I’m in the mood for a fiction book that really digs into moral gray areas. Ones where the characters face complex dilemmas and there is no obvious right answer.
I want to read something that makes me think, makes me feel conflicted and maybe even uncomfortable. I want to be left questioning the character’s decision sorta like “I can see why they did that but also… yikes”
I’m open to any genre. I’m a chameleon 🙂
So whats your favorite morally complex book?!
by MermaidxGlitz
5 Comments
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
LA Confidential
You’re describing grimdark fantasy in a nutshell.
The most prominent author is Joe Abercrombie. His First Law trilogy is often recommended, but I think you’d do well Starting with The Heros based on your prompt. It’s a stand alone novel set in the same world as the First Law.
The Black Company by Glenn Cook gets cited as one of the OG grimdark titles. The story is good, but the style is a bit dated.
The Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch is one of my favorites. The protagonist is a thief and the books revolve around various heists. Think of them as a fantasy version of the Ocean’s movies and you won’t be too far off the mark.
If you want truly deplorable protagonists Mark Lawrence has two trilogies for you to check out. The Broken Empire and The Red Queen’s War. They have very different main characters, but both are told from the first person perspective so you get their inner monologue. I think of Jorge and Jalen as the protagonists I love to hate.
BRING UP THE BODIES by Hilary Mantel, about the downfall of Anne Boleyn
“He needs guilty men, so he found men who are guilty — though not necessarily guilty as charged”
The Ripley books by Patricia Highsmith, although the protagonist might be a very dark gray.