Anyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time will have come to realise that I am partial to a bit of fantasy fiction, even though it tends to require commitment and loyalty (or maybe because it requires these two attributes!) This is because you rarely get a stand alone novel in this genre. And Before They Are Hanged, by Joe Abercrombie, is no exception. This is the second part of The First Law trilogy, and the war with the formidable Bethod, King of the Northmen is beginning in earnest. The Union is being defended in the north by a poorly trained and disastrously led army in which the solidly reliable Captain West is given the impossible task of keeping Crown Prince Ladisla out of trouble. Barely escaping with their lives, West somehow hooks up with the dysfunctional band of killing machines led by Threetrees, who end up back in the Union army. Meanwhile, Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a band of misfits on a mission to find the ultimate weapon. Through many trials and tribulations, this group start to form a cohesive, if grumpy unit and the specific relationship which develops between Logen Ninefingers and the formidable Ferro (one of the strongest female characters you will come across) is both hilarious and touching. Meanwhile, Inquisitor Glokta, my favourite and yet most despicable character from the first book, has been sent to defend a city that is both surrounded by the enemy and rotten with traitors. Each of these three scenarios would make a book by themselves, but the author weaves them together with aplomb. The action scenes are unrelenting and not for the faint-hearted, the dialogue is meaningful and funny and the characters are well drawn. As it's been a while since I read the first instalment, it took me a little time to catch myself up on who was who, but once I'd cracked that, I was totally invested in them once again. There are a couple of unexpected plot twists which took me by surprise, which is always a delight. Added to that is the introduction of some devilishly hard to kill and scary creatures (The Eaters - need I say more). Whilst it didn't, for me, reach the dizzying heights of the first instalment - there was a touch of treading water at times in readiness for the final part of the trilogy - this is still a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Roll on the conclusion to this epic tale!
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 570 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE - it was a present!
Reading formats available: print; unabridged audio download; audio CD; ebook.
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