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Joe Abercrombie and The First Law trilogy

A

AuntiePam

New Member
Anyone else reading these books? The titles are The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and The Last Argument of Kings.

I almost didn't finish the first book. Joe takes his own sweet time setting things up and introducing characters. You don't even get a sense of the plot until near the end of the first book. I'm all "What's the point? Where are we going?" But I liked the characters and Joe's writing style, and people whose opinions I respect said to keep reading.

I'm halfway through the second book and I still don't know what to expect. All I know for sure is that somebody is messing with a very dangerous magic system, and there's a war on.

Joe's writing -- especially structure and pace -- is the best part. He's not lazy. Even simple things are presented in original ways. Plus, he doesn't violate my First Law of Good Writing -- no adverbs in dialogue. I hate adverbs in dialogue tags. If the writer has done his job, we don't even need "Joe said", because we will recognize Joe's voice and we'll know it's Joe who's talking.

So there's my recommendation for a good fantasy trilogy.
 
I just recently picked up The Blade Itself, so when I finish, I can't wait to discuss it!
 
I am having a really good time with this series. I picked up the first book because I liked the cover, and haven't looked back since. 'The First Law' is my new favorite thing.

The characters are extremely well-written. Inquisitor Glokta is especially sympathetic, particularly when he is juxtaposed against the arrogant, handsome, promising-yet-a-bit-dim Captain Jezial. There is very little to be seen of elves, dragons, faerie, dwarves, or anything along that vein... Abercrombie is refreshing that way. The story isn't burdened with the 'easier' aspects of many fantasy novels. He seems to have a keen eye for the human condition, and that is enough for me.

I'm fifty pages into the second book right now, and I havent been this happy to find a new series in years.
 
Right now I'm in nearing the end of the second book, Before They are Hanged, and I am still enjoying it. It's not extremely epic, so don't go in expecting that, but he really delves into his characters, and that is what makes the books so entertaining to read.
 
I read the first book and liked it... I haven't gotten around to reading the other two, but I should, I really liked the characters, and it didn't read like a typical fantasy novel. It went more into the psychology of the characters.
 
I'm on to the last book, and I almost don't want to read it. I will miss Nine fingers and Glokta very well written characters
 
It was pretty predictable: I fell in love with Glokta almost at once, with Nine-Fingers the Dogman and Ferro, too.
I stoopidly flew over the books in one night, because I was eager about the outcome and decided I couldn't sleep if I didn't know, how it turned out.
Then I was still sleepless, because I mourned the lost one - the ones who came to the end, know whom - and since then I do a line-by-line reread, because flying over it doesn't do justice to this wonderful book, it has so many jewels hidden among its sentences and world-descriptions, it's worth to take them in slowly. And indeed I'm afraid, of reading the last page of the last book again, because it will make me sad, I know, there will be nothing like this for quite a while... -
Well, at least there will be some stories about the Styrians, I really look forward to.

and I've still Sapkowski's Geralt of Rivia for company until Abercrombie returns... Drizzt do Urden lies in wait for me, too... no, I'm not completely lost, but I simply don't want to put aside the first law... perhaps reread it again? *sigh*
 
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