Discoveries of complex solid compounds of the group 15 elements have risen dramatically over the past 2 decades and within the last 10 years the potential offered by unusual and unexpected physical and chemical properties and phenomena are beginning to be realised in a materials context. This critical review highlights just some of the many areas in which ternary and higher pnictides are making an impact. A growing understanding of synthesis-structure-property relationships in nitrides, phosphides, arsenides and antimonides in particular has led to amazing progress over a very short space of time and provided insight that has proved to be transferrable to other areas of solid state and materials chemistry (254 references).