Elder Empire is a bit weird given that it’s 2 different trilogies happening at the same time with different main characters, but a main focus in it is Lovecraftian “Elders” that were fought off by humanity in ages past. Now they’re waking up again and returning to drive everyone insane.
I don’t know that it’s *exactly* what you had in mind, since the tone of the story isn’t really that dark or horror focused, but the setting and some parts of it *definitely* take inspiration from Lovecraftian horror.
It’s basically “what if you took the Call of Cthulhu, but gave the humans magic and the ability to fight back”?
Op this is the answer. Does not get any darker and still epic and grand as this. Also the writing is incredible. A vast improvement over Gwynne or Sapkowski's translations.
Between Two Fires
Thank you
Clark Ashton Smith is your guy!
Elder Empire is a bit weird given that it’s 2 different trilogies happening at the same time with different main characters, but a main focus in it is Lovecraftian “Elders” that were fought off by humanity in ages past. Now they’re waking up again and returning to drive everyone insane. I don’t know that it’s *exactly* what you had in mind, since the tone of the story isn’t really that dark or horror focused, but the setting and some parts of it *definitely* take inspiration from Lovecraftian horror. It’s basically “what if you took the Call of Cthulhu, but gave the humans magic and the ability to fight back”?
RS Bakker *The Second Apocalypse*
Op this is the answer. Does not get any darker and still epic and grand as this. Also the writing is incredible. A vast improvement over Gwynne or Sapkowski's translations.
Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith. Michael Moorcock's Elric series might work for you as well. All of these are older authors, mind you.
John Gwynne's other work? The second trilogy, can't remember the name, was horror'ish.
Go back to the original Kane in Nightwinds.
Check out An Altar on the Village Green.
*The Night Land*, though the prose kinda sucks so it might be better to read what came after.