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I wanna read something that's fucking brutal with fighting and sex and all the things, but also WELL WRITTEN (so NOT George R.R. Martin, I can't stand his shit). I want Lord of the Rings on crack and steroids.

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[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 34 points 1 month ago

"Malazan: The Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson has probably got what you need.

The main series is 10 books long, and they are amongst the most violent, brutal, but ultimately very well-written series I've ever (so far) read (still on Book 5).

Books 2 and 3 were too dark for my tastes but I plugged on through and I'm loving it. Great characters, wonderful dialogue, and way less obsessed with Food as GRRM

[-] Kingofclubs615@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

I listen to audio books while I work and have been hunting for new long stories to listen to. I'll definitely be grabbing this one.

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev 3 points 1 month ago

Saving this for future references as well

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[-] userflairoptional@lemmynsfw.com 21 points 1 month ago

The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is a fine example of grimdark high fantasy. It isn't overflowing with sex scenes, but carnal relationships are definitely in play.

[-] CountVon@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago

And it definitely ticks the box for "fucking brutal."

[-] PennyRoyal@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

I loved this and the other trilogy of his that I’ve read, brutal and dark certainly, but his character writing is mint. I need to read more of his stuff!

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[-] Hotspur@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 month ago

Richard k. Morgan’s foray into to fantasy “the steel remains” trilogy might meet that requirement. He’s the guy who wrote the altered carbon books, so it’s basically hard-boiled pulp fiction applied to swords and sorcery fantasy. Similarly Joe Abercrombie’s books operate similarly. Genre is… Grimdark I think.

Steven Erickson’s “Malazan book of the fallen” series also would meet the definition, but watch out—there’s a ton of them, and they can be a bit narratively challenging sometimes.

[-] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Man I got stuck on like book 4 of Malazan I think, it's been a long time. Still have the books though, I should take another stab at it.

[-] Hotspur@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

I’m still slowly working my way… think I’m in book 7 maybe? I sometimes find it hard with series where they change focuses and stories a lot, and malazan does that every book (the whole changing location every other book thing) and I also sometimes have trouble keeping track or who all the characters are, and who is dead, alive, or only sorta dead. But they are very high quality, even if I don’t always understand what is going on. Anyhow there’s so much of it I just dip in and out and will read other stuff for a while—definitely a marathon series haha

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[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago
[-] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

I didnt like the ending, but yeah. I guess the follow on books are good too but I haven't tried them.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

The follow up book about Caul Shivers is possibly even better than the original trilogy. Check it out.

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[-] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 month ago

I've been hyping up Dresden Files in damn near every book thread for the last four months, but damn if it doesn't fit here too. There's sex and murder in nearly every one of the books. The murder is very rarely clean, and the stakes are never low. Jim Butcher is one of my very favorite authors now, by a significant margin.

[-] phdepressed@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

My guilty pleasure. His books draw me in but some of the sexism/arrogance (especially in earlier books) makes me cringe. Doesn't stop me from staying up too late to finish one if I've started. Butcher knows how to keep me hooked.

His newer series the cinder spires is quite good as well.

[-] Ganeshaix@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I just finished reading through the entire series a month or two ago - what a fantastic series.

[-] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

It has completely consumed my life for the last several months. I'm partway through Changes right now. I can't remember the last time I was this completely absorbed in a book series.

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[-] lemmyng@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago

It's not exactly R rated, but Gideon the Ninth (and its sequels) don't shy away from gore and raunchy language.

[-] runner_g@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 month ago

Lies of Locke Lamora is beautifully written gritty fantasy. Thus far there are 3 books in the series.

I've never read the Warhammer 40K books so I can speak to the quality of writing, but the series definitely matches the genre of interest.

[-] Hasherm0n@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

I really enjoyed reading 40k books when I was younger, but they're generally shit writing. The kind of complete schlock that is good when you want to turn off the brain.

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[-] earlgrey0@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago

I guess T. Kingfisher’s Saint of Steel series. It may not hit the “fucking brutal” mark but it does cover a lot of dark themes like loss very well for a fantasy, also not afraid to get racy. I enjoy T. Kingfisher as an author so I highly recommend.

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[-] Curdie@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Mark Lawrence - Prince of Thorns. Loose fit but it scratches that itch for me anyway. Maybe it will for you too.

[-] UsefulIdiot@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago

NK Jemisen’s the fifth season was amazing. It won a Hugo. Then the sequel was amazing and different and won the Hugo.

Then the last book in the trilogy was crazier and won the Hugo.

Truly wild magic and a very very brutal world.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago

Is it necessary to read the previous four seasons as well or can you skip those?

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[-] CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

The Poppy Wars which had an eastern theme.

The Prince of Nothing series which is quite grimdark in a fantasy setting.

The Crimson Empire series is a darkish revenge story.

The Covenant of Steel about a poor boy rising through the ranks.

The Rhenwar Saga involves more magic than the rest.

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[-] Timecircleline@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago

If you'd be up for modern fantasy you might enjoy Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, or American Gods.

For high fantasy, Brando Sando has violence aplenty but not sex. I really like the Stormlight Archives.

I also wouldn't write off the Shattered Sea series by Joe Abercrombie. Yes, they're labelled YA but it just makes them easier to binge.

[-] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

The Black Company by Glenn Cook is pretty dark. It's about a band of mercenaries taking part in a world war where there are basically no good guys. The first book stands well on its own, but it is part of a trilogy.

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

Gods yes, awesome series for sure.

[-] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I'll add it to the list!

[-] dresden@discuss.online 3 points 1 month ago

The world and the story is interesting, but for some reason I didn't like how the book is written. Have only read the first book though, got the whole trilogy as omnibus, so will eventually get to the next two books.

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[-] zSpider@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago
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[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I remember a book series called "something of Krondor" or "Krondor the something" that was really violent and brutal. They made some RPGs based on it too, but I don't think they were ever popular; I have never encountered anyone else who ever read the books or played the games.

Read 'em in highschool and I haven't really thought about it since which is why I can't really remember the complete title or who the author was.

[-] lemmyng@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago

I have never encountered anyone else who ever read the books or played the games.

Well now you have. I played (and finished) Betrayal at Krondor.

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[-] JaymesRS@literature.cafe 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Krondor the Betrayal by Raymond E Feist

All his books are great and most are connected in one big world (though you don’t have to read them as one epic series to enjoy them). Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master are commonly 2 of my top recommendations for people getting into fantasy.

A bunch are on sale on Kobo right now too.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Thomas_Covenant

Cenotaph Road series by Robert E. Vardeman. More sci fi than fantasy, but fantasy adjacent sci-fi.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/74984-cenotaph-road

[-] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I'll look into it. I'm a little sc-fi'd out at the moment, but if it's adjacent, it might do. Thanks for the recommendation!

[-] swab148@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago

Covenant is fantasy, so that might be the ticket

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[-] dessimbelackis@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Another vote for anything Steven Erikson or R Scott Bakker

[-] Sylence@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago

Lot's of really good recommendations here already. One series I don't see discussed much is the Acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover and I think it's exactly what you're after: shit talking, badass, tortured anti-hero in a deeply depraved and corrupt world with copious violence and sex and a deep and well written story.

Each of the 4 books is self contained but they are worth reading chronologically, starting with Heroes Die. The audio book is also fucking terrific.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/311864.Heroes_Die

[-] JackiesFridge@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

The Bound Gods series by Rachel Dunne is pretty brutal and bleak. Not a lot of sex but there's baby killing, eye gouging, and enslavement. Zero characters make it unscathed and most simply don't make it. It's quite a ride.

[-] Boozilla@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Do you like swords and sorcery? Sounds more like that genre than high fantasy. Not that I'm the genre police.

[-] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I didn't even know that was a thing, so yes, I'll take it!

[-] dumples@midwest.social 3 points 1 month ago

Check out the work of Fritz Lieber especially his Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Series. They are short stories but compiled into books now. Great intro to sword and sorcery.

Also the book series as a huge influence on DnD since Gary Gygax was a big fan

[-] Boozilla@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Cool. It's mostly older stuff but here's some info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_and_sorcery

[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 2 points 1 month ago

I mean sounds like you want gore. if you wanted softcore porn piers anthony is the way to go but I can't think of something more brutal than gore. going to be interesting to read replies and see what else is out there.

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this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2024
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