The Heretic Kings is not quite as good as Hawkwood´s Voyage, which I thought was a superb effort. It´s still a great read however as the characters Hawkwood Murad and Corfe are developed further. Murad is a smashing character and there´s great chemistry between him and Hawkwood (A combination of grudging respect, contempt and hatred). Among the elements that attracted me to this series was the gritty atmosphere which hits you like a hammer if you´re reared on a diet of Robert Jordan. Also Kearney can create sympathetic characters without turning them in goody goodies. Kearney doesn't shy away from guns either the way most fantasy writers do. His world is roughly similar to late sixteenth centuary Europe, albeit more simplistic. For shortish novels these are excellent.