Besides dark academia and an autumnal romance, gothic fantasies are my favorite way to get into the fall and/or spooky spirit. Give me a book with a castle that may or may not be haunted, some magical powers (maybe a witch or two?), and a handful of eerie characters or settings, and I am sat, preferably in my comfiest chair with a cup of tea.
In the spirit of the season, here are some of my favorite gothic fantasies if you want to read along!
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman. I re-read this duology about once a year because I love it that much. Every generation, a group of families sends their children to fight to the death to control the source of magic for their town. I promise, you won’t be able to put either book down.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. Honestly, either of Rachel Gillig’s duologies could make this list. She has a talent for writing gothic fantasies with characters you can’t help but fall in love with. The Shepherd King duology has a magic system based on cards, noble families with the last names of trees, and one Nightmare lurking in our main character’s head…until he’s not.
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. All of Erin A. Craig’s books are spooky fantasy novels, but her Sisters of the Salt series is the spookiest and most magical of them all. House of Salt and Sorrows is an eerie retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale, and it has a sequel that I think can stand on its own if you decide a castle by the sea isn’t quite your speed.
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft. This is my most recent addition to this list, considering I finished it about three days before writing this post. Set in a German-inspired world where water is the source of magic and magical creatures (I really don’t think I can spell the term for them used in the book), Lorelei must solve the murder of her mentor while on a dangerous expedition to find a magical spring that could give the king unspeakable power. Oh, and she has to deal with her insufferable, gallant academic rival, Sylvia.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Alice’s grandmother tells dark fairy-tale stories that take place in the Hinterland, a cruel, magical, and surely fictional place. It is fictional, right?!
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia. This is an older release (2009!), but it’s the perfect Southern gothic fantasy. Lena Duchannes struggles with both her newly developing powers and her family’s long-standing curse. Can Ethan help her, or is their relationship doomed before it even begins? This was also made into a movie—and it’s actually pretty good!
Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross. It’s always Divine Rivals this, Wild Reverence that. Dreams Lie Beneath is actually my favorite Rebecca Ross book, and I swear no one knows about it—but they should! Dream magic and a fable are the two catalysts for this story, so if either of those intrigue you, you absolutely should give this one a shot.
If you’re looking for your next fall read and want something a little darker than your typical cozy romance, I hope you find something on this list that scratches that gothic fantasy itch. Give me haunted castles, cursed families, dangerous magic, and a little bit of mystery, and I’ll happily spend the entire season curled up with a book. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more spooky reads to get off to my TBR.
