It's an ongoing theme in a lot of Brandon Sanderson's work. The Emperor's Soul, The Final Empire, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, and Warbreaker in particular I think. I really enjoy that the motive of one of the protagonists in Warbreak could be summed up as "Because fuck you, that's why" and she's amazing for it.
The Watch books for Discworld.
I haven't finished the series yet, but The Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee.
Eliza Crewe wrote a book called Cracked that I believe is now a series. It's been like 5 years since I've looked at it, but it sticks with me because the protagonist is from a born-evil race and has to eat souls to survive. I remember it being good.
YMMV on Seanan McGuire, Pippa DaCosta, Will Wight's Travelers Gate series and Elder Empire series, and maybe Tamara Piece.
And I wanna say Diane Duane just because "Fairest and Fallen, greeting and defiance" is such an iconic line.
I mean, YMMV, on everything. Very subjective proto-subgenre.
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It's an ongoing theme in a lot of Brandon Sanderson's work. The Emperor's Soul, The Final Empire, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, and Warbreaker in particular I think. I really enjoy that the motive of one of the protagonists in Warbreak could be summed up as "Because fuck you, that's why" and she's amazing for it.
The Watch books for Discworld.
I haven't finished the series yet, but The Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee.
Eliza Crewe wrote a book called Cracked that I believe is now a series. It's been like 5 years since I've looked at it, but it sticks with me because the protagonist is from a born-evil race and has to eat souls to survive. I remember it being good.
YMMV on Seanan McGuire, Pippa DaCosta, Will Wight's Travelers Gate series and Elder Empire series, and maybe Tamara Piece.
And I wanna say Diane Duane just because "Fairest and Fallen, greeting and defiance" is such an iconic line.
I mean, YMMV, on everything. Very subjective proto-subgenre.