Some Desperado: There is no honour among thieves when the outlaw Smoke finds herself being hunted down by her own comrades. Taking place closely before the war happened in The Heroes, and in a way that is similar to it, Abercrombie did a great job in showing the merciless effect of war on both sides. Also, we have more insight into Gorst’s personality, which is always a plus in my book. With a sigh of infinite weariness, Shev sank down beside the puddle, took up the bloody rag she had used earlier and wrung it out. Say one thing for Logen, say he is the ultimate character that goes into berserker mode... Because you gotta be realistic about these things. A reference to the words that Louis XIV had inscribed on his cannons: " Ultima Ratio Regum," which is Latin for "the last argument of kings."

Pratchett-like parody of epic fantasy throughout... if Pratchett dropped the C-bomb and relished disembowelment. ( SFX) But this is much more than a book that provides "fan service" to Abercrombie's acolytes like me because there are five stories that introduced some new (and extremely awesome) characters that will surely play an important role in the second First Law trilogy that Joe's already working on. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. The writing is good because Abercrombie knows what he is doing. The more books of his I read, the more I am convinced that his high success is due to the dialogues, whether these are external or internal monologues. There is always a pinch of sarcasm among all the darkness which I like!Believe me,’ said Shev, tightening her grip on her knife, ‘I feel your pain. You were going to fight him for nothing, now you’re going to fight forhim for nothing?’ Javre raised her fists and Whirrun gave an approving nod as the sinews popped from her arms. ‘You are without doubt an impressive figure of a woman.’ He put up his own fists, woody muscle flexing. ‘But I will take no mercy on you because of that.’

One would have thought, with all the good fortune showered upon him, he would have to be the most pleasant man alive. But Glokta was an utter bastard. A beautiful, spiteful, masterful, horrible bastard, simultaneously the best and worst man in the Union.” And after years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There's only one obstacle left - his own lunatic champion, the most feared man in the North: the Bloody-Nine . . . Hell: ‘I have seen hell, and it is a great city under siege.’ The fall of Dagoska through the eyes of a young acolyte. Forley the Weakest, a member of Logen's band, nervous and cowardly but well liked for his decency, he acts to keep the group together and stop them fighting each other.Last Argument of Kings: The First Law, Book Three". Publishers Weekly. 7 July 2008 . Retrieved 8 August 2012. Abercrombie, Joe (23 October 2020). "The Wisdom of Crowds Cover Copy - Joe Abercrombie". JoeAbercrombie.com . Retrieved 3 January 2021.

Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of the First Law, and contain 13 stories, all set in the Circle of the World over a period that starts some ten years before the beginning of The Blade Itself and ends a few years after Red Country closes, featuring a rogue’s gallery of familiar and unfamiliar characters. Shevedieh, the self-styled best thief in Styria, lurches from disaster to catastrophe alongside her best friend and greatest enemy, Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp. If you have to tell someone you are furious, and then, furthermore, that you mean it, your fury has failed to achieveits desired effect.’ Made a Monster - 570 (summer) : After years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There’s only one obstacle left – his own lunatic champion.By the dead.’ Flood pressed thumb and forefinger into his eyes and rubbed them fiercely. ‘Nothing’s ever easy. Why is nothing ever easy?’ Three’s a Crowd - 587 (autumn) : It’s a foolish man who steals from the best thief in Styria, and when Horald the Finger steals her lover, it’s time for Shevedieh to stop running and start fighting. For those who work in the shadows, though, few things are ever quite as they seem… But, we are also introduced to quite a few new figures, including the main string of stories which take place in Sharp Ends, forming about half of the stories in this collection. Whilst these were enjoyable and fleshed out more of the world, I just wanted more from characters I already knew, so that I was just hoping the story would wrap-up and I could again accompany or follow my favourites. Shev ground her teeth. ‘What is this, a stating-the-obvious competition? We’ve met in the middle of it, haven’t we?’

The book follows three distinct sets of characters as war breaks out on two fronts. In the south, Sand dan Glokta and his inquisitors attempt to repel a Gurkish invasion of the city of Dagoska, the Union's sole possession on the continent, won some decades earlier at great cost. In the North, the book follows Colonel West and the Northmen as they attempt to deal with Bethod, who intends to force the Union out of Angland, their principal northern possession. Finally, the book follows Logen Ninefingers and his companions as they journey into the far west of their world with the sorcerer Bayaz, First of the Magi, seeking out a powerful and dangerous ancient artifact known as the Seed. The book makes it explicit that all these events are interconnected and part of the greater machinations of a sorcerer called Khalul, Second of the Magi and one of Bayaz's enemies. Khalul has raised a great army of slaves and Eaters (cannibalistic transformed humanoids with enhanced durability and magical abilities), and has indirectly given Bethod an alliance with the Flatheads, orc-like creatures created as weapons in an ancient war, as well as a man known as the Feared, who is supernaturally all but immune to damage. The story ends on a low note for all groups involved: Dagoska is lost to the Gurkish, an intrigue sees both heirs to the throne killed and an innocent man is blamed for political reasons, the quest for the Seed is an abject failure, and Bethod remains at large in the North. Javre shrugged, sinews in her shoulders twitching. ‘I have never been hard to catch. It is once you catch me that your problems begin.’ She nodded towards the scarred one, who was slowly, smoothly, silently easing her way around the top of the canyon to their right. ‘She is Ahum, Eleventh of the Fifteen. Is the scar still sore?’ The Age of Madness takes place 15 years after the end of Red Country. The Union has begun to see rapid changes with the onset of an industrial revolution.There are some great writers of low fantasy around today, but few are as good as Abercrombie...Each short story does offer an entertaining and dark read ( The Bookbag)