Joe Abercrombie is currently my number one favorite author. And proud to say, I am done reading his The First Law Trilogy.
- Publisher: Hachette Book Group
- Imprint: Orbit Books
Below are my book reviews and his interview with my favorite booktuber – Daniel Greene. It is 48 minutes and 14 seconds long.
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Done reading THE BLADE ITSELF – Book 1 in The First Law Trilogy. Author’s Writing Style ♥♥♥♥♥ Joe understands the science and art of good fiction writing. He is aware that easy-to-read writing means hard writing vividly expressed in short sentences and paragraphs.
Joe writes in third-person perspective narrated in past tenses. In writing styles such as this, I am feeling I am only watching a good movie carried by the superb acting skills of the actors.
In The Blade Itself, however, Joe writes in third-person perspective but it reads like he is writing in first-person. It feels like I am the character than I am one with the characters.
Character/s Development ♥♥♥♥ It is still unclear who are the real heroes and villains in the story. All of them are gray, and I’m loving it! No one acts like he is morally righteous and no one acts like he is the enemy number one. This is a guessing game without black and white answers. There are three main characters and they are wheeling the plot forward, not vice-versa.
Plot ♥♥♥♥ The horrid story focuses around the development of: Logen – the infamous barbarian, Jezal – the noble captain, and there is Glokta. He is the crippled Inquisitor who I keep wondering why he does not have a wheelchair. No kidding. It pains to visualize when Glokta walks and climbs the stairs with his cane. My mind is screaming at me while reading, “Dude, get a wheelchair and let your Practicals wheel you.”
In case you’re wondering what is the first law, the law states that It’s forbidden to touch the Other Side direct.
Done reading BEFORE THEY ARE HANGED – Book 2 in The First Law Trilogy. Author’s Writing Style ♥♥♥♥♥ I just noticed a trace of inconsistency on how Joe writes the name of his main characters.
For example, Jezal is one of the three major characters. His complete name is Jezal dan Luthar. Jezal is his first name. Luthar is his surname. It confuses me why Jezal and Luthar are used interchangeably throughout the book. On one paragraph he is Jezal while on the other, he is Luthar.
Either this is a mistake or not, I do not know and I do not care. This inconsistency does not destroy the quality on how brilliant the writing style of Joe Abercrombie. His writing style is still golden.
Character/s Development ♥♥♥♥♥ Glokta is my newest favorite character to love and hate all at the same time. He is the only character in the book who is written in italics when expressing his thoughts.
His full name is Sand dan Glokta. He is written as Glokta from the first paragraph of the first book where he was introduced until the end of this second book.
Plot ♥♥♥♥ There is a war between Dagoska and Gurkhul. Who wins and who lost doesn’t matter as Glokta investigates the disappearance of Inquisitor Davoust.
FYI: I am not the same person anymore when I read the dirtiest sex scene in fantasy history. I got no words until now!
Done reading LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS – Finale book in The First Law Trilogy. Author’s Writing Style ♥♥♥♥♥ Outstanding. Joe is 10 years older than I am but his writing style makes me feel we have the same age and the same mindset.
He writes to tell a story and to be perceptive. He focuses on each character’s personality – their weaknesses, their strengths and their abilities to bounce back.
Character/s Development ♥♥♥♥♥ Glokta is the star of this finale. His POV shines brighter than the rest. There are other two main characters. One is a fading star while the other one is a frustrated star who just can’t make love with his wife.
Bayaz is a real-standout. In books one and two, Bayaz to me is a lukewarm character. Wizards are expected to be insightful when they talk but I see nothing more special in Bayaz.
In this finale, Bayaz emerges as a no ordinary wizard like Gandalf or Albus Dumbledore. Like him or despise him, Bayaz is unique. It is a mistake to compare him with anyone.
Plot ♥♥♥♥ This finale is insanely good. It is filled with nasty politics, betrayal and mental health disorders. It begins strong. A new king has to be elected. From there, the flow starts to get shaky – down, up, down. The concluding chapters are immaculate.
Here are my objective overall scores:
- Overall score on author’s writing style ♥♥♥♥♥
- Overall score on character/s development ♥♥♥♥♥
- Overall score on plot ♥♥♥♥
Deantastic Series Score: 4.67
The First Law Trilogy stands as the outstanding fantasy series I’ve read to date. These books are entirely different from The Lord of The Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter.
The latter mentioned are about good vs. evil and are somewhat predictable. The First Law Trilogy stays grim-dark gray from beginning until the end. Unpredictable and cynical too.
Hope you enjoy the interview. Add me on Goodreads too. Peace & love!
I AM SURVIVORDEAN 