Looking for Joe Abercrombie-author-style books

[Kyle]

Hi, all! Looking for fantasy (or even books from other genres) with J.A.-style writing -- which I think of as:

1) Close/tight third-person (first person is fine, too)
2) No overblown description
3) Even if in an 'epic' world, no unnatural/lengthy exposition dumps -- the conflicts in the beginning, at least, are more personal than anything.

Suggestions?

[Mark]

I'm told that Luke Scull's The Grim Company is quite similar in style.

[CBRetriever]

Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns series starting with The Thousand Names

Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series starting with Prince of Thorns

Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow series starting with Blood Song

Peter Brett's Demon Cycle series starting with The Warded Man

[jamako]

Raven's Mark Trilogy starting with Blackwing

Lot Lands starting with The Grey Bastards

Best Laid Plans starting with Where Loyalties Lie

The Prince of Nothing starting with The Darkness That Comes Before

[Kyle]

Thanks, all! Keep 'em coming! :)

[Don]

The Red Knight

[Silvana]

How about the classic The Black Company? Pretty long series, though you could just read the first trilogy.

[Kyle]

So, I've reviewed most of the suggestions and WE HAVE OUR WINNERS!

Blood Song (Anthony Ryan)
Blackwing (Ed McDonald)
The Grey Bastards (Jonathan French)

(w/honorable mention to The Red Knight)

Thanks, guys! The rest either didn't quite do it for me or were actually not at all in line with what I asked for (i.e., avoiding overblown writing/exposition dumps). Those, though, especially Blood Song, look quite tasty!

[jamako]

Glad to hear that you've found something you like! :)

Not sure if this fits your taste but you also might want to take a look at The Fifth Ward: First Watch, think Lethal Weapon in Minas Tirith a few years after the great battle against Sauron has been won.
The two main protagonists are likeable and the story focuses on their duties as members of the City Watch. So, it is all quite personal. The atmosphere can have comedic undertones but the author isn't afraid to touch on darker topics and depict the grim sides of police/city watch work.

[D.]

CBRetriever wrote: "Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns series starting with The Thousand Names

Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series starting with Prince of Thorns

Anthony Ryan's Raven's ..."

I would strongly second the Broken Empire series, ticks all the boxes!

[Trike]

Silvana wrote: "How about the classic The Black Company? Pretty long series, though you could just read the first trilogy."

I would second this for sure. Abercrombie probably wouldn’t exist without Cook.

[Kyle]

Broken Empire was just a little too rapey for me, sorry. I want my protagonists to be at least vaguely likable.

I read a bunch of the Black Company a few years ago -- got old, eventually, but I agree, very good stuff, the recommendation would be spot-on if I hadn't read much of it already.

[Don]

Clayton Lindemuth, the prince of grit-Lit