8. The Reckoners Series By Brandon Sanderson
gollancz.co.ukA twist on the usual superhero narrative, The Reckoners series is set in a world where superpowered individuals knows as Epics started appearing on Earth after a bright burst in the sky known as the Calamity occurred. Unfortunately, rather than aid mankind, they took over: Epics now rule the planet, led by the evil-Superman-like hero Steelheart, the most powerful Epic of all. The main protagonist's story is simple: a guy named David witnesses Steelheart kill his father, but not before he sees Steelheart bleed. This is important as every Epic has one weakness that you must know in order to defeat them. The big mystery in the first book is David attempting to figure out what Steelheart's weakness is in order to join up with rebel fighter group The Reckoners and avenge his father. In a bit of tongue in cheek casting, we'd have ex-Superman Brandon Routh as a dark, tyrannical Steelheart, opposite Joe Dempsie (Gendry in GoT) as David.