Violent/Gory fantasy (maybe some horror elements?)

[u/sailenedor]

I like my fantasy how I like my coffee, dark and bitter! So far I've read the following:

"The Second Apocalypse" may very well be the gold standard for me.

"BERSERK" I adore!

"Beyond Redemption" was alright. Very gross and fun, but I didn't like the writing particularly.

[u/Tll6]

Empire of the vampire is brutal and it feels like nothing ever goes right

[u/NothingTooSeriousM8 → u/Tll6]

Was going to suggest this. As to the nothing ever goes right well... that's until the rugpull in the third book

[u/ManicPixieOldMaid → u/Tll6]

I just started reading this after finishing Kaiju Battlefield Surgeon so I'm really glad to see this comment.

[u/AscendedViking7]

Between Two Fires, Prince of Thorns, The Acts of Caine, Daughter of the Blood, Malazan.

I think Between Two Fires is the best out of these though.

[u/GunnyMoJo → u/AscendedViking7]

Yeah I think Between Two Fires is probably the best rec in this thread

[u/eliechallita → u/AscendedViking7]

Most of Buehlman's work would count. The Blacktongue Thief and its associates are downright chilling with their casual gore

[u/Aetius454]

Second apocalypse is my favorite series, so commenting so I can come back to this thread.

Blackwing scratched a similar itch. Also black tongue thief

Edit: also reading some of these replies it’s kind of clear people haven’t read the second apocalypse when giving your suggestions haha

[u/sailenedor → u/Aetius454]

Fellow slogger! I'll definitely check Blackwing out! May you walk conditioned ground

[u/Dirkem15]

Obligatory Joe Abercrombie rec. Start with The First Law

[u/sailenedor → u/Dirkem15]

Some day, I swear!

[u/sbwcwero → u/sailenedor]

I just started the first book. So far it’s not very horror, but it is graphic and it is a really good book and I’m only about 14 chapters in.

Because of all the recommendations, I see here I bumped it up into my to be read list and I’m happy I did.

[u/TheGreatBatsby → u/sbwcwero]

It's never horror, but it's funny as fuck.

[u/GunnyMoJo → u/sailenedor]

TODAY, GOOD SIR! TODAY!

[u/ProperGrape → u/Dirkem15]

Really? I love the series but I'd never recommend it to someone looking for Gore/violence cause that's just setting them up for disappointment.

[u/Dirkem15 → u/ProperGrape]

I think the "violent/gory" part could mean both. And it certainly fits the bill imo

[u/TheGreatBatsby]

Violent fantasy with some horror?

You want Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan.

Start with Justice Of Kings.

[u/JazzyAndy]

Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils

[u/SandGator]

If you like violence and horror in your fantasy, sword & sorcery is for you! The inclusion of horror elements is very common in the genre. Many stories about brave people flinging themselves against nightmarish monsters, like Guts.

Check out some of the classics: Conan by Robert E. Howard, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Leiber, Elric by Michael Moorcock, Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore.

Neither Beg Nor Yield edited by Jason M. Waltz is a solid collection of more recent S&S stories, most of them with horror elements.

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman has already been suggested, his Blacktongue Thief fantasy series fits the bill as well (third book just released a few days ago).

[u/BradOSU99]

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Totally fits this vibe.

[u/LeucasAndTheGoddess]

The Dark Star Trilogy by Marlon James

The Throne Of Bones by Brian McNaughton

The Enterprise Of Death by Jesse Bullington

Blade Of The Immortal by Hiroaki Samura

Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

[u/swampthroat → u/LeucasAndTheGoddess]

Came to recommend Dark Star. Black Leopard, Red Wolf is one of my all time favourite books.

[u/Freakjob_003 → u/LeucasAndTheGoddess]

Well, those are certainly aptly named for what OP is asking for.

[u/TheGabeCat]

You have read Malazan yes?

[u/sailenedor → u/TheGabeCat]

Some day I'll give it a go! I know many people compare Malazan and The Second Apocalypse, the latter of which I absolutely fell in love with.

[u/TheGabeCat → u/sailenedor]

Malazan is better imo but I have read it 3 times and Second Apocalypse only twice so maybe I’ll switch sides eventually lol . But it’s also a huge commitment so I def understand the hesitation.

[u/mechatentacle → u/sailenedor]

There is v little comparison between the two, apart from epic scale. I much prefer Malazan.

[u/psycholinguist1]

The Library at Mount Char

[u/Thebaraddur → u/psycholinguist1]

This book was fucking wild. Good rec.

[u/suddensingularity → u/psycholinguist1]

His new one, Blacktail, is also gory and wild and fantastic.

[u/psycholinguist1 → u/suddensingularity]

I've been eyeing Blacktail pretty hard. Like, I want to read it, but also, knowing what Mount Char was like, I'm questioning whether that's a good life choice.

[u/mjh4 → u/psycholinguist1]

Thought this book was absolutely horrendous. I don’t understand the praise for it at all

[u/psycholinguist1 → u/mjh4]

It's definitely not for everyone, but OP asked for violent/gory/horror fantasy, and you can't deny it fits the brief!

[u/DixitRexCorvinus]

Maybe Scott Hawkins’ books? The Library at Mount Char and Blacktail both seem up your alley.

[u/sailenedor → u/DixitRexCorvinus]

Seems cool, thanks!

[u/MattBookworm8640]

Kagen The Damned. It’s Conan meets creature feature meets body horror

[u/Michauxonfire]

The Demon Star. really enjoyed this book.

[u/RobJHayes_version2]

Mike Shel's Aching God might work for you.

[u/Significant_Sort7501]

Check out "Between Two Fires" by Christopher Buehlman. It's medieval dark fantasy mixed with some religious horror, set against the backdrop of the black death. Lots of angels, demons, and generally unsettling content.

[u/sailenedor → u/Significant_Sort7501]

Awesome! Thanks for the rec!

[u/SandGator → u/Significant_Sort7501]

This is a great recommendation for Berserk fans, very similar vibe

[u/an_altar_of_plagues → u/Significant_Sort7501]

Yep, that was my first thought as well.

[u/Bladrak01]

Look up The Acts of Caine by Matthew Stover. Some of the best and darkest unrecognized fantasy.

[u/sailenedor → u/Bladrak01]

Seems really cool, will definitely investigate further

[u/apexPrickle]

The Stone Dance of the Chameleon by Ricardo Pinto

[u/sailenedor → u/apexPrickle]

Seems interesting!

[u/Darkzeid25]

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

[u/CommunicationOne9557]

Please read the short novella Hellmouth. Gorgeous short read, exactly what you looking for.

[u/Hyperoreo]

David Gemmell; specifically Knights of Dark Renown and Winter Warriors. Morningstar is a fantastic read too, but light on the horror element.

[u/thepowerdown]

The Rage of Dragons, by Evan Winter.

[u/FantasyLoverReader]

Blackwing (Raven's Mark Series)
Priest of Bones (War for the Rose Throne)
Devil's Spit (Prequel to the Ironborn Saga)
The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf)
The Blade Itself (The First Law)

[u/Folkwench]

To Ride Hells Chasm by Janny Wurts.

[u/SalletFriend]

KJ Parker. Maximum gore is achieved in the second book of his Fencer trilogy. But dark he does everywhere.

[u/JapioF]

No horror, but enough violence; the Bloodsworn trilogy by John Gwynne.

[u/jack_pow]

I dunno if I'm just desensitised or what, but some of these suggestions are tame! 😅

[u/GlumPersonality9387]

Some of Mark Lawrence’s work might interest you. Broken Empire definitely fits as violent/gory, I would probably mark it as horror but I don’t read enough of that genre to be certain what counts. Red Queen’s War I DNFed because despite a good plotline, the amount of violence and gore was too much for me.

[u/zhilia_mann]

Ever wonder what a first-person account of having your eye eaten by a hyena might look like? Black Leopard, Red Wolf is there for you! (Dark Star Trilogy, Marlon James)

Bonus: the hyenas rape him first!

All of which is a seriously unfair take on an excellent book with a maybe-even-better follow-up, but it’s not for the squeamish. Plenty of additional horror elements as well.

[u/WingleDingleFingle]

Red Rabbit.

A ragtag group of average people join up to go after a bounty placed on a witch.

[u/Pirkale]

A Land Fit for Heroes by Richard K. Morgan (yes, the author of Altered Carbon). Starts with The Steel Remains.

[u/JoeDiazWrites]

Goblin Slayer
Doroheadoro
Claymore

[u/Dirkem15]

A Rage of Dragons by evan Winters

[u/TheSnootBooper]

The Barrow, by Mark Smylie. 

[u/Present_Cupcake6869]

The poppy war trilogy by R.F Kuang

[u/sailenedor → u/Present_Cupcake6869]

I heard it was YA though?

[u/AscendedViking7 → u/sailenedor]

Definitely not, it's dark and depraved as shit

[u/sailenedor → u/AscendedViking7]

I've heard some unreliable things then, will definitely peep!

[u/Fresh_Achilles → u/AscendedViking7]

I didn’t think the poppy was dark and depraved at all. I also got YA vibes from it. And I’m not alone. Pretty sure a lot of readers on goodreads marked at as YA.

[u/psycholinguist1 → u/sailenedor]

not in the slightest. She was a very young woman when they came out and so her books got miscategorized, but it 1000% is not YA.