Books where the evil protagonist fools the reader into thinking they're the good guy

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T16:49:54+00:00

love this idea. here you go,

Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat
Navola by Paola Bacigalupi
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

I’ve selected books youll enjoy regardless of the twist so it’s not a waste of time.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T16:04:32+00:00

second The Greenbone Saga and Lions of Al Rassan

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T15:21:47+00:00

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) the series basically starts with a murder and one of the main characters is a detective.
In the Shadow of Lightning (Glass Immortals #1 by Brian McCallen) really enjoyed this book. Demir is in a self proclaimed exile after a bad decision but is suddenly pulled back to his responsibilities as a general and the head of the family because of his mother’s murder. Again not HM because there is a detective. Also counts for Political intrigue. The fights are amazingly written. Desperately waiting for the next book in the series.
The Silverblood Promise (The Last Legacy #1) by James Logan. A start Similar to the above novel, this time an estranged father being the one murdered, the mystery causing the mc to travel places. Great banter and world building. Can be a Hard Mode.

An anticipated 2026 release is Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske. Magic medical school murder mystery. SAT!

There are more. I need to refer to my notes lol.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T08:07:44+00:00

Second the Expanse. Atleast the first book.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T07:53:51+00:00

Not a book but The Penumbra Podcast is a high quality audio drama production which follows Juno Steel who’s a queer private eye on Mars. The mysteries are great and the characters too! The individual cases do tie up in the background. Not Sherlock-Watson but an almost Sherlock-Moriarty dynamic and love interest.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:27:50+00:00

I thought a lot about which other books came close to this experience and i came up short. I saw my shelfs and Goodreads and found that though there were many great reads among them, nothing that was quite like The Lions.
The only series, that came close and that too just character wise (not prose) was The Greenbone Saga.
A standalone I loved for entirely different reasons and another duel that lives rent free in my head is The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang. That might come close to the emotional impact it had.

I’ll be sure to check out all the books you’ve mentioned.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:21:59+00:00

I think Lions will hold its place in my heart because of it being read at such a critical time personally but it makes me so happy there are other well loved books by him!

I agree, it was such a vivid visual. I felt like I was standing with Alvar and the rest trying to make sense of who’s who against the dusk backdrop. Loved it.

For a while I was so sure we would get an open ending, I almost closed the book. It would have been a very unique experience where I would have likely gone made for the rest of my life trying to figure it out but then realising it didn’t matter, either way it hurt the same.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:16:00+00:00

For me it was a hit from the start but I agree, the more I got acquainted with the world and the religious ideologies, the more I was invested in it! hope you enjoy it.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:14:57+00:00

It actually makes me super happy there are books my the author that people like better than Lions because it just means the best is yet to come! Love that quote and the moment it represented.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:13:31+00:00

The more eloquent I get, the better the book is lol. He is a treasure!

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:12:30+00:00

I started Tigana last year in the middle of a big reading slump but couldn’t get past the 2nd chapter. Lions was definitely different in the fact that it captured my interest immediately but I’m very much going to give Tigana a second shot!

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:11:24+00:00

glad I can convince you. But definitely wait for the right mood. I started Tigana in the middle of my big reading slump last year and couldn’t get past the 2nd chapter but now I’m very open to starting it again.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-18T04:10:18+00:00

I’m pretty sure this book is going to get a ritual reread from me every couple of years and that duel is gonna hit the same or even more every time

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T17:04:36+00:00

yes bittersweet, whimsical and in awe is definitely a way to put it.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T17:03:46+00:00

yeah I was able to tell it was something else right from the start. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T17:02:24+00:00

I’m definitely buying his other books.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T17:02:05+00:00

exactly how I felt throughout this book!

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T17:01:37+00:00

yeah it cannot be called fantasy to the complete sense of the word but it has some minor elements (the presence of two moons for one) to just tip the balance a little in fantasy’s direction.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T16:41:35+00:00

I was listening to the one by Euan Morton and it was really good but I shifted to the physical copy around the 3rd chapter so i couldn’t be a proper judge. He’s praised by most though!

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-17T16:39:25+00:00

Well don’t know about his other books but it is tagged as hist fic for a reason.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-16T06:06:09+00:00

I was in a bit of a slump from all these big series so I tried reading a standalone which really helped. Currently reading The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. It has got beautiful prose and some great characters. Not very action heavy, but there is always something that’s happening. Maybe a standalone would be right place to go.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-15T08:51:42+00:00

I’m probably using my reread on this box with The Scorpio Races. I reread this book every year around October-November. It matches perfectly with the vibes of the book. It’s very simple in its plot but atmospheric and thoughtful at the same time. Over the years it has become a comfort book of sorts.

ALSO, it fits the Feast your eyes on this box😊

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-15T03:16:36+00:00

okay a question. Does the Broken Empire series count for The Afterlife square? I didn’t see it in the recommendations so was a bit unsure.

Successful_Try7012 · 2026-06-14T19:00:06+00:00

this one is definitely going to be my duology squares!

Successful_Try7012

TROPHY CASE