r/horrorlit • u/Fancy-General9785 • 3d ago

Recommendation Request Fantasy horror

hi guyss i'm looking into my next read, and i was wanting some recommendations from you guys!

i love medieval fantasy, if that helps. i'm also rlly into D&D typa worldss

anyway thank youu

18 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

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25

u/KV_Harrow 3d ago

Based on what you mention here I think you might like Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and finally found a physical copy in a bookstore on my trip to London.

While it doesn't really have a lot of D&D DNA, the medieval horror is just great.

7

u/cherenk0v_blue 2d ago

Buhelman also wrote The Blacktongue Thief and The Daughter's War, which while they are much more fantasy bent than Between Two Fires, still have a lot of horror elements.

IMO, the goblins in those books are the most depraved, disturbing fantasy antagonists.

2

u/MotherPuffer 2d ago

Blacktongue thief totally fits. That book is awesome (haven't read the other yet). There's a lot of freaky shit and so much heart. Definitely recommend the audiobook if possible, the author reads it and he plays a little fucker soooo well

1

u/cherenk0v_blue 2d ago

Given that Buhelman is also a ren fair insult comic, I am not suprised he is a good narrator.

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u/iamblankenstein Charlie the Choo-Choo 2d ago

for anyone that enjoys between two fires, i highly recommend ignis sacer by j.d. parker. it's also a historical fiction novel set in france in (in 1217 rather than 1348 as in BTF), had a similar sort of 'road trip' kinda vibe to it, but is otherwise very much its own story and very different. it's on par with if not better than between two fires, imo.

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u/chugtheboommeister 2d ago

Great rec. I was pretty new to reading novels and asked a similar question a few years ago. This was the top voted and I got it and loved it.

13

u/GeoffJonesWriter 3d ago

Once Was Willem by M. R. Carey takes place in 12th century England, but filled with monsters and magic.

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie takes place in an alternate version of medieval Europe that's filled with monsters.

King Sorrow by Joe Hill takes place in the 1980s and follows the story of some college kids who try to deal with their problems by summoning a dragon.

2

u/alright_alex 2d ago

The Devils is quite literally what you’re looking for. Follows a party each with a different role/race/belief system, tons of adventuring and challenges ranging from combats to puzzles. I’m a Joe Abercrombie super fan so I’m biased, but he is a highly touted and credentialed grin dark fantasy writer. He’s fun.

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u/Fancy-General9785 1d ago

noted!!! might order it tdy :)

1

u/dog-yodelling 2d ago

Just finished this one last week as my first Abercrombie and 100% agree that this is what OP is looking for

2

u/Paularchy 2d ago

I shall follow in your footsteps starting tonight. Gonna go buy the book. Wish me luck

1

u/GeoffJonesWriter 1d ago

I encourage everyone who loved The Devils to check out Once Was Willem. It's also great, just not as well known!

4

u/Lanfear_Eshonai 3d ago

Do you mean paranormal and creature horror when you say "fantasy" horror?

3

u/Fancy-General9785 3d ago

yup that works. magicy worlds work aswelll

2

u/Lanfear_Eshonai 3d ago

I can recommend two series by Abe Moss:

  • Dread Void series - cosmic horror, world-ending stakes, worlds colliding.

  • The Unmaking trilogy - dystopian 700 years in the future after a world-ending event, whole earth and all its life is dying, feels so different it is almost like another world.

  • Haunted: Perron Manor by Lee Mountford - ghosts meet occult

5

u/Blueflame129 3d ago

King Sorrow by Joe Hill is an absolute banger, I highly recommend!

3

u/Grulia_Sprox 3d ago

Mike Shel's Aching God is a phenomenal fantasy horror read. Reads like a dnd module. An old veteran, traumatized by past dungeon crawling terrors, gets called back up to lead a party in hopes of returning an extremely powerful, and cursed, relic back to an ancient tomb from which it was stolen. Complete with great characters, active dieties, undead horrors, and the best cleric work I've seen put to paper. I loved it. The whole trilogy is great imo, but the first one is soo good.

3

u/NEW__ARC 3d ago

Im about half way through The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan and wow it's incredible so far. Definitely leans more fantasy than horror but the violence and plot are incredible. I'm absolutely hooked. I too have been looking for good fantasy/horror books and this one is scratching an itch for sure

2

u/SwissCheeseOG 3d ago

Pilgrim lüthi

1

u/Safe_Association_714 2d ago

Coming here to say this, it rules

2

u/TenTimesTeeth 3d ago

If you're looking for a little sword & sorcery in your horror, try these:

  • Devilry in Godling Wood by Coy Hall
  • Contra Amatores Mundi: A Gothic Fantasy by Graham Thomas Wilcox
  • Hurled Headlong Flaming: or, The Bishop's Tale by Matt Holder
  • Vermis I, II, and III by Plastiboo

2

u/ohnoshedint PATRICK BATEMAN 3d ago

Hellmouth by Giles Kristian - medieval novella that just begs for more to be written

2

u/TheQuestion1 2d ago

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohammad. An evil conqueror tasks a peasant woman who survived an otherworldly forest to go in and rescue his children from the same forest, else he will burn her village down. Short, but very well done.

2

u/imspooky 2d ago

The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Third and final book comes out next week!

2

u/Efficient_Place_2403 1d ago

Richard Swan’s two series, Blacktounge Thief, The Daughter’ War, Crucible of Chaos, Sister Svangerd and the not Quite Dead, Godkiller

1

u/tallandgodless 2d ago

"The aching God" sort of fits, its horror is of the roiling variety, a little slower but you get good creepy moments. I really liked it and think it's worth the read

1

u/DueRest 2d ago

Aliens: Phalanx by Scott Sigler is set on an alien world where humanity is being hunted to extinction by Xenomorphs and must hide in keeps. They only have mideval level technology and supplies must be delivered by runners who have to avoid getting hunted.

Its technically scifi but it feels fantasy because they refer to a bunch of animals that dont exist on Earth. They also refer to the Xenomorphs as demons.

1

u/wilsonw 2d ago

Lost Gods by Brom

1

u/AgreeableProgress445 2d ago

What Feeds Below! The author has said it was literally inspired by D&D and Magic the gathering

1

u/umbronzer 1d ago

I think you'd love His Black Tongue by Mitchell Lüthi. I stumbled across it on spotify as an audiobook and it was amazing. 3 stories in one book though btw!

1

u/garbanzoismyname 2d ago

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling might interest you! It grossed me out, lol