Abercrombie has been one of my most surprising recent discoveries. Everything pointed to First Law being a typical Sword and Sorcery novel, with all the issues and shallow characterisation that usually implies. But honestly it's the absolute standard in how to write character-driven fantasy in my opinion. Glokta is now an example I use when discussing how to create nuanced characters. Also one of the few good examples of physically disabled characters in fantasy that aren't just used as shock porn, which is a sad observation to make.
Beautifully said! I completely agree with you about The First Law books being exemplary character-driven fantasy, and you also hit the bullseye in regard to Glokta. He’s one of my favorite characters in fantasy - complex, deeply flawed, and somehow amazingly sympathetic. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Mike's Book Reviews Though I disagree since I know I could learn a lot from you, that’s the nicest compliment you could give me. I think you already know I’m a big fan of your channel, but I surely appreciate the kind words. I’ll keep at it! PS - I just bought my first John Gwynne book!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I love the "no nonsense" approach both of us seem to take. It's probably what keeps me from having a mega huge audience, but I still want it to be about the books and not antics. We have a niche and they are out there.
Mike's Book Reviews I absolutely agree. However, your audience is growing at a good clip, and you’ve earned every subscriber too. It’s fantastic to see your thoughtful approach and the obvious work you invest in your videos pay off. On another note, let me just say how awesome it is to interact with someone who cares about fantasy with the same passion I have. Very gratifying!
Just finished the original trilogy yesterday and that last book was so goddamn amazing. The entire book wrapped up everything and was heart wrenching. I can’t believe that ending. Might be my new favourite series; I’m a HUGE Abercrombie and first law. Just started Best Served Cold yesterday (audiobook) and am committed to being caught up to The Trouble with Peace. Great review!
Cap-tavating I feel the same way about Abercrombie’s First Law books. If anything, I feel like the three standalones are overall even better than the original trilogy, especially Best Served Cold and The Heroes. And I’m delighted with A Little Hatred as the start to this latest trilogy. Abercrombie is firmly in my top ten favorite fantasy writers.
tbone6924 Sounds like a definite winner! As I say in the video, I’d recommend starting with The Blade Itself, book one of The First Law Trilogy. Some people complain about the plot in that book since it seems to focus more on character development, but the plot comes into focus in book two, Before They Are Hanged.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Awesome, I will do that...and I am fine with an abundance of character development...who cares about even a great plot if you feel no connection to the characters.
I'm reading this right now and I absolutely love Abercombie's writing. He's perhaps the best writer in the field working today. There is something about his "authorial voice" that is so good, so immersive. Although I am still not sure about the definition of authorial voice.
This video made me find your channel and I just subscribed. I like how you give a deep dive into the themes and contents of the book in a thoughtful way without spoilers. This is mostly lacking on RUclips. I just started A Little Hatred and I love getting hyped for a book by checking out some videos on it. Cheers.
Matt S Thanks very much! I’m glad you enjoyed the review. It’s a bit tricky to avoid spoilers while saying something important or detailed about a book, so I truly appreciate the kind words. It’s a good time to start A Little Hatred since The Trouble with Peace will be out soon. Happy reading!
Dean Ryan Martin I definitely agree with your rating! Abercrombie is one of the best out there at creating vivid characters. With his humor and dialogue, he also a distinct writing voice that I really enjoy. And the plot moves at an amazing clip, especially during those trademark action scenes with multiple perspective shifts. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Ah!!! I loved this book so much. I almost worried it was overhyped cause so many peeps say it’s better than the original trilogy. And idk if I’d quite go that far but… it’s SUPER close The new characters are absolutely as compelling as the old. Abercrombie astounds with this, absolutely incredible feat to come up with TWO sets of characters this good in the same world The plot was riveting and SURPRISING - holy cow that ending!! I’m so invested in these characters (even the romance, and I’ve already paid for that in pain!! Thanks Joe!!!) - moving swiftly on to The Trouble With Peace!!
Max-Gen21 Howard 100% agreed! In addition to being simultaneously grim and funny (not easy to pull off), The First Law books also contain some surprising depth. It’s great to hear from you!
I totally agree! I’d say Abercrombie is even getting better with this latest trilogy, but let’s see how The Trouble with Peace is in a month or so. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice review, I can see that you’re becoming more and more confident with this whole RUclips thing. Practice makes perfect I suppose. Abercrombie is high on my list of authors to check out
The Serpent Yes, this old dog is learning some new tricks! Making videos is hard, and I have a lot of respect for people who give it a go. It’s also fun, especially the sense of community that can develop over shared interests. Abercrombie is most definitely one of my favorites. Thanks, as always, for watching and commenting!
Wow, high praise indeed! Not too surprised, though. I have read all of Abercombie's works with the exception of this and his YA stuff. Really looking forward to reading it now! Sounds really, really interesting. Nice job with the review. And glad you have power again. Enjoy that sweet, sweet electric juice. :-)
Robert Hall Thanks! If you like Abercrombie’s previous work, my guess is you’ll love A Little Hatred. Yes, it was quite nice to have electricity after not having it for five days, though I’ve lived without it before. Still, a good reminder of how spoiled I am to have it. Great to hear from you!
Finished it last night, ate up the last two hundred pages. Love how the world has evolved (and devolved) and I love this new cast as much as the old. In some cases the apple didn't fall far from the tree
So true! It’s fun to see how the next generation comes from the previous one, and yet each personality is rich and complex. I’m confident you’ll love The Trouble With Peace!
Great review, glad you loved it! Wholly agree with your suggestion new readers start with the First Law though. I think both the world and the characters lose some layers of meaning should they start with Little Hatred. Also agree that this book shows a lot of improvement in Abercrombie when it comes to opening a trilogy - and just writing a story overall. The pacing, the plot, the setting, all just wonderfully done. Having said that, Little Hatred didn't make me fall in love with it _quite_ as much as Blade Itself - probably just because Abercrombie was completely new on the scene at the time, and I've come to expect greatness from him now. Still, it's a great book, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment 🤓 By the way, have I recommended KJ Parker already? Another great author for people who like to dive into what makes humans tick - The Engineer trilogy, or Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City are ones I always try to start people on. 😉
Rob Paul Thank you! Yes, one of my favorite aspects of A Little Hatred was encountering some familiar characters from First Law and the standalones. KJ Parker rings a bell, but I hadn’t written down the name yet, so I’m not certain you’ve mentioned it before. It’s officially been added to my exploding list of authors to check out. Thanks for watching and commenting - always good to hear from you!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy FYI Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt. Under his own name he writes absurdist fantasy in a modern setting, comparable to Christopher Moore or even Pratchett. I love those as well. As KJ Parker his books have a much more serious bend.
Another great video Philip. I just finished this, so I am just getting to your review of it. This book is weird for me. His general writing skill is better, his character work is top notch as always, the plot is more balanced throughout the story. And yet I found myself not thinking it was as good of a book as his best in the series, haha. I felt like Savine had all the "do things at all cost" mentality but didn't have his fun inner monologue of Sand Dan Glokta to balance it out. She did get better as the book went on and she got humbled a little bit. Not sure if i like Leo that much or him and his mother as an entertaining duo sniping back and forth at one another. Overall it's a very good book but it felt like it missed a little bit of that "can't put your finger on" type charisma of the first book, character wise at least. For another author this would be a top book, for lord grimdark i felt like it was prolly my 3rd or 4th favorite of the 7 main story line novels i have read. Can't wait to finish the AOM trilogy and watch your reviews. Cheers!
Sounds like you enjoyed A Little Hatred overall, but I’ve heard many First Law fans express similar reservations. A big part of it for many, I think, is that they miss the characters in the original trilogy and the strong connections they formed with those characters. There’s a lot of starting over in Age of Madness in that sense, and so the bond with these new characters can feel weaker. At least that’s one possible explanation I’ve thought about. Anyway, best wishes for The Trouble with Peace, Clayton!
I think the characters are the best part of Abercrombie’s very much character driven writing. Even when they’re terrible people, they’re fascinating and somehow relatable. Great to hear from you!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy It´s always good to see your vids and thoughts on books. If you like A Little Hatred, there is this anime called Fate Zero in Netflix you might like. The author has represented certain ideas with the characters and there is this particular segment that presents a "cure" for nihilism that reminds me of how the theme of "struggle" runs through The First Law series. You might like it if anime is an interest.
Abercrombie renewed my interest in the genre a few years ago when The First Law series was suggested to me by my girlfriend's aunt. (She just called the series "Barbarians") It's basically 'revisionist fantasy' subverting the usual tropes of characters. It also leaves you feeling empty as hell by the end, haha, but oh well. Pumped for the second book this fall.
Nick Wurthmann Ha ha - Barbarians! I like that. There’s a good amount of subversion going on in The First Law books, and it’s cleverly done. It is grim too, no doubt, but vivid at the same time. It’s great to hear your take, as always!
As always thank you very much for excellent and thoughtful reviews. I was wondering, have you read the "Shattered Sea" books? Which I believe is another trilogy by Abercrombie but set in a different world from the First law and subsequent books. If so, let me know, I'd be very much interested!
I haven’t yet read Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea books. I love his First Law books, so I imagine I’ll read Shattered Sea someday. Sorry I couldn’t help you with them, but thanks for watching this one!
I plan to eventually reread the three standalones and review them, though I’m not sure when. I especially love Best Served Cold and The Heroes. Red Country might be my least favorite First Law book, but it’s still Abercrombie, so it’s great! I hope you’ll love Last Argument of Kings!
This is a really great review. New subscriber! I really want to read First Law. Does Abercrombie have any Dickensian characters like Fagin from Oliver??
The Library of Allenxandria Thank you! There’s a character a lot like Fagin in Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora, but I can’t think of anyone quite like that in Abercrombie’s books. I should clarify that the only Abercrombie book with this Dickensian flavor is A Little Hatred. The First Law Trilogy is more straightforward fantasy, while the three standalone books are each a different type of fusion. Thanks much for watching and subscribing - deeply appreciated!
The Library of Allenxandria My pleasure! I love The Gentleman Bastard Sequence (Locke Lamora) and the First Law books - both are in my top ten fantasy series.
I want to watch this but I'm afraid of spoilers- even minor ones, so I'm just gonna comment and say "Another job well done, I'm sure!" Haha. Keep reading and reviewing! Will be back in half a year or so to this video when I finally get to this one.
Danny Matson No worries! Just so you know, I’ve kept this especially spoiler free, but obviously there’s no obligation to watch. I didn’t even mention the names of the characters from the previous books who appear in A Little Hatred to avoid spoilers. Regardless, it’s always great to hear from you!
I remember reading part of Half a King a couple years ago and not really liking it. Dickensian fantasy sounds super cool, so maybe I need to give Abercrombie a second chance.
riddhima I haven’t read Abercrombie’s YA books (Half a King, etc.), but I love his adult fantasy. The First Law books are about as gritty as they come, and there’s plentiful violence, but it’s not glorified. In fact, “glorified” is about the last word I’d use in connection with them. Abercrombie’s characters are some of the most vivid and memorable I know. Thanks, as always, for watching and commenting!
I read his First Law stuff and loved it. Some of my favorite fictional characters of all time (including tv, movies, etc.) Started reading his YA stuff after, but after the first Half a King book I wasn't into it and never continued the series. The First Law stuff is very different from his YA stuff.
Simple Fitness That’s good to know. I’m a huge fan of his First Law books, but I may give his YA stuff a miss. There are just too many great books I need to get to, but any adult fantasy by Abercrombie I’m first in line for.
Abercrombie has been one of my most surprising recent discoveries. Everything pointed to First Law being a typical Sword and Sorcery novel, with all the issues and shallow characterisation that usually implies.
But honestly it's the absolute standard in how to write character-driven fantasy in my opinion. Glokta is now an example I use when discussing how to create nuanced characters. Also one of the few good examples of physically disabled characters in fantasy that aren't just used as shock porn, which is a sad observation to make.
Beautifully said! I completely agree with you about The First Law books being exemplary character-driven fantasy, and you also hit the bullseye in regard to Glokta. He’s one of my favorite characters in fantasy - complex, deeply flawed, and somehow amazingly sympathetic. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Your reviews blow mine away, my man. It's criminal you have this small of an audience. But keep hustling. You'll grow.
Mike's Book Reviews Though I disagree since I know I could learn a lot from you, that’s the nicest compliment you could give me. I think you already know I’m a big fan of your channel, but I surely appreciate the kind words. I’ll keep at it!
PS - I just bought my first John Gwynne book!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I love the "no nonsense" approach both of us seem to take. It's probably what keeps me from having a mega huge audience, but I still want it to be about the books and not antics. We have a niche and they are out there.
Mike's Book Reviews I absolutely agree. However, your audience is growing at a good clip, and you’ve earned every subscriber too. It’s fantastic to see your thoughtful approach and the obvious work you invest in your videos pay off. On another note, let me just say how awesome it is to interact with someone who cares about fantasy with the same passion I have. Very gratifying!
It's amazing that people like Joe are still finding new ways to tell Fantasy stories.
So true! The guy consistently puts out amazing and compelling stories.
Just finished the original trilogy yesterday and that last book was so goddamn amazing. The entire book wrapped up everything and was heart wrenching. I can’t believe that ending. Might be my new favourite series; I’m a HUGE Abercrombie and first law. Just started Best Served Cold yesterday (audiobook) and am committed to being caught up to The Trouble with Peace. Great review!
Cap-tavating I feel the same way about Abercrombie’s First Law books. If anything, I feel like the three standalones are overall even better than the original trilogy, especially Best Served Cold and The Heroes. And I’m delighted with A Little Hatred as the start to this latest trilogy. Abercrombie is firmly in my top ten favorite fantasy writers.
Sex: Check
Violence: Check
Action: Check
Humour: Check
I'm sold! Thanks for the review...Mr. Abercrombie will now be added to my TBR
tbone6924 Sounds like a definite winner! As I say in the video, I’d recommend starting with The Blade Itself, book one of The First Law Trilogy. Some people complain about the plot in that book since it seems to focus more on character development, but the plot comes into focus in book two, Before They Are Hanged.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Awesome, I will do that...and I am fine with an abundance of character development...who cares about even a great plot if you feel no connection to the characters.
@@tbone6924 Excellent point
Just want to shout out that your videos are excellent. Well formed and presented thoughts from someone who is deeply passionate. You love to see it.
Dylan Thanks much! Your encouragement means a lot to me, and I appreciate you watching and commenting.
I'm reading this right now and I absolutely love Abercombie's writing. He's perhaps the best writer in the field working today. There is something about his "authorial voice" that is so good, so immersive. Although I am still not sure about the definition of authorial voice.
Abercrombie has major talent, and I get the sense that he works hard at his craft because each book gets better. Definitely one of my favorites!
This video made me find your channel and I just subscribed. I like how you give a deep dive into the themes and contents of the book in a thoughtful way without spoilers. This is mostly lacking on RUclips. I just started A Little Hatred and I love getting hyped for a book by checking out some videos on it. Cheers.
Matt S Thanks very much! I’m glad you enjoyed the review. It’s a bit tricky to avoid spoilers while saying something important or detailed about a book, so I truly appreciate the kind words. It’s a good time to start A Little Hatred since The Trouble with Peace will be out soon. Happy reading!
I gave this book 5 stars on author's writing style, on character/s development and on plot. Just Abercrombie-MAZING!
Dean Ryan Martin I definitely agree with your rating! Abercrombie is one of the best out there at creating vivid characters. With his humor and dialogue, he also a distinct writing voice that I really enjoy. And the plot moves at an amazing clip, especially during those trademark action scenes with multiple perspective shifts. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy The plot flow is kind of slow to me but I am a character-driven reader. Love it that way.
Ah!!! I loved this book so much. I almost worried it was overhyped cause so many peeps say it’s better than the original trilogy. And idk if I’d quite go that far but… it’s SUPER close
The new characters are absolutely as compelling as the old. Abercrombie astounds with this, absolutely incredible feat to come up with TWO sets of characters this good in the same world
The plot was riveting and SURPRISING - holy cow that ending!!
I’m so invested in these characters (even the romance, and I’ve already paid for that in pain!! Thanks Joe!!!) - moving swiftly on to The Trouble With Peace!!
The trilogy gets even better, Chris - and more painful . . . Brace yourself!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy haha yeah I felt silly for having any optimism 😂 😂 😂 lesson learned hopefully!!
Loved it! Love all Abercrombie's stuff! Dark, funny and Grimm!
Max-Gen21 Howard 100% agreed! In addition to being simultaneously grim and funny (not easy to pull off), The First Law books also contain some surprising depth. It’s great to hear from you!
Always enjoy your reviews friend, long may it continue - motivates me to read hugely!
Thank you, Leigh! That’s a tremendous compliment about feeling motivated to read - you made my day!
Love Abercrombie! Read all of his „First Law“ Books. This one was awsome aswell.
I totally agree! I’d say Abercrombie is even getting better with this latest trilogy, but let’s see how The Trouble with Peace is in a month or so. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Philip Chase Thank you for the Review :) I can‘t wait to read The Trouble with Peace and to find out how the new characters evolve.
Nice review, I can see that you’re becoming more and more confident with this whole RUclips thing. Practice makes perfect I suppose. Abercrombie is high on my list of authors to check out
The Serpent Yes, this old dog is learning some new tricks! Making videos is hard, and I have a lot of respect for people who give it a go. It’s also fun, especially the sense of community that can develop over shared interests. Abercrombie is most definitely one of my favorites. Thanks, as always, for watching and commenting!
Wow, high praise indeed! Not too surprised, though. I have read all of Abercombie's works with the exception of this and his YA stuff. Really looking forward to reading it now! Sounds really, really interesting. Nice job with the review. And glad you have power again. Enjoy that sweet, sweet electric juice. :-)
Robert Hall Thanks! If you like Abercrombie’s previous work, my guess is you’ll love A Little Hatred. Yes, it was quite nice to have electricity after not having it for five days, though I’ve lived without it before. Still, a good reminder of how spoiled I am to have it. Great to hear from you!
Finished it last night, ate up the last two hundred pages. Love how the world has evolved (and devolved) and I love this new cast as much as the old.
In some cases the apple didn't fall far from the tree
So true! It’s fun to see how the next generation comes from the previous one, and yet each personality is rich and complex. I’m confident you’ll love The Trouble With Peace!
Great review, glad you loved it!
Wholly agree with your suggestion new readers start with the First Law though. I think both the world and the characters lose some layers of meaning should they start with Little Hatred.
Also agree that this book shows a lot of improvement in Abercrombie when it comes to opening a trilogy - and just writing a story overall. The pacing, the plot, the setting, all just wonderfully done.
Having said that, Little Hatred didn't make me fall in love with it _quite_ as much as Blade Itself - probably just because Abercrombie was completely new on the scene at the time, and I've come to expect greatness from him now.
Still, it's a great book, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment 🤓
By the way, have I recommended KJ Parker already?
Another great author for people who like to dive into what makes humans tick - The Engineer trilogy, or Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City are ones I always try to start people on. 😉
Rob Paul Thank you! Yes, one of my favorite aspects of A Little Hatred was encountering some familiar characters from First Law and the standalones. KJ Parker rings a bell, but I hadn’t written down the name yet, so I’m not certain you’ve mentioned it before. It’s officially been added to my exploding list of authors to check out. Thanks for watching and commenting - always good to hear from you!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
FYI Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt. Under his own name he writes absurdist fantasy in a modern setting, comparable to Christopher Moore or even Pratchett. I love those as well.
As KJ Parker his books have a much more serious bend.
Rob Paul Any author successful enough to need more than one name for his forays into various sub-genres must have something going for him!
Another great video Philip. I just finished this, so I am just getting to your review of it. This book is weird for me. His general writing skill is better, his character work is top notch as always, the plot is more balanced throughout the story. And yet I found myself not thinking it was as good of a book as his best in the series, haha. I felt like Savine had all the "do things at all cost" mentality but didn't have his fun inner monologue of Sand Dan Glokta to balance it out. She did get better as the book went on and she got humbled a little bit. Not sure if i like Leo that much or him and his mother as an entertaining duo sniping back and forth at one another. Overall it's a very good book but it felt like it missed a little bit of that "can't put your finger on" type charisma of the first book, character wise at least. For another author this would be a top book, for lord grimdark i felt like it was prolly my 3rd or 4th favorite of the 7 main story line novels i have read. Can't wait to finish the AOM trilogy and watch your reviews. Cheers!
Sounds like you enjoyed A Little Hatred overall, but I’ve heard many First Law fans express similar reservations. A big part of it for many, I think, is that they miss the characters in the original trilogy and the strong connections they formed with those characters. There’s a lot of starting over in Age of Madness in that sense, and so the bond with these new characters can feel weaker. At least that’s one possible explanation I’ve thought about. Anyway, best wishes for The Trouble with Peace, Clayton!
I loved this book. It was simple in its story telling, elegant in its writing, its characters were engaging and fun.
I think the characters are the best part of Abercrombie’s very much character driven writing. Even when they’re terrible people, they’re fascinating and somehow relatable. Great to hear from you!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy It´s always good to see your vids and thoughts on books. If you like A Little Hatred, there is this anime called Fate Zero in Netflix you might like. The author has represented certain ideas with the characters and there is this particular segment that presents a "cure" for nihilism that reminds me of how the theme of "struggle" runs through The First Law series. You might like it if anime is an interest.
Benjamin Molina Thanks for the recommendation!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy It has an english dub, if you get tired of reading subs. Enjoy. Its 24 episodes total.
Abercrombie renewed my interest in the genre a few years ago when The First Law series was suggested to me by my girlfriend's aunt. (She just called the series "Barbarians") It's basically 'revisionist fantasy' subverting the usual tropes of characters. It also leaves you feeling empty as hell by the end, haha, but oh well. Pumped for the second book this fall.
Nick Wurthmann Ha ha - Barbarians! I like that. There’s a good amount of subversion going on in The First Law books, and it’s cleverly done. It is grim too, no doubt, but vivid at the same time. It’s great to hear your take, as always!
As always thank you very much for excellent and thoughtful reviews. I was wondering, have you read the "Shattered Sea" books? Which I believe is another trilogy by Abercrombie but set in a different world from the First law and subsequent books. If so, let me know, I'd be very much interested!
I haven’t yet read Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea books. I love his First Law books, so I imagine I’ll read Shattered Sea someday. Sorry I couldn’t help you with them, but thanks for watching this one!
Good review man, you missed the Shakespeare influence here, it Dickens meets Henry IV
Thanks, Daniel!
Will you do a review on the Standalone books I am about to read last argument of Kings will continue with the series 🤩😻🤔
I plan to eventually reread the three standalones and review them, though I’m not sure when. I especially love Best Served Cold and The Heroes. Red Country might be my least favorite First Law book, but it’s still Abercrombie, so it’s great! I hope you’ll love Last Argument of Kings!
Its funny to hear you say Dickensian...... because that was very much the thought that went through my head.
Max-Gen21 Howard Great minds think alike!
This is a really great review. New subscriber! I really want to read First Law. Does Abercrombie have any Dickensian characters like Fagin from Oliver??
The Library of Allenxandria Thank you! There’s a character a lot like Fagin in Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora, but I can’t think of anyone quite like that in Abercrombie’s books. I should clarify that the only Abercrombie book with this Dickensian flavor is A Little Hatred. The First Law Trilogy is more straightforward fantasy, while the three standalone books are each a different type of fusion. Thanks much for watching and subscribing - deeply appreciated!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Ahhhh gotcha. I have Locke Lamora also, but have yet to read it. Thanks!
The Library of Allenxandria My pleasure! I love The Gentleman Bastard Sequence (Locke Lamora) and the First Law books - both are in my top ten fantasy series.
I want to watch this but I'm afraid of spoilers- even minor ones, so I'm just gonna comment and say "Another job well done, I'm sure!" Haha. Keep reading and reviewing! Will be back in half a year or so to this video when I finally get to this one.
Danny Matson No worries! Just so you know, I’ve kept this especially spoiler free, but obviously there’s no obligation to watch. I didn’t even mention the names of the characters from the previous books who appear in A Little Hatred to avoid spoilers. Regardless, it’s always great to hear from you!
He kept it spoiler free. So technically you could watch it if you want. In short he liked it a lot. ;-)
Enrico Zangari Ha ha! That’s a perfect summary!
Ok, you convinced me, haha!
Wow, best of the year! Gotta finish the standalones asap to get to this.
I remember reading part of Half a King a couple years ago and not really liking it. Dickensian fantasy sounds super cool, so maybe I need to give Abercrombie a second chance.
riddhima I haven’t read Abercrombie’s YA books (Half a King, etc.), but I love his adult fantasy. The First Law books are about as gritty as they come, and there’s plentiful violence, but it’s not glorified. In fact, “glorified” is about the last word I’d use in connection with them. Abercrombie’s characters are some of the most vivid and memorable I know. Thanks, as always, for watching and commenting!
I read his First Law stuff and loved it. Some of my favorite fictional characters of all time (including tv, movies, etc.) Started reading his YA stuff after, but after the first Half a King book I wasn't into it and never continued the series. The First Law stuff is very different from his YA stuff.
Simple Fitness That’s good to know. I’m a huge fan of his First Law books, but I may give his YA stuff a miss. There are just too many great books I need to get to, but any adult fantasy by Abercrombie I’m first in line for.