The Bloody Crown of Conan (Conan of Cimmeria, Book 2)
Even though I still prefer the short stories, this was still way ahead of most fantasy in terms of setting the atmosphere and the sheer scale of the world-building. I love Conan as a character anyway but there's also a grim and gritty feel to the whole world including the other characters. They all seem so real that at times you can almost see their shadowy presence looming up before you.Fantastic grim fantasy. Can't wait to get stuck into the 3rd one now.