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Novels with villain(ous) protagonists

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Von Krieger
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Novels with villain(ous) protagonists

I saw it pop up in the discussion on the Kickstarter, but the suggestions got pushed away under the flooding churn of new comments, and I don't wish to keep clicking to try and find them, so I shall just ask for recommendations here.

I'm a voracious reader with a nigh unto unholy reading speed. In August I sat down and read the entirety of the Honor Harrington, Kris Longknife, and A Galaxy Unknown series, as well as re-reading the whole of Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series and a few stray novels on the side.

Maybe it's just my villainous urges getting the best of me now that I'm lacking the usual outlet for them, but I've been wanting to read novels that are told more from the villain's point of view.

Not like the total monster type villains, but the ones that are somewhat noble, likeable, etc. TVTropes Dark Paladin, Black Knight, Noble Demon types of stuff.

I've read "Villains by Necessity" by Eve Forward and finished Ari Marmell's "The Conqueror's Shadow" just now.

I tend to prefer Sci-Fi and fantasy as genres, any sort of fantasy, even urban fantasy.

Anybody got any suggestions of good reads that match the criteria?

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Steamtank
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well there are always the

well there are always the books game of thrones are based on.

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Von Krieger
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Yes, but I'm so terribly

Yes, but I'm so terribly sentimental that despite owning them, I've not read beyond the first.

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Warpact
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Try Jack Vance's "Demon

Try Jack Vance's "Demon Princes", a sci-fi series that deals with a protagonist that is motivated by revenge, while he might be viewed as an anti-hero I view him more as a honorable villain. He murders, lies, and steals his way on his path of vengeance.

My villain, my hero you mean. I always think of my murderers as my heroes.

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Steamtank wrote:
Steamtank wrote:

well there are always the books game of thrones are based on.

You mean Game of Thrones.

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Lord Nightmare
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Psikon wrote:
Psikon wrote:

Steamtank wrote:
well there are always the books game of thrones are based on.

You mean Game of Thrones.

You mean A Song of Ice and Fire

[B]Revenge is motivation enough. At least it's honest...[/B]

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Mendicant
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Read The Conqueror's Shadow.

Read The Conqueror's Shadow.
From Amazon's summary:
They called him the Terror of the East. Hidden beneath a suit of enchanted black armor and wielding a demon-forged axe, Corvis Rebaine carved a bloody path through Imphallion, compelled by a desire to see the land governed with some degree of honesty. Yet just when victory was in his grasp, Rebaine faltered, then vanished, taking a single hostage—a young noblewoman named Tyannon—to guarantee his escape.

Seventeen years later, Rebaine and Tyannon are married and raising their children. Rebaine has given up his dreams of conquest. Not even news of the upstart warlord Audriss can stir the retired warrior to action—until his daughter is assaulted by Audriss’s goons. Now, to rescue the country he once tried to conquer, Rebaine once more dons the armor of the Terror of the East. But does he dare reawaken the part of him that gloried in destruction? With the safety of his family at stake, can he dare not to?

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Von Krieger wrote:
Von Krieger wrote:

I've read "Villains by Necessity" by Eve Forward and finished Ari Marmell's "The Conqueror's Shadow" just now.

I'll just leave this...

Wasn't here! I wasn't here. Never left my hole.

No, sir. Not leaving my hole. Been here all night. Just looking. Just watching...

Nobody. Ain't watching nobody. No, sir.

NOT. A. STALKER!

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Hellgeist
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You might want to read The

You might want to read The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock. He almost single-handedly created the fantasy anti-hero. A must-read for someone with your interests :)

You get a strange feeling when approaching Hellgeist. Things begin to seem dreamlike, and his cloak expands, making him see incredibly tall. He gazes at you through the blue mists that have gathered, and the world sinks into shadow..

Mendicant
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Hellgeist wrote:
Hellgeist wrote:

You might want to read The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock. He almost single-handedly created the fantasy anti-hero. A must-read for someone with your interests :)

Indeed.

[i]I'm told it's my duty to fight against the law
That wizardry's my trade and I was born to wade through gore
I just want to be a lover, not a red-eyed screaming ghoul
I wish it'd picked another to be its killing tool...[/i]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCxL3-Fl7bM

Chef_Inferno
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I enjoyed the Audio Novel HOW

I enjoyed the Audio Novel HOW TO SUCCEED IN EVIL. http://succeedinevil.com/

Von Krieger
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Chef_Inferno wrote:
Chef_Inferno wrote:

I enjoyed the Audio Novel HOW TO SUCCEED IN EVIL. http://succeedinevil.com/

Already read that. :P

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Clave Dark 5
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Hellgeist wrote:
Hellgeist wrote:

You might want to read The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock. He almost single-handedly created the fantasy anti-hero. A must-read for someone with your interests :)

Good one, I loved those back in the day; any Michael Moorcock's stuff was always a good read.

It's not genre work and the main character isn't exactly a villain, but The Stranger by Camus might be an interesting read as well, albeit much different.

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grouchyguy
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Pretty much anything by David

Pretty much anything by David Gemmel.

Waylander is probably the darkest of his heroes.

Echoes of the Great Song has a completely unhinged villainous guy as an important character.

eislor
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Try Darker than you think

Try [url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2690193413978?r=1&cm_mmca2=pla&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-Book_15To24-_-Q000000633-_-2690193413978]Darker than you think[/url] by Jack Williamson.