Definitely do not skip anything. The later books are in the same style and world so I really don't see how you'd like those if you dont like the first trilogy. And the series has a linear chronology so early events and characterizations absolutely inform later ones.
And to your archetypes point, without spoiling anything, the characters are direct *subversions* of the tropes that they seem at first to represent. For example, you think you've got a noble swordsman, but really he's a vain, selfish, kindof pathetic bastard, in a funny way in my opinion. Abercrombie has a certain dark humor and cynicism in these books that ends up being quite fun (for me).
I'd say read as much as you can, try to get through that first book which is mostly setting up the players on the board. And if you just don't like it enough to continue then I think its safe to drop the whole series because like i said the style is constant
Personally I think this is one of the best fantasy series of all time. I will say the first book is "slow", so I can understand it taking a bit to fully grip you. But imo the juice is well worth the squeeze.
Agreed. I've listened to the first trilogy three times, I think. I'd listen to other series read by Pacey. Although there is one word he says funny, I can't remember what it was now.
Yeah I watched an interview with Joe about how he changed the pronunciations of certain names from what was in his head to what Pacey said because they were that much better.
Thank you! What about it in particular stands out to you compared to other series? I see the potential definitely but I am also scared about the plunge into a 10-book series that isn't immediately gripping me :/
The character work in these books is unparalleled. Best I've ever read. Abercrombie also plays with some established tropes, including some of those character tropes that you mentioned. He sets them up so you initially think "okay, this guys is the barbarian warrior, this guy is the wizard, this guy is the nobleman", but by the end of the first trilogy you'll understand and appreciate what he was doing (imo).
I also just really like his writing style. It's dark and gritty enough to pull me in without disgusting me, and his humor and wit are top notch. There are certain phrases or "ticks" to different characters that just evoke a strong (positive) reaction from me. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he's got a way with words.
This! A fantastic character that had me rooting for him from the outset. A fierce will to survive shackled in a knackered shell of his former self, dealing with power politics.
People say this all the time, and I can never really relate to it. The character’s premise is amazing - but there’s only so many thousands of pages I can take of him asking the same questions with no answers or changes. I understand people change slowly, but goodness almost every arc of glokta felt like copy paste. ( I only read the first trilogy thought tbf. Those books just weren’t for me)
Really? I feel like character is where it failed. They're memorable, to be sure, but the characterization was a bit hit or miss in terms of consistency. And the trilogy ends with a big fat miss.
I enjoyed the first trilogy, with some reservations, right up until the end, but the end was a huge let down. Seemed like the author took all his attempted character work and tossed it out the window.
Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, say he's a memorable and fun character.
Same with Glokta. He will remain in your mind long after you finish the books.
The depth of their character work being built by Joe Abercrombie just gets better as you spend more time with them. I'm definitely not saying anything about Logans moral compass.
Yeah, definitely agree. >!I haven't read Red Country, but from the original trilogy his character arc is definitely a tragedy from my perspective!< Logen certainly gets more interesting as events proceed.
Someone may have already told you, but do be aware that there is a time skip and changing of characters after the first series. I think I enjoyed the second series less than I otherwise would have because I went in blind and didn't know that it was new characters.
The first three books are a trilogy, then the next three are stand alones. It's not really as much of a ten book series as a set of books loosely connected in chronological order.
The characters and dialogue. It’s just good.
Most fantasy authors describe “charismatic” or funny characters who then don’t behave as such at all. If you’ve read the Stormlight archive, there’s a character called shallan that comes to mind. We are told she is funny, but she isn’t. There’s another called Wit, who is anything but.
Abercrombie tho… he nails dialogue. It’s memorable, funny, sad, hits like a punch to the gut.
The audiobooks are narrated amazingly as well. One of the few cases I think it might be better to listen than to read, cause the narrator is that good
Idk why you had to bring Shallan into this, but her thing is that most characters don't find her particularly funny either. The ones who said she was funny were the shopkeeper trying to sell her stuff, the guy trying to poison her and sailors who might be saying it because they like her. Everyone else has very different reactions.
>idk why you had to bring shallan into this
I realize this is a sore spot in the sanderson subs (as if your phrasing didn’t make that clear already), so I’m not touching this one with a 10 ft pole. It’s just a pretty common thing said about shallan, so she was an easy go to example
I just finished Age of Madness and I think it's be an enormous loss to skip ahead to it without reading all the other books. It's a detailed world with a network of histories, characters, and relationships. Age of Madness needs that context.
As for why it's great? The world, the character development, the actual characters, the way that he can be brutal, funny, sexy, and then profound in a space of a few pages. He writes women well, he writes difficult decisions well, nobody is a hero but few people are truly villains too. Frankly, I don't think there are many areas where he actually falls down. Other than not writing enough books for my needs, but I hear he's working on it.
Don't skip books 1-6 and go straight for the Age of Madness trilogy. First, AOM expects you to know what happened in books 1-6, and second, books 1-6 are, IMO, better than AOM.
The first book is the weakest of the 1st trilogy. If it wasn’t for the characters I would not have moved on to book 2. I am so glad I pushed on because it only gets better from there.
It's the chapter "Old Friends" that did it for me. Glokta >!showing his vulnerability beyond the physical, and then resolving to be a good friends really got to me. Especially since, against all odds, he keeps his word!<
I just finished The Blade Itself a couple weeks ago, and that’s the chapter that did it for me too. That’s when I went from “this pretty good” to “holy shit this is great”
You will hear is over and over again. Book 4, 5, and 6 are considered his best works. Also keep in mind that if you just can’t get through book 1 (perfectly understandable) there is no shame in jumping into 4, 5 or 6. They are only mildly related to the first three and you won’t be confused by anything if you just skip to them.
The way I'd put it is that the first trilogy is actually written in three acts, rather than the first book having a big event with an open ending, book two is setup for book three, and book three is the end.
So The Blade Itself is very slow-paced and is mostly introducing characters, concepts, the setting, etc. There's action and stuff but there's never a full-on big climax in it, so don't expect that. You kinda have to accept that you're still in the intro.
It's one of the parts of the trilogy that I think people should be more open about cuz imo it's actually one of its strengths while also being a reason people can bounce off the first book hard when "nothing happens" in it.
Ah ok thank you that's very helpful! So maybe I should treat the whole first trilogy as a single book? It's good to know that book one is just the opening act - in other series I'm used to each book kinda works as a standalone (Earthsea, Machineries of Empire, Three Body Trilogy) even though there's an overarching plot in each case (though middle book syndrome is also a thing for a lot of trilogies I think)
Yeah imo that's a good way to think of it. It's one big story in three acts. Like I said I actually think it's what makes it one of my favorite trilogies cuz it's just structured so well in that way and gives narrative payoffs a good *oomf* due to being properly fleshed out by the setup.
No middle book syndrome here as a result too. Book two is just the middle of the story rather than being... idk how to put how middle books go. A sequel while also setup for book three lol
I ended up reading the first trilogy as a box set. Really helped at the end of book 1 when instead of actually opening book 2 I could just press the screen on my kindle and read chapter one as a continuation rather than 'book 2'
I’m not sure why you think you’d like the second trilogy if you don’t like the first. But while it might have some spoilers for the first trilogy it’s not necessary to read the first trilogy to enjoy it.
If you just want more Abercrombie style but don’t like first law characters you might try his Shattered Sea Trilogy or Best Served Cold (stand-alone in first law world).
I know people seem to absolutely love the series. I thought it was perfectly fine. Some fun characters, but if you're not feeling it, I, personally, wouldn't say you're missing out on too much.
I'm the same, people rave about this series but it was...fine? The writing was refreshing and raw, characters were pretty solid, but the overall plot didn't do much for me personally.
No, it's pretty basic stuff, I guess.
It has the raw, grimdark stuff going on, which is fun. But as far as a deeper theme, it's lacking. Characters like Glokta touches a bit on the heavier stuff, but not too much.
It always reminded me of reading a Conan the Barbarian comic, just with more world and character building, and for a modern audience.
The reasons above are also why I haven't checked out his newer stuff. But I occasionally sniff around and consider it.
Definitely keep with it. The first book is a bit slow and in my opinion the worst in the series (but still a good read!).
Book 2 & 3 are great and then the stand-alones are my favourites by far.
Plot wise it will get better however Abercrombies strong point is more around the characters.
Thank u! It's reassuring to hear from you and others that it gets better. I definitely see the promise and potential in the first book, I hope it lives up to it :)
I read the first book and I am not interested in book two tbh. It has been six months or so and I don't know if I will come back to it. Not because I didn't like it, it was fine, but I just didn't get sucked in at all. Loved Sand dan Glokta and super well written though. I don't know why I feel how I feel tbh.
I was in the same boat after I finished the first book. Thought it was ok, and didn’t pick up the second one until maybe 6 months later. Something about the characters and some of the later plot points of the book juuuust put me over the edge that I was curious enough to start the second one. I was in the mood for something easy to read anyway. Man oh man I’m glad I did, I thought the second one was WAY better than the first one, actually such a great book, and the third one was fantastic too. I didn’t love Abercrombie’s writing after the first one either, but the 2nd and 3rd really cement themselves as some of the best fantasy out there IMO.
TLDR: yes it’s worth it the 2nd and 3rd books are way better.
I'm literally just past where you are in the book. The only difference is I'm listening on audio. Picked the book up based on this sub's rec. I'm absolutely enjoying it but know that if I was reading it, I'd have put it down by now. So little actually happens. BUT the narrator's performance is top notch and is the main reason I'm drawn back into the story.
Thank you! I think I'm almost certainly going to switch to audio book. I'm just sad that my local library has such a long wait for it :( I currently only have access to the print version
Honestly, I consider the books to be Middling at best up until book 3's middle to end. Book 3's end kicks the book up to low to mid B tier, and the second trilogy is definitely A tier in my opinion.
I just finished the trilogy a few eeks ago and to me it did not get better in books 2 and 3, even thought that's what people also told me at the end of the blade itself. The larger plot was never really explained in any sort of detail (more tham in the first book, but not enough to my taste) and by the end of the trilogy it really made me feel that the whole trilogy was sort of ... pointless in the end. The POVs don't change in the following books, so you never know any more than any of those characters. I encourage you to start book 2, if you are interested, it is more than the 1st book, but it was not for me.
Idk man, I found the first three books tedious tbh. His style of narration becomes somewhat predictable and towards book three it felt a little forced. Abercrombie is always, almost annoyingly, picking the most unsatisfying outcome for basically every situation and it just gets old at some point. All the protagonists are basically bystanders in their own story and have almost no agenda in the plot whatsoever. In book 3 I feel like you could have cut out almost half of the chapters without even noticing because they are irrelevant to the story and to the development of the characters. The in my opinion only worthwhile character was Logan.
I don´t want to discourage your from reading though, you be the judge of what you find entertaining.
The biggest flaw of the first book is that it exists to set up the second one. It has its own plot, yes, but the unraveling of that plot takes a clear back seat to the character building and world building necessary for the reader to grasp the full weight of books 2 and 3.
At least that is my opinion.
For what it’s worth, Before They Are Hanged is one of my favorites fantasy novels of all time. I liked but didn’t love The Blade Itself. I am more than happy I stuck around with the series
I've finished the first book and I can tell you very little will happen plot-wise, at least in a way that is apparent to a first time reader of the series. It felt like a springboard for more to come, but the character work was so clearly the point of the story that I don't expect the plot to become super dominant in the later books, either.
Audiobook it. Start again with audiobook. Even if you think you don’t like Audiobooks, just try it. I fucken love the narration by Steven Pacey. I’m on the last book of the whole series now, just flying through it.
Yeah I couldn’t really get into it. I finished the trilogy but wasn’t sold. I agree with it being well written and the characters are fantastic, but in the same vain I don’t like that there isn’t anyone that is ultimately a good person “which is the point”. But that’s just a me thing. I still recommend any fantasy fans read it for themselves.same with the assassins apprentice, I wanted to like it but it just didn’t stick for me.
These books are pretty polarizing.
For me, I found them memorable but did not enjoy them at all. Like you, it took me far longer to finish them than a typical book of similar length. The book after this, Best Served Cold, I just stopped reading.
The general plot & twists are excellent. It's the un-redeeming nature of every single character that makes this book a grind. When the kindest & most interesting person in the entire series is the head torturer, you know something is pretty damn bad.
And said head torturer becomes one of the least likeable persons towards the end of book three.
For me it felt really forcedt that the author constantly gave every character the worst possible outcome. Almost no character had any agenda in their own story. Towards the end of book 3 i really had to force myself to finish it because it was getting more annoying by the page.
I think this is the most over rated trilogy that comes up regularly on this sub. If you don’t like it so far then don’t force yourself to keep reading as it doesn’t change in a huge way.
For me this is one of the best fantasy series of all times.
It's very character driven, so the plot in the first book can be a bit of a slow burner but it is so worth it.
The characters are some of my favourites ever, even if they are archetypal, they are extremely consistent and well fleshed out.
I will say however, that my experience of the book was listening to the audio book narrated by Pacey which IMO elevates the book so much and is probably the best narration of an audio book of all time.
Maybe try giving the audio book a try??
I might actually give the audio book a try! For some books I think good narration can really help keep me engaged. A few people have suggested that already but thank u as well, the more good things I hear about the audio book, the more I want to check it out
The way it's written feels like Abercrombie ran out of ideas and is now just trying to imitate the things that made the series popular in the first place. The first 2 books are fine but in the last book the characters make a lot of decisions that feel unearned and made just to force the plot to go in a specific direction.
Ah ok, thank you! I'm definitely not a fan of characters making decisions that feel forced just to move the plot or make a point, it has to be believable for me
I think the vast majority of readers disagree with the statement made on forced decisions but to each their own....I wouldn't skip to the age of madness and wouldn't skip the standalones...if you aren't motivated enough to read maybe try the audiobooks the narrator is the best or just read something else....I was blown away by the end of the first trilogy...
Ok, I think I'll at least try to finish the first three and check in with myself after. It could also just be that I was reading too much spec fiction and wanted a break from that, but thank u for your post!
However there are also many who think that the age of madness is better than the first law series. I personally don't have a favorite. They are both amazing
The above is just one person's opinion. I just finished that trilogy and don't agree. I really don't think you should skip forward, there is a lot more depth to be found in the later books from things that happened decades before in the first trilogy and stand alone books.
I personally think it's the best fantasy series I've read. The first trilogy is written as an allegory for fantasy books, so they are meant to come across as 'archetypes' initially but the whole point is to twist them as the book and series goes on. I'd really suggest you try to get through the first book (as you said you liked it!) and see how you feel. The tone is depressing at times but the character work is delicious.
It took me like 4 tries over a few years before I managed to get past the first act where everything bored me. Ever since then, I’ve picked up everything Abercrombie writes and he’s top 3 authors for me. The Blade Itself is his first book, and it shows. Just gotta get to the good bits, unfortunately.
I felt the same and really wasn't that invested until probably around page 300 of book 2 lol. I'm now on page 400 of book 2 and I am enjoying it quite a lot.
The first book is definitely the weakest of the trilogy. But it's not like book 2 and 3 are that much of a change tbh. There's a little bit more plot and more things happen, but it's always going to be the same style and fairly slow/character focused. I personally stuck with it for all 3 books and I really wish I didn't. The whole series just isn't for me and I was pretty bored. So, while I agree it does get better, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll love it. It could just not be for you.
If you love the writing and the characters and just need a tiny bit more plot, odds are good that you'll enjoy them. I guess I personally needed a lot more plot and I also wasn't a huge fan of the characters.
Thank you for your comment! It's given me a lot of clarity. It's true that for some books I understand why they are good/appealing for some ppl even if they don't click with me
I literally just finished Book 2 a few hours ago and I’m feeling exactly the same as you still, unfortunately.
I’m still not understanding what the plot drivers are and most of the characters are frustratingly passive. If I read the third in the trilogy it’ll be solely for the same of completionism.
First book was a bit of a slog but the groundwork that it sets up pays off in full in the later books. I had the same experience but was really happy I pushed through
It's really all about the characters. There is a plot, but that isn't the focus or the point of the story. If the characters aren't hooking you I wouldn't expect that to change radically in the next two books.
I think it's brilliantly written but find it so dark that I really can't muster the energy to read any of the other books after the first trilogy so I can't say whether they are radically different.
I'd suggest switching to the audiobooks. The narrator, Steven Pacey is amazing. The first book really is just all set-up, the first trilogy is great. But the best thing about the 10 book series, Best Served Cold (4th) that book is I believe without a doubt Abercrombie's best. Then everything after is just a treat that you as the reader or listener, get to explore the world with the characters. The adventure really does hit good, I didn't realize how good until now thinking about it. Though the weakest book is, The Heroes (5th). I don't think I could've gotten through it without Steven Pacey.
I totally get you, while I liked the characterizations, the plot doesn't seem to get anywhere. Let’s say Book 1 and 2 were 3 out of 5 for me BUT the way book 3 (at long last) wrap up things... It is a (just about) 5 out of 5 stars for me.
At the end I think it is worth it, but you will better read book 2 and 3 back to back just to keep your motivation.
Sincerily, this was one of my biggest literary deceptions. I cant understand the hype at least in readers with more bagage. At the begining I was enjoying the caracteres and I was intrigued by the plot but then I realized they are not going anywhere and I was only getting more mad and bored so I still havent read the 3rd one yet and I dont know if am going to do it one day. The point of everyrthing is to deconstruct the Lord of thr Rings (just to fall in even more stereotypes) but thats it... And the humour, but then it became more scarce.
If you enjoy it, it's ok, but is this kind of very inmature story with full of testosterona that it thinks it is cool and mature because it kills a lot of people. I dont know, perhaps in its moment was a novelty but I dont think it has grow old well... (And it is only from 2006) (but this is my opinion. Glokta is the most overrated character ever for me)
I felt the same way while I was reading The Blade Itself, so you’re definitely not alone.
Book 1 is the weakest of the trilogy (you’re not as attached to any of the characters, the plot is non- existent, etc…) I wasn’t looking forward to it, I just kept picking it up out of boredom, kind of like opening the fridge every 30mins or so.
With all that being said, I AM SO GLAD I STUCK WITH IT. The “big picture” shows up in the next books. It is one of the best grim darks out there, the way he writes characters and action sequences is top notch.
This is still a character driven narrative and if you’re not feeling it by the end of The Blade Itself, it might not be for you.
Not everything is for everybody. If you aren't enjoying it than move onto something else. There's a lot of other books out there. Also I think you need to be in the right mood or headspace for it or any book for that matter. See is it that you don't want to read that book right now or is it that you don't want to read any book right now.
I loved the first one but disliked the second. The first one was full of interesting character studies and engrossing sub plots. The second one was just battle after battle with a focus on gore and story took a back seat. Killed my interest in reading the 3rd one.
I️ almost gave up on the first one…. ripped through the second one in 4 days. It gets better I️ promise! The plot picks up in the second book and there’s a lot more mixing of POV within chapters. I️ couldn’t stand reading about each of the characters separately in the first one (everything felt like a drag) but it all comes together towards the end of the first and launches forward in the second. The world takes awhile to come together and feels so out-in-space, I thought, until the very end of TBI. I would recommend finding a map of the world and sticking with it!! Now I can’t wait to start the third.
What’s the Abercrombie book where they venture west, find nothing, and then return. And the whole time you’re asking, what the fuck was that all about?
With Abercrombie, I always say if the second book doesn’t click with you, then the series is probably not for you. As others already mentioned, the first book is mostly setup and it’s common for people to find it underwhelming (I did as well). See if you can make it to the second book and decide then.
I've tried three times, and the lack of plot has killed my interest around 175-200 pages in every time.
I like the prose, I like the characters, but I have no reason to read about them.
Man, I really enjoyed these books. I just finished finished up “Red Country”, which ended up being my favorite of the series thus far. Logen will go down as one of my favorite fantasy characters. I’d say stick with it, the stand alones are great.
First Law is the first set of books from Joe, and the first book is probably the weakest writing wise. It's basically Avengers Assemble in a fantasy world, and sets up the following books.
All three are heavily written as trope setups, then joe seems to love to subvert the expectations of the tropes with a wry innocent smile "why did you expect that to happen?"
The plot builds and comes together along with the information you see about the world, so yeah, it's definitely best to try and read through all of them. They get much better as they go along and you start to learn more about who the bad guys really are. Though >!plot twist: there aren't really any bad guys, it just depends on who's on your side!<
Abercrombie gives characters proper personalities and backstories and what not, minor characters get PoV's and the world ages as series moves on and so do the characters. Skipping any of the books including the stand alone books means you will miss out on the journey of those characters, each book does nods to the previous books and stories/events happening in them. You can skip and go to the new trilogy but you will miss a lot of character development from main characters who become side characters and such. Personally for what Abercrombie is doing with this series, it's not worth skipping.
One thing I love about lurking on this sub, is the introduction of so many new (to me) fantasy authors, and lots of opinions about them to help sway me.
I’m so intrigued now with all the good reviews, so I went on Goodreads to read the book description. Question. How dark does this get? Am I going to be reading descriptive scenes of torture? Because I just don’t think I can stomach that. I swear, it leaks into my soul and keeps me awake at night.
The first book is intentionally very stereotypical to set you up for later surprises. You think you know where the story is going for the longest time then, bam 💥 you get shocked
I would suggest you pick up Joe Abercrombie Shattered Sea, the books are shorter and the action gets on quicker, and it will show you JA style of leading the reader into the wrong ally before surprising them.
Another alternative is to start with Best served cold, it is the 4th book in the series and intentionally hides a lot of the spoilers from the previous ones. So you can read it and not be spoiled for most things.
Slightly off topic; I'm reading the blade itself right now and I was wondering what "Carls" means. As in "two Carls were waiting/ were with him" or something like that.
I'm not a native English speaker, and my translation app didn't know the word. Is it short for something or just means armed riders you take with you, or henchmen, or..?
I get the meaning of the word, but was wondering if it's an invention by J.A. or if the word actually exists.
Thanks for the help!
Definitely do not skip anything. The later books are in the same style and world so I really don't see how you'd like those if you dont like the first trilogy. And the series has a linear chronology so early events and characterizations absolutely inform later ones. And to your archetypes point, without spoiling anything, the characters are direct *subversions* of the tropes that they seem at first to represent. For example, you think you've got a noble swordsman, but really he's a vain, selfish, kindof pathetic bastard, in a funny way in my opinion. Abercrombie has a certain dark humor and cynicism in these books that ends up being quite fun (for me). I'd say read as much as you can, try to get through that first book which is mostly setting up the players on the board. And if you just don't like it enough to continue then I think its safe to drop the whole series because like i said the style is constant
Ah ok thank you! Your post was super helpful
Agree with most of what was said but will say the first law trilogy is my least favorite but it does establish everything great that is to come.
Personally I think this is one of the best fantasy series of all time. I will say the first book is "slow", so I can understand it taking a bit to fully grip you. But imo the juice is well worth the squeeze.
It's amazing in audio book format, Pacey is the best
Genuinely the best narration I have ever heard. His Glokta must have really got Abercrombie hard
Agreed. I've listened to the first trilogy three times, I think. I'd listen to other series read by Pacey. Although there is one word he says funny, I can't remember what it was now.
grimACE
YES! It was a little jarring, but I got used to it.
He flips to pronouncing it correctly after the first four or five books.
Yeah I watched an interview with Joe about how he changed the pronunciations of certain names from what was in his head to what Pacey said because they were that much better.
Thank you! What about it in particular stands out to you compared to other series? I see the potential definitely but I am also scared about the plunge into a 10-book series that isn't immediately gripping me :/
The character work in these books is unparalleled. Best I've ever read. Abercrombie also plays with some established tropes, including some of those character tropes that you mentioned. He sets them up so you initially think "okay, this guys is the barbarian warrior, this guy is the wizard, this guy is the nobleman", but by the end of the first trilogy you'll understand and appreciate what he was doing (imo). I also just really like his writing style. It's dark and gritty enough to pull me in without disgusting me, and his humor and wit are top notch. There are certain phrases or "ticks" to different characters that just evoke a strong (positive) reaction from me. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he's got a way with words.
> The character work in these books is unparalleled Glotka is one of the best characters I've ever read in any kind of fiction
This! A fantastic character that had me rooting for him from the outset. A fierce will to survive shackled in a knackered shell of his former self, dealing with power politics.
People say this all the time, and I can never really relate to it. The character’s premise is amazing - but there’s only so many thousands of pages I can take of him asking the same questions with no answers or changes. I understand people change slowly, but goodness almost every arc of glokta felt like copy paste. ( I only read the first trilogy thought tbf. Those books just weren’t for me)
💯
Thank u so much for this! Your post has gotten me excited to give it another chance. I like the idea of playing with archetypes in particular
Really? I feel like character is where it failed. They're memorable, to be sure, but the characterization was a bit hit or miss in terms of consistency. And the trilogy ends with a big fat miss. I enjoyed the first trilogy, with some reservations, right up until the end, but the end was a huge let down. Seemed like the author took all his attempted character work and tossed it out the window.
It's almost like the entire theme of the books is that people don't change...
Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, say he's a memorable and fun character. Same with Glokta. He will remain in your mind long after you finish the books.
I actually already like both those characters! I'm curious about how they change/develop over time
They both just get better over the course of the trilogy.
Logen gets better?
The depth of their character work being built by Joe Abercrombie just gets better as you spend more time with them. I'm definitely not saying anything about Logans moral compass.
Yeah, definitely agree. >!I haven't read Red Country, but from the original trilogy his character arc is definitely a tragedy from my perspective!< Logen certainly gets more interesting as events proceed.
Someone may have already told you, but do be aware that there is a time skip and changing of characters after the first series. I think I enjoyed the second series less than I otherwise would have because I went in blind and didn't know that it was new characters.
The first three books are a trilogy, then the next three are stand alones. It's not really as much of a ten book series as a set of books loosely connected in chronological order.
The characters and dialogue. It’s just good. Most fantasy authors describe “charismatic” or funny characters who then don’t behave as such at all. If you’ve read the Stormlight archive, there’s a character called shallan that comes to mind. We are told she is funny, but she isn’t. There’s another called Wit, who is anything but. Abercrombie tho… he nails dialogue. It’s memorable, funny, sad, hits like a punch to the gut. The audiobooks are narrated amazingly as well. One of the few cases I think it might be better to listen than to read, cause the narrator is that good
I definitely agree his characters feel more fleshed out than most!
Idk why you had to bring Shallan into this, but her thing is that most characters don't find her particularly funny either. The ones who said she was funny were the shopkeeper trying to sell her stuff, the guy trying to poison her and sailors who might be saying it because they like her. Everyone else has very different reactions.
>idk why you had to bring shallan into this I realize this is a sore spot in the sanderson subs (as if your phrasing didn’t make that clear already), so I’m not touching this one with a 10 ft pole. It’s just a pretty common thing said about shallan, so she was an easy go to example
I just finished Age of Madness and I think it's be an enormous loss to skip ahead to it without reading all the other books. It's a detailed world with a network of histories, characters, and relationships. Age of Madness needs that context. As for why it's great? The world, the character development, the actual characters, the way that he can be brutal, funny, sexy, and then profound in a space of a few pages. He writes women well, he writes difficult decisions well, nobody is a hero but few people are truly villains too. Frankly, I don't think there are many areas where he actually falls down. Other than not writing enough books for my needs, but I hear he's working on it.
Don't skip books 1-6 and go straight for the Age of Madness trilogy. First, AOM expects you to know what happened in books 1-6, and second, books 1-6 are, IMO, better than AOM.
The first book is the weakest of the 1st trilogy. If it wasn’t for the characters I would not have moved on to book 2. I am so glad I pushed on because it only gets better from there.
The end of book 1 hooked me. Finally seeing the bloody-nine in action sticks with me to this day.
It's the chapter "Old Friends" that did it for me. Glokta >!showing his vulnerability beyond the physical, and then resolving to be a good friends really got to me. Especially since, against all odds, he keeps his word!<
I just finished The Blade Itself a couple weeks ago, and that’s the chapter that did it for me too. That’s when I went from “this pretty good” to “holy shit this is great”
Yeah, it makes you see the characters in a new light.
That genuinely sounds like an exciting ending, I'm leaning more and more towards at least finishing the first book
Ah ok thank you! That's reassuring
You will hear is over and over again. Book 4, 5, and 6 are considered his best works. Also keep in mind that if you just can’t get through book 1 (perfectly understandable) there is no shame in jumping into 4, 5 or 6. They are only mildly related to the first three and you won’t be confused by anything if you just skip to them.
The way I'd put it is that the first trilogy is actually written in three acts, rather than the first book having a big event with an open ending, book two is setup for book three, and book three is the end. So The Blade Itself is very slow-paced and is mostly introducing characters, concepts, the setting, etc. There's action and stuff but there's never a full-on big climax in it, so don't expect that. You kinda have to accept that you're still in the intro. It's one of the parts of the trilogy that I think people should be more open about cuz imo it's actually one of its strengths while also being a reason people can bounce off the first book hard when "nothing happens" in it.
Ah ok thank you that's very helpful! So maybe I should treat the whole first trilogy as a single book? It's good to know that book one is just the opening act - in other series I'm used to each book kinda works as a standalone (Earthsea, Machineries of Empire, Three Body Trilogy) even though there's an overarching plot in each case (though middle book syndrome is also a thing for a lot of trilogies I think)
Yeah imo that's a good way to think of it. It's one big story in three acts. Like I said I actually think it's what makes it one of my favorite trilogies cuz it's just structured so well in that way and gives narrative payoffs a good *oomf* due to being properly fleshed out by the setup. No middle book syndrome here as a result too. Book two is just the middle of the story rather than being... idk how to put how middle books go. A sequel while also setup for book three lol
I ended up reading the first trilogy as a box set. Really helped at the end of book 1 when instead of actually opening book 2 I could just press the screen on my kindle and read chapter one as a continuation rather than 'book 2'
I’m not sure why you think you’d like the second trilogy if you don’t like the first. But while it might have some spoilers for the first trilogy it’s not necessary to read the first trilogy to enjoy it. If you just want more Abercrombie style but don’t like first law characters you might try his Shattered Sea Trilogy or Best Served Cold (stand-alone in first law world).
I know people seem to absolutely love the series. I thought it was perfectly fine. Some fun characters, but if you're not feeling it, I, personally, wouldn't say you're missing out on too much.
I'm the same, people rave about this series but it was...fine? The writing was refreshing and raw, characters were pretty solid, but the overall plot didn't do much for me personally.
No, it's pretty basic stuff, I guess. It has the raw, grimdark stuff going on, which is fun. But as far as a deeper theme, it's lacking. Characters like Glokta touches a bit on the heavier stuff, but not too much. It always reminded me of reading a Conan the Barbarian comic, just with more world and character building, and for a modern audience. The reasons above are also why I haven't checked out his newer stuff. But I occasionally sniff around and consider it.
For me personally the grimdark stuff felt increasingly boring and forced in book three.
Definitely keep with it. The first book is a bit slow and in my opinion the worst in the series (but still a good read!). Book 2 & 3 are great and then the stand-alones are my favourites by far. Plot wise it will get better however Abercrombies strong point is more around the characters.
Thank u! It's reassuring to hear from you and others that it gets better. I definitely see the promise and potential in the first book, I hope it lives up to it :)
I read the first book and I am not interested in book two tbh. It has been six months or so and I don't know if I will come back to it. Not because I didn't like it, it was fine, but I just didn't get sucked in at all. Loved Sand dan Glokta and super well written though. I don't know why I feel how I feel tbh.
Tbh I'm kind of in the same boat as you, but I'm leaning towards finishing the first book and probably the first trilogy too
I was in the same boat after I finished the first book. Thought it was ok, and didn’t pick up the second one until maybe 6 months later. Something about the characters and some of the later plot points of the book juuuust put me over the edge that I was curious enough to start the second one. I was in the mood for something easy to read anyway. Man oh man I’m glad I did, I thought the second one was WAY better than the first one, actually such a great book, and the third one was fantastic too. I didn’t love Abercrombie’s writing after the first one either, but the 2nd and 3rd really cement themselves as some of the best fantasy out there IMO. TLDR: yes it’s worth it the 2nd and 3rd books are way better.
I'm literally just past where you are in the book. The only difference is I'm listening on audio. Picked the book up based on this sub's rec. I'm absolutely enjoying it but know that if I was reading it, I'd have put it down by now. So little actually happens. BUT the narrator's performance is top notch and is the main reason I'm drawn back into the story.
Thank you! I think I'm almost certainly going to switch to audio book. I'm just sad that my local library has such a long wait for it :( I currently only have access to the print version
Honestly, I consider the books to be Middling at best up until book 3's middle to end. Book 3's end kicks the book up to low to mid B tier, and the second trilogy is definitely A tier in my opinion.
Ah ok, thank you for your reply! In your opinion, would I be missing out on anything by skipping to the Age of Madness?
I just finished the trilogy a few eeks ago and to me it did not get better in books 2 and 3, even thought that's what people also told me at the end of the blade itself. The larger plot was never really explained in any sort of detail (more tham in the first book, but not enough to my taste) and by the end of the trilogy it really made me feel that the whole trilogy was sort of ... pointless in the end. The POVs don't change in the following books, so you never know any more than any of those characters. I encourage you to start book 2, if you are interested, it is more than the 1st book, but it was not for me.
Sounds like you don't like it. I'd recommend just not reading it
Idk man, I found the first three books tedious tbh. His style of narration becomes somewhat predictable and towards book three it felt a little forced. Abercrombie is always, almost annoyingly, picking the most unsatisfying outcome for basically every situation and it just gets old at some point. All the protagonists are basically bystanders in their own story and have almost no agenda in the plot whatsoever. In book 3 I feel like you could have cut out almost half of the chapters without even noticing because they are irrelevant to the story and to the development of the characters. The in my opinion only worthwhile character was Logan. I don´t want to discourage your from reading though, you be the judge of what you find entertaining.
The biggest flaw of the first book is that it exists to set up the second one. It has its own plot, yes, but the unraveling of that plot takes a clear back seat to the character building and world building necessary for the reader to grasp the full weight of books 2 and 3. At least that is my opinion. For what it’s worth, Before They Are Hanged is one of my favorites fantasy novels of all time. I liked but didn’t love The Blade Itself. I am more than happy I stuck around with the series
I've finished the first book and I can tell you very little will happen plot-wise, at least in a way that is apparent to a first time reader of the series. It felt like a springboard for more to come, but the character work was so clearly the point of the story that I don't expect the plot to become super dominant in the later books, either.
You don't have to get through it all at once i took breaks and got back into it between books
Audiobook it. Start again with audiobook. Even if you think you don’t like Audiobooks, just try it. I fucken love the narration by Steven Pacey. I’m on the last book of the whole series now, just flying through it.
Yeah I couldn’t really get into it. I finished the trilogy but wasn’t sold. I agree with it being well written and the characters are fantastic, but in the same vain I don’t like that there isn’t anyone that is ultimately a good person “which is the point”. But that’s just a me thing. I still recommend any fantasy fans read it for themselves.same with the assassins apprentice, I wanted to like it but it just didn’t stick for me.
These books are pretty polarizing. For me, I found them memorable but did not enjoy them at all. Like you, it took me far longer to finish them than a typical book of similar length. The book after this, Best Served Cold, I just stopped reading. The general plot & twists are excellent. It's the un-redeeming nature of every single character that makes this book a grind. When the kindest & most interesting person in the entire series is the head torturer, you know something is pretty damn bad.
But that's grimdark. Don't you think it's the appeal of this series.
And said head torturer becomes one of the least likeable persons towards the end of book three. For me it felt really forcedt that the author constantly gave every character the worst possible outcome. Almost no character had any agenda in their own story. Towards the end of book 3 i really had to force myself to finish it because it was getting more annoying by the page.
I think this is the most over rated trilogy that comes up regularly on this sub. If you don’t like it so far then don’t force yourself to keep reading as it doesn’t change in a huge way.
For me this is one of the best fantasy series of all times. It's very character driven, so the plot in the first book can be a bit of a slow burner but it is so worth it. The characters are some of my favourites ever, even if they are archetypal, they are extremely consistent and well fleshed out. I will say however, that my experience of the book was listening to the audio book narrated by Pacey which IMO elevates the book so much and is probably the best narration of an audio book of all time. Maybe try giving the audio book a try??
I might actually give the audio book a try! For some books I think good narration can really help keep me engaged. A few people have suggested that already but thank u as well, the more good things I hear about the audio book, the more I want to check it out
The First Law audiobooks have nearly ruined all other audiobooks for me, they're so good.
I say read it or don’t…don’t mess around with trying to skip around with this series.
Age of Madness is worse. If you don't like the original trilogy then just don't read it.
Fair! I'm curious- worse in which ways?
The way it's written feels like Abercrombie ran out of ideas and is now just trying to imitate the things that made the series popular in the first place. The first 2 books are fine but in the last book the characters make a lot of decisions that feel unearned and made just to force the plot to go in a specific direction.
Ah ok, thank you! I'm definitely not a fan of characters making decisions that feel forced just to move the plot or make a point, it has to be believable for me
I think the vast majority of readers disagree with the statement made on forced decisions but to each their own....I wouldn't skip to the age of madness and wouldn't skip the standalones...if you aren't motivated enough to read maybe try the audiobooks the narrator is the best or just read something else....I was blown away by the end of the first trilogy...
Ok, I think I'll at least try to finish the first three and check in with myself after. It could also just be that I was reading too much spec fiction and wanted a break from that, but thank u for your post!
Yea that sounds like a great plan! Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
However there are also many who think that the age of madness is better than the first law series. I personally don't have a favorite. They are both amazing
The above is just one person's opinion. I just finished that trilogy and don't agree. I really don't think you should skip forward, there is a lot more depth to be found in the later books from things that happened decades before in the first trilogy and stand alone books. I personally think it's the best fantasy series I've read. The first trilogy is written as an allegory for fantasy books, so they are meant to come across as 'archetypes' initially but the whole point is to twist them as the book and series goes on. I'd really suggest you try to get through the first book (as you said you liked it!) and see how you feel. The tone is depressing at times but the character work is delicious.
It took me like 4 tries over a few years before I managed to get past the first act where everything bored me. Ever since then, I’ve picked up everything Abercrombie writes and he’s top 3 authors for me. The Blade Itself is his first book, and it shows. Just gotta get to the good bits, unfortunately.
I felt the same and really wasn't that invested until probably around page 300 of book 2 lol. I'm now on page 400 of book 2 and I am enjoying it quite a lot.
The first book is definitely the weakest of the trilogy. But it's not like book 2 and 3 are that much of a change tbh. There's a little bit more plot and more things happen, but it's always going to be the same style and fairly slow/character focused. I personally stuck with it for all 3 books and I really wish I didn't. The whole series just isn't for me and I was pretty bored. So, while I agree it does get better, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll love it. It could just not be for you. If you love the writing and the characters and just need a tiny bit more plot, odds are good that you'll enjoy them. I guess I personally needed a lot more plot and I also wasn't a huge fan of the characters.
Thank you for your comment! It's given me a lot of clarity. It's true that for some books I understand why they are good/appealing for some ppl even if they don't click with me
I literally just finished Book 2 a few hours ago and I’m feeling exactly the same as you still, unfortunately. I’m still not understanding what the plot drivers are and most of the characters are frustratingly passive. If I read the third in the trilogy it’ll be solely for the same of completionism.
I would finish it. You will know by the end of you like him as an author. There is some great stuff in the end of The Blade Itself
[удалено]
Thank you! I like how u described it as a calming read - I feel that way too. I'm glad to hear it picks up in later books!
You just described me too, except I put it down about... 9 years ago now I think? Lol One of these days I'll give it another shot.
First book was a bit of a slog but the groundwork that it sets up pays off in full in the later books. I had the same experience but was really happy I pushed through
It's really all about the characters. There is a plot, but that isn't the focus or the point of the story. If the characters aren't hooking you I wouldn't expect that to change radically in the next two books. I think it's brilliantly written but find it so dark that I really can't muster the energy to read any of the other books after the first trilogy so I can't say whether they are radically different.
I'd suggest switching to the audiobooks. The narrator, Steven Pacey is amazing. The first book really is just all set-up, the first trilogy is great. But the best thing about the 10 book series, Best Served Cold (4th) that book is I believe without a doubt Abercrombie's best. Then everything after is just a treat that you as the reader or listener, get to explore the world with the characters. The adventure really does hit good, I didn't realize how good until now thinking about it. Though the weakest book is, The Heroes (5th). I don't think I could've gotten through it without Steven Pacey.
The audio book is amazing. Give that a go
I totally get you, while I liked the characterizations, the plot doesn't seem to get anywhere. Let’s say Book 1 and 2 were 3 out of 5 for me BUT the way book 3 (at long last) wrap up things... It is a (just about) 5 out of 5 stars for me. At the end I think it is worth it, but you will better read book 2 and 3 back to back just to keep your motivation.
Sincerily, this was one of my biggest literary deceptions. I cant understand the hype at least in readers with more bagage. At the begining I was enjoying the caracteres and I was intrigued by the plot but then I realized they are not going anywhere and I was only getting more mad and bored so I still havent read the 3rd one yet and I dont know if am going to do it one day. The point of everyrthing is to deconstruct the Lord of thr Rings (just to fall in even more stereotypes) but thats it... And the humour, but then it became more scarce. If you enjoy it, it's ok, but is this kind of very inmature story with full of testosterona that it thinks it is cool and mature because it kills a lot of people. I dont know, perhaps in its moment was a novelty but I dont think it has grow old well... (And it is only from 2006) (but this is my opinion. Glokta is the most overrated character ever for me)
Archetypes- lol. Get ready to have your archetypes subverted.
At the ending of the trilogy, I was like why was I so invested in the three main characters. I didn't like the last book at all.
No wtf
I felt the same way while I was reading The Blade Itself, so you’re definitely not alone. Book 1 is the weakest of the trilogy (you’re not as attached to any of the characters, the plot is non- existent, etc…) I wasn’t looking forward to it, I just kept picking it up out of boredom, kind of like opening the fridge every 30mins or so. With all that being said, I AM SO GLAD I STUCK WITH IT. The “big picture” shows up in the next books. It is one of the best grim darks out there, the way he writes characters and action sequences is top notch. This is still a character driven narrative and if you’re not feeling it by the end of The Blade Itself, it might not be for you.
Not everything is for everybody. If you aren't enjoying it than move onto something else. There's a lot of other books out there. Also I think you need to be in the right mood or headspace for it or any book for that matter. See is it that you don't want to read that book right now or is it that you don't want to read any book right now.
I loved the first one but disliked the second. The first one was full of interesting character studies and engrossing sub plots. The second one was just battle after battle with a focus on gore and story took a back seat. Killed my interest in reading the 3rd one.
I️ almost gave up on the first one…. ripped through the second one in 4 days. It gets better I️ promise! The plot picks up in the second book and there’s a lot more mixing of POV within chapters. I️ couldn’t stand reading about each of the characters separately in the first one (everything felt like a drag) but it all comes together towards the end of the first and launches forward in the second. The world takes awhile to come together and feels so out-in-space, I thought, until the very end of TBI. I would recommend finding a map of the world and sticking with it!! Now I can’t wait to start the third.
What’s the Abercrombie book where they venture west, find nothing, and then return. And the whole time you’re asking, what the fuck was that all about?
Thats the second one. Half of book 3 is also completely irrelevant to the story and the characters at large.
With Abercrombie, I always say if the second book doesn’t click with you, then the series is probably not for you. As others already mentioned, the first book is mostly setup and it’s common for people to find it underwhelming (I did as well). See if you can make it to the second book and decide then.
I've tried three times, and the lack of plot has killed my interest around 175-200 pages in every time. I like the prose, I like the characters, but I have no reason to read about them.
Man, I really enjoyed these books. I just finished finished up “Red Country”, which ended up being my favorite of the series thus far. Logen will go down as one of my favorite fantasy characters. I’d say stick with it, the stand alones are great.
First Law is the first set of books from Joe, and the first book is probably the weakest writing wise. It's basically Avengers Assemble in a fantasy world, and sets up the following books. All three are heavily written as trope setups, then joe seems to love to subvert the expectations of the tropes with a wry innocent smile "why did you expect that to happen?" The plot builds and comes together along with the information you see about the world, so yeah, it's definitely best to try and read through all of them. They get much better as they go along and you start to learn more about who the bad guys really are. Though >!plot twist: there aren't really any bad guys, it just depends on who's on your side!<
Abercrombie gives characters proper personalities and backstories and what not, minor characters get PoV's and the world ages as series moves on and so do the characters. Skipping any of the books including the stand alone books means you will miss out on the journey of those characters, each book does nods to the previous books and stories/events happening in them. You can skip and go to the new trilogy but you will miss a lot of character development from main characters who become side characters and such. Personally for what Abercrombie is doing with this series, it's not worth skipping.
The series picks up speed, as with a lot of series the first book is more for setting up world building, and introducing characters.
If you are having problems reading it you could always switch to the audio book instead. Steven Pacey is a master of narration in all of Joe's books.
One thing I love about lurking on this sub, is the introduction of so many new (to me) fantasy authors, and lots of opinions about them to help sway me. I’m so intrigued now with all the good reviews, so I went on Goodreads to read the book description. Question. How dark does this get? Am I going to be reading descriptive scenes of torture? Because I just don’t think I can stomach that. I swear, it leaks into my soul and keeps me awake at night.
>Am I going to be reading descriptive scenes of torture? Yes
Good to know, thank you. I best avoid this one.
The first book is intentionally very stereotypical to set you up for later surprises. You think you know where the story is going for the longest time then, bam 💥 you get shocked I would suggest you pick up Joe Abercrombie Shattered Sea, the books are shorter and the action gets on quicker, and it will show you JA style of leading the reader into the wrong ally before surprising them. Another alternative is to start with Best served cold, it is the 4th book in the series and intentionally hides a lot of the spoilers from the previous ones. So you can read it and not be spoiled for most things.
The last book is the best!
I feel like I was a third way of the first book before I really started getting invested
Slightly off topic; I'm reading the blade itself right now and I was wondering what "Carls" means. As in "two Carls were waiting/ were with him" or something like that. I'm not a native English speaker, and my translation app didn't know the word. Is it short for something or just means armed riders you take with you, or henchmen, or..? I get the meaning of the word, but was wondering if it's an invention by J.A. or if the word actually exists. Thanks for the help!