2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Before They Are Hanged, the second book in the The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie.


Pages: 441 pages


Length: 1 Month (February)


Participants: Sinisa, Sara, Kathelijne, Raviteja .


Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!


Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

So sorry, but I will be backing out of reading this one and the next one. I couldn't get into the first book and I just had to finally decide to give it up.

I hope all of you enjoy the rest of the trilogy.

Sara wrote: "So sorry, but I will be backing out of reading this one and the next one. I couldn't get into the first book and I just had to finally decide to give it up.

I hope all of you enjoy the rest of th..."

Hey Sara, sorry that it didnt work for you. I hope you love your reads this month!

Hi Sinisa, Kathelijne,
Do you have any dates around when you would read this? I will try to read this around the same time.

I am open to any dates. Was thinking to start soon but can move it

Even I am figuring out the order in which I read books, so I am more or less flexible. Lets hear from Kathelijne and then we can freeze the dates.

Well apparently I started. I didn't meant to but was kind of checking out what to read and at beginning of this there was few lines about Glokta and it pulled me right back in. Will be reading it during next week

I am going to start it tonight.. Will read it a bit slowly along with another book.

I am at around 50%
I like it a lot. It is as good as previous book and maybe even better. Now i know the world and know characters. Plot is really great and I love all 3 story lines
(view spoiler)[
Glokta parts- they are the best, this is my favorite story with those awesome inner monologues
Logen parts- also great, all this Logen-Ferro and Logen-Jezal interactions are great especially that chapter with Logen-Feroo deal. I was annoyed with Bayaz not using magic before but we kind of get explanation why was that. First sentence in last chapter in first half really got me but was just a hallucination by Jazal (damn it).
West parts- least favorite from all 3 but still pretty good, I loved new characters (blacksmith and his daughter)
(hide spoiler)]

I am currently at 20%, and it is going well so far. Nothing much to share actually. This reminds me of the previous book and how the characters are, back then! I will get to your spoiler once I reach half-way mark.

I am close to finish but i took a few days brake to let you catch up. I have spoiler notes saved and will post them later.

I found comic book made by first book and I am reading that in between. It is like 4 part short comics but it is interesting to see those characters portrayed. I read 2 and have 2 left.

I do like this a lot especially first half and I consider this brake saving best for last. There is a point in book where you realize this will not resolve in this book so there is no where to hurry.

Sinisa wrote: "I am close to finish but i took a few days brake to let you catch up. I have spoiler notes saved and will post them later.

I found comic book made by first book and I am reading that in between. I..."

Unfortunately my read are going slow, but I am really enjoying the book. I am currently around 60%.

(view spoiler)[Among all the things, the most impressive for me is Jezal's transformation arc and how he has changed. I keep waiting for the Logen/Ferro/Jezal chapters. One thing interesting for me is the change in the attitude of Quai and what is means to the story,

Glokta's chapters are enjoyable but they were on and off for me. There were some impressive parts, and I didnt expect Eider to be one of the traitors.

West arc is least favourite, but again, the change in him now makes me want to see where his journey goes. I didnt expect him to do what he did to Ladisla, and he seems to be taking more to the group. (hide spoiler)]

Oh, I didnt know there was a comic book based on the first book. That must be interesting to read, particularly the visual depictions of places!

I am so so sorry for not responding! I hadn't put the notifications on for the thread so I missed it 🙈 Very stupid of me. I'm 50 pages in so I'll be responding to your thoughts soon, can't wait!

I finished it. (yay!)

Overall thoughts
(view spoiler)[I loved the characters, the individual arcs, transformations and relationships between the characters. The plot is better than the first book. It surprised me in a few places and I didnt even expect that ending for Bayaz's quest. But still I am not fully satisfied. Glokta's arc and West's arc felt a little incomplete. Probably I think I am feeling the middle book syndrome here.

Jezal's transformation is the most loved thing for me. The arcs for Logen's crew felt better than the ones in The First Law.
I am surprised to hear no words for Cathil from West in the end. That seemed too Harsh. (hide spoiler)]

Finished part 1
(view spoiler)[ I agree with what you said, it takes you right back in. Sometimes I find it hard to get back into sequels, but that was definitely not a problem with this book at all! Although Glokta is still my favorite character, I'm probably more interested in the whole Logen-Ferro-Jezal storyline. I still have no idea what they're actually doing but I like how Logen is trying to get everyone together and to build some mutual trust in the group.
Also, Jezal being knocked down might actually not be the worst thing for his ego 😂 (hide spoiler)]

Sinisa wrote: "I am close to finish but i took a few days brake to let you catch up. I have spoiler notes saved and will post them later.

I found comic book made by first book and I am reading that in between. I..."

When I saw you mention that there is a comic book, I just had to read them! They're really good. So thanks for pointing that out!

It's really nice to have a visualisation of those first few character-forming chapters. It's really a shame that the comics got discontinued... :(

You are welcome and yes comics are pretty great have no idea why would they stop them. I read 3 out of 4 and they have feeling of the book portrayed so well.

Kathelijne wrote: "Finished part 1
I agree with what you said, it takes you right back in. Sometimes I find it hard to get back into sequels, but that was definitely not a problem with this book at all! Although Glo..."


I agree on Logen-Ferro-Jezal interactions being most interesting and Glokta story line set up at begging was what I was enjoying the most. Jezal stuff was great at that point crushing his ego and then build it up from ground up

Raviteja wrote: "I finished it. (yay!)

Overall thoughts
I loved the characters, the individual arcs, transformations and relationships between the characters. The plot is better than the first book. It surprised ..."

(view spoiler)[
Bayaz stuff was great to me the ending I mean. That quest was stupid you always kind of know they are going from A to B and it will be some trouble and that is it. So that meaningless ending made sense to me. When Bayaz was out and we had only Logen-Ferro-Jezal story was the best. I also didn't like that portrayal of Bayaz ex gf. She was made look old, ugly, cant cook, mad, hurt, indiferent... basically every bad adjective was given to her for no reason at all.
Kathline/West story I was cheering to end differently especially after West pushed prince that was kind of awesome
Glokta story was great at beginning and then they just messed up when he got out and that was it. It was pretty disappointing. Him and Ardee was OK but I was hopping for more of her in this book.
Stuff with Logen's crew and Jezal (even tho I still hate him) were great to read
(hide spoiler)]

Currently at 70%, some thoughts:
(view spoiler)[ This book is so good. I'm enjoying it a lot more than the first one. The story is very past-faced and the set-up of the characters in book 1 is really paying off.

Although I like West as a character (and I like the crew), I'm not particularly interested in these chapters. However, I didn't expect him to just kill Ladisla... Can't really I was dissapointed though, he was just straight up annoying.

I'm still figuring out what the point of Glokta being in Dagoska was? It doesn't seem to have any significance to the plot but maybe it's just to help him figure out what he wants and why he does this? (in his own words ;)

I agree with both of you on the Jezal-Logen-Ferro chapters. They have been AMAZING so far and the dynamics between them are great. Also, at some point in the book, I was suddenly thinking to myself, 'Wait I like this guy (Jezal)'. Didn't expect that to happen 😂

@Raviteja, yes I also find Quai's change in behaviour strange. He seemed really innocent and chatty in the first book but now he feels like a completely different character. I can't remember the moment that this changed. Do you? (hide spoiler)]

Kathelijne wrote: "Currently at 70%, some thoughts:
This book is so good. I'm enjoying it a lot more than the first one. The story is very past-faced and the set-up of the characters in book 1 is really paying off. ..."

(view spoiler)[I can only guess that the transformation in Quai happened over time. But that particular fight served him well. Bayaz was useless, Jezal got badly injured because of this whole affair and Quai killed a soldierwith a frying pan. Must have given him a big boost of confidence.

But it is still suspicious. Its like Quai knows something Bayaz wouldn't say and his pushing Bayaz towards it. We need to keep an eye out for Quai in the next book. Something felt very fishy. (hide spoiler)]

Sinisa wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "I finished it. (yay!)

Overall thoughts
I loved the characters, the individual arcs, transformations and relationships between the characters. The plot is better than the first bo..."
(view spoiler)[
That Ladisla moment was so surprising and awesome I loved it so much. I am not shore what is West doing at this point but there was 1 disappointing outcome for me in that story involving Kathlene.
Glokta I have no idea what happened there that was so disappointing how it ended. All that was just so we have his internal struggle of "Glokta the defender of small people or not".IT is not that that part is so bad all in all it just had so much more potential. I was kind of expecting to see some of his decisions backfire at him but it was all for nothing.
Quai for me had 1 moment where he questioned Bayaz motives and intention and I thought it is beginning of some fight between 2 of them but again nothing happened. I was waiting for that to come up again
(hide spoiler)]

@Raviteja
(view spoiler)[Yes I agree, definitely need to look out for him. He seems to be keeping a close watch on Bayaz and seems very eager to find the Seed in the last chapter. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!
(view spoiler)[
I loved the book. Another solid 4 star read.
I will say that, at least for me, this book was really carried by Jezal's transformation and the dynamics between Jezal-Ferro-Logen. You could definitely see the Ferro and Logen relationship coming from miles away but I still really enjoyed it! 😄

Agree with you Raviteja that Glokta's and West's arcs were not completely satisfying. But hopefully that's just more set-up that will pay off in the next book.

There was definitely more prominent plot in this book, although I do still feel like I don't have a real idea of where the story is going? Of course, there is the war with the North and South, that's pretty straight-forward but Glokta's storyline? Not sure how everything there's gonna tie in together. The whole Seed thing, as of now, seemed pointless (probably won't be of course), but yes definitely want to get some answers soon! ;) (hide spoiler)]

Sinisa wrote: "Sinisa wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "I finished it. (yay!)

Overall thoughts
I loved the characters, the individual arcs, transformations and relationships between the characters. The plot is better th..."

(view spoiler)[ Yes I agree, there seems to be some wasted potential, especially on Glokta's part. The storyline definitely didn't stop at a satisfying point. However, we'll just have to hope it gets resolved in the next one I guess? (hide spoiler)]