In the grimy taverns and blood-soaked battlefields of modern fantasy, Joe Abercrombie’s name is spoken with equal parts awe and amusement. Known for dragging epic fantasy out of its shining armor and into the mud, Abercrombie has built a reputation for turning genre conventions on their heads—then lopping those heads clean off.

Born in Lancaster, England in 1974, Abercrombie didn’t set out to be the crown prince of grimdark fiction. He studied psychology at Manchester University, worked as a freelance film editor, and quietly began drafting a story filled with flawed warriors, crooked politics, and sharp tongues. That story became The Blade Itself, the first book in The First Law trilogy—a debut that landed with a thud, a cheer, and the metallic ring of steel meeting steel. From there, the world of Logen Ninefingers, Glokta, and Jezal dan Luthar took on a life of its own, where even the heroes are liars, cowards, or worse—and the villains are often more honest.

The Devils

In a world where faith is fragile and monsters wear the skins of both saints and sinners, The Devils carves its mark with quiet brutality and wicked charm. This dark fantasy series doesn’t ask whether evil can be used for good—it demands it. And then it watches, grimly amused, as the price comes due.

At the center of the story is a cleric, once devout, now conscripted into a mission that smells more like damnation than divine purpose. His companions? Not heroes. Not even close. A vampire with secrets buried in blood-soaked history, a werewolf with little left to lose, a knight who can’t die but wishes he could—each one chosen not for virtue, but for their lethal utility. Together, they march toward a goal that is less about salvation and more about control, power, and a cold reckoning.