Sometimes when I have read books (like the Sun Eater series), the mood is more dreary than I would like. However, other book series have great moments of triumph in them, and the framing of the story brings that to feel grand (What I might call typically operatic books). My main issue is finding a book which does this juxtaposition (a triumphant etc, with a dark ending), and still maintains a tone of triumph, of love and hope. A book which echoes the tangled wires many of us face to look at things and stay happy. And stays away from framing everything else darkly. Because the writing betrays the author's feelings most of the time, and I'd just like to read one book where someone looks at the end and is happy they got the chance to live at all, y'know?
by theguyatthebac2
1 Comment
Try The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. This is a trilogy (the following books are The Kingdom of Copper and The Empire of Gold) and, at least in my opinion, the ending felt like what you are describing here.
Also Vicious by V. E. Schwab. It is a duology, with Vengeful being the second book, but it’s my understanding that Vicious can stand alone. Note i haven’t read Vengeful, though.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess/Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan, too, but note this is probably stretching is a bit, but i certainly felt the way you described here!
Babel by R. F. Kuang is definitely debatable in this sense on “heroic actions” but I thought it would be worth a mention.
And for a modern classic: Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. I recommend listening to this one as an audiobook, if you’re into that sort of thing.
I’ll try to come up with more, but these are the ones off the top of my head!