Half A King

If you don't know who Joe Abercrombie is, then shame on you. His other work is at the forefront of gritty fantasy (hint: you might spot him further down this list), but Half a King, and the Shattered Sea trilogy it belongs to, is Abercrombie's foray into Young Adult fantasy. Because of this, it's less intense than his other work, but that doesn't mean it isn't' bloody good, and gritty as all hell.In this book, Joe Abercrombie basically takes an inquisitive young man with a crippled hand and asks 'How can I best fuck up this kid's life?' The answer to that question involves murder, failed raids, slavery, a merciless manhunt, and ceaseless violence. It's set in a world inspired by the Vikings, but with the violence pumped up a notch, if that were possible. The waters are freezing, the longships leaky, and the axes nicked. In short, it's gritty as a smoothie made with sand. The second and third books in the trilogy get even better, and by the end, Abercrombie has fucked up the lives of a great many characters. I don't know if reading about that sort of stuff is how you get your kicks, but it sure is how I get mine.Read this is you like: the classic coming of age story, but want a gritty twist to it. The characterization in this book is fantastic, and seeing the protagonist's transformation from a coward into a remorseless bastard is entertaining as hell.