Best Grimdark Fantasy Books of All Time

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  • Опубликовано: 13 июл 2024
  • The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/capturedinwords02241
    Today I'm talking about the best grimdark fantasy books of all time! Everything from Joe Abercrombie's First Law and Martin's ASOIAF to Lawrences Prince of Thorns and Kuang's The Poppy War!
    Let me know your favorites in the comments!
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    0:00 - INTRO
    1:05 - Skillshare
    2:25 - Indie Books
    3:27 - Black Company
    4:37 - ASOIAF
    6:19 - Broken Empire
    8:31 - Berserk
    9:04 - Faithful & Fallen
    10:46 - Poppy War
    12:02 - Acts of Caine
    13:13 - Coldfire
    15:00 - Elric
    16:15 - Prince of Nothing
    17:38 - Locke Lamora
    18:44 - Malazan
    18:58 - Sons of Darkness
    21:00 - First Law
    Want to send me something? Here's my PO Box address:
    Jay Kennedy
    PO Box 21163
    Kelowna RPO Orchard Park, BC, V1Y 9N8
    Canada
    #witcher
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Комментарии • 312

  • @CapturedInWords
    @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +8

    The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/capturedinwords02241
    I should clarify that non of these recommendations are in any specific order (other than First Law being #1). Also I was meaning to mention Warhammer 40k and completely forgot to record that voice over last night when editing.
    What are some of your favorite grimdark books??

  • @tedskullhammer
    @tedskullhammer 3 месяца назад +145

    ASOIAF is so grim dark, that the story abruptly ends after book 5. The reader is not only left with the darkness of the story, but the existential darkness of having that story's continuation be forever lost in a series of bleak conventions, morally ambiguous interviews, and twisted book signings ;).

    • @DavidHilton80
      @DavidHilton80 3 месяца назад +8

      Basically stopped reading the book after realizing he’s never going to finish the books because of him getting more involved with tv

    • @Themaninblack19
      @Themaninblack19 2 месяца назад

      ​@@DavidHilton80same here

    • @MrPFMneto
      @MrPFMneto 2 месяца назад

      I read all books. But my hopes of a follow up were shattered after GoT season 3.

    • @Mgranadosv
      @Mgranadosv 2 месяца назад

      5 books? The series ended on A storm of swords. The terribly paced/written Feast of Crows and even worse Dance of dragons are fan fictions.

    • @shawnnbits
      @shawnnbits Месяц назад

      True cosmic horror!

  • @danielsmerda6636
    @danielsmerda6636 4 месяца назад +98

    I aint gonna lie, your edits are a blast. It is so gripping and easy to watch. Also, with your narrative, drive and passion, you are the best booktuber on the platform! Keep it comin'

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +4

      I appreciate that!! Glad you enjoy the videos! 😁

    • @MsAndrej26
      @MsAndrej26 4 месяца назад +4

      I just want to read everything immediately because the art he uses and his descriptions just suck me in.

  • @marklawrence8418
    @marklawrence8418 4 месяца назад +50

    Many thanks for the shout out, much appreciated.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +16

      No problem, it's well deserved! I'm currently reading The Book That Wouldn't Burn and really enjoying learning about the Athenaeum. Will likely have a video review up for it in March 👍

    • @martinsoukup562
      @martinsoukup562 Месяц назад +2

      It's really cool how you engage with your fans. I've seen you all over the place from RUclips to Reddit. And thanks for the Broken Empire. I find most fantasy books boring and predictable so I was pleasantly surprised by your original take on main characters.

  • @tapiwanashendhlovu8468
    @tapiwanashendhlovu8468 4 месяца назад +10

    Prince of nothing still haunts my dreams to this day

  • @Mr.RobotHead
    @Mr.RobotHead 4 месяца назад +6

    Great video! You covered so many great series. I was happy (but unsurprised) to see you started it off with _The Black Company_ and even happier (and _very_ surprised) to see _Coldfire_ in the list. Seriously, _Coldfire_ (and CS Friedman's work in general) should get more love. And finally, you've convinced me to move _Broken Empire_ up my list.

  • @brightyell0wgun
    @brightyell0wgun 4 месяца назад +7

    ASOIAF and The Princeof Nothing are two of my absolute favorite series :) Excellent list! Some of the ones you mentioned are already on my TBR but I can't wait to check out all of the others I hadn't even heard of :)

  • @thekwjiboo
    @thekwjiboo 4 месяца назад +21

    You know, I've never really gotten into that genre, and I wasn't even sure what it is. So this video was very informative! I've read ASoIAF and didn't even know that was grimdark. I just read the first 2 books of Gentlemen Bastards this last week and absolutely loved them. You're right about the great dialog in GB, but you forgot to mention the absolutely brilliant insults that get thrown around. And I'm about 1/4 into book 2 of the Dresden files. I've really been missing out on this genre.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +4

      Haha you're right, the insults in GB definitely deserve to be mentioned! Really glad to hear you enjoyed those books!! I'm actually planning on rereading Locke Lamora soon since it's been a while. Hope you enjoy Dresden too!

    • @thekwjiboo
      @thekwjiboo 4 месяца назад

      @CapturedInWords my buddy who has read them all told me if I like them so far that I'll really like them starting on book 4. Supposedly, according to him, the first 3 are his weakest writings. But I'm thoroughly enjoying them.

  • @morlockrevolt
    @morlockrevolt 4 месяца назад +5

    Man, your production is top notch. Great quality videos.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +2

      Thanks! Glad you enjoy them, I put a lot of work into it

  • @lukasrogall3802
    @lukasrogall3802 4 месяца назад +6

    Thanks for the great book recommendations!!

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад

      You're welcome! And thank you for watching :)

  • @bim41337
    @bim41337 4 месяца назад +11

    I think Prince of Thorns (and the subsequent books) was the first Grim Dark book for me. I really liked the display of violence and ruthlessness, but also how well fleshed out the character of Jorg is. I've always wanted to get into Book of the Ancestor.
    In Prince of Nothing, there was one of the all-time best scenes in Fantasy I've ever read. The one chapter where Achamian lashes out after his imprisonment and just demolishes his captors is one of the most amazing displays of magic ever. I'd so love to see more of this done in books. I get the impression that it's on vogue for authors to tone the use of magic down to make it more elusive, but I'd love to read more epic use of magic :)

    • @Abikuss
      @Abikuss 4 месяца назад

      Prince of Thorn is hella dope

    • @ennokrieger4205
      @ennokrieger4205 3 месяца назад

      Also really liked the scene. Had been waiting for it since day one and it totally delivered. His fight with conphas mage was also lit

  • @wederator2152
    @wederator2152 2 месяца назад

    My favorite genre by my favorite booktube channel. You're great, man.

  • @fightronin3753
    @fightronin3753 3 месяца назад

    Great video!!! Keep up the great work!!!

  • @sgriffin9960
    @sgriffin9960 4 месяца назад

    Fabulous recommendations! Thank you for this video!

  • @shadowdeath5374
    @shadowdeath5374 4 месяца назад +9

    I recommend the Nightlords trilogy. It's a 40k book so heavy sci-fi and maybe a bit confusing for newcomers at some times but aside from that a great grimdark sci-fi fantasy series.

    • @tracejefferson3169
      @tracejefferson3169 4 месяца назад

      Agree!
      Have read book one and will be reading book 2 soon.

    • @GoomEternal
      @GoomEternal Месяц назад

      I'd HEAVILY recommend getting more into the lore of 40k (thank you Bricky's videos) before getting into it, as the author uses purple prose to describe things the average 40k fan would be able to understand the meaning of. Other than that, it is PRIME GRIMDARK. I can't gush about it enough.

  • @dustincanete7666
    @dustincanete7666 Месяц назад

    Great video. I’ll be putting some of those on my list

  • @SlowBurnReader
    @SlowBurnReader 4 месяца назад +2

    Jay you need to do a recommendations video for books with beautiful prose/writing styles! I would love to hear all your recommendations.

  • @baneofmordor880
    @baneofmordor880 4 месяца назад +10

    Thanks for this video - the Black Company is classic. Locke Lamora and the Broken Empire also are great stories. You are spot on that the 428th Emperor of Melnibone is the original "grimdark" antihero - Moorcock's work is so great that might transcend the genre he created?

    • @greenknightable
      @greenknightable 2 месяца назад

      Nah It's Connan. The author offed himself to prove it.

  • @jde_tattoo
    @jde_tattoo 4 месяца назад +2

    Awesome work on this video!

  • @AgnosticTruth
    @AgnosticTruth 4 месяца назад +15

    Originally called Sword & Sorcery. Like the great anti-heroes like Conan, Elric, Kane and Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. Low magic, bleak world and more of a personal story. Not necessarily on an epic world changing scope. Read the founders to understand where the modern authors got their inspiration from.

    • @masoodvoon8999
      @masoodvoon8999 4 месяца назад +4

      Think this is the first Fafhrd comment I've seen since youtube was invented. Definitely find inspiration in those missing from Earthsea, Conan, Elric, etc. I also thought Dying Earth by Jack Vance and some of those stories pretty unique.

    • @stephennootens916
      @stephennootens916 4 месяца назад +1

      Wait are you saying grim dark is a spin off of sword and sorcery? I have only read Conan which I love and hope to read more. So I wonder if I should really take a hard look into grim dark to see if I can fine more fantasy I will like.

    • @AgnosticTruth
      @AgnosticTruth 4 месяца назад

      Absolutely. Try Grimdark out.

    • @stephennootens916
      @stephennootens916 4 месяца назад +1

      @@AgnosticTruth than I shall make myself a small list and with the help of my trusty library hopefully I find something that hooks me.

    • @AgnosticTruth
      @AgnosticTruth 4 месяца назад

      @@stephennootens916
      Modern Grimdark you could consider: Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, Mark Lawrence Prince of Thorns, R. Scott Bakker’s books and definitely the modern fathers of Grimdark, George RR Martin’s A song of ice and fire series and Glenn Cook’s The Black Company books.

  • @GreekLibra1984
    @GreekLibra1984 Месяц назад

    Lots of really great choices in this video. I'm definitely going to check out a lot of these series. Thanks. ⚔️

  • @Red21Viper
    @Red21Viper 4 месяца назад +5

    Good list. Bakker is the Emperor of everything dark in the genre. Most others feel pretty light in comparison.
    But it is much more than that. You have to try it some day

  • @JosephSalvo-gi7bp
    @JosephSalvo-gi7bp 13 дней назад

    Great video man, read the Broken Empire trilogy after watching this and got into more Mark Lawrence books

  • @420jturner
    @420jturner 4 месяца назад

    Oh snap 100k subs congrats bro!!!

  • @Subo23
    @Subo23 3 месяца назад +2

    Great list! I'll just add a couple - Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief and Chris Bunch's The Seer King trilogy.

  • @birgertales
    @birgertales 2 месяца назад +1

    Awesome video, as always, man! :) Some of the books I recognize, as I've also featured them on my own channel but under the banner of dark fantasy. ^_^ I need to look into the differences between grimdark and dark fantasy more, but I get a feeling that they are pretty similar to each other. I've done a deep dive of the dark fantasy genre in the video "What is Dark Fantasy Books? 5 THEMES & More!", in case you want to check it out. 😄 💙📚ruclips.net/video/4VXXztt8Dao/видео.html What I've gathered so far: Grim Dark can be considered even darker than Dark Fantasy? Or what's your take on the differences between them?

  • @alibensacrifice
    @alibensacrifice 15 дней назад

    22:35 Thank you for giving a shout out to my boy Dogman. Bro was my favorite character.

  • @RichardNellAuthor
    @RichardNellAuthor 5 дней назад

    Just got directed to the channel, sir! Great book picks, and I hope you enjoy Kings of Paradise when you get to it.

  • @llindberg194
    @llindberg194 4 месяца назад +5

    I really hope you do read The Prince of Nothing series eventually, the books are heavy hitters with complex morality, good prose and a philosophical angle to them that I really appreciate.

  • @richardadcock5450
    @richardadcock5450 4 месяца назад +2

    Please do a video on The Cold Fire Trilogy. One of my favorite trilogies of all time. Read it before Grimdark was a thing. So underrated and never talked about. It some MAJOR love.

  • @JackyZee
    @JackyZee 3 месяца назад

    YES PLEASE do a video on the Coldfire Trilogy!!! One of my favorite series growing up and by one of my favorite authors but nobody ever talks about it or her. The children NEED to know.

  • @Hazzer1011
    @Hazzer1011 4 месяца назад +3

    Love these recommendations videos of yours! The artwork, the editing, the way you sell these books to me is just S tier!
    Funnily enough I've read most of these books on here already, and I agree with all but one! Prince of Thorns is one of the worst books I've ever read 😂 in contrast to that The First Law is my all time favourite fantasy series, with ASOIAF and Faithful and the Fallen not far behind! Tbh, you can't go wrong with most of these picks!

  • @cande9023
    @cande9023 Месяц назад

    Thank you for this video. ASOIAF is my favorite book series, but I never delved deeper into this subgenre for whatever reason. Will definitely be reading the Joel Abercrombie series now. The characters sound awesome.

    • @jbheath6678
      @jbheath6678 5 дней назад

      Definitely give it a shot! Joe Abercrombie's writing is a lot like Game of Thrones in its hay day, where writing and characters are king.

  • @ladyfox6705
    @ladyfox6705 4 месяца назад +6

    I love Berserk (started because of my love for Dark Souls & FromSoftware) and ASoIaF. Just read The Blade Itself as my first Abercrombie & loved it, so looking forward to more of Joe's books.
    I've got Scott Lynch on my shelf (not literally lol, bit of a squish for him! XD) so will get to his books soon.
    I'd be interested in all of these, maybe except the Poppy War, because I think that's a bit more YA, but the rest sound incredible!

    • @jbheath6678
      @jbheath6678 5 дней назад +1

      I love the First Law series! Joes writing reminds a lot of Game of Thrones in ita hay day, where dialogue and character is king. Ive started the Poppy War series because of a family book club and your guess is correct, very YA. Maybe it gets better but so far its not my favorite

  • @alexandruteodor3585
    @alexandruteodor3585 4 месяца назад +1

    Yes! I want a full video about The Coldfire trilogy, I am very excited. It seems to be based on a similar idea as the Manifest Delusions trilogy. I've just finished the book #2 from it and I loved it! Book #1, Beyond Redemption, is rated as the top grimdark book by Mark Lawrence based on the grimdark content. So I highly recommend this series.
    I'm glad The First Law is on top, Joe Abercrombie is my favorite author. One of the books I liked a lot was The Heroes. How does it compare with The Black Company? I am very interested of it as well.

  • @ianbrinkley5968
    @ianbrinkley5968 4 месяца назад

    I’ve been watching you for years and idk why I never noticed ur subscriber count but I always assumed you had at least a million subs. Keep up the good work

  • @Amanda-kw2uq
    @Amanda-kw2uq 2 месяца назад

    Excellent video - added a bunch to my tbr.
    For anyone reading Malazan, don’t skip out on Ian Esselmont’s books, they add a lot to the series - especially the Paths to Ascendancy books.

  • @IndiaTides
    @IndiaTides 4 месяца назад +5

    Hey, Philip Chase started the series on Top Ten fantasy based on the emotions you get out of that series. Don't have video idea then try that one.

  • @coolbrotherf127
    @coolbrotherf127 4 месяца назад +4

    It's not entirely grim dark, but the GreenBone Saga is another series that fans of these kinds of books will enjoy.

  • @flakey414
    @flakey414 4 месяца назад +1

    Fantastic list, some really great sounding books there that i'd never heard of before, can't wait to get to them.
    I'd add the Empire of the Wolf trilogy (The Justice of Kings) by Richard Swan to the list, really fascinating series that's just concluded earlier this month.

  • @d.pedroii2940
    @d.pedroii2940 3 месяца назад

    Very good reads for me to get into this genre this year

  • @user-vd5jt1kw5r
    @user-vd5jt1kw5r 4 месяца назад +1

    100k congratulations you deserved this a long time ago👍

  • @mercurydylan899
    @mercurydylan899 4 месяца назад +2

    Great list with some recommendations for me!
    You heard of/read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series? Pretty old school and pretty bleak and ahead of its time. Lord Foul’s Bane is a beast of a first book and Donaldson kills it. Talk about an anti-hero…

  • @hawk66100
    @hawk66100 4 месяца назад +6

    Great list! I’m really hoping we get book 4 of the Gentleman Bastards series: The Thorn of Emberlain sometime soon…

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +2

      I hope so too!

    • @hawk66100
      @hawk66100 4 месяца назад

      @@CapturedInWords If I heard correctly it’s supposed to be a 7 book series but idk if it’ll ever be finished. I’ve read that the author is struggling with mental health issues.

  • @christophersmith3005
    @christophersmith3005 3 месяца назад +1

    Very well done. I would also include The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe. The series centers around a character who works and as a _torturer_ as well as an executioner. He is even a member of a torturer's guild.

  • @RC-lw5lw
    @RC-lw5lw 4 месяца назад +4

    First comment! Thanks for the new drop, man! Awesome subject.

  • @MrSITH-qj6zp
    @MrSITH-qj6zp 3 месяца назад +1

    Elric & Black Company were my first intro into Grim Dark, back in the 80's.

  • @Karma7711
    @Karma7711 4 месяца назад +2

    I love that you’re videos don’t critique these books/series too much. Really it’s more important to inspire and peak people’s interest and have people make their own minds up. A lot of people are very critical and it can stop people even picking up a book in the first place

    • @ianbrinkley5968
      @ianbrinkley5968 4 месяца назад +1

      agreed, sometimes I’ll see critical reviews on books I loved, and I feel like if I’d watched it before I read I’d have skipped and read another book

    • @alexandermendez4653
      @alexandermendez4653 4 месяца назад

      *pique

  • @mudbutt42
    @mudbutt42 4 месяца назад +4

    I recently started reading Malazan. I started reading the chapter summaries before I read the chapter and it has absolutely changed how much I understand. Any person that struggled reading this series I highly recommend chapter summaries

    • @KDils69
      @KDils69 4 месяца назад

      Where can I read the chapter summaries?

    • @mudbutt42
      @mudbutt42 4 месяца назад

      @@KDils69 that's the one I'm using for gardens of the moon. I just searched chapter summaries, it took me a couple tries til I found one I liked

    • @KDils69
      @KDils69 4 месяца назад

      @@mudbutt42 did you link one or share the spot? I don't see anything, but yeah I''ll google.

    • @alexwallachian7720
      @alexwallachian7720 4 месяца назад

      ​@KDils69 look up the TOR reread guide. It's the best

  • @blaiseancona4057
    @blaiseancona4057 4 месяца назад

    Nice Video! Not sure I would categorize Faithful & The Fallen as Grimdark although it does have grim moments. One Grimdark Masterpiece which no one talks about is Ricardo Pinto's Stone Dance of The Chameleon series. There is nothing else like it and it keeps getting darker with each book. Highly recommended.

  • @EpicTalez
    @EpicTalez 4 месяца назад +1

    Great video as usual. There are books here that I have to read. I am most excited about Elric, Aspect Emperor (PON), and Malazan.

    • @alexandermendez4653
      @alexandermendez4653 4 месяца назад +1

      Malazan is tough. I made it through book 7 and had to stop. Reading it is like work.

    • @TheCrazyCanuck420
      @TheCrazyCanuck420 4 месяца назад

      ​@alexandermendez4653 lol that's where I am. I read up to 100 pages of the 7th book, put it down for a year and had to start back over again since I lost track of too mang characters. This time around it's audible at 1.1x speed and I just got back to where I left off last time. The plot makes a lot more sense this time around 😂

    • @damnboy2.047
      @damnboy2.047 3 месяца назад

      @@alexandermendez4653book five, I love it and the sense of finishing one is amazing but it’s tough

    • @nikolaichenqov6203
      @nikolaichenqov6203 3 месяца назад

      ​@alexandermendez4653 I read 1-5 in less than 6 months then it took me like 4 months to get through 6 and 7 😂

    • @damnboy2.047
      @damnboy2.047 3 месяца назад

      @@nikolaichenqov6203 how did you get back in, stopped reading for a few months at 4 and honestly forgot just about everything

  • @superred5
    @superred5 3 месяца назад

    The Broken Empire trilogy is amazing. Glad to see someone talking about it and bringing it to the forefront!

  • @gcartigny
    @gcartigny 4 месяца назад +6

    I know there are so many authors who wrote a book about this, but not mentioning anything Warhammer 40k is a small crime. Might be tricky to pick a couple though.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +4

      Yeah I was planning on mentioning 40K but just didn't get the time last night when I was finishing up voice over and editing. But soon I'd like to start some of those books (not sure where to start but maybe Horus Heresy) and make some videos on them

    • @gcartigny
      @gcartigny 4 месяца назад

      @@CapturedInWords Good luck. I started reading WH40k like 6 months ago with some small collection of stories like Heroes of the Space marines. Great for getting your feet wet. I'm kinda afraid to go full Heresy of some other series yet.

    • @LimeymanZero
      @LimeymanZero 4 месяца назад +1

      I just got done with the Eisenhorn books and wow, yeah those were great! They would have fit well on this list.

  • @elif-tp4yv
    @elif-tp4yv 4 месяца назад +1

    I just finished the second book of the first law series and I loved it! I need more grimdark 😈

  • @nicolai2429
    @nicolai2429 3 месяца назад +1

    Highly recommend the Ravens Mark series by Ed McDonald as well. And Elric is an absolute must!

  • @MrAelin
    @MrAelin 3 месяца назад

    So glad someone at least mentioned the prince of nothing. I am from Spain and we had this huge event where a famous publisher company dropped iconic fantasy sagas and this one was one of them. I really enjoyed the trilogy as it contains deep philosophical theories (I think the author had something to do with philosophy) and the characters were really well built. I don't know why it is not more famous.

  • @rorangarrowson5
    @rorangarrowson5 4 месяца назад

    I read some of these and they are amazing. Thanks for all the recommendations. A great indie grimdark book is Obsidian Awakening by Sienna Frost.

  • @getmotivated1707
    @getmotivated1707 3 месяца назад +1

    I hope Malazan book of the fallen is on the list, it's criminally under read and everyone I've seen who has read the series absolutely loves it. It does suffer from having a weaker first book, but it is so very worth sticking with. I love it so much, Erikson is a fantastic writer, and his anthropology background really allowed him to create an amazing universe.
    edit: lol, it is, and you said some of the same things about it haha :)

  • @Globulebob
    @Globulebob 4 месяца назад +3

    I just finished the Mirror’s Truth, the second volume of the Manifest Delusions by Michael R. Fletcher and it was absolutely insane. It seems though that so few people know about this and I’m so glad I randomly stumble upon this hidden gem. I would highly recommend this series to any fan of the genre, this is imo grimdark at its finest!

    • @llindberg194
      @llindberg194 4 месяца назад

      It's a really neat book, glad you liked it.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад

      I've never heard of this series! Thanks for the recommendation, I'll need to check it out!

  • @richardadcock5450
    @richardadcock5450 3 месяца назад

    I would love to see a video on the Cold Fire trilogy. Not talked about enough on Booktube. Been one of my favorites for over 20 years.

  • @TalesfromtheS
    @TalesfromtheS 4 месяца назад +6

    Wardstone chronicles series is underrated

    • @orashionseis
      @orashionseis 4 месяца назад

      What is it about ? Is it as good as R Scott Bakker the prince of nothing trilogy?

  • @mckayanderson1714
    @mckayanderson1714 4 месяца назад +1

    Good list. Just thought I'd recommend Andrej Sapkowski's Witcher books, as no discussion of Grimdark fantasy is complete without them.

  • @user-tm2el6xh7e
    @user-tm2el6xh7e Месяц назад

    I just ordered Darkness That Comes Before, I've heard mixed reviews on it because of subject matter, but i like grimdark so I'm looking forward to it. Prince of Thorns was awesome and is prbly my favorite grimdark novel.

  • @realmsofreading
    @realmsofreading 4 месяца назад +9

    Highly recommend Empire of the Vampire (and its’ soon to be released sequel, Empire of the Damned) by Jay Kristoff. I haven’t seen really any booktubers besides Mike’s Book Reviews discuss it, but it’s an incredible grimdark book about vampires, with a very similar storytelling structure to Name of the Wind. I’m in the middle of it right now and it’s so hard to put down.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад +1

      I've been meaning to read that for a while, it sounds really awesome! Will definitely try to get to that one this year

    • @bbarnhouse9022
      @bbarnhouse9022 4 месяца назад +1

      Loved the first part of the book. Was a little disappointed in "the big reveal" and the later part of the story. Still want to read the second book.

  • @AJ82778
    @AJ82778 3 месяца назад +2

    Love all of the Abercrombie books. The Heroes is my personal favorite, with Curden Craw winning me over almost immediately.

  • @vincaalkaloids6732
    @vincaalkaloids6732 4 месяца назад +11

    Do make a video on best medieval fantasy books

  • @sheldonsharp5659
    @sheldonsharp5659 4 месяца назад +1

    Would The Dark Tower count as grimdark? If so then that's my recommendation. Love Berserk and ASOIAF, been thinking about starting up First Law after I finally finish WoT (currently on book 10).

    • @stephennootens916
      @stephennootens916 4 месяца назад

      I think Dark Tower is listed as a Dark Fantasy because it is a horror fantasy science friction western. The Stand is listed the same way.

  • @chloewild2970
    @chloewild2970 3 месяца назад +3

    R Scott Bakker- 2nd apocalypse.
    The G.O.A.T
    Anyone who skips this series because of people moaning about how dark it is; when they are themselves looking for a dark series to read, you don’t know what your missing.
    Watching a manipulator manipulate an entire cast of characters while also manipulating the reader 🤯
    Masterpiece

    • @Swamplord669
      @Swamplord669 2 месяца назад

      The first 200 pages of the unholy consult were WILD

  • @bergsteiger09
    @bergsteiger09 4 месяца назад +1

    Unhewn Throne - best series I've read in a long time.

  • @Swamplord669
    @Swamplord669 3 месяца назад +1

    The prince of nothing series was one of the hardest reads of all time. Shit was rough and complex and brutal and upsetting. Very nihilistic and amoral...but so worth it my god.

  • @ReyExtremeCinema
    @ReyExtremeCinema 4 месяца назад +1

    I read The Faithful and the Fallen one after the other and I dont do that normally, when I was dont with it I jumped right into Of Blood and Bone. Sooooo good

  • @jedinorseman
    @jedinorseman 8 часов назад

    If you like Grim Dark, try The Black Tongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman, such well written characters and world. It's a dark world with a little humor mixed in.

  • @gentleslice6489
    @gentleslice6489 4 месяца назад +13

    I Love how thats his "favorite" genre of all the time. But 90% of the books he recommends he just started recently ?.. or hasn't even started yet :D

  • @TheCurtainLift
    @TheCurtainLift 4 месяца назад

    Love this genre

  • @conorsowersby1274
    @conorsowersby1274 4 месяца назад +2

    R Scott Bakkers Prince of Nothing is going to blow you away. Give it a go!

  • @HollyAndMistletoe
    @HollyAndMistletoe 4 месяца назад

    I recommend Andy Peloquin's Darkblade series. He has other interconnected series as well, Queen of Thieves, Heirs of Destiny, and Silent Champions. But his original series had me hooked from the first chapter.

  • @Abikuss
    @Abikuss 4 месяца назад +2

    Black company Is one of my favorite series!!!

  • @ennokrieger4205
    @ennokrieger4205 3 месяца назад

    Very nice

  • @HeavyTopspin
    @HeavyTopspin 4 месяца назад +1

    Don't sleep on Abercrombie's YA series "The Shattered Sea". The grimdark is toned down a bit but still definitely there, and his distinctive writing style and character building absolutely shines through.

  • @saraseveryn8650
    @saraseveryn8650 3 месяца назад +1

    What grimdark/ dark fantasy books would you suggest to a beginner reader of fantasy?

    • @greenknightable
      @greenknightable 2 месяца назад +1

      The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

  • @LucasVogel
    @LucasVogel 4 месяца назад +1

    I've always loved the souls-like series and came to the conclusion recently that grimdark, dark fantasy, medieval horror, etc, might be my favorite genre in media overall. I decided to start reading, not manga or theories or youtube videos, but like actual books. I just started Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, have anyone read it? Thoughts on it? I'm like 100 pages in and enjoying it so far.

  • @Dani_1012
    @Dani_1012 4 месяца назад

    Oh come on I already have too many books on my TBR and now you suggest these FIRE recommendations, I don’t think I can finish them all 😂

  • @Mel-sn5dl
    @Mel-sn5dl 3 месяца назад

    I'd love recommendations for modern/respectful entries in genres with problematic origins, ie. H.P Lovecraft and Weird Fiction/Cosmic Horror or Robert E. Howard and Sword & Sworcery.

  • @robertstroud2582
    @robertstroud2582 4 месяца назад

    Do you ever get into web serials or LitRPGs? I’ve gotten into these in the past few years to supplement my lack of finished traditional series. (Yeah.. we’re talking about you Rothfuss!! WE WANT BOOK THREE!)
    These have been such a fun listen on audio platforms that I’ve now found I like them better then some traditional series. Thoughts?

  • @harleyemmerson979
    @harleyemmerson979 3 месяца назад

    I highly recommend vigor mortis by thundamoo , it’s closer to a litrpg but still has that grim dark feel, especially in the second and third book, as well as some of the best body horror I’ve read

  • @palex313
    @palex313 3 месяца назад +1

    Shoutout to Hardbread which happens to be my fave character name ever.

  • @Venthrac
    @Venthrac 3 месяца назад +1

    The Black Company is essential and well worth the read. The first three books were the best for me.

  • @TheDejwid18
    @TheDejwid18 4 месяца назад +1

    Waiting for 100k🎉

  • @excellent.side.characters
    @excellent.side.characters 4 месяца назад +1

    I've just read the first book in the Red Queen's War series and quite liked it. Prince Jalen is a wastrel, playboy and self-declared coward who is forced to join the Northman Snorri on a trip to the North. The world is dark and violent, but the main characters do have a sense of humour.

  • @dominiquemichel1213
    @dominiquemichel1213 4 месяца назад

    gunmetal gods is great as an audiobook, the speaker is very special if you get into it after a while.

  • @caitlinl2750
    @caitlinl2750 4 месяца назад

    I’ve read ten of these🎉 counting series as one ofc!!

  • @Howler452
    @Howler452 3 месяца назад +1

    So I've read a few of these and just want to give my two cents on some of them.
    Black Company can be hard to get into because of the writing style. It's told more like a journal entry and doesn't go into the nitty gritty detail for specific fights which can make visualizing things difficult (at least it was for me). But if you keep up with it and the the series as a whole, you'll see some genuinely unique ideas from the setting. The first book can just be a bit difficult due to that writing style.
    Prince of Thorns...isn't for everyone. The main character can come off as a try-hard edgelord at times, but it definitely hammers home the grim-dark nature of the world. I believe it was the author's first book so it has some growing pains in that regard. But like Black Company, it has some interesting ideas once you start to piece everything together. I haven't read the third book yet, so can't comment on how the series ends.
    Berserk is my favourite manga of all time but it's also not for everyone given the intense subject matter and the fact it doesn't hold back from showing awful things happen to the characters. There are times where I think it borders into tasteless (and even Muira before his passing admitted he took some things too far in his younger days), but beneath it all is some of the greatest and most heartbreaking character development and story arcs you'll find in fiction.
    The First Law series. No notes, highly recommend. If you want morally gray characters, you'll find some of the best in this series. If I can make my own characters as interesting as Ninefingers, Jezal, Glokta, and Ferro, then I'll be content as a writer for the rest of my life.

  • @vicktaru
    @vicktaru 3 месяца назад

    This is interesting, because I tried reading First Law and I put it down because I just couldn't care for anything happening. I know it's not a grim dark aversion in general, I love ASoIaF and while I felt there was some boomeranging with Rin's character growth (we can you see if you agree as you continue the series) I also loved Poppy War. Maybe I should give First Law a second shot. I didn't get very far (just checked my Kindle and I'm 22% through book 1 at the chapter An Offer and a Gift), and I didn't hate it. I wouldn't be forcing myself to finish it. I just was at the point where I felt I'd rather spend my time reading other things.

  • @Einstormer
    @Einstormer Месяц назад

    Good video. I like grimdark fantasy because it's considerably more upbeat than this world.

  • @Oszczywilski
    @Oszczywilski 4 месяца назад

    I know some of these books, others seem to be interesting and I might read them one day.
    I wonder. Do you consider the Witcher grimdark?

  • @greenknightable
    @greenknightable 2 месяца назад

    Son of the Black Sword first book of The Forgotten Warrior cycle by Larry Correia
    Mask of the Sorcerer by Darrell Schweitzer
    The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham
    The Mark of Ran by Paul Kearney
    Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker
    Oath of Empire series by Thomas Harlan
    Kaleidoscope Century by John Barnes
    A Canticle for Leibowitz
    Novel by Walter M. Miller Jr.
    The last two are scifi.

  • @zelgkopitar8799
    @zelgkopitar8799 3 месяца назад

    Glokta in The Blade Itself is easily the best character I've had the pleasure of reading (my list of books I've read is short). The book is great all around but Glokta is the star of the show. I couldnt wait to read more of his story and I was disappointed when his story moved on. Recently finished Lock Lamora book 1 and so far it's been my favorite book overall. I was a little annoyed with going into the past but after a bit I enjoyed it just as much as the present. The story was written so well and there was hardly anything that I saw coming. Just when I thought the story was going to continue on in a certain direction, it took a hard turn in the best way. Can't recommend this book enough. Hesitant to read the next two as I've heard they're a little disappointing compared to book 1 but it doesn't take away from how good Book 1 is.

  • @MagusMarquillin
    @MagusMarquillin 4 месяца назад

    Have you read Dune? I'm rereading it now and I think it could have a good case as a grimdark, subverting much of the Mythic structure that Tolkien found it upsetting. Albeit I have yet to get into the sequels and I'm not sure where they'll take it in turns of realism or grit, all I know is they're progressively "far out". I love it so far though.

  • @tbc907
    @tbc907 4 месяца назад +1

    Anthony Ryan seems to be an overlooked author on RUclips.

    • @CapturedInWords
      @CapturedInWords  4 месяца назад

      I really need to pick up Blood Song this year

  • @thebigshep
    @thebigshep 4 месяца назад +1

    I think I'd add Black Leopard, Red Wolf for people that are interested in West (I think?) African mythology