Three Men. One Battle. No Heroes. Another character masterclass from Joe Abercrombie in a stand-alone fantasy war story set in the world of The First Law.

There are far better book reviews out there, so from now on I’ll be focusing on what I, as a writer reading, have learned from books I love.

by Mark Lawrence. Deep characters move this fast-paced plot to a big finale.

By R. J. Barker.
Some amazing worldbuilding (of a really inventive world) plus pirates and ships made from the bones of sea-dragons. Intense action and some strong relationships between compelling characters.

By Richard Swan.
A new voice in fantasy, honest writing pulls you through a medieval detective thriller.

By R. Scott Bakker. Hands down one of the best I’ve read. Dark, complex and infinitely rich. Damn.

By Alex Marshall. A cool world, fantastic characters and edgy banter make for a rad read. Some fresh ideas and a fast-paced plot with plenty of twists make this one a standout.

By Scott Lynch. Pirates, clockworks, sea monsters, shady conspiracies. While awesome, Lies of Locke Lamora was so fantastic that getting close to it is going to be a big ask.

By Scott Lynch. Elaborate cons, fantastic banter, cool monsters, excellent prose. Do it.

By Adrian Tchaikovsky. Fun and eccentric, definitely worth it.

Book 1 of a Song of Fire and Ice, by George R. R. Martin. An absolute classic and probably a must-read.