OT-Black Company

[Saxon]

The first Black Company are the best, no question, but the later ones are still good. Not great.

Also worth a look are his Star Fisher books, where he redoes the Wagner ring cycle. Grand space opera, with a direct nod to the opera side. Written back when space opera had a bad name. Some one else did it more recently, Donaldson?, and it was much darker, but both are good.

And yes, the Song of Ice and Fire is very good as well. Last one needed an editor though, it was too sprawling and not focused enough on characters, unlike the earlier books.

[Renojustin]

I didn't like it nearly as much either on the first read, but after going through it again lately it really seemed much, much stronger.