Review: Last Argument of Kings

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third installment of this gritty fantasy brings to an epic conclusion the events that were culminating in the last 2 books. Like Game of Thrones, it is also unique in that many of the characters do horrendous things but still simultaneously are 3d enough to make you understand their motivations.

The drive to power and the ruthlessness with which it is carried out, particularly by characters who are supposed to be the good guys flips the genre on its head and makes you question whether several characters are actually the bad guys after all.
It does this while maiming or killing off a number of important characters and continually enticing you to see how it all ends and what this is all leading to.

If you like situations with closure or clean neat divisions of black and white.... this isn't a book for you.

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Review: Before They Are Hanged

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in this series was even better than the first. I have read few gritty fantasy stories that are worthy of note. This ranks up there with the Black Company and following a little bit behind game of thrones in its character creation and in the unexpected happening.

This story is not always filled with happy endings, but it is filled with some of the most vivid action sequences of any story I have ever read. Furthermore it critiques power, certain ideas of masculinity, makes it unclear in many cases who is actually a "good guy", and meanwhile weaves together interesting cultural, political, and social differences between different lands. Not the best story of this type I have read, but definitely hard to put down. Battles, intrigue, and lots of weird awkward sexual encounters.

Logen Nine-Fingers is Brock Sampson/Conan. I still find Glocta, the tortured and crippled ex hero to be really interesting, and cant wait to see where this leads.

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