Review: Last Argument of Kings, by Joe Abercrombie

I didn't much like the first book, and after the second I was still reserving judgment. But having finished the third, I honestly can't deny it: this series won me over in the end.

I must tip my hat to Joe Abercrombie; like his wizard Bayaz, he plays a long game. Read alone, The Blade Itself felt far too heavy in set-up and lacking in both action and human interest. But Before They Are Hanged took the origin story and used it to develop a world and cast of characters both genuine and complex. And as for the third book...well, the title also works as his rebuttal to his critics. For he truly shows himself a king of plot, character, and action, deftly weaving together disparate threads and bringing the series to a thundering conclusion that feels frankly Shakespearean in its inevitability.

I'm honestly not certain how to describe this story. I could list the well-worn themes it addresses: the desire for power, and the costs to one's humanity therein; the demoralization of getting everything you think you want, only to find it's not how you thought it would be; the wish of the lifelong warrior for peace, only to discover that "one more battle" quickly leads into yet another; the emptiness of revenge as a life's pursuit; the fact that life is unfair and people don't always get what they deserve. I could list its problems - repetitive narration, action sequences that (while remarkably well-written) tend to overstay their welcome, an almost self-indulgent obsession with the darker side of human nature. But really, what's worth talking about is the characters. Most of them come from fairly stock origins, but as they become fleshed out, their personalities and interactions become the driving force behind the story. And while the ending is far from predictable, in retrospect, you realize there's just no other way these people in this situation could have done things differently.

None of the cast are exactly what you'd call "likable" - this author very obviously believes in the "'good' and 'evil' are points of view rather than immutable concepts" philosophy. But as you learn about their histories and understand their motivations, you can't help but develop a sort of grudging respect, and even affection, for them. And while it sometimes seems that Abercrombie loves writing about human nastiness a little too much, there are also occasions when his characters show human compassion as well - each made all the more precious by the general horridness of their surroundings.

This is a dark, dark, dark series, with some viscerally nightmarish sequences of both battle and torture - in short, it's not for everyone. But, to the author's credit, he doesn't forget the lighter side of human interaction, and the healthy dollop of black humor as well as the aforementioned occasional moments of surprising humanity help level out the darkness, especially in books two and three. If you want lighthearted escapist reading, this isn't the story for you. If you want to see common fantasy tropes subverted and forced to grow up, however, or even if you just love a well-crafted story with unforgettable characters, I highly recommend this series. A

A separate note on the audiobook presentations: I generally far prefer text books to audiobooks, but Steven Pacey's dramatization is phenomenally good. You'd swear there's a whole cast of actors on the recording, and his wonderful voice work does wonders for helping to keep up with the large cast. If you think you'd like the series, take the extra time and seek out the recordings - you won't be disappointed. A++ with cherries on top

Review: Last Argument of Kings, by Joe Abercrombie

I didn't much like the first book, and after the second I was still reserving judgment. But having finished the third, I honestly can't deny it: this series won me over in the end.

I must tip my hat to Joe Abercrombie; like his wizard Bayaz, he plays a long game. Read alone, The Blade Itself felt far too heavy in set-up and lacking in both action and human interest. But Before They Are Hanged took the origin story and used it to develop a world and cast of characters both genuine and complex. And as for the third book...well, the title also works as his rebuttal to his critics. For he truly shows himself a king of plot, character, and action, deftly weaving together disparate threads and bringing the series to a thundering conclusion that feels frankly Shakespearean in its inevitability.

I'm honestly not certain how to describe this story. I could list the well-worn themes it addresses: the desire for power, and the costs to one's humanity therein; the demoralization of getting everything you think you want, only to find it's not how you thought it would be; the wish of the lifelong warrior for peace, only to discover that "one more battle" quickly leads into yet another; the emptiness of revenge as a life's pursuit; the fact that life is unfair and people don't always get what they deserve. I could list its problems - repetitive narration, action sequences that (while remarkably well-written) tend to overstay their welcome, an almost self-indulgent obsession with the darker side of human nature. But really, what's worth talking about is the characters. Most of them come from fairly stock origins, but as they become fleshed out, their personalities and interactions become the driving force behind the story. And while the ending is far from predictable, in retrospect, you realize there's just no other way these people in this situation could have done things differently.

None of the cast are exactly what you'd call "likable" - this author very obviously believes in the "'good' and 'evil' are points of view rather than immutable concepts" philosophy. But as you learn about their histories and understand their motivations, you can't help but develop a sort of grudging respect, and even affection, for them. And while it sometimes seems that Abercrombie loves writing about human nastiness a little too much, there are also occasions when his characters show human compassion as well - each made all the more precious by the general horridness of their surroundings.

This is a dark, dark, dark series, with some viscerally nightmarish sequences of both battle and torture - in short, it's not for everyone. But, to the author's credit, he doesn't forget the lighter side of human interaction, and the healthy dollop of black humor as well as the aforementioned occasional moments of surprising humanity help level out the darkness, especially in books two and three. If you want lighthearted escapist reading, this isn't the story for you. If you want to see common fantasy tropes subverted and forced to grow up, however, or even if you just love a well-crafted story with unforgettable characters, I highly recommend this series. A

A separate note on the audiobook presentations: I generally far prefer text books to audiobooks, but Steven Pacey's dramatization is phenomenally good. You'd swear there's a whole cast of actors on the recording, and his wonderful voice work does wonders for helping to keep up with the large cast. If you think you'd like the series, take the extra time and seek out the recordings - you won't be disappointed. A++ with cherries on top