Review of The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS

The end is coming.

Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him – but it’s going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the King of the Northmen still stands firm, and there’s only one man who can stop him. His oldest friend, and his oldest enemy: it’s time for the Bloody-Nine to come home.

With too many masters and too little time, Superior Glokta is fighting a different kind of war. A secret struggle in which no-one is safe, and no-one can be trusted. As his days with a sword are far behind him, it’s fortunate that he’s deadly with his remaining weapons: blackmail, threats, and torture.

Jezal dan Luthar has decided that winning glory is too painful an undertaking, and turned his back on soldering for a simple life with the woman he loves. But love can be painful too – and glory has a nasty habit of creeping up on a man when he least expects it.

The King of the Union lies on his deathbed, the peasants revolt, and the nobles scramble to steal his crown. No-one believes that the shadow of war is about to fall across the heart of the Union. Only the First of the Magi can save the world – but there are risks. There is no risk more terrible, than to break the First Law.

The First Law Trilogy is equal parts gruel, war, mayhem and a little bit of magic too but, not to much to take it over the top. Joe Abercrombie writes with a sort of unknown, unspoken knowledge of fighting, battle and the loss and victory that can come with it. What made this story so great (even on the second time through) is how familiar the characters were to me and how I can relate to them in the situations that they went through. Even the unforgiving, warped brilliant mind of Sand Dan Golkta intrigued me as though it would just be common place to act out the story as he did because of the hand he was dealt. Although, the hopeless romantic (blah, blah, blah)in me was anticipating Ferro walking back into Logen's life clear up till the end of the book, it fit well that she did not. Because this is how life is in all its cold unfairness. As Logen would say, "You have to be realistic about these things.". The Dogman was not at all the most wrote over character in the book but I think that he would be my favorite. He held the clearest head of them all, I think and his mutterings were pretty hilarious at times. In fact, I thought all the Northman for being the tough, rugged bunch that they were, were the most humorous. And on the other side of it, the seven Day battle at the fort on the top of the mountain was freakin' paramount! I could cram all those chapters together and read them over and over and over. With all that said, there are still plenty more characters in this story to love and hate. I know that I will pick these books up again as they are on my shelf of some of the best fantasy out there.