The Best Dark Fantasy & Gothic Books of 2025
Year’s End Reflections: Best Dark Reads of 2025
Before the new year begins, let’s honor the shadows we survived and the stories that lingered. From monstrous romances to gothic mysteries, these dark fantasy books of 2025 kept our hearts racing long after the final page.
If you’re looking for the best dark books of 2025, the ones that haunted, healed, and refused to be forgotten, these are the titles that earned their place.
What Moves the Dead – T. Kingfisher
“Poe’s haunted house, re-imagined with a creeping dread.”
A Soul to Keep – Opal Reyne
“A monster romance that proves love is scarier than death.”
Sing Me to Sleep – Gabi Burton
“Dreams turn sinister when power and vengeance blur.”
Court of the Vampire Queen – Katee Robert
“A vampire romance so decadent it drips with blood and desire.”
The Death of Mrs. Westaway – Ruth Ware
“Inheritance, lies, and a wintry gothic puzzle.”
Here’s to the books that ruined us, healed us, and haunted us in equal measure.
May the new year bring even darker stories, even stranger worlds, and protagonists with no business making the choices they do.
See you on the other side of the calendar — in the shadows, always.
If you’d like to bring any of these stories home, you can find them (and many of our other dark delights) at Books-A-Million –Here
Want more stories to haunt your shelves? Visit Books & Bookish for curated reads worth a candlelit night. Or visit the Library for more books I’ve read.