The Fantasy Review’s list of 5 Dark Fantasy Books That Will Evoke a Rollercoaster of Emotions.
The Black Hawks (Articles of Faith, #1) by David Wragg
From the blurb:
Vedren Chel holds every oath of service sacred ― except his own.
His father’s sermons on the nobility of duty left him ill-prepared for the grind of service to his indolent step-uncle. Chel’s wretched oath has dragged him from home and family across a war-splintered kingdom; he craves an escape from this life.
When foreign invaders heave into port, Chel finds opportunity in the chaos – a bargain with a stranded prince. Escort the prince to safety, and in return: release from his oath, a chance to go home. A solemn duty at last….
Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1) by Jay Kristoff
From the blurb:
From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.…
Gods of the Wyrdwood (Forsaken, #1) by R.J. Barker
From the blurb:
Our lands are wild with gods. Our woods are wild with monsters…
Cahan is known as a Forester—a man capable of navigating the dangerous forests of Crua like no one else. But once he was more. Once he was a warrior.
Udinny serves the goddess of the lost, a keeper of the small and helpless. When Udinny needs to venture into the Wyrdwood to find a missing child, she asks Cahan to be her guide.…
Illborn (The Illborn Saga, #1) by Daniel T. Jackson
From the blurb:
Long ago, The Lord Aiduel emerged from the deserts of the Holy Land, possessed with divine powers. He used these to forcibly unite the peoples of Angall, before His ascension to heaven.
Over eight hundred years later, in a medieval world which is threatened by war and religious persecution, four young men and women begin to develop supernatural abilities. These forbidden and secret powers will shatter the lives that they have known, and will force each of them to confront the mystery of the ethereal Gate which haunts their dreams. What does the dream mean, and how is it connected to their burgeoning abilities?…
Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken, #1) by Ryan Cahill
From the blurb:
Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.
In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving – a test of courage and skill that not all survive….
