What is it with Grimdark?

I read grimdark and I dislike YA for a simple reason. The first has more truth than the other. Every book is essentially a very long and detailed "what if" scenario.

Abercrombie asks himself "how would a half crazed mercenary react to betrayal?" Best served cold is the answer. Your question is different (from what I can tell it's something like this): "How would an outcast bring down the empire he hates? "

I do not know your answer, I am waiting for the audiobooks. However your comments made me worried ...Will your optimism damage the series? I don't want the hero to win just because "THE JUST MUST PREVAIL!" I have read that story before and it is boring. I want your protagonist to be clever and brave. I want to stop for a moment and just nod my head while I wonder at how clever you are as a writer. Above all else, I want to fear for his fate. Maybe he will actually fail, maybe his companions will suffer and die, maybe instead of being a hero he will either end up a villain...who knows, he might realize that his revenge fantasies where childish and that the current system exists for a reason...I want to be surprised.

That is why I like adult/grimdark/dark fantasy etc books. I do not know where the story goes. I might be genuinely surprised and intrigued. All the YA I read was very predictable. I don't want to read the same story again and again...I want something new.

/r/Fantasy Thread