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Review
"Last Argument of Kings signs off the trilogy on a high, interspersing breathless skirmishes with thriller-like moments. You should always end with the best. Wow them in the final act, make the last chorus a belter, build to a climax and them get them on their feet applauding when the curtain falls. Last Argument of Kings is the textbook example of this theory in practice." (Dave Bradley SFX )
"For any writer to produce work of this quality is superb; that this sequence marks a debut is all the more remarkable. The First Law (trilogy) is, I strongly believe, a seminal work of modern fantasy. It is a benchmark sequence that should be regarded as an example of all that is truly great in today's genre fiction. It stands way above the vast majority of the marketplace. It's damn good stuff!" (John Berylne SF REVU )
"Breathtaking moments, great characters and grim laughs makes this a cut about your average fantasy. Joe Abercrombie's First Law series has had tired fantasy readers sitting up in pleasant surprise. And rightly so. Abercrombie is a fantasy writer who can really write. Last Argument of Kings is tightly plotted, has wit and style to spare, and in the Barbarian Logen and the Inquisitor Glotka it has two of the best fantasy creations of recent years." (Gideon Kibbleworth DEATHRAY )
"All in all it has been one of the most incredible, twisted, inventive and above all utterly enjoyable fantasy reading experiences I've had in a very, very long time . . . Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he knows how to tell a bloody good tale." (thegenrefiles.com )
"Last Argument of Kings delivers exactly what this trilogy needed: a no-holds-barred war story in which secrets are exposed, mysteries are explained and the author resolutely refuses to pull any punches. The ending is superb, particularly the tremendously satisfying epilogue and the final scene. Last Argument of Kings is a more than worthy conclusion to this trilogy." (THE WERTZONE )
"The trilogy as a whole has crept gradually away from the standard fantasy template and gained a very unique feel. Having said this, for a book so different to Tolkien's, I'm going to make yet another Tolkien comparison - the aftermath and bittersweet ending has a very similar tone to the end of Lord of the Rings. each book in this trilogy has shown a distinct improvement, and with this fantastic concluding volume, I'd even go as far as to say it's become one of my favourite series." (SANDSTORM REVIEWS )
"He's written something not far short of a masterpiece, something special. Last Argument of Kings has everything you could ask for: huge battles, political intrigue, masterly characterisation and surprises by the bucket-load. This book will by turns shock you, excite you, make you laugh, and above all entertain you." (SPECULATIVE HORIZONS )
"Abercrombie is headed for superstar status" (JEFF VANDERMEER )
"Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he knows how to close a trilogy with panache. The final novel in The First Law trilogy, Last Argument of Kings, is without a doubt the strongest novel in the cycle and, indeed, one of the strongest finishes to a trilogy I've come across in a long time. Joe Abercrombie has cemented himself at the top of the heap as one of the most consistent, fresh and exciting new voices in fantasy." (A DRIBBLE OF INK (website) )
"Last Argument of Kings concludes The First Law the way it began: with cynicism, blackly comic repartee and non-stop, bloody action." (Barbara Davies STARBURST )
"Abercrombie's talent for developing believable characters and changing the tone and voice of each chapter according to the point of view is a joy to read. Although he takes familiar fantasy staples, he manages to avoid coming off as a cheap hack reinventing Tolkien. A solidly written finale, rich with Abercrombie's trademark dark humour and great dialogue, that finishes with a decidedly downbeat ending." (Den Patrick DREAMWATCH ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
"For any writer to produce work of this quality is superb; that this sequence marks a debut is all the more remarkable. The First Law (trilogy) is, I strongly believe, a seminal work of modern fantasy. It is a benchmark sequence that should be regarded as an example of all that is truly great in today's genre fiction. It stands way above the vast majority of the marketplace. It's damn good stuff!" (John Berylne SF REVU )
"Breathtaking moments, great characters and grim laughs makes this a cut about your average fantasy. Joe Abercrombie's First Law series has had tired fantasy readers sitting up in pleasant surprise. And rightly so. Abercrombie is a fantasy writer who can really write. Last Argument of Kings is tightly plotted, has wit and style to spare, and in the Barbarian Logen and the Inquisitor Glotka it has two of the best fantasy creations of recent years." (Gideon Kibbleworth DEATHRAY )
"All in all it has been one of the most incredible, twisted, inventive and above all utterly enjoyable fantasy reading experiences I've had in a very, very long time . . . Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he knows how to tell a bloody good tale." (thegenrefiles.com )
"Last Argument of Kings delivers exactly what this trilogy needed: a no-holds-barred war story in which secrets are exposed, mysteries are explained and the author resolutely refuses to pull any punches. The ending is superb, particularly the tremendously satisfying epilogue and the final scene. Last Argument of Kings is a more than worthy conclusion to this trilogy." (THE WERTZONE )
"The trilogy as a whole has crept gradually away from the standard fantasy template and gained a very unique feel. Having said this, for a book so different to Tolkien's, I'm going to make yet another Tolkien comparison - the aftermath and bittersweet ending has a very similar tone to the end of Lord of the Rings. each book in this trilogy has shown a distinct improvement, and with this fantastic concluding volume, I'd even go as far as to say it's become one of my favourite series." (SANDSTORM REVIEWS )
"He's written something not far short of a masterpiece, something special. Last Argument of Kings has everything you could ask for: huge battles, political intrigue, masterly characterisation and surprises by the bucket-load. This book will by turns shock you, excite you, make you laugh, and above all entertain you." (SPECULATIVE HORIZONS )
"Abercrombie is headed for superstar status" (JEFF VANDERMEER )
"Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he knows how to close a trilogy with panache. The final novel in The First Law trilogy, Last Argument of Kings, is without a doubt the strongest novel in the cycle and, indeed, one of the strongest finishes to a trilogy I've come across in a long time. Joe Abercrombie has cemented himself at the top of the heap as one of the most consistent, fresh and exciting new voices in fantasy." (A DRIBBLE OF INK (website) )
"Last Argument of Kings concludes The First Law the way it began: with cynicism, blackly comic repartee and non-stop, bloody action." (Barbara Davies STARBURST )
"Abercrombie's talent for developing believable characters and changing the tone and voice of each chapter according to the point of view is a joy to read. Although he takes familiar fantasy staples, he manages to avoid coming off as a cheap hack reinventing Tolkien. A solidly written finale, rich with Abercrombie's trademark dark humour and great dialogue, that finishes with a decidedly downbeat ending." (Den Patrick DREAMWATCH ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
THE WERTZONE
"Last Argument of Kings delivers exactly what this trilogy needed: a no-holds-barred war story in which secrets are exposed, mysteries are explained and the author resolutely refuses to pull any punches. The ending is superb, particularly the tremendously satisfying epilogue and the final scene. Last Argument of Kings is a more than worthy conclusion to this trilogy."
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
...say he spins a damn good yarn.
In fact, for my money, Abercrombie has delivered quite simply the most memorable and satisfying fantasy saga since the original Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
Last Argument of Kings skilfully draws together the diverse threads into a breathtaking finale. We have some sex, some explicit torture, intrigue and stunning revelations aplenty, battles on an epic scale and some incredibly vivid descriptions of how it must feel to become a berserker. We also have more than a few laughs along the way. If you're a fan of the swords and sorcery genre, you may well remark on the absence of any maps at the front of the novel. Abercrombie cheekily engages with the reader by letting one of his characters comment on how she hates books with maps. Nice touch!
More so with this novel than its predecessors, I got a distinct feel that the warring factions hint at historical conflicts between Islam and the West. The 'Gurkish' certainly have vaguely arab-sounding names, aim to force the Union to worship god in their manner and the word 'Crusade' is even used on one occasion. Whether this was Abercrombie's intention or not I don't know, but it adds a further element to the saga. Indeed, somewhat like the Crusades, the labels of right and wrong frequently get blurred. It is in this splendid ambiguity that the power of Abercrombie's story-telling lies. The nearest thing we have to a conventional hero is Jezal - but he remains a coward at heart. We dally a long time with the witty Glokta - and yet he is a ruthless torturer. Logan, Dogman, Bayaz, Ardee, West, even previous bit-players like Pike all have their splendidly rounded characters develop yet further in this superb novel.
Don't expect a feel-good ending. What I can promise you though, is a spectacular, memorable and realistic ending to this deliciously cynical and ironic, but above all, very human, saga.
Great stuff!
In fact, for my money, Abercrombie has delivered quite simply the most memorable and satisfying fantasy saga since the original Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
Last Argument of Kings skilfully draws together the diverse threads into a breathtaking finale. We have some sex, some explicit torture, intrigue and stunning revelations aplenty, battles on an epic scale and some incredibly vivid descriptions of how it must feel to become a berserker. We also have more than a few laughs along the way. If you're a fan of the swords and sorcery genre, you may well remark on the absence of any maps at the front of the novel. Abercrombie cheekily engages with the reader by letting one of his characters comment on how she hates books with maps. Nice touch!
More so with this novel than its predecessors, I got a distinct feel that the warring factions hint at historical conflicts between Islam and the West. The 'Gurkish' certainly have vaguely arab-sounding names, aim to force the Union to worship god in their manner and the word 'Crusade' is even used on one occasion. Whether this was Abercrombie's intention or not I don't know, but it adds a further element to the saga. Indeed, somewhat like the Crusades, the labels of right and wrong frequently get blurred. It is in this splendid ambiguity that the power of Abercrombie's story-telling lies. The nearest thing we have to a conventional hero is Jezal - but he remains a coward at heart. We dally a long time with the witty Glokta - and yet he is a ruthless torturer. Logan, Dogman, Bayaz, Ardee, West, even previous bit-players like Pike all have their splendidly rounded characters develop yet further in this superb novel.
Don't expect a feel-good ending. What I can promise you though, is a spectacular, memorable and realistic ending to this deliciously cynical and ironic, but above all, very human, saga.
Great stuff!
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you buy this trilogy expecting pages of epic landscapes alive with giants, goblins, dragons and bestrode by shining heroes in silver armour sat on magnificent horses wielding magic swords dealing out death and destruction to an evil meglamaniac and his hordes of minions, you will be sadly dissappointed. Also if you like your books full of song lyrics, poems, family trees and elvish alphabets you will be equally dissappointed. Our author even declines to prefix the action with the usual obligatory badly drawn map!
No, Abercrombie's world is a world made of men. Their actions, emotions desires, words, triumphs, failings, smells and innards. The author takes you through the story from the various points of view of the main charactors, and what a collection of charactors they are, beautifully fleshed out, 3D and brought to life so that I almost expected to meet them whilst out walking the dog in the woods. The major benefit of this style is that you never tire of one charactor and you ride along behind their eyes so you know and understand their motives and grow to love and sympathise with them even though they are cabable of the dreadful.
Don't get me wrong, there is much here the hackneyed fantasy reader will recognise. A grizzled campaigner, a young handsome swordsman, an ancient arch magi, a torturer, a beautiful girl and a host of barbarian tribesman. However all given a refreshing twist. The swordsman is a cowardly, self obsessed snob. The grizzled campaigner is oft possessed by a 'beserker' alter ego who is as likey to kill his best friend as his worst enemy and the beautiful girl is a slightly tarty 'low-born' with an inclination to hit the bottle.
Potential buyers of a sensitive nature be warned the writing style is more Guy Ritchie than Tolkien. Expect profanities, sex, gore and plenty of black humour.
The joys of this book are the authors ability to create 'real' people, he has a gift for dialogue and moves the action along at a satisfying pace and puts you in the heart of it. The story avoids being cliched and predictable for the most part. The charactors are all shades of grey rather than being definatively evil or good and their actions stay true to their personalities as set out in volume one.
If I was hyper critical I may say that the plot though neatly pulled together at the end, for much of the trilogy can feel like a series of random events. Also the female charactors don't feel quite as authentic and fleshed out as the male ones. But I am splitting hairs here, this is a rollicking good adventure that has made me remember why I first picked up a copy of LOTR all those years ago.
I'm going to really miss the personalities in this book, Logan Ninefingers is truly one of the great fantasy charactors ever created as is the deliciously bitter and twisted Glotka. That said I hope 'Joe' does not do the predictable sequel or prequel but conjures us up another cast list of equally entertaining heroes & villains to ride with in his next book, and if your reading this Joe don't keep me waiting too long!
No, Abercrombie's world is a world made of men. Their actions, emotions desires, words, triumphs, failings, smells and innards. The author takes you through the story from the various points of view of the main charactors, and what a collection of charactors they are, beautifully fleshed out, 3D and brought to life so that I almost expected to meet them whilst out walking the dog in the woods. The major benefit of this style is that you never tire of one charactor and you ride along behind their eyes so you know and understand their motives and grow to love and sympathise with them even though they are cabable of the dreadful.
Don't get me wrong, there is much here the hackneyed fantasy reader will recognise. A grizzled campaigner, a young handsome swordsman, an ancient arch magi, a torturer, a beautiful girl and a host of barbarian tribesman. However all given a refreshing twist. The swordsman is a cowardly, self obsessed snob. The grizzled campaigner is oft possessed by a 'beserker' alter ego who is as likey to kill his best friend as his worst enemy and the beautiful girl is a slightly tarty 'low-born' with an inclination to hit the bottle.
Potential buyers of a sensitive nature be warned the writing style is more Guy Ritchie than Tolkien. Expect profanities, sex, gore and plenty of black humour.
The joys of this book are the authors ability to create 'real' people, he has a gift for dialogue and moves the action along at a satisfying pace and puts you in the heart of it. The story avoids being cliched and predictable for the most part. The charactors are all shades of grey rather than being definatively evil or good and their actions stay true to their personalities as set out in volume one.
If I was hyper critical I may say that the plot though neatly pulled together at the end, for much of the trilogy can feel like a series of random events. Also the female charactors don't feel quite as authentic and fleshed out as the male ones. But I am splitting hairs here, this is a rollicking good adventure that has made me remember why I first picked up a copy of LOTR all those years ago.
I'm going to really miss the personalities in this book, Logan Ninefingers is truly one of the great fantasy charactors ever created as is the deliciously bitter and twisted Glotka. That said I hope 'Joe' does not do the predictable sequel or prequel but conjures us up another cast list of equally entertaining heroes & villains to ride with in his next book, and if your reading this Joe don't keep me waiting too long!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I liked the gritty feel of the series, the dark humor and the interesting anti-heroes that make up the entire cast. But plot-wise, this was a disappointing ending to the series. Compared to Brandon Sanderson's new "The Way of Kings", which had me at the edge of my seat, the Last Argument of Kings is slow-paced and oddly uneventful - not to say depressing. It feels as if Abercrombie didn't really plan ahead - this trilogy had potential, but it failed to deliver in the end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
First class, no argument
Oh happy the day I took someone else's advise on books to read for once!
The First Law series has been a joy - the first two books were chomped through at a rate of... Read more
The First Law series has been a joy - the first two books were chomped through at a rate of... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Mr. R. J. Wright
How can you argue against this quality.
I have enjoyed every minute of reading this trilogy, with so many great characters, laugh out loud comedy lines, exciting and sometimes downright blood thirsty violent battle... Read more
Published 13 days ago by mike
Call me Sentimental, But...
First things first: "The Blade Itself" was one of my favourite fantasy books of the year that I read it. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Charley R
Best fantasy trilogy I have ever read.
After being recommended these books by a man I just met, I bought the first and soon found that I could not put it down. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Corican
A fitting ending
I have really enjoyed this trilogy, and Book 3 more than Book 2. I thought the battle scenes didn't dominate in this book, unlike Book 2. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Happyface
No end in sight
This is by far the least of the three books in the the First Law series. The powerful and engaging characters and their multi-layered personalities are suddenly reduced to one... Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Murphy
Amazing
The First Law trilogy was recommended to me by a friend.
I had just read Peter V. Brett's The Warded man and Desert Spear. Read more
I had just read Peter V. Brett's The Warded man and Desert Spear. Read more
Published 5 months ago by kieran bew
Top class, dark fantasy - a homage to the trilogy
It says a lot about a book when the number of 4- and 5-star reviews are in the vast majority. It says even more when the same applies to all the author's books. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ben Kane
Very dark, very funny and very violent
I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series and this is a great conclusion to the trilogy. This one is darker than the previous 2. Read more
Published 10 months ago by P. Fitzpatrick
A New High in Low Fantasy
Here's a quote that any fantasy author would want in their inside cover, "the best fantasy trilogy since Lord of the Rings. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Sam
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