I have recently finished The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, which was very, very close to perfection for me. I've also been enjoying the Lord of the Mysteries web novel the past few months and I'm halfway through Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity.
What I'm really wanting is this historical fantasy, gothic feel, but with romance. Weavingshaw does have that and I am enjoying it, but I know I'm going to want more once I'm done. Weavingshaw feels just a touch younger than I'd prefer.
Non-negotiable:
- Adult
- Gothic atmosphere, historical (pre-20th century preferrably)
- Slow burn
- no self-insert main character
Other things:
- Solid worldbuilding (real consequences with magic/rules/systems not easily broken)
- borderline horror or solid fantasy-horror (the darker the better)
- A romance that feels earned, not a given
I have no preference for main character gender. I prefer queer, but it doesn't have to be. I prefer longer, chunkier books or long series (I don't need fast pacing or a lot of action as long as something is interesting to keep me turning pages). I respond better to an investigative approach to the storytelling, something with mystery slowly revealed over time.
Other books I've enjoyed (they just don't have the romance subplot I'm wanting):
- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
- Dracul by Dacre Stoker
- Sworn Soldier series by T. Kingfisher
- Moriarty: the Patriot manga series
- Amid the Vastness of All Else series by C. S. Humble
by Imagination_Priory89