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The 52 Book Club's 2025 Challenge - hosted by the52bookclub

Non-human antagonist
An antagonist is the opposing force in a story. It may be a character, group, force, idea, etc. It is an opposer working against the protagonist's (leading character's) goals. This is what creates the main conflict in the story. Traditionally, we think of an antagonist as "the bad guy" or the villain of the story.

A non-human antagonist doesn't necessarily need to be a physical character. It could also be nature, technology, disease, the protagonist's own emotions, a hostile environment, society, etc. 
All books added
Layla by Colleen Hoover

Layla

Colleen Hoover

290 pages • paperback • 2020

fiction romance thriller emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Darknet by Matthew Mather

Darknet

Matthew Mather

11 hours • audio • 2015

fiction science fiction thriller dark tense fast-paced
As Old as Time by Liz Braswell

As Old as Time

A Twisted Tale #3

Liz Braswell

484 pages • hardcover • 2016

fiction fantasy young adult adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Bury Your Gays

Chuck Tingle

347 pages • paperback • 2024

fiction horror lgbtqia+ science fiction dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant

Rolling in the Deep

Rolling in the Deep #0.5

Mira Grant

3 hours, 6 minutes • audio • 2014

fiction horror science fiction dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Tiger Chair: A Short Story by Max Brooks

Tiger Chair: A Short Story

Max Brooks

49 pages • digital • 2024

fiction science fiction short stories dark reflective fast-paced
Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

Tell Me I'm Worthless

Alison Rumfitt

263 pages • paperback • 2021

fiction contemporary horror lgbtqia+ literary challenging dark tense medium-paced
The Return by Rachel Harrison

The Return

Rachel Harrison

304 pages • paperback • 2020

fiction horror thriller dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Illusion by Nik Knight

Illusion

Fire & Brimstone Scrolls #3

Nik Knight

380 pages • digital • 2025 user-added

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ romance challenging dark emotional medium-paced
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust

Neil Gaiman

250 pages • paperback • 1999

fiction fantasy literary adventurous lighthearted medium-paced