Dark(NOT Grimdark) Fantasy suggestion?

Hello luvs, so I love the aesthetic of stories like Dark Souls and Dragins Dogma II. I haven’t played them, but the aesthetic is so, well, aesthetic, that I’d like to read about something similar. Dark Fantasy has always been one of my favorite aesthetics, but I’ve never actually read a lot of dark fantasy books. I don’t know, I just guess I never came across them.

And, for criteria, I’m not looking for Grimdark or Gothic. No ASOIAF or First Law. Grimdark is fun sometimes, but I’d rather read a story about a little hope, even if it doesn’t always win. I prefer character driven stories as well. Think Sword of Kaigen. I’d rather claw my teeth out then read a story about characters that don’t have an arc. I’ll only get past that if it’s an older book.

Thanks luvs 💕

And also I have Nevernight already, and I’m not a huge fan of manga, so please no Berserk. I’ll get to it eventually but not right now.

EDIT: Brownie points if it’s scary!