A Grimdark reading challenge for 2025

[Barry]

I know this group hasn't been active for quite some time but I am wondering if anyone is still about and if they'd be interested in a reading challenge for 2025?

Grimdark is a genre I always enjoy but at the same time I rarely stick with one genre or author or series for long (I'm like a reading butterfly). In 2025 I want to finish some series I started and read some authors I have neglected in the grimdark genre. I'm thinking of using this thread to talk about what we are reading, share links to reviews and generally have a bit of spoiler free dialogue without the constraints of 'read x books in a year' or group reads.

Shout out if you're interested :)

[Chris]

Sounds like a good idea

[Barry]

That's great Chris, we can just use the thread to talk about our reads in 2025 with the only framework being the books may be considered Grimdark and that we stay spoiler free?

[Dionis]

Sounds great.

[Zhermen]

Hello :) any suggestions for the begging of 2025?

[Barry]

Personally for the beginning of 2025 I think I am going back into Mark Lawrence's 'Broken Empire' series and Joe Abercrombie's 'First Law'. I've started both but not got past the first book.

[Chris]

I'm in another group that will be starting The Black Company in January...

[Barry]

'The Black Company' is on my long list but I'm not sure I'll get to it next year. Will be interested in your thoughts as I know it divides opinion.

[Chris]

I tried it once a few years ago and didn't last long. I'm giving it another shot....

[Zhermen]

First Law was good (first and second book), will be happy to read others thoughts on it. I have been postponing The Age of Madness since forever. :D

[Barry]

I read The Blade Itself last month and really enjoyed it, with my main niggle that the book seemed to be one long set up for the rest of the story. Loved the characterisation though

[Hannah]

Joe Abercrombie is coming out with a new one this year too. The Devils. Also Anthony Ryan’s A tide of Blacksteel should be good

[Shaan]

I'd be keen! got my hands on the black company trilogy recently and would definitely be interested in reading more grimdark.
would any of the Wh40k novels be considered grimdark as well?

[Barry]

I think so Shaan. I'm pretty sure the grimdark name can be traced back to WH40K (although I still am a WFRP player today and 'grim and perilous' as a tagline and tone goes back to the 80's gaming scene). Although that's where the naming may come from I think people with more insight than I could trace it back further.

Like most genres, I think if in our discussions a reader personally thinks it constitutes grimdark then it is good for here.

[Josh]

As an additional challenge, I think someone in the group should commit to reading all of the Warhammer 40k books this year. Not me. I definitely won't be doing that. But somebody.

[Barry]

So I am going to start Before They Are Hanged tomorrow, I'm quite looking forward to it. In a bit of random trivia Joe Abercrombie grew up in a city about 20 miles from me and I went to university where he grew up and we would have been in the same academic year but alas our paths did not cross.

I enjoyed The Blade Itself which I read in the autumn last year. I really liked the world building and bringing the misfit characters together and their different motivations but I did struggle with some things. My review is here if anyone is interested https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alecsandra]

Sounds interesting.

[Barry]

I finished Before They Are Hanged yesterday. I loved it as a sequel. It has great characterisation, world building and is highly engaging. There's a review here if anyone is interested https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Next up for me is King of Thorns - I read the first book years ago and really liked it so quite looking forward to this.

[Shell]

I can't wait for The Devils to come out later this year. I've read and loved the first 3 First Law books.

[Barry]

Yep, I believe his standalone books are better. Just seen The Devil's is in a different setting from The First Law. It looks good!

[Zhermen]

I just finished Sharp Ends. Not bad at all, but something was missing.

[Oscar]

Sounds good! I'm about to start The age of madness trilogy. And I'm very excited about the Devils coming out this year.

[Barry]

I finished King of Thorns this week. I enjoyed it as a character study of the central character and the complexities of them understanding their past and their relationship to care and empathy but I had a few niggles which detracted from my enjoyment. My review is here if anyone is interested https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Next up is The Lies of Locke Lamora. I really enjoyed a Scott Lynch story I read in the anthology Rogues so quite looking forward to this one

[Stephanie Zed]

I’m interested for sure!

[Stephanie Zed]

Best Served Cold is a stand alone novel in Abercrombie’s First Law universe. It clocks in as one of my favourite Abercrombie novels.

I picked up Prince of Thorns recently. Will give that a read shortly.

[Barry]

Hi there Steffi, please share anything good you are reading :)

I finished The Lies of Locke Lamora today and I LOVED it. For much of the book I wasn't certain it was hitting the grimdark notes but by the end I was sure. Brilliant world building and characterisation and some rather clever ways of manipulating the reader and their expectations. My review is here if anyone is interested https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Barry]

I've finished Darksoul yesterday. I remember loving the first in the series and the second is very good too. Really fast paced novel set around an ongoing siege. Review for Godblind here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and Darksoul here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Barry]

I finished The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, thinking it was a 'Grimdark' book (I'd seen Rothfuss compared to Scott Lynch and also the series is called 'Kingkiller'). It's not, so it doesn't really fit here - there's a review anyway if anyone is interested https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Joshua]

Just read the painted man by Peter V Brett. it's not too dark but it's pretty good.

[Barry]

Have had quite a lot of reading over the last month or so that are either grimdark or at least adjacent to grimdark.

The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb wasn't especially grimdark compared to the first book but it's absolutely superb as a second book in a series - absolutely loved it. Review here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hemlock by Jesse Teller I sadly really couldn't connect with, and I feel quite sad about it because I have loved other works in the setting but sometimes a book just pushes back on me. The other books in the setting are worth a look though - Review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gotrek & Felix: Myths and Legends by William King was an hour of fun revisiting my favourite grimdark roleplaying game heroes although the contents of this short book felt more like a model catalogue. Review here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Apocalypse Nyx by Kameron Hurley is brilliant sci-fi grimdark - a really cool setting with characters I really like. The novellas in the book are largely 'how we got the band together' but I really have to read more of the series. Review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and a review for The Body Project which I read separately but is in the 'Apocalypse Nyx' https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Years ago Brandon Sanderson was named as one of the big names in grimdark when the genre kind of exploded. I've never read him before but I'm seeing mixed reviews of how dark or morally complex or ambiguous his work is. If anyone's any comments I'd welcome them - not sure.

[Barry]

I finished Elantris by Brandon Sanderson today. There is a lot to like in it, and for grimdark fans there is a lot of political intrigue, complex villains with understandable motivations and some pretty dark themes of slavery, genocide with long sections of the book characterised by living with despair. That said, there is light in the book so I'm not really sure how 'grimdark' this is. Worth a read if you can look past what I think are modern day religious analogies which doesn't feel so pleasant

Review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Barry]

Latest in my Grimdark challenge was a zine I picked up over a decade ago and not got round to reading! It was the first issue of the Grimdark magazine. Bit of a mixed bag but glad they have gone from strength to strength

[Barry]

I've just finished Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover. I really enjoyed it even if it ran out of steam towards the end. It's a blood soaked sci-fi / fantasy novel that despite it's fast paced action still manages to ask quite a few moral questions about the nature of intervention, entertainment and authoritarianism.

Worth a read. My review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Barry]

I concluded Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence today and found it quite a satisfying conclusion to the Broken Empire trilogy. I quite liked the expanding of the setting and the tying together of the story arc. I enjoyed it more than the second book in the series so glad I read it but can't really say that I loved it. Review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Richie]

Barry wrote: "I concluded Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence today and found it quite a satisfying conclusion to the Broken Empire trilogy. I quite liked the expanding of the set..."

Currently reading this! Thanks for your insights

[Barry]

Richie wrote: "Barry wrote: "I concluded Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence today and found it quite a satisfying conclusion to the Broken Empire trilogy. I quite liked the expand..."

I hope my review or thoughts hasn't spoilt anything for you but I did really like how the series was wrapped up - pretty clever. Hope you enjoy the book

[Barry]

A review of Glen Cook's The Black Company is up here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... I was a little disappointed with it, finding it was lacking in effective world building and characterisation which I struggled to maintain my interest in.

[Dennis]

I agree, Glen Cook’s Black Company has received great reviews. And yet I found it certainly an entertainjng read. But not that special. I am keen on the upcoming book of Richard K. Morgan: No man’s land. Not due till March 2026. Anyone interested in a group read?

[Barry]

I potentially would be interested in a group read Dennis, the book sounds interesting and I am up for anything with the fae involved! (As an aside my little book project for next year will be fairytale and folklore fantasy so it fits that too!).

I've completed my little grimdark challenge for 2025 with Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. My review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... If I am being honest I wasn't sure I was ready for more 'military fantasy with gods messing around' but I kind of loved it. I can see why this is a 'love it or hate it' book because it's not easy, but at the same time I found myself enjoying being a little confused, trying to work out the different characters and motivations. It's a very ambitious book and won't be for everyone but I really liked it

[Dennis]

That’s really interesting Barry, I’ve got Gardens of the Moons on my Christmas holiday to-read list ; at least I now know I need to be in good shape when reading it :-)

[Barry]

It would be a good holiday read if you are lucky to have a few days of quiet! It isn't as difficult as some make out, but it is a book one needs to pay attention to. I hope you enjoy it Dennis, and I'd be interested in your thoughts.