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After

A Conjuring of Light

V. E. Schwab2017

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Boundary Crossed

    Melissa F. Olson2015

    A veteran discovers she can manipulate magical boundaries after stopping a vampire kidnapping. She enters a hidden supernatural society in Colorado.

    Same propulsive register, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

propulsive → meditative, still historical fantasy

3 more ↓

  • The Habitation of the Blessed

    Catherynne M. Valente2010

    A priest finds the lost kingdom of Prester John. The story is told through three nested layers of journals, myths, and historical accounts.

    propulsive → dreamlike, still historical fantasy

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • The Tourmaline

    Paul Park2006

    A girl from our world navigates a magical, alternate-history Europe where Romania is a superpower. The narrative is dense and non-linear.

    propulsive → dreamlike, still historical fantasy

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

    A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Big bad beast

    Shelly Laurenston2011

    A wolf-shifter Marine investigates a hybrid fighting ring while dealing with her persistent boss. It is a paranormal romance set in an urban world.

    propulsive → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Playing with Fire

    Gena Showalter2006

    A barista gains elemental superpowers after being poisoned and must flee from a government agent. They eventually work together to escape.

    propulsive → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Wicked Appetite

    Janet Evanovich2010

    A Salem pastry chef discovers she is a 'finder' and must help a mysterious man locate ancient stones representing the seven deadly sins.

    propulsive → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

Same propulsive register, still historical fantasy

3 more ↓

  • Touch the dark

    Karen Chance2006

    A clairvoyant woman is forced to work for a vampire senator to escape a mob boss. She navigates a supernatural underworld with high-speed action.

    Same propulsive register, still urban fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

  • Battle Ground

    Jim Butcher2020

    A wizard leads the supernatural defense of Chicago against an invading army led by a Titan. The book is a single, continuous battle.

    Same propulsive register, still urban fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • Blood Engines

    Tim Pratt2007

    A sorceress who uses blood magic to power her spells defends her city from a rival. She makes ruthless choices to maintain her power.

    propulsive → sardonic, still urban fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Boneland

    Alan Garner2012

    An adult Colin searches for his lost sister while an ancient shaman performs rituals in the same landscape. The two timelines mirror one another.

    propulsive → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Cloud & Ashes: Three Winter's Tales

    Greer Gilman2009

    A triptych of stories set in a mythic Yorkshire, told in dense, archaic dialect. It follows the intersections of folk magic and celestial myth.

    propulsive → dreamlike, still historical fantasy

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Among Others

    Jo Walton2011

    A teenage girl at a 1970s boarding school copes with her twin's death through books and subtle magic. It is written as a series of diary entries.

    propulsive → tender

    pace-2·prose0·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Burning God

    R.F. Kuang2020

    A general leads a peasant army in a civil war across a fantasy version of China. She grapples with her sanity and the influence of a fire god.

    propulsive → bleak, still historical fantasy

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu

    Andrus Kivirähk2015

    A boy in medieval Estonia learns the ancient language of snakes to command animals as his forest culture is erased by Christian invaders.

    propulsive → elegiac, still historical fantasy

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+2

  • A Matter of Blood

    Sarah Pinborough2010

    A detective investigates a serial killer in a London plagued by a failing economy and a supernatural virus. The tone is consistently grim.

    propulsive → bleak, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2