10 Dark Fantasy Books That Horror Fans Will Love

10 Dark Fantasy Books That Horror Fans Will Love

Fun Activities For Fantasy Fans

• Host a magical movie night
• Enter a Magic: The Gathering tournament
• Play a fantasy video game with friends
• Use a Ouija board to contact the spirits
• Create a cosplay of your favorite character
• Have a board game night
• Podcast about your favorite show, movie, or book
• Host a Dungeons and Dragons campaign

8 Great Fantasy Horror Movies

1. The Craft (1996)
2. Underworld (2003)
3. Trick 'r Treat (2007)
4. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
5. The Devil's Carnival (2012)
6. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
7. Krampus (2015)
8. Dracula Untold (2014)

The 5 Categories of Horror Monsters

In Depth

It's fun to lose yourself in a well-designed fantasy world full of light, color, and great characterization. But the real fun begins when readers are exposed to the darker, complex shades of evil that exist within those landscapes. From dark lords to evil warmongers, some of the best characters in fantasy are the ones who indulge in their most ominous desires. If you're in the mood for an imaginative read full of tortured, brooding characters, here, in no particular order, are some of the most satisfying books that will give you a glimpse into the dark side.

In the #1 slot is Nancy Baker's "Cold Hillside." For decades, the mountain town of Lushan has been a safe haven for refugees seeking protection from the Fey, a dangerous race of fairies who have no regard for mortal life. When Teresine, a young mortal woman from Lushan, goes to the palace to pay tribute, she ends up being chosen by the Faerie Queen to be an advisor in the high court. Teresine knows she's playing with fire, but she has no choice. Will her divided loyalties end up putting her in grave danger?

For #2, we get "Vicious Rumer" by Joshua Winning. Rumer Cross just wants to live a normal life. Too bad no one will let her forget about the chilling legacy of her mother, a killer nicknamed "The Witch Assasin" by the townspeople who are still terrified of her daughter's potential to follow in her mom's footsteps. But Rumer isn't interested. That is, until she gets sick of being ostracized and seriously considers joining the dark side. Will she find acceptance there, or will she never be able to truly escape the curse of her birth? Featuring a strong, cunning heroine, this razor-sharp read is guaranteed to pull you in.

Rumer Cross just wants to live a normal life.

At #3 is Craig Schaefer's "Ghosts of Gotham." Journalist Lionel Page doesn't believe in the occult, the supernatural, or the fantastical. When Regina Dunkle, a mysterious heiress, comes into his life, he gets a huge wake-up call. Regina enlists him to help authenticate an old Edgar Allan Poe manuscript. Then, mysterious signs start showing up, causing him to question everything.

For #4 we find "The Dark World" by S.C. Parris. Humans can't see what goes on in the Dark World. It's cleverly hidden from mortal view. That's all about to change when Xavier Delacroix, a young vampire, is enlisted to find a human who may hold the key to the central mystery of life. But entering the human world to protect the supernatural order isn't going to be easy, especially with the demons at Xavier's back making it hard for him to trust even his staunchest allies.

The #5 spot belongs to Rick Gualtieri's "Get Bent!" Tamara "Bent" Bentley is an anomaly. The product of a romance between a witch and a werewolf, Bent is possessed of superhuman strength and agility, and she's going to need it. When the high moon rises, the young woman will have to fight for her life against none other than her uncle, a powerful wolf who'll stop at nothing to wipe her off the face of the earth.

The product of a romance between a witch and a werewolf, Bent is possessed of superhuman strength and agility, and she's going to need it.

Coming in at #6 is Lois H. Gresh's "Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu." In early twentieth century London, there's danger around every corner. If it's not a criminal mastermind or a deadly ripper, it's an otherworldly creature hell-bent on total destruction. Lucky for Londoners, Sherlock Holmes is on the case. But so is his evil nemesis, Moriarty. This fun, creative mash-up encourages readers to dive into the Gothic world of Victorian London.

At #7 is "Memories of a Ghost" by Joe DeRouen. Imagine waking up during an ultrasound and having no memory of how you got there, or even being pregnant in the first place. That's Claire's reality if "Claire" is even her real name. She's not certain about anything anymore, including how she got here and whose identity she's landed in. There's one thing she does know for sure: something paranormal is going on, and she needs to recover her memory to find out what it is.

For #8 we find J.L. Murray's "Blood Day." Bloodthirsty monsters called Revenants have taken over the Earth. They're not content to overthrow the government and deprive humans of their will: they want a blood sacrifice from each and every person on earth. It's up to three captives and one rebellious Revenant to break the spell and free the world from the evil race's dominion.

Bloodthirsty monsters called Revenants have taken over the Earth.

In the #9 spot is "Malus Domestica" by S.A. Hunt. Cleaning some blood off a sweatshirt, buying some blue Manic Panic dye, killing a few witches on YouTube. It's just another normal day for Robin Martine, a witch hunter seeking vengeance for a life overturned. After slaying covens all across America, Robin is heading back home to Blackfield to finish something she started long ago. But to take on her ultimate foe, she'll have to fight monsters, slay serpents, and use all her strength to restore her hometown for good.

Finally, at #10, we have Jeffrey J. Mariotte's "Thunder Moon Rising." In the frontier towns of the Deadlands, there's trouble afoot. Rogue killers and occult forces are slaughtering homesteaders and holding entire communities hostage. And that doesn't even take into account the problems the coming Thunder Moon is going to unleash. It's up to ex-Union officer Tucker Bringloe to set things right. If only he could lay off the whiskey for long enough.