Fantasy

Last Argument of Kings – Joe Abercrombie

Last Argument of Kings

” Last Argument Of Kings: The First Law: Book Three:” as Amazon refers to it is not the end of our journey with Joe Abercrombie I’m already halfway thru Best Served Cold but more of that at a later date.

Last Argument Of Kings is difficult to review without giving away too much of what could be described as an apocalyptic ending.

An author should always end with the best and with Last Argument of Kings this theory is put into practice. The last of Joe Abercrombie’s debut fantasy collection, The First Law, demonstrates everything a finale should: gives some answers, and ties together the loose ends from a variety of plots. This series was always a swords and some small sorcerytale that used a wry dialogue with interleafed plotlines. Its not a comedy there is a large amount of tounge in cheek humour.

Its probably worthwile plagarising a paragraph from Colin P Linsey who puts it rather well:

“I’d hazard a guess though that there will be some readers who may not like how this series ended…because it isn’t necessarily pretty and it certainly isn’t a fairy tale ending. Unlike those tidier fantasy stories, Abercrombie doesn’t forget that battlefield corpses don’t just magically disappear and besieged cities aren’t magically made whole at the end of the day. His is a dirty, gritty world every bit as nasty as medieval Europe and the story and the endings reflect this adherence to realism. As Logen Nine-Fingers often says, you have to be realistic. Abercrombie definitely is realistic and the story reflects it. Wounds come at the price of disfigurement and death, people will do awful things to accomplish their goals, and people aren’t charitably motivated. The weak get squashed, soldiers get maimed, the powerful do horrendous evil to hang onto their power and the more things change, the more they stay the same. You have to be realistic about these things dear reader, and that realism is what sets this trilogy apart and makes it such a great read. ”

So last its over. The dead are dead and most of the living seem so. The rich are rich and the poor are er… poor. It remind me of tales of medieval England during the times of the 100yr war. My verdict thirteen out of ten. Not at all what I expected and after all my years this takes some doing. Well done Joe Abercrombie long may you entertain me!

Philip

The Blade Itself – Joe Abercrombie

When a blurb starts with "Logan Ninefingers" you know you are about to enter the relms of fantasy or your local Loony Bin. This is an epic, sweeping story about several unique and unforgettable characters which is told from differing perspectives; yesterday, now, as fiction, fable, history, mythology, geography, culture, intrigue and romance (failed).

1 comment - What do you think?
Posted by Philip - February 11, 2011 at 12:04 pm

Categories: Adventure, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Books & Authors, Fantasy, Fiction Tags: Ardee, Bayaz, Captain Luthar, Carleon, Fantasy, Forley, Glokta, Grim, Gurkhul, Jezal, Joe Abercrombie, Kanta, Logan Ninefingers, Major West, The Blade Itself, The Dogman, Threetrees, Weakest, Yulwei

In the Pipeline

Andy McNab - Martina Cole - Tim Severin - Val McDermid

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Posted by Philip - March 17, 2010 at 8:15 pm

Categories: Amazon, Books, Books & Authors, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction Tags: Andy McNab, Martina Cole, Tim Severin, Val McDermid

Who wrote this then??

Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them. Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make their way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River-an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another, as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.

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Posted by Philip - March 16, 2010 at 8:10 pm

Categories: Amazon, Books, Fantasy, Fiction Tags: Dragons

Sookie Stackhouse and her local vampires

I just looked and Four Days have gone by. I still have not fought my way or should I say waded my way thru Ian M Banks and Matter. Its no good I give up. Perhaps I can return to it if I am ever stuck in a Hospital bed or forced to sit in front of "Soaps" on TV.

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Posted by Philip - March 7, 2010 at 11:13 am

Categories: Amazon, Books, Fantasy Tags: Books, Fantasy, murder, Sookie Stackhouse, vampires

Ian M Banks – Matter – Continued

As the name suggests, the hero's journey model is based on the idea that all works of fiction can be regarded as a journey. The journey may be a little one such is a quest for treasure, a psychological one. E.g. a journey of self-discovery, or a combination of both. Whatever form it takes the journey is going to involve certain common elements including meetings with allies and enemies tests and ordeals and a supreme challenge leading to some major change in the hero and or his world.

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Posted by Philip - March 3, 2010 at 1:14 pm

Categories: Amazon, Books, Fantasy Tags: Banks, Books, Ian m. Banks, Matter

Rage of a Demon King: Volume lll of the Serpentwar Saga

It’s long past time I re-read the Serpentwar Sage and it gives me the chance to review the books from a different perspective and get involved once again with the Kingdom’s struggle to fight against the mass invaders. Since I’ve already read it many times starting in with Rage of a Demon King: Volume lll of the Serpentwar Saga was just an accident of bookcase positioning. EBookcase that is.

I was looking thru some of the comments at Amazon (Perhaps my favorite store)

‘The Dark Queen’s mass hordes finally reach the shores of Krondor where they unleash hell!’ Well yes but that rather leaves out the story of Eric and his finally getting to grips with Kitty. Or should that be the other way around?

‘The Battle of Krondor is described brilliantly and its the best that Feist has written since the fall of Armengar in A Darkness at Sethanon ‘ is another. Again very true but what’s with the fascination with Battles.

Isn’t this meant to be a love story? It’s certainly not the handbook on crooked business practice that the previous book was.

Mystic magic and Love have you spellbound for hours. Now that’s my idea of a comment!

In this sequel to Shadow of a Dark Queen , author Raymond Feist returns to his magical world of Midkemia. Time is growing short now, as the Kingdom of the Isles braces itself for the inevitable invasion by the Emerald Queen’s hoard. Erik is hurriedly training new recruits. Will the Armies of the West be ready? Rupert (philanderer Lecherous) Avery gets down to making money for the war and as usual other (Blond Beautiful Treacherous) things get in his way.

Rage of a Demon King is the expected and unexpected mix that we have come to expect from Feist. Things do not go well for the Armies of the West and they are pushed back towards the mountains reeling from disaster after disaster. Major characters are lost to the enemy. Who is going to be left standing at the end and where are they going to be.

Rage of a Demon King rattles along at a furious pace with interludes of quiet giving the characters time to grow love and grieve. I can’t say a great deal about the plot or I would spoil it for everyone. It’s Feist at his best. Just go out and buy it!

Click here and Buy it! Incidentally if you purchase anything from one of the highlighted words I get a minor commission. To do me out of that just type a search in Amazon or similar and purchase that way!

Philip

Rage of a Demon King Raymond E Feist Serpentwar Saga

Fantasy