If You Like Fantasy And Grumpy Characters, Pick Up These 15 Speculative Books

It’s a dangerous business reading fantasy books.

Science fiction and fantasy nerds of the world deserve grumps on a quest. We all love it when the cold hearted one in the group combusts with feelings to no one except their friends, lovers, or siblings. Below you’ll find different genres, styles, and tones of speculative books containing grumpy characters.

1. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

Orbit Books

Release date: May 17, 2022

Why you should read it: Everybody loves a grumpy adoptive dad. Chelsea Abdullah writes with such splintering and beautiful agony that I was left with every bone broken, every vessel cut, and my ashes nothing but fragrant dust.

What it's about: With storytelling like One Thousand and One Nights, pick up The Stardust Thief and enter a world of quests, legends, romantic princes, sibling rivalry, and unfriendly thieves under a desert’s starry night sky. Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant, hunts and sells magical relics with jinn bodyguard, Qadir. When she saves the Sultan’s youngest son, Mazen, she’s thrown into his father's privileged world. Along with a cowardly prince, a grumpy jinn bodyguard, and an irritable swordswoman, Loulie must pursue a legendary land for an ancient magical lamp. Join this reluctant group as they face a vengeful jinn queen, vicious killers, and heartrending truths. You’ll enjoy the feel of the glittering sand underneath Loulie’s feet, the brush of the wind as Mazen gazes at the stars, and the longing of a soft-hearted prince as he looks upon a girl sharper than a bloodied knife. Watch the tightening of their hearts as they dance a drunken night of riches and laughter, and cry with them every step of the way, be it in happiness or heartache. Qadir’s grumpy but lovable adoptive dad persona will inspire you to hug anything within grasp as you find yourself desperate for that comforting but heartbreaking dynamic. Abdullah writes stories like a sparkling, burning thing painted against the pitch-black night, ever out of our reach. Gently touched with lyrical writing, Abdullah’s talent is making you feel like magic exists. You will be obsessed, trying to hold onto the magic, and dripping in the madness of your own making.              

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

2. The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Tor Books

Why you should read it: Nothing compares more to “if I loved you less, I’d be able to talk about it more” than The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Sunshine witches, get yourself a grumpy magician.

What it's about: Ether-soaked strawberries with a glass of champagne, delicate aristocrats smoking cigarettes, a razor-tongued villainess, rain nestled in a summer girl’s hair, and honorable magicians all perfectly blend in this grumpy/sunshine fantasy romance. Hector Auvray, a spectacular magician, and Antonina Beaulieu, the Witch of Oldhouse, don’t fall in love at first but burn slowly, then at last. Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes fantasy romance with true talent. Hector Auvray nearly reenacts a scene from Emma, where Mr. Knightley lays down on the floor in complete agony, for he’s just realized something: He has a heart. No grump in fantasy can compare to the like of Hector Auvray. Like a knife wedged in, forcefully and horrendously, The Beautiful Ones examines heartbreak as the cruelest of lovers. The raw emotions, tense pacing, and romantic chemistry make this magical grumpy/sunshine fantasy romance one of the best versions of the trope you’ll read.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

3. The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

Berkley

Release date: March 15

Why you should read it: We all love a good grumpy witch meets grumpy pirate fantasy rom-com.

What it's about: The second in India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series follows witch, Charlotte Pettifer, and the grouchy Irish pirate, Alex O’Riley. In an alternate England, all the decent Victorian societies have enemies. A pirate society, the Wisteria Society, creates chaos, and their enemies, the League of Gentlewomen Witches, clean up their mess. This book includes a sleeve-rolling love interest who falls fast for his enemy, a short witch that entirely wrecks his heart. The League of Gentlewomen Witches is the witchy rom-com between a grumpy yet perfectly prickly witch and an irascible Han Solo. They will have you summoning your brooms just to taste this special brew of witchy tea. Like her heroine, India Holton is a respectable witch, and we’re all just living in her world.                                                                   

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

4. The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Harper Voyager

Why you should read it: My kingdom for one grumpy disgraced prince with an eyepatch, please.

What it's about: Ava Reid spins a world inspired by Hungarian history, Jewish folklore, and ethnic discrimination in this folkloric fantasy. The author bases a magic system on body horror with a brilliant and harrowing tale of such exact truths. That dark, eerie tone sets the stage for a slow burn romance between two outsiders: Évike, a pagan, and Gáspár Bárány, the dishonored son of a cruel king. Gáspár has that sour-faced, all-around grump persona. For readers in the mood for a grump that never smiles, transforming into a romantic poet for their one and only, this is the one you’ll obsess about for years. Gáspár will remind you of every love interest determined not to fall in love. But like the ice around a grump’s heart, it melts and consumes you in soft and cruel ways you could never possibly imagine.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

5. Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon

Ruby Dixon

Why you should read it: Yes, we all know about those blue aliens from Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians. Did you know she also has an ongoing fantasy romance series? Rather than a galaxy of alien bonking, this is Conan the Barbarian by way of Blair Waldorf. Roll with it.

What it's about: Effervescent bubblegum heroine, Faith, meets a frisky yet uptight Viking god when she accidentally ends up in a totally different world. Exchange the Narnia wardrobe for an apartment mishap. But then a god gets thrown to Earth from the heavens. Bound to Faith (loving those puns, Ruby!), Aron battles his trials on Earth. In Ruby Dixon’s world, lesbian goddesses get facesitting. Yes, really. Gods fall for humans willing to commit murder for just one cheeseburger. And best of all: icy hearts melt slowly. Seriously, read Bound to the Battle God if you want to close yourself off from the world with a funny slow burn romp of idiots in love.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

6. Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

Saga Press

Why you should read it: Immerse yourself into this group of grumpy gay thieves and criminals. Among Thieves makes the statement loud and clear: be gay, do crimes. 

What it's about: Likened to an adult Six of Crows, this follows a grumpy exiled soldier and a carefully selected group of miscreants, smugglers, and thieves mapping their way to freedom. With names like Butcher of Carrowwick and Nash the Smuggler, you’ll be floating on fantasy reader cloud nine in no time. If you love the grumpy honorable soldier meets the delightful criminal but "make it lesbian," then give yourself a night of delights with this gothic-dipped gastronomic slice of swashbuckling fantasy. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

7. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

Orbit Books

Why you should read it: The Bitch Queen is your grumpy date. Set in a horror-tinged epic world, the author takes fantasy classics by weaving them together with the tense political atmosphere of the Philippines.

What it's about: Talyien Orenar has a lot to be grumpy about. The warlords overmined her authority. The kingdom is divided. And assassins attack her at every opportunity. Intimate and rich with character arcs, this road trip fantasy tells a fascinating story about truth, corruption, and motherhood. Talyien will remind you of the sardonic Han Solo with her dry humor and grump-tastic flair for the dramatic. If Geralt of Rivia ran around gallivanting in this dark fantasy world, he’d be besties with the Bitch Queen.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

8. A Psalm For The Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Tor Books

Why you should read it: Throw out that depresso for this cozy cup of tea.

What it's about: In Panga, robots have lived in the wilderness for centuries. Becky Chambers writes a hopeful and comforting future rather than the expected depressing and increasingly apocalyptic plot we’re all witnessing. Sibling Dex aims for some meaning in their life, a desire to fill the missing hole in humanity. In their search, they become a tea monk, fixing a warm cup of tea and kindness for those wandering, reaching from the cruelties of their lives and into the gentleness of a sweet but grumpy human. In this world, water bubbles dance. Robots are named after plants. A nonbinary grumpy tea monk becomes friends with a deadpan robot, who will remind you of a Star Wars robot. A Psalm For the Wild Built is for anyone looking for a platonic friendship containing queer grumpy characters in a sea of romantic ones.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

9. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Tordotcom

Why you should read it: Frontline Titties of the Fifth, gather around for the most bizarre ride of your life! If grumpy lesbians in space make you perk up, you’ll love Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.

What it's about: Space opera, murder mystery, comedy, grotesque horror, and fantastic necromancy spin together in a book like no other. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House, is one excellent grumpy lesbian bone witch. Along with the heirs of loyal Houses, Harrowhark and Gideon enter a deadly trial of ascension. You’ll love how Gideon pokes Harrow’s prickly but delightfully grumpy buttons. Check into this cosmic castle of goths, ancient nuns, and skeletal frights!

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

10. The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst

Harper Voyager

Why you should read it: The Bone Maker asks what happens after the epic heroes of your favorite golden age fantasy retire. Sarah Beth Durst ponders that question we’ve always had about what happens to the heroes: how do they deal with the trauma? For Durst, it means examining post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of such horrors.

What it's about: In Vos, magic has real consequences for its heroes. Kreya mourns the loss of one, her husband. Betraying the laws of her nation, she resurrects him. That agony of losing her love can only be satisfied with bone magic. In that devastation, Kreya closed herself off from her surviving friends. Zera, one former friend, comes back into her life once again. Grumpy comic relief with dry wit and sarcastic remarks for every situation would cause even the best of grumps to smile. Zera is most excellent. She requires pie before desecrating a mass grave, hates camping, and loves unholy behavior. In Zera, you’ll find the extravagant goth friend to match your elegant black dress, spiky punk boots, and French beret. You’ll fall utterly and incandescently in love with her.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

11. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Saga Press

Why you should read it: Doesn’t Mad Max: Fury Road with an Indigenous heroine sound like the best thing ever? Trail of Lightning shows heart in a world reminding readers of the rough realities of our own.

What it's about: In a world drowned beneath the rising waters of a climate apocalypse, the Dinétah became reborn, but now their gods, monsters, and legendary heroes walk the land. Maggie Hoskie, a grump with dad jokes always on hand, hunts these monsters with her legendary gifts. Maggie hunts for clues with Kai Arviso, all-around sunshine boy and medicine man. What makes their dynamic so special is how Kai gently opens Maggie’s trauma with such delicate precision. Maggie is the feral cat to Kai’s golden retriever. If you want a beautiful, touching, and hopeful story with a full cast of Indigenous characters, pick up Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

12. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Why you should read it: Oh, to be a miserable prince following an angry huntress like a good boy. Inspired by epic Arabian poetry, We Hunt the Flame lights up a fantasy world of ancient Arabia. In this YA fantasy, a huntress disguises herself in a cursed land. Nasir, The Prince of Death, follows her perilous journey. 

What it's about: After the death of her beloved father, Zafira becomes the protector of her mother and little sister. Similarly, Nasir feels heartbroken at the death of his mother and the heartlessness of his father. The death of a parent takes everything from us. It's that searing anger that builds tension between Nasir and Zafira. That frustrating need to ice their hearts also bonds them on a deeper level than anyone else. The comic relief of the fan favorite grumpy/sunshine trope doesn’t come out between this slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance, but between brothers. Nasir is the grump to his brother’s sunshine. And it's the most darling brother relationship you'll read. Be sure to add this breezy, lyrical grump meets grump fantasy to your ever-growing tbr. 

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

13. The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Orbit Books

Why you should read it: Andrea Stewart spins storylines like a spider, trapping prey on the edge waiting for the right moment until a single vicious strike, letting them fall to the center of it all.

What it's about: Lin, the heir to the Phoenix Empire, knows her memories are lost. Determined to find the key to understanding her lost memories, she pieces the clues to her father's actions, emperor and mad scientist. In Phalue's storyline, a lesbian romance between the governor's daughter and a revolutionary utterly consumes. Following another storyline, Jovis searches for the memory of his lost wife. Sailing on the Endless Sea, he finds an adorable little monster. Animal companion, Mephi, fills the gaping hole in his heart. Jovis takes the feral cat dad attitude approach to the classic grump persona. The western-inspired society Jovis grew up in marked him as a second class citizen. Many of Stewart’s characters are Chinese coded. And that struggle, frustration, and anger left him to abandon his society. It’s only through dry humor, sarcasm, and a grumpy attitude that he manages such a painful past. Humor and gloom make for an excellent read in Andrea Stewart’s The Bone Shard Daughter.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

14. The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Tor Books

Why you should read it: A.K. Larwood said it loud and clear: let the fantasy gays be flashy and messy!

What it's about: In this world, ancient gods slumber, brides become sacrifices, and worlds die in ice and ash. An old wizard hires henchmen to acquire knowledge. It starts with Csorwe, a young orc priestess and bride of the Unspoken god. For Sethennai, she collects, assassinates, and steals. Then there’s Talasseres Charossa, coworker and sworn enemy to the former orc priestess. Their dynamic encapsulates gay found family with an incredibly bloody version of Disney Channel sibling rivalry to it. The Unspoken Name can easily be summed up as angry gay orc bride turned thief and her extravagant, but loud grumpy gay brother commit crimes for a power-hungry wizard. If you love Tamsyn Muir’s severe prose, you’ll love Larkwood’s sharp writing. A.K. Larkwood will make you feel like you’ve walked barefoot in a world burnt.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here. 

15. The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

Orbit Books

Why you should read it: It is a universal truth that Sapphics love a glamorous entrance. Just look at that cover! 

What it's about: In a North African-inspired epic fantasy, rebellion stews and the anxieties of colonizers inspire chaos in a richly detailed world of espionage, resistance, and assassination. Stolen from her home as a child, Touraine returns as a soldier of the empire to put out the fire of rebellion in her homeland. Luca, princess of the empire, enlists Touraine to spy on the rebels. In The Unbroken, characters deal with the colonialism they grew up with almost unbearable searing difficulty. That loyal mindset Touraine feels for the Balladairan Empire isn’t a simple flip of the switch but rolled out with mouth-gaping, intense book-to-chest clutching, raw misery. In between the horrifying moments, C.L. Clark touches us with dry humor. Between Luca and Touraine, the interactions between them sway to the breaking point. The intensity of a grumpy princess and a serious soldier opens a door, permitting the inhale and exhale amid such suffering. A most excellent message is left for you: read The Unbroken by C.L. Clark.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.