12 hand-picked fantasy and dark fantasy books curated by NextBookAfter.
For fans of Wicked's sympathetic villain origin story and moral complexity, Malice offers a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty that flips the script on fairy tale tropes, exploring prejudice, power, and forbidden love through the eyes of a misunderstood enchantress.
For fans of Nesta's trauma-fueled empowerment and steamy enemies-to-lovers tension, this gothic romantasy delivers a fierce heroine battling inner demons in a mist-shrouded world, blending dark magic with intimate healing and found family bonds.
If you loved the cursed realms and high-stakes intrigue of Lightlark, this atmospheric tale of a mist-shrouded kingdom plagued by infection and a daring quest for magical cards will deliver similar thrills with a gothic twist on romance and betrayal.
For fans of Oraya's fierce determination and slow-burn romance amid deadly trials, this delivers a haunting dark fantasy with a resilient heroine battling inner demons and external curses, blending emotional depth with high-stakes magical quests.
For fans of Tolkien's epic battles and moral struggles, The Black Company offers a gritty, ground-level view of war in a richly built fantasy world, emphasizing camaraderie and survival amid dark sorcery and ancient evils.
For fans of Mort's witty take on death and apprenticeship, this book offers a darkly humorous exploration of god-like mentorship and the bizarre bureaucracy of ultimate power, blending satire with surreal fantasy elements.
This gripping romantasy delivers the same intoxicating mix of high-stakes action, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension, and a fierce heroine discovering her power in a world of supernatural dangers, making it an ideal next step for fans craving more forbidden passion and intricate world-building without retreading the same cursed-kingdom path.
If you loved the dragon-filled world and slow-burn romance of When the Moon Hatched, this vampire-centric fantasy delivers a fierce heroine navigating deadly trials and forbidden attraction in a richly built realm of night and blood.
For fans of Jude's cunning rise in faerie courts, this delivers a scheming heroine's bold quest for power in a shadowy kingdom, blending dark intrigue with a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance.
For fans of The Familiar's blend of historical persecution, hidden magic, and forbidden romance, this debut delivers a gripping tale of cultural clashes and personal redemption in a folklore-rich world inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology.
For fans of Wolfe's intricate, philosophical journey through a decaying world and moral quandaries, 'Vita Nostra' offers a similarly dense, metaphysical exploration of transformation and reality in a enigmatic academy where knowledge bends the fabric of existence.
This book delivers the same intoxicating mix of high-stakes fantasy, slow-burn romance, and intricate worldbuilding that fans of House of Sky and Breath crave, with a fierce female protagonist navigating rebellion and supernatural intrigue in a fresh, dragon-filled realm.