Good morning/evening/night to whoever is reading this!
This will be a lengthy post so I appreciate anyone who will take the time to read this.
As the title of the post suggests, I am looking for suggestions of stories within the fantasy/dark fantasy genre, however, I have some specific wants! I tried TikTok recommendations and was personally quite disappointed.
I have found a lot of popular fantasy stories are all the same regurgitation, and are also too smutty with underdeveloped, rushed romance (even if it claims to be 'slow burn') and the female main characters and the men are all written the exact same even though everyone claims that 'this one is different!'.
One of my main desires in any story is to have somewhat flowery writing (or even, very flowery writing). I am happy to read a story without it but it's much preferred. I would also like to say that I am alright with it being no romance or anything.
I'm going to be splitting the different types of stories I'd like to read up so it's easier to suggest!
- Dark fantasy story-wise, most people consider dark fantasy as necromancers and the like. Whereas I consider it more enchanted forests and surreal, dream worlds (that are nightmarish) and unsettling characters. Like when a witch makes black thread through shadows. "The Erl-King" by Angela Carter is an alright example of this! I would say "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black teeters into dark fantasy for me and has that lovely descriptive writing that I like. So any stories where it's a bit trippy would be nice.
- Kind of based on the first one, basically anything with royal fantasy and descriptions of beautiful ballgowns and foods and scents. I quite liked "The Jewel" by Amy Eweing (the firsr book, specifically). Also, I love it when it's got that underlying politics.
- I would like a few stories similar to Harry Potter as it's my all-time favourite series. I specifically desire a story where it's academic in a magical setting, but with loads of details about classes and what they're learning and such. I already have "Babel" by Kuang on my shelf before anyone recommends that to me but maybe something more Harry Potter-esque.
Also, just anybody's fantasy holy grails even if it's not within my wants!
Things I do not want to see, however, are: the "tiny skinny not so pretty female mc" who actually has no personality other than being "feisty" and "stubborn" and "morally grey" and "wants to prove herself" trope; sexy, brooding male love interests who have no personally other than "sharp jawline" and obsessed with the lacklustre MC; enemies to lovers that's written like every other enemies to lovers; a male love interest who's basically a fuckboy; a love triangle; female characters who just beef with other female characters; and a character who's supposed to be evil but actually does lots of good things and has one million redeeming qualities and a tragic backstory.
by snowberryzuku