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The First Law #2
Before They Are Hanged
Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It’s enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.
Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem – he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.
And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters. If they didn’t hate each other quite so much.
Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven – but not before they are hanged.
Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem – he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.
And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters. If they didn’t hate each other quite so much.
Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven – but not before they are hanged.
441 pages, Trade Paperback
First published March 15, 2007
About the author
Joe Abercrombie
128 books29.9k followersJoe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law trilogy, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. He currently lives and works in London with his wife and daughter. In early 2008 Joe Abercrombie was one of the contributors to the BBC Worlds of Fantasy series, alongside other contributors such as Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett and China Mieville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,677 reviews
May 28, 2022
Before They Are Hanged succeeds over The Blade Itself wonderfully.
I’ve mentioned in my review of The Blade Itself that although I highly enjoyed it, Abercrombie’s debut felt like more like a setup book; a necessary installment for the remaining two books in the trilogy to shine. Before They Are Hanged is where Abercrombie starts progressing the storyline and the third book is where he wraps things up explosively. On this reread, I’ve come to realize that The First Law trilogy can be defined as one gigantic volume divided into three; the conclusion of the first two books in the trilogy continues immediately in their respective sequel as if it’s a simple chapter change and there were no definite conclusive storylines until the end of Last Argument of Kings. This storytelling style makes binge-reading the trilogy such a great experience, and I love this book more than The Blade Itself.
Picture: Before They are Hanged by Alexander Preuss
Before They Are Hanged starts from where The Blade Itself left off. The narrative was told from six POV characters and the majority of the plot takes place in three different areas in the Circle of the World: the west, the north, and the south. The slow setup in The Blade Itself pays off magnificently here. Abercrombie once again tells a character-driven story that never loses each character’s distinctive voice and personality. Every perspective was immensely enjoyable to read. Although I can easily vouch that both Logen and Glokta are included in my favorite grimdark fantasy characters list, choosing which perspective I loved reading the most in this installment is an entirely different matter; the pacing and the progression of every storyline were utterly engaging. Before They Are Hanged was full of unpredictable twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat repeatedly. Loyalty, greed, unlikely friendship, money, responsibilities, and war were embedded tremendously into the narrative; I loved reading every single scene and discussion in this book that involved these themes.
The characterizations were, once again, my favorite part of the book. Abercrombie successfully used the foundation he established in the first book and developed his characters accordingly; revealing their backgrounds and making them more empathizing. Seeing these characters—both old and new—try their best in the direst of circumstances were intense, at times hilarious, and delightful. Logen, for example, is an extraordinarily powerful warrior but he’s also tired from encountering war and death in his path. Before They Are Hanged showed Logen doing his best to be good and kind; witnessing this supposedly savage barbarian do his utmost best in building friendships with the new people in his mission made me smile. However, the happiest surprise in this book to me was realizing how much I grew to care about Jezal and the side characters of the series. Practically all characters in this trilogy suffered, a LOT. Abercrombie isn’t afraid to maim or put his characters through intense suffering. Rest assured that none of the character’s pain was put there just for the sake of gore. One of the best striking example in how Abercrombie displayed his skill on this particular subject is by showing the deadly capability of hard life and war in changing people; for better or worse. The immense difficulties that the characters faced in their respective mission brought spectacular character developments to each one of them with splendid precision.
Say one thing for Abercrombie, say he knows how to repeat catchphrases at the right time to enhance memorable moments. Logen’s catchphrases like “Still Alive” and “You can’t have too many knives” or Glokta’s “Why do I do this?” may seem simple but they’re truly some of the most memorable phrases that made this series more unique and distinctive from other grimdark fantasy series. Plus, there’s Glokta. I immensely enjoyed reading Glokta’s perspective in Before They Are Hanged. He’s such a joy to read; the complexity of his character, the contrast between his spoken words and internal thoughts were hilarious, and I found myself always looking forward to his next chapter. The quantity and quality of the action scenes—both skirmishes and larger-scale battles—have also improved.
Picture: The Road to Victory by Alexander Preuss
The first book only showed glimpses of the world-building and lore of the series. This installment revealed some of the histories of the Circle of the World, mainly regarding The First Law, Juvens, Gulstrod, and Kanedias that explained and influenced Bayaz’s motivation in the series. The world-building was immersive and detailed but never went into world-building overkill level as some authors did. Jealousy, corruption, and revenge drove the histories of the world; despite the passage of time and the changes that come with it, it’s intriguing how things, somehow, haven’t changed at all. I believe that this is something that can be easily applied to our real-life history and current situation.
There’s no infamous middle-book syndrome here, Before They Are Hanged is an amazing sequel full of unpredictable plot progressions and incredibly well-realized character developments. I’m going to admit that some of the powerful pulse-pounding moments in the book during my first read was missing on my reread because I already know what will happen, but it doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book. Being back with these morally grey characters feels like a reunion with twisted friends, and I’m glad for it. Onwards to the next book, Last Argument of Kings, which, in my opinion, is the best book Abercrombie has ever written so far; it’s also one of my favorite grimdark novels at the moment.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”—Heinrich Heine
I’ve mentioned in my review of The Blade Itself that although I highly enjoyed it, Abercrombie’s debut felt like more like a setup book; a necessary installment for the remaining two books in the trilogy to shine. Before They Are Hanged is where Abercrombie starts progressing the storyline and the third book is where he wraps things up explosively. On this reread, I’ve come to realize that The First Law trilogy can be defined as one gigantic volume divided into three; the conclusion of the first two books in the trilogy continues immediately in their respective sequel as if it’s a simple chapter change and there were no definite conclusive storylines until the end of Last Argument of Kings. This storytelling style makes binge-reading the trilogy such a great experience, and I love this book more than The Blade Itself.
Picture: Before They are Hanged by Alexander Preuss
Before They Are Hanged starts from where The Blade Itself left off. The narrative was told from six POV characters and the majority of the plot takes place in three different areas in the Circle of the World: the west, the north, and the south. The slow setup in The Blade Itself pays off magnificently here. Abercrombie once again tells a character-driven story that never loses each character’s distinctive voice and personality. Every perspective was immensely enjoyable to read. Although I can easily vouch that both Logen and Glokta are included in my favorite grimdark fantasy characters list, choosing which perspective I loved reading the most in this installment is an entirely different matter; the pacing and the progression of every storyline were utterly engaging. Before They Are Hanged was full of unpredictable twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat repeatedly. Loyalty, greed, unlikely friendship, money, responsibilities, and war were embedded tremendously into the narrative; I loved reading every single scene and discussion in this book that involved these themes.
“Those with the least always lose the most in war.”
The characterizations were, once again, my favorite part of the book. Abercrombie successfully used the foundation he established in the first book and developed his characters accordingly; revealing their backgrounds and making them more empathizing. Seeing these characters—both old and new—try their best in the direst of circumstances were intense, at times hilarious, and delightful. Logen, for example, is an extraordinarily powerful warrior but he’s also tired from encountering war and death in his path. Before They Are Hanged showed Logen doing his best to be good and kind; witnessing this supposedly savage barbarian do his utmost best in building friendships with the new people in his mission made me smile. However, the happiest surprise in this book to me was realizing how much I grew to care about Jezal and the side characters of the series. Practically all characters in this trilogy suffered, a LOT. Abercrombie isn’t afraid to maim or put his characters through intense suffering. Rest assured that none of the character’s pain was put there just for the sake of gore. One of the best striking example in how Abercrombie displayed his skill on this particular subject is by showing the deadly capability of hard life and war in changing people; for better or worse. The immense difficulties that the characters faced in their respective mission brought spectacular character developments to each one of them with splendid precision.
“Anyone can face ease and success with confidence. It is the way we face trouble and misfortune that defines us.”
Say one thing for Abercrombie, say he knows how to repeat catchphrases at the right time to enhance memorable moments. Logen’s catchphrases like “Still Alive” and “You can’t have too many knives” or Glokta’s “Why do I do this?” may seem simple but they’re truly some of the most memorable phrases that made this series more unique and distinctive from other grimdark fantasy series. Plus, there’s Glokta. I immensely enjoyed reading Glokta’s perspective in Before They Are Hanged. He’s such a joy to read; the complexity of his character, the contrast between his spoken words and internal thoughts were hilarious, and I found myself always looking forward to his next chapter. The quantity and quality of the action scenes—both skirmishes and larger-scale battles—have also improved.
Picture: The Road to Victory by Alexander Preuss
The first book only showed glimpses of the world-building and lore of the series. This installment revealed some of the histories of the Circle of the World, mainly regarding The First Law, Juvens, Gulstrod, and Kanedias that explained and influenced Bayaz’s motivation in the series. The world-building was immersive and detailed but never went into world-building overkill level as some authors did. Jealousy, corruption, and revenge drove the histories of the world; despite the passage of time and the changes that come with it, it’s intriguing how things, somehow, haven’t changed at all. I believe that this is something that can be easily applied to our real-life history and current situation.
“One should learn the lessons of history. The mistakes of the past need only be made once. Unless there are no other choices.”
There’s no infamous middle-book syndrome here, Before They Are Hanged is an amazing sequel full of unpredictable plot progressions and incredibly well-realized character developments. I’m going to admit that some of the powerful pulse-pounding moments in the book during my first read was missing on my reread because I already know what will happen, but it doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book. Being back with these morally grey characters feels like a reunion with twisted friends, and I’m glad for it. Onwards to the next book, Last Argument of Kings, which, in my opinion, is the best book Abercrombie has ever written so far; it’s also one of my favorite grimdark novels at the moment.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
April 4, 2022
I've been enjoying this series but less so with book 2.
I still love Glokta, there were some strong moments ( but the story didn't grip me as much.
Anyone else felt like the sex scene were... kinda gross?
Will continue and see how I feel after book 3.
I still love Glokta, there were some strong moments ( but the story didn't grip me as much.
Anyone else felt like the sex scene were... kinda gross?
Will continue and see how I feel after book 3.
July 28, 2023
A masterful follow-up that leaves the reader ravenous for the final book
This book is absolutely wonderful, and somehow improves upon the first book which was a great first entry in this series. The first series suffered from a few too many different POVs that didn't interconnect, but this one feels tighter with three main storylines.
It's rare to read a book that fully commits to making every single character a "bad guy" in their own way. The writer didn't fall for the temptation of making a good guy that feels unrealistic in the world that's been painted. Instead, this world feels dark, gritty, and extremely real. It feels somehow like a more impressive A Song of Ice and Fire, which is almost blasphemous for me to say considering I absolutely adore that series and have read it multiple times.
I am entirely confident that the third book is going to blow me away and make this series one of the all-time greats. Joe Abercrombie has absolutely knocked this one out of the park, and he rightfully deserves all the praise he has received over the years.
If you are a fan of fantasy with darker elements, just stop whatever you are reading and pick up The First Law trilogy. You can thank me later.
Watch my video review by clicking here.
This book is absolutely wonderful, and somehow improves upon the first book which was a great first entry in this series. The first series suffered from a few too many different POVs that didn't interconnect, but this one feels tighter with three main storylines.
It's rare to read a book that fully commits to making every single character a "bad guy" in their own way. The writer didn't fall for the temptation of making a good guy that feels unrealistic in the world that's been painted. Instead, this world feels dark, gritty, and extremely real. It feels somehow like a more impressive A Song of Ice and Fire, which is almost blasphemous for me to say considering I absolutely adore that series and have read it multiple times.
I am entirely confident that the third book is going to blow me away and make this series one of the all-time greats. Joe Abercrombie has absolutely knocked this one out of the park, and he rightfully deserves all the praise he has received over the years.
If you are a fan of fantasy with darker elements, just stop whatever you are reading and pick up The First Law trilogy. You can thank me later.
Watch my video review by clicking here.
July 26, 2011
okay enough with the reviews and comments from folks saying that there aren't any likeable characters in this series! what we have here are:
(1) a barbarian with a heart of gold. sure, he can turn into a mass murdering psychopath when pressed, but my gosh, that doesn't happen too often!
(2) an ex-slave who lives to destroy her former abusers. yes, she's grouchy & savage & suspicious of everyone, particularly white people. do you blame her? she was a former slave, abused and raped repeatedly. come on!
(3) a centuries-old sorceror, also very grouchy. hey, he's been alive for centuries. he's seen the rise and fall of men. he's trying to stop the world from ending. give him a break!
(4) a spoiled nobleman. he doesn't stay spoiled for long! the reader clearly sees him grow and discover new-found empathy, freshly-discovered understanding of the world and the people around him. a person can change, can't they?
these are all completely loveable and endearing creations; i understood their bitterness and suspicious nature and off-putting high-handedness, but i also cheered their slow movements towards understanding each other, towards kindness (of a sort), towards decency. their courage has always been obvious, but with this novel, they become much more recognizably human. reading about their journey was pure pleasure. and the end of that journey? a great bit of dark, dark irony. it is a rather a brave and surprising thing for Abercrombie to pull off. although i am confident more will come out of that journey.
also pure pleasure: the continuing misadventures of the torturer Glotka. i was pleased to see a decrease of his italicized snarkiness. it is still there, of course, but it is not everywhere and no longer functions as a kind of shorthand for actual characterization - it is just a part of who he is. was anyone reminded of Tyrion at King's Landing when reading about him seeing to the city of Dagoska? i was. Glotka remains a wonderful and unusual character. as do West and Dogman and all the rest. sure these are all some bitter folks, but they barely even qualify as anti-heroes. to me, they are heroes.
Before They Are Hanged is a great middle book. unlike many second novels in a series, it does not feel at all like it is treading water. if anything, this is where the action of the series truly begins. the description of the various travels, battles, and siege are all riveting and Abercrombie retains his status as a writer who truly knows how to describe action. the depiction of magic and of mythology remain compelling. the mysteries remain mysterious - but not in a confounding way; we learn more but just enough to keep things tantalizing. and the writing remains "muscular". i usually hate seeing that word to describe prose because i'm often not sure what it even means, but in this case, the word fits. the writing is tight, sardonic, self-aware, and muscular. this was more than a good read, it was a wonderful experience and i am really stoked to see how it all turns out in the third book.
(1) a barbarian with a heart of gold. sure, he can turn into a mass murdering psychopath when pressed, but my gosh, that doesn't happen too often!
(2) an ex-slave who lives to destroy her former abusers. yes, she's grouchy & savage & suspicious of everyone, particularly white people. do you blame her? she was a former slave, abused and raped repeatedly. come on!
(3) a centuries-old sorceror, also very grouchy. hey, he's been alive for centuries. he's seen the rise and fall of men. he's trying to stop the world from ending. give him a break!
(4) a spoiled nobleman. he doesn't stay spoiled for long! the reader clearly sees him grow and discover new-found empathy, freshly-discovered understanding of the world and the people around him. a person can change, can't they?
these are all completely loveable and endearing creations; i understood their bitterness and suspicious nature and off-putting high-handedness, but i also cheered their slow movements towards understanding each other, towards kindness (of a sort), towards decency. their courage has always been obvious, but with this novel, they become much more recognizably human. reading about their journey was pure pleasure. and the end of that journey? a great bit of dark, dark irony. it is a rather a brave and surprising thing for Abercrombie to pull off. although i am confident more will come out of that journey.
also pure pleasure: the continuing misadventures of the torturer Glotka. i was pleased to see a decrease of his italicized snarkiness. it is still there, of course, but it is not everywhere and no longer functions as a kind of shorthand for actual characterization - it is just a part of who he is. was anyone reminded of Tyrion at King's Landing when reading about him seeing to the city of Dagoska? i was. Glotka remains a wonderful and unusual character. as do West and Dogman and all the rest. sure these are all some bitter folks, but they barely even qualify as anti-heroes. to me, they are heroes.
Before They Are Hanged is a great middle book. unlike many second novels in a series, it does not feel at all like it is treading water. if anything, this is where the action of the series truly begins. the description of the various travels, battles, and siege are all riveting and Abercrombie retains his status as a writer who truly knows how to describe action. the depiction of magic and of mythology remain compelling. the mysteries remain mysterious - but not in a confounding way; we learn more but just enough to keep things tantalizing. and the writing remains "muscular". i usually hate seeing that word to describe prose because i'm often not sure what it even means, but in this case, the word fits. the writing is tight, sardonic, self-aware, and muscular. this was more than a good read, it was a wonderful experience and i am really stoked to see how it all turns out in the third book.
March 19, 2017
"We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged" - Heinrich Heine
Before They Are Hanged is Abercrombie's second entry into the twisted and grim world of The First Law. It follows on from the three story arcs that The Blade itself stylishly led towards. Bayaz, the first of the Magi is venturing to the end of the Earth with his bizarre collection of distinctive personnel for reasons unbeknown to all apart from the Mage himself. Superior Glokta has traveled South to infiltrate the politics of an allied nation, hoping to find out what happened to his ill-fated predecessor and preparing defences for the attacks soon to be initiated by an advancing and ultimately imminent rival army. The remaining narrative intertwines the stories of the rough-living, legendary warrior group of Threetrees and the Dogman with the troubles in the North where the Union is tackling the Northern King's great forces. Here we follow the action of "the worst-armed, worst-trained and worst-led army in the world"
For one of the narratives arcs, three points of view presentations are followed, often within the same chapter switching between actions and opinions. The second has two viewpoints from very different characters summarising the happenings in the unwelcoming harshness of the cold real world with battles looming. The final is presented by Superior Glotka alone. A former dashing fencer who was tortured, crippled and now is an inquisitor/ torturer. Trust me, you would have to wake up pretty early in the morning to outsmart this gentleman! He is perhaps the finest creation in this series, for his tortuous past, achingly uncomfortable present and also his internal monolgues which are as highly gritty as they are humorous. I mentioned he is the only POV section in this arc, but his internal thoughts are often so comically different from his statements and actions that it is like two amazing viewpoints. His character is outstandingly well written. There is also a pretty distinctive juxtaposition in his presentation of events and environments. He still sees beauty in the world in his descriptions of things and then a second later could be commanding a subordinate to cut off a traitors body part.
I very rarely read other reviews before writing my own, but I did catch one snippet from a status update that was very apt. It stated that Abercrombie's stories are full of "bastards that grow on you." I think that that is a perfect analogy. I honestly shouldn't care about most of the people written here. Why do I truly care about vain, flamboyant, selfish officer Jezal when something bad happens to him? Perhaps he deserves all he gets for his previous outlook and analysis of existence. Why do I care about Logan Ninefingers? He seems like an average warrior guy with scars encompassing his body, who people say was pretty handy with a sword and did some damning things in the past. I really cared about the majority of the main characters. Although a few fantasy character tropes are presented, spoilt King in waiting, mages, Devils etc... Nothing at all seems cliche and that cannot be said for a lot of modern fantasy works.
My review of The Blade Itself raved about the characters and from my previous paragraph, you can see my opinions there haven't changed. If anything, my views have been reinforced and heightened about how much of a knack Abercrombie has for this aspect of his fantasy work. Although not really too negative and off-putting, I did comment on the lack of action throughout the first book. Action wise, Joe truly has raised the bar high here. Battles, sieges, and The Bloody Nine - all are expertly presented and adrenaline pumping. It doesn't all need to be full guts gory and bloody to have an emotional dark impact either, and there are a few moments here that are poignant in their effectiveness for that reason. I call this the (just made this up but it sounds cool) "pushing Bran from the Tower technique," very intricate actions that have long lasting effects even though the act in question was simple. In addition to the lack of action, my other grating issue with The Blade Itself was the world and the histories, although not hollow, did seem a bit unfulfilled. I was unsatisfied that there was still no map, but a lot of the above has been rectified here. Most of Bayaz et al's scenes are travel based (the end of the world isn't close) so we are presented cool stories by the characters to pass the time at campfires. Bayaz talking about the history of the world, his relationships with other important, almost legendary figures and his past failings are memorable. A scene that stood out to me was very simple, perhaps twelve pages where an ensemble discusses their scars. So not only have the already complex characters become deeper, the world and its past are filled in pretty well here. There is also a bit of a "love story" here to look forward to.
I was highly satisfied with the majority of what I read here. Abercrombie is a genius is his moulding of characters and of all things "grim". Normally, the ending of a story can add a star to my rating. The finale to one of the arcs of this book had the opposite effect. I will not go into details but I will be interested in the comments to see if people agree and/or know the narrative I am discussing. I felt let down and almost like I had wasted my time waiting for that culmination. This is probably a 8.5/10 but "Last Argument of Kings" must give me a reason for the arc ending this way. If it does, I will re-evaluate what I have written in this little section. To conclude, this trilogy seems to be a character driven fantasy that is unequaled in the genre. Gripping, thrilling, gritty and pretty damn awesome.
www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
Before They Are Hanged is Abercrombie's second entry into the twisted and grim world of The First Law. It follows on from the three story arcs that The Blade itself stylishly led towards. Bayaz, the first of the Magi is venturing to the end of the Earth with his bizarre collection of distinctive personnel for reasons unbeknown to all apart from the Mage himself. Superior Glokta has traveled South to infiltrate the politics of an allied nation, hoping to find out what happened to his ill-fated predecessor and preparing defences for the attacks soon to be initiated by an advancing and ultimately imminent rival army. The remaining narrative intertwines the stories of the rough-living, legendary warrior group of Threetrees and the Dogman with the troubles in the North where the Union is tackling the Northern King's great forces. Here we follow the action of "the worst-armed, worst-trained and worst-led army in the world"
For one of the narratives arcs, three points of view presentations are followed, often within the same chapter switching between actions and opinions. The second has two viewpoints from very different characters summarising the happenings in the unwelcoming harshness of the cold real world with battles looming. The final is presented by Superior Glotka alone. A former dashing fencer who was tortured, crippled and now is an inquisitor/ torturer. Trust me, you would have to wake up pretty early in the morning to outsmart this gentleman! He is perhaps the finest creation in this series, for his tortuous past, achingly uncomfortable present and also his internal monolgues which are as highly gritty as they are humorous. I mentioned he is the only POV section in this arc, but his internal thoughts are often so comically different from his statements and actions that it is like two amazing viewpoints. His character is outstandingly well written. There is also a pretty distinctive juxtaposition in his presentation of events and environments. He still sees beauty in the world in his descriptions of things and then a second later could be commanding a subordinate to cut off a traitors body part.
I very rarely read other reviews before writing my own, but I did catch one snippet from a status update that was very apt. It stated that Abercrombie's stories are full of "bastards that grow on you." I think that that is a perfect analogy. I honestly shouldn't care about most of the people written here. Why do I truly care about vain, flamboyant, selfish officer Jezal when something bad happens to him? Perhaps he deserves all he gets for his previous outlook and analysis of existence. Why do I care about Logan Ninefingers? He seems like an average warrior guy with scars encompassing his body, who people say was pretty handy with a sword and did some damning things in the past. I really cared about the majority of the main characters. Although a few fantasy character tropes are presented, spoilt King in waiting, mages, Devils etc... Nothing at all seems cliche and that cannot be said for a lot of modern fantasy works.
My review of The Blade Itself raved about the characters and from my previous paragraph, you can see my opinions there haven't changed. If anything, my views have been reinforced and heightened about how much of a knack Abercrombie has for this aspect of his fantasy work. Although not really too negative and off-putting, I did comment on the lack of action throughout the first book. Action wise, Joe truly has raised the bar high here. Battles, sieges, and The Bloody Nine - all are expertly presented and adrenaline pumping. It doesn't all need to be full guts gory and bloody to have an emotional dark impact either, and there are a few moments here that are poignant in their effectiveness for that reason. I call this the (just made this up but it sounds cool) "pushing Bran from the Tower technique," very intricate actions that have long lasting effects even though the act in question was simple. In addition to the lack of action, my other grating issue with The Blade Itself was the world and the histories, although not hollow, did seem a bit unfulfilled. I was unsatisfied that there was still no map, but a lot of the above has been rectified here. Most of Bayaz et al's scenes are travel based (the end of the world isn't close) so we are presented cool stories by the characters to pass the time at campfires. Bayaz talking about the history of the world, his relationships with other important, almost legendary figures and his past failings are memorable. A scene that stood out to me was very simple, perhaps twelve pages where an ensemble discusses their scars. So not only have the already complex characters become deeper, the world and its past are filled in pretty well here. There is also a bit of a "love story" here to look forward to.
I was highly satisfied with the majority of what I read here. Abercrombie is a genius is his moulding of characters and of all things "grim". Normally, the ending of a story can add a star to my rating. The finale to one of the arcs of this book had the opposite effect. I will not go into details but I will be interested in the comments to see if people agree and/or know the narrative I am discussing. I felt let down and almost like I had wasted my time waiting for that culmination. This is probably a 8.5/10 but "Last Argument of Kings" must give me a reason for the arc ending this way. If it does, I will re-evaluate what I have written in this little section. To conclude, this trilogy seems to be a character driven fantasy that is unequaled in the genre. Gripping, thrilling, gritty and pretty damn awesome.
www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
March 22, 2024
Adore this book sooooo much.
My brother and I were lucky enough to interview JOE ABERCROMBIE!. Check it out! Joe Abercrombie INTERVIEW
Bloody brilliant. Even more so second time round.
Check out my review for this fantastic book on Booknest at: Booknest
Before They Are Hanged was SO GOOD! I really have no idea why it has taken me so long to get round to continuing the First Law. I enjoyed the return to this world so much that I have already started book 3, Last Argument of Kings.
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
If you haven’t heard of the First Law, Logen Ninefingers or Joe Abercrombie then you’ve probably been living in some sort of dark cave with a really really heavy rock blocking the entrance (which is probably what we should all be doing considering the current climate). These books are so popular for a reason and it was an almightily joyous experience returning to the minds of iconic fantasy characters like Logen, Glokta and Jezal Luthar. Even more enjoyable when they have cool catchphrases like
‘You can never have too many knives,’
And
‘You have to be realistic about these things’
And my personal favourite,
‘Click, tap, pain.’
The crippled San dan Glokta, Superior Inquisitor of the Union is seeking answers on his predecessors whereabouts, all whilst being besieged by one of the Union’s numerous enemies. The Dogman is accompanying a small-band of Northmen tracking a massive-army of Northmen on their way to destroy the Union. Logen is on the epic quest to save mankind with First of the Magi, Bayaz and the young Union captain Jezal dan Luthar. Three genius storylines that interweave between each other, have subtle and witty links to each other and are all as captivating as one another.
“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”
Abercrombie has created a cast of characters who all pretty much stand between ‘terrible person’ and ‘bad person’, who are all absolutely brilliantly funny, relatable (worryingly), filled with dark humour and incredibly realistic. One of the most important things to mention of Abercrombie’s characters are that they are realistic, being totally believable in the various situations they find themselves in. The interactions between each other had me laughing out loud regularly and always left me with a good feeling after reading, even though it is grimdark.
“A choice between killing and dying is no choice at all. You have to be realistic about these things.”
The story takes each of the characters in unpredictable routes that kept me guessing, pulling off some twists excellently. The gritty action started from the onset and continued throughout, the dark characters reacted with that layer of realism that I now am growing to expect from an Abercrombie book. It was all excellent.
“As for being a good man,’ and Glokta curled his lip, ‘that ship sailed long ago, and I wasn’t even there to wave it off.”
There is plenty of witty dialogue with black humour, especially from the Inquisitor Glokta. He reminded me of Tyrion Lannister, using his brain and wits to piece together puzzles and be as fearsome as Logen, however he is a whole different entity to Tyrion. His dry sarcasm during torture scenes *almost* made me feel terrible for laughing but come on, how can you not?
“Strange, isn't it,' mused Glokta as he watched him struggle for air. 'Big men, small men, thin men, fat men, clever men, stupid men, they all respond the same to a fist in the guts. One minute you think you're the most powerful man in the world. The next you can't even breathe by yourself.”
5/5 - Phenomenal storytelling with phenomenal characters and dialogue that is dark and hilarious in equal measures. The thoughts of the characters add a lot to the world building and depth of the cast that will grow on you in no time. The action is bloody and furious, brutal scenes that keep your blood pumping. It’s epic in all meanings of the word, one of my favourite books. Onto Last Argument of Kings!
My brother and I were lucky enough to interview JOE ABERCROMBIE!. Check it out! Joe Abercrombie INTERVIEW
Bloody brilliant. Even more so second time round.
Check out my review for this fantastic book on Booknest at: Booknest
Before They Are Hanged was SO GOOD! I really have no idea why it has taken me so long to get round to continuing the First Law. I enjoyed the return to this world so much that I have already started book 3, Last Argument of Kings.
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
If you haven’t heard of the First Law, Logen Ninefingers or Joe Abercrombie then you’ve probably been living in some sort of dark cave with a really really heavy rock blocking the entrance (which is probably what we should all be doing considering the current climate). These books are so popular for a reason and it was an almightily joyous experience returning to the minds of iconic fantasy characters like Logen, Glokta and Jezal Luthar. Even more enjoyable when they have cool catchphrases like
‘You can never have too many knives,’
And
‘You have to be realistic about these things’
And my personal favourite,
‘Click, tap, pain.’
The crippled San dan Glokta, Superior Inquisitor of the Union is seeking answers on his predecessors whereabouts, all whilst being besieged by one of the Union’s numerous enemies. The Dogman is accompanying a small-band of Northmen tracking a massive-army of Northmen on their way to destroy the Union. Logen is on the epic quest to save mankind with First of the Magi, Bayaz and the young Union captain Jezal dan Luthar. Three genius storylines that interweave between each other, have subtle and witty links to each other and are all as captivating as one another.
“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”
Abercrombie has created a cast of characters who all pretty much stand between ‘terrible person’ and ‘bad person’, who are all absolutely brilliantly funny, relatable (worryingly), filled with dark humour and incredibly realistic. One of the most important things to mention of Abercrombie’s characters are that they are realistic, being totally believable in the various situations they find themselves in. The interactions between each other had me laughing out loud regularly and always left me with a good feeling after reading, even though it is grimdark.
“A choice between killing and dying is no choice at all. You have to be realistic about these things.”
The story takes each of the characters in unpredictable routes that kept me guessing, pulling off some twists excellently. The gritty action started from the onset and continued throughout, the dark characters reacted with that layer of realism that I now am growing to expect from an Abercrombie book. It was all excellent.
“As for being a good man,’ and Glokta curled his lip, ‘that ship sailed long ago, and I wasn’t even there to wave it off.”
There is plenty of witty dialogue with black humour, especially from the Inquisitor Glokta. He reminded me of Tyrion Lannister, using his brain and wits to piece together puzzles and be as fearsome as Logen, however he is a whole different entity to Tyrion. His dry sarcasm during torture scenes *almost* made me feel terrible for laughing but come on, how can you not?
“Strange, isn't it,' mused Glokta as he watched him struggle for air. 'Big men, small men, thin men, fat men, clever men, stupid men, they all respond the same to a fist in the guts. One minute you think you're the most powerful man in the world. The next you can't even breathe by yourself.”
5/5 - Phenomenal storytelling with phenomenal characters and dialogue that is dark and hilarious in equal measures. The thoughts of the characters add a lot to the world building and depth of the cast that will grow on you in no time. The action is bloody and furious, brutal scenes that keep your blood pumping. It’s epic in all meanings of the word, one of my favourite books. Onto Last Argument of Kings!
July 9, 2021
this sequel is everything the first book is, just bumped up to the next level.
it has the same kind of raw and gritty nature i loved about ‘the blade itself,’ and with a narrative that so expertly makes these books less about a story with characters and more about the characters’ story. the focus is not on what the characters do, but about how those things effect the them. if that makes sense.
i found myself rooting for the same characters i was drawn to in the first book, but i also became a fan of new ones. there is some really excellent character development in this installment, which makes the slow plot worth it.
i expect more of the same for the next and final book, so cant wait to pick it up!
↠ 4 stars
it has the same kind of raw and gritty nature i loved about ‘the blade itself,’ and with a narrative that so expertly makes these books less about a story with characters and more about the characters’ story. the focus is not on what the characters do, but about how those things effect the them. if that makes sense.
i found myself rooting for the same characters i was drawn to in the first book, but i also became a fan of new ones. there is some really excellent character development in this installment, which makes the slow plot worth it.
i expect more of the same for the next and final book, so cant wait to pick it up!
↠ 4 stars
March 9, 2018
Glokta is an excellent torturer. Some would even say the best, but somewhere down his crooked path he made some rather nasty enemies. Such is life......
So, as a polite death sentence, he gets sent on a mission that is suicidal and near impossible to complete. Anybody else would fail. However, this is Sand Dan Glockta: the most ingenious torturer and manipulator to ever wear the Union’s colours. You can’t simply get rid of him. His enemies have made a terrible mistake in underestimating him. Physically, he is very weak. Mentally, he is brilliant and ruthless. You’d be a fool to cross him.
A party of haters
Abercrombie certainly likes to give a dark twist on what could have been a conventional fantasy series. Instead of having a company of friends and allies, there is a company of misfits who absolutely detest each other. Bayaz, the first of the Magi, has brought them together to recover a deadly weapon; it’s clearly for his own ends, but he has concocted a persuasive lie about his intentions. Despite his supposed moral superiority, he is just as bad as the rest. Indeed, the group’s members are mean, selfish and they’re all killers. This makes for an amusing, and somewhat unusual, group of travelers. The chances of a member being murdered are just as high as the party working together.
As the novel progresses this dynamic begins to shift. The hatred doesn’t evaporate, though it does develop into a mutual need to succeed and survive. They learn to rely on each other’s talents, and even go as far as to pay the odd compliment on each other’s killing skills. Such comradery! In the end, they’ve got each other’s backs. Either that or there all dead. It was a slow development that was appropriate to their personalities; it would have been very strange if these guys suddenly became best mates overnight. These just aren't the sort of people that have friends, at least, not for very long.
It’s all about Glokta, the nastiest bastard in fantasy.
Superior Glotka was once a hero. Those days are long gone. He now enjoys to torture in the same ways he was once tortured. But, he’s not malicious. It’s his job to torture. Someone’s got to do it, right? So why not an expert? Why not get some fun out of it? Except on his mission he learns to torture people in another way; he manipulates them emotionally and forces them to aid in his hopeless defence of Dogoska whilst he tries to uncover who murdered his predecessor. It’s not an easy task, but Glokta can handle it. He’s one tough, remorseless, bastard.
"Honour, eh? What the hell is that anyway? Every man thinks it's something different. You can't drink it. You can't fuck it. The more of it you have the less good it does you, and if you've got none at all you don't miss it."
I love his characterisation; it’s dark and powerful, but most importantly it’s utterly unique. I feel like I should hate this guy, though somehow he comes across as sorrowful. He’s a pragmatist; he knows what his weaknesses are, and he knows what he is. No other writer I’ve come across in fantasy can write such villainous characters that can so easily be sympathised with. Mark Lawrence certainly couldn’t pull it off in his Broken Empire Trilogy. I think Abercrombie has earnt his reputation as King of grimdark fantasy. What’s not to love? There’s war, political drama and evil vs evil. These early books are so much better that his newer stuff!
The First Law Trilogy
1. The Blade Itself- A bloody four stars
2. Before They are Hanged - A gritty fours stars
3. The Last Argument of Kings- A strong four stars
So, as a polite death sentence, he gets sent on a mission that is suicidal and near impossible to complete. Anybody else would fail. However, this is Sand Dan Glockta: the most ingenious torturer and manipulator to ever wear the Union’s colours. You can’t simply get rid of him. His enemies have made a terrible mistake in underestimating him. Physically, he is very weak. Mentally, he is brilliant and ruthless. You’d be a fool to cross him.
A party of haters
Abercrombie certainly likes to give a dark twist on what could have been a conventional fantasy series. Instead of having a company of friends and allies, there is a company of misfits who absolutely detest each other. Bayaz, the first of the Magi, has brought them together to recover a deadly weapon; it’s clearly for his own ends, but he has concocted a persuasive lie about his intentions. Despite his supposed moral superiority, he is just as bad as the rest. Indeed, the group’s members are mean, selfish and they’re all killers. This makes for an amusing, and somewhat unusual, group of travelers. The chances of a member being murdered are just as high as the party working together.
As the novel progresses this dynamic begins to shift. The hatred doesn’t evaporate, though it does develop into a mutual need to succeed and survive. They learn to rely on each other’s talents, and even go as far as to pay the odd compliment on each other’s killing skills. Such comradery! In the end, they’ve got each other’s backs. Either that or there all dead. It was a slow development that was appropriate to their personalities; it would have been very strange if these guys suddenly became best mates overnight. These just aren't the sort of people that have friends, at least, not for very long.
It’s all about Glokta, the nastiest bastard in fantasy.
Superior Glotka was once a hero. Those days are long gone. He now enjoys to torture in the same ways he was once tortured. But, he’s not malicious. It’s his job to torture. Someone’s got to do it, right? So why not an expert? Why not get some fun out of it? Except on his mission he learns to torture people in another way; he manipulates them emotionally and forces them to aid in his hopeless defence of Dogoska whilst he tries to uncover who murdered his predecessor. It’s not an easy task, but Glokta can handle it. He’s one tough, remorseless, bastard.
"Honour, eh? What the hell is that anyway? Every man thinks it's something different. You can't drink it. You can't fuck it. The more of it you have the less good it does you, and if you've got none at all you don't miss it."
I love his characterisation; it’s dark and powerful, but most importantly it’s utterly unique. I feel like I should hate this guy, though somehow he comes across as sorrowful. He’s a pragmatist; he knows what his weaknesses are, and he knows what he is. No other writer I’ve come across in fantasy can write such villainous characters that can so easily be sympathised with. Mark Lawrence certainly couldn’t pull it off in his Broken Empire Trilogy. I think Abercrombie has earnt his reputation as King of grimdark fantasy. What’s not to love? There’s war, political drama and evil vs evil. These early books are so much better that his newer stuff!
The First Law Trilogy
1. The Blade Itself- A bloody four stars
2. Before They are Hanged - A gritty fours stars
3. The Last Argument of Kings- A strong four stars
September 18, 2021
I’ve finally read Before They Are Hanged which took me three weeks to finish. I honestly can’t remember the last book that took so long to read all while keeping me interested. I also admit that I was reading slower than my usual because I have the physical copy. I'm sure it would've taken me a lot less time if I was reading the ebook.
The story continues from the The Blade Itself. ended. We have pretty much the same perspectives as the first book but some received more attention here like the Northmen (which I totally loved). We also discover more parts of the world in here. I’m going to keep this review short because I didn’t have time to write one before now and it’s been two weeks since I finished it.
I don’t think you need yet another person praising Abercromebie’s characterization but I will anyway. He is truly a master at creating different unique characters with their own voices. Flawed. But you’ll grow to love them anyway. Their character development sometimes isn’t the fastest but that’s better. The changes are very subtle yet the progress is undeniable.
I definitely grew to care about the characters more in Before They Are Hanges. Especially Glokta who truly shined in this installment. Not to say that the other characters weren’t well-written but I can see now why Glokta is famous among grimdark fantasy characters. He wasn’t that tortured torturer that we say in the first book (no he wasn’t simply just that even then) but now he really had a lot more depth to his character. We saw him as a human, leader, and friend. I honestly liked vain Jezal since The Blade Itself, he wasn’t your ideal character, of course, but his character has so much room for development and Abercrombie made the best of it. I still like Logen, he was one of my favorites in book 1 and still is here. Honestly, West hitting his sister is still inexcusable and I couldn’t simply turn a blind eye to that in this book. He was a true commander though here and his parts were very enjoyable. BUT THEN AGAIN THEY ALL WERE. At a certain point, that is.
I think however that Ferro’s characterization is.. ehh. I do understand where she’s coming from but I thought it’s very limited to that. It was nice to see her open up a bit but she was too much of an idea of a person than a real one. I also wasn’t a fan of Bayaz in this book. I preferred him in book 1. Still, this was another side of him I assumed.
Now to the pace: well, it was slow. Just like the first book, I had a difficult time getting into this one. But just when it got better, I was very busy and I didn’t have much time to read anymore. It’s not like it wasn’t consistent but I waited too long to read this book on one hand, and on the other, these are very character-heavy novels. Hence, if you’re looking for a fast-paced trilogy, this isn’t for you. Don’t get me wrong stuff happens but they are not the highlight of this book but the characters themselves. I also didn’t have a favorite perspective! I looked forward to them all once I started enjoying the book more.
Overall, this was a good book. I wouldn’t say it’s better than the first book, I enjoyed them both equally. I liked many characters but this series hasn’t amazed me (like I was expecting it to). The writing got overly descriptive sometimes which I usually find boring. Nonetheless, it was a solid sequel that didn’t suffer from the second book symptom. I’m also definitely not waiting another 11 months to read the third and final book, Last Argument of Kings
June 14, 2019
You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.
I am astonished by how much I loved this book. I went from thinking that grimdark wasn’t for me to being an unapologetic convert to the genre. Whatever the cause for my change of heart, I’m insanely glad it happened, because Before They Are Hanged is absolutely fabulous. Brimming with humor and overflowing with compelling characters, the second installment of The First Law quenched a thirst for high stakes and long odds that I didn’t even know I had.
First, I’m crazy impressed that Abercrombie was able to pack this much character development and engaging plot into a second installment. With so many trilogies, book two is something to struggle through, bogging readers down in overly extensive world building and an awkward trudge from the introductory plot points of book A to the concluding plot points of book C. There are exceptions, of course. City of Blades, Words of Radiance, Valor, and Bloody Rose are among some of the best books I’ve ever read, and they were second installments, though not exclusively for trilogies. It looks like I can now add Before They Are Hanged to that list, as it kept me completely enthralled from start to finish.
Abercrombie could (and should) give classes on crafting amazing character development. Every single perspective character grew by leaps and bounds in this book. Even those whose point of view chapters were scant in The Blade Itself (Ferro, West, and Dogman) were incredibly compelling and vibrant and sympathetic. I cared about every single perspective character, and was always a teensy bit desperate for my time with them to last a little longer before the point of view shifted. Abercrombie did an amazing job of imbuing each plot line with a sense of urgency that kept me on the edge of my seat for the duration of the book. It was honestly a little exhausting, but in the best way possible. While all of the characters grew tremendously and felt almost tangibly real, the award for the most character development in this book and possibly in any book I’ve ever read has to go to Jezal Luthor. I don’t want to spoil anything by getting into how he grew and why, but I was astounded by his alteration.
Something that is always hit or miss for me is an author’s presentation of sex scenes. Some are beautiful, like those written by Nora Roberts, emphasizing the emotion of the act more than the mechanics. Some are painfully awkward, like just about every sex scene I’ve ever read by Stephen King. (The man is insanely talents with words, but they fail him when it comes to sex. I wish he would just…not.) Abercrombie’s sex scenes are hands down among the funniest I have ever read. There was one scene in particular that was perhaps the angriest mutual sex act I’ve ever read, and it had me laughing so hard my sides hurt.
Also, I’m not usually a fan of fiction this militaristic; I tend to get lost in the details. However, Abercrombie excels at that as well, and really makes me care not only about the outcome but about the battles themselves. Is there anything this man can’t do?
I don’t know if I’ve ever rated another book with 5 full stars and placed it among my favorites that left me so unsatisfied. There were decisions made and outcomes reached that were incredibly anticlimactic and had me groaning in disappointment. However, I knew from the warnings of friends (Petrik and Emma in this case) not to expect rainbows and unicorns. This is grimdark, after all. The name of the genre should tell you not to hope for a happy ending. Because I was warned, that frustration that I felt at said outcomes only added to the reading experience for me. There were no neatly tied conclusions to the plot lines Abercrombie followed throughout this book. I have a feeling that I’ll feel the same except to a greater extent about the final installment. And I’m actually okay with that. While I still have my fingers crossed that SOMETHING will turn out okay for at least one or two of the characters, I have no illusions of a happily ever after. I actually think that it would cheapen the entire story if everything worked out in the end, and I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that way before. I love happy endings, but such an outcome wouldn’t be at all believable in this case.
I’m so glad that I decided to give this series another chance, and that I happened to be in just the right mood for it when I picked it up. If The Last Argument of Kings is as good as its predecessors, it looks like I’ll be rearranging my already stuffed living room shelves to make room for another favorite series. Here’s hoping it blows me away!
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
I am astonished by how much I loved this book. I went from thinking that grimdark wasn’t for me to being an unapologetic convert to the genre. Whatever the cause for my change of heart, I’m insanely glad it happened, because Before They Are Hanged is absolutely fabulous. Brimming with humor and overflowing with compelling characters, the second installment of The First Law quenched a thirst for high stakes and long odds that I didn’t even know I had.
“Honour, eh? What the hell is that anyway? Every man thinks it's something different… The more of it you have the less good it does you, and if you've got none at all you don't miss it.”
First, I’m crazy impressed that Abercrombie was able to pack this much character development and engaging plot into a second installment. With so many trilogies, book two is something to struggle through, bogging readers down in overly extensive world building and an awkward trudge from the introductory plot points of book A to the concluding plot points of book C. There are exceptions, of course. City of Blades, Words of Radiance, Valor, and Bloody Rose are among some of the best books I’ve ever read, and they were second installments, though not exclusively for trilogies. It looks like I can now add Before They Are Hanged to that list, as it kept me completely enthralled from start to finish.
“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”
Abercrombie could (and should) give classes on crafting amazing character development. Every single perspective character grew by leaps and bounds in this book. Even those whose point of view chapters were scant in The Blade Itself (Ferro, West, and Dogman) were incredibly compelling and vibrant and sympathetic. I cared about every single perspective character, and was always a teensy bit desperate for my time with them to last a little longer before the point of view shifted. Abercrombie did an amazing job of imbuing each plot line with a sense of urgency that kept me on the edge of my seat for the duration of the book. It was honestly a little exhausting, but in the best way possible. While all of the characters grew tremendously and felt almost tangibly real, the award for the most character development in this book and possibly in any book I’ve ever read has to go to Jezal Luthor. I don’t want to spoil anything by getting into how he grew and why, but I was astounded by his alteration.
“Anyone can face ease and success with confidence. It is the way we face trouble and misfortune that defines us.”
Something that is always hit or miss for me is an author’s presentation of sex scenes. Some are beautiful, like those written by Nora Roberts, emphasizing the emotion of the act more than the mechanics. Some are painfully awkward, like just about every sex scene I’ve ever read by Stephen King. (The man is insanely talents with words, but they fail him when it comes to sex. I wish he would just…not.) Abercrombie’s sex scenes are hands down among the funniest I have ever read. There was one scene in particular that was perhaps the angriest mutual sex act I’ve ever read, and it had me laughing so hard my sides hurt.
“A choice between killing and dying is no choice at all. You have to be realistic about these things.”
Also, I’m not usually a fan of fiction this militaristic; I tend to get lost in the details. However, Abercrombie excels at that as well, and really makes me care not only about the outcome but about the battles themselves. Is there anything this man can’t do?
“An open mind is like to an open wound. Vulnerable to poison. Liable to fester. Apt to give its owner only pain.”
I don’t know if I’ve ever rated another book with 5 full stars and placed it among my favorites that left me so unsatisfied. There were decisions made and outcomes reached that were incredibly anticlimactic and had me groaning in disappointment. However, I knew from the warnings of friends (Petrik and Emma in this case) not to expect rainbows and unicorns. This is grimdark, after all. The name of the genre should tell you not to hope for a happy ending. Because I was warned, that frustration that I felt at said outcomes only added to the reading experience for me. There were no neatly tied conclusions to the plot lines Abercrombie followed throughout this book. I have a feeling that I’ll feel the same except to a greater extent about the final installment. And I’m actually okay with that. While I still have my fingers crossed that SOMETHING will turn out okay for at least one or two of the characters, I have no illusions of a happily ever after. I actually think that it would cheapen the entire story if everything worked out in the end, and I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that way before. I love happy endings, but such an outcome wouldn’t be at all believable in this case.
“There was no such thing as luck. Luck was a word idiots used to explain the consequences of their own rashness, and selfishness, and stupidity. More often than not bad luck meant bad plans.”
I’m so glad that I decided to give this series another chance, and that I happened to be in just the right mood for it when I picked it up. If The Last Argument of Kings is as good as its predecessors, it looks like I’ll be rearranging my already stuffed living room shelves to make room for another favorite series. Here’s hoping it blows me away!
July 5, 2022
SO EXCITED THAT WE GOT TO INTERVIEW JOE ABERCROMBIE! Check it out here - JOE ABERCROMBIE INTERVIEW - talking THE WISDOM OF CROWDS, FUTURE PROJECT and more...
Before They Are Hanged is my favourite read of 2021, thus far.
Well, after I finished The Blade Itself I planned to read something else before diving into Before They Are Hanged. But that was naive of me! I needed this next instalment, so I burnt through the book I had just started, finished it that day, and picked this up, and was not disappointed in the least.
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
Before They Are Hanged takes everything that was great about its predecessor, The Blade Itself, and elevates it. The first instalment explores character wonderfully, with the plot taking the back foot, but ended in a way that allowed Before They Are Hanged to go straight into advancing characterisation and the plot. The balance was just wonderful.
With the first instalment setting up these characters fantastically, we see them grow through the events that occur in Before They Are Hanged, with this growth at times making them more bitter people, disillusioned from the glory of war, or at times gives people hope, or a feeling of belonging. The variation of emotions and themes that Joe Abercrombie can simultaneously explore whilst subtly advancing character and the psychology of these creations is in my opinion just masterful.
“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”
I loved The Blade Itself, but not because of the plot. Before They Hanged has an amazing story, in which there is much more action and many more moments of fear and suspense, with each of our favourite characters being thrown out of their depth and into dangerous situations. Despite these characters having serious flaws, and some doing terrible, terrible things, Joe Abercrombie somehow makes me feel for them, because he makes them sympathetic, and grey, so that they feel real. N one is entirely good or entirely evil, and Abercrombie takes this in his stride and manipulates our emotions with it.
In Before They Are Hanged Abercrombie shows that he can also right small scale and large scale conflicts and battles pretty fantastically. He allows these to further characterisation so well, maintaining a certain intimacy whilst also adding that epic factor so many of us love.
This story has dark humour like nothing else I have ever read. When I think about it, there are no "happy" events, yet it has those light moments and constant moments of humour that lighten the tone and make sure this is just not one slog of dread and depression. There is variety in the tone as well, and whilst the humour is dark, I just could not resist laughing, and it fitted organically into the story.
“Anyone can face ease and success with confidence. It is the way we face trouble and misfortune that defines us.”
Before They Are Hanged in my opinion shows that Joe Abercrombie is a master storyteller. In this story he has unforgettable characters, both point of views and side characters, an engaging plot, great exploration of the world, moments of fear, laughter, dread and everything in between. It is a book that has so much to love.
I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne
Before They Are Hanged is my favourite read of 2021, thus far.
Well, after I finished The Blade Itself I planned to read something else before diving into Before They Are Hanged. But that was naive of me! I needed this next instalment, so I burnt through the book I had just started, finished it that day, and picked this up, and was not disappointed in the least.
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
Before They Are Hanged takes everything that was great about its predecessor, The Blade Itself, and elevates it. The first instalment explores character wonderfully, with the plot taking the back foot, but ended in a way that allowed Before They Are Hanged to go straight into advancing characterisation and the plot. The balance was just wonderful.
With the first instalment setting up these characters fantastically, we see them grow through the events that occur in Before They Are Hanged, with this growth at times making them more bitter people, disillusioned from the glory of war, or at times gives people hope, or a feeling of belonging. The variation of emotions and themes that Joe Abercrombie can simultaneously explore whilst subtly advancing character and the psychology of these creations is in my opinion just masterful.
“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”
I loved The Blade Itself, but not because of the plot. Before They Hanged has an amazing story, in which there is much more action and many more moments of fear and suspense, with each of our favourite characters being thrown out of their depth and into dangerous situations. Despite these characters having serious flaws, and some doing terrible, terrible things, Joe Abercrombie somehow makes me feel for them, because he makes them sympathetic, and grey, so that they feel real. N one is entirely good or entirely evil, and Abercrombie takes this in his stride and manipulates our emotions with it.
In Before They Are Hanged Abercrombie shows that he can also right small scale and large scale conflicts and battles pretty fantastically. He allows these to further characterisation so well, maintaining a certain intimacy whilst also adding that epic factor so many of us love.
This story has dark humour like nothing else I have ever read. When I think about it, there are no "happy" events, yet it has those light moments and constant moments of humour that lighten the tone and make sure this is just not one slog of dread and depression. There is variety in the tone as well, and whilst the humour is dark, I just could not resist laughing, and it fitted organically into the story.
“Anyone can face ease and success with confidence. It is the way we face trouble and misfortune that defines us.”
Before They Are Hanged in my opinion shows that Joe Abercrombie is a master storyteller. In this story he has unforgettable characters, both point of views and side characters, an engaging plot, great exploration of the world, moments of fear, laughter, dread and everything in between. It is a book that has so much to love.
I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne
March 10, 2020
[4.5/5 stars] The first book was good, with flashes of brilliance… this one was better.
I’ve heard so much about this series. When talking to normal people (those who don’t read more than just casually), Abercrombie’s name comes up a lot. It’s a mainstream series that, for the most part, lives up to all the hype. It’s credited as one of the first Grimdark novels, and that sentiment is much more apparent in this second book than the first. Authors these days are taking things a lot further, but you can definitely see the base influence here. I held off on reading it for several years because said normal people kept talking about how hard the torture scenes were to read. As it happens, almost every other Grimdark series I’ve read so far has been worse (much worse), so don’t let that scare you if you’re holding off for similar reasons (or don’t let it overly entice you haha).
The Blade Itself (book #1) came across very much like a setup novel. The characters were worth spending time with and the overall story was interesting, but when it came down to actual plot-progression, not a whole lot happened. That’s where Before They Are Hanged improved: pivotal moments happened left and right and the story finally caught up with all the other brilliant story components. I loved it. There were a few moments in particular that I’m still thinking about weeks later, which says a lot about the content. I’ll be reading everything I can get my hands on from this author.
My only criticism at this point is the lack of relatable female characters. The women are either conniving, simpering, or so hard they might as well be men with breasts. And so far their contributions to the story has more to do with what they can offer the men rather than instigators of plot advancement. It’s a minor criticism because I still enjoyed the hell out of this book, but it did affect my rating, so that’s why I’m highlighting it. When compared to Brian McClellan (a writer I’ve been reading alongside Abercrombie who has incredibly similar components but ALSO manages to give satisfying characters of both genders), you can see why my current reading experiences would lead me to believe the lack of relatable female characters is was a missed opportunity worth mentioning. However, Glokta might be good enough on his own to compensate tenfold…
Recommendations: Before They are Hanged was a fantastic continuation to the First Law Trilogy – removing all reservations I had about the series from the first one. It has one of the best characters in fantasy (Glokta), some gritty action, and a lot of substance. I’ll happily recommend it as a staple of the genre.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
I’ve heard so much about this series. When talking to normal people (those who don’t read more than just casually), Abercrombie’s name comes up a lot. It’s a mainstream series that, for the most part, lives up to all the hype. It’s credited as one of the first Grimdark novels, and that sentiment is much more apparent in this second book than the first. Authors these days are taking things a lot further, but you can definitely see the base influence here. I held off on reading it for several years because said normal people kept talking about how hard the torture scenes were to read. As it happens, almost every other Grimdark series I’ve read so far has been worse (much worse), so don’t let that scare you if you’re holding off for similar reasons (or don’t let it overly entice you haha).
The Blade Itself (book #1) came across very much like a setup novel. The characters were worth spending time with and the overall story was interesting, but when it came down to actual plot-progression, not a whole lot happened. That’s where Before They Are Hanged improved: pivotal moments happened left and right and the story finally caught up with all the other brilliant story components. I loved it. There were a few moments in particular that I’m still thinking about weeks later, which says a lot about the content. I’ll be reading everything I can get my hands on from this author.
My only criticism at this point is the lack of relatable female characters. The women are either conniving, simpering, or so hard they might as well be men with breasts. And so far their contributions to the story has more to do with what they can offer the men rather than instigators of plot advancement. It’s a minor criticism because I still enjoyed the hell out of this book, but it did affect my rating, so that’s why I’m highlighting it. When compared to Brian McClellan (a writer I’ve been reading alongside Abercrombie who has incredibly similar components but ALSO manages to give satisfying characters of both genders), you can see why my current reading experiences would lead me to believe the lack of relatable female characters is was a missed opportunity worth mentioning. However, Glokta might be good enough on his own to compensate tenfold…
Recommendations: Before They are Hanged was a fantastic continuation to the First Law Trilogy – removing all reservations I had about the series from the first one. It has one of the best characters in fantasy (Glokta), some gritty action, and a lot of substance. I’ll happily recommend it as a staple of the genre.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
August 25, 2024
2024 reread: I stand by what I said before, a good bridge book but so slow and thankless in some sections and then fantastically frenetic in others. Enjoyed the dynamic between Logen and Jezal and Logen and Ferro more this time around. Those three characters bounced off of one another well. Dogman continues to be my favorite Northmen.
Original review:
Ferro, Glokta and the Dogman must be tired from carrying this entire series on their backs
This was so good but also the first 55% of this book was like watching fucking paint dry so...yea three stars seems appropriate to me
Original review:
Ferro, Glokta and the Dogman must be tired from carrying this entire series on their backs
This was so good but also the first 55% of this book was like watching fucking paint dry so...yea three stars seems appropriate to me
May 7, 2023
Repetitive, boring, and absolutely pointless
March 28, 2013
While Superior Glokta holds Dagoska against the Gurkish, Collum West endures untold hardship in the north in the companion of the Prince and Logen's six barbarian friends. Meanwhile, Bayaz, Logen, Luthar, and Nessa head toward the edge of the world for something that should best be left buried...
As Elizabeth said in her review of The Two Towers, middle books in a trilogy are tricky business. While you occasionally get one the literary equivalent of The Empire Strike Back, most of them are more like Temple of Doom. This one is way closer to Empire in terms of quality. It even has an ending as shocking as "Luke, I am your father."
Where do I start? How about Glokta? Glokta is the Tyrion Lannister of the First Law trilogy as far as I'm concerned. He's crass, crippled, and very complicated. His protectiveness toward Ardee and dedication to the hopeless task of defending Dagoska against overwhelming odds won me over. More Glokta in the next book, please!
As for the other characters, I love how Bayaz keeps trickling out details of the history of the Magi, all the while not being completely trusted. The friendship between Logen and Nessa seemed fairly natural and I love what's going on with Luthar. The events in Aulcus were gripping page-turners. It was really hard to put the book down at the end of my lunch break. Qwai and Longfoot could be fleshed out a bit more but you can't have everything. Where would you keep it all?
Colonel West and the barbarians enduring the hellish Northern winter made King Stannis' march toward Winterfell seem like a breeze. West pushing the Prince off the cliff was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The ending was better than my highest expectations. I wonder how Bayaz and company will rebound from that, as well as Glokta and the mess he's found himself ensnared in.
In closing, no sophomore jinx here! Before They are Hanged was even better than The Blade Itself. Five gore-spattered stars!
As Elizabeth said in her review of The Two Towers, middle books in a trilogy are tricky business. While you occasionally get one the literary equivalent of The Empire Strike Back, most of them are more like Temple of Doom. This one is way closer to Empire in terms of quality. It even has an ending as shocking as "Luke, I am your father."
Where do I start? How about Glokta? Glokta is the Tyrion Lannister of the First Law trilogy as far as I'm concerned. He's crass, crippled, and very complicated. His protectiveness toward Ardee and dedication to the hopeless task of defending Dagoska against overwhelming odds won me over. More Glokta in the next book, please!
As for the other characters, I love how Bayaz keeps trickling out details of the history of the Magi, all the while not being completely trusted. The friendship between Logen and Nessa seemed fairly natural and I love what's going on with Luthar. The events in Aulcus were gripping page-turners. It was really hard to put the book down at the end of my lunch break. Qwai and Longfoot could be fleshed out a bit more but you can't have everything. Where would you keep it all?
Colonel West and the barbarians enduring the hellish Northern winter made King Stannis' march toward Winterfell seem like a breeze. West pushing the Prince off the cliff was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The ending was better than my highest expectations. I wonder how Bayaz and company will rebound from that, as well as Glokta and the mess he's found himself ensnared in.
In closing, no sophomore jinx here! Before They are Hanged was even better than The Blade Itself. Five gore-spattered stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2020
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Actual rating: 4.25 Stars
Before they are Hanged is a continuation of the story immediately after book 1. I have seen many readers mentioning how this feels like one huge tome divided into 3 books instead of being 3 separate books and I agree with that. I did not feel that story lines were closed. On the contrary, the story keeps getting bigger and better and I believe there is a great challenge in tying everything up in the third book which I think Abercrombie is capable of.
Say what you want about Joe, Say that he is a great author! I think Joe’s prose is very good. The story is kind of dense but more often that not, I found myself flying though the book because some of the parts were just gripping and I had to know what happens next so I had to just giving it my all and reading at full speed while maintaining concentration. I believe the writing can be over descriptive sometimes and the story could have been shorter for sure but if you want, you can choose to skim some of these paragraphs (I am not good at skimming unfortunately). One thing that stood out the most to me writing wise was the dialogue. Every character had their distinctive way of speaking and thinking and you could tell who is who by that alone. On top of that, when the author is using the narrative voice, he has his own distinctive tone too which makes it even more amazing. I am going to talk a bit about the characters and explain some of those dialogues that I just loved with my whole heart.
The characters are not very typical in this book which makes it an even more unique read. There are a few main POV we are following throughout the story and most of the characters in this book are morally grey which is my favorite type of characters. They all have a good and a bad side and that makes them more fleshed out.
💉 Logen Ninefingers: To be honest, I thought Logen was an okay character when I was first introduced to him in The Blade Itself. I did not know why he was such a beloved character in the adult fantasy sphere. After reading more about him in this book, I think he is the character that grew up on me the most and now I am a fan too. I just loved how this big grumpy guy has a great heart and he is always happy to help the people around him that he cares for. Logen explaining the war at some point in the book was one of the best descriptions I have read to date about war. The backstory we had was kind of surprising and sad for me and I definitely care to know more about him. The romance (If it could be called that) that Logen had in this book was fierce and I just enjoyed every single second of it.
💉 Sand Dan Glokta: I loved Glokta from book 1. He became one of my favorite characters of all time after his introduction in book 1 and he still is. I like the consistent tone he has through the books. I just love the idea of how he hates his own life and fantasizes about his own death so that he can finally rest. Glokta is a super smart character and the interrogations are the best thing in the book. Whenever there was an interrogation, I would be stuck to the pages and trying to absorb every second of Glokta’s brilliance. There is a softer side to Glokta for sure and I love that but don’t be tricked by this. He is a very vicious character and has no mercy (Almost!!).
💉 Bayaz: One of my favorite tropes for characters is the overpowered old mage who looks like an old man but his powers can make the mountains tremble with fear. Bayaz is exactly that kind of character. I think he did not have much appearance in this book but I believe he will have a bigger role in the next book. What I know is that whatever you do, don’t get on the bad side of Bayaz!
💉 Jezal Dan Luther: Jezal is also a character who grows immensely in this book. I empathized with him for the things that he had to go through in this book and he certainly had a tough time but I think it is making him realize the reality of life and war and making him a less pampered character. I hope he gets a happy ending.
💉 Captain West: The captain’s role in book 1 was more mixed with Jezal’s role. In this book, they are separated and the captain has a lot in his back to carry. I don’t have strong feelings about this character but I think he is a good guy.
💉 Ninefinger’s crew: I didn’t care about Ninefinger’s crew in book 1 and I did not care about them. I did not even think they have an important role in the book but all of that changed in this book. The book even ends with a scene involving the crew and it was just emotional and now I am certainly rooting for them and want to see more of this badass crew.
The world-building in this book is better than book 1. I want to see the fantasy elements that any fantasy book should have and we are starting to see more of these in this one whether it is spirits or mythology or Rules (The first and Second Laws) I want to know more and we are getting there. I think book 3 should involve even more magic and more epicness.
Summary: Before they are Hanged was an upgrade to everything in book 1. I still love the characters that I did in book 1 but also care more about characters that I didn’t before. The plot is a continuation and we still need to have much closure. The upcoming book is challenging because it needs to have a mix of epicness, world-building and characters while preserving the good things in this book. The dialogue is my favorite thing in this book but I wish it was a bit less descriptive and faster at some points. Overall, still a great book that I do recommend for fans of the dark fantasy genre!
You can get more books from Book Depository
Actual rating: 4.25 Stars
“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
Before they are Hanged is a continuation of the story immediately after book 1. I have seen many readers mentioning how this feels like one huge tome divided into 3 books instead of being 3 separate books and I agree with that. I did not feel that story lines were closed. On the contrary, the story keeps getting bigger and better and I believe there is a great challenge in tying everything up in the third book which I think Abercrombie is capable of.
Say what you want about Joe, Say that he is a great author! I think Joe’s prose is very good. The story is kind of dense but more often that not, I found myself flying though the book because some of the parts were just gripping and I had to know what happens next so I had to just giving it my all and reading at full speed while maintaining concentration. I believe the writing can be over descriptive sometimes and the story could have been shorter for sure but if you want, you can choose to skim some of these paragraphs (I am not good at skimming unfortunately). One thing that stood out the most to me writing wise was the dialogue. Every character had their distinctive way of speaking and thinking and you could tell who is who by that alone. On top of that, when the author is using the narrative voice, he has his own distinctive tone too which makes it even more amazing. I am going to talk a bit about the characters and explain some of those dialogues that I just loved with my whole heart.
“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”
The characters are not very typical in this book which makes it an even more unique read. There are a few main POV we are following throughout the story and most of the characters in this book are morally grey which is my favorite type of characters. They all have a good and a bad side and that makes them more fleshed out.
💉 Logen Ninefingers: To be honest, I thought Logen was an okay character when I was first introduced to him in The Blade Itself. I did not know why he was such a beloved character in the adult fantasy sphere. After reading more about him in this book, I think he is the character that grew up on me the most and now I am a fan too. I just loved how this big grumpy guy has a great heart and he is always happy to help the people around him that he cares for. Logen explaining the war at some point in the book was one of the best descriptions I have read to date about war. The backstory we had was kind of surprising and sad for me and I definitely care to know more about him. The romance (If it could be called that) that Logen had in this book was fierce and I just enjoyed every single second of it.
💉 Sand Dan Glokta: I loved Glokta from book 1. He became one of my favorite characters of all time after his introduction in book 1 and he still is. I like the consistent tone he has through the books. I just love the idea of how he hates his own life and fantasizes about his own death so that he can finally rest. Glokta is a super smart character and the interrogations are the best thing in the book. Whenever there was an interrogation, I would be stuck to the pages and trying to absorb every second of Glokta’s brilliance. There is a softer side to Glokta for sure and I love that but don’t be tricked by this. He is a very vicious character and has no mercy (Almost!!).
“Strange, isn’t it,’ mused Glokta as he watched him struggle for air. ‘Big men, small men, thin men, fat men, clever men, stupid men, they all respond the same to a fist in the guts. One minute you think you’re the most powerful man in the world. The next you can’t even breathe by yourself.”
💉 Bayaz: One of my favorite tropes for characters is the overpowered old mage who looks like an old man but his powers can make the mountains tremble with fear. Bayaz is exactly that kind of character. I think he did not have much appearance in this book but I believe he will have a bigger role in the next book. What I know is that whatever you do, don’t get on the bad side of Bayaz!
💉 Jezal Dan Luther: Jezal is also a character who grows immensely in this book. I empathized with him for the things that he had to go through in this book and he certainly had a tough time but I think it is making him realize the reality of life and war and making him a less pampered character. I hope he gets a happy ending.
💉 Captain West: The captain’s role in book 1 was more mixed with Jezal’s role. In this book, they are separated and the captain has a lot in his back to carry. I don’t have strong feelings about this character but I think he is a good guy.
💉 Ninefinger’s crew: I didn’t care about Ninefinger’s crew in book 1 and I did not care about them. I did not even think they have an important role in the book but all of that changed in this book. The book even ends with a scene involving the crew and it was just emotional and now I am certainly rooting for them and want to see more of this badass crew.
“An open mind is like to an open wound. Vulnerable to poison. Liable to fester. Apt to give its owner only pain.”
The world-building in this book is better than book 1. I want to see the fantasy elements that any fantasy book should have and we are starting to see more of these in this one whether it is spirits or mythology or Rules (The first and Second Laws) I want to know more and we are getting there. I think book 3 should involve even more magic and more epicness.
Summary: Before they are Hanged was an upgrade to everything in book 1. I still love the characters that I did in book 1 but also care more about characters that I didn’t before. The plot is a continuation and we still need to have much closure. The upcoming book is challenging because it needs to have a mix of epicness, world-building and characters while preserving the good things in this book. The dialogue is my favorite thing in this book but I wish it was a bit less descriptive and faster at some points. Overall, still a great book that I do recommend for fans of the dark fantasy genre!
You can get more books from Book Depository
June 3, 2020
This is when I start to bemoan about picking up this trilogy so late. To think that I actually met Abercrombie at WorldCon last year before completing The First Law. It was such a travesty of an opportunity, and I'm repentant for it.
Before They Are Hanged is a fantastic sequel that elevated everything which made the first book so enjoyable. The story picked up immediately from the previous book and really took off from here. The Blade Itself introduced the main characters of the trilogy and brought them together in one superb scene towards the end of that book, before splitting them into three different plotlines in this sequel. And each and every one of these subplots were so engaging to read.
Firstly, and most of all, I utterly enjoyed spending time with all these characters (well, maybe except for one - I just couldn't get with Ferro). Glokta and Logen were already well-developed in their respective roles so it was just a matter of sitting back and watching them do what they do best, in a most entertaining manner. West and Jezal, however, underwent significant development during the trials and tribulations beset on them. Saddled with the unenviable job of managing the worst possible regiment of the King's Army in the Union's battle with the King of the Northmen, West demonstrated what he was capable of under tremendous stress and pressure. And the person that emerged from all that surprised me on one level, and delighted me on another when he crossed a line that I'd never thought he would but secretly hoped he will. Jezal's growth was on a whole different league altogether. Stuck on a long and perilous journey with the unlikeliest companions, the young and arrogant dandy was motivated to reconsider his priorities in life and world view. His growing friendship with Logen was the highlight of his character arc for me.
One thing I've not mentioned in my prior review was the worldbuilding. For some reason, I did not expect The First Law to be related to the world's mythology as I've always had the impression that these books are highly military and political. Well, I was not completely wrong, especially about the politics, but was instead pleasantly surprised with the mythological aspects of the worldbuilding. As such, the journey that Logen and Jezal undertook with Bayaz and a few others, was my favourite subplot in this book. Glokta's POV, as usual, was highly political. While politics will never be a favourite of mine, I couldn't help but had a great time reading his chapters because he is such a compellingly complex (and darkly funny) character.
Say one thing for Abercrombie, say that he excels in grimdark humour. It's a fine balancing act to maintain the grimdark tone in the story while incorporating just the right dose of humour to keep it fun in spite of it. Wry, sardonic humour aside, the award of possibly the funniest sex scene is undoubtedly Abercrombie's - it's by far the least sexy and most awkward scene I've ever read that was just as memorable as his characters.
At the time of writing this review, I'm already a third of my way into reading Last Argument of Kings, the final book of the trilogy. These books are immensely binge-worthy as the story flows very well from one to another. Most of all, though, is that you just cannot get enough of the characters. And that is why you would want to keep going back to them.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) | Bookshop.Org (Support Local Bookstores)
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
Before They Are Hanged is a fantastic sequel that elevated everything which made the first book so enjoyable. The story picked up immediately from the previous book and really took off from here. The Blade Itself introduced the main characters of the trilogy and brought them together in one superb scene towards the end of that book, before splitting them into three different plotlines in this sequel. And each and every one of these subplots were so engaging to read.
Firstly, and most of all, I utterly enjoyed spending time with all these characters (well, maybe except for one - I just couldn't get with Ferro). Glokta and Logen were already well-developed in their respective roles so it was just a matter of sitting back and watching them do what they do best, in a most entertaining manner. West and Jezal, however, underwent significant development during the trials and tribulations beset on them. Saddled with the unenviable job of managing the worst possible regiment of the King's Army in the Union's battle with the King of the Northmen, West demonstrated what he was capable of under tremendous stress and pressure. And the person that emerged from all that surprised me on one level, and delighted me on another when he crossed a line that I'd never thought he would but secretly hoped he will. Jezal's growth was on a whole different league altogether. Stuck on a long and perilous journey with the unlikeliest companions, the young and arrogant dandy was motivated to reconsider his priorities in life and world view. His growing friendship with Logen was the highlight of his character arc for me.
One thing I've not mentioned in my prior review was the worldbuilding. For some reason, I did not expect The First Law to be related to the world's mythology as I've always had the impression that these books are highly military and political. Well, I was not completely wrong, especially about the politics, but was instead pleasantly surprised with the mythological aspects of the worldbuilding. As such, the journey that Logen and Jezal undertook with Bayaz and a few others, was my favourite subplot in this book. Glokta's POV, as usual, was highly political. While politics will never be a favourite of mine, I couldn't help but had a great time reading his chapters because he is such a compellingly complex (and darkly funny) character.
Say one thing for Abercrombie, say that he excels in grimdark humour. It's a fine balancing act to maintain the grimdark tone in the story while incorporating just the right dose of humour to keep it fun in spite of it. Wry, sardonic humour aside, the award of possibly the funniest sex scene is undoubtedly Abercrombie's - it's by far the least sexy and most awkward scene I've ever read that was just as memorable as his characters.
At the time of writing this review, I'm already a third of my way into reading Last Argument of Kings, the final book of the trilogy. These books are immensely binge-worthy as the story flows very well from one to another. Most of all, though, is that you just cannot get enough of the characters. And that is why you would want to keep going back to them.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) | Bookshop.Org (Support Local Bookstores)
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
July 6, 2021
"No cabe duda de que soy una figura trágica. Antes era una mierda de hombre y ahora soy la sombra de un hombre. Elija al que más le guste"
"Antes de que los cuelguen", segunda entrega de "La Primera Ley" que da comienzo donde se quedó "La Voz de las Espadas". La narración continua contada por la mano de los personajes siguiendo sus aventuras y desventuras. La mayor parte de la trama se desarrolla en tres lugares diferentes del Círculo del Mundo creado por Abercrombie, el norte, el sur y el oeste. La larga pero no lenta ni falta de calidad introducción que fue el primer libro da sus frutos de una manera magnífica en esta segunda entrega, donde todo comienza a ir al grano, con la historia llegando a su apogeo, y es aquí donde comienzan las grandes escenas y momentazos tanto de la trama como de los personajes.
"El honor, ¿eh? ¿Se puede saber qué es eso? Cada hombre piensa que es una cosa distinta. Cuanto más se tiene, peor sienta, y si no tienes nada, jamás lo echas en falta. Y, sin embargo, algunos hombres piensan que no hay nada más importante en el mundo"
Abercrombie da un paso más en la historia que está desarrollando, en esta segunda entrega vemos que ha aumentado tanto la calidad de la propia trama, la evolución de los personajes como también el nivel de entretenimiento y enganche que somete al lector. Lo que más destaca una vez más son la maravilla de personajes, aquí sí ha subido la calidad conforme va avanzando la historia. La perspectiva de cada uno de ellos fue inmensamente interesante de leer. Aunque puedo decir con total seguridad que, Glokta sigue en la cima. Que pedazo personaje, me encanta, cada uno de sus capítulos se disfrutan muchísimo, por lo que hace, dice o decide con esa personalidad y humor que tiene, estamos ante un personaje de diez, de matricula de honor. En esta segunda parte se nota el aumento en la calidad por que ser capaz de elegir qué perspectiva me gustó más leer en esta entrega, es difícil, quitando a Glokta, es un asunto difícil, por que el ritmo y la ágil progresión de cada trama y personajes que ha logrado Abercrombie, fueron absolutamente una gozada.
"Ah, la flor y nata de la joven nobleza de la Unión. Casi se siente en la atmósfera la fragancia de la honra. ¿O es que alguien se ha tirado un pedo?"
La genial y ágil narrativa de Abercrombie junto los personajes con sus momentazos, cambios y la trama ya estallando hacía su máximo esplendor nos da la sangre que se veía venir en el primer libro con unas escenas de acción y guerra que te cagas. Tenemos un tercer y último libro "El Último Argumento de los Reyes" más largo que sus predecesores, aquí el instinto grita por todo lo que promete cada página, que puedo decir, maravilla, es una jodida maravilla. Cuando termine esta saga me voy directamente a la siguiente, luego a los libros independientes que tiene y luego a rezar y pedirle a, Abercrombie de rodillas que por favor saque más. Eso es uno de los muchos logros que para mi consigue, que quieras más por que se va superando. Para mi es una GOZADA leer a este señor.
Tenemos giros y vueltas de calidad, algunas de ellas impredecibles que me mantuvieron sentado pegado al libro y en la otra mano, la cerveza. Nos muestra emociones y sentimientos como la lealtad, la codicia, amistades improbables, la presión de las responsabilidades y la guerra, todo esto en el aspecto narrativo, está muy bien integrado en la trama, consiguiendo resultados efectivos. Disfruté de buenas escenas.
Las caracterizaciones de los personajes fueron, una vez más, lo mejor del libro. Abercrombie utilizó con mucho éxito una base que estableció en el primer libro que es el desarrollo de sus geniales personajes revelando sus personalidades, sus formas de ser y actuar en lo bueno y sobretodo en lo malo. Ya que aquí rebosa de oscuridad, esa sucia, cruel y mortal forma de ser que tienen muchos de ellos para sobrevivir y lograr pasar un día más en el mundo y no terminar el día con sus cadáveres flotando en el río o siendo un exquisito manjar para los cuervos.
"Extraña cosa la muerte. En la distancia, todos nos reímos de ella, pero, a medida que se acerca su aspecto nos parece cada vez peor. Y cuando esta tan cerca que ya casi podemos tocarla, se acaban las risas"
Aquí vemos a esos personajes ya sean conocidos o nuevos darlo todo de sí mismos para bien o mal en las circunstancias extremas que les toca vivir. Fue intenso, muchas veces divertido. Abercrombie no tiene ningún miedo o reparo en hacer que sus personajes pasen por un sufrimiento intenso, dolor, ira, odio, venganza, envidia... de vuelta al barro. En otras palabras los sumerge en la mierda más absoluta y la sangre sin cortarse un solo pelo. Abercrombie muestra la capacidad mortal de la vida dura, la guerra, los efectos y cambios que esto conlleva, en general o en un solo individuo, acabe de la manera que acabe.
Las enormes dificultades a las que se enfrentaron los personajes en esta segunda entrega en sus respectivas misiones o aventuras trajeron consigo desarrollos espectaculares a cada uno de ellos y llevadas con una gran precisión de cirujano por parte de, Abercrombie.
"¿Se convertiría en uno de esos tullidos con los que evitaba cruzarse en las calles? ¿Uno de esos heridos de guerra, sucios y harapientos, que mendigaban unas monedas, un desagradable recordatorio de que la vida militar tenía un lado oscuro que era mejor relegar al olvido?"
He de mencionar algo que me llama mucho la atención, puede parecer algo sencillo incluso simple ya que se puede pasar por alto, pero si tiene un resultado perfecto como es el caso es digno de mención y es que, Abercrombie sabe como crear y repetir frases míticas en la saga, además puestas en el momento exacto y adecuado para mejorar los momentos memorables. Como pueden ser: "Sigo vivo", "Nunca se tiene demasiados cuchillos" o "¿Por qué lo hago?". Pueden parecer simples, pero las convierte en frases memorables que le dan a esta saga un pequeño toque unico y especial.
"¿Es que ya se ha olvidado de quién soy? —gimoteo riéndose, mientras en sus ojos humedos latía una repulsiva mezcla de dolor y diversión-. Me presento, soy el superior, Glokta, encantado de conocerla. Me importa un carajo lo que haga, y usted lo sabe. ¿Amenazas a mí? ¡Más le vale que pruebe con otra cosa, maldita pelirroja!"
Además amigos y amigas, tenemos a el puto Sand Dan Glokta. Disfruté como no hay palabras leyendo la perspectiva de, Glokta. Es un placer leer por todo lo que pasa, piensa y hace el cabroncete; la complejidad de su carácter, el contraste entre sus palabras habladas y sus pensamientos internos son muy divertidos, y siempre logra que espere con ansias su próximo capítulo. La cantidad y calidad de las escenas de acción, tanto pequeñas escaramuzas como batallas a gran escala, también han mejorado y mucho, aquí ya tuve mi buena dosis de acción, muerte, guerra y sangre. Todo está perfectamente narrado de manera ágil, sencillo a la hora de leerlo pero muy detallado, con control, conocimiento y logrando ser muy visual.
En el primer libro la construcción del mundo o "worldbuilding" solo se mostró un poco, dejándolo de lado y centrándose en otras cosas. Esta segunda parte ya nos muestra más cosas, especialmente del pasado, del origen, ya que reveló algunas de las historias del Círculo del Mundo, principalmente con respecto a, la Primera Ley, gracias a las historias contadas por, Bayaz. Tenemos una construcción de mundo inmersiva y detallada, quizas no al nivel de otros autores que van más al detalle pero esta muy bien, tiene un aprobado y lo más importante cumple con su propósito en la historia y la trama. Además aquí tenemos un buen ejemplo de lo que sería, para mi, una exitosa secuela, no vemos lo que pasa en otras trilogías en las que el segundo es un puente hacía el tercero, en el que nos encontramos un ritmo pausado y cosas que sobran. Tenemos una secuela asombrosa, llena de progresiones en la trama, desarrollos de personajes muy bien llevados y ejecutados y también muy buenas escenas, de las que logran llamarte la atención y se quedan en la memoria, me gustó cierta escena en la que se habla sobre cicatrices.
"Como un hombre que se dispone a hacer una propuesta de matrimonio. O de traición. Me pregunto cuál de las dos será"
Me gusta lo que logra conseguir, Abercrombie con sus personajes hacia mi como lector, sus personajes grises, matan, torturan pero desde las primeras páginas del primer libro les vas conociendo, sus personalidades, su pasado y sus razones.. si es que las tienen, son tan reales. Y tienen el efecto de convertirse en personajes por los que te preocupas, especialmente por la tendencia y falta de miedo por parte de su autor de usar el hacha y matar a quien tenga que matar xD. Preocuparme hasta por el imbécil de, Jezal que quizás se merezca todo lo que le viene. Logen el Sanguinario su apodo ya lo dice todo y he de decir que tiene unas idas de olla bastante importantes. Y así podría seguir hablando de los personajes pero no quiero contar nada más, disfrutadlo, solamente con los personajes, tenéis una trilogía de mucha calidad, si sumas el resto de cosas que tiene, que decir. Esta segunda parte me pareció mucho más conmovedora, emocionante, con momentazos y batallas.
"Tal vez fuera un monstruo, pero allí, en las heladas y salvajes tierras de Angland, las normas eran otras. Los monstruos estaban en mayoría"
Abercrombie hizo un trabajo exquisito al imbuir cada línea de la trama con un sentido de tensión que me mantuvo al borde del sofá pegado al libro. Mención también a las escenas de sexo, después de las escenas de los libros de, Richard Morgan en ambas sagas tanto su CF como su grimdark, las escenas de sexo que nos muestra, Abercrombie en este libro me han gustado y fueron un tanto impredecibles. Son un tanto curiosas e incómodas situaciones y lugares para poder tener sexo, pero sin duda son las más divertidas que he leído xD.
Se tomaron decisiones y se alcanzaron resultados que fueron increíbles para bien o para mal. Cuando lees a Abercrombie tienes una cosa muy clara, que no habrá arcoíris y finales de "vivieron felices y comieron perdices". Aquí no hay nada bonito, no te enseña lo agradable del ser humano, es muy oscuro, sin piedad y mostrando la sucia ¡realidad! de la vida y del mundo en el que viven los personajes. Es vivir o morir, o alcanzas el éxito o de vuelta al barro. Y no rompe con esa realidad ya que todo dejaría de ser creíble. Ha preparado muy bien el camino para un tercer y último libro de 900 maravillosas páginas que espero me dejen boquiabierto, sea cual sea el destino del mundo y de los personajes espero con ansias leer el final, con "El Último Argumento de los Reyes" espero unos malditos.. ESCALOFRÍOS.
"Debemos perdonar a nuestros enemigos, pero no antes de que los cuelguen"
"Antes de que los cuelguen", segunda entrega de "La Primera Ley" que da comienzo donde se quedó "La Voz de las Espadas". La narración continua contada por la mano de los personajes siguiendo sus aventuras y desventuras. La mayor parte de la trama se desarrolla en tres lugares diferentes del Círculo del Mundo creado por Abercrombie, el norte, el sur y el oeste. La larga pero no lenta ni falta de calidad introducción que fue el primer libro da sus frutos de una manera magnífica en esta segunda entrega, donde todo comienza a ir al grano, con la historia llegando a su apogeo, y es aquí donde comienzan las grandes escenas y momentazos tanto de la trama como de los personajes.
"El honor, ¿eh? ¿Se puede saber qué es eso? Cada hombre piensa que es una cosa distinta. Cuanto más se tiene, peor sienta, y si no tienes nada, jamás lo echas en falta. Y, sin embargo, algunos hombres piensan que no hay nada más importante en el mundo"
Abercrombie da un paso más en la historia que está desarrollando, en esta segunda entrega vemos que ha aumentado tanto la calidad de la propia trama, la evolución de los personajes como también el nivel de entretenimiento y enganche que somete al lector. Lo que más destaca una vez más son la maravilla de personajes, aquí sí ha subido la calidad conforme va avanzando la historia. La perspectiva de cada uno de ellos fue inmensamente interesante de leer. Aunque puedo decir con total seguridad que, Glokta sigue en la cima. Que pedazo personaje, me encanta, cada uno de sus capítulos se disfrutan muchísimo, por lo que hace, dice o decide con esa personalidad y humor que tiene, estamos ante un personaje de diez, de matricula de honor. En esta segunda parte se nota el aumento en la calidad por que ser capaz de elegir qué perspectiva me gustó más leer en esta entrega, es difícil, quitando a Glokta, es un asunto difícil, por que el ritmo y la ágil progresión de cada trama y personajes que ha logrado Abercrombie, fueron absolutamente una gozada.
"Ah, la flor y nata de la joven nobleza de la Unión. Casi se siente en la atmósfera la fragancia de la honra. ¿O es que alguien se ha tirado un pedo?"
La genial y ágil narrativa de Abercrombie junto los personajes con sus momentazos, cambios y la trama ya estallando hacía su máximo esplendor nos da la sangre que se veía venir en el primer libro con unas escenas de acción y guerra que te cagas. Tenemos un tercer y último libro "El Último Argumento de los Reyes" más largo que sus predecesores, aquí el instinto grita por todo lo que promete cada página, que puedo decir, maravilla, es una jodida maravilla. Cuando termine esta saga me voy directamente a la siguiente, luego a los libros independientes que tiene y luego a rezar y pedirle a, Abercrombie de rodillas que por favor saque más. Eso es uno de los muchos logros que para mi consigue, que quieras más por que se va superando. Para mi es una GOZADA leer a este señor.
Tenemos giros y vueltas de calidad, algunas de ellas impredecibles que me mantuvieron sentado pegado al libro y en la otra mano, la cerveza. Nos muestra emociones y sentimientos como la lealtad, la codicia, amistades improbables, la presión de las responsabilidades y la guerra, todo esto en el aspecto narrativo, está muy bien integrado en la trama, consiguiendo resultados efectivos. Disfruté de buenas escenas.
Las caracterizaciones de los personajes fueron, una vez más, lo mejor del libro. Abercrombie utilizó con mucho éxito una base que estableció en el primer libro que es el desarrollo de sus geniales personajes revelando sus personalidades, sus formas de ser y actuar en lo bueno y sobretodo en lo malo. Ya que aquí rebosa de oscuridad, esa sucia, cruel y mortal forma de ser que tienen muchos de ellos para sobrevivir y lograr pasar un día más en el mundo y no terminar el día con sus cadáveres flotando en el río o siendo un exquisito manjar para los cuervos.
"Extraña cosa la muerte. En la distancia, todos nos reímos de ella, pero, a medida que se acerca su aspecto nos parece cada vez peor. Y cuando esta tan cerca que ya casi podemos tocarla, se acaban las risas"
Aquí vemos a esos personajes ya sean conocidos o nuevos darlo todo de sí mismos para bien o mal en las circunstancias extremas que les toca vivir. Fue intenso, muchas veces divertido. Abercrombie no tiene ningún miedo o reparo en hacer que sus personajes pasen por un sufrimiento intenso, dolor, ira, odio, venganza, envidia... de vuelta al barro. En otras palabras los sumerge en la mierda más absoluta y la sangre sin cortarse un solo pelo. Abercrombie muestra la capacidad mortal de la vida dura, la guerra, los efectos y cambios que esto conlleva, en general o en un solo individuo, acabe de la manera que acabe.
Las enormes dificultades a las que se enfrentaron los personajes en esta segunda entrega en sus respectivas misiones o aventuras trajeron consigo desarrollos espectaculares a cada uno de ellos y llevadas con una gran precisión de cirujano por parte de, Abercrombie.
"¿Se convertiría en uno de esos tullidos con los que evitaba cruzarse en las calles? ¿Uno de esos heridos de guerra, sucios y harapientos, que mendigaban unas monedas, un desagradable recordatorio de que la vida militar tenía un lado oscuro que era mejor relegar al olvido?"
He de mencionar algo que me llama mucho la atención, puede parecer algo sencillo incluso simple ya que se puede pasar por alto, pero si tiene un resultado perfecto como es el caso es digno de mención y es que, Abercrombie sabe como crear y repetir frases míticas en la saga, además puestas en el momento exacto y adecuado para mejorar los momentos memorables. Como pueden ser: "Sigo vivo", "Nunca se tiene demasiados cuchillos" o "¿Por qué lo hago?". Pueden parecer simples, pero las convierte en frases memorables que le dan a esta saga un pequeño toque unico y especial.
"¿Es que ya se ha olvidado de quién soy? —gimoteo riéndose, mientras en sus ojos humedos latía una repulsiva mezcla de dolor y diversión-. Me presento, soy el superior, Glokta, encantado de conocerla. Me importa un carajo lo que haga, y usted lo sabe. ¿Amenazas a mí? ¡Más le vale que pruebe con otra cosa, maldita pelirroja!"
Además amigos y amigas, tenemos a el puto Sand Dan Glokta. Disfruté como no hay palabras leyendo la perspectiva de, Glokta. Es un placer leer por todo lo que pasa, piensa y hace el cabroncete; la complejidad de su carácter, el contraste entre sus palabras habladas y sus pensamientos internos son muy divertidos, y siempre logra que espere con ansias su próximo capítulo. La cantidad y calidad de las escenas de acción, tanto pequeñas escaramuzas como batallas a gran escala, también han mejorado y mucho, aquí ya tuve mi buena dosis de acción, muerte, guerra y sangre. Todo está perfectamente narrado de manera ágil, sencillo a la hora de leerlo pero muy detallado, con control, conocimiento y logrando ser muy visual.
En el primer libro la construcción del mundo o "worldbuilding" solo se mostró un poco, dejándolo de lado y centrándose en otras cosas. Esta segunda parte ya nos muestra más cosas, especialmente del pasado, del origen, ya que reveló algunas de las historias del Círculo del Mundo, principalmente con respecto a, la Primera Ley, gracias a las historias contadas por, Bayaz. Tenemos una construcción de mundo inmersiva y detallada, quizas no al nivel de otros autores que van más al detalle pero esta muy bien, tiene un aprobado y lo más importante cumple con su propósito en la historia y la trama. Además aquí tenemos un buen ejemplo de lo que sería, para mi, una exitosa secuela, no vemos lo que pasa en otras trilogías en las que el segundo es un puente hacía el tercero, en el que nos encontramos un ritmo pausado y cosas que sobran. Tenemos una secuela asombrosa, llena de progresiones en la trama, desarrollos de personajes muy bien llevados y ejecutados y también muy buenas escenas, de las que logran llamarte la atención y se quedan en la memoria, me gustó cierta escena en la que se habla sobre cicatrices.
"Como un hombre que se dispone a hacer una propuesta de matrimonio. O de traición. Me pregunto cuál de las dos será"
Me gusta lo que logra conseguir, Abercrombie con sus personajes hacia mi como lector, sus personajes grises, matan, torturan pero desde las primeras páginas del primer libro les vas conociendo, sus personalidades, su pasado y sus razones.. si es que las tienen, son tan reales. Y tienen el efecto de convertirse en personajes por los que te preocupas, especialmente por la tendencia y falta de miedo por parte de su autor de usar el hacha y matar a quien tenga que matar xD. Preocuparme hasta por el imbécil de, Jezal que quizás se merezca todo lo que le viene. Logen el Sanguinario su apodo ya lo dice todo y he de decir que tiene unas idas de olla bastante importantes. Y así podría seguir hablando de los personajes pero no quiero contar nada más, disfrutadlo, solamente con los personajes, tenéis una trilogía de mucha calidad, si sumas el resto de cosas que tiene, que decir. Esta segunda parte me pareció mucho más conmovedora, emocionante, con momentazos y batallas.
"Tal vez fuera un monstruo, pero allí, en las heladas y salvajes tierras de Angland, las normas eran otras. Los monstruos estaban en mayoría"
Abercrombie hizo un trabajo exquisito al imbuir cada línea de la trama con un sentido de tensión que me mantuvo al borde del sofá pegado al libro. Mención también a las escenas de sexo, después de las escenas de los libros de, Richard Morgan en ambas sagas tanto su CF como su grimdark, las escenas de sexo que nos muestra, Abercrombie en este libro me han gustado y fueron un tanto impredecibles. Son un tanto curiosas e incómodas situaciones y lugares para poder tener sexo, pero sin duda son las más divertidas que he leído xD.
Se tomaron decisiones y se alcanzaron resultados que fueron increíbles para bien o para mal. Cuando lees a Abercrombie tienes una cosa muy clara, que no habrá arcoíris y finales de "vivieron felices y comieron perdices". Aquí no hay nada bonito, no te enseña lo agradable del ser humano, es muy oscuro, sin piedad y mostrando la sucia ¡realidad! de la vida y del mundo en el que viven los personajes. Es vivir o morir, o alcanzas el éxito o de vuelta al barro. Y no rompe con esa realidad ya que todo dejaría de ser creíble. Ha preparado muy bien el camino para un tercer y último libro de 900 maravillosas páginas que espero me dejen boquiabierto, sea cual sea el destino del mundo y de los personajes espero con ansias leer el final, con "El Último Argumento de los Reyes" espero unos malditos.. ESCALOFRÍOS.
"Debemos perdonar a nuestros enemigos, pero no antes de que los cuelguen"
April 10, 2021
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/OVr28iuVqhA
Ok Goodreads, I ACTUALLY finished the book this time. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you for just randomly marking books read, you lunatic.
Anyway, this book kicks ass. Everything I enjoyed about The Blade Itself was expanded on and knocked out of the park in this sequel. This was a massive step up from an already solid start to the First Law trilogy. The characters were more intriguing and there was definitely a lot more plot movement in this one.
Glokta is far and away one of the best fantasy characters I've read in quite some time. He is such a loveable bastard and Joe Abercrombie has done excellent work here. Pacey's audiobook narration also brings him to life in a way I didn't know was possible. I also love how the world of First law really shows you that there's always someone worse than the person you are reading about.
Logen Ninefingers was more interesting here as well and is an absolute badass. That one scene though, you know the one, I'm not sure I needed lmao. "I told you it's been a while."
Jezal is still as insufferable as ever but in an entertaining way. All I kept thinking of is this is a whinier/more pathetic version of Adolin from the Stormlight Archive. I'm curious to see where his story goes from here.
I loved learning more about Ferro and spending more time with her and the same goes for the Dogman. They are both intriguing in their own rights. Collen West also has a lot going on. Basically what I'm saying is these characters are at the center of this series and they are fantastic.
I can't wait to read book 3!
Ok Goodreads, I ACTUALLY finished the book this time. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you for just randomly marking books read, you lunatic.
Anyway, this book kicks ass. Everything I enjoyed about The Blade Itself was expanded on and knocked out of the park in this sequel. This was a massive step up from an already solid start to the First Law trilogy. The characters were more intriguing and there was definitely a lot more plot movement in this one.
Glokta is far and away one of the best fantasy characters I've read in quite some time. He is such a loveable bastard and Joe Abercrombie has done excellent work here. Pacey's audiobook narration also brings him to life in a way I didn't know was possible. I also love how the world of First law really shows you that there's always someone worse than the person you are reading about.
Logen Ninefingers was more interesting here as well and is an absolute badass. That one scene though, you know the one, I'm not sure I needed lmao. "I told you it's been a while."
Jezal is still as insufferable as ever but in an entertaining way. All I kept thinking of is this is a whinier/more pathetic version of Adolin from the Stormlight Archive. I'm curious to see where his story goes from here.
I loved learning more about Ferro and spending more time with her and the same goes for the Dogman. They are both intriguing in their own rights. Collen West also has a lot going on. Basically what I'm saying is these characters are at the center of this series and they are fantastic.
I can't wait to read book 3!
August 29, 2011
"Anyone can face ease and success with confidence. It is the way we face trouble and misfortune that defines us."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. BTAH continues to follow the troop of reluctant heroes, including Ninefingers, Jezel, Bayaz and Ferro; Inquisitor Glokta, defending a besieged city and hunting for a traitor; and Colonel West working to defend Angland against the Northman, along with a small band of Northmen with grudges of their own. In that sense, it's very much the second book in a trilogy, and I don't think it would stand as well read on its own or out of order. However, there is largely a complete story arc for each of our groups, so while the larger issues of the invasions and political maneuvering continue to grow in complexity, I didn't feel as if it was a complete cliffhanger ending.
I can't say enough about how well Abercrombie writes characters. They all feel so real, layered, and different. When plugged into a quest plot, there is a risk of them turning into stereotypes, but that is adroitly avoided by the depth and feeling given to them. It's interesting that we get the inner thoughts of our select few characters, but then leaving some such as Quai or Baya, devoid of any hints except through actions or the interpretations of others. It creates tension during the quest, as Quai almost seems to be baiting the mages and more of Bayaz' role in creating the conflict becomes apparent.
Plotwise, the quest of the troop seemed unremarkable enough in the epic fantasy tradition--the questers entering the dead city flashed on several scenes from Terry Brooks and David Eddings--but it was still well done. Using the guise of telling stories while they journeyed, the questers and the readers are familiarized with the mythical back-story to the quest. It works well, maintaining interest in the background while avoiding the info-dump syndrome. The siege itself is not particularly unusual either, but is gritty, and the process of Glokta shoring defense of the city while rooting out the traitor is interesting and full of tension. Letter updates between Glokta and the Arch Lector are an interesting way of updating the story.
The tale is full of detailed fight scenes. If that's your taste, you'll have all the more reason to love it, but if its not, don't let it put you off, as there is so much more worth reading. One quibble is the author's tendency to use both first and last names of a character, even within the same scene, which leads to unnecessary name confusion. Small complaints, however.
I find this series engrossing, and am glad I have the next book ready to go.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. BTAH continues to follow the troop of reluctant heroes, including Ninefingers, Jezel, Bayaz and Ferro; Inquisitor Glokta, defending a besieged city and hunting for a traitor; and Colonel West working to defend Angland against the Northman, along with a small band of Northmen with grudges of their own. In that sense, it's very much the second book in a trilogy, and I don't think it would stand as well read on its own or out of order. However, there is largely a complete story arc for each of our groups, so while the larger issues of the invasions and political maneuvering continue to grow in complexity, I didn't feel as if it was a complete cliffhanger ending.
I can't say enough about how well Abercrombie writes characters. They all feel so real, layered, and different. When plugged into a quest plot, there is a risk of them turning into stereotypes, but that is adroitly avoided by the depth and feeling given to them. It's interesting that we get the inner thoughts of our select few characters, but then leaving some such as Quai or Baya, devoid of any hints except through actions or the interpretations of others. It creates tension during the quest, as Quai almost seems to be baiting the mages and more of Bayaz' role in creating the conflict becomes apparent.
Plotwise, the quest of the troop seemed unremarkable enough in the epic fantasy tradition--the questers entering the dead city flashed on several scenes from Terry Brooks and David Eddings--but it was still well done. Using the guise of telling stories while they journeyed, the questers and the readers are familiarized with the mythical back-story to the quest. It works well, maintaining interest in the background while avoiding the info-dump syndrome. The siege itself is not particularly unusual either, but is gritty, and the process of Glokta shoring defense of the city while rooting out the traitor is interesting and full of tension. Letter updates between Glokta and the Arch Lector are an interesting way of updating the story.
The tale is full of detailed fight scenes. If that's your taste, you'll have all the more reason to love it, but if its not, don't let it put you off, as there is so much more worth reading. One quibble is the author's tendency to use both first and last names of a character, even within the same scene, which leads to unnecessary name confusion. Small complaints, however.
I find this series engrossing, and am glad I have the next book ready to go.
May 26, 2013
Don’t write off the fantasy tropes just yet, all you unbelievers. This trilogy shows that there is still an enormous amount of life left in some of them.
This dark sequel to The Blade Itself is everything I hoped it would be. I would be hard pressed to select a favourite out of the multiple plot threads featured in Before They Are Hanged, but I’m probably partial to the sequences featuring the Named Men. Again, there is an old school sense of wonder to this novel, despite the modern fantasy grittiness. There are some nasty surprises between these pages and many issues aren’t resolved in quite the fashion that the reader might have expected, or even had hoped for. But, as Logen Ninefingers would almost certainly say: you have to be realistic about these things. A great mix of epic and heroic, fantasy-heads can do far worse than giving this trilogy a spin. Unless they are averse to some swearing, violence, dark humour and the occasional rather, um, unrefined and comical hop in the sack. It is at times an uneasy and unsettling read, yet I can’t help but feel that this is part of its charm.
The action scenes are relentless and splendidly written, albeit somewhat gruesome on occasion. The book showcases everything from minor skirmishes to full scale pitched warfare. There is even a siege thrown in for good measure. Two wars being fought on two separate fronts inevitably equal a high body count. Abercrombie certainly appears to have a knack for this kind of thing. You’d think that the character development would suffer in all this chaos and madness. Oh, how wrong you’d be!
As the second novel in a trilogy, this could easily be seen as a bridging work. However, I enjoyed it even more than the first. There’s certainly a lot more going on. The Blade Itself was very good, but it didn’t really go anywhere and left the reader somewhat mystified as to where the story was headed. Before They Are Hanged rectifies this in spades, and there is a lot of progression. Here’s hoping Last Argument of Kings continues this run of good form and closes the trilogy in spectacular fashion.
Capital!
This dark sequel to The Blade Itself is everything I hoped it would be. I would be hard pressed to select a favourite out of the multiple plot threads featured in Before They Are Hanged, but I’m probably partial to the sequences featuring the Named Men. Again, there is an old school sense of wonder to this novel, despite the modern fantasy grittiness. There are some nasty surprises between these pages and many issues aren’t resolved in quite the fashion that the reader might have expected, or even had hoped for. But, as Logen Ninefingers would almost certainly say: you have to be realistic about these things. A great mix of epic and heroic, fantasy-heads can do far worse than giving this trilogy a spin. Unless they are averse to some swearing, violence, dark humour and the occasional rather, um, unrefined and comical hop in the sack. It is at times an uneasy and unsettling read, yet I can’t help but feel that this is part of its charm.
The action scenes are relentless and splendidly written, albeit somewhat gruesome on occasion. The book showcases everything from minor skirmishes to full scale pitched warfare. There is even a siege thrown in for good measure. Two wars being fought on two separate fronts inevitably equal a high body count. Abercrombie certainly appears to have a knack for this kind of thing. You’d think that the character development would suffer in all this chaos and madness. Oh, how wrong you’d be!
As the second novel in a trilogy, this could easily be seen as a bridging work. However, I enjoyed it even more than the first. There’s certainly a lot more going on. The Blade Itself was very good, but it didn’t really go anywhere and left the reader somewhat mystified as to where the story was headed. Before They Are Hanged rectifies this in spades, and there is a lot of progression. Here’s hoping Last Argument of Kings continues this run of good form and closes the trilogy in spectacular fashion.
Capital!
May 16, 2019
Well, let's be realistic about it, this book is awesome! Disgusting, bloody, violent, hard, gritty, showing no mercy to anyone, murderous and hope shredding... And yet, it is addictive and leaves you craving your next dose!!! I am filled with adrenaline from reading it, but there are no rainbows and comfort foods on my mind. I want some relief from the darkness and despair, but the only way to get it is by getting the next book and annihilating it - no other way!!!
July 14, 2024
I am completely sold on this series. The characters, the intrigue, the brutality, the world-building; it's all exemplary.
Off the charts. Sensational!
Before They Are Hanged is the second book in Joe Abercrombie's series, The First Law. If you are unaware, the first three books in the series are a connected trilogy, while books four, five and six, are all standalone novels that take place in the same world.
I have been intimidated for years by this series; by Abercrombie actually. Even though I had heard nothing but great things about his writing.
I'm not quite sure what all that was about, but now that I have completed the first three books, I would count this as one of my favorite series ever. Yeah, it's that good.
In this second book, I was super pumped about the fact that we were going on a quest. Bayez, the First of the Magi, gathers a group of traveling companions and they head out across the world in search of a mysterious ancient object.
Quests are one of my favorite tropes. I love to go along for the danger and adventure of the road. This group, oh my goodness, they were ill-suited to one another at first, but as with many traveling groups before them, they eventually began to grow on one another.
The quest is just one of the many story-lines going on in this installment, however, so there is plenty here for everyone. Even if you are a monster and a quest isn't your most favorite thing.
Throughout I was continually impressed with the world creation. I was learning so much regarding the structure and functioning of this world, all while maintaining my high level of interest. It was in no way info-dumpy, or dull.
The characters, as well, particularly our mains, are totally fleshed out. I have never loved such a brutal group of utter bastards more. I am seriously so attached to them; it's a wee bit concerning actually.
The stakes were raised so high over the course of this narrative. I knew by the time I turned the final page, I needed to get my hands on the third book as quickly as possible.
10 out of 10, recommend to all Epic Fantasy fans, Grimdark Fantasy fans and Heroic Fantasy fans. In short, Fantasy fans unite!!
Off the charts. Sensational!
Before They Are Hanged is the second book in Joe Abercrombie's series, The First Law. If you are unaware, the first three books in the series are a connected trilogy, while books four, five and six, are all standalone novels that take place in the same world.
I have been intimidated for years by this series; by Abercrombie actually. Even though I had heard nothing but great things about his writing.
I'm not quite sure what all that was about, but now that I have completed the first three books, I would count this as one of my favorite series ever. Yeah, it's that good.
In this second book, I was super pumped about the fact that we were going on a quest. Bayez, the First of the Magi, gathers a group of traveling companions and they head out across the world in search of a mysterious ancient object.
Quests are one of my favorite tropes. I love to go along for the danger and adventure of the road. This group, oh my goodness, they were ill-suited to one another at first, but as with many traveling groups before them, they eventually began to grow on one another.
The quest is just one of the many story-lines going on in this installment, however, so there is plenty here for everyone. Even if you are a monster and a quest isn't your most favorite thing.
Throughout I was continually impressed with the world creation. I was learning so much regarding the structure and functioning of this world, all while maintaining my high level of interest. It was in no way info-dumpy, or dull.
The characters, as well, particularly our mains, are totally fleshed out. I have never loved such a brutal group of utter bastards more. I am seriously so attached to them; it's a wee bit concerning actually.
The stakes were raised so high over the course of this narrative. I knew by the time I turned the final page, I needed to get my hands on the third book as quickly as possible.
10 out of 10, recommend to all Epic Fantasy fans, Grimdark Fantasy fans and Heroic Fantasy fans. In short, Fantasy fans unite!!
September 2, 2024
“We supposed to fight all this lot? When do we get a rest?”
He shrugged his shoulders, squeezed his lips together like he was thinking about it. “When we’re dead?”
While book one felt like a promise of what was yet to come, Before They Are Hanged throws some light on what’s really going on in the bigger picture. The characters stop just letting themselves drift downstream and wonder what they are doing with their lives. Although we may not have started with the right foot, Before They Are Hanged has ended up being the best fantasy book I’ve read so far this year.
I can’t lie to you: reading this after finishing my second five star of the year (2ha) was not ideal, especially taking into account a year has passed since I read the first book in the series. I was this close to dnf it, I kept telling myself ‘why? why are you doing this to me?’ until, somehow, I saw myself laughing at a certain joke, shipping two characters, deciding one of the POVs was indeed my favorite-but that other isn't bad either. Two hundred pages into it, I had decided there was no way I wasn’t going to finish it. Three hundred pages into it, I had realized I was enjoying every single POV. By the time I reached the ending everything I could think of was 1) how much would it take for the third volume to arrive here? 2) should I also order a couple of standalones to binge read the entire universe?
But back to the book. Like real people, Joe Abercrombie characterization manages to keep a continuous evolution that shows how the characters keep changing and maturing and becoming a better version-thank god-of their still very flawed selves.
This time it was Logen who carried the book for me: his loneliness, loyalty and will to be better made his POV my baby. I loved how he made it his duty to create a team out of a handful of strangers picked up at random who kept grunting at each other. I loved him so much that I realized I was-silly me-shipping him with the most unfriendly face between said comrades. I was laughing at myself because there was no way we were having a romance between the two brute warriors in an epic fantasy book. I should have known that Abercrombie wasn’t done charming me into loving this, because we even got some smut–fantasy-level smut, calm your romance reader expectations. It was interesting how this is one of the very few times that the romance inside an adult fantasy doesn't seem shoehorned in. Especially because calling it romance it’s a stretch; there is nothing romantic about it, yet it felt so real I couldn’t help but suffer their confusion along with them. It was almost funny, seeing that very independent warrior lying to herself promising it wouldn’t happen again.
“You expect too much out of life, ().”
He grinned. “And here was me thinking you expect too little.”
“Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed.”
“Expect nothing and you’ll get nothing.”
But Logen and his love life weren’t the only stars in this book-even if they were the brightest ones. This entire book is an ode to great characterization and there is nothing I value more than layers on my characters. I love when they surprise you, make you love them and hate them and cheer for them and wish they were dead. None of them were pretty human beings, but I enjoyed even that silly prince who was begging to be silenced.
“I owe you a lot, I know. It’s just that…you’re too angry for me. That’s all.”
He stared at her as she trudged off up the hill after the Northmen, hardly able to believe his ears. She was happy to bed that stinking savage, but he was too angry? It was so unfair he almost choked on his rage.
Overall, Before They Are Hanged gives us the same ingredients as book one: exquisite humor and people rather than characters, while also adding a sense of progression both in action and character arc. It was so satisfying, seeing all those characters starting to become more, that I’m as excited to read the conclusion as I’m dreading having to say goodbye. I only hope my favorite couple manages to reach the end breathing, but you know what they say:
Hope is for the weak.
↬ The First Law:
1. The Blade Itself: 3 stars
2. Before They Are Hanged: 4 stars
3. Last Argument of Kings: 4 stars
'Standalones':
4. Best Served Cold: 3 stars
5. The Heroes: 3.5 stars
August 26, 2015
4.5 With Characters Like These Who Worries About the Plot Stars
Buddy read with Athena, Alexa, Ashley, Eon, Anasylvia and Michelle
The Blade Itself was a complete character study without a lot of plot, Before They Are Hanged has a little more plotting involved but for me it was still all about the characters. I travelled with them, I worried for them, I hoped for the best even in the midst of the worst and at the end I’m left wondering how they will ever get out of the complete mess they are all in.
Glotka
Strange how, with time, even the most terrible suffering of others can become . . . tedious
Glotcka has proved again what a complex character he is. Is he the misunderstood hero or is he the villain? I’m never quite sure myself. He can torture better than anyone but still it seems that he has a conscience and I love the inner dialogue he has. I look forward to his chapters because even though in so many ways he is awful he is also extremely clever and knows the true score. He might be dead as soon as the other players in this dangerous game he is playing. If he can’t keep on the right side of the people in power he will be the body floating in the docks. So he plays his part of the game better than anyone else and proves that just because you are horribly crippled the mind is a dangerous thing and being smart will save your ass more than a solid sword arm.
Logen and Ferro + the rest of the travelers (Bayaz, Jazel, Quai and Longfoot)
I ship Logen and Ferro so hard. Both are fierce warriors with horrible pasts. Again we get to see Logen and the burden he has carried by having Ninefingers as a traveler in his head. Logen is calm, smart and collected. He hands out great advice and seems like the true leader of the pack. But when 'The Bloody Nine' comes out to play no one is safe, even his allies.
Ferro, I just want to hug you, but you’d probably slit my throat if I tried. Learning about her past made me feel so much for her character. She is a feral beast to be sure but I loved the time she and Logen spent together and how close they became.
Jazel surprisingly has grown on me, all it took was a near brush with death and some real pain to make the boy grow up a bit. He might be a decent person after all and it just make me wonder what is Bayaz grooming the boy for.
‘Easy, now, and listen to me. It hurts, yes. Seems like more than you can take, but it isn’t. You think you’re going to die, but you won’t. Listen to me, because I’ve been there, and I know. Each minute. Each hour. Each day, it gets better.’
Bayaz is still a huge mystery to me and everyone else he is traveling with so I guess it is only fair I’m in the dark about his character as well. It seems that Quai has started to question his master a little more and the First Magi must tell stories of his past in order to convince the group that he is prepared and will not make the same mistakes again.
“All the great heroes of old, you know - the great kings, the great generals - they all faced adversity from time to time.” Jezal looked up. He had almost forgotten that Bayaz was there. “Suffering is what gives a man strength, my boy, just as the steel most hammered turns out the hardest.”
Wow what a journey these characters had and I will say at the end of it I was beyond surprised with how it all turned out. With all they went through to get where they were going I didn’t expect the outcome and can’t wait to see what the band of brothers + Ferro will do now.
The Northmen and West
The Named men from the north have found a common ally against Bethod, but the crafty king has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and things might just get a little bloody.
”It was a bad day for men, all in all, and a good one for the ground. Always the way, after a battle. Only the ground wins.”
I was so upset with West at the end of The Blade Itself but seeing him in his new position and having to deal with the Prince and a few other circumstances I really began to like him again. He has practically redeemed himself to me and I honestly felt extremely bad for him at one point
But I like West and the Named men together and it seems they have a lot to teach each other.
The Rest of the Story
There was a lot going on in this and at the end of it and well to be honest, it seems hopeless for everyone. The deck is definitely stacked against them all and I’m not sure how they will win let alone survive the upcoming battles. There are so many players, old debts to be settled, new terrifying adversaries how many more will die???
That said I still can’t wait to see how everything plays out and I am crossing my fingers and hoping that at least of few of my favorite characters, if not all, will make it out alive.
Buddy Read of the next book cannot come soon enough.
Buddy read with Athena, Alexa, Ashley, Eon, Anasylvia and Michelle
The Blade Itself was a complete character study without a lot of plot, Before They Are Hanged has a little more plotting involved but for me it was still all about the characters. I travelled with them, I worried for them, I hoped for the best even in the midst of the worst and at the end I’m left wondering how they will ever get out of the complete mess they are all in.
Glotka
Strange how, with time, even the most terrible suffering of others can become . . . tedious
Glotcka has proved again what a complex character he is. Is he the misunderstood hero or is he the villain? I’m never quite sure myself. He can torture better than anyone but still it seems that he has a conscience and I love the inner dialogue he has. I look forward to his chapters because even though in so many ways he is awful he is also extremely clever and knows the true score. He might be dead as soon as the other players in this dangerous game he is playing. If he can’t keep on the right side of the people in power he will be the body floating in the docks. So he plays his part of the game better than anyone else and proves that just because you are horribly crippled the mind is a dangerous thing and being smart will save your ass more than a solid sword arm.
Logen and Ferro + the rest of the travelers (Bayaz, Jazel, Quai and Longfoot)
I ship Logen and Ferro so hard. Both are fierce warriors with horrible pasts. Again we get to see Logen and the burden he has carried by having Ninefingers as a traveler in his head. Logen is calm, smart and collected. He hands out great advice and seems like the true leader of the pack. But when 'The Bloody Nine' comes out to play no one is safe, even his allies.
Ferro, I just want to hug you, but you’d probably slit my throat if I tried. Learning about her past made me feel so much for her character. She is a feral beast to be sure but I loved the time she and Logen spent together and how close they became.
Jazel surprisingly has grown on me, all it took was a near brush with death and some real pain to make the boy grow up a bit. He might be a decent person after all and it just make me wonder what is Bayaz grooming the boy for.
‘Easy, now, and listen to me. It hurts, yes. Seems like more than you can take, but it isn’t. You think you’re going to die, but you won’t. Listen to me, because I’ve been there, and I know. Each minute. Each hour. Each day, it gets better.’
Bayaz is still a huge mystery to me and everyone else he is traveling with so I guess it is only fair I’m in the dark about his character as well. It seems that Quai has started to question his master a little more and the First Magi must tell stories of his past in order to convince the group that he is prepared and will not make the same mistakes again.
“All the great heroes of old, you know - the great kings, the great generals - they all faced adversity from time to time.” Jezal looked up. He had almost forgotten that Bayaz was there. “Suffering is what gives a man strength, my boy, just as the steel most hammered turns out the hardest.”
Wow what a journey these characters had and I will say at the end of it I was beyond surprised with how it all turned out. With all they went through to get where they were going I didn’t expect the outcome and can’t wait to see what the band of brothers + Ferro will do now.
The Northmen and West
The Named men from the north have found a common ally against Bethod, but the crafty king has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and things might just get a little bloody.
”It was a bad day for men, all in all, and a good one for the ground. Always the way, after a battle. Only the ground wins.”
I was so upset with West at the end of The Blade Itself but seeing him in his new position and having to deal with the Prince and a few other circumstances I really began to like him again. He has practically redeemed himself to me and I honestly felt extremely bad for him at one point
But I like West and the Named men together and it seems they have a lot to teach each other.
The Rest of the Story
There was a lot going on in this and at the end of it and well to be honest, it seems hopeless for everyone. The deck is definitely stacked against them all and I’m not sure how they will win let alone survive the upcoming battles. There are so many players, old debts to be settled, new terrifying adversaries how many more will die???
That said I still can’t wait to see how everything plays out and I am crossing my fingers and hoping that at least of few of my favorite characters, if not all, will make it out alive.
Buddy Read of the next book cannot come soon enough.
March 20, 2024
Superior Glokta has a city to defend.
The mage Bayaz leads his party to the West to get the magical Seed. The party consist of the most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union, Bayaz's apprentice and a well-travelled guide.
Crown Prince Ladisla is going to the war to get honour and fame only to find his death.
These are the three main storylines in the second book of the First Law Series.
I loved the book. It has everything that a good fantasy book must have: magic, courage, intrigue, honour, romance and battles, a lot of battles.
And, of course, I couldn't rate it with less than 5 stars.
The mage Bayaz leads his party to the West to get the magical Seed. The party consist of the most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union, Bayaz's apprentice and a well-travelled guide.
Crown Prince Ladisla is going to the war to get honour and fame only to find his death.
These are the three main storylines in the second book of the First Law Series.
I loved the book. It has everything that a good fantasy book must have: magic, courage, intrigue, honour, romance and battles, a lot of battles.
And, of course, I couldn't rate it with less than 5 stars.
April 10, 2017
The fun continues!!!
I give a high rating due to its page turning storytelling, dark humour, fight/battle scenes, and characters. Especially characters! There are new interesting characters made first appearance on this book.
But as book two of a trilogy serial, the plots are still far from finish. At least some questions/mysteries from book one are answered on this book.
I give a high rating due to its page turning storytelling, dark humour, fight/battle scenes, and characters. Especially characters! There are new interesting characters made first appearance on this book.
But as book two of a trilogy serial, the plots are still far from finish. At least some questions/mysteries from book one are answered on this book.
July 14, 2019
Arguably even better than the previous instalment, Before They Are Hanged is another suspenseful, action-packed, intrigue-filled piece of entertainment. This is far from high-level literature, but it's a damn good fantasy series.
Inquisitor Glokta's difficulties practically ruling a besieged city, the woes of good old West in saving a military campaign from a spectacularly incompetent commander, and our dear party of adventurers venturing forth into the ruins of the Old Empire to dig up some forgotten mysteries - all compelling stories setting up everything wonderfully for a grand finale.
Inquisitor Glokta's difficulties practically ruling a besieged city, the woes of good old West in saving a military campaign from a spectacularly incompetent commander, and our dear party of adventurers venturing forth into the ruins of the Old Empire to dig up some forgotten mysteries - all compelling stories setting up everything wonderfully for a grand finale.
November 8, 2021
Quest
The world-building from Joe Abercrombie is outstanding, and Before They Are Hanged takes the incredible adventures from the first book to a new level. The battle scenes feel real, they are brutal, unflinching and vividly drawn, just to let you know there is a lot at stake. The sense of expanse widens as the adventures spread to the ends of the world. The array of characters is further developed, with ranging details that create a variety of personalities that gel and conflict with intriguing unpredictability.
Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a band of adventurers on a dangerous mission to distant lands. The most hated and deadly woman in the South, Ferro, the most feared man in the North, Logan Ninefingers, and the most selfish boy in the Union, Jezel, make a strange alliance. Their ability to inflict severe damage to opponents contrasts with their loyalty and deeply rooted sense of justice. As a band of warriors, their cohesion and diversities continue to captivate. We get to see deeper into their nature, and the subtle charisma with several is surprising.
Several other characters are intriguing, including Glokta, the Inquisitor. Having to defend his city, knowing it is full of traitors that he must root out. Glokta is a fascinating character, a role that inflicts torture, yet he knows failure could mean his execution. He can trust no one, and many would like to see the end of him. As an intelligent man, he knows the precarious path he treads, and within his own complexity, he doesn't act consistently with a steady hand and a happy heart. Right and wrong cannot be attributed to one side alone.
Before They Are Hanged is a fantastic fantasy adventure full of wonderfully drawn characters, a landscape that comes alive, and a ridiculously imaginative plot. I would highly recommend this book and the whole First Law trilogy.
The world-building from Joe Abercrombie is outstanding, and Before They Are Hanged takes the incredible adventures from the first book to a new level. The battle scenes feel real, they are brutal, unflinching and vividly drawn, just to let you know there is a lot at stake. The sense of expanse widens as the adventures spread to the ends of the world. The array of characters is further developed, with ranging details that create a variety of personalities that gel and conflict with intriguing unpredictability.
Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a band of adventurers on a dangerous mission to distant lands. The most hated and deadly woman in the South, Ferro, the most feared man in the North, Logan Ninefingers, and the most selfish boy in the Union, Jezel, make a strange alliance. Their ability to inflict severe damage to opponents contrasts with their loyalty and deeply rooted sense of justice. As a band of warriors, their cohesion and diversities continue to captivate. We get to see deeper into their nature, and the subtle charisma with several is surprising.
Several other characters are intriguing, including Glokta, the Inquisitor. Having to defend his city, knowing it is full of traitors that he must root out. Glokta is a fascinating character, a role that inflicts torture, yet he knows failure could mean his execution. He can trust no one, and many would like to see the end of him. As an intelligent man, he knows the precarious path he treads, and within his own complexity, he doesn't act consistently with a steady hand and a happy heart. Right and wrong cannot be attributed to one side alone.
Before They Are Hanged is a fantastic fantasy adventure full of wonderfully drawn characters, a landscape that comes alive, and a ridiculously imaginative plot. I would highly recommend this book and the whole First Law trilogy.
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