The Lies Of Locke Lamora
By Scott Lynch
Loved this one! Amazingly refreshing and intelligent!
Scott Lynch is considered one of the best newcomer in fantasy in recent years. The Lies Of Locke Lamora is the first book of the Gentleman bastard sequence. The series will span seven books. The first two are already out and the third is having some delay (probably 2010).
We follow Locke Lamora, the Thorn of Camorr, a young orphan taken in charge in his early years by a group of thieves. Being too clever and troublesome for his Thiefmaker master, he's then taken to Chains, a falsely blind priest of the thieves God. Under his tutelage, he will learn the true art of robbery, being the ultimate con artist. Later on, Locke becomes the "garrista" (leader) of his band of thieves. While planning a big coup with his team, the Gray King shows up. This mysterious figure is set on killing members of Camorr thieving bands, while seeking revenge against Capa Barsavi, the head of crime in the city. Locke is then caught between his coup and the Gray King plans.
I found the story to be full of surprises. Lynch gives us a "cape and sword" book with intrigue, vengeance, fantasy and high caliber robbery. I had to keep guessing until the end. The author really gets down to business. The descriptions are concise and the right amount of action and adventure is put in. I wanted the adventure to keep going strong and it did all the way to the finale. The writing gives us a good rhythm of rises of adrenalin and smooth phases.
The narrative is told from a third person perspective. I think it fits well with the drama. The main protagonist, Locke Lamora is a character easy to love. I cared about him from the start. Even if he is the center of attention, Locke is surrounded by captivating allies and enemies. I think Scott gives ample room to the other characters (Jean, Chains and the whole band... even all of Locke "opponents"). Lynch is not afraid to kill important members of both side to ensure a realism (by taking account of the world in which the story occurs) to his plot.
We get to see some magic, but only to help the Gray King get his way. His ally is an enigmatic Bondsmage that has it's uses but not much spotlight. There is also some hints about an alien race seemingly gone from the world. But the "fantasy" elements in the book are just enough for the sake of the tale.
The city in which we are immersed feels a lot like renaissance Venice (with the canals and the clothing). It's good to have some fantasy (although it's not really a perfectly good example of the genre) set in a world unlike the middle ages. We'll see in the upcoming books if the world in which Locke evolves is as detailed and compelling as the city of Camorr.
A very unusual aspect in the writing is the "Interludes" between some chapters. With that, we get some background about the characters while understanding more why and where we are going. The result is a great pace and a nice support for the development of the protagonists. The only problem with that will be with the following books. I don't think that Scott will use theses "Interludes" again... if so, he won't have enough stuff for seven books. But then, I don't think he absolutely needs this to write a good book.
I'm very eager to read the next one soon.
Technically, the McArthur & Company original cover is not very beautiful. However, the new edition is looking great. The map is sufficient but not necessary.
Note that you can read the prologue on Scott site.
Scott Lynch is considered one of the best newcomer in fantasy in recent years. The Lies Of Locke Lamora is the first book of the Gentleman bastard sequence. The series will span seven books. The first two are already out and the third is having some delay (probably 2010).
We follow Locke Lamora, the Thorn of Camorr, a young orphan taken in charge in his early years by a group of thieves. Being too clever and troublesome for his Thiefmaker master, he's then taken to Chains, a falsely blind priest of the thieves God. Under his tutelage, he will learn the true art of robbery, being the ultimate con artist. Later on, Locke becomes the "garrista" (leader) of his band of thieves. While planning a big coup with his team, the Gray King shows up. This mysterious figure is set on killing members of Camorr thieving bands, while seeking revenge against Capa Barsavi, the head of crime in the city. Locke is then caught between his coup and the Gray King plans.
I found the story to be full of surprises. Lynch gives us a "cape and sword" book with intrigue, vengeance, fantasy and high caliber robbery. I had to keep guessing until the end. The author really gets down to business. The descriptions are concise and the right amount of action and adventure is put in. I wanted the adventure to keep going strong and it did all the way to the finale. The writing gives us a good rhythm of rises of adrenalin and smooth phases.
The narrative is told from a third person perspective. I think it fits well with the drama. The main protagonist, Locke Lamora is a character easy to love. I cared about him from the start. Even if he is the center of attention, Locke is surrounded by captivating allies and enemies. I think Scott gives ample room to the other characters (Jean, Chains and the whole band... even all of Locke "opponents"). Lynch is not afraid to kill important members of both side to ensure a realism (by taking account of the world in which the story occurs) to his plot.
We get to see some magic, but only to help the Gray King get his way. His ally is an enigmatic Bondsmage that has it's uses but not much spotlight. There is also some hints about an alien race seemingly gone from the world. But the "fantasy" elements in the book are just enough for the sake of the tale.
The city in which we are immersed feels a lot like renaissance Venice (with the canals and the clothing). It's good to have some fantasy (although it's not really a perfectly good example of the genre) set in a world unlike the middle ages. We'll see in the upcoming books if the world in which Locke evolves is as detailed and compelling as the city of Camorr.
A very unusual aspect in the writing is the "Interludes" between some chapters. With that, we get some background about the characters while understanding more why and where we are going. The result is a great pace and a nice support for the development of the protagonists. The only problem with that will be with the following books. I don't think that Scott will use theses "Interludes" again... if so, he won't have enough stuff for seven books. But then, I don't think he absolutely needs this to write a good book.
I'm very eager to read the next one soon.
Technically, the McArthur & Company original cover is not very beautiful. However, the new edition is looking great. The map is sufficient but not necessary.
Note that you can read the prologue on Scott site.
The Lies Of Locke Lamora review score:
Characterization............. 8.5/10
World building............... 8 / 10
Magic system................. 7 / 10
Story.............................. 8.5 / 10
Writing........................... 8.5 / 10
Enjoy
__________________________________________________________
Red Seas Under Red Skies
By Scott Lynch
Red Seas Under Red Skies is the second novel in the Gentlemen Bastard sequence by author Scott Lynch. The book was released in July 2007 after The Lies of Locke Lamora, one of the best fantasy debuts of the last years (2006). The Republic of Thieves could be out before the end of the year but I would wager for a 2012 release date. Lynch shared on his website that he suffered from depression, hence the delay between book two and book three. I don't think the delay is such a bad thing for me since it gave me ample time to catch up with the series!
Having barely escaped alive from Camorr after their encounter with the Grey King, Jean and Locke find themselves on the road without a gang. Their sight will eventually center on Tal Verrar, an archipelago on the Sea of Brass. For the Gentleman Bastard, the famous Sinspire of the reputably crooked Requin will present itself as an almost impossible target for a theft. That alone is reason enough for them to try it. However, they won't be able to stay incognito for long and will grab the attention of the Archon of Tal Verrar. Unwillingly under his control, they will have to postpone their work on the Sinspire to become notorious pirates roaming the seas from Tal Verrar to Port Prodigal.
Red Seas Under Red Skies starts as a somewhat straightforward story of thieves preparing themselves for a heist against a gambling house, the now recognizable signature of the Bastard. As the preparations go along, we get flashbacks of key moments in the grand plan from the past two years. I was glad Lynch could come up with an alternative sort of interludes, which was a nice aspect of the first novel that I was dubious on whether or not he could include again in his future novels. Those reminiscences were the best scenes for the time they were present. With Sabetha backstory coming up in RoT, the author will probably use that writing technique as one of his trademark. But then, Maxilan Stragos the Archon of Tal Verrar makes an apparition that will spice things up and render the storyline more complex.
If you're not a fan of boats or naval surroundings, a substantial part of the novel could irritate you. The moment Jean and Locke training on the water for the Archon begins, I felt a break in the build-up. Things will eventually be spiced up as I said but the cut from the main storyline with the Sinspire made me feel at first that I was reading another book with a slower pace. The whole pirate thing is progressively intermixed with the previous thread and everything hopefully converges together toward a great ending.
When I wrote my review for The Lies of Locke Lamora, I said that Locke was one of the most compelling protagonists I had read about in a while. His star still shines, more so with the presence of Jean at his side. Their discussions and the way they taunt each other and understand themselves reflect a splendid characterization. Their friendship is the heart of the novel, the body of the cake with all their con work as the icing. One criticism I would mention is a slight diminution in cleverness. There are moments when the Bastards really are at the top of their game but I was not always amazed at how they could pull out of tricky situations, can't hope for perfection at every turn. Still, there's a healthy dose of surprises, treachery, false trails and winks of complicity.
As in The Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke's opponents are a match for him. He has to surpass himself again and again. Sadly, the Bastards will pass quite some time away from them, but they are always scheming and they always have something else to chew on. However some of them are quite simply stereotypical, at least in the case of some of the pirates. Anyway, I would not really want the author to reinvent them since they are easy to love (but probably also easy to write badly which is not the case here). Zamira Drakasha is the exception and since the biggest part of the naval portion of the book is in her surrounding, I would say there was no fault in depicting the pirates that way. That whole 'expedition' permitted the author to expand the story from the sole city of Tal Verrar.
I could not discern a significant increase in maturity in Scott's writing in comparison with his previous work but the basic aspects of it are clearly spot on. The narrative is again set in the third person with a high quality of dialogues. The pace is uneven in the middle of the book but some arduous passages had to be written to make the ending worthwhile. Also, I may be a neophyte in term of navigation terminology and lore but I can appreciate the fact that Lynch made his homework. From the training of the boys to the naval battles, I felt everything was described as it should, or at least as an acting Captain would.
If you have a knack for pirates, fell in love with Locke and Jean in Lynch first novel and look forward to a Sword and Sorcery (should say Sword and Deception since there's not much sorcery) tale, you will get a blast again with Red Seas Under Red Skies. I felt various emotions while reading and was glad for several grins, some heartfelt scenes and a good dose of action. For the newcomers, I would strongly recommend to start with The Lies of Locke Lamora. It may not be a stupendous evolution for the author versus his debut but it's engaging enough to keep the appetite up for the Gentlemen Bastard sequence.
By the way, I found Lynch's naming pattern to be really inspired, what a great list of names. From the pirates Ravelle and Drakasha to Madam Corvaleur and the city of Salon-Corbeau (even better in audiobook). This may seem like a small detail but it's still a part of a strong world building holding itself thigh and in continuity with Lies.
Technically, the Gollancz cover art is not really impressing with a reddish glow kind of annoying to look at but the burning ship cover posted with the review is quite good looking (Spectra edition). No maps are included with the book but you can find them here (no glossary either). The paperback edition stands at 584 pages. As for the audiobook edition, its length is 25 hours and 38 minutes and the narrator was Michael Page. Great choice/voice and even better for the names Lynch came up with. I didn't think that Jean was pronounced 'à la française'!
Having barely escaped alive from Camorr after their encounter with the Grey King, Jean and Locke find themselves on the road without a gang. Their sight will eventually center on Tal Verrar, an archipelago on the Sea of Brass. For the Gentleman Bastard, the famous Sinspire of the reputably crooked Requin will present itself as an almost impossible target for a theft. That alone is reason enough for them to try it. However, they won't be able to stay incognito for long and will grab the attention of the Archon of Tal Verrar. Unwillingly under his control, they will have to postpone their work on the Sinspire to become notorious pirates roaming the seas from Tal Verrar to Port Prodigal.
Red Seas Under Red Skies starts as a somewhat straightforward story of thieves preparing themselves for a heist against a gambling house, the now recognizable signature of the Bastard. As the preparations go along, we get flashbacks of key moments in the grand plan from the past two years. I was glad Lynch could come up with an alternative sort of interludes, which was a nice aspect of the first novel that I was dubious on whether or not he could include again in his future novels. Those reminiscences were the best scenes for the time they were present. With Sabetha backstory coming up in RoT, the author will probably use that writing technique as one of his trademark. But then, Maxilan Stragos the Archon of Tal Verrar makes an apparition that will spice things up and render the storyline more complex.
If you're not a fan of boats or naval surroundings, a substantial part of the novel could irritate you. The moment Jean and Locke training on the water for the Archon begins, I felt a break in the build-up. Things will eventually be spiced up as I said but the cut from the main storyline with the Sinspire made me feel at first that I was reading another book with a slower pace. The whole pirate thing is progressively intermixed with the previous thread and everything hopefully converges together toward a great ending.
When I wrote my review for The Lies of Locke Lamora, I said that Locke was one of the most compelling protagonists I had read about in a while. His star still shines, more so with the presence of Jean at his side. Their discussions and the way they taunt each other and understand themselves reflect a splendid characterization. Their friendship is the heart of the novel, the body of the cake with all their con work as the icing. One criticism I would mention is a slight diminution in cleverness. There are moments when the Bastards really are at the top of their game but I was not always amazed at how they could pull out of tricky situations, can't hope for perfection at every turn. Still, there's a healthy dose of surprises, treachery, false trails and winks of complicity.
As in The Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke's opponents are a match for him. He has to surpass himself again and again. Sadly, the Bastards will pass quite some time away from them, but they are always scheming and they always have something else to chew on. However some of them are quite simply stereotypical, at least in the case of some of the pirates. Anyway, I would not really want the author to reinvent them since they are easy to love (but probably also easy to write badly which is not the case here). Zamira Drakasha is the exception and since the biggest part of the naval portion of the book is in her surrounding, I would say there was no fault in depicting the pirates that way. That whole 'expedition' permitted the author to expand the story from the sole city of Tal Verrar.
I could not discern a significant increase in maturity in Scott's writing in comparison with his previous work but the basic aspects of it are clearly spot on. The narrative is again set in the third person with a high quality of dialogues. The pace is uneven in the middle of the book but some arduous passages had to be written to make the ending worthwhile. Also, I may be a neophyte in term of navigation terminology and lore but I can appreciate the fact that Lynch made his homework. From the training of the boys to the naval battles, I felt everything was described as it should, or at least as an acting Captain would.
If you have a knack for pirates, fell in love with Locke and Jean in Lynch first novel and look forward to a Sword and Sorcery (should say Sword and Deception since there's not much sorcery) tale, you will get a blast again with Red Seas Under Red Skies. I felt various emotions while reading and was glad for several grins, some heartfelt scenes and a good dose of action. For the newcomers, I would strongly recommend to start with The Lies of Locke Lamora. It may not be a stupendous evolution for the author versus his debut but it's engaging enough to keep the appetite up for the Gentlemen Bastard sequence.
By the way, I found Lynch's naming pattern to be really inspired, what a great list of names. From the pirates Ravelle and Drakasha to Madam Corvaleur and the city of Salon-Corbeau (even better in audiobook). This may seem like a small detail but it's still a part of a strong world building holding itself thigh and in continuity with Lies.
Technically, the Gollancz cover art is not really impressing with a reddish glow kind of annoying to look at but the burning ship cover posted with the review is quite good looking (Spectra edition). No maps are included with the book but you can find them here (no glossary either). The paperback edition stands at 584 pages. As for the audiobook edition, its length is 25 hours and 38 minutes and the narrator was Michael Page. Great choice/voice and even better for the names Lynch came up with. I didn't think that Jean was pronounced 'à la française'!
Red Seas Under Red Skies review score :
Characterization............. 8.5/10
World building............... 8.5 / 10
Magic system................. 7 / 10
Story.............................. 8 / 10
Writing........................... 8.5 / 10
Enjoy
__________________________________________________________
The Heroes
By Joe Abercombie
Joe Abercrombie has signed a deal for a new trilogy and a standalone novel, all set in the First Law universe. While waiting for this new trilogy that will probably place Bayaz and Khalul face to face, Joe granted the gritty fantasy lovers crowd with another standalone novel featuring the northern part of his world, new characters and some returning names. The Heroes is the fifth book written by the blazingly shameless author. Here's what we're looking at.
In the valley of Osrung sit The Heroes, statues of northern figures of the past. On that hill sits Hardbread, one of the Dogman's men. But he won't hold the hill for long, not when Curnden Craw and his dozen, on behalf of Black Dow are set on taking it back. No sooner, that hill will become the central point in a three day fight for The Union against their northern recalcitrant neighbors. In the mist of it all, one man is trying to prove to the world that he can be redeemed for his mistakes in far away Sipani and take back his position guarding the King. Facing him will be Prince Calder, Bethod's son, waiting in line for the succession of the North but scheming behind Dow's back.
The Heroes is one hell of a ride. A fast one you might say since it covers only three days of battling action, but every aspect of this struggle makes it a rough emotional hardship punctuated with laughter and manly bravado. Hence, the dragging sections slowing the pace a bit in Abercrombie's previous work (BSC) are not to be found. The days flow by without being repetitive. At the end of a day of fighting, there's plenty of talk to be had about the lost ones, the strategy and each faction internal conflicts. No rest for the wicked.
Character wise, the sole problem I had with Best Served Cold was the difficulty to read about protagonists who I couldn't completely connect with for a substantial part of the tale (in Monza's and Shivers' case, but I was still compelled to follow assiduously their adventures). Then, with The Heroes, that difficulty didn't present itself to me. The three main PoV and all the secondary people we follow are a better match for empathy. However, in Abercrombie's case, empathy with his characters cannot be seen under the same light as with many other authors. This is again a bunch of brutal antiheroes, men and women driven to present their carnal persona when it can make them crumble info fear or rise to the status of implacable heroes.
As for the most prominent PoV, we got a sick case of a violent suicidal devoted knight, one of the last straight edge leader of a dozen of bad ass named men and a cowardly cunning Prince in search of a throne. Let's start with Bremer Dan Gorst. We have seen him in the First Law and glimpsed his misadventure in Best Served Cold. The former Knight of the Body of his Majesty Jezal is in need of glory. However for the child-voiced neck-less brute, being a hero is charging through the mass to violently kill everything in his path. Bremer narrative if full of gritty and pervert reflections. Being surrounded by a crowd of incompetent military leaders, he will have to take matters horrifically in his own hands. A character like Bremer is fascinating but you can't really love him, so when his love life falls flat I was both satisfied and feeling pity for the guy.
Curnden Craw and his crew are the bunch I wanted to root for. Even though they can be considered on the bad side of things if you envisage the civility of the Union, masterminded by a cruel wizard, to be the good guys. Anyway, as with Bremer being probably blacker that Dow himself when on the battlefield, the line between good guys or bad guys is not only blurred, it's not even there. Craw leads a curious dozen, counting among the numbers the holder of the wicked Father of Swords no less. The Chief only wants to keep his crew alive and is the reasoning spirit of the gang. I felt a great pride and pain for this fatherly loyal fellow.
Prince Calder comes as a surprise. He's not anymore the cruel spoiled son of Bethod we glimpsed in the First Law trilogy. He has grown up and found love. But being hesitant to draw his sword doesn't mean that he can't struggle his way dangerously toward the top. Another great aspect of human outlook toward the duty of subordinate soldiers. Along with many other would be heroes or Union leaders, we get a nice tableau filled with a whole landscape of personal reactions toward war. Even though the novel is presented with its healthy paradoxal dose of humor and gory scenes (one of them about a chain of PoV switches from dying combatants), that's not the main point I'll retain from this tale although it adds a nice layer of entertainment. It will be the lifelong experience lived by the characters.
Then there's Corporal Tunny. Even though the novel hardly needed a comic relief with all the cracks Abercrombie wrote throughout the book for almost every character, Mr. Tunny shines brightly. The veteran of the First Union regiment is surrounded by new recruits to whom he will try to teach the soldier trade in some peculiar way. I don't remember the last time I read a novel when I grinned that much. Joe's skilled prose is full of witty comments, dubious situations and cunning surprises.
Let's talk a bit about the setting. The valley came alive through the eyes of the would be heroes. This is a great representation of success in term of world-building. Without even noticing it, I was always able to picture the site of the battle quite easily. Blending the details of the surroundings in this kind of narrative is a feat. Also, Abercrombie's unique social representation of his northmen, you feel at home right at the start of the novel. By the way, I really liked the detail of putting the map of the valley with the armies positions between each day (I like maps a lot). Magic wise, we're almost at rest but the mysticism presented before is still present in small occurrences though not really connected with the North.
For those of you looking ahead to cameos, you could be disappointed, as I was in a way. There's a good dose of friendly faces (not sure the "friend" label can be applied to all of them...) but it's mostly the newcomers who shine. Much of them will become characters I will hope to see in future books by the author.
In conclusion, don't forget that it's a novel by Joe Abercrombie. If you don't like realistic descriptions of bloody warfare creating a lot of gore, dirty talk and moral ambiguity in a fascinating tale about a dubiously necessary battle fought by would-be heroes who come short of their goals, don't pick the book but realize that you're missing something. In this unforgiving story, you're not only getting juicy meat on the bone but also a nice layer of tasty fat!
Technically, The Heroes is encased in a sleekly-looking stylish cover, in a mapping and bloody kind of way! The start of each part (day) of the book is supplemented with Joe chapter-starting trademark, delightful real world quotes. I already mentioned the map but it can also be seen the web here. The hardcover Gollancz edition stands at 498 pages.
The Heroes review score :Characterization............. 10 /10
World building............... 9.5 / 10
Magic system................. 8 /10
Story.............................. 9.5/ 10
Writing........................... 9.5 / 10
Enjoy
__________________________________________________________
Best Served Cold review
By Joe Abercombie
Best Served Cold and its author, Joe Abercrombie don't need much presentation. The hype surrounding this book was pretty high and the reviews so far very positive. I enjoyed Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy (it's in my list of reviews to add to the blog), so I couldn't wait any longer for the North American release and I ordered my copy from the UK.
As the title suggest, this book is about vengeance. This is the years of blood in Styria and the mercenaries are getting rich. We follow the story of The Thousand Swords mercenary army leader Monzcarro Murcatto (everyone calls her Monza) on her vengeful quest to punish those who tried to kill her and her brother. After an unlikely recovery weakening her, she will soon discover that to kill these seven people, Monza's going to need allies to have any chance of success. Her path will meet with Shivers, a north man looking for a good man life in Styria (he was seen in The First Law trilogy), Castor Morveer, a loquacious master poisoner and his young apprentice Day, ex practical Shylo Vitari, Nicomo Cosca, 'famed soldier of fortune' and drunkard (the last two from The First Law again) and Friendly, a liberated convict bodyguard obsessed with numbers. She will travel all over Styria within the League of Eight with Duke Orso's head hunters at her back.
I was pleased to see that Best Served Cold reintroduced many characters from The First Law trilogy. Because of this, to fully enjoy Best Served Cold, I think you really need to read The First Law before, it will give you a better experience. Along with the main protagonists, there are some really nice cameos.
Let's shake off the somewhat negative aspect first. During the reading, I had some problems with Monza narrative. At times, you really don't feel like she deserves to get her revenge and it gets a little uncomfortable as she's the main protagonist. This probably didn't make it easy for Abercrombie while writing. There are some pretty hard chapters (when Shivers and her tell each other their plain truths) but it's understandable in a rough setting as this. But eventually, everything comes nicely together and you'll cherish all the main PoV. Best Served Cold was compared to Kill Bill in some reviews... I think it's probably an easy comparison because it's about a girl taking her vengeance but not a perfect analogy.
The only other annoying element for me was that the story had a little tendency to drag between each "killing sub plot". I feared that a book this long centered around a vengeance would be repetitive, but every time, everything got back on track. The book is separated in parts with each person to kill and it feels almost as if it was seven short stories. It gets more complicated as things evolve and in the long run, it feels epic in scale, which is a good thing (you can feel the Gurkish and Union influences in the conflict too).
Abercrombie's writing is as good as ever if not even better. I like the way he's able tell a tale this dark and serious while adding a nice layer of humor, I could even say plenty of it. There's still swearing and gore and sex but Joe really found a way of masterfully integrating all these elements in his writing just the right way. Speaking of those moments, he went even farther that in The First Law with Best Served Cold. I would like to add Kick-ass moments to my blog with some of this book scenes but I'm not sure it belongs to the web. :) The action sequences are really well rendered.
As far as the writing goes, the best part of it is the characterization. Besides what I mentioned about Monza, every characters (even the secondary ones) are a delight, they don't feel like clichés to me. Morveer's way of talking, especially with the not so learned Shivers is a real joy. Cosca is probably the most pleasurable. A lot of PoV are used, but the author returns more often with Shivers and Monza.
I won't comment much on the magic system since it's not important and not necessary in the book. Don't worry, it's still a fantasy novel. Some of the protagonists who can appear from dead air and others are exceptionally powerful (remember the eaters?). The world-building is quite satisfying. Since everybody Monza wants dead are in different part of Styria, we get to travel a lot of ground. Each city has her own characteristics and I could easily imagine myself walking the streets.
Little detail, I really think that Abercrombie's way of naming his chapters is a great asset, as are his "parts" quotes and Monza's past introductions.
Why should you read this book? Well if the review is not enough, I can tell you that Best Served Cold is a strikingly well written, humorous, gritty, sexy, darkly and unforgiving piece of work. You just can't pass over this one. The characters will totally compel you to follow them.
As the title suggest, this book is about vengeance. This is the years of blood in Styria and the mercenaries are getting rich. We follow the story of The Thousand Swords mercenary army leader Monzcarro Murcatto (everyone calls her Monza) on her vengeful quest to punish those who tried to kill her and her brother. After an unlikely recovery weakening her, she will soon discover that to kill these seven people, Monza's going to need allies to have any chance of success. Her path will meet with Shivers, a north man looking for a good man life in Styria (he was seen in The First Law trilogy), Castor Morveer, a loquacious master poisoner and his young apprentice Day, ex practical Shylo Vitari, Nicomo Cosca, 'famed soldier of fortune' and drunkard (the last two from The First Law again) and Friendly, a liberated convict bodyguard obsessed with numbers. She will travel all over Styria within the League of Eight with Duke Orso's head hunters at her back.
I was pleased to see that Best Served Cold reintroduced many characters from The First Law trilogy. Because of this, to fully enjoy Best Served Cold, I think you really need to read The First Law before, it will give you a better experience. Along with the main protagonists, there are some really nice cameos.
Let's shake off the somewhat negative aspect first. During the reading, I had some problems with Monza narrative. At times, you really don't feel like she deserves to get her revenge and it gets a little uncomfortable as she's the main protagonist. This probably didn't make it easy for Abercrombie while writing. There are some pretty hard chapters (when Shivers and her tell each other their plain truths) but it's understandable in a rough setting as this. But eventually, everything comes nicely together and you'll cherish all the main PoV. Best Served Cold was compared to Kill Bill in some reviews... I think it's probably an easy comparison because it's about a girl taking her vengeance but not a perfect analogy.
The only other annoying element for me was that the story had a little tendency to drag between each "killing sub plot". I feared that a book this long centered around a vengeance would be repetitive, but every time, everything got back on track. The book is separated in parts with each person to kill and it feels almost as if it was seven short stories. It gets more complicated as things evolve and in the long run, it feels epic in scale, which is a good thing (you can feel the Gurkish and Union influences in the conflict too).
Abercrombie's writing is as good as ever if not even better. I like the way he's able tell a tale this dark and serious while adding a nice layer of humor, I could even say plenty of it. There's still swearing and gore and sex but Joe really found a way of masterfully integrating all these elements in his writing just the right way. Speaking of those moments, he went even farther that in The First Law with Best Served Cold. I would like to add Kick-ass moments to my blog with some of this book scenes but I'm not sure it belongs to the web. :) The action sequences are really well rendered.
As far as the writing goes, the best part of it is the characterization. Besides what I mentioned about Monza, every characters (even the secondary ones) are a delight, they don't feel like clichés to me. Morveer's way of talking, especially with the not so learned Shivers is a real joy. Cosca is probably the most pleasurable. A lot of PoV are used, but the author returns more often with Shivers and Monza.
I won't comment much on the magic system since it's not important and not necessary in the book. Don't worry, it's still a fantasy novel. Some of the protagonists who can appear from dead air and others are exceptionally powerful (remember the eaters?). The world-building is quite satisfying. Since everybody Monza wants dead are in different part of Styria, we get to travel a lot of ground. Each city has her own characteristics and I could easily imagine myself walking the streets.
Little detail, I really think that Abercrombie's way of naming his chapters is a great asset, as are his "parts" quotes and Monza's past introductions.
Why should you read this book? Well if the review is not enough, I can tell you that Best Served Cold is a strikingly well written, humorous, gritty, sexy, darkly and unforgiving piece of work. You just can't pass over this one. The characters will totally compel you to follow them.
Technically, I think the Gollancz cover is beautiful and way better than the US Orbit cover with the bloodied girl. There's no complete map in the book but every book section start with a quote and in the background there's a map of the city area involved. The cover also shows the map in the background but for a clearer version you can go here. There is no appendix/glossary. The book is 534 pages.
Best Served Cold review score :
Best Served Cold review score :
World building............... 8.5 / 10
Magic system................. N/ A
Story.............................. 8.5 / 10
Writing........................... 9.5 / 10
Enjoy
