The First Law — Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy (2006-2008) and its sequels represent the mature peak of "grimdark" fantasy — a subgenre that strips away the moral certainties of Tolkien and confronts readers with the actual cost of heroism, the corruption of power, and the impossibility of redemption. Abercrombie writes action and dialogue at a level that rivals any thriller novelist and his character arcs are among fantasy's most devastating.