The Wisdom of Crowds

The Age of Madness #3

by Joe Abercrombie

Chaos. Fury. Destruction.

The Great Change is upon us...

Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.

With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies... while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance.

The banks have fallen, the sun of the Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult

520 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2021

About the author

Joe 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.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.

Joe Abercrombie is a genius storyteller. The Wisdom of Crowds is one of the best books of the year, a masterfully crafted conclusion to The Age of Madness trilogy.

“What is the point of gathering knowledge if one does not pass it on? What is the point of growing old if one does not try to shape the future?”

For years I’ve mentioned the Last Argument of Kings as Joe Abercrombie’s best book; it is a masterwork in grimdark fantasy, in my opinion. For years I’ve said Abercrombie probably won’t be able to come up with a novel that matched—or topped—the Last Argument of Kings. Today, that unbending situation changed; I’m gratified to say that Abercrombie has done it. The Wisdom of Crowds, the last book in The Age of Madness trilogy, is up there with the Last Argument of Kings as the best book in The First Law World and his career. And I dare say it’s indeed his most well-written book so far. Last week, I did an interview with Joe Abercrombie on my YouTube channel, and it is one of my most treasured experiences as a book reviewer. I hope to have the chance to do that again in the future because The Wisdom of Crowds is one of the best books I’ve read, and I have some burning questions regarding the revelations unveiled in this novel. Anyway, that’s for the future, now let’s begin with the review.

“Sometimes, the only way to improve something is to destroy it, so it can be rebuilt better… Sometimes, to change the world, we must first burn it down.”

Chaos, fury, and destruction; this is how The Wisdom of Crowds starts, and it’s also how the narrative progresses. The Great Change is here, and our beloved main characters—voluntarily or not—are all caught in its sweeping madness. Abercrombie didn’t waste time shifting the story and characters into their crimson path. Right from their respective first chapter, everyone’s plunged into this uncontrollable vicious frenzy. If you’ve read A Little Hatred and The Trouble with Peace, then you’ll know what the chapter “Little People” signifies. Unlike the previous books, the first out of two “Little People” in The Wisdom of Crowds happened in chapter 3; it is that soon.

“How could one man keep his oath when everyone else was breaking theirs, after all? An army very much relied on unity of purpose.”

From the beginning to the end, not a single page in this novel ever felt dull to me. I know that every author writes differently, but I do wish more authors write and structure their series the way Abercrombie or Michael Sullivan did with their trilogy. For those of you who don’t know, Abercrombie finished writing the entire The First Law trilogy first before he focused on polishing one book at a time. This method was reimplemented for The Age of Madness trilogy, and same with the Last Argument of Kings, this kind of storytelling planning and structure allow Abercrombie to fill the pages of his concluding volume with an incredibly engaging—and believable—revelations and narrative. The Wisdom of Crowds proved that The Age of Madness trilogy has some of his most meticulous plotting so far; revelations are done in abundance, and they never felt out of place. This is a novel—or trilogy—that successfully captured a myriad of relatable themes and character’s actions such as freedom, betrayals, loyalties, conspiracies, leadership, responsibilities, survival, politics, war, ambitions, and the price of progress.

“Have you been outside lately? Wisdom is not at a premium, madness is the fashion, the balance sheets are all torn up and the friends that were assets have become liabilities… Threats for tomorrow don’t cut very deep when today is so damn threatening.”

I won’t lie; as a long-time and diehard fan of The First Law World, there’s always a part of me that feels gleeful when characters or backgrounds attained from reading the previous six novels plus one collection of short stories appeared. This isn’t to say that I didn’t love or care about the new main characters of this trilogy; if that were the case, I doubt I’ll be giving each book in this trilogy a 5 stars rating. However, prior to reading The Wisdom of Crowds, I never felt like the new main characters could compete with Abercrombie’s previous main characters. Again, I was gladly proven wrong. I’m being truthful when I say there are no characters in The First Law World that I love more than Logen Ninefingers or Sand dan Glokta; they’re too iconic and unforgettable for me. But I’ll be lying if I say that I didn’t immensely enjoy reading the journey of Rikke, Orso, Leo, Savine, Broad, Vick, and Clover. They’re not Logen Ninefingers, and they’re not Sand dan Glokta; they’re never meant to be, and that’s completely okay. By this concluding installment, I personally think these new main characters—especially Rikke, Orso, Leo, and Savine—have earned their spot as some of the most well-written characters in fantasy. I mean, Rikke and Savine have both became some of my favorite characters, too. Say one thing for Abercrombie, say that his level of characterizations is unmatched in grimdark fantasy.

“The past has never interested me. For better or worse it is done, and set, and littered with disappointments as a battlefield is littered with the dead. But the future is a ploughed field, full of potential. The future we can twist into wonderful shapes.”

I never thought I would end up caring for all the characters in this trilogy this much, but now that I finished it, I felt like there’s a gap inside of me that won’t be filled until Abercrombie write more characters for me to feel invested in. The main characters underwent tremendous character development in The Wisdom of Crowds. The lawless chaos and savage circumstances they’re in have pushed all of them towards becoming a better or cruel version of the person they were. Almost all the main characters realistically changed from their first appearance in A Little Hatred. Wishes buy nothing, and good luck is always in limited supply. Alliances constantly shifted, betrayals and tough decisions have to be unflinchingly executed in order to survive. I loved reading the character’s developments and the conclusion to their story; some made me surprisingly happy and satisfied, and some depressed me. This is an entry in The First Law World, after all, and you have to be realistic about these things.

“It’s a comfort, telling yourself there’s some big right thing out there. That you could seek some wise old bastard in the mountains who’s got the answer. Then there’d be no need for doubts and regrets… But far as I can tell it ain’t that simple. Right things, wrong things, well… it’s all a matter of where you stand. Every choice is good for some, bad for others. And once you’re chief, you can’t just do what’s good for you, or those you love. You have to find what’s best for most. Worst for fewest.”

The action sequences in The Wisdom of Crowds, once again—I know I sound like a broken record here—established Abercrombie as one of the two best close-quarter combat scenes writers; the other author being John Gwynne. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, The Wisdom of Crowds started with an explosive bang, but it felt relatively small compared to the third and final act of the novel. The end of the second act was pulse-pounding, and it seamlessly transitioned into the non-stop barrage of mayhem and devastations—emotionally and physically—of the final act. It was all so relentlessly brilliant and insane; the immersion I got from reading Abercrombie’s compelling dialogues and battle scenes are vivid and rare to find in other books. Having read so many fantasy books now, it’s getting harder for me to feel like I’m inside a battle scene with the characters experiencing the glory, terrors, and brutal bloodbath. And reading The Wisdom of Crowds has all these immersion effects on me.

“The sad truth is, men love to follow a man other man fear… Makes them feel fearsome, too. We tell the odd fond story of the good men. The straight edges. Your Rudd Threetrees, your Dogmen. But it’s the butchers men love to sing of. The burners and the blood-spillers. Your Cracknut Whirruns and your Black Dows. Your Bloody-Nines. Men don’t dream of doing the right thing, but of ripping what they want from the world with their strength and their will.”

The Wisdom of Crowds is, at the moment, the peak of quality in Abercrombie’s prose. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true; Abercrombie has written more than ten novels now, and he somehow keeps getting better and better with each book he wrote. It’s so astounding to me. “Better to do it than live with the fear of it” that’s penned in The Blade Itself remains as one of the important mottos I use to motivate me in my daily life. And in this novel, I highlighted 36 passages. No kidding; there were so many well-crafted sentences and passages I wish I could share with you all, but I’ll leave those for you to find out for yourself.

“History is not the story of battles between right and wrong, but between one man’s right and another’s. Evil is not the opposite of good. It is what we call another man’s notion of good when it differs from ours.”

Lastly, before I end this review, I’ve mentioned and praise the hell out of Abercrombie’s trademark skill in writing magnificent characterizations, dialogues, battle scenes, and all the grim and dark content. But there’s one more trademark of Abercrombie’s prose to mention: humor. The Wisdom of Crowds is the darkest novel in the trilogy, but this doesn’t mean it’s deficient in its humor. I can’t believe how many times I laughed out loud reading this book; I’m pretty sure most of them were during scenes I shouldn’t laugh about, too. Seriously, there was a chapter involving Clover and Downside that made me laugh out loud. And believe me when I say that I rarely laugh when I’m reading a novel. But that’s the thing; the superb characterizations and humor are what separated and elevated Abercrombie from other grimdark fantasy authors. Amidst the character’s bloody ambitions, ruthless violence, and horrific tragedy, Abercrombie’s cunning capability to insert dark humor at the right—or inappropriate—moment and time made the pacing in his books so captivating.

“Don’t matter how savage a face you show the world, few men dare look the Great Leveller in the eye once he comes calling.”

Following a comparable contrasting fashion Abercrombie employed in The First Law trilogy, Abercrombie started and concluded The Age of Madness similarly. The first chapter in The Blade Itself is called “The End,” and the last chapter in the Last Argument of Kings is called “The Beginning.” The first chapter in A Little Hatred is titled “Blessings and Curses”, while the last chapter of The Wisdom of Crowds is titled “Curses and Blessings.” And when it comes to reading Abercrombie’s books, this title couldn’t be more apt. It’s a blessing to have read every book in The First Law World, and it’s also a curse to have read them all.

Same with the Last Argument of Kings written by the same connoisseur, The Wisdom of Crowds has joined the same esteemed rank of fantasy masterpieces. This is the end of The Age of Madness trilogy, but I doubt this will mark the end of The First Law World. The ending showed glimpses of super exciting things to come in the future of this world. But if this somehow ended up being the end, I truly don’t mind. I’m an extremely happy and satisfied reader to have read all the available nine novels and one collection of short stories in The First Law World. The entirety of The First Law World—The First Law trilogy, the standalone trilogy, and The Age of Madness trilogy—is the greatest grimdark fantasy series that I’ve read. Bravo, Joe Abercrombie; the bar for grimdark fantasy has been raised again. And you, Lord Grimdark, remain absolute as one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time.

“Great folk are great ‘cause they plant new footsteps. Not ‘cause they blunder through the same mistakes some other bastards made.”

Series review:

A Little Hatred: 5/5 stars
The Trouble with Peace: 5/5 stars
The Wisdom of Crowds: 5/5 stars

The Age of Madness: 15/15 stars

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Hunter, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.

[weirdfish · Rating 5 out of 5]

That feel when Abercrombie writes and publishes an entire trilogy before GRRM or Rothfuss get a single book out

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books.

An absolute masterful ending to what has turned out to be a perfect fantasy trilogy.

While I have heard from many people that this series good, but not quite as good as the original First Law trilogy, this has not been the case for me at all. I loved the original series, but this book cements for me not only that this trilogy is the greater of the two, but that this book is the best book in the entire First Law universe. I didn't think it could conceivably be possible that this book could be better than The Last Argument of Kings, but somehow Joe Abercrombie has achieved the impossible.

This book is filled with chaos, political machinations, absolutely incredible characters, wonderful battles, and the genius writing quality that Joe Abercrombie is now famous for. The twists were equal parts incredible and unexpected, and the ending was literal perfection.

I don't want to go into details about this book, because I think you need to read it for yourself without knowing anything about it. Just trust me, this book is a masterpiece, and if you have put off reading this you are doing yourself a major disservice.

Series Scores

A Little Hatred: 5/5
The Trouble with Peace: 5/5
The Wisdom of Crowds: 5/5

[Mike's Book Reviews]

I was provided an ARC of The Wisdom of Crowds via the courtesy of Orbit Books US, per the request of Joe Abercrombie, in exchange for an honest review. Many a thanks to Orbit & Mr. Abercrombie for the opportunity.

Video Review: https://youtu.be/-s-yqoqlncU
Spoiler Talk (w/ special guest Philip Chase): https://youtu.be/fr0yhfBBCg0

"It’s a comfort, telling yourself there’s some big right thing out there. That you could seek some wise old bastard in the mountains who’s got the answer. Then there’d be no need for doubts or regrets. But far as I can tell it ain’t that simple."

At the end of another Joe Abercrombie First Law trilogy I found myself in a state of euphoria, denial, and struck by a wave of nostalgia. As a loyal advocate for all things The First Law since 2008, this felt different than going through the end of Last Argument of Kings for the first time. Because this felt like it could truly be the end.

With the set up leading to The Wisdom of Crowds, Abercrombie has successfully passed the torch to “the kids” in the sequel trilogy. No more longing for the legacy characters, as I had gotten fully invested in the struggles of Orso’s kingship, the doubts of Leo’s rebellion, and the desires of Rikke to fulfill her father’s dream of a united North. I’m all aboard without wondering when Sand dan Glokta is going to show up or if Logen is related to Gunnar Broad.

However, what you think you know, just forget it. Abercrombie burns it all to the ground in the first 50 pages and gives us somewhat of a reset from where we were at the end of The Trouble with Peace…and that’s a good thing. This may be the best representation of what things are like at ground level when the whole world descends into chaos. The panic, the desperation, and the destruction at that level is captured brilliantly and Abercrombie’s talents as a writer have somehow gotten even better describing these situations.

The Wisdom of Crowds asks those questions like what you would do in their stead if given the keys to the kingdom. Change is difficult and sometimes needed, but when do you know if you jumped the gun on just how bad things actually were?

Each of our POV characters take a journey in this one that makes them feel like completely different versions of themselves than they were in A Little Hatred. All of them have grown, for better or worse, into their own identity. You will find yourself laughing, crying, and sharing in the best and worst of times with all of them. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie; say that he still has the best character work in the game.

If this truly is the end, First Law goes out on top of the genre. You get answers to the prophecies and the character theories (I was right on two out of the three really big ones…wait for the spoiler talk) as well as the usual amount of action, betrayals, and politics we have come to expect from a First Law book. As well as some openings left in the ending to question if our characters are doomed to repeat history.

If this is truly the end, thank you, Joe. It has been one hell of a ride.

[Holly Hearts Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Age of Madness series has kept me more emotionally invested than any First Law story since reading the original trilogy. It does so in a way that feels fresh and modern while still maintaining everything that made its predecessors so special – from its strange but lovable characters to the insane mental power struggles inside their heads.

While every book in this fantasy world is good in its own way, this one proves to be one of the best thanks to consistent writing for both main and side characters, a compelling political story with good pacing, mysterious magical abilities that surface evermore slightly, and perhaps most importantly, character dialogue that offer more depth and complexity with big and most small decisions that actually impact the story in meaningful ways throughout the course of all 3 books. Most of its fresh ideas go a long way toward elevating the First Law formula into the modern era. Joe Abercrombie has also done a great job of expanding this universe toward both grander and more intimate threats without losing the humor of the original.

Most importantly. The Wisdom of Crowds is a not so gentle sendoff to the rag-tag group of characters we’ve known for years and the ones we have only known for a limited time. A worthy end, indeed.

Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks

[mina reads™️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy fuck this was a rollercoaster of emotions…

Updated descriptions of all the pov characters:

Orso: my baby, light of life, my sunshine prince who did no wrong

Leo: gay glokta junior but without the humor 😑

Savine: my new favorite fictional milf, she is truly the moment 😁🥰

Rikke: I don’t know a better person, truly the smartest bitch in the circle of the world

Clover: i loved this treacherous fuck! He’s so fun

Broad: literally what was his purpose?? His three character traits were: wearing glasses, fighting and his dick getting hard sometimes because of fighting

Vick: I’ve had a change of heart i really liked her in this installment

Full review to come

[Nicholas Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean...I already thought Joe Abercrombie was one of the best fantasy writers of all time...and yeah, he just is. This series was phenomenal, and the narration is second-to-none.

[William Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One must keep a close eye on the current definitions. To be unpatriotic would be terrible. To be patriotic in the wrong way could be fatal.”

So, I have finished The Wisdom of Crowds. I have now read every book by Abercrombie, including his Shattered Sea trilogy. it was a bitter-sweet experience. He is for sure in my top five favourite authors of all time now, if not top three. So of course, there is an element of sadness getting completely up to date with everything that he has released.

The Wisdom of Crowds offers a crazy finale to the Age of Madness trilogy, and the greater First Law books, with twists and turns, subverted tropes, shocking moments and more of what we have come to expect from the brilliant Abercrombie. But, The Wisdom of Crowds was not one of my favourites of his. There are brilliant moments, with chapters and scenes of absolute genius, but as a whole it didn't feel as complete or satisfying as the conclusion to his previous trilogy, The Last Argument of Kings, did. However, The Last Argument of Kings is in my opinion one of the best books of all time, so it is harsh to compare to that.

“But here’s the sorry truth – if you really don’t want a thing, you don’t have to keep telling yourself so.”

I cannot really go into depth about characters or premise, as that would of course reveal spoilers as this is a third and final instalment of a series. But, I can say that there were brilliant interactions between the PoV’s, and the relationship and inspiration from The French Revolution became far more prevalent as this series reached its final stages. So, there was of course mayhem and an overall feel of anarchy. This provided an element that made everyone feel unsafe, and that is something I love to feel in a book. That extra layer of realism provides so much.

Abercrombie brilliantly utilises his prose to enhance the tone and atmosphere, as well as craft character. That is the same here. He makes subtle alterations to his style depending on the character we are following, so that he strikes that perfect balance between nuance and making the character feel unique, but then not too much so that it feels jarring.

“She never saw more damage done than by folk acting on high principle.”

What held this back compared to many of Abercrombie’s previous books in my opinion was some of the twists. I love how Abercrombie subverts our expectations and resolves plot lines in completely unexpected ways. But, a few times here it was so different that it did not feel very satisfying. A lot was built up, especially in regards to a certain wizard…. And that expectation was never resolved, sadly.

But, saying that, it was still a really thoroughly enjoyable read. A 'bad' Abercrombie book is still a really great book. Still a series I would recommend to everyone. It was not disappointing in the sense that it wasn't good. It just wasn't as amazing as I was expecting.

4/5 STARS

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the eff! I loved the first book, mostly loved the second book and could barely get through this book!! That’s it!! I’m not trusting anyone but my favorite authors and I’m not wasting my money anymore. I could have bought at least three of the many books I want and love off my wishlist instead!!!



Damn it!!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Books with Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the best.
Don’t have comprehensive thoughts yet

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 5 out of 5]

„- Те са чудовища - чу я да шепне Орсо.
- Почти ми се иска наистина да бяха такива - промърмори той. - Така щеше да е по-лесно. Но те са просто хора.“


„Ерата на безумието“ завърши по изключително силен начин! Чрез тази великолепна трилогия, Джо Абъркромби брилянтно е представил безразсъдството и алчността, обхванали в размирни времена както народа, така и аристокрацията... „Мъдростта на тълпите“ се оказа страшно впечатляваща финална книга, която е изпълнена с много въздействащи обрати, както и води до реалистичен завършек на революционната сюжетна линия. Авторът несъмнено е проучил определени безумни исторически събития, за да ги вплете майсторски в своя правдоподобен фентъзи свят!

Голямата промяна настъпва в Съюза, обаче революцията води до мракобесен тоталитарен режим, а пък междувременно в Севера се очертава поредната кървава битка за власт... И на двете места управниците отхвърлят и презират Баяз, уверени в своите качества и решили, че без неговото влияние ще се справят в изграждането на държава много по-добре...






„Може би Брод трябваше да започне да скача от радост при този неочакван шанс да си върне свободата, но той беше виждал и преди тази смесица от налудничава радост и гняв - по време на бунта във Валбек. Като знаеше как беше завършило това накрая, не му се искаше да танцува. Искаше му се да се върне обратно в килията си и да се заключи вътре.“


„Сякаш се чувстваше добре в кожата си - чувство, което тя самата никога не беше изпитвала. Човек винаги е привлечен от своята противоположност. Привлечен и уплашен едновременно. Какво забавно има в някого, който не те плаши поне мъничко?“


„- Стириянец ли си?
- Това... проблем ли е? - преглътна той.
-Не и за мен. Вик беше напълно наясно, че по-голямата част от значителните страдания, които беше понесла през живота си, ѝ бяха причинени от сънародниците ѝ, но чужденците не бяха популярни сред тълпата.“


„Изгубени в анонимността на тълпата, хората извършваха ужасни неща, които биха ги отвращавали, когато са сами. Които, без съмнение, ги отвращаваха след това. Но съжалението им едва ли беше достатъчна утеха за жертвите.“


„- Лъже доста умело. - Някога това би го възмутило. Сега почти ѝ се възхищаваше.
Напоследък нещата, които беше смятал за слабости, изглеждаха като качества, а висшите добродетели се бяха превърнали във фатални недостатъци.“


„Беше по-добре да не споменаваш някои неща, освен ако не си сигурен, че използваш правилните думи. Всеки ден се появяваха нови думи, които трябваше да бъдат избягвани. Нови идеи, които противоречаха на Голямата промяна. Разбира се, сега всеки беше свободен да каже каквото поиска. Трябваше просто да внимаваш, за да не те обесят.“


„- Вярата трябва от време на време да минава през сътресения, иначе става безкомпромисна. Превръща се в извинение за всякакви престъпления. Започнах да вярвам, че добродетелният човек... винаги трябва да има своите съмнения.“


„- Искаш да нарисуваш това?
- Бъдещите поколения може никога да не повярват, че се е случило. Тя духна русата си коса, която беше паднала върху лицето ѝ, и се зае отново да скицира. Въгленът съскаше по хартията. - Тогава може да се случи отново.“


„- Кой казва, че искам да правя добро?
- Нима всички ние не искаме това? - Баяз изпусна въздишка през носа. - Историята не е история на битките между доброто и злото, а между това, което е разбирането за добро на един човек и на друг. Злото не е противоположността на доброто. Така наричаме разбирането на друг човек за доброто, когато то се различава от нашето собствено.“


„- Така и не се научих да се доверявам на верни хора. Не ги разбирам тия копелдаци.
- За това съм съгласен с теб.
- Човек, който е верен на някого, един ден може да реши, че би предпочел да е верен на някого другиго. - Той размаха пръст на Детелината. - А човекът, който е верен преди всичко на себе си, винаги ще остане такъв. Не се преструваш на нещо, което не си. Ти си надежден.“


„Или просто им се бяха струпали толкова много разочарования от Голямата промяна, че това беше предизвикало в тях някакво маниакално поведение? Орсо беше благодарен за всяка подкрепа, но не можеха ли да го подкрепят безмълвно? Откритите демонстрации на монархизъм не бяха донесли на никого нищо добро. Най-малко на самия монарх.“


„Детелината се беше притаил недалеч, приведен по типичния за него начин, сякаш се опитваше да стане невидим. Шола се радваше, че той е тук, макар да не го показваше. Харесваше Детелината. Той беше сравнително добър главатар и сравнително добър човек. А тя знаеше от опит, че това е максимумът, който можеш да очакваш от главатарите и хората като цяло.“


„- Е, всички ние сме склонни да вярваме в това, което ни се иска - отвърна Риккъ. - За начало Тръпката беше този, който ми подхвърли тая идея.
- Няма по-голяма сила от това да изглеждаш слаб - скромно сви рамене Тръпката.“


„Сякаш спокойното и достойно държане на Савин предизвика почти същото възхищение на публичните балкони, каквото бе предизвикало и в Орсо. Той не можа да потисне леката усмивка на лицето и едва доловимо разтърси юмрук. В Народния съд човек трябваше да се радва и на малките победи.“


„- Когато те обвиня в нещо, не си съгласен. Когато кажа нещо в твоя полза, пак не си съгласен. - Риккъ го погледна объркано
- От опит знам... че нещата рядко са само добри или лоши.“


„Можех да ти кажа това още като видях всичките проклети знамена. Работата е там, че знамената никога не правят едни мъж повече мъж, само заместват нещо, което му липсва.“


„Обществото е състезание, в което може да има победители, без да създаде губещи. Хората, които изгубят веднъж, обикновено продължават да губят, а онези, които губят прекалено често, стават недоволни...“


„Да желаеш някому злото, прави живота ти тежък...“


„- Щеше да е невъзпитано да се появя с празни ръце.
- О, и двамата мислим еднакво! - отвърна Баяз, потупа го по рамото и го поведе през двора към библиотеката. - Доброто възпитание може вече и да не е на мода в Севера, но искам да знаеш, че аз го ценя. Човек може да постигне всичко с помощта на възпитани хора с добра преценка.“


„Ако заличим доказателствата за провалите си, как някога ще си вземем поука от тях?“




„Малка омраза“:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

„Неприятната страна на мира“:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Krell75 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terzo e conclusivo romanzo della trilogia dell'Età della Follia di Abercrombie, cronologicamente l'ultimo (per ora) del suo lungo ciclo de La Prima Legge, o Il Cerchio del Mondo, come preferite. Se i primi due romanzi mi avevano convinto appieno, quest'ultimo chiude la trilogia in maniera perfetta.

"Sono dei mostri".
"Vorrei quasi che lo fossero, sarebbe più facile. Ma sono solo persone".

Partiamo col ricordare, a chi non conoscesse questo ciclo, che Abercrombie scrive un grimdark puro, dove sono praticamente assenti sia la magia sia le creature fantastiche. Qui si incontrano solo popoli umani che si combattono per la terra, le risorse e il potere economico, senza grosse differenze con un romanzo "storico" o comunque basato sul crudo realismo. Il focus della narrazione si concentra sulle vicende di alcuni individui, seguendone la storia.

"E Fuoco Sia"

Dopo gli eventi dei romanzi precedenti, la storia riprende con un notevole calo di ritmo. I protagonisti cercano di trovare un posto nel caos dilagante per sopravvivere al Grande Cambiamento in corso. Si tratta di una parte lenta ma necessaria per lo sviluppo delle diverse linee narrative dei personaggi coinvolti.

Abercrombie scrive in modo appassionato, rendendo impossibile staccarsi dalla lettura. I suoi personaggi sono sempre i veri fautori della storia narrata e il loro percorso di cambiamento e crescita è qualcosa che ho riscontrato in pochi altri romanzi.

Joe si conferma un maestro nel caratterizzare i suoi personaggi. Probabilmente si tratta di una delle migliori trilogie che abbia letto.

"Le generazioni future potrebbero non credere che sia successo. E allora potrebbe accadere di nuovo"

"L'eloquenza del campo di battaglia".

I sogni e le promesse a volte si trasformano in incubi inattesi, e le speranze si rivelano vane. Dopo una calma apparente, arriva la tempesta. Il cambiamento, in fondo, è solo un'illusione.

Quando si arriva all'ultima pagina di un romanzo con le lacrime agli occhi e il cuore a pezzi, ogni altra parola diventa superflua.

Grazie Joe.

--------------------------------------
The third and final novel in Abercrombie's Age of Madness trilogy, chronologically the last (for now) of his long series The First Law, or The Circle of the World, as you prefer. If the first two novels had completely convinced me, this latest one closes the trilogy perfectly.

"They're monsters."
"I almost wish they were; it would be easier. But they're just people."

Let's start by reminding those unfamiliar with this series that Abercrombie writes pure grimdark fiction, where both magic and fantastical creatures are virtually absent. Here, we encounter only human populations fighting each other for land, resources, and economic power, not significantly different from a "historical" novel or one based on gritty realism. The narrative focuses on the experiences of a few individuals, following their stories.

"Let There Be Fire"

After the events of the previous novels, the story picks up with a noticeable slowdown in pace. The protagonists try to find a place in the rampant chaos to survive the Great Change underway. This is a slow but necessary progression for the development of the various narrative threads of the characters involved.

Abercrombie writes with passion, making it impossible to put down. His characters are always the true architects of the story, and their journey of change and growth is something I've encountered in few other novels.

Joe proves himself a master at characterization. This is probably one of the best trilogies I've read.

"Future generations may not believe it happened. And then it could happen again."

"The Eloquence of the Battlefield."

Dreams and promises sometimes turn into unexpected nightmares, and hopes prove vain. After a seeming calm, comes the storm. Change, after all, is only an illusion.

When you reach the last page of a novel with tears in your eyes and a broken heart, every other word becomes superfluous.

Thanks, Joe.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant ending to the great series. It unreveled a lot of misteries but left some hints for the continuation. Hope Abercrombie will write other series about the next generation and finaly kill Bayaz.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Dale Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isnt it weird you can review a book before its released.

Im going to pre-empt this book a sweet five stars, why? Because its Joe Fucking Abercrombie.

Cant wait to read this.

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread
Joe Abercrombie is, to me, the best character writer ever. No author has ever made me both so interested and so angry before.
So yes, I very much want to punch Leo.

[LolaF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buen final para esta trilogía.

«Vi a un león comerse al lobo.
Vi a un cordero comerse al león.
Vi a un búho comerse al cordero.»


El Joven Cordero, Orso, tras haber derrotado al Joven León, Leo dan Brock, no se encuentra con el recibimiento esperado al cruzar las puertas de Adua. La ciudad está revuelta, las masas se han sublevado, ya no aguantan más: ¡Salarios justos!, ¡Igualdad para todos!, ¡Abajo el Consejo Cerrado! ¡Queremos pan!

Ha llegado la hora del Gran Cambio. El Ejército Popular, capitaneado por Pike, formado por los Quemadores, los Rompedores y la gente que se les ha unido por el camino, toma la ciudad. Euforia y destrucción. La Rotonda de los Lores ahora es la Rotonda de los Comunes. El Consejo Abierto se convierte en la Asamblea de los Representantes elegidos por los habitantes de Midderland. El comisario Pike, el presidente Risinau y la Jueza lideran el nuevo gobierno del Gran Cambio.

«Discutían incluso más de lo que lo había hecho el Consejo Abierto, si es que era posible. Discutían cada punto del día. Discutían sobre el orden de los puntos. Discutían sobre el método de discusión.»

Hay que hacer limpieza, acabar con cualquier vestigio del antiguo régimen, incluyendo la banca. Orso es destituido y detenido. Todos los presos, entre los que se encuentran Leo y Savine, son liberados. La Jueza preside el tribunal que se encarga de impartir "justicia". ¡Sálvese el que pueda!

Pero la limpieza no significa prosperidad. Caos, locura. Carestía. Las masas están peor que antes. La situación y el descontrol es insostenible. Nuevas fuerzas resurgen y entran en juego en Adua.

Mientras, en el Norte, se está preparando la gran batalla. Rikke la Negra, la del Ojo Largo, nos hará disfrutar de esa batalla épica contra Calder el Negro que a estas alturas del libro ya estabas esperando. Todas las fuerzas entran en juego, volveremos a encontrarnos con algunos viejos conocidos.

Y a partir de aquí, más o menos mitad de libro, el libro empieza a coger ritmo. Los acontecimientos en Adua se suceden, las intrigas, las alianzas, incluso las traiciones. Secretos ocultos que salen a la luz. La lucha de poder entre los regentes del nuevo rey es implacable, dos socios que deben aprender a colaborar por el bien del negocio común.

La verdad es que aunque me parecía interesante y necesaria para sentar las bases e incorporar cierta crítica, moralina o enseñanzas, esa primera parte del libro me ha resultado un poco lenta o larga, necesitaba algo de más acción, sangre, barro, .... pero a partir de un determinado punto le hago la ola al autor. He disfrutado como una enana. No comento más porque hay que leerlo y vivirlo. Te mete de lleno en la historia. Con tu ojo lector vibras, eres capaz de ver y sentir lo que ocurre en cada rincón.

Me gusta los personajes que crea el autor. No son ni blancos ni negros. Algunos están llenos de dilemas, como Gunnar Broad. Tenemos personajes que evolucionan, como el Joven León, ya no es un cachorrillo que se deja manejar, es un tullido, rencoroso, amargado y ambicioso. Personajes que se dejan llevar por el viento que mejor sopla, que sobreviven buscando el bando vencedor, como Trebol. Me gusta el protagonismo que tienen las mujeres, desde Savine con su ambición e inteligencia, fría y calculadora en sus decisiones, una mujer que no se doblega y es capaz de caer y alzarse renovada cuantas veces haga falta, hasta Rikke con su fuerza y su fragilidad, rodeada de fuertes guerreros, no es fácil convertirte en una líder respetada. Mención especial a Orso, la voz que reflexiona sobre el caos, un cordero fiel que debiera ser sacrificado.

En resumen, un buen final para la trilogía La era de la locura. Pero, ¿cuánto tiempo durará la paz en el Norte y el nuevo gobierno en Adua? Mi ojo largo intuye que no tardaremos en saberlo ;-).

Valoración: 9/10
Lectura: marzo 2022

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note this review will contain spoilers for A Little Hatred and The Trouble with Peace, but it is spoiler free for The Wisdom of Crowds.

‘Wisdom is not a premium, madness is the fashion, the balance sheets are all torn up and the friends that were assets have become liabilities.’ Vic kept walking, ‘Threats for tomorrow don’t cut very deep when today is so damn threatening.’

The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie is the last book in the Age of Madness trilogy, and for now at least, marks the end of our time within the world of the First Law. Before I began this book I was apprehensive about what kind of ending these beloved characters would meet, but I needn’t have been, say one thing for Abercrombie, say he knows how to create a showstopping finale!

On the cover of my ARC the words Chaos, Fury and Destruction dominate, and these are apt words, civil war ravages through the lands and the Great Change is fully upon the citizens within the Union, for better or worse. Much like during The French Revolution, the time of Social Revolution has finally come and the oppressors have become the oppressed. The Breakers and Burners have seized power and the nobility must cower before them. Anyone with wealth and prosperity are brought under a knife’s edge and either must be seen as less than they are or face a long fall from grace. The Age of Madness certainly reflects all that this book stands for.

Yet there are those who find opportunities even amongst the ruin. Leo Dan Brock, beloved by many, seeks to be the hero for the new age, and Savine must turn her talents for business into talents of survival, she must truly become ‘the darling of the slums’ in every way. Orso finds that being a king has landed him with the worst possible fate, and in the North, Rikke faces a battle all of her own as Black Calder plots his revenge. The time of judgement is upon all. As our characters face an uncertain future, they must also reflect, even learn from the deeds of the past, the once legends now long buried beneath the mud. The past now comes to heads with the future.

In my review for The Trouble with Peace I had said that the narrative had leaned more towards the political intrigue side, and even though that was entertaining in its own right, I did miss the action. This time around I felt the balance hit the exact right spot for me. The proud forcefully became humbled, and the poor and lowly suddenly found themselves powerful, yet they were also capable of the same cruelty that was bestowed upon them by the nobility. The ‘new leaders’ also held little knowledge of what to do with their newfound power or even how to run the country. The ‘Great Change’ was not all it was cracked up to be; put simply, everyone was fucked. Abercrombie became the weaver of politics and chaotic battles, each scene expertly builds upon the tension and is doused in his trademark of dark humour, repetitions and a cynical view of the world. The world has literally gone to shit, and the aftermath is nothing but sheer entertaining.

‘The Great Change’ was not only symbolic of the world but of its people too, especially some of our main protagonists. The dynamics between the characters is once again fantastic, and I loved the way Abercrombie hits us with multiple twists throughout the book. Loyalty and treachery hang in balance and at every turn our main protagonists tip the scales in surprising ways.

Rikke remained my favourite character throughout the entire trilogy. From A Little Hatred we watch Rikke as she comes out from behind her father’s shadow and becomes an absolute force not to be rivalled with, yet even when she finally gains power in her own right, her fundamental caring personality wars with what is best for her people. She vies for fairness, when her people look to her to rule with a firm hand. Rikke is the most vulnerable, and heartfelt character within the book, she genuinely cares for the people who show her loyalty, no matter the deeds they’ve done. Abercrombie has always explored found families within his books, and Rikke’s relationship with Shivers and Isern-i-Phail, which goes from strength to strength in Wisdom of Crowds, made for one of the weirdest but most sincere found families within the series. Not to mention how entertaining they were too, Abercrombie absolutely hit the nail on the head with the banter between these characters.

‘Did I do the right thing, Shivers?’
‘You’re asking the wrong man, I reckon.’
‘I’m asking the only one I trust.’
‘‘Cause I done so much o’ the wrong thing?’
‘Shows you know the difference, don’t it?’
‘Not sure there is one.’

Savine was a character I had previously disliked but Abercrombie crafted her story arc so brilliantly that I couldn’t help but care for her in this last instalment. Her desire for self preservation and self profit never quite leaves her, but without giving away too much, her priorities change and her motivations, at least on some level, are for a better life all round. This sense of purpose in my opinion made her a much more likeable character.

My sympathies fell wholeheartedly with Gunnar Broad, a man with a history of warfare, always called to do the deeds no one else was willing to do, a man utterly haunted by his past. Once again Gunnar’s vow to keep out of trouble, and to ensure his family’s safety means he has to sacrifice his own morality, his own inner peace, and do what must be done. This time it seems executing the nobles falls in his hands, and now driven to a constant state of drunkenness, Gunnar struggles to find a way to end this cycle before it destroys him entirely.

“He drank again, spirit burning his sore gullet. It was like taking the lenses off his mind. Make everything a blur. So he didn’t have to see Liddy’s face, or May’s. Didn’t have to think of what they’d say. Didn’t have to put ‘em next to what he was now. Didn’t have to fear what he might do to ‘em. Made it easier, being drunk. Or did it make it easier to have something to blame?”

I also felt for Orso and Vick who both seem to get the raw deal throughout Wisdom of Crowds. However, no matter what was thrown at Orso, he kept his quick witted nonchalant attitude, and I loved him all the more for it. Vick was perhaps the only character trying her utmost best to solve the disaster of the uprising she had played a part in, perhaps the only character to feel remorse. This may be a dark book set in a brutal violent world, but even so, these characters all still withheld their charm.

“They’re monsters,” Orso heard her whisper.
‘I almost wish they were,’ he muttered. ‘That would be easier. But they’re just people.’
‘They’re the worst people I ever saw.’
‘Of course they are. We hanged all the best ones.’

Abercrombie will always be the staple example for why I love the Grimdark genre, his stories are never one dimensional. In his world, his characters and his plot, there are no good deeds, no bad deeds, no heroes, no villains and certainly no justice. There are only people with reasons.

‘Take it far enough, freedom becomes chaos. The voice of the people… is just noise. It is the blather of the lunatics in the madhouse. It is the squeal of the pigs in the slaughterhouse. It is a choir of morons. Most of them don’t even know what they want, let alone how to get it.’

The Wisdom of Crowds is a worthy ending, one in which Abercrombie excels himself and proves to be a wizard of words. Although I am sad to say goodbye to these characters and the world of the First Law, the ‘Great Change’ is now upon us readers too, and I can’t wait to see what stories Abercrombie will conjure up next.

ARC provided by Will at Gollancz in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. The Wisdom of Crowds is out now.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot twists and more plot twists. Wow. I thought I was case hardened to the point where surprises are rare, but this story shocked me more than once. This review is spoiler-free so I won't get into details, but in a way I guess I should've seen a couple of them coming. The author definitely knows how to play the long game with his plot and keep the twists coming right up to the end.

It's a rare gift when an author can truly build to an ending like this. It was satisfying without becoming cliche. The rounded nature of the characters left me wondering who was really good or evil, what justice would actually look like, and whether (much like life) it was a sad and ironic combination of the contrasting elements.

The themes really are revealed in the changes the characters go through. A look at them in the beginning of the series and then again here at the end is a shocking, horrifying, and an all too real grasp of verisimilitude in the form of a before and after snapshot of the human psyche. One of the things I really like about these characters, even the evil ones, is I am left with a disturbing sense that after understanding the context of their actions I may well have done the same thing. I like to believe not, but part of making these characters likable was making them relatable and it is clearly a trademark of this author's style. Grimdark with character.

Five star finale.

[Liviu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit disappointing in the sense that the pre-release hype of twists etc turned out to be quite predictable as whoever you expect to live and rule, lives and rules, whoever you expect to die, dies and of course, nothing in the big picture is settled as the finale - while ending conclusively this series pretty much as the original trilogy ended except with the next generation now in charge - shows that more books in the series are sure to follow with the next-next-generation now and maybe for once there will be genuine twists; this being said, the prose, irony and dark humor was as expected and made the book enjoyable to a large extent but it also made it a repeat of the previous many similar books in the series and I think that the original Glotka-NineFingers-Jezal etc beats the cast here

[Alex W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a single hesitation, I can confidently say this is one of the best fantasy trilogies I’ve read in years and this final book was absolutely magnificent.

Now all I want to do is drop everything and reread the original trilogy lol

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes, the only way to improve something is to destroy it, so it can be rebuilt better… Sometimes, to change the world, we must first burn it down.”

"Arrrrrgh" oh the pain. Please don't for one second think that my pain has been caused by reading the final installment in Joe Abercrombie's scintillating Age of Madness series, the Wisdom of Crowds. If you're apprehensive about what ending is in store for our beloved characters then don't be. It's simply the fact that this book marks the end of our time within the world of the First Law. And that leaves a huge void in my life. A void that cannot be filled by beer, football or other inferior fantasy series.

Seriously, Joe Abercrombie is the reason I'm even reading fantasy. He writes this stuff better than I thought was possible. How does he do it? By making amazing characters the focus of the story and mixing pulsating action with lots of dark comedy and perfectly timed heartfelt moments. He really is the Tarantino of the fantasy genre.

"Wisdom is not a premium, madness is the fashion, the balance sheets are all torn up and the friends that were assets have become liabilities."

But if you're reading this review then you're probably up with all the things this fantastic series has to offer. So you just need to know if this book is any good. Yes it is... brilliant in fact. End of review...

... oh you want more.

The previous book, The Trouble with Peace, ended on the verge of The Great Change, and this one kicks off exactly where it left off with full on civil war and open rebellion.  Yes, the oppressors have become the oppressed and finding out just how equal we all are when the chips are down.
The Breakers and Burners have continued their determination to break the system and are now destroying the city and their places of work.  The
Age of Madness is now looking a very apt title for where this series is at.



By now we all know this author's strengths and he's honed them to a fine art. As per usual, Abercrombie treats us to phenomenal characterisation with a keen insight on the human condition.  Good people commit awful acts, and awful people become heroes.  It's all a matter of perspective in Joe's books and everything depends on what side of the fence you're on or what end of a blade. It's great to spend time with these morally grey characters and you can't help but wonder if you sometimes see a bit of yourself reflected there. Hopefully not too much though!

Leo Dan Brock, left shattered at the end of the last book, is determined to become a new hero of this volatile age, while his wife Savine is suffering a complete character makeover as she switches her passion for profit to simple survival. Sticky Rikke faces a battle to hang on to the North with the craftiest Northman of them all Black Calder and my favourite character Orso is beginning to learn that being the King of the Union is not all its cracked up to be.  The dynamics between them are absolutely fantastic as the plot constantly twists and turns making this one an absolute page turner. That's as far as I'm going though and I'll leave it up to yourself to find out which of the characters come out on top as they struggle to keep their heads above water. Suffice to say that Abercrombie works his magic by keeping us absolutely enthralled regardless of which POV is being used.



And while we're on the subject of magic, the quality of writing is absolutely magnificent.  Joe is punching write at the top of the fantasy genre and for pure readability it's up there with the very best.  It's dark, it's violent and very humorous and the prose just draw you in, take tight hold of your eye balls and don't let go until the very end.

My only criticism is that one characters arc for me was a bit unrealistic and things changed a little bit to rapidly and without much adversity.  I'd of like to have seen victory earned particularly when you consider what they were up against. I'll leave you to work out which one I'm talking about.

“They’re monsters,” Orso heard her whisper.

‘I almost wish they were,’ he muttered. ‘That would be easier. But they’re just people.’

‘They’re the worst people I ever saw.’

‘Of course they are. We hanged all the best ones.’

But that's a very small criticism amongst all the praise I have for this book and the series as a whole. It's been a huge part of my life for the last six months and I'm going to miss it.  Far more than all those ex's that dumped me.  But before I go you'll want to know if Joe landed the ending? Of course he bloody did and you'll be stoked to know he left plenty of threads open for a sequel.  That's what I'm hoping for anyway. I can't cope without First Law in my life. Might mean I have to go out and get a girlfriend to fill my time.  You've got to be realistic.

All hail Lord Grimdark!

[Hamad · Rating 5 out of 5]

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“If the Great Change taught us anything, it is that the vast majority of us are cowards the vast majority of the time.”

The Blade Itself ★★★ 3/4
Before They Are Hanged ★★★★
The Last Argument of King ★★★★
Best Served Cold ★★★★ 1/2
The Heroes ★★★
Red Country ★★★ 1/2
Sharp Ends ★★ 1/2
A Little Hatred ★★★★
The Trouble with Peace ★★★★ 1/4
The Wisdom of Crowds ★★★★★

I need to clear a few things before getting into the actual review of the book. I only finished the first law original trilogy last year and this year I tackled the rest of the books. I had it planned so that by the time this book is released, I would have read everything and I think the plan was a major success for me. I always had a good feeling about this series and looks like I was right. I also should mention that I sometimes speed through books which may affect the comprehension (less so with contemporaries but it happens with dense fantasy stories) and that was the case with The Trouble with Peace. I decided to read the two summaries Abercrombie provided on his website which were life saving and I am 100% I would not have enjoyed the story this much without them (Honestly more authors should be doing this because it will have a huge impact on ratings and sales). Reading those summaries made me pump my rating of book two because I did miss a few things when I read it. I also used a map I saw on twitter which was fan made and it also really helped me as a visual person. I read The Wisdom of Crowds slowly and steadily and it really paid off!

The story takes place after the shocking events at the ending of book two and it is all about “The Great Change”. I think the beginning was like a psychological study of communities and how they are affected by change which was amusing and hilarious at the same time.

“Before we can feed the people’s bellies,” agreed Risinau, “we must feed the people’s minds. Only with a government founded on sound principles of fairness and justice can they prosper!”

The writing is Abercrombie at his best, earlier this year I said that Best Served Cold is my favorite book by the author and I thought it would not be changing anytime soon but this book proved me wrong and took the crown (pun intended). The writing is just brilliant because it involves multiple POVs but they are well balanced and it was interesting from start to finish. There were a ton of quotes that I liked and highlighted, I always said that Abercombie is a master of dialogue and this was not an exception to this rule. This book gave me all kinds of emotions and I know it takes real skill to evoke my emotions.

The characters were all great! I did not think that I will love them this much but I did care about the main characters: Savine, Orso, Leo and Rikke are all memorable and precious characters to me now. Glokta is still my favorite character in this world but those characters are next to him on the ladder. The characters in this book are unpredictable and are all traitors and serve their own goods. I don’t know if there was any character that I can consider pure and good but that’s what makes this very fresh and intriguing and it also what makes Abercrombie deserve the title Lord Grimdark!

“Well, at least one of us has something long.” She started forwards and jabbed her little finger in his face. “Guess we know why they call you the Nail now!”

I always mentioned that plot in The First Law world is slow and relatively less good than the characters and prose. I can say that the plot in this series was excellent and in this book specifically it was mind-boggling. It was really hard to predict and things kept happening left and right and the little details are what makes this perfect!

The world building is not very different from the previous books but it is the Great Change book and everything was involved in this and it was fascinating to see how the world itself is affected by this.

“You let one sheep pick its own path,” said Isern, “and ’fore you know it the whole herd’s got opinions.”

Summary: Books like this are the reason I am not generous with 5 stars because books need to be almost perfect to deserve those and The Wisdom of Crowds is one of those books. An interesting story from start to finish, great prose that is eloquent yet funny. Characters that you love and hate at the same time and a story line that is so well thought of. This is going into my favorites shelf too and will definitely be in my top 5 reads of this year!!

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo he disfrutado. Mucho. Abercrombie, Abercrombie de verdad.



Como leí a algún amigo que no le había gustado poco, poco, pues empiezo por lo que puede gustar menos (aunque a mí sí me haya gustado).



La “lentitud” de más o menos la primera mitad del libro es porque nos presenta esa “revolución francesa” en el Círculo del Mundo a base de distintas perspectivas de personajes cualesquiera que la sufren en primera persona. Igual hay 6 ó 7 de estos POV que dan fuerza al maremágnum de esa revolución.

Ya digo que alguien lo puede encontrar lento, pero ese no soy yo.

Los personajes son los ya conocidos, no hay nuevos. Pero sus frases tienen esa socarronería cínica y fina que provoca sonrisas a pesar de lo que nos cuenta. Orso, el rey de la Unión, Savine, Rikke, la reina norteña o Issern, su asesora, son geniales en este aspecto.



Y en esa revolución están los ideólogos, los chaqueteros, la impagable Jueza y el resto de personajes ya conocidos que navegan como pueden como los acontecimientos. No hay guillotina pero sí una “horca mecanizada” otras crueldades que ya leeréis.



Leo, el joven león, da mucha guerra. Savine no sabe perder. Orso va puteadillo el hombre… para mí todos brillan bastante.



La parte de sangre a saco la tenemos asegurada con los norteños. Los capítulos sobre ellos no defraudaron ni al amigo defraudado. Pura gozada abercrombiana.



Los giros y traiciones y los “¡no me jodas, Joe!” se suceden casi sin respiración desde esa primera mitad que decía. Yo he gozado.



Le quito una estrella porque el final me mata (aunque mi nota sería 9/10). Ya me diréis si es que cierra la trilogía o no. Personalmente creo que no y eso es lo que me mata y le roba la estrella. Pero aparte de eso le pondría 5 estrellas.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, I didn't think such a thing as 'the perfect book' could exist, and then I read The Wisdom of Crowds. I mean, I'd almost consider never picking up another book again, because I don't see how anything is going to top The Age of Madness. What a masterpiece, just hang it in The Louvre already.

First of all, I am so glad that I read the entire First Law universe in publication order, because the way that Abercrombie weaves threads from every single previous book all the way back into this finale is just beyond satisfying. So many conversations, twists, reveals, losses and victories carried so much more (emotional) weight with the added context of all that came before, and I loved seeing all the mirroring, the parallels, and the way that so many aspects came full circle in the most brilliantly twisted ways.

Seriously, I can't remember the last time I have felt so utterly fulfilled upon finishing a book/series, and I am just sitting here in utter awe of what Abercrombie just pulled off. It's not even that every single storyline is wrapped up in a neat little bow by the end (come on, it's Lord Grimdark, what did you expect?), but these characters and their tumultuous journeys are all written in such a painfully, brutally honest way that you can't help but feel satisfied. Angry, hurt, and probably more than a bit emotionally distraught, but ultimately just oh so satisfied.

Similarly to in the previous two instalments, the one true King Orso and my girl Tricky Rikke both just absolute stole the show for me, and I was cheering for them the entire way through. They shone every single second they were on the page, and I am totally not ready to talk about how their respective character arcs made me shed tears of both pure joy and deep agony... iykyk, I am UNWELL. Maybe I should've made of my heart a stone, but alas, too late now, ouch.

Speaking of feels though, I don't think my feelings on a character have changed more drastically over the course of a series than in the case of Leo dan fucking Brock. Not to spoil anything, but I hope his body will soon be found floating in the docks. Savine on the other hand... call me crazy, but I still love her in all her messy glory. It makes absolutely zero sense, but this woman just has my heart and she can crush it if she wants, I will be happy for it. These are not characters, they are people, and they are all too frighteningly realistic and relatable in all their flaws and vices.

Now, while these four were still the showstoppers for me, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I came to enjoy the other three POVs in this finale. Whereas they paled a bit in comparison to the 'main crew' in the previous instalments for me, there wasn't a single chapter, scene, sentence or word in The Wisdom of Crowds that didn't have me in a chokehold. Everything just came together in such a beautiful (or should I say ugly?) way, and everyone had such a good role to play in this absolutely glorious trainwreck of a story.

Also, I am truly so sorry for everyone who gave up on Abercrombie after the first couple of First Law books because of 'a lack of good female characters', because these complicated women all absolutely rock. Savine, Rikke, Vick, Isern, Zuri, Hildi, Ardee, Finree, and even damned Judge in all her diabolical madness... I LOVE THEM ALL! And can someone please explain to me how Abercrombie has written some of the best depictions of menstruation, pregnancy, birth, and motherhood?! Absolute insanity.

This entire story just dragged me across the entire spectrum of emotions and left me absolutely reeling by the end. I mean, The Age of Madness really should not have worked for me on so many levels because I usually never give a single flying fuck about war/revolution-focused narratives, and yet here we are. I think Abercrombie absolutely NAILED his vision for this story, and I love how this finale both gave so much closure while also leaving some threads dangling for potential future instalments in this world (pls give it to me, I need it more than I need air to breathe).

The Wisdom of Crowds is just every single thing I love about the entire First Law universe (or even about grimdark fantasy as a whole), all cooked up into one hell of a delicious (and slightly nauseating) dish and served up on a gleaming silver platter. This is Abercrombie at his darkest, dirtiest, funniest, wittiest, most brutal, most riveting, and most deviously twisted; it's Abercrombie at his very fucking best.

Some of the scenes in this series will forever be burned into my memory, for better or worse, and (most of) these characters can live rent-free in my heart forever more. Now excuse me while I go try to deal with this brutal book hangover and move on with my life pretending that everything is totally fine, cheers!

[Ola G · Rating 2 out of 5]

5/10 stars

My full review on my blog.

I know that times are tough. Pandemic, a looming economic crisis, people do what they can to make ends meet, churning out books like there’s no tomorrow, with less than usual regard for logic or excellence. It’s hard, and I understand, and Abercrombie is certainly not the first one to fall into this trap. But that knowledge doesn’t lessen the disappointment much. For this is the first First Law World book that unequivocally sucked for me.

My disappointment is twofold, and I’ll try my best to separate the technical, rather more objective one from the bitterly personal ;).

Firstly, the padding on The Wisdom of Crowds is bigger and fluffier than Savine’s most extravagant wig. This book could have easily been cut in half and this surgery would have only improved it. That’s the first Abercrombie book that made me itch to read a Wikipedia synopsis instead of slogging through the unending quagmire of words. I resisted, but barely. Now I’m not sure if this was the right choice. This book was boring, as simple as that.

Secondly, Abercrombie seems to revel in his description of the people’s revolution. Good on him, I guess, at least someone had some fun with these chapters. The problem here, however, is that he writes nothing new. He did his research, fell in love with his research, understandably, I might add, revolutions are a heady stuff, and put in all the juicy pieces from the French and the American and the Russian revolutions into his book. But then he decided it’s not enough, that this whole thing can be further improved. Well, apparently it couldn’t. All his fake Robespierres and Dantons and Marxes and Marats and Louises XVI can’t hold a candle to the real ones. His pale, crippled shades possess neither depth nor emotion nor tragedy of the originals. If I wanted to read a book on revolutions, I’d choose a better one, and non-fiction at that. If I wanted to read a parody on revolutions, I’d choose something else, too, because for some reason Abercrombie’s acerbic wit just doesn’t seem to work here. Bigger is not necessarily better, whatever people tell you. And to top it all off with a conspiracy theory seems just so… I’d say juvenile but there’s too much bitterness in Abercrombie’s writing for that epithet; so I’ll settle for cynically lazy.

Thirdly, and most sadly, this time around the book was almost entirely predictable. No amount of waffling or emotional blubbering or second thoughts seem to change anything in Abercrombie’s tightly ruled little world of base impulses, so why even put up the smoke screen? It would work if for once an honest appeal to the better nature succeeded – but it doesn’t. It makes for a very exhausting read, to be honest. Nothing I wouldn’t expect from Abercrombie, but I still had hopes. Now I don’t. I’m rather left with a sense of fatigue, with no closure in sight – especially because The Wisdom of Crowds wasn’t the ending I was waiting for; no, it rather seems to be a ham-fisted intro to another lengthy set of books.

That is not to say that Abercrombie forgot how to write – not at all, there are some powerful scenes here, some spiffy dialogues, cinematic action scenes. When the plot finally gets going, it goes very quickly indeed. What I’m missing the most, however, is character development – in abundance in the earlier book, here somehow regressing for nearly all characters to the state from A Little Hatred, as if somehow Abercrombie believed deep down that people don’t change, that personality is set in stone. As for the couple that does change, due to bodily transformations, no less, it’s never a change for the better. More bitter, angry cripples, seriously? Pain never makes you more noble, I get it, but does Abercrombie really feel the need to drive it home again and again and again?

As for the personal disappointment, well – killing off the only character I even remotely cared for in the whole trilogy was the last straw ;). My liking for the rest of the crew had been steadily lessening, so that at the end of The Wisdom of Crowds I really have nobody left to root for. Suddenly, even Bayaz doesn’t look that bad.

All in all, it really pains me to say that here, at the end of The Wisdom of Crowds, Abercrombie and I are parting ways. A very personal and totally subjective feeling of a waste of time accompanied me through most of this journey – and that’s for me is a sure sign that a termination of the existing relationship is in order. I had fun with the world of First Law, and maybe one day I’ll have fun with it again – just not with The Wisdom of Crowds, and not with the current set of characters.

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller

[4.5/5 stars] I’m going to have to come to grips with the fact that I’m current with Abercrombie’s adult fantasy novels. I knew this day would come, and prepared for it a bit, but it still hurts.

Is he now my top author? He certainly has been creeping up the board lately – knocking down authors I thought would hold those spots forever. I’m not sure he’s quite managed to dethrone Robin Hobb, but damn, he has made a case for himself.

As the finale in the trilogy, Wisdom of Crowds had all of that amazing momentum I’d been hoping for. All of those moments that make you stop what your reading and just go, “wow.” There we’re so many fun plot tools used in this story that I don’t usually see done well, but here they were executed flawlessly. And I think that’s in no small part due to how rich, real, and rounded his characters are. Real people are dynamic, complicated creatures who do irrational things all the time. In books, however, it’s really difficult to convey that without making your characters come across inconsistent or under-developed. Abercrombie’s brilliant character work allowed him to showcase some amazing scenes that are now among my favorites from the whole saga. And it made this final book so, so satisfying to read.

Not that I think we’ve seen the last of the First Law world. There was definitely some compelling setup for more to come, but as I understand it, that’s a ways out.

Many people have asked me how this trilogy holds up compared to the books that came before it. I think it’s definitely more in line with the slow-burn, politically-driven novels we got in the first trilogy rather than the more action-packed stand-alones. Arguably, this was the most difficult one to read yet, as the characters are frustrating, the situation complicated and brutal (in true Abercrombie fashion), and there were several points where I both loved (because of appreciation of the craft) and hated (the awful things that happen) what I was reading. It was evoking and amazing and horrible, and I really would love nothing more than to be put through all of it again in his next book. Us Abercrombie readers are a bit masochistic, is all I’m sayin’.

Recommendations: I wasn’t a die-hard Abercrombie fan with his initial trilogy. I WAS a die-hard Glokta fan within that, but it took seeing Abe’s writing strengthen to brilliance in Best Served Cold before I was won over. And now it’s all I can do with my life not to become an blathering fangirl. If like me you thought First Law was just okay after the first trilogy, keep reading! You ain’t seen nothing yet!

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

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[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

Habiéndome gustado bastante esta tercera entrega, se queda algo lejos de la segunda, que me pareció de lo mejor que ha escrito Abercrombie, si no lo mejor, está así así con Los Héroes.

Los personajes y diálogos vuelven a ser lo mejor con diferencia de la historia. Es el punto fuerte de Abercrombie, junto a la ambientación, y sabe sacarle mucho rédito a este apartado. Tanto los protagonistas como los secundarios tienen un estilo propio y una voz única que los hace diferentes y fáciles de identificar. No es necesario leer quién ha dicho qué para saber quién lo dice y eso es algo que agradezco y mucho cuando leo.

La trama en general cumple de forma notable, pero hay partes que me han parecido menos interesantes, no diré cuales para no meter spoilers, y que se alargan demasiado para mi gusto. No es que haya perdido el interés durante la lectura, pero si que tenía ganas de superar esa fase y pasar a algo más entretenido y de mi gusto. Es algo que también me pasó en el primer libro de esta saga, no así en el segundo.

El desenlace puede que haya sido el adecuado y entiendo hacía donde quiere llevarnos Abercrombie, pero eso no quita que esté de acuerdo con él. Tampoco me han entusiasmado los supuestos giros de guion que se suponen que deberían haberme sorprendido. No es que sea el más avezado o espabilado del mundo, pero los he visto venir a la legua y sin tener el ojo largo...

Resumiendo, novela bastante completa y de nivel notable, pero que podría habernos ofrecido algo más dado los mimbres que poseía. Los personajes cumplen de forma excelente, la trama aunque va a trompicones es interesante y el desenlace aunque cierra algunas puertas, deja otras muchas abiertas, lo que supongo que nos llevará a un cuarto libro o a otra nueva trilogía.

Recomendado sin duda para los seguidores de Abercrombie, que creo que lo disfrutarán y mucho.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ending was perfection! And I love Savine- she's such an amazing character.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love most about this series is also what I struggle with the hardest: that Abercrombie holds up a mirror to humanity in all its terrible 'glory'. As much as we might wish that this opportunity to see offers us a picture through a glass darkly, what Abercrombie shows us is the reality of who and what we are. I've said before that he is a student of history, and nowhere is that more clear than in The Wisdom of Crowds. For anyone who isn't sure, 'wisdom' is not how the quote actually goes. It's all one big joke, a smirk, a snarky commentary on the state of things - and not just in the First Law world. If at any time you think things can't get worse, that people couldn't fall much further, then know that you, and they, have not hit the bottom just yet. The ultimate truth? That there's always further to fall. History never ends. People do not change. And there's always someone pulling the strings in the background...

Chucking in a wizard or two made this fantasy, but it's the characterisation, the gritty reality that makes it magic. Easily one of the best series I've ever read.

ARC via Netgalley