Martin, Brooks, Anderson, Williams and Gavriel Kay were still publishing the best sellers they always had, but they were all those big long epics and all fell in well with what came before them so to speak. So much so, that things were looking more and more likely to branch off down the speculative fiction route (the China Mieville style fantasy).

To put this piece in historical context (that’s what us literary scholars do you see) fantasy really was getting a little stale. No-no, wait – it is original I swear! The story as a complete piece may not sound that original – but it’s the way it is told, the unforgettable characters and the epic sub-plots that weave together and split apart consistently through it that really make The First Law one of the finest series to have emerged in recent years. Essentially, this is the tale of a strange and mysterious wizard of unknown origins who forms a band of unlikely heroes from various races to complete a seemingly impossible task. I firstly need to tell you that the series as a whole is hugely original. But…well…What does it mean? The easiest way for me to explain it is tell you about Joe’s series and then if you are still wondering at the end…well, we’ll cover it at the end.

Things got grittier in book two, Before They Are Hanged, and grittier still in book three Last Argument of Kings.

It seems that the term has been on the tip of blogger’s and reviewer’s tongues since the release of the first book in this series, The Blade Itself, in 2006. Certainly, if you look at who earned its first usage and to this day remains at the forefront of ‘gritty fantasy’ it is Mr. The term ‘gritty’ is quickly becoming overused in fantasy and it’s all thanks to Joe Abercrombie.

Company of heroes best faction 2006