CORRECTION! The trilogy announced from Abercrombie won’t be a First Law trilogy. That was my bad. New series which I’m really excited for will be called The Devils.
Finally got my wife to start The Blade Itself. She’s disabled and uses a cane or walker to get around, and shortly after she gets to Glokta I hear her yell “YES!! F’ING STAIRS!!” 😂 Hooked her early
For anyone looking to get into these books I HIGHLY recommend the audiobooks narrated by Steven Pacey. His character voices are fantastic and he nails both the intensity and humor. Definitely my favorite audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. (I used Libby to rent them for free from my local library)
I accidentally read the Age of Madness Trilogy before The First Law. It was quite interesting to get the info the other way around, to have heard characters referencing past events and glorifying old heros in tales and then going back and getting the first hand accounts of those people and stories. Unlike when a prequel is written, and the past was based off of vague comments and generic statements having people talk about past events that were already fully fleshed out was interesting. Both trilogies are amazing and I recommend you give them a go!
that sounds amazing. every one is always talking how the times were better before and how heroic people were and then you get a first hand account of how it really went down and more often than not the dogman needed to relieve himself at that moment.
Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers. Say he's one of the best fantasy characters ever created. -- Logen Ninfingers could have kept the Fellowship together with his bare hands.
First Law is a series that will forever be close to my heart. While I hate the "everyone is grey" arcs, Joe does it such justice that I still desire more character in my life. Glokta that crooked bastard is like crack to my feeble reader mind, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks for the amazing breakdown Daniel! All hail the Disheveled Goblin Lord!
Almost finished his 1st book thanks to your videos. Sooo glad there's a bunch more to read and that Joe's young enough that many more will be out in the future
Agreed. Steven Pacey's narration is the absolute best I've heard out of the hundreds of books I've listened to on audible. I have no clue how he manages to have a unique voice for each character and maintains it throughout the series. I've listened to this series 3 or 4 times now and it never gets old!
He also wrote a short story in the Rogues anthology ;) Also, an important note re publication time: in an interview, Joe has stated that all 3 books were finished before the first was published and released :)
I am forever grateful for Abercrombie because he got me back into fantasy after years of lulls. It got me back into my favourite niche! Also, I watched the interview here with Daniel as my first video on this channel and have been watching ever since.
That scene with Logan and the 1st in the forest running and fighting was so awesome. I really think his combat writing is surreal, it feels actually heavy like when people are getting stabed their whole body is going to jolt back with the impact.
Abercrombie’s writing of Logen’s character is amazing. The scene where *SPOILERS* he becomes the Bloody Nine at the end of The Blade Itself is one of the most jaw-dropping moments I’ve ever read.
I have said this before and I'll say it again: I love books and I have read a lot of them and of all the characters met, Logen Ninefingers remains my absolute favourite. Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, say he is the G.O.A.T.
I would love such a breakdown for Dresden Files or Discworld. I know this would be a nightmare for you, seeing the sheer amount of entries in these two series. Also, Discworld is just Discworld, with multiple entry points and multiple overlapping but semi-independent series going on. But, I think this is also why breakdown videos on these two series are needed and would be so valuable. PS Merphy just started Vinland. Seeing that Vinland won your poll too (I voted for it too), watching you two cover the same series at the same time would be fun.
@@reaper2r I, myself, watch only anime. Mangas are way too expensive here in India. And since I have seen and loved the first season on Vinland Saga, Daniel can make videos on that as long as he wants. Chainsaw Man, on the other hand, is getting an adaptation just now.
Honestly, I can’t imagine starting The Age of Madness trilogy without reading the so called “standalones”. Half the characters mentioned I’d be like, I’m sorry who?
I love that you included lore in this one. I'd be really interested to see either a rerelease or a companion video to the Malazan breakdown that includes some of the lore primer because I was really lost on that one.
Absolutely loved the First Law series. Best Served Cold might also be my favorite with plot, characters and arcs all coming together beautifully. If you haven't read Sharp Ends, I recommend it highly - if for nothing else than for the first and the last chapter/story. There's nothing like spending time with that beautiful bastard.
Not even a hundred pages in Before They Are Hanged, but I am in love with these characters and setting so far and wish I had more time to binge this series!! Can’t wait to get deeper into the world
I just picked these up on audible because I saw a video you did ranking your favorites. Thanks for not spoiling it.. I still have one and a half WoT books to go before I start but I'm excited to get into a new world after being in WoT so long.
A few years back, when I was looking to get into adult fantasy I Google best adult fantasy series and picked first law because it had an easy name to remember. I searched first law book reviews and guess which goblins Why you should read video came up? Half way through the video I paused and bought the trilogy on Amazon. Now reading fantasy is my biggest hobby. Thanks Daniel. I really like the series. I like when you talk about the real world reception to the series.
Great video! The First Law is a definite read for fans of the grimdark genre! No one writes humour and characters like Abercrombie! I have been fortunate to meet Abercrombie twice, and he is also really funny in real life! 😅
I'd also it's a good read for people who don't usually do grimdark. I've not enjoyed grimdark for years but gave the trilogy a go recently. It's absolutely fantastic.
Great breakdown 👍🏼 below are few suggestions for future breakdown series - 1. Realms of Elderlings 2. The Faithful and the Fallen 3. Middle-Earth 4. Cosmere
I finished the trilogy a couple days ago. It was my first full read in a couple of years, and man it was so great! I ordered the first book in Red Rising and will be trying that out next. Love the videos! You got me back into reading.
Easily the best fantasy I've ever read. From the moment I started the first book I fell in love with this world and the amazing writing. No other series has characters like this, so human, so fallible, so disgusting. First Law is amazing.
I only recently started reading the (first of the) first law trilogy and, even though it took a while for the story (etc) to get into gear, I'm loving it. I've had bad reading slumps for years - on and off again and easily distracted from books - so I decided to buy the trilogy kindle version and have been reading it every day. WOW. Nothing like a change of medium to get the reading juices flowing.🤣 My point is: I'm about halfway through the trilogy and (surprisingly) the story/characters have scarcely left my mind since I started. This video was a great watch. Thank-you.❤
Daniel, it's been really fun to see the evolution of your presenting style and this channel overall. Keep up the good work. On a more related note, I just started Red Country last week and I really enjoyed The Heroes before it. Your video has made me even more excited to continue this series of books. Thanks!
I would love to see a spoiler take as a follow up. You’re clearly very passionate about these books you talk about and I would be interested in seeing your take on it.
Jeez...I am just about done with Red County and cannot wait to get started with the final trilogy. Your quick review of it made me even more excite to get started with it. I am also pretty sad that I am getting to the end of The First Law in general. It has been an incredible read so far, the characters are amazing. The specific details he chooses to describe make it so easy to envision that I feel like I could recognize the characters in a crowd of people. They are so memorable and easy to root for. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for adding the lore info - it makes me way more excited to check the series out! Also, thanks for adding page count and not just word count for each book - I have no sense of word count when I read so page count really helps give me a sense of the size of the books.
My favorite of the standalones was actually Red Country. It's cool seeing a story about living out in the country like a western with no guns. Towards the end it was hard for me to put the book down. The characters weren't all my favorite and some of the plot seemed a bit pointless, but I liked the setting and the setup.
I'd like to ditto the audiobook folks in that it'd be nice to see audiobook details too--narrator, listening time, and opinions of text v. audio for first read or returning reads. I'd also love to see a series timeline/chronological reading order, recommended reading order, especially for series with sidebooks and short stories. For series with Maps, getting a visual of where each book takes place would be kinda cool, if not too spoilery. Enjoying the series so far as it is though too!
I recently have been rereading all of the first law as I collect all the paper books and with every book I find myself loving Joe's work more and more. Just finished Best Served Cold and I am so excited to get to Age of Madness, and here's to his new series! As much as I love the world and characters of the First Law I am just so hype for a new project from him.
Currently my 2nd favorite series next to Wheel of Time. I just finished reading the spin-off books and my god they were incredible. They just have the most morally complex characters I’ve read. I really hope it gets adapted into a TV series.
The Wheel of Time was good. My first Fantasy was the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams in 1992. It’s more of a pure high fantasy than Abercrombies writings, much more like Jordan.
I just started reading The Blade Itself and am excited to see this breakdown! I was surprised how much I cared about the characters and how eager I was to follow what was going on, even if I usually don't enjoy political plots.
Love the First Law series and all of the add on books. He has great humor that helps really you like characters that are morally questionable. I am looking forward to reading the Mad series. Always enjoy your insight.
I want to tell you what I enjoy about these videos so you can focus on that when creating them. But the truth is, I come for the enthusiasm so… keep up the good work!!!
I like the addition of lore in this series. While you are on the subject of multiple trilogies set in the same world, I would like to request a Realm of the Elderlings breakdown.
Thanks for introducing me to this series a few months back. I'm all the way on the final book and am excited to see how it goes. It's a little sad that the story may be over for good once I'm done this though
I only read The First Law for the first time just a few months ago. I decided that I had to give it a go after seeing your video explaining why it's a must read and now they are some of my favourite books I've ever read. So far, I've only read the original FL trilogy (with Before They Are Hanged being my personal favourite), but I definitely plan to get into more of Abercrombie's works. I adore his writing style and I love the characters so much.
I'm working my way through the audio books now and I'm thoroughly enjoy them! I'm just about to start Red Country and am excited to get into the Age of Madness soon! First Law has become one of my favorite series, it's an absolute master class in character development!
I was decidedly not a fantasy reader before I found Daniel's channel. First Law was one of the series he'd discussed that convinced me to give it a try (and the fact he shared my dislike of Terry Goodkind's "work" which, had through friends, been held up to me as a fantasy standard) and I was pleasantly surprised. Happy he revisited this because I now know there are more books to read in the series!
You had asked for what we would like to see in these breakdowns. The biggest thing I struggle with is "what books make up an arc", so if you review a multi book series, if its a trilogy and concludes or at least closes an arc, that would be great insight. I wish the various sites did a better job with saying "this book concludes...". Thanks!
I am currently on last argument of kings. I like how war is going in the north,was going in gurkish empire, how they fight. Glokta's narrative is my favorite.
This is a wonderful format! I'm looking forward to getting into Joe Abercrombie. I just need to get through Les Miserables and The Farseer trilogy...and maybe the first three Malazan books, though I may want to read some more before I start Malazan.
Abercrombie is fascinating in watching how he's evolved and improved as a writer, all while staying true to the central core of his work. He was never bad but he's been getting better consistently and I love tracing that through his work. Best Served Cold was where he began to approach the subject of gender more consciously and improved his work on female characters a lot, so by the time you get to Age of Madness, you have 50% female POVs and they're all wonderfully varied and interesting. Shattered Sea is pretty good too and to me it feels like that series taught him how to edit his work down to make it as lean as possible. He's never been what I'd call "slow paced" but Age of Madness really trimmed away any fat and you can see that tendency develop in the shattered sea books
Thank you for introducing more to First Law. You recommended The Blade Itself on one of your Twitch streams and I devoured the 9 books. Hearing that you also don't like westerns further cements that my tastes line up with yours very closely.
I’m currently reading through The First Law (before The Song of Ice and Fire, funny enough) and have been enjoying it so far. What I like about the books is how accessible they are. They don’t have ridiculous length and, while it is a cycle, the story is told in parts so people won’t get exhausted reading one continuous long story. I honestly think that Abercrombie would be a better starting author for people interested in fantasy than, say, Sanderson (of course, if you are not turned off by violence and lack of fantastical elements for most of the series). The lack of convoluted magic systems, better character work and worldbuilding. Sure, the fights aren’t as creative, but I think Abercrombie intended for action scenes to be more realistic and off-putting with their violence. Which is another good thing about The First Law: characters don’t feel like action stars. They are vulnerable, they make mistakes, they feel like they can die at any moment. Also, 7:44, is this like a rule everyone has to mention Tolkien every time they talk about fantasy? People had been writing short stories long before him, including fantasy.
@@neutral_narr I was talking about how bringing up Tolkien in this context feels very unnecessary. You don't need to bring him up every time you talk about fantasy. Also, i don't really see how Tolkien "perfected" fantasy for the modern age, considering some clearly outdated conservative views in his works.
@diehard7517 he absolutely did look at fantasy before him, and after, and his impact is clear. Also, we aren't talking about his views here, just him as an author. So keep that in mind.
@@neutral_narr My problem wasn’t that he didn’t talk about fantasy before or after Tolkien but that he keeps mentioning him even when there’s no reason for it. Do you have a reading problem? You can’t separate Tolkien’s qualities as an author and his views, considering how much they influenced his work and the big role they play in his stories.
@@diehard7517 Yes, I can separate them; if you can't, it's your fault. If you want to hold it against him, remember that we will all be considered as conservatives in the long run. His religious beliefs undoubtedly played a part, but bear in mind that this is a fairy tale, not a metaphor of the actual world.
Best Abercrombie series review on RUclips hands-down. Dammit Daniel, you just so GOOD at this! Loved how you were able to dodge character-specific things since, y'know, people die a lot lol. And I figure anyone looking for book-specific stuff will find you individual reviews where you do mention these tidbits.
I want to say that this is the best breakdown yet. I think you've really figured out the formula. Keep it up and I'm looking forward to the next series breakdown. One critique is my OCD going crazy with you using book covers from different publishers. I like it when you show covers from multiple publishers (like Gollancz and Orbit in this case). Sometimes it's nice to see the differences in cover art and style.
I think you should have mentioned the humor in the series. It's one of the most defining features in my opinion, and also one of the darkest. Reading about terrible people who each look down upon everybody else is an itch I didn't know I had until First Law. These books are legitimately funny, if you share Abercrombie's sense of humor.
Definitely read Sharp Ends! It’s more than just a collection of short stories. There’s actually a through line featuring new characters that is highly enjoyable.
CORRECTION! The trilogy announced from Abercrombie won’t be a First Law trilogy. That was my bad. New series which I’m really excited for will be called The Devils.
As if there were not enough devils already in first law xD
after finishing all the current Abercrombie books and I need more. First Law or otherwise.
I believe he's taking a break from First Law for the trilogy, but also said he'll return to First Law afterwards.
Hey everybody, please dont fall for the "Telegram me, i swear im the real Daniel Greene" scam posts.
FYI you got those telegram Spam scam people in chat
Finally got my wife to start The Blade Itself. She’s disabled and uses a cane or walker to get around, and shortly after she gets to Glokta I hear her yell “YES!! F’ING STAIRS!!” 😂 Hooked her early
Man makes little finger look like a sweetheart 😂 I've gotten the audio version loving it so far
LOL
@bryden72 Steven Pacey is such a talented voice actor. Unmatched in my opinion.
To me, Glotka was far and away the best character.
It's Glokta, not Glotka guys.
Blade Itself has THE most tragic loss in the series.
RIP cookpot
They'd been through a lot together. Him and that pot.
For anyone looking to get into these books I HIGHLY recommend the audiobooks narrated by Steven Pacey. His character voices are fantastic and he nails both the intensity and humor. Definitely my favorite audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. (I used Libby to rent them for free from my local library)
yes, absolutely a gem. freaking frost mumbling his lines had me rolling.
I co-sign everything said here! These a some of the only audiobooks I have listened to more than once.
I was listening to them right before this video 😂 I'm just getting into before they were hanged and I'm loving it!
@@elijahwilensky3318 I rather go back to the mud. them canals in Adua got to be really dirty.
He's sooooooooooo good! honestly i don't think I've ever enjoyed a narrator as much as Pacey!
I accidentally read the Age of Madness Trilogy before The First Law. It was quite interesting to get the info the other way around, to have heard characters referencing past events and glorifying old heros in tales and then going back and getting the first hand accounts of those people and stories. Unlike when a prequel is written, and the past was based off of vague comments and generic statements having people talk about past events that were already fully fleshed out was interesting. Both trilogies are amazing and I recommend you give them a go!
It's like the Song of Ice and Fire experience.
Don't feel bad, I know someone who watched return of the king before the two towers. It happens to the best of us.
that sounds amazing. every one is always talking how the times were better before and how heroic people were and then you get a first hand account of how it really went down and more often than not the dogman needed to relieve himself at that moment.
Gonna do this on my next reading.
I did the same thing and honestly I would recommend doing the same to people who have never read the series.
Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers. Say he's one of the best fantasy characters ever created. -- Logen Ninfingers could have kept the Fellowship together with his bare hands.
First Law is a series that will forever be close to my heart. While I hate the "everyone is grey" arcs, Joe does it such justice that I still desire more character in my life. Glokta that crooked bastard is like crack to my feeble reader mind, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks for the amazing breakdown Daniel! All hail the Disheveled Goblin Lord!
It truly is my happy place, which is odd as it's such a miserable world. But I love it all the same.
*body found floating by the docks...*
imho Glokta is one of the best anti-hero characters, period. SO fantastically written, so complex, and so twisted, yet WE STILL ROOT FOR HIM, SOMEHOW.
Literally my favorite youtuber, everytime a Daniel Greene video pops up my cellphone I know that I HAVE to listen to it immediately
Reading this series now!!! Just finished The Blade Itself and man.. what an awesome ride!!
Read it this year. It's brilliant
Almost finished his 1st book thanks to your videos. Sooo glad there's a bunch more to read and that Joe's young enough that many more will be out in the future
The Audible version of these books are absolutely amazing. Also the best example of character development I have ever seen.
Is it in audible?
Because I remember searching for the first law a months ago and couldn't find them.
Agreed. Steven Pacey's narration is the absolute best I've heard out of the hundreds of books I've listened to on audible. I have no clue how he manages to have a unique voice for each character and maintains it throughout the series. I've listened to this series 3 or 4 times now and it never gets old!
@@a_ellingson55 I can still hear Ferro calling people stupid pink.
@@Kaospyri Hahaha yes! 😆
@@Kaospyri Yeah, I started calling people that as well in her voice. :)
He also wrote a short story in the Rogues anthology ;)
Also, an important note re publication time: in an interview, Joe has stated that all 3 books were finished before the first was published and released :)
I am forever grateful for Abercrombie because he got me back into fantasy after years of lulls. It got me back into my favourite niche! Also, I watched the interview here with Daniel as my first video on this channel and have been watching ever since.
This was one of the best reviews I’ve ever seen. I love First Law
I love this series. Moved on to age of madness this week. Also very good
That scene with Logan and the 1st in the forest running and fighting was so awesome. I really think his combat writing is surreal, it feels actually heavy like when people are getting stabed their whole body is going to jolt back with the impact.
Abercrombie’s writing of Logen’s character is amazing. The scene where *SPOILERS* he becomes the Bloody Nine at the end of The Blade Itself is one of the most jaw-dropping moments I’ve ever read.
This series was my favorite thing I've ever read. Can't recommend it enough
I have said this before and I'll say it again: I love books and I have read a lot of them and of all the characters met, Logen Ninefingers remains my absolute favourite. Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, say he is the G.O.A.T.
Bloody-Nine is still my favorite character from any fantasy series.
Agreed! I listen to those parts of the books over & over! 😂😂
Say one thing for Logen Ninefingers. Say he's loved.
“You’ve got to be realistic.”
I would love such a breakdown for Dresden Files or Discworld. I know this would be a nightmare for you, seeing the sheer amount of entries in these two series. Also, Discworld is just Discworld, with multiple entry points and multiple overlapping but semi-independent series going on. But, I think this is also why breakdown videos on these two series are needed and would be so valuable.
PS Merphy just started Vinland. Seeing that Vinland won your poll too (I voted for it too), watching you two cover the same series at the same time would be fun.
As someone who's interested in both Discworld and Dresden Files (but hasn't yet dared to touch either lol), I'd love to see that as well!
Agreed about dresden and discworld, dont care about more manga content
@@reaper2r I, myself, watch only anime. Mangas are way too expensive here in India. And since I have seen and loved the first season on Vinland Saga, Daniel can make videos on that as long as he wants. Chainsaw Man, on the other hand, is getting an adaptation just now.
@@the_Nameless_One99 you could read them on your phone
Honestly, I can’t imagine starting The Age of Madness trilogy without reading the so called “standalones”. Half the characters mentioned I’d be like, I’m sorry who?
After reading Malazan, I don’t mind having to piece things together like that. Haha
*Laughs in great heists*
@@DanielGreeneReviews The insane whiplash of Shivers between the trilogies would be hilarious.
@@vanzzx10 Shivers before monza and shivers after monza are quite different people.
I love that you included lore in this one. I'd be really interested to see either a rerelease or a companion video to the Malazan breakdown that includes some of the lore primer because I was really lost on that one.
Absolutely loved the First Law series. Best Served Cold might also be my favorite with plot, characters and arcs all coming together beautifully.
If you haven't read Sharp Ends, I recommend it highly - if for nothing else than for the first and the last chapter/story. There's nothing like spending time with that beautiful bastard.
As an audiobook lover, I'd like to see the "listening time" along with pages and words
Love the lore addition
Not even a hundred pages in Before They Are Hanged, but I am in love with these characters and setting so far and wish I had more time to binge this series!! Can’t wait to get deeper into the world
The *Evil Gandalf* trope was nailed beautifully in Last Argument of Kings.
As Abercrombie put it "What if Gandalf decided to use the One Ring."
I didn't even know that was a trope
I just picked these up on audible because I saw a video you did ranking your favorites. Thanks for not spoiling it.. I still have one and a half WoT books to go before I start but I'm excited to get into a new world after being in WoT so long.
I have a love/hate relationship with how the first trilogy ended but one thing that can’t be understated his the characters…truly a chefs kiss
A few years back, when I was looking to get into adult fantasy I Google best adult fantasy series and picked first law because it had an easy name to remember. I searched first law book reviews and guess which goblins Why you should read video came up? Half way through the video I paused and bought the trilogy on Amazon. Now reading fantasy is my biggest hobby. Thanks Daniel.
I really like the series. I like when you talk about the real world reception to the series.
My absolute favorite Fantasy series… EVER!!
hearing it described as "quentin tarantino violence" instantly made me hope he would do a tv series for first law.
Great video! The First Law is a definite read for fans of the grimdark genre! No one writes humour and characters like Abercrombie!
I have been fortunate to meet Abercrombie twice, and he is also really funny in real life! 😅
You are the luckiest bookworm, Johan.
I'd also it's a good read for people who don't usually do grimdark. I've not enjoyed grimdark for years but gave the trilogy a go recently. It's absolutely fantastic.
I really love it when you add more lore details - I've been debating picking this series up for a while and this is so helpful
Great breakdown 👍🏼 below are few suggestions for future breakdown series -
1. Realms of Elderlings
2. The Faithful and the Fallen
3. Middle-Earth
4. Cosmere
Just ordered the first trilogy and am excited to get started!
The comedy in the first law absolute GOLD!! Its so funny man, its just my kinda humour!
I finished the trilogy a couple days ago. It was my first full read in a couple of years, and man it was so great! I ordered the first book in Red Rising and will be trying that out next. Love the videos! You got me back into reading.
I just finished Red Rising Trilogy and now I’m doing first Law Trilogy. LOL. You are going to LOVE Red Rising.
@@chubbuck35 Well, you are going to LOVE First Law lol!
You get me to read the First law trilogy and it’s so far one of my favorite trilogy
Easily the best fantasy I've ever read. From the moment I started the first book I fell in love with this world and the amazing writing. No other series has characters like this, so human, so fallible, so disgusting. First Law is amazing.
I just started this series after finishing my Wheel of Time read-along. So glad I started it.
Perfect timing with this video as I'm reading The Trouble with Peace right now. I agree these books just get better and better.
I only recently started reading the (first of the) first law trilogy and, even though it took a while for the story (etc) to get into gear, I'm loving it. I've had bad reading slumps for years - on and off again and easily distracted from books - so I decided to buy the trilogy kindle version and have been reading it every day. WOW. Nothing like a change of medium to get the reading juices flowing.🤣
My point is: I'm about halfway through the trilogy and (surprisingly) the story/characters have scarcely left my mind since I started. This video was a great watch. Thank-you.❤
Same here, I just finished part 1 of BTAH last night and the series and am loving it
Daniel, it's been really fun to see the evolution of your presenting style and this channel overall. Keep up the good work.
On a more related note, I just started Red Country last week and I really enjoyed The Heroes before it. Your video has made me even more excited to continue this series of books. Thanks!
I just finished Wisdom of Crowds a couple days ago and I NEED Daniel to do a spoiler talk!!!
"The blade itself" should be arriving in a couple of days, It's a highly anticipated read for me!
You are blessed to read it all for the first time. It is sooo good! Have fun
My friend, strap in! I just finished the second book (Before They Are Hanged) and I am having the BEST time with it. You are in for a ride my friend!
I would strongly, strongly recommend the audiobook
@@faesalkashmiri7021 I'll probably do a mix of both
I found keeping The Lord of the Rings in mind made it even more enjoyable. I hope you like it!
I would love to see a spoiler take as a follow up. You’re clearly very passionate about these books you talk about and I would be interested in seeing your take on it.
Your short videos are great, fun sketch comedy is always good content.
I've been tearing through all the First Law books the last month. They are all magnificent, each in its own way.
Jeez...I am just about done with Red County and cannot wait to get started with the final trilogy. Your quick review of it made me even more excite to get started with it. I am also pretty sad that I am getting to the end of The First Law in general. It has been an incredible read so far, the characters are amazing. The specific details he chooses to describe make it so easy to envision that I feel like I could recognize the characters in a crowd of people. They are so memorable and easy to root for. Thanks for the video!
The audiobooks are amazing as well!
Thank you for adding the lore info - it makes me way more excited to check the series out! Also, thanks for adding page count and not just word count for each book - I have no sense of word count when I read so page count really helps give me a sense of the size of the books.
Currently reading the heroes and I’ve been absolutely loving the first law. Probably one of my favorite series of all time.
Whelp, guess it's time for a fresh run through of the First Law universe. I've read them all, and most of them twice, but I love this world.
My favorite of the standalones was actually Red Country. It's cool seeing a story about living out in the country like a western with no guns. Towards the end it was hard for me to put the book down. The characters weren't all my favorite and some of the plot seemed a bit pointless, but I liked the setting and the setup.
I agree! It’s my favorite Abercrombie overall. When I realized who a certain character was (not that it was hard to put together) I literally shouted.
Poor Golden Glama...
@@jonbaxter2254 "he finally knew the old man's name...And he knew this would be his last fight indeed"
@@maxbaugh9372 Such a fantastic reveal though, and only possible through books. Wouldn't work with a tv show or something
‘Baaaaaaa’
I love this series even though I've read all these books. Mustache looking good brother, keep it going!
"So that eerie things can be said about it..." was extremely eerie.
My favourite author and series. Rereading all his books as we speak.
Daniel was dripped out today. Fire shirt, chest out, got the new tats out, and the mustache coming in, sir I respect it 🫡
I'd like to ditto the audiobook folks in that it'd be nice to see audiobook details too--narrator, listening time, and opinions of text v. audio for first read or returning reads.
I'd also love to see a series timeline/chronological reading order, recommended reading order, especially for series with sidebooks and short stories.
For series with Maps, getting a visual of where each book takes place would be kinda cool, if not too spoilery.
Enjoying the series so far as it is though too!
Just the other day I was thinking about reading this series! This video came just in time, Daniel. Thanks!
Sharp Ends is an excellent collection of short stories and tidbits, I really enjoyed it, hope you give it a go!
Great video! I love that you managed to not spoil anything, so now that you've made me wanna move this up on my TBR, I can enjoy it without spoilers
Joe Abercrombie just wanted to write an evil Dumbledore that we love to hate
Abercrombie described chronic pain so well. I was like, yes! Exactly, this. This is chronic pain.
I recently have been rereading all of the first law as I collect all the paper books and with every book I find myself loving Joe's work more and more. Just finished Best Served Cold and I am so excited to get to Age of Madness, and here's to his new series! As much as I love the world and characters of the First Law I am just so hype for a new project from him.
Bro I love seeing the word count and also the year of publishing.... other than that you are just awesome.. Love your videos
Currently my 2nd favorite series next to Wheel of Time. I just finished reading the spin-off books and my god they were incredible. They just have the most morally complex characters I’ve read. I really hope it gets adapted into a TV series.
The Wheel of Time was good. My first Fantasy was the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams in 1992. It’s more of a pure high fantasy than Abercrombies writings, much more like Jordan.
@@noahjwhite Yeah, I love Memory Sorrow and Thorn. It's in my top 5 series. It had probably my favorite ending to a series.
Apparently they are making a "best served cold" movie
I just started reading The Blade Itself and am excited to see this breakdown! I was surprised how much I cared about the characters and how eager I was to follow what was going on, even if I usually don't enjoy political plots.
This series was really smart idea, Im half way though before they are hanged and you made me much more exited about finishing the whole series. 📚🗡
Just starting my journey on this series. Currently reading The Blade Itself and loving it.
Love the First Law series and all of the add on books. He has great humor that helps really you like characters that are morally questionable. I am looking forward to reading the Mad series. Always enjoy your insight.
I want to tell you what I enjoy about these videos so you can focus on that when creating them. But the truth is, I come for the enthusiasm so… keep up the good work!!!
I like the addition of lore in this series.
While you are on the subject of multiple trilogies set in the same world, I would like to request a Realm of the Elderlings breakdown.
I have all 9 in my audible. Read the first 3 and enjoyed them. The narrator is excellent. Took a small break but will be returning to finish them.
Thanks for introducing me to this series a few months back. I'm all the way on the final book and am excited to see how it goes. It's a little sad that the story may be over for good once I'm done this though
The best series ever ....Love love love 😍😍😍
I only read The First Law for the first time just a few months ago. I decided that I had to give it a go after seeing your video explaining why it's a must read and now they are some of my favourite books I've ever read. So far, I've only read the original FL trilogy (with Before They Are Hanged being my personal favourite), but I definitely plan to get into more of Abercrombie's works. I adore his writing style and I love the characters so much.
I'm working my way through the audio books now and I'm thoroughly enjoy them! I'm just about to start Red Country and am excited to get into the Age of Madness soon! First Law has become one of my favorite series, it's an absolute master class in character development!
1st law series is terrific
I literally just finished "Last Argument of Kings" yesterday. What awesome timing!
I was decidedly not a fantasy reader before I found Daniel's channel. First Law was one of the series he'd discussed that convinced me to give it a try (and the fact he shared my dislike of Terry Goodkind's "work" which, had through friends, been held up to me as a fantasy standard) and I was pleasantly surprised. Happy he revisited this because I now know there are more books to read in the series!
You had asked for what we would like to see in these breakdowns. The biggest thing I struggle with is "what books make up an arc", so if you review a multi book series, if its a trilogy and concludes or at least closes an arc, that would be great insight. I wish the various sites did a better job with saying "this book concludes...". Thanks!
I am currently on last argument of kings.
I like how war is going in the north,was going in gurkish empire, how they fight.
Glokta's narrative is my favorite.
This is a wonderful format! I'm looking forward to getting into Joe Abercrombie. I just need to get through Les Miserables and The Farseer trilogy...and maybe the first three Malazan books, though I may want to read some more before I start Malazan.
Abercrombie is fascinating in watching how he's evolved and improved as a writer, all while staying true to the central core of his work. He was never bad but he's been getting better consistently and I love tracing that through his work. Best Served Cold was where he began to approach the subject of gender more consciously and improved his work on female characters a lot, so by the time you get to Age of Madness, you have 50% female POVs and they're all wonderfully varied and interesting.
Shattered Sea is pretty good too and to me it feels like that series taught him how to edit his work down to make it as lean as possible. He's never been what I'd call "slow paced" but Age of Madness really trimmed away any fat and you can see that tendency develop in the shattered sea books
Thank you for introducing more to First Law. You recommended The Blade Itself on one of your Twitch streams and I devoured the 9 books. Hearing that you also don't like westerns further cements that my tastes line up with yours very closely.
Cant wait to see you upload a 2 hour breakdown video on middle earth
I’m currently reading through The First Law (before The Song of Ice and Fire, funny enough) and have been enjoying it so far. What I like about the books is how accessible they are. They don’t have ridiculous length and, while it is a cycle, the story is told in parts so people won’t get exhausted reading one continuous long story. I honestly think that Abercrombie would be a better starting author for people interested in fantasy than, say, Sanderson (of course, if you are not turned off by violence and lack of fantastical elements for most of the series). The lack of convoluted magic systems, better character work and worldbuilding. Sure, the fights aren’t as creative, but I think Abercrombie intended for action scenes to be more realistic and off-putting with their violence. Which is another good thing about The First Law: characters don’t feel like action stars. They are vulnerable, they make mistakes, they feel like they can die at any moment.
Also, 7:44, is this like a rule everyone has to mention Tolkien every time they talk about fantasy? People had been writing short stories long before him, including fantasy.
But Tolkien perfected fantasy for the modern age.
@@neutral_narr I was talking about how bringing up Tolkien in this context feels very unnecessary. You don't need to bring him up every time you talk about fantasy.
Also, i don't really see how Tolkien "perfected" fantasy for the modern age, considering some clearly outdated conservative views in his works.
@diehard7517 he absolutely did look at fantasy before him, and after, and his impact is clear. Also, we aren't talking about his views here, just him as an author. So keep that in mind.
@@neutral_narr My problem wasn’t that he didn’t talk about fantasy before or after Tolkien but that he keeps mentioning him even when there’s no reason for it. Do you have a reading problem?
You can’t separate Tolkien’s qualities as an author and his views, considering how much they influenced his work and the big role they play in his stories.
@@diehard7517 Yes, I can separate them; if you can't, it's your fault. If you want to hold it against him, remember that we will all be considered as conservatives in the long run. His religious beliefs undoubtedly played a part, but bear in mind that this is a fairy tale, not a metaphor of the actual world.
God I LOVE these books. My favourite fantasy series.
Great series
After like 3 minutes, my brain forgot that Daniel was holding a saber and I just saw it as an umbrella.
Best Abercrombie series review on RUclips hands-down. Dammit Daniel, you just so GOOD at this!
Loved how you were able to dodge character-specific things since, y'know, people die a lot lol. And I figure anyone looking for book-specific stuff will find you individual reviews where you do mention these tidbits.
I want to say that this is the best breakdown yet. I think you've really figured out the formula. Keep it up and I'm looking forward to the next series breakdown. One critique is my OCD going crazy with you using book covers from different publishers. I like it when you show covers from multiple publishers (like Gollancz and Orbit in this case). Sometimes it's nice to see the differences in cover art and style.
I think you should have mentioned the humor in the series. It's one of the most defining features in my opinion, and also one of the darkest. Reading about terrible people who each look down upon everybody else is an itch I didn't know I had until First Law. These books are legitimately funny, if you share Abercrombie's sense of humor.
The short stories are well worth your time in my opinion
Definitely read Sharp Ends! It’s more than just a collection of short stories. There’s actually a through line featuring new characters that is highly enjoyable.
Much agreed! Don't skip Sharp Ends.
Really enjoy this series! Please continue it!
Oh fun, I just started reading The Blade Itself a few days ago!
Really like this format, keep up with these !
Digging the Stache Daniel. Looking good my friend
The breakdown series are really good. Keep doing them, Daniel!!