Hi guys, r/fantasy wouldn't allow me to post this, so going to you guys. I'm very aware that this is very fantasy centric, but I guess if you have other literary or speculative fiction you want to throw at me, be my guest!
THE CORE:
RUTHLESS AMBITION, MORAL AMBIGUITY, AND DEFIANCE:
Preferably, I want protagonists that start with nothing, aren't fated, and claw their way to success through cunning, ruthlessness, and moral ambiguity. Or straight up lack of morals.
Unyielding ambition, relentless improvement, and themes of insanity, and exploits so grand that you just can't help but be wowed. No handouts, no chosen ones, no destiny, just straight up defiance through endless struggle, failure, sadness, depravity, and eventually success as mountains of corpses pile up.
Of course, morally good people are still characters or main characters that I could get attached to, it's just that I'm annoyed whenever they seem preachy, whiny, or otherwise lacking a spine. Or appear as hypocrites.
Being mentally weak and annoying is a worse sin than being a mass murderer, remember that!! (Not actually.)
I do not want surface level motivations; I do not want comfort characters. I want characters that steal the show, have morally gripping tales, motivations, and utterly dumbfounding schemes.
Oh, and agency is paramount. The narrative is shifted around by them, preferably, or, if they're reactive, they have to be reactive in a very bold way.
Concepts like redemption, found family, acceptance, tolerance, stuff like that? Is not what I'm looking for.
The natural order MUST BE DEFIED. The status quo MUST BE SHIFTED. Books where ambitious souls rise are the core of what makes me like something.
I want the enemies and villains of general recs to be cunning and old monsters as well, obstacles that the protagonist must bulldoze through by improving themself or by sheer luck and monstrous will.
REMEMEMBER, I am NOT against having good people as the main characters. I am against them not EARNING their wins. I want recs where the universe does not bend to justice or to moral frameworks, only to simply WHO IS BETTER. WHO IS STRONGER. It annoys me to no end whenever villains lose because the heroes were morally right, or whatever. Sure, if they were better AND morally right, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but as it stands, I'm kind of tired of seeing that pattern in western writing.
WORLD-BUILDING:
Most of the time, I prefer brutal, expansive, and extremely immersive world-building. For example, most grimdark worlds do satisfy me, but I do have a tendency towards more high fantasy stuff.
Honestly, it all depends on the vibe of the story, the characters, and how the ideology of the world is, rather than the details or how the world fits all together. Stuff like that is merely a bonus if its superb.
Preferably, however, expositions, info-dumps, etc. are to be avoided. The history of the world and the very books themselves should be steeped in moral ambiguity, epic tales, and layered with mysteries upon mysteries. Constant intrigue, if possible, but if not that's fine.
RELENTLESS MOMENTUM:
Each page, each chapter, must be a constant hit of dopamine, and I don't mean by purely fight scenes, but in terms of narrative progression, interesting character interactions, or mysteries uncovered. Preferably, the book is either a super-fast paced page turner, or a very slow-burn that builds up thoughtfully, methodically, yet in a way that suggests constant momentum, like everything is building up to SOMETHING.
I do love character interactions, slow moments, things like that, but they MUST serve a purpose, it must feel like it's interconnected to the overall narrative or constantly give interesting interactions, highlights, or insights into characters.
Accessibility and emotional pay-off is usually NOT THE GOAL. The relentless momentum that I like in stories should challenge the very way I think, I want to be forced to critically think about human morality, power, and the cruel, cruel nature of humanity.
EMOTIONAL SOUL:
Preferably, I would want stories that make me feel awed or absolutely hyped at the themes and the character interactions/dialogues.
I want raw storytelling and melodrama here. Especially about desire, in every sense of the word What drives the characters to go to the dramatic lengths that they go to? What about their drive truly separates them from the others?
I want stories that aren't afraid of making their characters be selfish! I want stories that make their characters fight for something that is generic as "for my friends and family" or something of that nature. It CAN be about that, but it has to be executed extraordinarily well.
I would also prefer if the MC or just characters in general, especially the villains as well, had BURNING CONVICTION. No half-assed doubts, no surface level motivations, just PURE OBESSSION.
I should be SCREAMING and JUMPING as I reach the climaxes of each book.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID (I've already read them):
Reverend Insanity, Malazan, Second Apocalypse, Black Company, Lies of Locke Lamora, Cradle, The First Law Trilogy, Rage Of Dragons, Red Rising, Worm, Broken Empire
by onedeagmcgee