Goth Reads to Tap Into Your Inner Torment
As the seasons begin to change, the leaves start to turn, and the temp starts to drop, I’m drawn to tapping into my darker side. No longer does the hot sunny weather keep me from curling up inside under a blanket in the dark. Now that autumn is officially *almost* here, it is the perfect time to adjust your TBR list to stories a bit darker… After pulling my deep colored sweaters down from the attic, and painting my nails black, I had to find some books to match this new aesthetic. And lucky for you, below are all the harrowing tales I rounded up that are sure to help you tap into your inner torment as well.
You’ve Goth My Heart
by L. C. Rosen
First on our list of frightful dark reads, we have the brand-new book You’ve Goth My Heart. Falling in love sometimes can be as blood-curdlingly spooky as the next horror… Though dark, have no fear this story also has romance, and even humor that will keep you from completely turning to the dark side.
When Gray gets a text from a wrong number, he thinks it may be a serial killer… or even worse, his EX! As him and this anonymous number keep texting though they seem to have a lot in common. With the same taste in music, movies, and Gray’s dreadfully boring summer he has got nothing better to do then respond. Ummm I could think of plenty of other things to do instead of texting a mysterious potential killer—but Gray seems to be catching feelings for this mystery goth dreamboat.
All this texting isn’t completely for nothing, and with Halloween coming up it’s the perfect time for the two of them to meet. The night of Sleepy Hollow’s big house-decorating contest gives Gray the opportunity to show his mystery texter his true feelings. Things get messy though when his closeted ex coming back into the picture, a cute but obnoxious new goth kid vying to win the contest, and a maybe serial killer lurking around and killing local gay teens, Gray’s prospects are looking grim. Come Halloween, he’ll either get his dream guy or die trying…
Beyond the Ruby Veil
by Mara Fitzgerald
This fantasy thriller is sure to tap into your inner torment with its gruesome and surprising twists and turns. Our lead, Emmanuela’s irreverent tone make this dark story have blips of humor and light that keep you invested but not depressed.
Emanuela Ragno is a daring soul who refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be—and she always gets what she wants. In her most ambitious socialite scheme yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi. Her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia, she doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay. Her goal has never been to find a love match, she wants power.
Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans… In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the Watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When an Occhian finds a bruise-like omen on their skin, they must surrender themselves to the Watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good, well everyone except Emanuela…
The tiny omen on her hip has been kept out of sight for years. When the Watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back … and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the Watercrea’s magic and find a way to save their people — no matter what it takes.
Seven Faceless Saints
by M. K. Lobb
A dark fantasy with a murder mystery twist—hello gothic read! The first book of the Seven Faceless Saints Duology (so when you undoubtably finish this and want more—we got you;)) takes place in the city of Ombrazia. Here saints and their disciples rule with terrifying and unjust power. If you are one of their favorites, lucky you, and if not… life is not going to be easy on you.
After her father’s murder at the hands of the Ombrazian military, Rossana Lacertosa is willing to do whatever it takes to dismantle the corrupt system. As the youngest captain in the history of Palazzo security, Damian Venturi is expected to be ruthless and strong and to serve the saints with unquestioning devotion. But three years spent fighting in a never-ending war have left him with deeper scars than he wants to admit…and a fear of confronting the girl he left behind.
Now a murderer stalks Ombrazia’s citizens. As the body count climbs, the Palazzo is all too happy to look the other way. That is, until a disciple becomes the newest victim. With every lead turning into a dead end, Damian and Roz must team up to find the killer, even if it means digging up buried emotions. As they dive into the underbelly of Ombrazia, the pair will discover something more sinister—and far less holy. With darkness closing in and time running out, will they be able to save the city from an evil so powerful that it threatens to destroy everything in its path?
Season of Fear
by Emily Cooper
Emily Cooper’s debut novel shook me to my core. This gothic, feminist horror is haunting in every sense of the word. Set in the Bavarian village of Heulensee, this story follows Ilse Odenwald, a girl born without fear, in a town that survives by feeding their fear to an ancient, terrifying Saint.
When the Saint of Fear discovers her lack of fear, it threatens the one person who loves her unconditionally: her sister, Dorothea. In a desperate attempt to save her sister’s life, Ilse heads into Hexenwald, a haunted forest bordering the village, to find something, anything she’s afraid of. What she finds in the forest is more dangerous than she could have ever imagined, and she soon learns her sister may not be the only one at risk.
This book’s world building is unmatched. It’s gorgeously written and filled with magic, sisterhood, rage, and even a touch of romance. I felt all the emotions. Season of Fear is guaranteed to become the book that really brings out your inner tormented soul.
Mirror Girls
by Kelly McWilliams
A thrilling gothic horror novel about biracial twin sisters separated at birth, I couldn’t imagine you not being intrigued just by that. This novel shook me to my coreeee, I get shivers just thinking about it. Kelly McWilliams draws you into her dark twisted world, and from my experience you won’t be able to escape until weeks after finishing.
Charlie Yates and Magnolia Heathwood were secretly separated after the brutal lynching of their parents, who died for loving across the color line. Now, at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, Charlie is a young Black organizer in Harlem, while white-passing Magnolia is the heiress to a cotton plantation in rural Georgia. Magnolia knows nothing of her racial heritage, but secrets are hard to keep in a town haunted by the ghosts of its slave-holding past…
When the sisters finally reunite, they couldn’t be more different, but they will need each other to put the hauntings of the past to rest, to break the mirrors’ deadly curse—and to discover the meaning of sisterhood in a racially divided land. This book so beautifully tackles topics like race, and family in a spinetingling empowering manner. Pick up the Mirror Girls to be whisked away to a gothic southern world where you never know what’s coming next.
Immortal Dark
by Tigest Girma
This wouldn’t be a true gothic blog post if I didn’t include a story with some vampire lore now would it… If you are a fan of dark fantasy, enemies to lovers, or villainous romance I suggest you pick up this book ASAP!
Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her. Not just any vampire though… the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.
Kidan’s love for her sister sends her to infiltrate the elite Uxlay University. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos there—even as he does everything he can to drive her away. Though his actions cannot deter her, she must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs. When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat—and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.
Stalking Jack the Ripper
by Kerri Maniscalco
Written by the master of dark, atmospheric stories Kerri Maniscalco, and inspired by the real Ripper murders, get ready for a deliciously creepy horror novel. Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine.
When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her back to her own sheltered world. Though this books storyline is inspired by the real Ripper murders, do not get complacent when reading… the twists and sinister period photos included in this story will leave you shaking.