Joe Abercrombie

Writes fantasy where the clever plan fails, the tormentor is the most sympathetic voice in the book, and winning tends to cost more than losing would have.

The First Law trilogy opens as though it will be a standard quest and then systematically dismantles that, with Glokta and Logen Ninefingers carrying most of the weight. Best Served Cold and The Heroes are standalones in the same world, and The Heroes covers three days of one battle from both sides. Abercrombie edited film for years before writing, which shows in how the fights are cut.