Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam – Review
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
A sharp, magic-tinged fantasy with a strong opening, a welcome lack of romance, and a prickly protagonist you can’t help but root for.
dark fantasy
A Good Day to Die by G.R. Matthews – Reveal and Review
A brutal, layered tale of vengeance, faith, and survival. Rawlins’ journey from merciless killer to something almost human is gripping
A Winter’s Mercy by Phil Williams – Review
a dark, muddy, and deeply human military fantasy that manages to be both brutal and heartwarming. It is a story about survival, loyalty, and the people who keep fighting when…
The Darkness Calling by Kaleigh McCann – Review
All in all, The Darkness Calling is a dark and gripping fantasy read that held my attention from start to finish. While not without its flaws, it offers a refreshing…
The Pilgrims of the Damned by Steve McHugh – Review
These are vampires who make choices about what kind of people they want to be, not mindless predators, and I love that mix of grit, gore, and moral conviction
Once Was Willem by M. R. Carey – Review
Once Was Willem is dark, strange, and often brutal, but also moving and full of heart. It’s about monsters and men, about power and corruption, about finding family in the…
Julia’s Favourite Self-Published SFF Books: A Giant List (Part 3) – Grimdark Fantasy
... grab your sharpest sword, polish your blackest armor, and let’s head into the shadows…
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff – Review
Jayna
Solid story-telling, intriguing characters and plotline.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
What in a Necromancer’s fever dream did I just read? I’m still not sure but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. If you’ve got a thirst for something dark and…
War for the Rose Throne by Peter McLean – Series Review
A masterclass in grimdark fantasy. Spanning four novels, it delivers a gritty, emotionally charged saga of war, power, loyalty, trauma, and survival.
The Price of Faith by Rob J. Hayes – Review
For those who enjoy gritty, unflinching fantasy, it's precisely what makes this series stand out.
The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley – Review
The inner conflict that comes with that was bleeding of the page, and addictive.