & Thriller

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY: Caregiver for elderly husband urgently needed.

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · morally grey character · twist ending

Nowhere Burning

Catriona Ward · Literary Fiction

Nowhere Burning is a harrowing tale of survival that places the dark fairy tale of Peter Pan and the ruthless dangers of Lord of the Flies into the…

dark academia · coming of age · survival · morally grey character

Blood Over Bright Haven

M. L. Wang · Fantasy

**Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.** An orphan since the age of…

grimdark · political intrigue · quest · morally grey character · chosen one

Katabasis

R.F. Kuang · Fantasy

'a formidable, timeless work, destined to be a modern classic' OLIVIE BLAKE 'A novel to savour.

dark academia · grimdark · morally grey character · found family · twist ending

Half His Age

Jennette McCurdy · Literary Fiction

**From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of *I’m Glad My Mom Died* comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire,…

age gap · dark romance · trauma recovery · morally grey character · psychological thriller

The Strength of the Few

James Islington · Fantasy

Omne trium perfectum The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus.

grimdark · quest · morally grey character · multiple timelines

Babel

R. F Kuang · Fantasy

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell…

dark academia · political intrigue · morally grey character · revenge plot · magic academy

King of Ashes

S. A. Cosby · Literary Fiction

When eldest son Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father’s car accident, he finds his younger brother, Dante, in debt to dangerous…

historical fiction · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

Victorian Psycho

Virginia Feito · Mystery & Thriller

Grim Wolds, England: Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · morally grey character · dark academia

The Eyes Are the Best Part

Monika Kim · Horror

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · morally grey character · grimdark

Wild Reverence

Rebecca Ross · Fantasy

Set in the world of the gods first introduced in Divine Rivals, #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Ross delivers a sweeping, beautiful…

dark romance · forbidden romance · slow burn · morally grey character

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Shirley Jackson · Literary Fiction

Shirley Jackson's beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family's dark secret Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark…

unreliable narrator · psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · small town · morally grey character

Yellowface

R.F. Kuang · Literary Fiction

White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · morally grey character · revenge plot · twist ending

Red City

Marie Lu · Fantasy

The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu.

dark romance · urban fantasy · enemies to lovers · political intrigue · morally grey character

Audition

Katie Kitamura · Literary Fiction

Two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant.

psychological thriller · obsessive love · unreliable narrator · morally grey character

Girl Dinner

Olivie Blake · Literary Fiction

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Girl Dinner is a darkly-fun novel about power, lust, and eating your fill, as wealthy…

dark academia · psychological thriller · morally grey character · twist ending

Nocticadia

Keri Lake · Romance

A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

dark romance · paranormal romance · forbidden romance · morally grey character · revenge plot · gothic atmosphere

We Love You, Bunny

Mona Awad · Literary Fiction

Longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize Named a Must-Read Pick by The New York Times, Oprah Daily, People, Associated Press, Marie Claire, Bustle, The…

dark academia · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · closed circle · morally grey character

The Compound

Aisling Rawle · Literary Fiction

Lily—a bored, beautiful twenty-something—wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular…

psychological thriller · morally grey character · closed circle · twist ending

Animal Farm

George Orwell · Literary Fiction

Animal Farm is a brilliant political satire and a powerful and affecting story of revolutions and idealism, power and corruption.

political intrigue · morally grey character

Cruelty Free

Caroline Glenn · Mystery & Thriller

"Deliciously vicious and unsettlingly hilarious, Cruelty Free is a nasty, thrilling Hollywood take-down for the ages." --JENNIFER THORNE, author of…

revenge plot · psychological thriller · morally grey character

Weavingshaw

Heba Al-Wasity · Fantasy

In this debut gothic fantasy, a young woman who can see the dead strikes a deal with the magnetic and dangerous Saint of Silence, a purveyor of dark…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · forbidden romance · dark romance · morally grey character

Mad Mabel

Sally Hepworth · Mystery & Thriller

Meet Mad Mabel. Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She's lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years--longer than…

psychological thriller · dark academia · twist ending · morally grey character

King of Envy

Ana Huang · Romance

***He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.*** Dangerous.

dark romance · obsessive love · possessive romance · slow burn · morally grey character

The Conditions of Will

Jessa Hastings · Romance

*This gorgeous edition comes with French flaps, deckled edges, and spot gloss* From the author of the Magnolia Parks universe and the Never series…

found family · second chance romance · slow burn · morally grey character

Butcher & Blackbird

Brynne Weaver · Romance

Every serial killer needs a friend.

dark romance · enemies to lovers · friends to lovers · romantic comedy · morally grey character

A Game of Thrones

George R. R. Martin · Fantasy

***A Game of Thrones*** is the inaugural novel in ***A Song of Ice and Fire***, an epic series of fantasy novels crafted by the American author…

political intrigue · dark academia · morally grey character · revenge plot

All the Sinners Bleed

S. A. Cosby · Mystery & Thriller

A Black sheriff. A serial killer. A small town ready to combust. Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia.…

psychological thriller · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

Sula

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

Two girls who grow up to become women.

coming of age · found family · morally grey character

The Fifth Season

N. K. Jemisin · Fantasy

**A SEASON OF ENDINGS HAS BEGUN.** IT STARTS WITH THE GREAT RED RIFT across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out…

grimdark · quest · chosen one · morally grey character · revenge plot

The Blade Itself

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck.

grimdark · morally grey character · redemption arc · political intrigue

Moderation

Elaine Castillo · Literary Fiction

Girlie, a thirty-something Filipinx-American, works a day job at a social-media moderation centre, flagging and removing the very worst that makes it…

morally grey character · workplace romance · coming of age · psychological thriller

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Ottessa Moshfegh · Literary Fiction

It's early 2000 on New York City's Upper East Side, and the alienation of Moshfegh's unnamed young protagonist from others is nearly complete when…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Heartless

Marissa Meyer · Fantasy

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere.

enemies to lovers · dark academia · slow burn · forbidden romance · redemption arc · morally grey character

The First Law Trilogy

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

The complete First Law trilogy from New York Times bestseller and master of grimdark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie.

grimdark · morally grey character · anti hero · revenge plot

The Book of Azrael

Amber V. Nicole · Fantasy

Amber V. Nicole’s The Book of Azrael launches the Gods and Monsters series with a dark, romantic epic of power, sacrifice, and ancient relics.…

slow burn · enemies to lovers · paranormal romance · dark romance · morally grey character · obsessive love

Boy Parts

Eliza Clark · Literary Fiction

One of Granta's Best Young British Novelists 2023 An incendiary debut novel from a brash new talent—a pitch-black comedy, both shocking and…

dark academia · coming of age · morally grey character · unreliable narrator

Empire of Silence

Christopher Ruocchio · Sci-Fi

It was not his war. On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire.…

space opera · grimdark · anti hero · revenge plot · morally grey character

Kingfisher

Rozie Kelly · Literary Fiction

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION She smelled like jasmine.

obsessive love · workplace romance · morally grey character · forbidden romance

Natural Beauty

Ling Ling Huang · Literary Fiction

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can.

dark academia · coming of age · trauma recovery · morally grey character

The Ascended

Bree Grenwich · Fantasy

A part of the Sundered Realms Extended Universe Revenge demands the ultimate sacrifice.

grimdark · forbidden romance · revenge plot · morally grey character

Crown of Midnight

Sarah J. Maas · Fantasy

*She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.

dark academia · revenge plot · quest · morally grey character · redemption arc

Too Old for This

Samantha Downing · Mystery & Thriller

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

psychological thriller · dark academia · morally grey character · cat and mouse

The Good Girl

Michelle Dunne · Horror

Pick up this addictively chilling horror suspense title from bestselling author Michelle Dunne.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · morally grey character · twist ending

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson · Horror

Mr. Gabriel Utterson is a serious, austere lawyer living a humdrum life in Victorian London. Yet there is a strange clause in his friend, Dr. Henry…

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · morally grey character · twist ending

I, Medusa

Ayana Gray · Fantasy

From New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek…

dark academia · coming of age · redemption arc · morally grey character

Love

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

The epitome of a group of women's ideals about love, fatherhood, and friendship, wealthy hotel owner Bill Cosey finds his life compromised by his…

forbidden romance · dark romance · trauma recovery · obsessive love · morally grey character

Vicious

V. E. Schwab · Fantasy

**A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.** Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely…

enemies to lovers · revenge plot · grimdark · morally grey character

The Goldfinch

Donna Tartt · Literary Fiction

"The Goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as…

dark academia · coming of age · morally grey character · trauma recovery · found family

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad · Literary Fiction

In Joseph Conrad's seminal work, "Heart of Darkness," readers embark on a harrowing journey through the depths of the Congo River, exploring the…

historical fiction · psychological thriller · grimdark · morally grey character

Two Twisted Crowns

Rachel Gillig · Fantasy

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

dark romance · gothic atmosphere · chosen one · twist ending · demons · morally grey character

Tourist Season

Brynne Weaver · Romance

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever. Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colorful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body…

dark romance · romantic comedy · morally grey character · opposites attract

A Study in Drowning

Ava Reid · Fantasy

Effy has always believed in fairy tales.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · slow burn · forbidden romance · morally grey character

My Sister, the Serial Killer

Oyinkan Braithwaite · Mystery & Thriller

"Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit…

psychological thriller · morally grey character · unreliable narrator

The Housemaid's Secret

Freida McFadden · Mystery & Thriller

*As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · morally grey character · twist ending

Maneater

Ellie Graves · Horror

'Lip-smackingly entertaining, Maneater cooks up a tense, tart and thrillingly sadistic kitchen nightmare' Leigh Radford, author of One Yellow Eye…

psychological thriller · grimdark · morally grey character · high stakes survival

Bury Your Gays

Chuck Tingle · Horror

Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.

dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · psychological thriller · found family

Futility

Nuzo Onoh · Horror

For readers of Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister the Serial Killer and Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family, this is a monstrous, gleeful, bitingly…

dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · grimdark

Mansfield Park

Jane Austen · Literary Fiction

Fanny Price is born to a poor family, but is sent to her mother's rich relations to be brought up with her cousins.

historical fiction · slow burn · morally grey character

Daughter of No Worlds

Carissa Broadbent · Fantasy

A former slave fighting for justice.

dark romance · enemies to lovers · slow burn · morally grey character · trauma recovery

The Broken Earth Trilogy

N. K. Jemisin · Fantasy

[Volume 2: The obelisk gate] : The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night.

grimdark · dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

Credence

Penelope Douglas · Romance

From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Douglas, comes a new standalone!

dark romance · forced proximity · obsessive love · possessive romance · morally grey character

The River Is Waiting

Wally Lamb · Literary Fiction

Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his beloved Emily into…

coming of age · trauma recovery · redemption arc · morally grey character

Eternal Ruin

Tigest Girma · Fantasy

The breathtaking sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller, Immortal Dark!

dark romance · paranormal romance · vampires · forbidden romance · revenge plot · morally grey character

Kill for Me Kill for You

Steve Cavanagh · Mystery & Thriller

Thriller, mystery, revenge

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · revenge plot · morally grey character

The Kind Worth Killing

Peter Swanson · Mystery & Thriller

'Hello there.' I looked at the pale, freckled hand on the back of the empty bar seat next to me in the business class lounge of Heathrow airport,…

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · morally grey character · obsessive love

Twisted Lies

Ana Huang · Romance

He'll do anything to have her...including lie.

dark romance · obsessive love · possessive romance · forced proximity · enemies to lovers · morally grey character · psychological thriller

Dune Messiah

Frank Herbert · Sci-Fi

**Book Two in the Magnificent Dune Chronicles—the Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All Time** Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul…

space opera · grimdark · political intrigue · morally grey character

The Book of the New Sun

Gene Wolfe · Fantasy

An extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in the time of a dying sun, when our present culture is no longer even a memory.

grimdark · quest · morally grey character · redemption arc

The Atlas Six

Olivie Blake · Fantasy

The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical…

dark academia · enemies to lovers · found family · morally grey character

The Library at Hellebore

Cassandra Khaw · Fantasy

**A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six who are…

dark academia · morally grey character · magic academy · found family

Blacktop Wasteland

S. A. Cosby · Mystery & Thriller

A husband, a father, a son, a business owner...

psychological thriller · revenge plot · survival · morally grey character

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Patricia Highsmith · Mystery & Thriller

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · morally grey character · cat and mouse

Culpability

Bruce Holsinger · Literary Fiction

A suspenseful family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence

morally grey character

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison · Literary Fiction

Invisible Man is the story of a young black man from the South who does not fully understand racism in the world.

coming of age · anti hero · morally grey character · political intrigue

Sublimation

Isabel J. Kim · Sci-Fi

Doppelgangers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for…

dystopian society · psychological thriller · political intrigue · morally grey character

The House Saphir

Marissa Meyer · Fantasy

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · forbidden romance · twist ending · morally grey character

Greedy

Callie Kazumi · Mystery & Thriller

What would you do for a seat at the table?

psychological thriller · morally grey character · cat and mouse · grimdark

Not So Perfect Strangers

L.S. Stratton · Mystery & Thriller

One fateful encounter upends the lives of two women in this tense domestic thriller, a modern spin on Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train that…

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · morally grey character

Strangers in the Villa

Robyn Harding · Mystery & Thriller

"Sydney Lowe's life in New York is shattered when her husband, Curtis, admits to a meaningless affair with a client.

psychological thriller · second chance romance · high stakes survival · morally grey character

A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage

MK Oliver · Mystery & Thriller

A whip-smart and darkly funny crime novel—perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Maid—that follows a wife and mother with a deadly…

dark romance · psychological thriller · morally grey character · unreliable narrator

Matchmaking for Psychopaths

Tasha Coryell · Mystery & Thriller

Love is a dangerous game when your clients are killers…from the bestselling author behind Love Letters to a Serial Killer.

psychological thriller · dark academia · morally grey character · obsessive love

Wicked Onyx

Debbie Cassidy · Fantasy

In a ruthless magical academy where she's cursed and powerless, the last Onyx must unravel dark family secrets and navigate dangerous alliances to…

dark academia · grimdark · revenge plot · morally grey character · witches

Last Argument Of Kings

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

The King of the Union lies on his deathbed, the peasants revolt, and the nobles scramble to steal his crown.

grimdark · morally grey character · cat and mouse · revenge plot · high stakes survival

Kingdom of Ash

Sarah J. Maas · Fantasy

Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin…

slow burn · chosen one · quest · morally grey character

Nowhere

Allison Gunn · Mystery & Thriller

"Rachel Kennan, the new police chief of a fundamentalist southern town, relies on her job to push through the pain of losing her young son and the…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · small town · morally grey character

Alone with You in the Ether

Olivie Blake · Literary Fiction

From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, comes an intimate and contemporary study of time, space, and the nature of…

trauma recovery · slow burn · morally grey character

Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel · Literary Fiction

Wolf Hall (2009) is a historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of…

historical fiction · political intrigue · morally grey character

The Mindf*ck Series

S. T. Abby · Romance

They took too much. Left too little. I had nothing to lose... until him. Lana I didn't expect him. I didn't want to fall in love. But I can't…

dark romance · psychological thriller · obsessive love · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Just Watch Me

Lior Torenberg · Literary Fiction

Fleabag meets Big Swiss in this visceral, darkly hilarious, and surprisingly moving debut novel about a charismatic misfit who livestreams herself…

dark academia · coming of age · morally grey character · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator

Rejection

Tony Tulathimutte · Literary Fiction

From the Whiting and O. Henry–winning author of Private Citizens (“the first great millennial novel,” New York Magazine), an electrifying…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · cat and mouse · morally grey character

The Last of Earth

Deepa Anappara · Literary Fiction

From the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a “thrilling and profound” (BBC) novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that…

forbidden romance · slow burn · psychological thriller · historical fiction · cat and mouse · morally grey character · opposites attract

A Certain Hunger

Chelsea G. Summers · Literary Fiction

Food critic Dorothy Daniels loves what she does.

unreliable narrator · psychological thriller · dark romance · morally grey character

The Wicked King

Holly Black · Fantasy

The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

enemies to lovers · dark academia · grimdark · fae · political intrigue · morally grey character

The Tower of the Tyrant

J.T. Greathouse · Fantasy

In a terrorized kingdom where the ghosts of the past do not rest in peace, a sorceress comes calling.

grimdark · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · morally grey character · ghosts

The Councillor

E. J. Beaton · Fantasy

When the death of Iron Queen Sarelin Brey fractures the realm of Elira, Lysande Prior, the palace scholar and the queen's closest friend, is…

dark academia · political intrigue · morally grey character · quest · cat and mouse

Murder Bimbo

Rebecca Novack · Mystery & Thriller

“Murder Bimbo is Gone Girl for the Luigi Mangione era, and Rebecca Novack is one of our funniest and most acerbic new writers.” —Catherine Lacey,…

unreliable narrator · psychological thriller · revenge plot · cat and mouse · morally grey character

The Black Dahlia

James Ellroy · Mystery & Thriller

The Black Dahlia is a roman noir on an epic scale: a classic period piece that provides a startling conclusion to America's most infamous unsolved…

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival · morally grey character

The Power of the Dog

Thomas Savage · Literary Fiction

**NOW THE WINNER OF THE 2022 BEST DIRECTOR OSCAR AND TWO 2022 BAFTA AWARDS** Discover Thomas Savage's dark poetic tale of a small town in early 20th…

psychological thriller · historical fiction · small town · cat and mouse · morally grey character

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy · Literary Fiction

A young woman finds herself the victim of fate and of forces beyond her control in nineteenth-century England.

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Flock

Kate Stewart · Romance

INCLUDES AN EXCLUSIVE, CAN'T MISS BONUS SCENE BETWEEN CECELIA AND SEAN!

dark romance · enemies to lovers · slow burn · morally grey character

The Dead Husband Cookbook

Danielle Valentine · Mystery & Thriller

A deliciously wicked new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Danielle Valentine.

psychological thriller · revenge plot · twist ending · morally grey character

Too Close to Home

Andrew Grant · Mystery & Thriller

An intelligence agent-turned-courthouse janitor, Paul McGrath notices everything and everyone—but no one notices him.

psychological thriller · revenge plot · cat and mouse · morally grey character

Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson · Sci-Fi

Within the Metaverse, Hiro is offered a datafile named Snow Crash by a man named Raven who hints that it is a form of narcotic.

space opera · heist · anti hero · morally grey character · dystopian society · high stakes survival

Best Served Cold

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

War may be hell, but for Monza Murcatto, a solider of considerable fortune; it's a damn good way of making money too.

grimdark · revenge plot · morally grey character · anti hero · political intrigue

The Invisible Man

H. G. Wells · Sci-Fi

The Invisible Man (1897) is a science fiction novel.

anti hero · morally grey character · unreliable narrator · psychological thriller

Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

Melissa K. Roehrich · Fantasy

The only way to survive in a realm full of villains is to become one.

dark romance · fated mates · revenge plot · morally grey character · grimdark · possessive romance

Shadow of the Leviathan

Robert Jackson Bennett · Fantasy

grimdark · quest · morally grey character

Hammerfall

Rob J Hayes · Fantasy

How long can a cause remain just, when painted in the blood of innocence?

grimdark · revenge plot · morally grey character · demons · redemption arc

King of Scars

Leigh Bardugo · Fantasy

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible.

dark academia · grimdark · morally grey character · redemption arc · political intrigue

This Safe Darkness

Alexis Maragold · Fantasy

The Hunt was intended to make us an example, not a threat.

dystopian society · grimdark · revenge plot · survival · morally grey character

Before They Are Hanged

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted,…

grimdark · morally grey character · political intrigue · survival · high stakes survival

Gormenghast

Mervyn Peake · Fantasy

A young earl's future in a sprawling castle could be changed by a feral girl and a cunning servant in this acclaimed gothic fantasy trilogy's second…

grimdark · gothic atmosphere · dark academia · political intrigue · morally grey character

The Black Company

Glen Cook · Fantasy

Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil.

grimdark · quest · morally grey character · found family

Pretenders to the Throne of God

Adrian Tchaikovsky · Fantasy

Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller returns to a world steeped in magic – and the Tyrant Philosophers' campaign to bring reason,…

grimdark · political intrigue · morally grey character

Wisteria

Adalyn Grace · Fantasy

Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do...

dark academia · slow burn · forbidden romance · morally grey character

By Blood

David Buschhorn · Fantasy

Book nine in the Establishment Series.

grimdark · morally grey character

The Heroes

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls.

grimdark · morally grey character · anti hero · survival

The Mask of Mirrors

M. A. Carrick · Fantasy

"Lush, engrossing, and full of mystery and dark magic," The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a dazzling fantasy…

grimdark · urban fantasy · morally grey character · quest · magic academy

Black Sun

Rebecca Roanhorse · Fantasy

"A god will return when the earth and sky converge under the black sun in the holy city of Tova...

chosen one · quest · historical fiction · political intrigue · morally grey character

Long Live Evil

Sarah Rees Brennan · Fantasy

ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES "BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY OF 2024" AND "BEST ROMANCE NOVELS OF 2024" THIS IS A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FALLEN…

enemies to lovers · slow burn · morally grey character · chosen one · quest

Glint

Raven Kennedy · Fantasy

For ten years, I’ve lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas’s golden castle.

dark romance · grimdark · forbidden romance · possessive romance · dystopian society · high stakes survival · morally grey character

The Emperor's Soul

Brandon Sanderson · Fantasy

WINNER, 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella!

redemption arc · heist · morally grey character · quest

Release Me

Tahereh Mafi · Fantasy

The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

enemies to lovers · revenge plot · slow burn · dystopian society · morally grey character

Year of the Mer

L. D. Lewis · Fantasy

A dark, bloody epic fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid that goes far beyond the fairy tale to explore family legacy, war, and what we will…

dark academia · revenge plot · quest · morally grey character

The First Law

Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

grimdark · morally grey character · anti hero · revenge plot

An Unkindness of Ghosts

Rivers Solomon · Sci-Fi

"Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak.

space opera · morally grey character · survival · trauma recovery