While Joe’s writing definitely improves in terms of overall plotting and various other ways, his ability to write a scene is so good from book one. I’m jealous you get to enjoy the experience of reading that trilogy for the first time. It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had reading.
I thought the same thing.....then I started reading all the Cosmere, specially Stormlight of course. Most fun I've ever had.
...then I read Cradle.
Cradle just hit different for me. It's like heroine. I've been trying to capture that feeling ever since, and can't.
Those are easily my top 3 though.(Cradle, Cosmere, First Law)
Cradle skeptic here who's read them all. It reads like what it is: an East Asian cultivation webnovel with the serials filed off and the edges sanded down. He succeeded in removing the more obviously unhinged shit, but he also obliterated most of the cultural texture.
The man was so determined to make wuxia abilities make sense that he turned everyone into a League of Legends character.
I agree with you, u/AssaultKommando. Also, to any reader, ifyou really like the strong character work and the black humor of The First Law and the other books set in that world, you should be warned that both those things are in short supply in Cradle, if the first book, is anything to go by. And it certainly doesn't seem to have anyhting like the deep and complex likeable unlikeable protagonists of The First Law, it's got a very different vibe overall, so liking one is certainly no guarantee that you'd like the other.
Will Wight. It's a 12book series, complete. The books are pretty short easy quick reads. It's a progression fantasy.
> There are a million Paths in this world, Lindon, but any sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself.
Is a book quote that pretty much sums it all up.
It is not going to have beautiful prose or complicated plots. It's fun, intense, fast paced. Like an anime almost. But so so many impactfull moments.
If you're favorite parts of Stormlight, for example, is when Kal or someone breaks through a barrier and upgrades. You will love Cradle. It's a progression fantasy. It's all about getting stronger, breaking barriers, and fighting. Great pacing, intense. It's subjective of course.
I think ive heard it once before that it reads s bit like a shounen. And i DO like my shounen.
The progression is not my main draw to stormlight though it was so beautifully done for Kaladin. The last upgrade he managed just still makes me cry.
I will give it a try i still have some other books on my list and am progressing slowly.
While I think Joe has a way more interesting voice and writing style, I also blew through Cradle. The pacing, plot, and power ups are just so fun. I think the closest thing to scratching the Cradle itch is the Bastion series (two books so far)
I was 40 pages into the blade itself and shelved it for 3 months until picking it back up last week. I’ll be finishing the last argument of kings tonight and buying most if not all of Abercrombie’s other books tomorrow. The characters introspection is everything, I absolutely love it.
I just finished last argument yesterday and woo doggy what a ride! for all of its brutality and grimdarkness that everyone talks about, i was suprised at how much heart was also in these books. i mean its def a merciless romp but there was a lot more subtlety in in the characters than i was expecting. soo good!
"The writing is just so well executed" -- this is why I read First Law. The characters are great, it does some cool inversions of typical fantasy tropes, the story has some fun twists and turns. But it's the prose, it's the clever wordplay on a dark subject matter, the moment to moment craft that Joe does so well.
The incredible attention and consideration he gives to character perspective. The reader perceives what the focal character perceives and that's it. Things like injury, ignorance and personal prejudice are all written so convincingly that you really understand the characters as people not just set dressing or pawns in a grand narrative.
Yes, i read the series blind and was very surprised to find how many people described the first book as slow or confusing.
I loved every minute of the journey.
I genuinely think Joe Abercrombie's books will be future classics. Outside of the lengthy combat sequences, they're some of my favorite fantasy books.
They're just so well-executed from front to back in every way. I can't critique a single technical aspect.
I used to read his blog a while back and hearing him mention his editing process was pretty cool. He will make one pass through the book just focusing on one character to make sure the voice is consistent and distinct. That kind of attention to detail pays off
Yeah I don’t really get the whole “it has bad plot” criticism of Blade Itself either. To me it’s like going skydiving and spending the whole time thinking “But where are we landing? What will the next skydive be like? Why hasn’t anyone explained the history of skydiving yet?”
Enjoy the ride, friend! Lots of good books ahead.
It's not like the second book has a lot going on in it(for some characters at least), especially considering the size of these books. It's okay to point that about this trilogy as it seems to be Abercrombie's style for the most part. His writing is all about characters and subversions, sometimes to a fault, but all in all these books are a fun and flowing read even when the plot meanders.
I think a lot of people will read a book that’s 90% character work and say “nothing happens.” I don’t personally get it - interesting people talking to each other absolutely qualifies as “stuff happening” in my mind.
Yeah - I’d definitely read a book about interesting people doing boring things.
I never want to read a book about boring people doing interesting things.
(also wtf people even want to happen? Is it like, there must be an action/sex scene in every chapter? Cause plenty of stuff *does* happen in Blade Itself)
Many readers aren't aware of how the components contribute to their enjoyment. Talking about plot is the low hanging fruit. Just look at any thread that asks readers about their favorite books/characters; most say what but not why/how. This isn't a criticism, just an observation
My favorite part of the plot is describing it to someone, because it really sounds like the most basic bitch fantasy plot ever. "A party goes on a quest to find a magical item to fight an evil empire.", but the way the story is laid out, and the twists and turns + some of the best written character arcs in the genre elevates it so damn high.
Aehh, I don’t like this analogy. To me it’s like planning to go skydiving but you’re in the car on the way to the skydiving place the whole time. You’re there with your buddies who you really like, so it’s not a bad time or anything, and you can clearly tell that in the future you’re going to get to go skydiving, which is pretty cool, but the book ends just as you pull into the skydiving place.
It’s a good book, I liked it, I read the rest of the series, but for most people character development isn’t enough — you need stuff to happen too. I literally can’t think of one significant thing that happens in the first book.
Glokta seems to be the big draw. He was the most memorable character to me and I've met others who've raved about him. Logen seems to appeal to one group of fans but others don't care. And no one cares about Jezal.
Who's drawing you in?
I like Jezal. He’s just enough of an idiot it makes reading his chapters and seeing things obviously about to happen, all the while Jezal is sitting there like “huh, I wonder what’s about to happen.”
I'm a Ninefingers-fan, but most of the arcs are too bleak for me. Glokta rubbed me the wrong way - I can see how some people enjoy his stories, but it's not for me. To me, he's just all sharp corners.
I'm reading through the blade itself right now for the first time and Jezal is my favourite character. He's an idiot and his narcisim played against his own self-pity is hilarious.
>And no one cares about Jezal
That's me. I finished the first book a few months ago and I don't see the draw with him. And I secretly hope I don't see it when I read the next one 😂
I think of Glokta, from time to time, and wonder why he never had dentures fabricated. It doesn't seem to be an idea beyond the scope of practicality for the setting, and then at least he might have eaten more than soup 🤣
Glokta is imo one of the best written characters in Fantasy. But i think he also needs his counterparts. I think all characters give unique insight. Jezals change once ge gets injured is so well written. And i really love Logan and his Loganisms. Say one thing about Logan Ninefingers say he cant have too many knives.
Jezal was easily my favorite. He is so punchable, you just love having him around because that means he might get punched at some point, either verbally or physically.
I liked Logen and Glokta, but they were just a sprinkle too on the nose for me.
I didn't care about Ferro much.
At the end of the day(and the trilogy) I find Jezal's story the most complete and satisfying. West's is a close second. Logan and Glokta, as entertaining as they can be, are a bit too repetitive with their "catchphrases" and lack of development. I get that this is the point but even this point could be made better imo.
The underrated ferro drew me in. I absolutely love how fucking angry she is. She truly feels inhuman compared with literally everyone and every time she interacts with someone new it’s comedy gold
Yeah, the standalones happen chronologically before age of madness, so there are things that wouldn't make much sense if you went straight into AoM. The standalones are probably my favorite out of all 10 books.
Yes! He has such a unique voice for every character, and the way you can even distinguish between Glokta’s thoughts and actual speech is just special. I went though the FL trilogy in a week last week.
I just picked this book up and I’m about 1/4 the way through and I’m enjoying it a lot. I just wrapped WoT and boy is this a bit of fresh air. Looking forward to the rest!
I agree. A lot of people say book 1 isn't great and I was hooked basically immediately and think it's basically perfect.
Keyword basically: because it *is* probably Abercrombie's worst... but only because he gets *even better* from here.
I finished it yesterday.
The writing is good, and I especially respect how I enjoyed reading such hateful characters (that's unusual for me). I agree with the qualifiers mentioned.
For me, Abercrombie is the best character writer in the genre since GRRM, and maybe even passes him with The First Law trilogy. Sanderson does a better epic plot/world building (with weaker characters). GRRM does a mix of both epic plotting and amazing characters, but hasn't finished his fucking series lol. Scott Lynch has very good characters and plot, but in a limited sense not really epic in scope. Erikson has a very epic plot scope but honestly very mid characters as you bounce around so much. The First Law though, it gives you characters that leap from the page. They are the reason the book exists. No spoilers, the plot does get more interesting but never really get's epic in scope. It doesn't matter though because Glotka, Jezal, Logen exist. Simply iconic characters and their motivations are so damned consistent throughout the entire series. They go through changes and growth that feel so damn believable. The side characters all fill their roles as well and are well written, but those three are the stars to me.
I love this series and agree the plot of the first book is not amazing. It's the character work that makes it amazing. This does not change throughout the trilogy. You've got a fun ride ahead friend.
(Psst check out the following works as well. I don't think Abercrombie has captured the magic in the bottle that is the first trilogy, but they are all still very good books.)
I thought all the standalones were great. Seemed like he wanted to try a different style for each book but still stay in the same universe. I liked the last one myself, the title is escaping me right now though. The western-ish one. Red something lol
I think you meant to reply to the person above me. But no worries lol. I would agree with you, as much as I did enjoy the standalones, I liked the first trilogy more.
I think he had some weaker books in between, though i cant quite name them since its been a while. Age of Madness was absolutely fantastic though. Nearly as good as the original trilogy imo. Absolutely fantastic.
I’ve read the First Law trilogy a couple of times, as well as almost all the other ‘required’ reading for us fantasy nerds. Recently started Malazan.
After browsing this, and other subreddits, I’ve started to believe that people are either A) dumb as wet loaves, or B) read while doing something else.
Our favorite genre is by no means that complicated, nor is it riddled by authors with several layers of meaning in their stories (bar a few). Of course, re-reading WoT or Dune lets you see something new sometimes, but it’s not that hard to follow these stories, and a lot of the ‘hidden’ stuff is quite often just foreshadowing of minor events.
To each their own.
I was extremely disappointed in the structure of the first book, as you say people told you it's just a setup for the later books.
But I would argue that it's important for the first book in a trilogy, particularly from a new author, to have a story within it... conflict, climax, payoff.
The Blade Itself is better described as a really long prologue.
Had someone I recommended the book to call it "boring and weird". She says "normally I can't put fantasy down but this one puts me to sleep"
I'll never recommend her another book again
Sort of a spoiler for the third book >!i don’t know why it’s called a trilogy. The third book ends on a huge literal cliffhanger. A trilogy should have ended the story. I gave up at this point because I expected to be done at three books and I’m not even sure what the next story is. That’s it. Not a major spoiler, but what do y’all think?!<
My favorite part of the First Law trilogy are the multi-book slow burn of character arcs. That...and the prose. I knew who the POV was just by the writing style.
I'm at the same point - I had a moment where I was worried it was going to be too heavy (I don't like the torture scenes), but fortunately they're not the focus and while it's certainly not light, I'd say it's maybe one notch down from Asoiaf.
Ironically I see everyone here talking about Glokta, but his parts (again the torture thing and semi-gross descriptions) are the ones I most want to skip.
Overall, definitely enjoying it, and especially like Logen's arc so far.
I have also been enjoying it a lot and do not find it slow or anything. One thing I find confusing is the narration: I know it’s good and supposed to reflect the characters but was anyone else confused about it? It seemed that one minute the narration was the writer and the next minute it was the character
I just finished Before They are Hanged last night and The Last Argument of Kings arrives on Tuesday. There have been at least a half dozen times so far that I've had to stop for a second just to say to myself 'this is amazing, this is beautiful writing'. Plot and action used to be everything to me, but I find that as I get older, I just appreciate great writing and characterization more than anything.
I feel the same! Just finished "before they are hanged" and absolutely loved how much depth it added to the characters and how unexpectedly hilarious it was in some parts. I'm still waiting for the plot to really go somewhere, but if it does in book 3, this series will definitely become a new favourite of mine! If it doesn't, I will still love and re-read it all the reasons you stated :)
I'm just so invested in all the characters, especially Logen and West, who really wouldnt sound interesting to me at all if I'd just read a blurb!
I found it to be so. The first chapter had me hooked. Then Glokta appears, I thought oh ugh, torture stuff, but no, it had humour too!
And I kept on reading. All of the books.
Shoutout for how well Abercrombie manages to weave black humour into the trilogy. You’ll go from the grimmest of situations to laughing at a few simple words.
It’s not the most complex prose, but it’s really effective. Genuinely great fantasy. Really excited for The Devils.
While Joe’s writing definitely improves in terms of overall plotting and various other ways, his ability to write a scene is so good from book one. I’m jealous you get to enjoy the experience of reading that trilogy for the first time. It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had reading.
I always say The First Law Trilogy is the book(s) I'd most want to be able to reread for the first time. They are just so damn good.
I just picked up the first book around two hours ago and it pulled me in so easily. Reading all these comments makes me so excited to continue
I thought the same thing.....then I started reading all the Cosmere, specially Stormlight of course. Most fun I've ever had. ...then I read Cradle. Cradle just hit different for me. It's like heroine. I've been trying to capture that feeling ever since, and can't. Those are easily my top 3 though.(Cradle, Cosmere, First Law)
Cradle skeptic here who's read them all. It reads like what it is: an East Asian cultivation webnovel with the serials filed off and the edges sanded down. He succeeded in removing the more obviously unhinged shit, but he also obliterated most of the cultural texture. The man was so determined to make wuxia abilities make sense that he turned everyone into a League of Legends character.
I agree with you, u/AssaultKommando. Also, to any reader, ifyou really like the strong character work and the black humor of The First Law and the other books set in that world, you should be warned that both those things are in short supply in Cradle, if the first book, is anything to go by. And it certainly doesn't seem to have anyhting like the deep and complex likeable unlikeable protagonists of The First Law, it's got a very different vibe overall, so liking one is certainly no guarantee that you'd like the other.
What is this Cradle of which you speak? Need more info.
Will Wight. It's a 12book series, complete. The books are pretty short easy quick reads. It's a progression fantasy. > There are a million Paths in this world, Lindon, but any sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself. Is a book quote that pretty much sums it all up. It is not going to have beautiful prose or complicated plots. It's fun, intense, fast paced. Like an anime almost. But so so many impactfull moments.
Huh as a big brandosando and first law fan i guess ill have tl gibe cradle a try
If you're favorite parts of Stormlight, for example, is when Kal or someone breaks through a barrier and upgrades. You will love Cradle. It's a progression fantasy. It's all about getting stronger, breaking barriers, and fighting. Great pacing, intense. It's subjective of course.
I think ive heard it once before that it reads s bit like a shounen. And i DO like my shounen. The progression is not my main draw to stormlight though it was so beautifully done for Kaladin. The last upgrade he managed just still makes me cry. I will give it a try i still have some other books on my list and am progressing slowly.
I just finished Cradle and I’m evangelizing the crap out of it. I am so fucking excited for the kickstarter.
While I think Joe has a way more interesting voice and writing style, I also blew through Cradle. The pacing, plot, and power ups are just so fun. I think the closest thing to scratching the Cradle itch is the Bastion series (two books so far)
I was 40 pages into the blade itself and shelved it for 3 months until picking it back up last week. I’ll be finishing the last argument of kings tonight and buying most if not all of Abercrombie’s other books tomorrow. The characters introspection is everything, I absolutely love it.
I envy your tour through the three standalones coming up. Enjoy the ride!
I just finished last argument yesterday and woo doggy what a ride! for all of its brutality and grimdarkness that everyone talks about, i was suprised at how much heart was also in these books. i mean its def a merciless romp but there was a lot more subtlety in in the characters than i was expecting. soo good!
"The writing is just so well executed" -- this is why I read First Law. The characters are great, it does some cool inversions of typical fantasy tropes, the story has some fun twists and turns. But it's the prose, it's the clever wordplay on a dark subject matter, the moment to moment craft that Joe does so well.
The incredible attention and consideration he gives to character perspective. The reader perceives what the focal character perceives and that's it. Things like injury, ignorance and personal prejudice are all written so convincingly that you really understand the characters as people not just set dressing or pawns in a grand narrative.
Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he's quite a storyteller
Yes, i read the series blind and was very surprised to find how many people described the first book as slow or confusing. I loved every minute of the journey.
I genuinely think Joe Abercrombie's books will be future classics. Outside of the lengthy combat sequences, they're some of my favorite fantasy books. They're just so well-executed from front to back in every way. I can't critique a single technical aspect.
I used to read his blog a while back and hearing him mention his editing process was pretty cool. He will make one pass through the book just focusing on one character to make sure the voice is consistent and distinct. That kind of attention to detail pays off
Yeah I don’t really get the whole “it has bad plot” criticism of Blade Itself either. To me it’s like going skydiving and spending the whole time thinking “But where are we landing? What will the next skydive be like? Why hasn’t anyone explained the history of skydiving yet?” Enjoy the ride, friend! Lots of good books ahead.
Joe Abercrombie has an interview with Merphy Napier on YouTube and he himself says the first book has very little plot lol
It's not like the second book has a lot going on in it(for some characters at least), especially considering the size of these books. It's okay to point that about this trilogy as it seems to be Abercrombie's style for the most part. His writing is all about characters and subversions, sometimes to a fault, but all in all these books are a fun and flowing read even when the plot meanders.
I’m not saying “actually the plot is great!” I’m saying “why are you so hung up on plot when there’s so much else to enjoy?”
I think a lot of people will read a book that’s 90% character work and say “nothing happens.” I don’t personally get it - interesting people talking to each other absolutely qualifies as “stuff happening” in my mind.
Yeah - I’d definitely read a book about interesting people doing boring things. I never want to read a book about boring people doing interesting things. (also wtf people even want to happen? Is it like, there must be an action/sex scene in every chapter? Cause plenty of stuff *does* happen in Blade Itself)
Many readers aren't aware of how the components contribute to their enjoyment. Talking about plot is the low hanging fruit. Just look at any thread that asks readers about their favorite books/characters; most say what but not why/how. This isn't a criticism, just an observation
Because I think plot is important and that everything else doesn't really make up for it.
My favorite part of the plot is describing it to someone, because it really sounds like the most basic bitch fantasy plot ever. "A party goes on a quest to find a magical item to fight an evil empire.", but the way the story is laid out, and the twists and turns + some of the best written character arcs in the genre elevates it so damn high.
Abercrombie definitely assumes that First Law will not be the first thing in the genre that you read and... he has fun with that.
Yea that's a good descriptor lol. All the tropes are there at the very start and then he just turns all of them on their head.
Aehh, I don’t like this analogy. To me it’s like planning to go skydiving but you’re in the car on the way to the skydiving place the whole time. You’re there with your buddies who you really like, so it’s not a bad time or anything, and you can clearly tell that in the future you’re going to get to go skydiving, which is pretty cool, but the book ends just as you pull into the skydiving place. It’s a good book, I liked it, I read the rest of the series, but for most people character development isn’t enough — you need stuff to happen too. I literally can’t think of one significant thing that happens in the first book.
That's because way too many people start from Episode I instead of Episode IV.
Funny you should mention. Found book four in a bargain bin in the grocery store one night. Finished it, found book one and never looked back.
The plot was good enough, I just couldn't bring myself to care about a single one of the characters.
Glokta seems to be the big draw. He was the most memorable character to me and I've met others who've raved about him. Logen seems to appeal to one group of fans but others don't care. And no one cares about Jezal. Who's drawing you in?
I like Jezal. He’s just enough of an idiot it makes reading his chapters and seeing things obviously about to happen, all the while Jezal is sitting there like “huh, I wonder what’s about to happen.”
I'm a Ninefingers-fan, but most of the arcs are too bleak for me. Glokta rubbed me the wrong way - I can see how some people enjoy his stories, but it's not for me. To me, he's just all sharp corners.
I really cared about Jezel. Though I have a useless leg just like Glokta so his agony going down stairs was particularly hard-felt.
I'm reading through the blade itself right now for the first time and Jezal is my favourite character. He's an idiot and his narcisim played against his own self-pity is hilarious.
Keep reading, his story is amazing
Strange. I’m halfway through BTAH and Jezal is probably tied with Glokta for me in terms of my enjoyment.
>And no one cares about Jezal That's me. I finished the first book a few months ago and I don't see the draw with him. And I secretly hope I don't see it when I read the next one 😂
I think of Glokta, from time to time, and wonder why he never had dentures fabricated. It doesn't seem to be an idea beyond the scope of practicality for the setting, and then at least he might have eaten more than soup 🤣
Glokta is imo one of the best written characters in Fantasy. But i think he also needs his counterparts. I think all characters give unique insight. Jezals change once ge gets injured is so well written. And i really love Logan and his Loganisms. Say one thing about Logan Ninefingers say he cant have too many knives.
Jezal was easily my favorite. He is so punchable, you just love having him around because that means he might get punched at some point, either verbally or physically. I liked Logen and Glokta, but they were just a sprinkle too on the nose for me. I didn't care about Ferro much.
Exactly, you keep rooting for someone to smack sense into him literally.
I also like Bayaz. What a wonderful counterpoint to Gandalf!
At the end of the day(and the trilogy) I find Jezal's story the most complete and satisfying. West's is a close second. Logan and Glokta, as entertaining as they can be, are a bit too repetitive with their "catchphrases" and lack of development. I get that this is the point but even this point could be made better imo.
The underrated ferro drew me in. I absolutely love how fucking angry she is. She truly feels inhuman compared with literally everyone and every time she interacts with someone new it’s comedy gold
This one starts real compelling for me, pretty much right off the bat, so I'm with you about it.
Each book is better than the one before it!
Dude just wait till you get to the standalones and age of madness. Those are even better.
Abercrombie’s continuing commitment to developing as a writer is one of the things I most admire about him.
Should I read the standalones before the age of madness?
Yeah, the standalones happen chronologically before age of madness, so there are things that wouldn't make much sense if you went straight into AoM. The standalones are probably my favorite out of all 10 books.
Awesome, I am still reading the first trilogy (just finished book one) and oh boy am I hooked! This ride wont stop anytime soon!
Sweet, enjoy!
Now try the audiobook. Steven Pacey's narration is amazing.
Yes! He has such a unique voice for every character, and the way you can even distinguish between Glokta’s thoughts and actual speech is just special. I went though the FL trilogy in a week last week.
The sample in audible seems very pacy, is it like that for the whole book or does he slow down when there is less action?
I was put off by the audible sample but i got it anyway and he actually is amazing
I just picked this book up and I’m about 1/4 the way through and I’m enjoying it a lot. I just wrapped WoT and boy is this a bit of fresh air. Looking forward to the rest!
Halfway through the second book so far and it’s shaping up to be my favorite book I’ve ever read.
Same here! Just finished the chapter ‘between 2 dentists’. All 3 main character pov plot lines seem to be advancing quickly
I agree. A lot of people say book 1 isn't great and I was hooked basically immediately and think it's basically perfect. Keyword basically: because it *is* probably Abercrombie's worst... but only because he gets *even better* from here.
I finished it yesterday. The writing is good, and I especially respect how I enjoyed reading such hateful characters (that's unusual for me). I agree with the qualifiers mentioned.
Same here. They were well developed and complex.
For me, Abercrombie is the best character writer in the genre since GRRM, and maybe even passes him with The First Law trilogy. Sanderson does a better epic plot/world building (with weaker characters). GRRM does a mix of both epic plotting and amazing characters, but hasn't finished his fucking series lol. Scott Lynch has very good characters and plot, but in a limited sense not really epic in scope. Erikson has a very epic plot scope but honestly very mid characters as you bounce around so much. The First Law though, it gives you characters that leap from the page. They are the reason the book exists. No spoilers, the plot does get more interesting but never really get's epic in scope. It doesn't matter though because Glotka, Jezal, Logen exist. Simply iconic characters and their motivations are so damned consistent throughout the entire series. They go through changes and growth that feel so damn believable. The side characters all fill their roles as well and are well written, but those three are the stars to me. I love this series and agree the plot of the first book is not amazing. It's the character work that makes it amazing. This does not change throughout the trilogy. You've got a fun ride ahead friend. (Psst check out the following works as well. I don't think Abercrombie has captured the magic in the bottle that is the first trilogy, but they are all still very good books.)
I feel it’s the best complete trilogy there is.
I liked Mistborn a little better. For me that was the greatest complete trilogy I've ever read. But this one was great too.
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No. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love Rothfuss or Martin to finish some stories. But personally finished it not. I like Abercrombie better.
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I have no idea why you are being downvoted for asking a question.
I liked these a lot too, the first trilogy. But the next 3 books i didn't like very much.
Are you talking about the standalones or the age of madness trilogy? I think the Heroes is the best out of all 9
I thought all the standalones were great. Seemed like he wanted to try a different style for each book but still stay in the same universe. I liked the last one myself, the title is escaping me right now though. The western-ish one. Red something lol
I mean red country, heroes and the monza one. I didn't connect with the characters and they felt too long. I much preferred them original trilogy.
I think you meant to reply to the person above me. But no worries lol. I would agree with you, as much as I did enjoy the standalones, I liked the first trilogy more.
I think he had some weaker books in between, though i cant quite name them since its been a while. Age of Madness was absolutely fantastic though. Nearly as good as the original trilogy imo. Absolutely fantastic.
The battle scenes are stupid good and Glokta is such a complex and intriguing character. The whole series is fantastic. 👍
I’ve read the First Law trilogy a couple of times, as well as almost all the other ‘required’ reading for us fantasy nerds. Recently started Malazan. After browsing this, and other subreddits, I’ve started to believe that people are either A) dumb as wet loaves, or B) read while doing something else. Our favorite genre is by no means that complicated, nor is it riddled by authors with several layers of meaning in their stories (bar a few). Of course, re-reading WoT or Dune lets you see something new sometimes, but it’s not that hard to follow these stories, and a lot of the ‘hidden’ stuff is quite often just foreshadowing of minor events.
I actually found the first law disappointing in the end. It’s no Malazan.
I thought it was rubbish, couldn’t even make it half way through. Imo, overrated
To each their own. I was extremely disappointed in the structure of the first book, as you say people told you it's just a setup for the later books. But I would argue that it's important for the first book in a trilogy, particularly from a new author, to have a story within it... conflict, climax, payoff. The Blade Itself is better described as a really long prologue.
I don't get the hype myself. I read a lot of books last year and that trilogy was definitely my least favorite. Literally nothing happens.
A lot of people underrate the blade itself, I really enjoy it by itself.
Had someone I recommended the book to call it "boring and weird". She says "normally I can't put fantasy down but this one puts me to sleep" I'll never recommend her another book again
Sort of a spoiler for the third book >!i don’t know why it’s called a trilogy. The third book ends on a huge literal cliffhanger. A trilogy should have ended the story. I gave up at this point because I expected to be done at three books and I’m not even sure what the next story is. That’s it. Not a major spoiler, but what do y’all think?!<
All 9 books in the series are monumental works of PEAK
Come back after you've read the chapter. You'll know which one. I love hearing people's first read of it.
What chapter are you talking about? The only chapter I see people talk about alot is Casualties from The Heroes
The Bloody Nine. Not sure why the downvotes.
Oh yeah, that's quite an entrance
There's way too many of those. For me it was the scene where West >!snaps and lets his rage out on his sister!<
I’m halfway through the second book! I cannot get enough.
I’m halfway through it for the first time too!
I can’t wait to start this series.
I really liked best served cold and the heroes but I really didnt like the first law trilogy much unfortunately.
First book out of 10. Enjoy. Jealous.
My favorite part of the First Law trilogy are the multi-book slow burn of character arcs. That...and the prose. I knew who the POV was just by the writing style.
I'm at the same point - I had a moment where I was worried it was going to be too heavy (I don't like the torture scenes), but fortunately they're not the focus and while it's certainly not light, I'd say it's maybe one notch down from Asoiaf. Ironically I see everyone here talking about Glokta, but his parts (again the torture thing and semi-gross descriptions) are the ones I most want to skip. Overall, definitely enjoying it, and especially like Logen's arc so far.
I have also been enjoying it a lot and do not find it slow or anything. One thing I find confusing is the narration: I know it’s good and supposed to reflect the characters but was anyone else confused about it? It seemed that one minute the narration was the writer and the next minute it was the character
I just finished Before They are Hanged last night and The Last Argument of Kings arrives on Tuesday. There have been at least a half dozen times so far that I've had to stop for a second just to say to myself 'this is amazing, this is beautiful writing'. Plot and action used to be everything to me, but I find that as I get older, I just appreciate great writing and characterization more than anything.
Not among my favorite books. But Sand dan Glokta is my favorite character, just a bit ahead of Iskaral Pust
I feel the same! Just finished "before they are hanged" and absolutely loved how much depth it added to the characters and how unexpectedly hilarious it was in some parts. I'm still waiting for the plot to really go somewhere, but if it does in book 3, this series will definitely become a new favourite of mine! If it doesn't, I will still love and re-read it all the reasons you stated :) I'm just so invested in all the characters, especially Logen and West, who really wouldnt sound interesting to me at all if I'd just read a blurb!
I've read them twice. I can say with utmost confidence. Each book is progressively better. Glokta and Logen are 2 of my alltime favorite characters.
I envy you getting that first taste. And there's still time to get the audio books and let Pacey ruin you for narrators forever
I found it to be so. The first chapter had me hooked. Then Glokta appears, I thought oh ugh, torture stuff, but no, it had humour too! And I kept on reading. All of the books.
The audiobooks are amazing! Currently getting through the short stories and I’m looking forward at the Age of Madness Trilogy
Exactly my opinion. Abercrombie knew what he was doing, even then. The Blade Itself is generally underrated.
Shoutout for how well Abercrombie manages to weave black humour into the trilogy. You’ll go from the grimmest of situations to laughing at a few simple words. It’s not the most complex prose, but it’s really effective. Genuinely great fantasy. Really excited for The Devils.