The Best Indie Grimdark Novels part 1

The indie fantasy market is something that has been very good to grimdark authors. It provides a global audience for those who want to tell stories that might not be right for traditional publishers. I’ve been very lucky to not only find a bunch of great novels but meet some great authors as well. These are great works, though, that I think grimdark fans would be lucky to check out.

What is Grimdark?

But what is grimdark? It's a pejorative that was later co-opted by fans of the genre and each person who asks the question gets a different answer. For the sake of this list, I'm going to state that it is "dark adult fantasy with morally ambiguous protagonists." If you have an objection to this definition, I certainly understand but I think it's good enough for this listicle.

Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell

Choosing number one for this indie grimdark list was very hard. However, if there was truly special in this pile (and all these novels are), I would have to give it to Kings of Paradise. It is a story that rivals The First Law trilogy for entertainment value. Following a character assortment including a deformed cannibal philosopher, a murderous peasant priestess, and an arrogant prince with a gift for magic–well, this is a memorable cast to see the least. They’re also startingly believable as well. The writing is evocative, the world-building wonderful, and the story incredible.

Where Loyalties Lie by Rob J. Hayes

Rob Hayes may not be the most famous voice in indie grimdark, but he is one of the most prolific and talented. He was the first grimdark author I ever read and who introduced me to a lot of wonderful stories that he keeps churning out regularly. Where Loyalties Lie is a combination that I’m surprised more people haven’t done: grimdark fantasy and pirates! They’re ruthless, murderous, and terrible people but the pirates of this book are entertaining as hell. The story of them building their own kingdom is amazing. Winner of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off award.

Darkmage by M.L. Spencer

M.L. Spencer is one of my all-time favorite indie fantasy authors. Her series, Rhenwars Saga, begins with an awesome premise: what if the ragtag band of misfits FAILED to save the world before an apocalyptic threat? The world has mostly recovered by the start of Darkmage but it isn’t ready for round 2. I love the deliciously flawed protagonist, Darien, and his collection of sidekicks that don’t know how to deal with someone that wields godlike power but is not wise enough to wield it. A man who eagerly uses his power to slay tens of thousands of “evil” soldiers, only to later change his mind on who is evil. A solid series everyone should check out, though I also recommend reading the prequel Darkstorm.

Brutal by James Alderdice

Brutal is a wonderful homage to A Fistful of Dollars and Yojimbo, except for fantasy writing. The Sellsword is a man who comes to a town divided between two feuding wizards and a duchess before deciding to play them off against one another. It's a familiar story but the grit and edge of

its inspirations are preserved here. I like James Alderdice's stories as he does an excellent Conan: the Barbarian-esque character while bringing his own take to the archetype as well as setting.

The Skald's Black Verse by Jordan Loyal Short

The Skald's Black Verse is a delightfully dark and twisted space opera fantasy set on a planet at the ass-end of the galaxy where humans have devolved into Medieval peasants with weird superstitions. The Empire that dominates them isn't much better and only barely understood magic keeps a lot of their machines running. Unfortunately, for the planet, a comet is about to hit them and kill everyone. There's no time or inclination to evacuate anyone but the planetary garrison and there's a bunch of hatreds simmering under the surface. It would have made a very good Warhammer 40K style story but is slightly more adult than most of those books. I strongly recommend it.

Seraphina's Lament by Sarah Chorn

The Ukrainian famine is a sorry period of history and extra ironic to adapt to a fantasy setting given the current events in said country. Sarah Chorn creates a story that manages to preserve much of that horrible period of history while incorporating magic as well as a divine curse. I liked the magic system for this book as well as the friendly nature of the culture that doesn't detract from the horror on display. Plus, zombies.

Damoren by Seth Skorkowsky

This is the only urban fantasy novel on our list. Damoren is set in a world with horrific monsters that are preying on humanity in secret. Opposing them is a group of hunters who are absolutely ruthless and possessed of sinister occult weapons that may have an agenda of their own. I really enjoyed this book series and wish the author had continued the series past book 4.

Steel, Fire, and Blood by Alan Batchelder

Vyckers was once the greatest warrior in the world, killing and carousing with no thought to the consequences. Age has managed to catch up with him, though, and he isn’t the same fighter he used to be. Unfortunately, a new warrior naming himself the End of All Things is leading an army across the land with seemingly no purpose other than destruction. Vyckers is hired to kill him despite being hopeless outmatched and assembles a team of thugs to do the dirty work necessary in bringing the End down. What follows is a complicated and sometimes moving plot that shows the big epic plots of other stories from the bottom up. It is the first book in a solid grimdark series.

A Wizard's Forge by A.M Justice

Not every fantasy story needs a lot of swearing, ultra-violence, and sex to be grimdark. A Wizard’s Forge is a work that deals with an interesting and underused plot device in Stockholm Syndrome. The protagonist is kidnapped, sold into slavery, and then gaslit until she’s genuinelyin love with her captor. Thankfully, she’s also in hate and manages to escape to a country without slavery. However, the scars from her condition remain with her and cannot be easily excised.

Lords of the Asylum by Kevin Wright

One of the most solid examples of grimdark on this list, I really enjoyed this book. Sir Luther Slythe Krait is a former justiciar who has fallen to drink, murder for hire, and other crimes. Recruited against his will, Sir Krait is sent to investigate the murder of a noblewoman’s family by an apparent monster in a plague-ridden city. The twists and turns in this book are enough for three novels and it’s a hefty 500 pages. While Sir Krait has his redeeming qualities, they are deeply buried, and he reminded me a great deal of George R.R. Martin’s Hound.