David Katzman's Reviews > Last Argument of Kings

This review is for all three books in the First Law trilogy. I was set to name this as the greatest fantasy trilogy that I've ever read. And yet the ending hit me so hard that I just can't muster up the enthusiasm that I had halfway through Book 3. Not to say that this isn't brilliant in so many ways. And while I respect the view of humanity as an honest and not unreasonable critique, it's hard to be quite as enthusiastic about something that, in the end, is so dark. Viewing our current society, from Hitler to Trump, it's clear that power and selfishness dominates. But unfortunately, as a thematic conclusion, it's depressing. Truth hurts.

That said, this is one of the most compelling fantasy trilogies that I've ever read. It's merciless and brutal, but for all that, it feels honest. Abercrombie does just about everything right. The characters are all fascinating and compelling. They are believable and yet also surprising. Sometimes they make choices exactly as you expect, and other times they are driven by motives that were just under the surface, which you didn't recognize. The dialogue is excellent and realistic. The plot is complex and never boring yet not overwhelming. Abercrombie masterfully, and I mean masterfully, ratchets up the tension slowly and carefully. The drama builds and builds and builds, to a point where I was literally shouting at the book. I had to know what happened next, and it had to happen quickly. He manages atmosphere quite well, with diverse tones ranging across heartless cruelty, ironic comedy, awkward realism, and eerie horror. Something that seems obvious but I have found to be a weakness for many authors is actual physical movement and physical struggles. Abercrombie is quite good at describing all the physical aspects of movement, human contact, fighting and warfare. Even his sex scenes aren't ludicrous because they are uniquely character based. The overall fantasy worldbuilding is outstanding. Everything holds together as a concrete and coherent place. Thematically, Abercrombie seems to be exploring what forces drive us human animals. And whether there is an opportunity for us to become "better." More humane humans, if you will. His answer in the end is, well...not really. With some nuance, there are opportunities. If the weather is right and the world gives you a window...briefly. But the opportunity and timing is rare, and given the more typical unfairness that life has to offer, it brings out the selfishness inside everyone. We each do just what we think we have to do. Abercrombie also explores gender relations to interesting effect. He manages to create strong female characters, and yet show how they are trapped and controlled by patriarchal society. Hello Kavanaugh. Oh, and we shouldn't forget social class and wealth, which is another thematic area Abercrombie investigates.

This 3,000+ page story follows a diverse group of individuals through a story that sprawls across a couple years. Two wars are fought almost simultaneously along with a mission to retrieve a powerful magical artifact that could turn the tide of the battles. One country is facing off against two enemies and political intrigue dogs every step of the struggle. Magical forces have taken sides as well. You'll find yourself surprised by the twists and turns this series takes. I certainly was.
The main characters encompass: a powerful and pompous ancient wizard, a barbarian (of sorts) and one of the greatest fighters alive who can speak to spirits, a female with a demonic ancestor in her past who is also a great warrior, an arrogant soldier of noble birth and his friend, a skilled soldier of common birth and his sister, who is strong-willed, witty and aggressive. And last but not least, the most sympathetic torturer that you are likely to ever encounter in literature. Yes, truly, you will be rooting for this torturer to succeed throughout the entire series.

In the end, most of the story threads are resolved and come together in a way that overall satisfies...although as we know, life isn't fair so Abercrombie leaves us with a few intentionally unresolved events and an uncertain future. I just did a little interwebs research and discovered there is another trilogy set to continue this story. Well, well. We shall see.

I was truly blown away by this series and highly recommend it to any fans of fantasy. Or for those readers interested in taking a dip into an incredibly well-crafted and literary fantasy series (as long as you don't turn away from some brutal violence). This is a great work that stands outside the mainstream of fantasy.