Hey everyone! I have a lot going on today, so I might not get around to answering your comments, but I’m really loving seeing your thoughts on this book! I’ll try to respond if I can, but if not, just know I really appreciate seeing what you thought of the story 😄
The First Law Trilogy was very weird for me. Like you, I had trouble getting into it early on. The reason was different though. This was the first fantasy story/world that felt almost exactly like our own. From the religion, cultures, early technology, industry, and in just the way everyone spoke and behaved. It felt very modern with just enough of the "that can't happen in the real world" to let you know that something needed saving out there. And yes, Joe Abercrombie writes some of the best characters in any vein of fiction. I am 52, have been reading a long time, and Logen Ninefingers is in my top 5 list of fictional characters of all time. Basically, I love his stories but will always come back to anything by Joe Abercrombie because of his people. And his humor. The man has a wonderfully, witty, wicked sense of humor.
16:57 SO happy to hear this. This was my favorite scene as well, and it really makes me happy that a dark author is not afraid to just have a happy moment. In so many other books this would've been handled like "Glotka wanted to re-kindle the friendship, but his pride got the better of him". Not here. And it makes me so happy.
First Law is my new obsession. I’ve crammed the trilogy and two stand-alones in a couple of months. It only gets better as the world and characters are further explored. And no spoilers, but I was so happily surprised by the depth of the overall statement of the trilogy as a whole that sadly I don’t see get enough praise. EDIT: I shamefully forgot to mention the humor. Maybe I’m demented, but I’ve never laughed so much at a novel before. Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say he can write funny. And, if you do audiobooks I HIGHLY suggest at least doing the audiobook for The Heroes. Thank me later.
My husband loved these so much. I had him read them last year and he read them twice in a row. He started adding Glockta commentary into his daily life. It was so funny.
Joe’s writing is really great with his focus on characters. I seriously loving the different POVs so much, this is currently my favorite series I’m reading. Logan’s pragmatic viewpoint, Jezel’s self centered vain personality, Glokta’s skeptical detective mindset and constant paranoia. Not to mention Ferro, Bayaz, West, and Dogman (the other northmen) and you really have a wonderful cast of characters!
YAS! So glad thát you love it. Joe Abercrombie just has his own way in taking your expectations on turning them upside down. I love it. Before they are hanged is my favourite of the three. And yes, Glokta is the best. However there is one detail that drove me up the wall. Every man, no matter the culture or difference in background, discribes his genitals as fruits. Ahh so enoying.
Glad you enjoyed it after all, I remember you struggling with it in your June TBR video. Hope you continue the trilogy as it only gets better in pretty much every aspect and Joe's "fellowship" of anti-heroes is simply delicious.
Very nice review, I love this trilogy so much, it revived my thirst for dark fantasy. Among the most relatable characters I've read in this kind of literature. Also, fights are incredible, very well explained, it's like you could feel the blood in your mouth. It's nice to see people like you still interested in reading, you can tell by the views people are not so much into it anymore. Anyway keep up the good work I love your channel. Ps : your channel is very useful for non native English speaker like myself , I can understand you very well.
It's character work is truly amazing I read it some years ago and I can't remember shit about it except the characters that are vividly kept on my mind
I'm pleasantly surprised by your turn around on this book! I suspected you would like it since you said you loved character-driven stories and I think Abercrombie writes some of the best characters out there, but I was worried that you had been put off judging by your earlier comments. I hope you continue through the trilogy and even the three standalone books in the First Law world. They're all so good!
Loved this book, I read it four times with in jail and became my favorite book. I completely agree with everything you said in this review you were on point with some of the feelings I had while reading the blade itself. I just got before they are hanged and am so stoked to read it!
Yay!! I agree with a lot of what you said, I’m glad you ended up enjoying the book in the end because I know it was a bit of a rough start. I loved all the things you mentioned in the spoiler bit and I totally agree with everything you said there!
Glokta is great. Sometimes if I'm dragging some item up a staircase I think of Glokta's opinion on stairs. I think Jezail Dan Luther gets to be a lot more sympathetic in the next two books. (I can't remember spelling I listened on audible) I was legitimately surprised by Bayaz.
My favorite series i must say and you did a good job reviewing it the way you did. Any recommendations for other series that have this level of character building/development and story driven archs ? I read the full trilogy and the plot shortcomings will be handled masterfully i must say. He just takes his time to introduce characters and let them (and the reader) discover the main plot as the story goes. Makes it feel like the characters have a real impact on the plot being driven and altered by their actions. Great series and hope he continues to build his world further with interesting people. (have to say the infrastructure descriptions of the world/buildings kind of bothered. But maybe that's even a good thing tbh)
I'm glad you pushed on with the book - it takes a little time to settle in to, but worth the effort. It has been a long time since I first read this trilogy and my memory of the story is vague... but my recollection of the characters is strong, and Glokta and Logan were my favourite characters to follow. Having recently read the second trilogy (3 stand alones but all linked so best read in publishing order), these are even better. I particularly loved Best Served Cold and Red Country.
I loved this trilogy and its sequel - Best Served Cold - Abercrombie is an amazing writer! I really liked how even though he did not spend any real time world-building that he still managed to explore and explain the world through the eyes of the protagonists. I was totally fascinated by his barbarian characters - Logan Ninefingers and all the rest.
omg I was so nervous there for a sec, but I love this book and I'm so glad you loved it too and my favorite character in this series (possibly of all time?) is Glokta omagaaaad he's such an incredible character!!!! never read anything like him - I think Best Served Cold is probably better than the original trilogy but it is severely missing Glokta...
minor spoiler alert: couldn't help smiling when you described the scene with Logen, you made some really nice points as well. Joe does have a very grounded way of describing things that easily gives you a vision of whats going on. On the note of "the plot" however, without spoiling too much and put simply... It's a great war between two Magi. As the story continues you will follow all the different levels of that war and all the people dragged into it one way or another. The fact that its not entirely clear from the beginning and slowly comes to light as the story progresses is just one of the reasons I love Joe's storytelling.
Just finished my first read of this last night. I think you summarised how I felt about this book really well. It's so strange to get to the end of a book and not understand several of the characters motivation. I thought I missed something but it seems like other people saw it in the same way.
Your description of the book was so spot on. I was laughing while agreeing with all your points. Great review and one scene that sticks out to me in memory is when the bloody nine shows itself.
I just finished this book a few hours ago and I totally agree with your review. I loved how Abercrombie described and developed the characters. It’s a fascinating world, too. The ending could have been stronger IMO (more closure) but, as you said, the whole book is very character driven. The plot doesn’t really progress much. I compare this to Fellowship of the Ring. The characters are gathered and that’s about all that happens, but Abercrombie tells the story very well.
I'm on the second book now and for the first time ever, I felt like the characters exist outside of the book. The other day at work, I walked by something and I was like, "Hey, it smells like Ferro. She must be near." And that I was going to legitimately be able to talk to her. It was the weirdest thing! But yet so tangible!
Yay, so glad you finished and liked it! And book 2 is even better imo :) I usually prefer plot-driven books but somehow this trilogy still worked for me. Also Glokta (or is it Glotka? I never know 😅) is definitely one of the best and most complex characters ever!
Someone just recommended the first law's audiobook to me based on the fact I love gentlemen bastards so much. I am about to finish the TRoT and this is next in line. Can't wait. It looks like I'll like it already.
Finished the blade yesterday, I loved it. I picked up the trilogy as well as the heroes before my city went into lockdown so I’m starting before they are hanged as soon as I finish this video.
Hello two years ago Elle 😂 I can't believe it's taken me this long to read this book! Your review is spot on and I loved all the characters and bits you do too! So good and now I'm straight onto the second book! I agree that this more digestible Grim Dark - it's definitely dark but not gruesomly graphic as I thought it would be which is why I hesitated for so long to read it in the first place. So far so good - now onto the next one!
You should keep reading the series because the characters get so much better (which is saying something because they're pretty great in The Blade Itself). Jezel especially goes through a lot. They also get more agency. But of course, there are people pulling the strings and the world is not all black and white, and certainly not full of candy canes and buttercups, to put it mildly. Also, important to note that while this book is part of a trilogy (which is fantastic) the follow up books (3 more so far) are all stand alones (with some overarching background plot connections), featuring old characters and new ones, and they are AMAZING, each one is a different style and they're by far Abercrombie's best work to date. If you loved The First Law (which is essentially Act I of the trilogy, and serves mainly to introduce all the players) you're going to absolutely LOVE the next two books, Before They're Hanged and Last Arguments of Kings.
Your analysis of the book was spot on. When I heard you say that the characters lacked agency, I had an epiphany because it goes so well with the theme of the series. The narrator is quite on the bleak, pessimistic side almost nihilistic. The kid not having a choice really echoes through all of the different characters in the trilogy. It shouldn't work; you should want to light the books on fire...but you don’t. Instead you actually care and even root for despicable people...because they had no.choice. And for that I say thank you and damn you Joe Abercrombie in the same sentence. I hope you read the other two books as well!
I'm probably not the only person that's going to say this but the plot develops pretty well later on in the trilogy. More characters that you will hate and love. It's addicting for sure
I love Joe Abercrombie's writing! Glad you liked this book. I will say this though, that is one of the rare cases where I liked the stand-alone novels much more than the original trilogy. As much as I loved the characters (especially the Northmen), the main plotline is at times a bit generic. I still enjoyed the trilogy, but as you said, that's mainly because of the awesome character writing. The other books, in my opinion, have a much more inetersting plot, but they are more brutal as well... Heroes being a bit of an exception- the whole plot is just one battle, but it's absolutely brilliant and my favourite by far. I also love how he recycles minor characters from one book and gives them a new story in a subsequent book. Say one thing about Abercrombie, say he can write characters :)
I’ve just finished this book and moved on to the second book. I love this book and Joe Abercrombie. I will be reading this again soon. But need to read the rest of Joe Abercrombie’s books
I think you would enjoy The Vorrh by Brian Catling. It’s the best fantasy book with flowery language I’ve ever read. LOTR’s Lothlorien meets WW1 meets Heart of Darkness
I almost flat out hated Jezal until about half way through the second book, if you've read it, you know the exact turning point that makes you love him completely
This also took me a while to get into but it was great and I have just finished the first 6 books, one more of short stories before the new trilogy starts.
Loved this series. Thanks so much for reviewing. I enjoyed the grit. I didn't think it was gratuitous and felt that was the tone of the world. Glocta was phenomenal.
I dont agree that there was little there in the way of plot. To me JA put a bunch of storied folks in a well defined world and that was enough anticipation for what night come.
I tried to read this about 3 years ago and DNF for some reason. Decided to try again just recently and I’m Obsessed now. Lesson I learned is if your not enjoying a book, you should try it again at another stage in your life and your opinion could flip.
I have just finished this book and I’m about to start the second. I really enjoyed it and there were a few scenes that really got to me. My heart was in my mouth in the scene between Collem and Arda, I was petrified he’d killed her. I have to say Logen is my favourite so far. It’s a bit crap I have nobody to talk to about this book.
Second and third book are even better, in fact Last Argument of Kings is one of my favourite books overall. Also Best Served Cold (standalone in this world - taking place after the events of the trilogy) is pure gold.
@@sicdav1d0ff like its taste, our tastes might differ wildly, but i thought Heroes had some great chars. going through alot in a short period of time. Best Served Cold was a bit cluttered and at times you wondered where parts of the story was going and some of the chars felt a bit weak because they were only good in the group (dont get me wrong i still loved it) Heroes i feel does a great job with the people you follow and its some of the people who were in the original trillogy aswell (though minor ones) You might not prefer it over Best Served, but I thought it was the better telling of a story of characters, where as Best Served wins when it comes to the plot. Hope that helps. Red Country is like a mixture of the two books if you have read that.
I haven't read the series so I had to skip the spoiler section, but I do know the next book should be in the POV of your favorite professional torturer. I wanted to start Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy first as it's much less of a commitment (US hardcover is 333 pages with huge font) and I'm about halfway though. It took a while to get used to his writing style but I just switched to the audiobook and now I'm flying through it. Highly recommend.
Glad you liked it , that book made me want to read everything that man writes. It only gets better. 😏 And you're right, this book feels 100% character driven.. but within the trilogy he lays a lot of groundwork for the plot even in this one . It is to me a perfect example of what grimdark should be - nothing gratuitous, everything has weight, but still bleak and horrible at times. No one is a hero, but no one is just a villain either. People oppose each other because of differing views, or just because. The humor is the icing on the cake , I love Abercrombie's dry wit. Thanks for the review, hope ye can read the rest soon 👍 "Still alive... still alive.."
Excellent review. I audiobooked this many years ago and this has made me want to listen to it again. I know what you mean about Glokta - I too found myself strangely attracted to him. I strongly sugget that you try the audiobook version. Stephen Pacey did an amazing job.
Also from what i understand about west and his sister , they both were abused by his father but he ended up getting away and ends up besting his sister when he snaps. So there are studies about those that get abused end up abusing as well and it ends up being a vicious cycle, so it was such a real moment eith west who regrets what he did but did what hes seen since he was little. Its not an excuse for him, he still shouldn't a done it but it adds some depth.
Well some of the characters were just doing whatever but logen and his crew were driven by their need to survive. So there are things happening there. The other characters are just figuring out what it is they want. Luthar is just driven by his vanity, and glokta seems like his contempt for others. Which was interesting to me. Lol. Characters done so well I didn't care about the world building.
Elliot I think you are fair with your criticisms. It wouldn't be a review without talking about some faults a book, a movie or even a game could have. You do a great job of presenting a good objective point of view. So this book characters just do things without a purpose or just because? That sounds odd lol 😄. So basically this is fantasy era version of a Videolog? Well I'm glad you enjoyed the book. You aren't crazy for being emotionally drawn to a character with bad azz triumphant qualities. Anyways, it was great hanging out here & you teaching me about a new book. Have a nice day!😊👍💜
I felt that The Blade Itself functions as a way to develop a substrate in which to cultivate the trilogy's overarching plot. That substrate is largely the superb characters and Abercrombie dedicated most of a whole book to building people that are represent the ideal for "morally grey". He achieved a trilogy where, even without conventional worldbuilding or the web of plot details, where the plot became extremely engaging and enjoyable due to an aggrandizement afforded by the character quality it took most of a book to build. The plot is basically "Bayaz comes to town. What's this old fuck up to?" And grows from there. Another thing I found particularly special about these books (and I've still got 100 pages of the first trilogy left) is his approach to grimdark and moral ambiguity. The subgenre has a lot of examples where the disturbing and dark subject matter is part of the setting..."grimdark" has certain associations that instill an imsge in the mind. Some artists and authors use morally grey characters and events to contribute to a setting and atmosphere...which is fine sometimes but also simple. Joe uses moral ambiguity to ask questions, play with reader expectations and analyze morality itself (as complex and nebulous a topic as there is....as is anything that's a projection of our minds, and our minds themselves) I never felt as if any disturbing elements were added solely to make this Grimdark. Added for its own sake, that sorta content seems to appeal to edgelord, trendy nihilism. The First Law seems to be largely structured around our questions about redemption, morality, empathy and what that actually means (seeing as today, the idea seems lost that actually empathetic people CANNOT HELP but to empathize with ALL sides of an issue...and it isn't just something to tell others they need more of to fabricate a moral pedestal for binary social politics) and a number of other challenging questions. I feel strongly as if this if an ideal example of the subgenre. Such work in our culture can have benefits too. This can be risky today, where many people replace moral action, complex moral understanding and empathy with "punishing peoppe who deviate from accepted and narrow ideas on right/wrong" and fixate on constructing an image of a moral, empathetic society (representation, language, public shaming) with all the capacity for conceptual understanding and actual empathy of fundamental religious societies throughout history...as, just being secular and hijacking the term "progressive" doesn't make a culture progressive or moral. A series like this, were it presented to the contemporary mainstream, could possibley elicit serious outrage from many, as those who participate in outrage culture are far from those capable of having an objective, honest and progressive discussion on morality. It would likely challenge the binar understanding of morality that seems ingrained in sensationalistic faux-progressive. The idea of such redemption or even than someone can be simultaneously a moral and immoral person? That suggests possibly ruining someone's life for trivial commentary ISN'T right, who knew?! And instead of adjusting one's perceptions and opinions with the introduction of new ideas and concepts...I can't help but think that's not how a lot of people would react....no more than fundamentalist Christian's would allow their interpretation of the bible to accommodate new ideas. But for all the risk and, potentially because if it, it also important for as much work of this kind to be ingested by the culture.
At the moment I have only read the first book "the blade it self" and I really enjoyed it, still have the other two lying around but I started the wheel of time while waiting for the other two being delivered..... There is one thing I don't really like about the books, the translated name in German is Kriegsklingen which sound less epic than the English title, and I think the cover looks better in the English version.
Elliot! You really need to read the Shattered Sea series by Joe! I know you enjoy good YA, and it is some damn fine YA! I will admit I have a bias for Joe, as he's my favorite writer in fantasy (sorry Brandon), but I really do think he writes the best characters of anyone writing in the genre.
Ragnar Volorus Joe considers them YA, which is why I haven’t checked them out even though I love the First Law books. After seeing your comment, I might just have to read them.
SPOILER (ish): My favorite scenes all seem to involve Bayaz. He owns every scene he is in and always seems to get the better of everyone he talks with, while being sarcastic, somewhat abrasive and extremely annoyed at the inconveniences heaped upon him. He just cracks me up.
It's confusing because the first book is the first act of the standard three act structure, not a complete story, more a character introduction. It becomes more conventional in book two - quest for magical object, war with other empires.
The first law trilogy excels in character development. Every character feel different, despite each them being morally grey in one way or another. However, what keeps this series from ascending to the level of something like song of ice and fire, is the lack of a fully compelling plot.
@@AtticsTV Yeah a stronger plot is all he needs, his character work is already outstanding. Abercombie really knows how to make each of his morally grey characters distinct from one another.
They are all hard bastards that don't have alot of fluff to really give you there motivations right off. I had never really thought about it before. But makes sense you just gotta survive on this world
Scott Sengbush keep going. As good as Glokta is, there’s a legit argument that there’s a handful of better characters coming up. Especially in the stand-alones.
I will preface by saying that this is probably my favorite fantasy series I have ever read. Keep reading the series, all of you. In my opinion, you really cannot judge or review this story until you have read the entirety of the First Law. Joe Abercrombie is incredibly good at building characters, so much so that, with the exception of Jezal, almost all of the characters in the story are largely developed so you don’t ever get a sense of who these people really are until you close the final page of Last Argument of Kings. He doesn’t develop a character over time, he reveals them slowly over time. With that said, I disagree that this book isn’t plot driven. It is incredibly plot driven, the only thing is that you as the reader don’t really know exactly what the plot or the objective is until you finish the series. That being said, keep an open mind, and I’ll be excited to see what you have to say when you finish the final book. I think about it like once a week and I read this book like 3 years ago. Love your show! You’re about to read a story on par with anything Rothfuss, Sanderson, or Martin ever wrote.
Cameron Ward I like your post but comparing Sanderson to Abercrombie?? Seriously. Sanderson writes painting by numbers books. He has a team of staff working on them. I enjoy them don’t get me wrong but Abercrombie is unique.
![[DRIP] ‘Love, Maybe’ PREVIEW](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U7hwHp95m1k/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey everyone! I have a lot going on today, so I might not get around to answering your comments, but I’m really loving seeing your thoughts on this book! I’ll try to respond if I can, but if not, just know I really appreciate seeing what you thought of the story 😄
I really liked how you had the spoiler included review at the end for those who have read it which made for a more interesting discussion of the book
Now I want a fanfic Romance Novel of you and Glokta.
Glokta’s inner monologue throughout the trilogy is INSANE! He made the series for me.
Exactly.
100%
Absolutely. Glokta was my favorite character.
body found floating by the cocks..
Another body found floating by the docks.... 😂😂😂😂
Was it a man or a woman? Who can say?
@@user-wn7tu8tr3s same here ..... Been a while since I read these books but this line always pops up in my head..... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You have to be realistic about this things
😅😅😅
Spoiler: the penultimate chapter when we truly meet the bloody-nine, that blew me away!
Glokta is one of my all time favorite characters!!!
GOAT
I have just started “Before they are hanged” Damn! It’s good to be back in this horrible world :D
"I am still alive"
You have to be realistic about these things.
The First Law Trilogy was very weird for me. Like you, I had trouble getting into it early on. The reason was different though. This was the first fantasy story/world that felt almost exactly like our own. From the religion, cultures, early technology, industry, and in just the way everyone spoke and behaved. It felt very modern with just enough of the "that can't happen in the real world" to let you know that something needed saving out there. And yes, Joe Abercrombie writes some of the best characters in any vein of fiction. I am 52, have been reading a long time, and Logen Ninefingers is in my top 5 list of fictional characters of all time.
Basically, I love his stories but will always come back to anything by Joe Abercrombie because of his people. And his humor. The man has a wonderfully, witty, wicked sense of humor.
16:57 SO happy to hear this. This was my favorite scene as well, and it really makes me happy that a dark author is not afraid to just have a happy moment. In so many other books this would've been handled like "Glotka wanted to re-kindle the friendship, but his pride got the better of him". Not here. And it makes me so happy.
First Law is my new obsession. I’ve crammed the trilogy and two stand-alones in a couple of months. It only gets better as the world and characters are further explored.
And no spoilers, but I was so happily surprised by the depth of the overall statement of the trilogy as a whole that sadly I don’t see get enough praise.
EDIT: I shamefully forgot to mention the humor. Maybe I’m demented, but I’ve never laughed so much at a novel before. Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say he can write funny.
And, if you do audiobooks I HIGHLY suggest at least doing the audiobook for The Heroes. Thank me later.
I've just started a Cosmere re-listen, but now you have me wanting to go back and listen to Whirrun of Bligh spout his insanity.
Jason Collins I’m hoping to see more of Friendly and Cosca myself. Every character is great though.
Glokta is my all time favourite character.
My husband loved these so much. I had him read them last year and he read them twice in a row. He started adding Glockta commentary into his daily life. It was so funny.
Haha.. i added Logan Nine Finger dialog to my daily speech after first reading this series
This book is basically a prologue to the other two books in the trilogy in hindsight. Like a prequel. You will love the second book
Glokta is one of the best characters ever written. It says a lot to Abercrombie's ability of making someone as Vile as him someone you can cheer for.
My favorite part about Logan nine fingers is how quotable he is.
Same.
Say one thing for Logan nine fingers, says he is quotable
Sometimes you have to be realistic about it.
@@roblaird9909 ahahaha!! right!
better to do it than live in fear of it
It's refreshing to see a first Law review that's not overblown. Earned a subscriber.
Joe’s writing is really great with his focus on characters. I seriously loving the different POVs so much, this is currently my favorite series I’m reading.
Logan’s pragmatic viewpoint, Jezel’s self centered vain personality, Glokta’s skeptical detective mindset and constant paranoia. Not to mention Ferro, Bayaz, West, and Dogman (the other northmen) and you really have a wonderful cast of characters!
YAS! So glad thát you love it. Joe Abercrombie just has his own way in taking your expectations on turning them upside down. I love it. Before they are hanged is my favourite of the three.
And yes, Glokta is the best.
However there is one detail that drove me up the wall. Every man, no matter the culture or difference in background, discribes his genitals as fruits. Ahh so enoying.
Glad you enjoyed it after all, I remember you struggling with it in your June TBR video. Hope you continue the trilogy as it only gets better in pretty much every aspect and Joe's "fellowship" of anti-heroes is simply delicious.
Very nice review, I love this trilogy so much, it revived my thirst for dark fantasy.
Among the most relatable characters I've read in this kind of literature.
Also, fights are incredible, very well explained, it's like you could feel the blood in your mouth.
It's nice to see people like you still interested in reading, you can tell by the views people are not so much into it anymore.
Anyway keep up the good work I love your channel.
Ps : your channel is very useful for non native English speaker like myself , I can understand you very well.
It's character work is truly amazing I read it some years ago and I can't remember shit about it except the characters that are vividly kept on my mind
"Poor Glokta I'll be your friend" hahah
I'm pleasantly surprised by your turn around on this book! I suspected you would like it since you said you loved character-driven stories and I think Abercrombie writes some of the best characters out there, but I was worried that you had been put off judging by your earlier comments.
I hope you continue through the trilogy and even the three standalone books in the First Law world. They're all so good!
Loved this book, I read it four times with in jail and became my favorite book. I completely agree with everything you said in this review you were on point with some of the feelings I had while reading the blade itself. I just got before they are hanged and am so stoked to read it!
Why were you in jail ?
Yay!! I agree with a lot of what you said, I’m glad you ended up enjoying the book in the end because I know it was a bit of a rough start. I loved all the things you mentioned in the spoiler bit and I totally agree with everything you said there!
Glokta is great. Sometimes if I'm dragging some item up a staircase I think of Glokta's opinion on stairs.
I think Jezail Dan Luther gets to be a lot more sympathetic in the next two books. (I can't remember spelling I listened on audible)
I was legitimately surprised by Bayaz.
My favorite series i must say and you did a good job reviewing it the way you did. Any recommendations for other series that have this level of character building/development and story driven archs ? I read the full trilogy and the plot shortcomings will be handled masterfully i must say. He just takes his time to introduce characters and let them (and the reader) discover the main plot as the story goes. Makes it feel like the characters have a real impact on the plot being driven and altered by their actions.
Great series and hope he continues to build his world further with interesting people. (have to say the infrastructure descriptions of the world/buildings kind of bothered. But maybe that's even a good thing tbh)
This is one of my absolute favoritesssss. I loved this trilogy so much. I really want to reread it sometime soon. Great review! :)
Yesssss. I’m SO glad you ended up enjoying this! Just prepare to fall even more in love with Glokta and company :)
I'm glad you pushed on with the book - it takes a little time to settle in to, but worth the effort. It has been a long time since I first read this trilogy and my memory of the story is vague... but my recollection of the characters is strong, and Glokta and Logan were my favourite characters to follow. Having recently read the second trilogy (3 stand alones but all linked so best read in publishing order), these are even better. I particularly loved Best Served Cold and Red Country.
wow finally! Just have to say before watching this video that i'd been waiting for this review since so long!
Everyone loves Glokta but 9 fingers stole the show for me. I love the situations he gets himself into and how he handles the.
I loved this trilogy and its sequel - Best Served Cold - Abercrombie is an amazing writer! I really liked how even though he did not spend any real time world-building that he still managed to explore and explain the world through the eyes of the protagonists. I was totally fascinated by his barbarian characters - Logan Ninefingers and all the rest.
omg I was so nervous there for a sec, but I love this book and I'm so glad you loved it too and my favorite character in this series (possibly of all time?) is Glokta omagaaaad he's such an incredible character!!!! never read anything like him - I think Best Served Cold is probably better than the original trilogy but it is severely missing Glokta...
minor spoiler alert: couldn't help smiling when you described the scene with Logen, you made some really nice points as well. Joe does have a very grounded way of describing things that easily gives you a vision of whats going on. On the note of "the plot" however, without spoiling too much and put simply... It's a great war between two Magi. As the story continues you will follow all the different levels of that war and all the people dragged into it one way or another. The fact that its not entirely clear from the beginning and slowly comes to light as the story progresses is just one of the reasons I love Joe's storytelling.
Just finished my first read of this last night. I think you summarised how I felt about this book really well. It's so strange to get to the end of a book and not understand several of the characters motivation. I thought I missed something but it seems like other people saw it in the same way.
Your description of the book was so spot on. I was laughing while agreeing with all your points. Great review and one scene that sticks out to me in memory is when the bloody nine shows itself.
Came here from your July wrap up AND I LOVE GLOKTA TOO!!! It makes me feel like a serial killer but I don't care. He's my fave in the series!!!
I just finished this book a few hours ago and I totally agree with your review. I loved how Abercrombie described and developed the characters. It’s a fascinating world, too. The ending could have been stronger IMO (more closure) but, as you said, the whole book is very character driven. The plot doesn’t really progress much. I compare this to Fellowship of the Ring. The characters are gathered and that’s about all that happens, but Abercrombie tells the story very well.
I'm on the second book now and for the first time ever, I felt like the characters exist outside of the book. The other day at work, I walked by something and I was like, "Hey, it smells like Ferro. She must be near." And that I was going to legitimately be able to talk to her. It was the weirdest thing! But yet so tangible!
Hi, love your videos! Especially all the Cosmere content! Also can you do the mid year book freak out tag please? :)
Yay, so glad you finished and liked it! And book 2 is even better imo :)
I usually prefer plot-driven books but somehow this trilogy still worked for me. Also Glokta (or is it Glotka? I never know 😅) is definitely one of the best and most complex characters ever!
Someone just recommended the first law's audiobook to me based on the fact I love gentlemen bastards so much. I am about to finish the TRoT and this is next in line. Can't wait. It looks like I'll like it already.
How the narrator does gloktas accent with the teeth is absolutely the best part!!
Elliot, great vid as always, please continue with the trilogy sooner rather than later. Keep the continuity going, you are in for ride ;)
Finished the blade yesterday, I loved it. I picked up the trilogy as well as the heroes before my city went into lockdown so I’m starting before they are hanged as soon as I finish this video.
Hello two years ago Elle 😂 I can't believe it's taken me this long to read this book! Your review is spot on and I loved all the characters and bits you do too! So good and now I'm straight onto the second book! I agree that this more digestible Grim Dark - it's definitely dark but not gruesomly graphic as I thought it would be which is why I hesitated for so long to read it in the first place. So far so good - now onto the next one!
You should keep reading the series because the characters get so much better (which is saying something because they're pretty great in The Blade Itself). Jezel especially goes through a lot. They also get more agency. But of course, there are people pulling the strings and the world is not all black and white, and certainly not full of candy canes and buttercups, to put it mildly. Also, important to note that while this book is part of a trilogy (which is fantastic) the follow up books (3 more so far) are all stand alones (with some overarching background plot connections), featuring old characters and new ones, and they are AMAZING, each one is a different style and they're by far Abercrombie's best work to date. If you loved The First Law (which is essentially Act I of the trilogy, and serves mainly to introduce all the players) you're going to absolutely LOVE the next two books, Before They're Hanged and Last Arguments of Kings.
Your analysis of the book was spot on. When I heard you say that the characters lacked agency, I had an epiphany because it goes so well with the theme of the series. The narrator is quite on the bleak, pessimistic side almost nihilistic. The kid not having a choice really echoes through all of the different characters in the trilogy. It shouldn't work; you should want to light the books on fire...but you don’t. Instead you actually care and even root for despicable people...because they had no.choice. And for that I say thank you and damn you Joe Abercrombie in the same sentence. I hope you read the other two books as well!
Such an awesome review! Loved it and couldn't agree more with it!
You definitely need to read the whole trilogy. The last book, in particular, is simply amazing, how you view the characters at the end blew my mind
Totally agree with you. I wasnt expecting the level of no plot in this story but the characters managed to keep me around to the finish line.
It only gets better! Just finished Best Served Cold and it’s amazing. The best so far! I really hope you get to it, I think you’ll love it.
The Heroes is fantastic. Red Country is very enjoyable.
Just started best served cold. Really enjoying it so far.
i'm in the middle of best served cold!It's fantastic!I'm starting to believe that Joe Abercrombie is my favourite author
I'm probably not the only person that's going to say this but the plot develops pretty well later on in the trilogy. More characters that you will hate and love. It's addicting for sure
This trilogy is amazing and yes the 1st book is definitely character driven but it all pays off in the end! Sand Dan Glokta was freaking awesome!
I love Joe Abercrombie's writing! Glad you liked this book. I will say this though, that is one of the rare cases where I liked the stand-alone novels much more than the original trilogy. As much as I loved the characters (especially the Northmen), the main plotline is at times a bit generic. I still enjoyed the trilogy, but as you said, that's mainly because of the awesome character writing. The other books, in my opinion, have a much more inetersting plot, but they are more brutal as well... Heroes being a bit of an exception- the whole plot is just one battle, but it's absolutely brilliant and my favourite by far. I also love how he recycles minor characters from one book and gives them a new story in a subsequent book. Say one thing about Abercrombie, say he can write characters :)
Glotka is life!
I’ve just finished this book and moved on to the second book. I love this book and Joe Abercrombie. I will be reading this again soon. But need to read the rest of Joe Abercrombie’s books
Glokta is one of my favorite characters of all time.
Great analysis on the sliding vs deciding arcs of the characters!
I think you would enjoy The Vorrh by Brian Catling. It’s the best fantasy book with flowery language I’ve ever read. LOTR’s Lothlorien meets WW1 meets Heart of Darkness
Thank you.That synopsis sounds really cool to me. Adding it to my list of stuff to check out :)
I can't wait to see your reaction to the next two books because I totally share your sentiments lol
Read the series until the last book, the ending is freaking amazing
And then read the standalones.
I almost flat out hated Jezal until about half way through the second book, if you've read it, you know the exact turning point that makes you love him completely
I know the character development in this series is amazing
This also took me a while to get into but it was great and I have just finished the first 6 books, one more of short stories before the new trilogy starts.
Loved this series. Thanks so much for reviewing. I enjoyed the grit. I didn't think it was gratuitous and felt that was the tone of the world. Glocta was phenomenal.
I dont agree that there was little there in the way of plot. To me JA put a bunch of storied folks in a well defined world and that was enough anticipation for what night come.
I tried to read this about 3 years ago and DNF for some reason. Decided to try again just recently and I’m Obsessed now. Lesson I learned is if your not enjoying a book, you should try it again at another stage in your life and your opinion could flip.
I have just finished this book and I’m about to start the second. I really enjoyed it and there were a few scenes that really got to me. My heart was in my mouth in the scene between Collem and Arda, I was petrified he’d killed her. I have to say Logen is my favourite so far. It’s a bit crap I have nobody to talk to about this book.
Same
Same Y_Y
Second and third book are even better, in fact Last Argument of Kings is one of my favourite books overall. Also Best Served Cold (standalone in this world - taking place after the events of the trilogy) is pure gold.
I actually preffered Heroes, but Best Served was very good yes. Red Country is good aswell, but the weaker of the 3.
@@timpeterjensen2364 Heroes better than Best Served Cold? I was put off when i heard the whole book is about 3-day battle...
@@sicdav1d0ff like its taste, our tastes might differ wildly, but i thought Heroes had some great chars. going through alot in a short period of time. Best Served Cold was a bit cluttered and at times you wondered where parts of the story was going and some of the chars felt a bit weak because they were only good in the group (dont get me wrong i still loved it) Heroes i feel does a great job with the people you follow and its some of the people who were in the original trillogy aswell (though minor ones) You might not prefer it over Best Served, but I thought it was the better telling of a story of characters, where as Best Served wins when it comes to the plot. Hope that helps. Red Country is like a mixture of the two books if you have read that.
@@timpeterjensen2364 Yeah it helps. Thanks
@@sicdav1d0ff np. have a good day.
I had a really hard time at the start, so I will continue with it eventually but not right now.
I did too. It wasn’t until near the end of part one that I really started to get pulled in :)
I haven't read the series so I had to skip the spoiler section, but I do know the next book should be in the POV of your favorite professional torturer.
I wanted to start Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy first as it's much less of a commitment (US hardcover is 333 pages with huge font) and I'm about halfway though. It took a while to get used to his writing style but I just switched to the audiobook and now I'm flying through it. Highly recommend.
Glad you liked it , that book made me want to read everything that man writes. It only gets better. 😏
And you're right, this book feels 100% character driven.. but within the trilogy he lays a lot of groundwork for the plot even in this one .
It is to me a perfect example of what grimdark should be - nothing gratuitous, everything has weight, but still bleak and horrible at times. No one is a hero, but no one is just a villain either. People oppose each other because of differing views, or just because.
The humor is the icing on the cake , I love Abercrombie's dry wit.
Thanks for the review, hope ye can read the rest soon 👍
"Still alive... still alive.."
Excellent review. I audiobooked this many years ago and this has made me want to listen to it again. I know what you mean about Glokta - I too found myself strangely attracted to him. I strongly sugget that you try the audiobook version. Stephen Pacey did an amazing job.
Yes, the audiobook is amazing!!!
Awesome review Elliot! You gotta finish the whole trilogy. I believe you will not be disappointed :)
Also from what i understand about west and his sister , they both were abused by his father but he ended up getting away and ends up besting his sister when he snaps. So there are studies about those that get abused end up abusing as well and it ends up being a vicious cycle, so it was such a real moment eith west who regrets what he did but did what hes seen since he was little. Its not an excuse for him, he still shouldn't a done it but it adds some depth.
Elliot Brooks:Jezal has potential to be shaped into someone better
Jezal: I haven't even begun to peak!
First few chapters took a little work but the payoff was worth it. Great, great trilogy written for adults.
Well some of the characters were just doing whatever but logen and his crew were driven by their need to survive. So there are things happening there. The other characters are just figuring out what it is they want. Luthar is just driven by his vanity, and glokta seems like his contempt for others. Which was interesting to me. Lol. Characters done so well I didn't care about the world building.
Im sooooo HYPED waiting for this book waiting for it in the mail
Elliot I think you are fair with your criticisms. It wouldn't be a review without talking about some faults a book, a movie or even a game could have. You do a great job of presenting a good objective point of view. So this book characters just do things without a purpose or just because? That sounds odd lol 😄. So basically this is fantasy era version of a Videolog? Well I'm glad you enjoyed the book. You aren't crazy for being emotionally drawn to a character with bad azz triumphant qualities. Anyways, it was great hanging out here & you teaching me about a new book. Have a nice day!😊👍💜
Haha, I think it’s kinda that we follow the characters that don’t really have a mission, if that makes sense 😅
I felt that The Blade Itself functions as a way to develop a substrate in which to cultivate the trilogy's overarching plot. That substrate is largely the superb characters and Abercrombie dedicated most of a whole book to building people that are represent the ideal for "morally grey". He achieved a trilogy where, even without conventional worldbuilding or the web of plot details, where the plot became extremely engaging and enjoyable due to an aggrandizement afforded by the character quality it took most of a book to build.
The plot is basically "Bayaz comes to town. What's this old fuck up to?" And grows from there.
Another thing I found particularly special about these books (and I've still got 100 pages of the first trilogy left) is his approach to grimdark and moral ambiguity. The subgenre has a lot of examples where the disturbing and dark subject matter is part of the setting..."grimdark" has certain associations that instill an imsge in the mind. Some artists and authors use morally grey characters and events to contribute to a setting and atmosphere...which is fine sometimes but also simple.
Joe uses moral ambiguity to ask questions, play with reader expectations and analyze morality itself (as complex and nebulous a topic as there is....as is anything that's a projection of our minds, and our minds themselves)
I never felt as if any disturbing elements were added solely to make this Grimdark. Added for its own sake, that sorta content seems to appeal to edgelord, trendy nihilism. The First Law seems to be largely structured around our questions about redemption, morality, empathy and what that actually means (seeing as today, the idea seems lost that actually empathetic people CANNOT HELP but to empathize with ALL sides of an issue...and it isn't just something to tell others they need more of to fabricate a moral pedestal for binary social politics) and a number of other challenging questions. I feel strongly as if this if an ideal example of the subgenre. Such work in our culture can have benefits too.
This can be risky today, where many people replace moral action, complex moral understanding and empathy with "punishing peoppe who deviate from accepted and narrow ideas on right/wrong" and fixate on constructing an image of a moral, empathetic society (representation, language, public shaming) with all the capacity for conceptual understanding and actual empathy of fundamental religious societies throughout history...as, just being secular and hijacking the term "progressive" doesn't make a culture progressive or moral. A series like this, were it presented to the contemporary mainstream, could possibley elicit serious outrage from many, as those who participate in outrage culture are far from those capable of having an objective, honest and progressive discussion on morality. It would likely challenge the binar understanding of morality that seems ingrained in sensationalistic faux-progressive. The idea of such redemption or even than someone can be simultaneously a moral and immoral person? That suggests possibly ruining someone's life for trivial commentary ISN'T right, who knew?! And instead of adjusting one's perceptions and opinions with the introduction of new ideas and concepts...I can't help but think that's not how a lot of people would react....no more than fundamentalist Christian's would allow their interpretation of the bible to accommodate new ideas.
But for all the risk and, potentially because if it, it also important for as much work of this kind to be ingested by the culture.
At the moment I have only read the first book "the blade it self" and I really enjoyed it, still have the other two lying around but I started the wheel of time while waiting for the other two being delivered..... There is one thing I don't really like about the books, the translated name in German is Kriegsklingen which sound less epic than the English title, and I think the cover looks better in the English version.
Lol I like the spoiler section. Made me want to go read it.
Elliot! You really need to read the Shattered Sea series by Joe! I know you enjoy good YA, and it is some damn fine YA!
I will admit I have a bias for Joe, as he's my favorite writer in fantasy (sorry Brandon), but I really do think he writes the best characters of anyone writing in the genre.
@Ragnar Volorus I think it tows the line, kinda like the first three Mistborn books. I'd say they're YA...kinda. 😅
Ragnar Volorus Joe considers them YA, which is why I haven’t checked them out even though I love the First Law books. After seeing your comment, I might just have to read them.
@@quattroCrazy I don't like YA often, and it certainly tows a line, but it's worth the time to give it a read if you like Joe.
SPOILER (ish):
My favorite scenes all seem to involve Bayaz. He owns every scene he is in and always seems to get the better of everyone he talks with, while being sarcastic, somewhat abrasive and extremely annoyed at the inconveniences heaped upon him. He just cracks me up.
I've started reading this and I love it so far... This is more to my taste than Sanderson.
100% same
It's confusing because the first book is the first act of the standard three act structure, not a complete story, more a character introduction. It becomes more conventional in book two - quest for magical object, war with other empires.
The first law trilogy excels in character development. Every character feel different, despite each them being morally grey in one way or another. However, what keeps this series from ascending to the level of something like song of ice and fire, is the lack of a fully compelling plot.
I am excited to see whether Abercrombie manages a stronger plot with the new trilogy coming out in the world this fall.
@@AtticsTV Yeah a stronger plot is all he needs, his character work is already outstanding. Abercombie really knows how to make each of his morally grey characters distinct from one another.
Just here to cut the grain. I know Glokta seems to be the crowd fave but I'm ride or die for Ninefingers. And Ferro too.
I just finished this series and I love Glokta too. He’s a fantastic character.
I have this book on my shelf. Ill have to read it soon. Im just on a wheel of time kick.
Just started it. So far its promising .
They are all hard bastards that don't have alot of fluff to really give you there motivations right off. I had never really thought about it before. But makes sense you just gotta survive on this world
Jezal had a great character arc. Reminded me of Jaime from GOT.
The contest final was awesome.
This book made me laugh out loud several times. Loved it.
Love and adore this book, great review.
You should give James Barclay's Chronicles of the Raven a read. It is also a triology and worth the time.
I actually just finished this book recently, Im 6 chapters into book two. Glokta is such a fun character to read
Scott Sengbush keep going. As good as Glokta is, there’s a legit argument that there’s a handful of better characters coming up. Especially in the stand-alones.
Its a very good trillogy, and some of the standalone books in the universe might actually be better than the trillogy, depending on taste ofcourse.
I thought the Jezal and Glokta scene was extremely necessary. Jezal heard exactly what he needed to hear
I will preface by saying that this is probably my favorite fantasy series I have ever read. Keep reading the series, all of you. In my opinion, you really cannot judge or review this story until you have read the entirety of the First Law. Joe Abercrombie is incredibly good at building characters, so much so that, with the exception of Jezal, almost all of the characters in the story are largely developed so you don’t ever get a sense of who these people really are until you close the final page of Last Argument of Kings. He doesn’t develop a character over time, he reveals them slowly over time.
With that said, I disagree that this book isn’t plot driven. It is incredibly plot driven, the only thing is that you as the reader don’t really know exactly what the plot or the objective is until you finish the series. That being said, keep an open mind, and I’ll be excited to see what you have to say when you finish the final book. I think about it like once a week and I read this book like 3 years ago. Love your show! You’re about to read a story on par with anything Rothfuss, Sanderson, or Martin ever wrote.
Cameron Ward I like your post but comparing Sanderson to Abercrombie?? Seriously. Sanderson writes painting by numbers books. He has a team of staff working on them. I enjoy them don’t get me wrong but Abercrombie is unique.