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The First Law #1-3
The First Law Trilogy
The three volume edition collecting:
The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
The Last Argument of Kings
The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
The Last Argument of Kings
1600 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2012
785 people are currently reading
7951 people want to read
About the author
Joe Abercrombie
98 books34.4k 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 393 reviews
May 20, 2013
I really loved this series.
Say one thing for the first law trilogy, say it's got really good catchphrases.
Say one thing for the first law trilogy, say it's got really good catchphrases.
August 21, 2020
The last book destroys the whole series for me. The first two books were decent, and I felt like they were building towards something interesting. However, the ending of the last book is so laughably bad, the first two books are rendered pointless and not worth reading.
Instead of using an easy, clichéd story book ending, the author took an equally lazy route by making every character and plotline end horribly. I think he meant to impress us with his "grittiness" and depth by avoiding the happy ending. Well done, except he just derails everything he had going by abruptly and arbitrarily selecting a crappy outcome for each character. The endings don't fit with the rest of the books at all.
SPOILERS: For instance, Jezal is clearly on a journey from spoiled brat to stately king... then he is jerked back to being a weak puppet. Bayaz is the fatherly wizard with a temper... and then he is suddenly just evil in the third book. Logen is on the path to becoming a good man... then he digs in and is evil despite tons of foreshadowing that his character is developing. This isn't gritty realism. This is lazy writing that thinks it's being clever.
The ending is just shockingly bad, and now I hate all three.
2020 Edit: I wrote this review in 2014, and read some responses just now, so I want to clarify my position. For the record, I have no problem with books where there isn't a happy ending. Some of the most interesting books have endings that don't go as the reader hopes or expects. Subverting expectations and dark endings can be clever and delightful.
My problem is the ending (good or bad) has to be BELIEVABLE. I have to buy it. This series spent the entirety of two books and three-quarters of the last book foreshadowing and demonstrating the character development of the protagonists. The end of the third book undoes all of that in a matter of pages, and does nothing to make me believe the ending is a plausible outcome.
That's why I called it lazy writing. In my opinion, the author didn't give the reader any reason to believe that their final behavior is consistent with everything he has told us about them. It all just came out of left field with no rhyme or reason. You can't foreshadow, foreshadow, foreshadow, and then just do the opposite and expect us to find it credible. The same goes for character development. If this twist ending happened with one character or plot line, fine, but it happened across the board. It left me scratching my head because he didn't write it in a way that made any of it believable. He didn't earn it. He didn't do the heavy lifting to undo the character development.
That's why I hated the last book so much. Not because it wasn't a "happy ending".
Instead of using an easy, clichéd story book ending, the author took an equally lazy route by making every character and plotline end horribly. I think he meant to impress us with his "grittiness" and depth by avoiding the happy ending. Well done, except he just derails everything he had going by abruptly and arbitrarily selecting a crappy outcome for each character. The endings don't fit with the rest of the books at all.
SPOILERS: For instance, Jezal is clearly on a journey from spoiled brat to stately king... then he is jerked back to being a weak puppet. Bayaz is the fatherly wizard with a temper... and then he is suddenly just evil in the third book. Logen is on the path to becoming a good man... then he digs in and is evil despite tons of foreshadowing that his character is developing. This isn't gritty realism. This is lazy writing that thinks it's being clever.
The ending is just shockingly bad, and now I hate all three.
2020 Edit: I wrote this review in 2014, and read some responses just now, so I want to clarify my position. For the record, I have no problem with books where there isn't a happy ending. Some of the most interesting books have endings that don't go as the reader hopes or expects. Subverting expectations and dark endings can be clever and delightful.
My problem is the ending (good or bad) has to be BELIEVABLE. I have to buy it. This series spent the entirety of two books and three-quarters of the last book foreshadowing and demonstrating the character development of the protagonists. The end of the third book undoes all of that in a matter of pages, and does nothing to make me believe the ending is a plausible outcome.
That's why I called it lazy writing. In my opinion, the author didn't give the reader any reason to believe that their final behavior is consistent with everything he has told us about them. It all just came out of left field with no rhyme or reason. You can't foreshadow, foreshadow, foreshadow, and then just do the opposite and expect us to find it credible. The same goes for character development. If this twist ending happened with one character or plot line, fine, but it happened across the board. It left me scratching my head because he didn't write it in a way that made any of it believable. He didn't earn it. He didn't do the heavy lifting to undo the character development.
That's why I hated the last book so much. Not because it wasn't a "happy ending".
August 30, 2021
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is grim dark fantasy, with morally grey characters who at least have one major flaw, and our mostly driven by the desire to survive rather than the intention to do what is 'good' or 'right', as we usually see in fantasy.
Abercrombie is known for his characters, and I would say deservedly so, and I would say he is a genius. He crafts characters who commit terrible acts, but makes them sympathetic, so they we still root for them despite their common wrongdoings. Characters like Logan are just incredible, as you see how his regrets weigh upon him, and his effort to be a better man, and how circumstance stops him from being so.
Abercrombie's writing style is magnificent. He alters his entire choice of vocabulary to enter the mind and vernacular of the perspective he is writing from, so that each figure we see the story from automatically becomes so unique and well-crafted, with a depth rarely achieved, whilst still seeming natural and assuming a fluid grace to the story.
It is one of the best series I have ever read, from start to finish. I'd go as far as to say that you NEED to read this, even if fantasy is not your go-to. It is far more than epic battles and magic. In fact there is little magic. It is character driven, with a great exploration of psychology, where Joe Abercrombie looks at the hamartia of humanity, and how flaws which resonate with us can be used to achieve or fail in extraordinary circumstances.
Abercrombie is known for his characters, and I would say deservedly so, and I would say he is a genius. He crafts characters who commit terrible acts, but makes them sympathetic, so they we still root for them despite their common wrongdoings. Characters like Logan are just incredible, as you see how his regrets weigh upon him, and his effort to be a better man, and how circumstance stops him from being so.
Abercrombie's writing style is magnificent. He alters his entire choice of vocabulary to enter the mind and vernacular of the perspective he is writing from, so that each figure we see the story from automatically becomes so unique and well-crafted, with a depth rarely achieved, whilst still seeming natural and assuming a fluid grace to the story.
It is one of the best series I have ever read, from start to finish. I'd go as far as to say that you NEED to read this, even if fantasy is not your go-to. It is far more than epic battles and magic. In fact there is little magic. It is character driven, with a great exploration of psychology, where Joe Abercrombie looks at the hamartia of humanity, and how flaws which resonate with us can be used to achieve or fail in extraordinary circumstances.
August 16, 2019
First read: 4th October 2016 - 15th October 2016
Reread: 2nd August 2019- 13th August 2019
Link to my full review of each book in the trilogy:
The Blade Itself: 4.5/5 stars
Before They Are Hanged: 5/5 stars
Last Argument of Kings: 5/5 stars
The First Law trilogy: 14.5/15 stars
Completely recommended for all fans of grimdark fantasy!
Reread: 2nd August 2019- 13th August 2019
Link to my full review of each book in the trilogy:
The Blade Itself: 4.5/5 stars
Before They Are Hanged: 5/5 stars
Last Argument of Kings: 5/5 stars
The First Law trilogy: 14.5/15 stars
Completely recommended for all fans of grimdark fantasy!
August 18, 2013
The First Law Trilogy probably ranks in my top five debut trilogies of all time. Joe Abercrombie hits the ground running-- this series is nowhere near novice level. It's slick, dark, wonderfully cynical, and has some of the best bash-you-in-the-face fight scenes I have ever read.
The plot is nothing original, mind you, but the characterization definitely is. Unlike much of the Sword and Sorcery fantasy, Abercrombie's characters are deeply personal for the ultimate reason that they are almost always completely self-absorbed. While Jezal, Glokta, Ninefingers and the rest are caught up in plots concerning the destruction/creation/start/end of the the republic/the universe/world as they know it, there is no worrying about saving the world in these novels. There is not much compassion, and Abercrombie disposes of pretty feelings like heroism and self-sacrifice altogether. Even better, he does away with all the black-and-white morality and gives us nothing but wonderful, shifting, twisted shades of gray.
Plot does get a little draggy and unfocused near the middle, but by that time I was so invested in the characters to care. Besides, Abercrombie ends the entire thing by spectacularly defying my expectations and going out with a bang (MILD SPOILER: or in one character's case, with a spectacular nosedive made even more spectacular by its relationship with the beginning of the series)
If you're sick and tired of noble characters agonizing over how to defeat the Dark Lord, give this one a try.
The plot is nothing original, mind you, but the characterization definitely is. Unlike much of the Sword and Sorcery fantasy, Abercrombie's characters are deeply personal for the ultimate reason that they are almost always completely self-absorbed. While Jezal, Glokta, Ninefingers and the rest are caught up in plots concerning the destruction/creation/start/end of the the republic/the universe/world as they know it, there is no worrying about saving the world in these novels. There is not much compassion, and Abercrombie disposes of pretty feelings like heroism and self-sacrifice altogether. Even better, he does away with all the black-and-white morality and gives us nothing but wonderful, shifting, twisted shades of gray.
Plot does get a little draggy and unfocused near the middle, but by that time I was so invested in the characters to care. Besides, Abercrombie ends the entire thing by spectacularly defying my expectations and going out with a bang (MILD SPOILER: or in one character's case, with a spectacular nosedive made even more spectacular by its relationship with the beginning of the series)
If you're sick and tired of noble characters agonizing over how to defeat the Dark Lord, give this one a try.
January 20, 2013
Wow, people are really polarized on this series; they seem to think it's either the greatest thing since sliced bread or it's utterly cliché and tiresome. I'll try to add my own small voice to the middle way and say that The First Law trilogy is neither of these things. Overall, First Law strikes me as a mildly original fantasy trilogy with some interesting world-building touches--- a geography vaguely reminiscent of Europe and Asia; a setting that isn't quite swords-and-horses medieval as Renaissance with its refined fencing and starched uniforms; a seemingly all-powerful Merlin figure ruling from the shadows-- oh wait, that last one is kind of cliché.
Seriously though, for the most part I enjoyed the crap out of this series. The writing is mostly cinematic and engaging, the characters have distinct personalities (so you never lose track of who is doing what, even though it is a massive cast), and the climactic urban battle sequence in the last book is totally satisfying and epic as hell. It's unfortunately rare that a fantasy writer can deliver a climax that lives up to its own hype, and the First Law's climax manages all this and more.
HOWEVER: This series is not without problems, in terms of writing style and exposition. Abercrombie seems to not have realized that we don't need to know everything a character is thinking via dialogue and interior thought. Actions are worth paragraphs of the interior monologues that he often loads his characters down with, especially Glokta--- which is a shame, as he is otherwise one of the more interesting characters I've encountered in fantasy fiction. I could also have done without the clunky ancient history backstory that Abercrombie delivers through Bayaz: okay, I get that the world is ancient and there used to be demons and magic talismans scattered everywhere. It's interesting world-building, but the writer could have weaved hints of the history into the plot much more adroitly to more satisfying effect.
Finally, the ending of the 3rd book actively pissed me off. Not the climactic epic battle; not the loose ends section, or even the overly exposition-y part where "all is revealed". The last ten pages. [WARNING: HUGE SPOILERS] I came all this way with the character of Logen Ninefingers because I was interested in his development and what was going to happen to him, and the only thing Abercrombie can think of to finish the story is to reuse the same "cliffhanger" he used to begin the trilogy!? Some people might consider this circular narrative to be a brilliant twist, but to me it's just lazy writing. A writer should be able to wrap up a story that took THREE BOOKS to tell with something more satisfying than yet another cliffhanger.
Seriously though, for the most part I enjoyed the crap out of this series. The writing is mostly cinematic and engaging, the characters have distinct personalities (so you never lose track of who is doing what, even though it is a massive cast), and the climactic urban battle sequence in the last book is totally satisfying and epic as hell. It's unfortunately rare that a fantasy writer can deliver a climax that lives up to its own hype, and the First Law's climax manages all this and more.
HOWEVER: This series is not without problems, in terms of writing style and exposition. Abercrombie seems to not have realized that we don't need to know everything a character is thinking via dialogue and interior thought. Actions are worth paragraphs of the interior monologues that he often loads his characters down with, especially Glokta--- which is a shame, as he is otherwise one of the more interesting characters I've encountered in fantasy fiction. I could also have done without the clunky ancient history backstory that Abercrombie delivers through Bayaz: okay, I get that the world is ancient and there used to be demons and magic talismans scattered everywhere. It's interesting world-building, but the writer could have weaved hints of the history into the plot much more adroitly to more satisfying effect.
Finally, the ending of the 3rd book actively pissed me off. Not the climactic epic battle; not the loose ends section, or even the overly exposition-y part where "all is revealed". The last ten pages. [WARNING: HUGE SPOILERS] I came all this way with the character of Logen Ninefingers because I was interested in his development and what was going to happen to him, and the only thing Abercrombie can think of to finish the story is to reuse the same "cliffhanger" he used to begin the trilogy!? Some people might consider this circular narrative to be a brilliant twist, but to me it's just lazy writing. A writer should be able to wrap up a story that took THREE BOOKS to tell with something more satisfying than yet another cliffhanger.
July 17, 2020
We all got our reasons...good men and bad men. It's all a matter of where you stand
بربري(همجي!) بماضي أقل ما يقال عنه أنه أسود و دموي و ممكن نقول حظه كويس لحد دلوقتي بس لامتى ده السؤال.. و بسببه ناس كتير ماتت،سيرته و حكاياته دائمًا متوصله بالدم فسؤال هل من الممكن لشخص زي ده يحصل على حياة آمنه و طبيعية بعد كل ده..
I’ve fought ten single combats and I won them all, but I fought on the wrong side and for all the wrong reasons. I’ve been ruthless, and brutal, and a coward. I’ve stabbed men in the back, burned them, drowned them, crushed them with rocks, killed them asleep, unarmed, or running away. I’ve run away myself more than once. I’ve pissed myself with fear. I’ve begged for my life. I’ve been wounded, often, and badly, and screamed and cried like a baby whose mother took her tit away. I’ve no doubt the world would be a better place if I’d been killed years ago, but I haven’t been, and I don’t know why.
شخصية نرجسية بامتياز فاكر أن العالم بيدور حوله يحلم بالبطولة بس الحرب على الأبواب و قوانين الحرب غير قوانين مسابقات القتال فهل هيعرف يتحمل و لا كل ده منظر و هو من جوها حاجه تانية...
He wiped his face, and then—his favorite part of the day—gazed at himself in the looking glass.
بطل حربي قديم و قائد، عُذب فأصبح مُعذب يكره كل شيء، ولكنه محترف في نزع الاعترافات من الأبرياء قبل المدانين و سؤال واحد بس بيشغل باله أنا ليه بعمل كده..
Every man has his excuses, and the viler the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. What is my story now, I wonder?
ساحر قادم بعد مدة طويلة جدًا عنده مشكلة عصبي شويه و غضبه عرفيًا ممكن يمحيك من على الأرض فسؤال هو ظهر ليه دلوقتي و عاوز ايه و ليه بيجمع ناس و بيدور على ايه ..
Power makes all things right. That is my first law, and my last. That is the only law that I acknowledge
عبدة و حررت نفسها و دلوقتي مفيش في دماغها غير الانتقام من كل إلي جعلها عبدة لو بكده هتقتل شعب كامل.. فيترى انتقامها هيوصل لحد فين و هل هتحقق..
Fucking pinks!
شخص من العوام أصبح بطل مسابقات و من ثم من الجيش الخاص للملك و أمامه مستقبل كبير لكن مع نسبة و عائلة ممكن يوصل بالترقي لحد فين و هل هيضحي عشان يوصل..
7 في الشمال عشان تعيش لازم تحالفات و ديمًا تكون مستعد ،الخطر في كل مكان فرقة كلها رجال ملقبين من أشهر الفرقة و أكثر الفرقة رعبًا مش واقفين مع المللك الملقب بملك الشمال و ده مخليهم هربانين و مطاردين فيترى لحد متى ممكن يفضلة مكملين حياتهم كده و المهمل لمتى عيشين..
Damn it, but he needed to piss. Always did, at a time like this. Dogman
ده وصف بسيط و مخل بسنبة 99% لأبطال الرواية الرئيسين و زي ما هو واضح مفيش في القصة ديه أبطال ملائكين بيروحوا ينقذوا الأميرة على حصان أبيض كله فيه جانب جيد و جانب سيء و السؤال مين فيهم الجانب الأهم و هل المحيط مؤثر فينا ولا الواحد بياخد قراراته فعلًأ بنفسه..
نيجي للقصة نفسها مفيش قصة محدده للرواية –أو هيكون بس هحرق الأحداث- بس في الثلاثية فيه من كله حرب، خيانة، حرب، حب، جرائم حرب، قتل ،حرب سحرة شياطين، حرب،و جانب اخر، حرب ،صداقة استكشاف و مغامرات، حرب، استجوابات... و مين الصح في الاخر و حرب تاني..
الرواية أو الثلاثية فيها من كله و بتناقش أشياء كتير، منها فكرة القوة و هي في أيد مين فعلًا القوي ولا صاحب المال ولا لازم الأتنين،السيطرة،و اختيارات الشخص و هل مجبر عليها ولا حر،الحرب و إلي بتعمله الحرب في الناس و الجنود و إنها مش مجرد بطولة و خلاص، الزمن و التاريخ و دو��انه و التغير و هل فعلًا ممكن التغير و هل الحب أهم ولا المصلحة و نظرة حول يعني ايه هو التقدم و مين المتقدم، العنصرية بين البشر المختلفين و من منطقة لمنطقة و حاجات كتير تانيه بس ده بس إلي أنا فكرة دلوقتي..
الثلاثية تحفه بمعني الكلمة و أسلوبها رائع..
الشخصيات في الرواية مفيش كلام من أحسن الشخصيات إلي مممكن أكون قرائتها، كل شخصية واضحه و مع الوقت مممكن تعرف الشخصية ديه هتعمل ايه من كتر ما أنت فهمتها...
رسم العالم يمكن مش أفضل شيء في الروايات بس هيظل جيد و خادم جدًا لأسلوب الكاتب.
النهاية تحفه بس في شخصيات عاوز أعرف عنهم أكتر بس كفكرة عبقرية..
في أغنية من فيلم اسمه أوقات فراغ – ايه جاب فيلم عن مشاكل شباب لعالم خيالي معرفش الدماغ و زي متجيب- بتوصف شكل أو رؤية للرواية أنا شيفها الصراحة :
بنلف فى دواير والدنيا تلف بينا
دايما ننتهي لمطرح ما ابتدينا
طيور الفجر تايهة في عتمة المدينة
بتدور
....
ساكنين فى عالم يعشق الخطر
فيه الطيور تهرب من الشجر
وتهرب النجوم من القمر
وتهرب الوجوه من الصور
بنلف في دواير ندور على الأمان
ونلائينا رجعنا تانى لنفس المكان
ساكنين فى عالم يعشق الخطر
فيه الطيور تهرب من الشجر
وتهرب النجوم من القمر
وتهرب الوجوه من الصور
بنلف في دواير ندور على الأمان
ونلائينا رجعنا تانى لنفس المكان
ندور ندور ندور
نحلم ونحلم بالحياة المفرحة
واتارى أحلامنا بلا أجنحة بلا أجنحة
ندور ندور ندور بجناح حزين مكسور
ساعات نشوف في العتمة وساعات نتوه فى النور
ساعات عيوننا بالأسى تفرح وساعات فى ساعة الفرح منوحة
...
ولا حاضر ولا ماضي
تروس بتلف ع الفاضي
و بس كده..
الرواية/الثلاثية رائعة،و الكاتب كويس جدًا و أكيد هقراءة ليه تاني..
Round and round in circles we go, clutching at successes that we never grasp, endlessly tripping over the same old failures. Truly, life is the misery we endure between disappointments.
بربري(همجي!) بماضي أقل ما يقال عنه أنه أسود و دموي و ممكن نقول حظه كويس لحد دلوقتي بس لامتى ده السؤال.. و بسببه ناس كتير ماتت،سيرته و حكاياته دائمًا متوصله بالدم فسؤال هل من الممكن لشخص زي ده يحصل على حياة آمنه و طبيعية بعد كل ده..
I’ve fought ten single combats and I won them all, but I fought on the wrong side and for all the wrong reasons. I’ve been ruthless, and brutal, and a coward. I’ve stabbed men in the back, burned them, drowned them, crushed them with rocks, killed them asleep, unarmed, or running away. I’ve run away myself more than once. I’ve pissed myself with fear. I’ve begged for my life. I’ve been wounded, often, and badly, and screamed and cried like a baby whose mother took her tit away. I’ve no doubt the world would be a better place if I’d been killed years ago, but I haven’t been, and I don’t know why.
شخصية نرجسية بامتياز فاكر أن العالم بيدور حوله يحلم بالبطولة بس الحرب على الأبواب و قوانين الحرب غير قوانين مسابقات القتال فهل هيعرف يتحمل و لا كل ده منظر و هو من جوها حاجه تانية...
He wiped his face, and then—his favorite part of the day—gazed at himself in the looking glass.
بطل حربي قديم و قائد، عُذب فأصبح مُعذب يكره كل شيء، ولكنه محترف في نزع الاعترافات من الأبرياء قبل المدانين و سؤال واحد بس بيشغل باله أنا ليه بعمل كده..
Every man has his excuses, and the viler the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. What is my story now, I wonder?
ساحر قادم بعد مدة طويلة جدًا عنده مشكلة عصبي شويه و غضبه عرفيًا ممكن يمحيك من على الأرض فسؤال هو ظهر ليه دلوقتي و عاوز ايه و ليه بيجمع ناس و بيدور على ايه ..
Power makes all things right. That is my first law, and my last. That is the only law that I acknowledge
عبدة و حررت نفسها و دلوقتي مفيش في دماغها غير الانتقام من كل إلي جعلها عبدة لو بكده هتقتل شعب كامل.. فيترى انتقامها هيوصل لحد فين و هل هتحقق..
Fucking pinks!
شخص من العوام أصبح بطل مسابقات و من ثم من الجيش الخاص للملك و أمامه مستقبل كبير لكن مع نسبة و عائلة ممكن يوصل بالترقي لحد فين و هل هيضحي عشان يوصل..
7 في الشمال عشان تعيش لازم تحالفات و ديمًا تكون مستعد ،الخطر في كل مكان فرقة كلها رجال ملقبين من أشهر الفرقة و أكثر الفرقة رعبًا مش واقفين مع المللك الملقب بملك الشمال و ده مخليهم هربانين و مطاردين فيترى لحد متى ممكن يفضلة مكملين حياتهم كده و المهمل لمتى عيشين..
Damn it, but he needed to piss. Always did, at a time like this. Dogman
ده وصف بسيط و مخل بسنبة 99% لأبطال الرواية الرئيسين و زي ما هو واضح مفيش في القصة ديه أبطال ملائكين بيروحوا ينقذوا الأميرة على حصان أبيض كله فيه جانب جيد و جانب سيء و السؤال مين فيهم الجانب الأهم و هل المحيط مؤثر فينا ولا الواحد بياخد قراراته فعلًأ بنفسه..
نيجي للقصة نفسها مفيش قصة محدده للرواية –أو هيكون بس هحرق الأحداث- بس في الثلاثية فيه من كله حرب، خيانة، حرب، حب، جرائم حرب، قتل ،حرب سحرة شياطين، حرب،و جانب اخر، حرب ،صداقة استكشاف و مغامرات، حرب، استجوابات... و مين الصح في الاخر و حرب تاني..
الرواية أو الثلاثية فيها من كله و بتناقش أشياء كتير، منها فكرة القوة و هي في أيد مين فعلًا القوي ولا صاحب المال ولا لازم الأتنين،السيطرة،و اختيارات الشخص و هل مجبر عليها ولا حر،الحرب و إلي بتعمله الحرب في الناس و الجنود و إنها مش مجرد بطولة و خلاص، الزمن و التاريخ و دو��انه و التغير و هل فعلًا ممكن التغير و هل الحب أهم ولا المصلحة و نظرة حول يعني ايه هو التقدم و مين المتقدم، العنصرية بين البشر المختلفين و من منطقة لمنطقة و حاجات كتير تانيه بس ده بس إلي أنا فكرة دلوقتي..
الثلاثية تحفه بمعني الكلمة و أسلوبها رائع..
الشخصيات في الرواية مفيش كلام من أحسن الشخصيات إلي مممكن أكون قرائتها، كل شخصية واضحه و مع الوقت مممكن تعرف الشخصية ديه هتعمل ايه من كتر ما أنت فهمتها...
رسم العالم يمكن مش أفضل شيء في الروايات بس هيظل جيد و خادم جدًا لأسلوب الكاتب.
النهاية تحفه بس في شخصيات عاوز أعرف عنهم أكتر بس كفكرة عبقرية..
في أغنية من فيلم اسمه أوقات فراغ – ايه جاب فيلم عن مشاكل شباب لعالم خيالي معرفش الدماغ و زي متجيب- بتوصف شكل أو رؤية للرواية أنا شيفها الصراحة :
بنلف فى دواير والدنيا تلف بينا
دايما ننتهي لمطرح ما ابتدينا
طيور الفجر تايهة في عتمة المدينة
بتدور
....
ساكنين فى عالم يعشق الخطر
فيه الطيور تهرب من الشجر
وتهرب النجوم من القمر
وتهرب الوجوه من الصور
بنلف في دواير ندور على الأمان
ونلائينا رجعنا تانى لنفس المكان
ساكنين فى عالم يعشق الخطر
فيه الطيور تهرب من الشجر
وتهرب النجوم من القمر
وتهرب الوجوه من الصور
بنلف في دواير ندور على الأمان
ونلائينا رجعنا تانى لنفس المكان
ندور ندور ندور
نحلم ونحلم بالحياة المفرحة
واتارى أحلامنا بلا أجنحة بلا أجنحة
ندور ندور ندور بجناح حزين مكسور
ساعات نشوف في العتمة وساعات نتوه فى النور
ساعات عيوننا بالأسى تفرح وساعات فى ساعة الفرح منوحة
...
ولا حاضر ولا ماضي
تروس بتلف ع الفاضي
و بس كده..
الرواية/الثلاثية رائعة،و الكاتب كويس جدًا و أكيد هقراءة ليه تاني..
Round and round in circles we go, clutching at successes that we never grasp, endlessly tripping over the same old failures. Truly, life is the misery we endure between disappointments.
August 5, 2014
Why 3 stars (and not 4 or even 5) ? Just because the third book was so depressing and honestly, a bit boring. Yes, I was bored. Mostly with the repetitions : yes, I understand that when someone "goes to the mud, they'll be burried and then they'll rot. Yes, I know that Glokta is in pain (bloody leg, bloody arse, bloody neck, bloody tasteless food, bloody gums...) *sigh* But I was also bored with the characters development. Or should I say their non-development ? Or their going-down-again ? There was the faintest glimmer of hope in the second book.
Faintest...and short lived.
I'm not against "darkness" now and then and I don't care about happy endings. But this ?
I wish I had given a higher rating (considering how good the first 2 books were) but I just couldn't (considering how darker-than-this-and-I-might-have-died the 3rd book was).
I'm glad I've read this trilogy though...
...Even if I know I will not put it on my to-re-read list.
Faintest...and short lived.
I'm not against "darkness" now and then and I don't care about happy endings. But this ?
I wish I had given a higher rating (considering how good the first 2 books were) but I just couldn't (considering how darker-than-this-and-I-might-have-died the 3rd book was).
I'm glad I've read this trilogy though...
...Even if I know I will not put it on my to-re-read list.
March 5, 2025
After finishing and duly appreciating Sharp Ends, I've prioritized this trilogy on my TBR list and I'm not disappointed by my choice: what a good book it was, filled to the brim with unforgettable characters and with a complex, well designed and masterfully written story arc. If I really have to find a negative aspect, it is that the development of the story is not very balanced and the first two parts, if read individually, would be quite disappointing (especially the first one).
-------
Dopo aver terminato e debitamente apprezzato Tredici lame, ho dato priorità a questa trilogia nella mia TBR e non sono deluso dalla scelta: un gran bel libro, pieno zeppo di personaggi indimenticabili e con un arco narrativo complesso, ben progettato e magistralmente scritto. Se proprio devo trovare un aspetto negativo, è che lo svolgimento della storia non è molto equilibrato e le prime due parti, se lette singolarmente, sarebbero abbastanza deludenti (soprattutto la prima).
-------
Dopo aver terminato e debitamente apprezzato Tredici lame, ho dato priorità a questa trilogia nella mia TBR e non sono deluso dalla scelta: un gran bel libro, pieno zeppo di personaggi indimenticabili e con un arco narrativo complesso, ben progettato e magistralmente scritto. Se proprio devo trovare un aspetto negativo, è che lo svolgimento della storia non è molto equilibrato e le prime due parti, se lette singolarmente, sarebbero abbastanza deludenti (soprattutto la prima).
May 20, 2013
The Blade Itself 2006 IBSN 9780575079793
Before They Are Hanged 2007 ISBN 9780575082014
The Last Argument of Kings 2008 ISBN 9780575077898
All published by Gollancz
This review originally appeared on The Specusphere, a now-defunct webzine, in 2008
In The First Law, UK fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie has produced one of the most impressive first trilogies ever to hit the market. It is remarkable not only because of its brilliantly complex plot and characters, but also because of its fearless investigation of the dark labyrinths of the human condition. Here be no dragons, and hardly a mage or a McGuffin is in sight, either. Instead, we have a blood, sweat and tears tale of the first water, incorporating, as the author puts in on his web site “all the grit, and cruelty, and humour of real life”. Good and evil depend on who’s talking. Good actions are not necessarily rewarded and neither do the bad guys always get their comeuppance. In fact, there are no real “bad guys”: rather, we see the skilful and unskilful behaviours of which we’re all capable held up to us as in a dark mirror of gut-wrenching veracity.
Abercrombie doesn’t write dialogue: he writes characters, and they speak to us. They speak of our own foibles and failures, sins and successes. What’s more, he writes fight scenes where valour and chivalry are in very short supply and love scenes that are heart-aching because we see all too clearly that nothing, not even the flawed emotion we call love, can save us from our own blindness. Technically, Abercrombie achieves this through his deep understanding of the close third point-of-view. Immersion in Abercrombie’s invented world is not optional.
The trilogy is centred on a man the author calls the 'thinking man's barbarian', one Logen Ninefingers. For the most part, Logen does what he has to do and does it well, with as much—and as little—exertion as is needed. Yet in battle he can be a berserker, when his alter ego, The Bloody Nine, takes over and he is as likely to slaughter friend as foe. The story is not only Logen’s: other point-of-view characters include Collum West, a career soldier; his friend, the spoilt aristocrat Jezal Luthar; Glokta, a war hero turned Inquisitor – and Ferro, a runaway slave whose only interest in life is vengeance. Each one has friends and foes and as they interact with each other’s milieus we begin to understand the politics of their world as well as their interpersonal relationships. We meet Bayaz, First of the Magi, and his hapless assistant Quai; Ardee West, Collum’s wayward sister; Brother Longfoot, who will steer a team led by Bayaz on a quest to find the magic stone that will destroy all the enemies of Bayaz, and an assortment of self-seeking politicians and military personnel. But be warned: none of these apparently stock characters turns out to be what they appear.
In book one, The Blade Itself, war is in the air and many look to the return of Bayaz to save them. We see Bayaz gathering his team together and realise the conflicting interests his presence arouses. Book two, Before They Are Hanged, shows the struggle of the poorly-trained and equipped Midderlands army against the Northmen who have invaded their province of Angland. It also deals with the quest of Bayaz, and has the most surprising ending that any quest story could possibly have. Book three, The Last Argument of Kings, deals with the war’s climax: an army of religious fanatics led by flesh-eating priests is attacking Midderlands, but their army is still in Angland and the king, newly elected and disastrously married, must hold out until the fighting force returns.
And 'The First Law'? The expression refers to the injunction against using magic from the Other Side. What are the consequences when that law is broken?
Abercrombie can only be compared to George R.R. Martin, but he is, thankfully, rather more succinct, having managed to squash his story into the customary three volumes. And you must read all three books, in order, as close together as possible, if you are to get the most out of this epic. Although each book is well-rounded and skilfully crafted, none truly stands alone. It matters not: once you embark on this tale you will not want it to end.
If you like your fantasy harsh and gritty, can stand a great deal of death and destruction, and if you don’t want everything tied up in neat packages with 'happy ever after' stamped on them, you must read this trilogy.
Before They Are Hanged 2007 ISBN 9780575082014
The Last Argument of Kings 2008 ISBN 9780575077898
All published by Gollancz
This review originally appeared on The Specusphere, a now-defunct webzine, in 2008
In The First Law, UK fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie has produced one of the most impressive first trilogies ever to hit the market. It is remarkable not only because of its brilliantly complex plot and characters, but also because of its fearless investigation of the dark labyrinths of the human condition. Here be no dragons, and hardly a mage or a McGuffin is in sight, either. Instead, we have a blood, sweat and tears tale of the first water, incorporating, as the author puts in on his web site “all the grit, and cruelty, and humour of real life”. Good and evil depend on who’s talking. Good actions are not necessarily rewarded and neither do the bad guys always get their comeuppance. In fact, there are no real “bad guys”: rather, we see the skilful and unskilful behaviours of which we’re all capable held up to us as in a dark mirror of gut-wrenching veracity.
Abercrombie doesn’t write dialogue: he writes characters, and they speak to us. They speak of our own foibles and failures, sins and successes. What’s more, he writes fight scenes where valour and chivalry are in very short supply and love scenes that are heart-aching because we see all too clearly that nothing, not even the flawed emotion we call love, can save us from our own blindness. Technically, Abercrombie achieves this through his deep understanding of the close third point-of-view. Immersion in Abercrombie’s invented world is not optional.
The trilogy is centred on a man the author calls the 'thinking man's barbarian', one Logen Ninefingers. For the most part, Logen does what he has to do and does it well, with as much—and as little—exertion as is needed. Yet in battle he can be a berserker, when his alter ego, The Bloody Nine, takes over and he is as likely to slaughter friend as foe. The story is not only Logen’s: other point-of-view characters include Collum West, a career soldier; his friend, the spoilt aristocrat Jezal Luthar; Glokta, a war hero turned Inquisitor – and Ferro, a runaway slave whose only interest in life is vengeance. Each one has friends and foes and as they interact with each other’s milieus we begin to understand the politics of their world as well as their interpersonal relationships. We meet Bayaz, First of the Magi, and his hapless assistant Quai; Ardee West, Collum’s wayward sister; Brother Longfoot, who will steer a team led by Bayaz on a quest to find the magic stone that will destroy all the enemies of Bayaz, and an assortment of self-seeking politicians and military personnel. But be warned: none of these apparently stock characters turns out to be what they appear.
In book one, The Blade Itself, war is in the air and many look to the return of Bayaz to save them. We see Bayaz gathering his team together and realise the conflicting interests his presence arouses. Book two, Before They Are Hanged, shows the struggle of the poorly-trained and equipped Midderlands army against the Northmen who have invaded their province of Angland. It also deals with the quest of Bayaz, and has the most surprising ending that any quest story could possibly have. Book three, The Last Argument of Kings, deals with the war’s climax: an army of religious fanatics led by flesh-eating priests is attacking Midderlands, but their army is still in Angland and the king, newly elected and disastrously married, must hold out until the fighting force returns.
And 'The First Law'? The expression refers to the injunction against using magic from the Other Side. What are the consequences when that law is broken?
Abercrombie can only be compared to George R.R. Martin, but he is, thankfully, rather more succinct, having managed to squash his story into the customary three volumes. And you must read all three books, in order, as close together as possible, if you are to get the most out of this epic. Although each book is well-rounded and skilfully crafted, none truly stands alone. It matters not: once you embark on this tale you will not want it to end.
If you like your fantasy harsh and gritty, can stand a great deal of death and destruction, and if you don’t want everything tied up in neat packages with 'happy ever after' stamped on them, you must read this trilogy.
December 6, 2019
Saga ricca di avvenimenti e intrighi in cui nulla è così come sembra. C'è sempre un motivo che si nasconde dietro ogni azione. Soprattutto quelle di Bayaz. Se all'inizio questo personaggio mi affascinava, ora sapendo tutta la verità su di lui, ritengo che sia una persona manipolatrice affamata di potere. Glokta non ne parliamo neanche. Fin dall'inizio ho provato antipatia per lui. Antipatia che si è confermata durante la lettura dell'intera trilogia. Quasi tutte le sue azioni sono state di cattivo gusto, tranne due forse. Ovviamente i miei preferiti rimangono Ferro e Logen, ma anche gli amici di quest'ultimo. Tranne qualcuno che nel terzo volume si è dimostrato veramente...biiipppppp.
April 27, 2015
The characters - oh, the characters!
The First Law trilogy has its flaws. Most of the minor and a lot of the major points of the plot are predictable (though a sufficient number of shocking twists and revelations partly alleviates this), and repetitions of characters' catchphrases can get tiresome, to name the two that bothered me most.
But the characters themselves more than make up for it! Unorthodox, vividly written, with their own contradictions and personal fights, rarely have I seen such a powerful display of antiheroic creations. The underlying message, that people might change though only slightly and sometimes, is not to my liking, but that doesn't mean it's not a valid viewpoint. The ending is, while dark, fascinating, and shines even more light on the characters' motivations and goals (or at least for one of them).
I'm not quite sure what people mean by "grimdark" when they describe Abercrombie's books. I'd rather use the term "realistic". And while I understand that realism is not something one might look for in escapist literature, the tone of these books was very much to my liking.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend The First Law trilogy to any lover of fantasy literature who has nothing against having his characters more "anti" than "heroes".
The First Law trilogy has its flaws. Most of the minor and a lot of the major points of the plot are predictable (though a sufficient number of shocking twists and revelations partly alleviates this), and repetitions of characters' catchphrases can get tiresome, to name the two that bothered me most.
But the characters themselves more than make up for it! Unorthodox, vividly written, with their own contradictions and personal fights, rarely have I seen such a powerful display of antiheroic creations. The underlying message, that people might change though only slightly and sometimes, is not to my liking, but that doesn't mean it's not a valid viewpoint. The ending is, while dark, fascinating, and shines even more light on the characters' motivations and goals (or at least for one of them).
I'm not quite sure what people mean by "grimdark" when they describe Abercrombie's books. I'd rather use the term "realistic". And while I understand that realism is not something one might look for in escapist literature, the tone of these books was very much to my liking.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend The First Law trilogy to any lover of fantasy literature who has nothing against having his characters more "anti" than "heroes".
December 2, 2019
RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...
"La prima legge" è la raccolta di tre romanzi - Il richiamo della spade, Non prima che siano impiccati, L’ultima ragione dei re - di genere grimdark, termine che indica un genere più oscuro del fantasy per la presenza di scene violente e sanguinolente descritte nei minimi dettagli. È un genere, infatti, che racchiude tutte le mie fantasie e desideri più oscure, ho sempre desiderato leggere romanzi di questo genere e di certo non potevo lasciarmi scappare questa trilogia così avvincente. L’autore britannico Joe Abercrombie ha dato vita ad una delle trilogie più impressionanti e avvincenti, è un abile narratore che possiede una prosa chiara ed efficace e che riesce a catapultare sin da subito il lettore nelle sue storie complesse e particolari, oscure e crude. Per tutta la durata della lettura sono rimasta incollata alla vicenda, con il fiato in sospeso e con l’attenzione alta. È notevole e lodevole non solo per la creazione di una trama intricata e dei suoi personaggi ben articolati, ma soprattutto per la sua impavida esplorazione dei labirinti oscuri della mente umana. Non ci sono draghi, nemmeno maghi, ma ci troviamo di fronte ad una storia di sangue, crudeltà e umorismo della vita reale, di bene e male, dipende da che angolazione vediamo la vicenda. Le buone azioni non sono necessariamente premiate e nemmeno i cattivi – in realtà non ci sono dei veri “cattivi” - ottengono sempre la loro ricompensa. Abercrombie non è un autore che evita la brutalità, né giustifica le azioni dei suoi personaggi, non c’è valore né cavalleria, né amore in qualunque azione descritta perché vediamo fin troppo chiaramente che niente, nemmeno l’emozione imperfetta che chiamiamo amore può salvarci dall'oscurità. Non ci risparmia proprio nulla: assisteremo alla morte, al sangue, alla violenza, ai combattimenti e alle scene di tortura. Non scrive dialoghi ma permette che siano direttamente i personaggi a parlarci dei loro problemi, dei fallimenti, dei peccati e dei loro successi. L’immersione in questo mondo non è facoltativa ma inevitabile. Nella trilogia conosciamo sei diversi protagonisti, Logen, Glokta, Jezal, Ferro, Bayaz e West, con tanti altri di contorno, ognuno con il proprio passato, le proprie scelte e con i propri tormenti, ognuno con il proprio peso sulle spalle e con le proprie imperfezioni. Il primo, Logen, è un vichingo del Nord, un uomo pronto a tutto che non si fa scrupoli nell’uccidere e nello sporcarsi le mani. Glotka è un eroe di guerra che diventa inquisitore e che si ritrova coinvolto in una ragnatela di intrighi e tradimenti della città di Dagoska. Jezal è un aristocratico viziato; Ferro Maljinn è una guerriera il cui unico interesse è la vendetta; Bayaz è un mago dal passato oscuro che deve portare a termine una missione e infine Collum West, un soldato in carriera che deve combattere una guerra contro il e dei Nordici. Ognuno di loro ha un profilo morale indefinito e nessuno di loro è del tutto un vero eroe o un criminale. Ma attenzione: nessuno di questi personaggi apparentemente sembra quello che è davvero. La trilogia ha un ritmo incalzante che lentamente aumenta sempre di più, parte dall'introduzione per seguire allo sviluppo fino ad arrivare alla conclusione...
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
"La prima legge" è la raccolta di tre romanzi - Il richiamo della spade, Non prima che siano impiccati, L’ultima ragione dei re - di genere grimdark, termine che indica un genere più oscuro del fantasy per la presenza di scene violente e sanguinolente descritte nei minimi dettagli. È un genere, infatti, che racchiude tutte le mie fantasie e desideri più oscure, ho sempre desiderato leggere romanzi di questo genere e di certo non potevo lasciarmi scappare questa trilogia così avvincente. L’autore britannico Joe Abercrombie ha dato vita ad una delle trilogie più impressionanti e avvincenti, è un abile narratore che possiede una prosa chiara ed efficace e che riesce a catapultare sin da subito il lettore nelle sue storie complesse e particolari, oscure e crude. Per tutta la durata della lettura sono rimasta incollata alla vicenda, con il fiato in sospeso e con l’attenzione alta. È notevole e lodevole non solo per la creazione di una trama intricata e dei suoi personaggi ben articolati, ma soprattutto per la sua impavida esplorazione dei labirinti oscuri della mente umana. Non ci sono draghi, nemmeno maghi, ma ci troviamo di fronte ad una storia di sangue, crudeltà e umorismo della vita reale, di bene e male, dipende da che angolazione vediamo la vicenda. Le buone azioni non sono necessariamente premiate e nemmeno i cattivi – in realtà non ci sono dei veri “cattivi” - ottengono sempre la loro ricompensa. Abercrombie non è un autore che evita la brutalità, né giustifica le azioni dei suoi personaggi, non c’è valore né cavalleria, né amore in qualunque azione descritta perché vediamo fin troppo chiaramente che niente, nemmeno l’emozione imperfetta che chiamiamo amore può salvarci dall'oscurità. Non ci risparmia proprio nulla: assisteremo alla morte, al sangue, alla violenza, ai combattimenti e alle scene di tortura. Non scrive dialoghi ma permette che siano direttamente i personaggi a parlarci dei loro problemi, dei fallimenti, dei peccati e dei loro successi. L’immersione in questo mondo non è facoltativa ma inevitabile. Nella trilogia conosciamo sei diversi protagonisti, Logen, Glokta, Jezal, Ferro, Bayaz e West, con tanti altri di contorno, ognuno con il proprio passato, le proprie scelte e con i propri tormenti, ognuno con il proprio peso sulle spalle e con le proprie imperfezioni. Il primo, Logen, è un vichingo del Nord, un uomo pronto a tutto che non si fa scrupoli nell’uccidere e nello sporcarsi le mani. Glotka è un eroe di guerra che diventa inquisitore e che si ritrova coinvolto in una ragnatela di intrighi e tradimenti della città di Dagoska. Jezal è un aristocratico viziato; Ferro Maljinn è una guerriera il cui unico interesse è la vendetta; Bayaz è un mago dal passato oscuro che deve portare a termine una missione e infine Collum West, un soldato in carriera che deve combattere una guerra contro il e dei Nordici. Ognuno di loro ha un profilo morale indefinito e nessuno di loro è del tutto un vero eroe o un criminale. Ma attenzione: nessuno di questi personaggi apparentemente sembra quello che è davvero. La trilogia ha un ritmo incalzante che lentamente aumenta sempre di più, parte dall'introduzione per seguire allo sviluppo fino ad arrivare alla conclusione...
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
November 16, 2013
This trilogy was beyond-description fabulous. Characters you love to hate, a dynamic plot and amazing battle scenes have propelled this trilogy into my absolute favorite.
There's no character I've found to love then hate then love again like Sand dan Glotka.
There's no character I've found to love then hate then love again like Sand dan Glotka.
January 14, 2014
A definite for the fantasy enthusiast. This is an amazingly well-crafted trilogy by a master story-teller.
Characterization was by far my favorite part of the book. Every character is thoroughly unique, utterly compelling and terribly flawed. Murderers, torturers, drunks, cowards, and betrayers people the pages. I loved them all, rooted for them, and was equally disappointed and horrified. The main characters are, by and large, trapped in lives they wish they could change. As a reader I kept hoping…hoping…hoping. Corruption abounds and it’s extremely difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys, particularly by the end. All that said, I didn’t find the book depressing. There is plenty of humor, moments of nobility, friendship, and sacrifice.
As you probably guessed, this isn’t a sweet book with a happy ending. I would characterize the genre as dark, the narrative as gritty. My dear old mom would hate it; I loved it. The plot is exceptionally tight for a trilogy. No wandering tangents, not a scene too many or few, every paragraph engaging. At no point was I able to predict the outcome of the characters’ individual tales or the overall story. If you enjoy a page-turner where you haven’t a clue as to what’s coming, this trilogy won’t disappoint.
The book abounds with bloody action. Plenty of cleaving heads in two and severing body parts. The madness of close combat and the berserker loss of control are exceptionally well-written, as is the general grossness of stinky bodies and brown teeth. Dialog is distinctive to the character, word choices for descriptions are rich, not a cliché in the whole book.
Halfway through the trilogy my major concern was that I would soon finish it. And then what? Have to live my life without a great read in hand? I solved that by downloading another Abercrombie book, Best Served Cold. So far it’s just as entertaining…review to follow in a week.
Characterization was by far my favorite part of the book. Every character is thoroughly unique, utterly compelling and terribly flawed. Murderers, torturers, drunks, cowards, and betrayers people the pages. I loved them all, rooted for them, and was equally disappointed and horrified. The main characters are, by and large, trapped in lives they wish they could change. As a reader I kept hoping…hoping…hoping. Corruption abounds and it’s extremely difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys, particularly by the end. All that said, I didn’t find the book depressing. There is plenty of humor, moments of nobility, friendship, and sacrifice.
As you probably guessed, this isn’t a sweet book with a happy ending. I would characterize the genre as dark, the narrative as gritty. My dear old mom would hate it; I loved it. The plot is exceptionally tight for a trilogy. No wandering tangents, not a scene too many or few, every paragraph engaging. At no point was I able to predict the outcome of the characters’ individual tales or the overall story. If you enjoy a page-turner where you haven’t a clue as to what’s coming, this trilogy won’t disappoint.
The book abounds with bloody action. Plenty of cleaving heads in two and severing body parts. The madness of close combat and the berserker loss of control are exceptionally well-written, as is the general grossness of stinky bodies and brown teeth. Dialog is distinctive to the character, word choices for descriptions are rich, not a cliché in the whole book.
Halfway through the trilogy my major concern was that I would soon finish it. And then what? Have to live my life without a great read in hand? I solved that by downloading another Abercrombie book, Best Served Cold. So far it’s just as entertaining…review to follow in a week.
August 27, 2013
-Potente entrada de escritor novel en la Narrativa Fántástica brusca, oscura y con humor negro.-
¿Quiere saber más de estos libros, sin spoilers? Visite:
La primera ley 1. La voz de las espadas: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
La primera ley 2. Antes de que los cuelguen: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
La primera ley 3. El último argumento de los reyes: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
¿Quiere saber más de estos libros, sin spoilers? Visite:
La primera ley 1. La voz de las espadas: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
La primera ley 2. Antes de que los cuelguen: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
La primera ley 3. El último argumento de los reyes: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
July 27, 2015
Iba a ser mi lectura del verano, pero al final ha caído en 10 días y eso solo puede ser bueno. Se lee del tirón, entretiene y tiene momentos brillantes.
A otro nivel, se nota que Abercrombie estaba empezando. Repeticiones, inconsistencias, un estilo planito rozando lo ramplón, deus ex machina, similitudes sospechosas con otras sagas fantásticas, cambios de parecer de varios personajes porque le viene bien al autor...
Pero vamos, que uno no viene aquí buscando Proust. Te lo pasas bien y eso ya es mucho.
A otro nivel, se nota que Abercrombie estaba empezando. Repeticiones, inconsistencias, un estilo planito rozando lo ramplón, deus ex machina, similitudes sospechosas con otras sagas fantásticas, cambios de parecer de varios personajes porque le viene bien al autor...
Pero vamos, que uno no viene aquí buscando Proust. Te lo pasas bien y eso ya es mucho.
February 7, 2019
This turned out to be a reread for me, although I skimmed pages and jumped over chapters, as I realized I had read the series before, but went totally brain dead about it.
Lots of interesting characters. Power struggles and greed prevail, with snippets of humor and some catchy phrases. Brawn seems to rule in this saga with just a tad of cleverness occasionally tossed in. Medieval weaponry and magic. Darkness, but that goes hand in hand with evil.
Perhaps one reason the cells between my ears forgot about my previous perusal of the pages is the story simply ends. Finito, Fini, Fertig, Finished. No brave man runs off with the beautiful warrior queen. No final stroll into the sunset. Nadda, nothing. Story over. Just like this review. ;)
Lots of interesting characters. Power struggles and greed prevail, with snippets of humor and some catchy phrases. Brawn seems to rule in this saga with just a tad of cleverness occasionally tossed in. Medieval weaponry and magic. Darkness, but that goes hand in hand with evil.
Perhaps one reason the cells between my ears forgot about my previous perusal of the pages is the story simply ends. Finito, Fini, Fertig, Finished. No brave man runs off with the beautiful warrior queen. No final stroll into the sunset. Nadda, nothing. Story over. Just like this review. ;)
February 17, 2015
Well, its been almost two months since I started. I did take a break between each book, but still, that is some investment.
I did not do this in the right order, lets get that out of the way first. I stumbled upon 'The Heroes' by accident, immediately realized I was probably a bit in the dark about some things-and yet plowed ahead anyway because what the hell, I was sucked in.
Then a year later I wanted to go back-but wasnt ready to commit to the full trilogy, so I did 'Best Served Cold', which remains my favorite book by this author and possibly the only one that truly stands alone-even if you'll miss some minor things.
But finally, starting on Christmas day, I got to the foundational text as it were. Were this a less famous work, or a less reviewed one I would no doubt go into great detail, which it no doubt deserves.
But Im lazy and there is no need as there is a plethora of reviews for this out so I am going to list the striking things as if I were doing a load of laundry.
1. I knew from previous experience that Abercrombie likes to take characters into unexpected places. The sympathetic become unsympathetic and vice versa as events unfold. In some cases (Monza in Best Served Cold) even there and back again. But in this series I felt only two characters definitively moved in the direction of becoming more sympathetic, but almost all the others became worse with time save two who stayed in about the same place.Given the length and stress of the events described, I thought this a good outcome.
2. Even the things which don't show up in the stand alone novels I have glanced at before were often predictable twists, once you get the gist of what is really going on. Not all bad, just an observation.
3. The battle scenes are excellently written and may be the best since Howard.
4. The handling of Arch Lecter Sult was particularly well done, to make a minor character so loathsome in a cast of loathsome characters was particularly impressive.
5. When it comes to nations, the idea of making the Union both the worst of the states and also the best at the same time was something to also give the author credit for.
6. I wont go into spoilers with details, but by far the objectively worst character in the entire series is also the one which in conventional narratives would not be. This, and the outcome of this, I thought was a nice subtle commentary on the nature of power politics and the people who rise in them. Tack on a much smaller character in the north triumphing as well and the message is rammed home.
7. Best in how messy the ending was, as big conflicts actually are. The climax in real life still is followed by chaos, suffering, unintended consequences, personal tragedy.
8. But also, having read two of the stand-alones, I have to say that I feel this series is better without the magic, the mystery, the ancient-if corrupted-legends. I feel like there were still some tropes here which fade out later, and for the better of the series at that. But again, I didnt really read them in order and maybe that was the intent.
9. Glokta is easily the best and most memorable character, period. The only one I rooted for the entire time from start to finish, despite not classifying him as sympathetic in a conventional way. I loved that character, even if his (unique) italicized inner dialogue often didnt quite catch which lines would be slanted and which werent in my kindle version.
Do recommend.
I did not do this in the right order, lets get that out of the way first. I stumbled upon 'The Heroes' by accident, immediately realized I was probably a bit in the dark about some things-and yet plowed ahead anyway because what the hell, I was sucked in.
Then a year later I wanted to go back-but wasnt ready to commit to the full trilogy, so I did 'Best Served Cold', which remains my favorite book by this author and possibly the only one that truly stands alone-even if you'll miss some minor things.
But finally, starting on Christmas day, I got to the foundational text as it were. Were this a less famous work, or a less reviewed one I would no doubt go into great detail, which it no doubt deserves.
But Im lazy and there is no need as there is a plethora of reviews for this out so I am going to list the striking things as if I were doing a load of laundry.
1. I knew from previous experience that Abercrombie likes to take characters into unexpected places. The sympathetic become unsympathetic and vice versa as events unfold. In some cases (Monza in Best Served Cold) even there and back again. But in this series I felt only two characters definitively moved in the direction of becoming more sympathetic, but almost all the others became worse with time save two who stayed in about the same place.Given the length and stress of the events described, I thought this a good outcome.
2. Even the things which don't show up in the stand alone novels I have glanced at before were often predictable twists, once you get the gist of what is really going on. Not all bad, just an observation.
3. The battle scenes are excellently written and may be the best since Howard.
4. The handling of Arch Lecter Sult was particularly well done, to make a minor character so loathsome in a cast of loathsome characters was particularly impressive.
5. When it comes to nations, the idea of making the Union both the worst of the states and also the best at the same time was something to also give the author credit for.
6. I wont go into spoilers with details, but by far the objectively worst character in the entire series is also the one which in conventional narratives would not be. This, and the outcome of this, I thought was a nice subtle commentary on the nature of power politics and the people who rise in them. Tack on a much smaller character in the north triumphing as well and the message is rammed home.
7. Best in how messy the ending was, as big conflicts actually are. The climax in real life still is followed by chaos, suffering, unintended consequences, personal tragedy.
8. But also, having read two of the stand-alones, I have to say that I feel this series is better without the magic, the mystery, the ancient-if corrupted-legends. I feel like there were still some tropes here which fade out later, and for the better of the series at that. But again, I didnt really read them in order and maybe that was the intent.
9. Glokta is easily the best and most memorable character, period. The only one I rooted for the entire time from start to finish, despite not classifying him as sympathetic in a conventional way. I loved that character, even if his (unique) italicized inner dialogue often didnt quite catch which lines would be slanted and which werent in my kindle version.
Do recommend.
October 21, 2014
Pick your favorite epic fantasy, cynical just-so tale, or grimdark war story. Call it X. Imagine Joe Abercrombie picking up your copy of X, casually tossing it on the ground, unzipping, and pissing on it. "You call that grim, dark, cynical fantasy? I'll show you grimdark!" You are horrified that your favorite book/series is being treated so poorly, but you cannot stop turning the page.
This is the box set for Abercrombie's first 3 books:
* The Blade Itself - There's a fencing contest coming up! Jab, jab! The Northmen threaten war from the North. The Gurkhul threaten war from the South. The Inquisition tortures people.
* Before They Are Hanged - A group of people who really hate each other are following Bayaz, the first of the Magi, to the far west to find a secret weapon that could help them defeat the wizard who is the true power behind the emperor. The Empire is knock knocking on the Union outpost in the South. Northmen are invading from the north. The Inquisition tortures people.
* The Last Argument of Kings - The Empire has invaded the Union while the Union's armies are off fighting the Northmen in the North. The Inquisition tortures people.
My summaries do not do these books justice, but here is what you need to know: war is impossibly stupid and counter-productive, rules are for idiots, and happy endings are for children.
Much of these books takes place in the characters heads, because they hate each other. They cannot stop thinking about how much they hate each other, except for when they smile and tell each other anything other than what they're thinking. Throughout the trilogy, I was waiting for everyone to grow the fuck up and work together to defeat the forces arrayed against them, but nope! Their hatred outshines everything. I've never seen characters defeat themselves so deftly.
Never have I seen a villain so purely evil, and never have I loathed a villain so passionately. Villains are just antagonists, right? They sit opposite the heroes. You can't have a epic without villains. Even the heroes are villains in the villain's eyes, right?
As good an author as Abercrombie is, he saves the best for last: there's one last fight, the duel between Logan Ninefingers and The Feared. The Ninefingers foreshadows this reckoning when he reveals he was once Bethod's champion, and when it comes, Abercrombie unleashes his full skill. He goes fucking florid. It feels like everything changes color and this fight is the entirety of the universe. Few authors have this much self-control, and right now I cannot even name one. Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say he writes a good yarn.
This is the box set for Abercrombie's first 3 books:
* The Blade Itself - There's a fencing contest coming up! Jab, jab! The Northmen threaten war from the North. The Gurkhul threaten war from the South. The Inquisition tortures people.
* Before They Are Hanged - A group of people who really hate each other are following Bayaz, the first of the Magi, to the far west to find a secret weapon that could help them defeat the wizard who is the true power behind the emperor. The Empire is knock knocking on the Union outpost in the South. Northmen are invading from the north. The Inquisition tortures people.
* The Last Argument of Kings - The Empire has invaded the Union while the Union's armies are off fighting the Northmen in the North. The Inquisition tortures people.
My summaries do not do these books justice, but here is what you need to know: war is impossibly stupid and counter-productive, rules are for idiots, and happy endings are for children.
Much of these books takes place in the characters heads, because they hate each other. They cannot stop thinking about how much they hate each other, except for when they smile and tell each other anything other than what they're thinking. Throughout the trilogy, I was waiting for everyone to grow the fuck up and work together to defeat the forces arrayed against them, but nope! Their hatred outshines everything. I've never seen characters defeat themselves so deftly.
Never have I seen a villain so purely evil, and never have I loathed a villain so passionately. Villains are just antagonists, right? They sit opposite the heroes. You can't have a epic without villains. Even the heroes are villains in the villain's eyes, right?
As good an author as Abercrombie is, he saves the best for last: there's one last fight, the duel between Logan Ninefingers and The Feared. The Ninefingers foreshadows this reckoning when he reveals he was once Bethod's champion, and when it comes, Abercrombie unleashes his full skill. He goes fucking florid. It feels like everything changes color and this fight is the entirety of the universe. Few authors have this much self-control, and right now I cannot even name one. Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say he writes a good yarn.
August 11, 2016
Joe Abercrombie is one of those authors that spent far too much time on my to-read list. I was never really sure where to start, unsure of which of his trilogies I wanted to read, but in the end the choice was made for me. My friend gave me a collection of his books, included were the first three books from the First Law world. So it was, I knew where I was to start with Abercrombie’s work.
I wasn’t overly fond of the first book. In my opinion, it took too long to truly start. The character development was wonderful, yet it seemed to overshadow the story. In essence, I felt as though the first book didn’t really move at all. The second book changed that. I really enjoyed the second one. The third book was also great. It wasn’t quite as good as the second book, but so much happened that left a smile on my face. Overall, the trilogy took a while to get started but once it was moving it was a lot of fun.
A great trilogy for any fan of fantasy, although it will never be my number one choice in the genre.
I wasn’t overly fond of the first book. In my opinion, it took too long to truly start. The character development was wonderful, yet it seemed to overshadow the story. In essence, I felt as though the first book didn’t really move at all. The second book changed that. I really enjoyed the second one. The third book was also great. It wasn’t quite as good as the second book, but so much happened that left a smile on my face. Overall, the trilogy took a while to get started but once it was moving it was a lot of fun.
A great trilogy for any fan of fantasy, although it will never be my number one choice in the genre.
March 26, 2018
Holy shit.
This trilogy was incredible. I was rooting hard for an expert torturer, a murderous barbarian, a revenge obsessed bitch, a self-obsessed idiot noble and a power-crazed anti-Gandalf. What a fucking ride.
If you didn't like this series you should stop reading and stick to Hollywood movies. Actually maybe just stick to Hollywood _superhero_ movies. It's not like there's any shortage of them.
P.S. Glokta is my favorite. My first son will be named Sand. If Logen is yours we can probably still be friends. My girlfriend liked Ferro best. Concerning.
P.P.S. Say one thing for Steven Pacey, say he can narrate a fucking audiobook.
This trilogy was incredible. I was rooting hard for an expert torturer, a murderous barbarian, a revenge obsessed bitch, a self-obsessed idiot noble and a power-crazed anti-Gandalf. What a fucking ride.
If you didn't like this series you should stop reading and stick to Hollywood movies. Actually maybe just stick to Hollywood _superhero_ movies. It's not like there's any shortage of them.
P.S. Glokta is my favorite. My first son will be named Sand. If Logen is yours we can probably still be friends. My girlfriend liked Ferro best. Concerning.
P.P.S. Say one thing for Steven Pacey, say he can narrate a fucking audiobook.
April 10, 2020
Più di un migliaio di pagine per arrivare alla conclusione che i buoni non esistono, esistono solo le circostanze e ciò che chiunque deve fare per sopravvivere.
È una trilogia estremamente realistica in cui non ci sono altro che l'uomo e il potere: niente ideali netti, niente cattivo che viene sconfitto; uomo, potere e questo è tutto.
Ammetto che è difficile valutare un prodotto così "fosco", ma alla fin fine mi è piaciuto. Abercrombie è un mago nelle descrizioni dei combattimenti, e il suo modo di tratteggiare i personaggi (Glokta su tutti, con lui è stato amore a prima lettura) è molto convincente, quindi si, assolutamente promosso.
È una trilogia estremamente realistica in cui non ci sono altro che l'uomo e il potere: niente ideali netti, niente cattivo che viene sconfitto; uomo, potere e questo è tutto.
Ammetto che è difficile valutare un prodotto così "fosco", ma alla fin fine mi è piaciuto. Abercrombie è un mago nelle descrizioni dei combattimenti, e il suo modo di tratteggiare i personaggi (Glokta su tutti, con lui è stato amore a prima lettura) è molto convincente, quindi si, assolutamente promosso.
April 27, 2022
1) The Blade Itself: 4.0/5.
2) Before They Are Hanged: 3.75/5.
3) Last Argument of Kings: 5/5.
The First Law Trilogy: 8.5/10
2) Before They Are Hanged: 3.75/5.
3) Last Argument of Kings: 5/5.
The First Law Trilogy: 8.5/10
January 10, 2024
There was a moment when it all clicked for me. I was in the middle of reading the second book of the First Law Trilogy, Before They Are Hanged, when I finally realized that author Joe Abercrombie had written something special. The book was balancing on a tightrope, threading a needle of an intricate design that was previously unbeknownst to me. Once I understood, it became a wholly different book and wholly different series. Instead of crushingly grim and oppressively dark, it was comically so.
“Grimdark” is a coined term that refers to a subgenre of fantasy that exaggerates the worst outcome. In some ways, it is a form of satire: the characters must endure exponentially worsening circumstances. For instance, a character might barely survive a harrowing journey, only to be put in charge of a squadron full of newbies in a bloody battle, only to lose their best friend in that same battle. It is a narrative perpetually defined by a half-empty glass.
But Abercrombie understands that in order for grimdark to be truly great, it cannot be one-note. Think about the classic Charlie Brown football comic strip. Charlie Brown needs to have hope. Charlie needs to believe that Lucy won’t take away the football this time - otherwise, there’s no point in trying to kick it. Likewise, readers need balance. A story full of depressing events is just that - depressing.
To avoid this, Abercrombie occasionally peppers his scenes with hope and optimism. Maybe a character gets the promotion they’ve always dreamed of getting. Or maybe they find unexpected love. In the third book, The Last Argument of Kings, I realized the genius of this story structure: the positivity is a facade. A positive scene allows the reader to feel hope, yes, but it also serves as a setup for even more calamity. The long-awaited promotion might cause the character to gain hubris and mess up later in the story. The unexpected love might force a love triangle between two characters. The overall downward spiral is inevitable, no matter how much hope and optimism is integrated into the story.
It’s interesting, isn’t it? Not only does the framing of the First Law Trilogy allow readers to view reality through a pessimistic lens, but it also uses this lens to twist and turn the story into a riveting narrative. Every scene, I couldn’t believe how it kept getting worse…and worse…and worse. It takes a certain craftsmanship to execute such a design, and I wholeheartedly admire what Abercrombie has done here.
But I would be remiss to exclude the other aspect of grimdark that is characteristic of the genre: the morality of the characters. Surely, if anyone were to find themselves in increasingly worsening circumstances, as the logic goes, then even the most virtuous among us would find themselves slipping down the slipperiest of moral slopes. Faced with two bad choices, you have to make a bad choice. Maybe sacrifice a bit of your internal integrity. How far is too far? At what point do you become the person you were trying not to become?
The First Law Trilogy asks these questions and more. The main characters are realistically imperfect people that go through personal hells. By the end of the trilogy, it is impossible to determine whether the heroes won, or whether they were actually heroes in the first place. Crucially, the story ends almost exactly as it begins. It might not have even mattered at all.
I reviewed these three books together because I believe that they must be read together. Like the books of Earthsea, each individual entry is less than the sum of the whole series. Each book is composed of scenes that are somewhat unremarkable, but they amalgamate into a story about corruption, about people failing to become better, about the personal demons that control us all, and about people being forced to accept the losses that life gives them.
It may be exaggerated, and it may be fictional, but it covers some very real themes that are with us throughout our lives.
“Grimdark” is a coined term that refers to a subgenre of fantasy that exaggerates the worst outcome. In some ways, it is a form of satire: the characters must endure exponentially worsening circumstances. For instance, a character might barely survive a harrowing journey, only to be put in charge of a squadron full of newbies in a bloody battle, only to lose their best friend in that same battle. It is a narrative perpetually defined by a half-empty glass.
But Abercrombie understands that in order for grimdark to be truly great, it cannot be one-note. Think about the classic Charlie Brown football comic strip. Charlie Brown needs to have hope. Charlie needs to believe that Lucy won’t take away the football this time - otherwise, there’s no point in trying to kick it. Likewise, readers need balance. A story full of depressing events is just that - depressing.
To avoid this, Abercrombie occasionally peppers his scenes with hope and optimism. Maybe a character gets the promotion they’ve always dreamed of getting. Or maybe they find unexpected love. In the third book, The Last Argument of Kings, I realized the genius of this story structure: the positivity is a facade. A positive scene allows the reader to feel hope, yes, but it also serves as a setup for even more calamity. The long-awaited promotion might cause the character to gain hubris and mess up later in the story. The unexpected love might force a love triangle between two characters. The overall downward spiral is inevitable, no matter how much hope and optimism is integrated into the story.
It’s interesting, isn’t it? Not only does the framing of the First Law Trilogy allow readers to view reality through a pessimistic lens, but it also uses this lens to twist and turn the story into a riveting narrative. Every scene, I couldn’t believe how it kept getting worse…and worse…and worse. It takes a certain craftsmanship to execute such a design, and I wholeheartedly admire what Abercrombie has done here.
But I would be remiss to exclude the other aspect of grimdark that is characteristic of the genre: the morality of the characters. Surely, if anyone were to find themselves in increasingly worsening circumstances, as the logic goes, then even the most virtuous among us would find themselves slipping down the slipperiest of moral slopes. Faced with two bad choices, you have to make a bad choice. Maybe sacrifice a bit of your internal integrity. How far is too far? At what point do you become the person you were trying not to become?
The First Law Trilogy asks these questions and more. The main characters are realistically imperfect people that go through personal hells. By the end of the trilogy, it is impossible to determine whether the heroes won, or whether they were actually heroes in the first place. Crucially, the story ends almost exactly as it begins. It might not have even mattered at all.
I reviewed these three books together because I believe that they must be read together. Like the books of Earthsea, each individual entry is less than the sum of the whole series. Each book is composed of scenes that are somewhat unremarkable, but they amalgamate into a story about corruption, about people failing to become better, about the personal demons that control us all, and about people being forced to accept the losses that life gives them.
It may be exaggerated, and it may be fictional, but it covers some very real themes that are with us throughout our lives.
June 21, 2020
4.5 stars
Joe Abercrombie is perhaps the most highly praised grimdark fantasy author - and for good reason. His character work and descriptive prose are excellent, and his stories are gripping.
First Law is a grimdark fantasy series by comprised of a trilogy and several standalones. I began reading The Blade Itself (book 1) as a palette cleanser between the Wheel of Time, but ended up reading the entire trilogy back to back in about a week.
Although The Blade Itself starts off a bit slow and confusing (this pacing issue, which does occur although less frequently throughout the series, is what lead to half a star being deducted) the story, and particularly the characters, drew me in deep around the halfway mark.
The main characters of the First Law trilogy are so dynamic, develop so much throughout the series, and have such pronounced personalities that by the end I felt like I knew them and cared for them as much as some of my closest friends. Some characters I began hating and ended loving, and some quite the opposite.
Similarly, Abercrombies prose leaves little to be desired. The series is grimdark, but done in a very clever way. There is a surprising lack of gore and death throughout the majority of the story, but when it happens IT HAPPENS. The first truly violent scene had me torn between wanting to read on immediately, or pausing to be sick.
The closest parallel I can draw to First Law would be the work of G.R.R. Martin with AOIAF. Both works have similarly well developed characters and gruesomely descripted violence, although I personally found First Law to be more enjoyable, as Abercrombie has more succes with choosing which descriptions and events to include to flesh out the story without overloading information on the reader.
It goes without saying then that I would recommend First Law to any fan of ASOIAF (or Game of Thrones as a show), as well as anyone else who enjoys fantasy with some darker elements.
Joe Abercrombie is perhaps the most highly praised grimdark fantasy author - and for good reason. His character work and descriptive prose are excellent, and his stories are gripping.
First Law is a grimdark fantasy series by comprised of a trilogy and several standalones. I began reading The Blade Itself (book 1) as a palette cleanser between the Wheel of Time, but ended up reading the entire trilogy back to back in about a week.
Although The Blade Itself starts off a bit slow and confusing (this pacing issue, which does occur although less frequently throughout the series, is what lead to half a star being deducted) the story, and particularly the characters, drew me in deep around the halfway mark.
The main characters of the First Law trilogy are so dynamic, develop so much throughout the series, and have such pronounced personalities that by the end I felt like I knew them and cared for them as much as some of my closest friends. Some characters I began hating and ended loving, and some quite the opposite.
Similarly, Abercrombies prose leaves little to be desired. The series is grimdark, but done in a very clever way. There is a surprising lack of gore and death throughout the majority of the story, but when it happens IT HAPPENS. The first truly violent scene had me torn between wanting to read on immediately, or pausing to be sick.
The closest parallel I can draw to First Law would be the work of G.R.R. Martin with AOIAF. Both works have similarly well developed characters and gruesomely descripted violence, although I personally found First Law to be more enjoyable, as Abercrombie has more succes with choosing which descriptions and events to include to flesh out the story without overloading information on the reader.
It goes without saying then that I would recommend First Law to any fan of ASOIAF (or Game of Thrones as a show), as well as anyone else who enjoys fantasy with some darker elements.
December 4, 2019
3.75 ok Abercrombie abbiamo fatto pace ma ancora non mi convinci del tutto... adoro il genere epic e mi aspetto sempre tanto....
June 5, 2025
I would give 4.5 stars for the trilogy. 5/5 for the first two books, 4/5 for the last one.
July 9, 2015
The First Law Trilogy: The ultimate literary blue ball experience.
In my Reader's despair, I question the purpose of art and storytelling and compare Abercrombie, Tarantino, and Kubrick in order to understand why this trilogy I loved filled me with existential rage
*SPOILER ALERTS*
I started out LOVING this series. Apart from the excellent writing and immersive world, I cared about the characters - I wanted the heroes to overcome their poignant struggles and I hungered for revenge against the villains. However, near the end of the third book, I walked away with a heavy heart without finishing. Like turning away from a loved one who has let you down so many times, and you can't bear to see them let you down again, so despite your love for them, you just have to walk away - to protect yourself from another letdown - I had to walk away from this series and save myself yet another ending without resolution, without character growth (only character death/decay), and with endless, meaningless suffering.
I WILL say that this book made me deeply question the purpose of storytelling and whether a story NEEDS resolution. Because this book serves up conflict, struggle, and climax after climax - yet denies the readers resolution and satisfaction - the ultimate literary blue ball experience.
What you're guaranteed in this series:
1) gratuitous plot twists
2) surprise endings
3) anti-heroes
As I neared the end of the trilogy, I began wondering: what is the point of anti-heroes?
Well, there are two types of anti-heroes:
1) inherently good, but ruthless
2) inherently bad, but likable.
In denying me resolution time and time again, I was forced to ask myself if I hated these books and if these admittedly masterfully-written books were gimmicky garbage. Or was I just bitter I didn't get the ending I deserved?
IS THE BOOK GOOD OR BAD? Well to answer that, I needed to ask
1) What is the purpose of art?
2) What is the purpose of storytelling?
What is the point of denying redemption to flawed characters? Is it a legitimate storytelling approach to set up a series of tragic characters and leave 100% of the judgment to the audience, or 100% of the resolution to "what if..." scenarios in the reader's mind? Because in our minds and in hypothetical scenarios are the only places we can glimpse resolution.
My problem with these books AREN'T that they don't have happy endings - but that they seem to deny the visceral joy of a happy ending without any intellectual satisfaction of a tragic, but meaningful ending. It's THE WORST OF BOTH WORLDS.
To contrast, Romeo and Juliet, a story with a famously "unhappy ending" - has very clear message about "what went wrong" and the cause of the tragedy that befell the two star cross'd lovers - what if instead we are simply given the tragedy with no message? Imagine a Tarantino-directed version of R&J where we have no prologue or epilogue, and the parents never see the error of their ways from the death of their children...They simply off themselves and then the curtain falls. Is something gained or added to the story if you simply leave out the judgement, resolution, and meaning from R&J?
Does a story lose meaning if the message isn't explicitly stated by the artist?
Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket - how is Kubrick different from yet similar to Tarantino? I believe Tarantino is Kubrick without subtlety and without meaning, Tarantino is pure gratuity...there are messages and redemption latent in Tarantino's stories - waiting there for us, but never delivered by the storyteller. Isn't this simply smearing colors on a canvas and leaving it up to the viewer to construct the meaning (if any)?
Tarantino and Abercrombie are lauded for being "realistic" - but what does *realism* really offer by way of *art*? A photograph is ultra-realistic, but a great painting is art when the artist presents their unique vision of reality- whether beautiful or terrible...Art is a RECREATION of reality, not simply a depiction.
And yet I KNOW Tarantino and Abercrombie stories provide plenty of art...engaging narratives and characters- but they lack the "meta" *meaning* that ties together the artistic *elements*. And this in-completion is hailed as edgy and bold. But is it instead just lazy? Or even cowardly?
Does the story really gain by having RESOLUTION deliberately withheld by the author? I feel it does not.
In my Reader's despair, I question the purpose of art and storytelling and compare Abercrombie, Tarantino, and Kubrick in order to understand why this trilogy I loved filled me with existential rage
*SPOILER ALERTS*
I started out LOVING this series. Apart from the excellent writing and immersive world, I cared about the characters - I wanted the heroes to overcome their poignant struggles and I hungered for revenge against the villains. However, near the end of the third book, I walked away with a heavy heart without finishing. Like turning away from a loved one who has let you down so many times, and you can't bear to see them let you down again, so despite your love for them, you just have to walk away - to protect yourself from another letdown - I had to walk away from this series and save myself yet another ending without resolution, without character growth (only character death/decay), and with endless, meaningless suffering.
I WILL say that this book made me deeply question the purpose of storytelling and whether a story NEEDS resolution. Because this book serves up conflict, struggle, and climax after climax - yet denies the readers resolution and satisfaction - the ultimate literary blue ball experience.
What you're guaranteed in this series:
1) gratuitous plot twists
2) surprise endings
3) anti-heroes
As I neared the end of the trilogy, I began wondering: what is the point of anti-heroes?
Well, there are two types of anti-heroes:
1) inherently good, but ruthless
2) inherently bad, but likable.
In denying me resolution time and time again, I was forced to ask myself if I hated these books and if these admittedly masterfully-written books were gimmicky garbage. Or was I just bitter I didn't get the ending I deserved?
IS THE BOOK GOOD OR BAD? Well to answer that, I needed to ask
1) What is the purpose of art?
2) What is the purpose of storytelling?
What is the point of denying redemption to flawed characters? Is it a legitimate storytelling approach to set up a series of tragic characters and leave 100% of the judgment to the audience, or 100% of the resolution to "what if..." scenarios in the reader's mind? Because in our minds and in hypothetical scenarios are the only places we can glimpse resolution.
My problem with these books AREN'T that they don't have happy endings - but that they seem to deny the visceral joy of a happy ending without any intellectual satisfaction of a tragic, but meaningful ending. It's THE WORST OF BOTH WORLDS.
To contrast, Romeo and Juliet, a story with a famously "unhappy ending" - has very clear message about "what went wrong" and the cause of the tragedy that befell the two star cross'd lovers - what if instead we are simply given the tragedy with no message? Imagine a Tarantino-directed version of R&J where we have no prologue or epilogue, and the parents never see the error of their ways from the death of their children...They simply off themselves and then the curtain falls. Is something gained or added to the story if you simply leave out the judgement, resolution, and meaning from R&J?
Does a story lose meaning if the message isn't explicitly stated by the artist?
Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket - how is Kubrick different from yet similar to Tarantino? I believe Tarantino is Kubrick without subtlety and without meaning, Tarantino is pure gratuity...there are messages and redemption latent in Tarantino's stories - waiting there for us, but never delivered by the storyteller. Isn't this simply smearing colors on a canvas and leaving it up to the viewer to construct the meaning (if any)?
Tarantino and Abercrombie are lauded for being "realistic" - but what does *realism* really offer by way of *art*? A photograph is ultra-realistic, but a great painting is art when the artist presents their unique vision of reality- whether beautiful or terrible...Art is a RECREATION of reality, not simply a depiction.
And yet I KNOW Tarantino and Abercrombie stories provide plenty of art...engaging narratives and characters- but they lack the "meta" *meaning* that ties together the artistic *elements*. And this in-completion is hailed as edgy and bold. But is it instead just lazy? Or even cowardly?
Does the story really gain by having RESOLUTION deliberately withheld by the author? I feel it does not.
March 20, 2021
Si può immaginare la Compagnia dell'Anello guidata da Saruman al posto di Gandalf? Con un Azzurro come Re degli uomini, al posto del virtuoso e inflessibile Aragorn?
Abercrombie ci ha un po' provato, e in gran parte anche riuscito. I suoi protagonisti sono insopportabili quando va male, positivi ma avviati per una brutta brutta china quando va bene. Non mi hanno fatta sentire al codazzo di una compagnia di eroi, o di "simpatici fuorilegge dal cuore tenero", rilassata e convinta che avrebbero vinto alla fine. Nel senso che non ero proprio sicura di volere che vincessero...
Insomma, se volete un fantasy vecchio stile dovreste guardare altrove, perché questo per alcuni versi non lascia soddisfatti. Però ho cercato immediatamente se ci fossero dei seguiti ambientati nello stesso mondo, perché voglio sapere, perdinci, soprattutto per alcuni di loro, voglio sapere!
Il più grosso difetto che ascrivo al libro è la scrittura a volte ripetitiva, che, in un'edizione comprensiva dell'intera trilogia, con ben 1100 pagine da macinare, si è fatta sentire in diversi punti. Alcuni personaggi hanno dei siparietti fissi (Glotka e le sue "scale maledetteh!") che vengono riproposti pressoché uguali ogni volta, a volte ho distintamente percepito frasi che avrebbero potuto essere tagliate con grande tranquillità senza alterare minimamente l'andamento della storia, combattimenti troppo dettagliati senza essere davvero emozionanti (quante volte una spada può "mancarti di un soffio", o un alleato salvarti all'ultimo minuto dal nemico con la mannaia che già si abbassa su di te?).
Possibile che leggendo i libri separatamente i difetti si percepiscano di meno, ma in un'epoca un cui un fantasy non può non essere una trilogia-mattone, mi piacerebbe non avere l'impressione che l'autore venga pagato a parola come ai tempi di Dickens.
Il linguaggio scurrile è in alcuni punti un po' gratuito, con nobili che potrebbero far sfigurare gli scaricatori di porto, anche lì ho avuto l'impressione che fosse fatto apposta per "distinguersi da solito fantasy" e dimostrare che "siamo nel mondo di Mainaggioia, mica la Terra di Mezzo".
Ecco, lo consiglio, ma non mettetelo in mano ai più giovani, fatevelo dire da una che di traumi da letture precoci ne ha avuti tanti.
Letto per le sfide
1. Scaffali traboccanti 2021: (8/20)
2. Randomly 2021: (8/10)
3. Alphabet 2021 per Un libro il cui titolo inizi per P
4. Esimio sconosciuto 2021: (3/20)
5. Extra-Large 2021: modalità difficile (1/9) - #1152 pagine
Abercrombie ci ha un po' provato, e in gran parte anche riuscito. I suoi protagonisti sono insopportabili quando va male, positivi ma avviati per una brutta brutta china quando va bene. Non mi hanno fatta sentire al codazzo di una compagnia di eroi, o di "simpatici fuorilegge dal cuore tenero", rilassata e convinta che avrebbero vinto alla fine. Nel senso che non ero proprio sicura di volere che vincessero...
Insomma, se volete un fantasy vecchio stile dovreste guardare altrove, perché questo per alcuni versi non lascia soddisfatti. Però ho cercato immediatamente se ci fossero dei seguiti ambientati nello stesso mondo, perché voglio sapere, perdinci, soprattutto per alcuni di loro, voglio sapere!
Il più grosso difetto che ascrivo al libro è la scrittura a volte ripetitiva, che, in un'edizione comprensiva dell'intera trilogia, con ben 1100 pagine da macinare, si è fatta sentire in diversi punti. Alcuni personaggi hanno dei siparietti fissi (Glotka e le sue "scale maledetteh!") che vengono riproposti pressoché uguali ogni volta, a volte ho distintamente percepito frasi che avrebbero potuto essere tagliate con grande tranquillità senza alterare minimamente l'andamento della storia, combattimenti troppo dettagliati senza essere davvero emozionanti (quante volte una spada può "mancarti di un soffio", o un alleato salvarti all'ultimo minuto dal nemico con la mannaia che già si abbassa su di te?).
Possibile che leggendo i libri separatamente i difetti si percepiscano di meno, ma in un'epoca un cui un fantasy non può non essere una trilogia-mattone, mi piacerebbe non avere l'impressione che l'autore venga pagato a parola come ai tempi di Dickens.
Il linguaggio scurrile è in alcuni punti un po' gratuito, con nobili che potrebbero far sfigurare gli scaricatori di porto, anche lì ho avuto l'impressione che fosse fatto apposta per "distinguersi da solito fantasy" e dimostrare che "siamo nel mondo di Mainaggioia, mica la Terra di Mezzo".
Ecco, lo consiglio, ma non mettetelo in mano ai più giovani, fatevelo dire da una che di traumi da letture precoci ne ha avuti tanti.
Letto per le sfide
1. Scaffali traboccanti 2021: (8/20)
2. Randomly 2021: (8/10)
3. Alphabet 2021 per Un libro il cui titolo inizi per P
4. Esimio sconosciuto 2021: (3/20)
5. Extra-Large 2021: modalità difficile (1/9) - #1152 pagine
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