Best Served Cold and The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

During the April school holidays I read the latest two books of a new (to me) British fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. The first entitled Best Served Cold follows the exploits of the main character and her accomplices as she plots and then completes her revenge for both the death of her brother and the brutal and disfiguring handling of herself.  The second book, The Heroes is mainly concerned with the build up to and subsequent three day battle between two very different groups of combatants.

Both books are set in a fictional world populated by fictional characters however I would not identify these novels as typically fantasy genre books.  There are no imaginary fantasy characters and creatures.  Nonetheless the books are rollicking good reads that are very difficult to put down.  The characters are engaging and develop well throughout the stories.  The political background to the plots are intriguing and keeps the reader guessing as to what might happen next.
I must warn you though that Abercrombie's writing is very detailed and the murders of the first book and battle scenes of the second are well written and gruesome, leaving nothing to the imagination.
Paul

Best Served Cold and The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie