Grimdark Fantasy discussion

Well I think Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards is the obvious example. Sometimes you see lots of funny stuff in grimdark novels but those do not necessarily become one of the main factors that describe the book in a whole. A Song of Ice and Fire and First Law have their funny moments but funny is not among the first words you think about when people asking you to describe the books. Any other example beside Scott Lynch?

Try The Red Queen's War from Mark Lawrence. The first book in the planned trilogy is called Prince of Fools and the second The Liars Key. The third one is to be published next summer.
It's funny, unique and pretty grimdark at times.

Thanks, Pavle. That book might redeem Lawrence in my eyes. Didn't like Prince of Thorns' plot.

I guess there were some amusing moments in Gentleman Bastards, but I personally didn't see it as a key element. That said, the elements of humor, heart and such did soften the overall tone, but at the same time made certain terrible things even more terrible for the loss.

Prince of Fools added to my wishlist.

I heard Sam Sykes' books are considered funny too (the guy himself is hilarious on Twitter) but I don't know if his works are grimdark.

Nicomo Cosca provided a lot of comic relief for me in the first law series and one if not two of the other shorter stories, especially the one involving Monza (The great leveller I think, I could be wrong) I think as Brittany said sometimes that dark sort of humour is great and in very bleak circumstance welcome.

Cosca is amusing. He shows up in a couple other of Abercrombie's books and is much the same in those.

Nicomo is one of my favorite fantasy characters. In BSC I almoust died of laughin to him and his goat :)

Chompa you didn't read Red Country?

I did read read Red Country. I personally enjoyed it. It is an homage to movie westerns, which I'm also a fan of. Very much a frontier setting with wagon trains, savages and other tropes from that genre. Also a revisit with old friends including Cosca.

I almost cried of happiness when Cosca and Frendly pop out. But book was a litle bit boring in the midle and great at the end. Then I realy cried

U read RC but not Heroes or I understood U wrong?

I'm reading King of Thrones. I loved the first and actually like the second better.

Absolutely agree with Prince of Fools series being funny. But then, I love Brit humor. I can't see how Gentlemen Bastards is Grimdark. Why do you (all) consider it so?

I've actually read all the Abercrombie except the Half World series so far. Best Served Cold and Heroes were also quite good.

Deborah wrote: "I'm reading King of Thrones. I loved the first and actually like the second better."

King of Thorns is my favourite book from the Broken Empire series. Its great to see Jorg (almost) grown up!

Nicoma Costa in best served cold. When monza finds him drunk in the gutter, I cried laughing. Never, flat out never laughed that hard from reading.

Sand dan Glokta's thoughts provide some comic relief to the First Law series. I loved the moments when Abercrombie put us inside Glokta's head.