23 Insanely Thrilling Fantasy books with morally grey characters

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Recently updated on July 14th, 2024 at 11:24 am

Looking for Fantasy books with Morally Grey characters? Here are 23 page-turning fantasy books you need to read

This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.

I am a HUGE fan of fantasy books with morally grey characters. Honestly, I get kinda tired of the good guy main character. And there is something so thrilling about characters who aren’t inherently good. It feels so much more relatable to read books with characters who bad decisions.

Whether you’re looking for morally grey love interests or morally grey female characters – I’ve got you covered. Let’s have a look at the best fantasy books with morally grey characters.

For each book, I’ve included the book description, the rating and  why you might enjoy it. However, if you want a quick summary scroll down to find a handy comparison chart ( includes content warnings and tropes for each book)

This post is all about fantasy books with morally grey characters

What are the best fantasy books with  morally grey characters?

1. Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Lore is perfect for fans of morally great characters. It has a compelling revenge storyline and you never know who to trust.

Every seven years Greek Gods are hunted by descendants of ancient bloodlines. If the hunters succeed they seize their immortality. It follows Lore Perseus who has turned her back on this world.  But as the next hunt dawns, two participants seek out her help.

Highly recommend if you’re after fantasy books with morally grey characters.

Good Reads Rating: 3.84

 2. Bright and Pale by Jessica Rubinowski

Bright and Pale features a thieves guild and an excellent morally grey protagonist.

We follow 17-year-old Valeria. As a child, she lived near this magical mountain. One day, it unleashed a big freeze that trapped her family. Valeria is one of few survivors.

So she flees and joins the thieves guild. And she does odd jobs to get by with her best friend Alik. Until he is brutally murdered.

Or so she thinks. A year later, he turns up alive. And she is forced to lead a group on a dangerous quest back to the mountain in exchange for Alik.

Good Reads Rating: 3.49

3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince features a badass main character and a morally grey love interest.

Holly Black is seriously amazing at writing a killer plot twist. The Cruel Prince and Wicked King both open with a bang and keep you hooked throughout.

We follow Jude. As a child, she gets kidnapped with her two sisters and is taken to live with the fae in the woods.  She grows up wanting to be like the wicked fae she lives with.

Good reads rating: 4.09

4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This is probably my #1 pick for fantasy books with morally grey characters.  I am OBSESSED with this duology.

Six of Crows is like a fantasy version of Oceans Eleven. The morally grey characters,  criminal mastermind and enemies to lovers romance make this standout.

We follow six teenagers living in Ketterdam. Kaz Brekker, a criminal prodigy, is one of the teens. He is offered a deadly heist for a huge payout. But it’s an impossible heist. And Kaz will need all the help he can get to pull it off. So he assembles five other teens to help him.

GoodReads Rating: 4.48

5. A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

An underrated urban fantasy. It features one of my favourite morally grey love interests/main characters – Nausicaä.

A series of gruesome murders threatens to expose the faerie world to humans.  Four queer teens – Nausicaä, Arlo, Vehan, and Aurelian – each hold a piece of the truth. And they must track down the mysterious killer.

Looking for fantasy books with morally grey characters? You’ll love this book.

Good reads rating: 3.83

6. A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse so dark and Lonely has one of the most BADASS main characters! The main character has cerebral palsy but she is most definitely not in need of any sympathy

Emberfall is under a curse and the kingdom is enchanted into an everlasting winter. Prince Rhen needs to make a girl fall in love with him to break the curse.

Harper has cerebral palsy. And she struggles to look after her dying mother. She tries to save a stranger and is pulled into the world of Emberfall.

Good reads rating: 4.05

7. Spellhacker by M.K. England

A diverse cast of characters, a high stakes heist, criminal mastermind main character and plenty of banter.

Sset in a world where magic ( known as maz) was once freely available. But an earthquake unleashed a deadly plague. And now maz is a tightly controlled and expensive commodity.

We follow Diz who runs an illegal maz siphoning business with her three best friends. They get offered one last massive heist that could change everything.

Good Reads Rating: 3.59

8. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Celaena is one of the best morally grey characters. A badass assassin, she’s dealt with a lot and does what it takes to survive.

 We follow Celaena Sardothien who is imprisoned in a horrific prison called Endovier. She is an assassin. And one day she is summoned by the Prince to fight in a competition. The winner will become the king’s personal assassin.

A compelling series full of morally grey characters. Highly recommend.

Good Reads Rating: 4.19

 9. Malice  by Heather Walter

Dystopian world-building, a morally grey main character and a grumpy/sunshine romance.

Malice is a Sleeping Beauty retelling. The book is set in a Kingdom called Briar. Once upon a time, a wicked fairy cursed a line of princesses to die. Only true love’s kiss can break the curse.

Alyce is the dark grace. She was left abandoned in Briar from a dark kingdom. The dark magic that runs in her veins abhors residents in Briar.Except for Princess Aurora who accepts her.

Good reads rating: 4.06

10. The Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Sawkill girls is full of badass, morally grey characters. With moody worldbuilding, this is a compelling read.

Sawkill island has never been safe for young girls. There is a local legend about a paranormal beast who hunts young girls.

We are introduced to three girls: Zoey, Val and Marion. They have the power to save the island. If they are willing to come together and try.

Good reads rating: 3.86

11. Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

Superheroes, angsty roomance and dysptian fiction. Shatter me has SO many amazing tropes. Plus it contains some excellent morally grey characters. 

Shatter me opens with the main character locked up for murder. She is unable to touch anyone. And she falls in love with the first person she is able to touch.

The writing style in Shatter me is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It’s very prose heavy. And consequently, it seems to be a book people either love or hate. I love it.

Good reads rating: 3.92

12. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent and Dove is an excellent pick for anyone looking for fantasy books with morally grey characters. It features a slow burn enemies to lovers romance between a witch and a witch hunter. 

Serpent and Dove follows Louise – a witch.  She lives in Cesarine where witches are hunted and burned. Reid is a witch hunter who has always lived by the same principle – thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

But Lou pulls a stunt and it forces them into an impossible scenario – holy matrimony.

Good reads rating: 4.03

13. The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

This book is perfect if you’re looking for fantasy books with morally grey characters. 

Apart from an endorsement from Sarah J Maas, it also has a strong female main character, plot twists and the found family trope. 

The Prison Healer is set in a ruthless death prison called Zalindov. It follows Kiva who is a prisoner there. As Prison healer, she is charged with keeping the seriously ill Rebel Queen alive long enough to go through the Trial by Ordeal.

Good reads rating: 4.28

14. The Guild Hunter Series – Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh

An adult fantasy romance with several excellent morally grey characters.

We follow Elena. She’s a vampire hunter and she knows she’s the best. But the Archangel Raphael hires her for a job. And it’s clear failure is not an option – even if the task is impossible. 

If you’re looking for fantasy romance books with morally grey characters then you will love this book. Multiple morally grey characters and a spicy romance.

Good reads rating: 4.07 

15. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

The Atlas Six is full of morally grey characters. It also features a competition, increasing the tension.

At one point, I couldn’t go on Booktok, without seeing a recommendation for The Atlas Six.   It has approximately 11 million mentions on TikTok.

In Atlas Six, a secret society of academics look after lost known. They’re known as The Alexandrian Society. And they secure a life of awe-inspiring wealth, power and prestige.

Each decade, the world’s six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation.

Good reads rating: 3.65

16. Powerless by Lauren Roberts

A Sassy street thief and an enemies to lovers romance. And this is ideal for Red Queen fans.

We follow Paedyn. She lives in the Kingdom of Ilya. Only the exceptional, powered Elites belong in the Kingdom. These powers were gifted to them by the Plague. Those born Ordinary are banished to preserve an Elite society.

This makes Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Good reads rating: 4.26

 17. A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

A Broken Blade has an incredible morally grey main character. An assassin working for a corrupt King.

We follow Keera, a killer. As the King’s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the King’s favoured assassin. When a mysterious figure called the Shadow starts moving against the Crown, Keera is forced to hunt the masked menace down.

If you’re searching for fantasy books with morally grey characters, you need to read this.

Good reads rating: 3.95

18. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

This is one the most popular books on this list. It features an underdog, morally grey character and a rivalry.

We follow Violet Sorrengail. She was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant and live a quiet life among books. But the commanding general – her mother – orders Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become elite dragon riders.

But Violet is smaller than everyone else, with a brittle body. And with fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. 

Good reads rating: 4.58

19. The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

The Serpent and The Wings of Night has an amazing morally grey main character. Born in a brutal world, she does what it takes to survive.

We follow Oraya, the adopted daughter of the Nightborn vampire king. She carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

This is a fast-paced, addictive read full of plot twists. The shorter trials paired with the longer mystery, kept me hooked until the very end.

Good reads rating: 4.33

20. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

A compelling urban fantasy with a main character who runs errands for a monster.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone follows Karou. She has 2 lives which she has always managed to keep balanced. On one hand, she’s a seventeen year old art student living in Prague. On the other hand, she runs errands for a monster. 

But then black hand prints start appearing on doorways. Scorched there by winged creatures. And Karou must choose between the safety of her human life or war. 

Good reads rating: 3.99

21. And I darken by Kiersten White

And I Darken features a brutally strong and morally grey female lead. . A character you either love or hate, but have to respect.

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Good reads rating: 3.82

 22. Jade City by Fonda Lee

An adult urban fantasy full of morally grey characters. This is full of tension, rivalry and plot twists.

The Kaul Family is a crime syndicate in Kekon. The only place that produces magical jade. The Green Bone clans of warriors once protected the island. What happens when tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets.

Good reads rating: 4.09

23. One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake

An urban fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet. This is full of rivalry between morally grey witches.

Set in New York, two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their criminal ventures. On one side of the conflict are the Antonova sisters, each one beautiful, cunning, and ruthless.On the other side, the influential Fedorov brothers serve their father, the crime boss known as Koschei the Deathless.

Highly recommend if you want fantasy books with morally grey characters.

Good reads rating: 3.77

This post was all about fantasy books with morally grey main characters

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