The Collected Joe Abercrombie: The Blade Itself/Before they are Hanged/Last Argument of Kings/Best Served Cold/The Heroes/Red Country

First Law World #1-6

by Joe Abercrombie

Here are the first six books set in the world of THE FIRST LAW, Joe Abercrombie's hugely successful fantasy creation. Join Logen Ninefingers, Jezal dan luthar and Inquisitor Glokta as war rages across the North in the first trilogy, and then enjoy three self-contained novels and discover more of the remarkable imagination of the UK's most prominent fantasy author.

Contains THE BLADE ITSELF, BEFORE THEY ARE HANGED, LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS, BEST SERVED COLD, THE HEROES and RED COUNTRY

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels

3008 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2013

About the author

Joe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law trilogy, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. He currently lives and works in London with his wife and daughter. In early 2008 Joe Abercrombie was one of the contributors to the BBC Worlds of Fantasy series, alongside other contributors such as Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett and China Mieville.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have all of the individual books, but chose to review the compendium to make it easier. I LOVE Joe's writing style. It is gritty, sarcastic, witty, and humorous. The characters are rough but likeable. I love the idea of revenge, and most of his books center around this theme. II can't put his books down when I have them. I remember when his first book was published, I was in Afghanistan, and HAD to have the other two. I was praying my package didn't get blown up (it didn't). I highly recommend his books.

[Shreyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

1) The Blade Itself: 4.0/5.

2) Before They Are Hanged: 3.75/5.

3) Last Argument of Kings: 5/5.

4) Best Served Cold: 4.0/5.

5) The Heroes: 3.5/5.

6) Red Country: 5/5.



Overall Rating: 8.5/10.

[Jarek Finkielman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book

Just love Joe’s style. Great stories with rich characters & fast paced action. You have to be realistic about these things :)

[Marcin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is very interesting throughout the cycle's main 3 installments, the 'First Law' trilogy, and deep into the follow-ups, all gathered here for ease of reading. While more captivating than the extremely repeated patterns of installments in the fantasy universe of late, this is truly a treat for those who've been thinking of the 'First Law' trilogy as the next read, its true beauty lies in the no sugar-coating, in no singularly black-and-white personnae introduced on the pages, in twists within twists covered by secrets kept by string-pullers and paid in blood by masses of more-or-less innocents. J.A. manages to serve an interesting story, gruesome and bloody at times, with life-like chances of positive outcomes for any and all of the huge cast of characters popping on the pages. These portrayals are far from the standardised cliches for heroes, villains, and non-important side-chars, as nearly every 'named' creature has more than one side to its behaviour, beliefs and morales, compass notwithstanding... Descriptions of places and people are pretty detailed, down to almost the last minutae, the world is painted before our eyes whilst also leaving a lot for our imagination to fill the pictures to cinematically epic proportions. The best part however is that even the not-so-single-dimensional characters fighting on one side or the other of all the skirmishes, battles and wars are understandable, likable and realistic. This is not a story of bad guy coming to terms with his past choices and choosing to repent for his sins, this is not a story of a young and wishful boy growing up to become a staple of civilisation and heroics amongst the sea of bloodlusty enemies. No, here the cunning and the powerful with better backing tend to 'win', either by getting the title and recognistion they want or by simply surviving a day. There is mystery, there are a couple of big players that place their pieces on the universe's chessboard, but they too are not one-dimensional, good or bad. Even the way the 'magic' is incorporated into this world underpins the most efficient and most important aspects of the epic novels - it is not 2 pretenders fighting for a throne that encompass a full war, it is the masses of normal people who lay their lives for those higher in the chain of command that make a war a war. It is the bloody brutalism of reality and hardships to stand or fight against that reveal true traits of the people shown by Abercrombie in these books, not a "characters meet, blink, they get a mission, blink, they befriend each other and reach their destination more or less whole, blink, and they're back basking in new-found glory" kind of tale. This is a dark, devastating business, with many lives lost and many more altered beyond wishful thinking, with truth served differently for various residents. The heroes and heroines are not clean slates, nor are they ready to scrub off all their dirt, nor are they supposed to in this universe, because here 'you have to be realistic', 'you should never fear your enemies but always fear your friends' instead, and nothing is what it seems. And that's simply and plentifully beautiful... If only the series had not so much open-threaded sub- and main plots throughout. Sure it lends a hand towards eventual new additions to the universe, it also keeps the stories without the everyone 'live long and prosper' type of a good ending prevalent in fantay genre, but still there are quite a few chars that leave the scenes without any terminal resolution, either by abandoning their post or being thrown out, or walking out into the night or just by being left mid-action/mid-story without any mention by the author.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to classify The First Law as fantasy fiction. Sure, there are wizards and monsters and lots of swords and battles and such, but it's the characters that drive everything here and that sets it apart from the majority of the genre's offerings. For better and worse, the people that populate Abercrombie's pages are all too human, and you'll be both proud and horrified to see some part of yourself in each one of them. There are some honorable folks, some folks just trying to get by and some despicable bastards, but there aren't good guys and bad guys and any archetype you might find will turn out to be a fraud. Yes, there are quests and prophecies, but none of them turn out to be what you'd expect. The only thing you can count on is that everyone will work very hard to get exactly what they want only to find in the end they may not want it after all. Well, that, and that you'll love every word of it.

[Dylan Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5/5

Before They're Hanged by Joe Abercrombie:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5/5

The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5/5

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5/5

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5/5

Red Country by Joe Abercrombie:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5/5

[Bill Ramsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first three stories in this collection (1500 pages out of a total 3000+) and if you like grim heroes, foolish kings, Machiavellian political machinations, and some rather graphic torture sequences, these are the books for you.

I started out enjoying the series, but by the third book "Last Argument of Kings" most of the charm had worn off. My biggest complaint was that the characters never really grew.

So, worth reading overall, but I don't think I'll be going any farther.

[Aymar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about Joe Abercrombie's work among other fantasy aficionados, praising his dark and grim universe, his amazing characters and I started to gather a bit of information, before jumping straight into the collective works, because, why not starting with 3000 pages!

The main part of this collection, is of course the First Law trilogy, and I don't want to repeat what everybody else is saying, in a poor English, so let's be realistic about my review.

The first Law features the best characters I have ever seen in fantasy! Yes, the old mage, the fearsome berserker from the North, and the poor dandy are not uncommon, but the way those characters are exposed, and evolved, from book to book, without never being pure, or completely noble and nice is SO refreshing. It is not dark, for the sole sake of being evil, those protagonist are challenged, and are facing tough choices, most of the time, between bad and worse, and most do what should be done to survive.

It is quite rare to find heroes that are so realistic, and human, and touching, that I have a hard time finishing a book, simply because I can't accept the fact that I won't see them again. I should also add, that most have a very strong voice, that will stay with you, from San Dan Glokta and his thoughts, always super cunning and Logen Nine Fingers (my favorite by far) and his memorable quotes, it is very different from what you find usually in that genre.

So if you are looking for a classic, and epic fantasy tale, with the best cast you have ever seen, brace yourself (also, the fights scenes are violent, and some torture scenes could be disturbing, if you are not used to this type of stories).

I am just waiting for the next trilogy due in a few years!

[Bookbear · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

I have been reading the sample of the first book once, and did not like it. Case settled. Then I stumbled over this thick book here, and (in hope of a much larger version) I downloaded that sample and read that one (8.5 hrs of reading time!). I turned out that I liked what came after where the small sample ended (very roughly from where Logen met the apprentice) much better. So, unfortunately, I decided to buy the book.

The first book was okay. Again, didn't like the start. Liked the middle half of it. Didn't like the end part so much. On to the second book. This one I liked even less. Now, starting the third book, after just a few pages I realised, that I really really don't want to read on.

I liked the story telling, liked how the author didn't shirk from telling the fighting, the torture and the few sex (related) scenes. He never overdid them, he never put those scenes into the story sticking out like a rotten tooth. They fit and they were good. One has to be, after all, realistic about such things.

What I didn't like: Almost all characters were unlikable (Logen was okay). They didn't really develop. Maybe Jezal, but then I feared to see if he might revert to his old self when he gets back to civilization. And just as the characters didn't develop, the story didn't. It was always the same. Read the first 5 chapters of the first book and you have probably read it all.

Maybe I will pick it up again later on but right now I do not think so. Edit: This last sentence made me go and read in the fandom wiki about how the story goes, and now I know I won't.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a set of 2 trilogies, I read the first and decided not to continue with the second, so I'm marking it as finished. I finished the first book of the first trilogy and someone asked me what it was about and I realized I couldn't actually tell them what the overarching plot was because I didn't even know. It was a lot of little events happening to a handful of characters that were being brought together for that plot, but I had no idea what their shared goal was supposed to be.

I finished the trilogy pretty unsatisfied because it ultimately felt like very little had actually happened, despite the books being quite lengthy. The climax that had been building over these 3 books felt like it happened with a whimper instead of a bang. I was unenthused with most of the characters though they largely stayed true to who they were. The worldbuilding left more questions than answers by the end and not in a good way. I wound up looking up the plot of the second trilogy (which does continue the story of the first) and I'm glad I did. I liked what the summary said of the plot of the second arc, but there was no way I was going to survive 3 more of these books to get it all.

It made me think of A Song of Ice and Fire with the intrigue and manipulations the characters get up to, but without all the big events that the smaller ones are meant to create a foundation for. Perhaps this just isn't the author for me.

[Wilfried Spillemaeckers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started promising but was altogether rather disappointing.
It was promising because there were a number of interesting characters that were not black and white good or evil, but had both good and evil characteristics. Sometimes they were aware of that and sometimes they were not.
Unfortunately, the storyline became extremely long winded, with lots of dialogue and narration that became simply boring.
The first big storyline finds its conclusion in book 3, but that conclusion was rather disappointing. Other people I discussed the books with found the same thing, were left with a "was that it?" feeling at the conclusion.
And after book 5 I was glad I am a very fast reader, as it simply became boring.
If the auther had told the story of the first 3 books in one book, that would have been much better imho.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very classic heroic fantasy book. All three main characters Glokta, Ninefingers, and Jezel represent part of classic characters. What surprises me is Collum West. Actually hit a woman and his sister. Interesting to see where this goes. Still need to improve on some of the vocabularies. Glokta's calculating knowing it all characteristics and Ninefingers' primial and survival with slighest of naive compared with other two main characters makes me look forward to their interaction in the following series.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worst thing I can say is that it is at times a bit too grimdark. The characters are fully realized, and Abercrombie's prose is energetic, succinct and compelling. If you enjoy bloody tales of revenge, I highly recommend his work.

[Julian Cardona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Simply one of the greatest grimdark fantasy books ever. Up there with Assassin's Apprentice and Game of Thrones.

[Wolfgang Sulk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best fantasy series out their if you're looking for a living author

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a really solid fantasy series

[Liz C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection

The best of Abercrombie in one book. I bought this for the last two stories which were excellent. I wasn't expecting a Western but it was good though I preferred the three day battle. I am a bit gutted that I've read all of these now just hope he starts a new series soon.

[Mats L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I am capable of writing a review of this astonishing series.
These books are my favorite books of all time, and the feeling I got when I visited a local bookstore and found out there were standalone books after the main trilogy was a feeling of pure joy.

My only regret from reading these books is that I will not be able to read them again for a first time.

[Thé · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Not a native English, apologies for grammatical and other mistakes:-) )

First Law finished both in English and Dutch.

Rather slowly paced, without being too slow!
It doesn’t give a clear idea of where the story is going, but the development is such that it doesn’t bother (me).

Good development of characters. And, after the first tome, there’s plenty more room for further development.
There seem to be no ‘all evil’ or ‘all good’ characters so far, which adds to the idea of what will happen further down the story.

For non English speakers: the e-books are only available in English - this collection also exists in hardcover, also in English.
Even in English, it is an easy read. Don’t let that stop you!

[Amy Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this authors works immensely. My first question when finished was, is he writing more in this world?
Great characters, very gritty and real. Just enough magic and fantasy creatures.
Some dark things happen. The winners often turn out to be real
Shits! Lots of violence, very gritty and realistic. Interesting romances and well written love scenes.
So all in all a great set.

[Colin Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece, The First Law Trilogy was great, fantastic characters and gripping stories. The Three Stand Alone novels, each different and each brilliant in their own way, the gripping Best Served Cold tale of vengeance, the interwoven tales of The Heroes battle, and the western story of Red Country. All of it Grim and Dark, but riveting. Well worth the time. Eagerly awaiting more.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Fritz Leiber would've enjoyed Joe's books: darkly comic and realistic about the trials of swords and magic fantasy world, Joe creates interesting stories and characters. It was only with the last book (6th) that the writing began to degrade in quality, which in itself is an accomplishment!

[Claire Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have yet to read Red Country...

[Joy Cronje · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect

[Paul Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put these books down! If you want to lose yourself in an amazing realm with characters that keep you turning the pages, read these books

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a filler series for me while waiting for Mr. Martin's next book. And the author quickly became my favourite. Everything he has written in this world is outstanding.

[Jbussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long, drawn, but intriguing character development. Hard for me to put down, once I started I had to read the trilogy.

[Blewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! The most entertaining and original fantasy author I've come across in years.