Review - Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (First Law #4 but standalone)

"'Things aren't what they used to be' is the rallying cry of small minds. When men say things used to be better, they invariably mean they were better for them, because they were young, and had all their hopes intact. The world is bound to look a darker place as you slide into the grave.”

I felt like this was apt for today's political climate...

“You should laugh every moment you live, for you'll find it decidedly difficult afterwards.”

There was a lot of this type of sentiment throughout Best Served Cold. Do this, for you're not doing it after. Which is definitely the theme of the book. Some hints that revenge, as cool as it is for a story (especially a Joe Abercrombie story) is kind of a waste of your life.

I know this is absolutely all over the place for a "review" but it was great getting back to Abercrombie. His work with characters is stellar, as expected, especially Shivers here. His books are endlessly quotable, especially Nicomo Cosca (I think both above are from him), and that is in BSC too.

I was highly satisfied. Expectations met and exceeded in places.

I like that this was fully contained and stand-alone, yet if you've read in the world, you'll be rewarded.

I was a little disappointed in his Shattered Sea trilogy. Loved book one, but the later two just didn't work for me. Sadly, I think that had to do with his amazing ability with characters, but I didn't like them very much in books two and three.

Best Served Cold was nice to read to get back to what I love about Abercrombie while at the same time following characters I really loved.

Steven Pacey was the audiobook narrator and he was absolutely perfect for this. Great voices for all involved, from gruff northman, to females, to ... Friendly. I forgot I was listening to a book and I was lost in the story. That's a good narrator.

BSC is also a book that works well for audio. It's straight-forward at its heart with character focus. Some books (like Reality Dysfunction recently) just don't work, there's too much that my brain needs to see to remember and keep the story straight. BSC worked.

4.5 out of 5 stars (highly recommended)

P.S. Though technically known as book 4 of the First Law world, it's not necessary to read the previous books. It's standalone. I had this experience though I barely remembered any of the reoccurring characters.

eBook Deals - Posey, Gaiman, Abercrombie, Kadrey, Chu, Scalzi, Grossman, Bester, Schwab,

I don't know what's going on lately, but there are a ton of great books on sale right now in the US.

[$0.99] Three (Legends of the Dustwalker #1) by Jay Posey

[$1.99] The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
[$1.99] Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie
[$1.99] The Getaway God by Richard Kadrey
[$1.99] The Lives of Tao (Lives of Tao #1) by Wesley Chu
[$1.99] Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon

[$2.99] The Human Division (Old Man's War #5) by John Scalzi
[$2.99] The Magicians (Magicians #1) by Lev Grossman - I can't recommend this enough!
[$2.99] Virtual Unrealities, short fiction by Alfred Bester
[$2.99] Vicious by V.E. Schwab
[$2.99] Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

Only the Best of 2014 - My Best Reads This Year

I had a really slow year this year when it comes to reading. It doesn't help that I moved a couple states away, got a new job that keeps me busier than ever, and I'm trying to keep up with three kids any moment they're awake. My Goodreads goal of 50 books, a decrease from last year because I knew there was a possibility of some changes, was only met by 64% (that's only 31 books).

However, a number of those books were new releases and it was a great year for those. Below you'll find my top 7 new releases for 2014. I was going to narrow it down to five, but I found myself trying to cheat by posting "ties" and I honestly hate that so I gave the actual number even if not so round.

Following that list are some more year-end wrap up awards if you can even call it that. Mostly, I wanted to have a chance to talk about the books I loved this year one extra time.

Top 7 New Releases of 2014

7) Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan

6) City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (still need to review this)

5) Breach Zone (Shadow Ops #3) by Myke Cole

4) Prince of Fools (Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence

4) Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie

3) Veil of the Deserters (Bloodsounder's Arc #2) by Jeff Salyards

2) The Magician's Land (Magicians #3) by Lev Grossman

1) The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage #2) by Brian McClellan

Biggest Surprise

Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott - Seriously, you need to read this if you haven't already. At first glance, it doesn't sound like much, but it was absolutely one of my favorites of the last number of years.

Best Stand-Alones

Tie for Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway and Blackdog by K.V. Johanson. Remember, I said I hate ties in numbered lists. No numbers here, so I can have a tie. Both these were absolutely astounding reads. They are completely different, one a contemporary mystery with a wonderful sense of humor (Angelmaker) and one an epic fantasy set in a non-European medieval times (Blackdog).

Best Audiobooks

Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons. This is really just one extended book that blew me away from start to finish. Simmons is a mad genius to combine all the elements he combines here and pulls it off stupendously.

Biggest Disappointment 

Impulse (Jumper #3) by Steven Gould - I had high hopes after the first two excellent installments. Combining the elements that made the first two great with teen angst and holier-than-thou characters made it a bit tough to stomach.

Missing

Blood and Iron by Jon Sprunk (currently reading), Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans (currently reading), Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Stavely, Assail by Ian Cameron Esslemont (though I did make progress by reading Stonewielder), and tons more. There are plenty of authors I've just gotten behind in keeping up with their new series such as Brent Weeks and Daniel Abraham and tons more I'm dying to begin. I'll have to do better this year I guess.

Review - Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

I do not believe it is possible for Joe Abercrombie to write a bad novel. Short or long, I'm glued to the page from the very first one. Half a King is much shorter than all his other novels, but that hardly diminishes the effect. 

I usually read multiple books at a time (cause I'm insane I know) and I found myself putting down others in favor of this one. REALLY good others too. 

Here, Abercrombie takes the point of view of only one character, Yarvi, and explores his world, his story. Yarvi is a prince and a cripple. His left hand has been cleft since birth and in a savage, medieval world that's more than enough to ridicule someone, even a noble such as he.

With plans on escaping the political life and joining the celibate Ministry, Yarvi's plans take a 180 degree turn when his father and elder brother die and the kingdom is thrust upon him.

Betrayal and hard times follow and Yarvi's life is anything but desirable. This is the story of Yarvi's growth into himself, despite his weakness.

And like I said, I was glued to the page from the beginning. There's barely a chance to come up for air as the events compound. Yarvi is a fascinating character, full of Abercrombie's wit and charm. 

In a world where we take so much for granted, especially sacrifice and hard work, it's nice to see a character like Yarvi who suffers real learning and growth, especially due to his one great weakness, his crippled hand. 

I couldn't put Half a King down. It's typical Abercrombie through and through - he'll charm you while he's pulling your guts out. 

4.5 out of 5 Stars (very highly recommended)

eBook Deals - Kirkman, Sanderson, Brown, Dalglish, Abercrombie, Martin, Beaulieu

I was going to be lazy and not post these deals since work's been absolutely insane this week and doesn't look like it's letting up either, but look at these books that are on sale. The First Law, A Dance of Cloaks, and then the first issue of The Walking Dead being free cinched it.

[FREE] The Walking Dead #1 (first issue) by Robert Kirkman
[$0.99] Firstborn (novella) by Brandon Sanderson
[$1.99] Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown
[$1.99] A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance #1) by David Dalglish
[$1.99] The Blade Itself (First Law #1) by Joe Abercrombie
[$1.99] Ice Forged (Ascendant Kingdom #1) by Gail Z. Martin
[$2.51] Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten (short stories) by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Looking Forward to 2014 - Most Anticipated Books

Last year, I had high hopes, as I usually do, that I would read quite a few books in the year. I wasn't too far off, having read 57 or so, but lots of those were in the form of audiobooks, none of which were on my list last year. I'm getting a bit more conservative this year in terms of what I think I can actually read and leave a bit more open to what I randomly pick up throughout the year, which I know I will do regardless of any plans I make. It makes for happier reading that way anyway. In bold are those books I actually think I have a chance of reading this year.

Keep in mind, this is by no means an exhaustive list (or even remotely close), these are just the titles I'm especially interested in and I know I'm probably missing quite a few that I'll have to add later.


Jan:

Brian Stavely, The Emperor's Blades - January 14

Myke Cole, Breach Zone (Shadow Ops #3) - January 28

Paul Kearney, A Different Kingdom - January 28

Miles Cameron, The Fell Sword (Traitor Son #2) - January 30

Feb:

David Edison, The Waking Engine - February 11

March:

Scott Lynch, The Bastards and the Knives (Gentlemen Bastards Novellas) - March 3 (UK) Brandon Sanderson, Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) - March 4

Jon Sprunk, Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth #1) - March 11

April:

Michael J. Sullivan, The Hollow World - April 8 (Just finished)

Elizabeth Bear, Steles of the Sky (Eternal Sky #3) - April 8

Robin Hobb, The Fool's Assassin (The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy #1) - April 10

Sam Sykes, The City Stained Red - April 17 (UK Date)

May:

Brian McClellan, The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mages #2) - May 6 Jim Butcher, Skin Game (Dresden #15) - May 27 Douglas Hulick, Sworn in Steel (Tales of the Kin #2)

Jun:

Mark Lawrence, Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War #1) - June 3

Jul:

Joe Abercrombie, Half a King

Aug:

Lev Grossman, The Magician's Land (Magician's #3) - August
Daniel Abraham, The Widow's House (The Dagger and the Coin #4) - August 5
Jim Butcher, The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires #1) - August 7

Brent Weeks, The Broken Eye (Lightbringer #3) - August 26

Ian Cameron Esslemont, Assail (Malazan Empire #6)

Sep:

Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs - September 9

Oct:

Bradley P. Beaulieu, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai - October 1
Ernest Cline, Armada - October 7

Nov:

Dec:

Steven Erikson, Willfull Child - December 4 (says Goodreads)

TBD: (Mostly just hoping all these come out in 2014)
John Marco, The Bloody Chorus
Courtney Schafer, The Labyrinth of Flame (Shattered Sigil #3) 

Scott Lynch, The Thorn of Emberlain (Gentlemen Bastards #4)

Orson Scott Card,  (Mithermages #3)

Jeff Salyards, Veil of the Deserters (Bloodsounder's Arc #2) Steven Erikson, Fall of Light (Kharkanas Trilogy #2) - Have to read Forge of Darkness first. Janny Wurts, Destiny's Conflict (Wars of Light and Shadow #10)

Not Counting On:
Patrick Rothfuss, The Doors of Stone (Kingkiller Chronicle #3)
George R.R. Martin, The Winds of Winter (ASoIaF #6) 
Peter V. Brett, The Skull Throne (Demon Cycle #4) - Probably 2015

EDIT: Added a few I'd completely forgotten (like Cline's Armada for instance!), which makes no sense because I'm dying to read them. 

EDIT #2: Bennett's City of Stairs apparently has a release date in September.

Giveaway - Dangerous Women, Edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (With Stories from Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Martin Himself, and Plenty More!)

I'm very excited to bring this giveaway to you today, this is one of the biggest releases of the year with some of the greats of the fantasy genre and other genres as well. Dangerous Women [US] [UK] is exactly what the title says, it's an anthology with stories about dangerous women across multiple genres with some of the best authors writing today. This is one of the books I've been looking forward to all year and I'm happy to offer it to you, via the nice folks at Tor, as a giveaway.

But first, here's the lineup:

The Dangerous Women anthology contains following stories:
- Introduction by Gardner Dozois
- “Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie - A Red Country story
- “My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott
- “Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland
- “The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass
- “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher - A Harry Dresden story
- “Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn
- “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale
- “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm
- “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block
- “Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson
- “A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman
- “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman - A Magicians story
- “Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress
- “City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland
- “Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon - An Outlander story
- “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon
- “Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling - An Emberverse story
- “Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes
- “Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan
- “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector - A Wild Cards story
- “The Princess and the Queen” by George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire story

As you can see, we get stories from great authors like Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Jim Butcher, and even a George R.R. Martin novella from A Song of Ice and Fire. One of the big ones I've been looking forward to is Lev Grossman's story about Brakebills from his trilogy, The Magicians.

But wait, there's more.

No, actually that was it. Sorry, I started feeling like an infomercial for a sec. My excitement has turned into a sales pitch, doh! Well, suffice it to say, I'm really looking forward to reading just about everything in this anthology, but for now I've already jumped into Martin's The Princess and the Queen, because yeah.

The Giveaway!

If you are interested in getting your hands on Dangerous Women, then follow the exceedingly simple instructions below:

E-mail me your name and address at onlythebestsff@[removethis]gmail.com, with "Definitely Not Femme Fatales" as the subject of the email (or at least something that lets me know what the email is about). This goes without saying, but double emails get you disqualified.

Snarky comments increase your chances of winning by getting you bonus entries for future giveaways. This is US Only (sorry!) as long as delivery doesn't require the mounting of an expedition into remote wilderness.

2013 David Gemmell Legend Award Winners

Speaking of winners, here are some more winners for today. The David Gemmell Legend Award are voted on by anyone with internet access and probably even more and continue to be one of my favorite awards. There are problems inherent in every award, whether judged by a panel or popularly, but this one always at least has books I've heard of so there's that. :)

And that's even despite the fact that my picks never win, as goes for this year.

From the David Gemmell Legend Award site, here ya go:

2013 RAVENHEART AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY COVER ART
Didier Graffet and Dave Senior for the cover of Red Country by Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz)

Comment: I voted for The Black Mausoleum because that dragon is just awesome and because these Abercrombie covers used to be the best thing since sliced bread ... before they were put on each consecutive release.

2013 MORNINGSTAR AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY DEBUT
John Gwynne for Malice (Pan MacMillan)

Comment: I didn't read any of these so I didn't vote. Simple as that.

2013 LEGEND AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL
Brent Weeks for The Blinding Knife (Orbit)

Commentary: It was really down to this one or Red Country let's be honest. I voted for King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.

Abercrombie in 2014 After All!

This news is too big to contain even though I'm insanely busy. Joe Abercrombie, who previously claimed to be "on a break" is now a good way through a new YA trilogy, the first of which is already written. Says Joe:

The current plan, subject to change, of course, is to publish the book simultaneously across the English-speaking world in July 2014, with two sequels following at six monthly intervals in January and July 2015.

He goes on to explain that this book is less than half the word count of his previously shortest book, Red Country.  And even though it's YA, it should make his adult readers happy too. He also explains his plans for the next First Law universe trilogy that will take him at least until 2017, but check out the blog post for all the details.

The description for Half a King, out in July 2014 from HarperVoyager and HarperCollins Children's Books:

HALF A KING – the first of three standalone but interconnected novels aimed at younger readers – will be published in summer 2014. A classic coming-of-age tale, set in a brilliantly imagined alternative historical world reminiscent of the Dark Ages with Viking overtones, the book tells the story of Yarvi, youngest son of a warlike king. Born with a crippled hand, he can never live up to his father’s expectations of what a real man should be and his destiny is not the throne but the Ministry, not the sword and shield but the book and the soft word spoken.

But when his father and brother are killed, Yarvi is propelled to kingship and must sit in the Black Chair, between gods and men, and half a man must find a way to rule as half a king. Thus begins a gripping switchback ride of a tale that will carry Yarvi far beyond his kingdom, from the heights of royalty to the depths of slavery, during the course of which he must find better ways to fight than with a sword, and learn the lessons that will make him a man.

eBook Deals - Vonnegut and Abercrombie

(Today Only) For the US, a deal that I bought instantly, Kurt Vonnegut's Slapstick for $1.99. You may already know of my love affair with Vonnegut and usually these books go for somewhere around $15.00 in paperback, so this is a deal of deals. Highly recommended, not because I've read the book (I haven't) but because it's Vonnegut so you know it's worth it. Admittedly, they've been pretty reasonably priced as far as Kindle books go - anywhere from $3 to $6.

For the UK, Pat just posted a really sweet deal on Joe Abercrombie's debut, The Blade Itself. Head over to Pat's blog for the details.

Only the Best (of the Year) - Top 10 New Releases of 2012

One day I'll lighten up on the use of parentheses, but that day is not today!

The following are my top 10 New Releases of 2012. This may not be the first during this season of list-posting, so be prepared for at least one more list displaying my top reads regardless of publishing year. Which, to be honest, is really just another way to cheat and add more books to lists. Don't blame me, I can't tell you enough how good of a reading year I've had. This is not really a bad problem here.

Top 10 of 2012:
10. Shadow's Master (Shadow Saga #3) by Jon Sprunk (review) [interview]

Keeping up the same action-packed pace as the rest of the trilogy, Shadow's Master is an excellent conclusion to a great series. While things wrap up nicely (for the most part), it didn't feel like such a perfect wrap-up, more like a transition to the next stage and I really liked that.

9. Echoes of the Past (Demon Squad #4) by Tim Marquitz (review)

If you're ready for a different kind of urban fantasy, this is just for you. If you're ready for action-packed fun and your jokes are often accused of being perfect for a junior high kid, this series is perfect. The Demon Squad series is my favorite urban fantasy series for good reason and Echoes of the Past is a worthy installment.

8. The Wind Through the Keyhole (Dark Tower #4.5) by Stephen King (review)

As someone who considers Wizard and Glass one of his all-time favorite books (inside and outside of the Dark Tower universe), I love me a good flashback. Not everyone does and I'll even admit that I thought this book would be a tale of the Ka-tet, not another flashback within a flashback. I'd still recommend this to fans of the Dark Tower and even non-readers alike.

7. This Dark Earth by John Hornor Jacobs (review)

All in all, if you're going to read a zombie book, you should read This Dark Earth. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down anyway, so start now.

6. The Tainted City (Shattered Sigil #2) by Courtney Schafer (review) [interview]

One of the best reads this year as well as last, Courtney Schafer has delivered again. Not only with engaging characters and compelling plot, but with something new and diverse that I can't wait to come back to in The Labyrinth of Flame, book three in The Shattered Sigil Trilogy. 

5. King of Thorns (Broken Empire #2) by Mark Lawrence (review)

Lawrence has created a series that challenges your perceptions and manages to be compulsively readable. The Broken Empire trilogy is an experience to say the least. I couldn't put it down and that's partly because I couldn't look away. King of Thorns takes the anti-hero to a whole new level, one who gives Logan Ninefingers of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy a run for his money.

4. Shadow Ops: Control Point (Shadow Ops #1) by Myke Cole (review)

Myke Cole is an author to watch and Shadow Ops: Control Point is possibly the best debut of the year [it was very close]. I know it's early yet, but I couldn't put this book down and that goes a long way for me.

3. Kings of the Morning (Macht #3) by Paul Kearney (review)

Paul Kearney has created a  history that is epic in every sense of the word and this trilogy is military fantasy at its best. It's so easy to get sucked in, this series was made for multiple readings and the stories are just as thrilling as those of the 300 Spartans at the Hot Gate. You come to see people doing the impossible and that's what you get.

2. Red Country by Joe Abercrombie (review)

Some people may be put off by a bit of a slow start, but once you reach the halfway point you will have a decidedly difficult time putting the book down. This was a great reminder that I need to read more Abercrombie and soon. Red Country manages not only to be a stellar fantasy, but ranks with the best of the western genre as well. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid eat your heart out.

1. The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett (review)

Bennett not only writes about magic, but his writing itself is imbued with magic and a bit of humor and even a little darkness. To be mentioned in the same breathe as Neil Gaiman would be no stretch of the imagination. The Troupe may just be the best book of 2012. [and it was!] 

Best Anthology:
Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous, Edited by Tim Marquitz (review)

If you're looking for a great Halloween read, it would be hard to find better. If you're looking for an excellent anthology in general, you've found it. Fading Light is easily one of the best anthologies I've ever read, second only to Songs of the Dying Earth.

Honorable Mention:
The Hollow City by Dan Wells (review)
Scourge of the Betrayer (Bloodsounder's Arc #1) by Jeff Salyards (review)

EDIT: I don't know why I didn't link my reviews to these Honorable Mentions, so here they are.

Review - Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

Westerns. 

You couldn't pay me enough money to read one...and yet mix it with fantasy and I couldn't be more enthralled. Take King's The Dark Tower series and recently this one, Red Country [US] [UK], and obviously I'm a fan of westerns. 

I even try to deny it with my movie choices, but again, some of my all-time favorites are westerns (Tombstone and 310 to Yuma). Why is that? Why do I think I hate them and secretly love them? I even lived in Wyoming (the cowboy state, well, equality state, but may as well be cowboy) for a time. I'm seriously asking this! I must be crazy.


Red Country, as I mentioned, is a western and a darn good one at that. It's not a shoot 'em up western, because they have no guns, it's more of a pioneer trek across uncharted lands and their inherent difficulties and dangers... and dust, lots of dust.

It, very simply, follows the trek of Shy South and her pseudo-father, Lamb, after they return home to find their friend hanged and Shy's much younger brother and sister taken. The only option, then, is to follow. It quickly becomes apparent that Lamb is much more than "[s]ome kind of coward" and readers of Abercrombie's earlier works will almost immediately recognize who he is (the cover doesn't hide much from the discerning eye either for that matter). Although his name is never actually given throughout the entire book!
We also follow a despicable character, as low as low can be, a lawyer named Temple. Okay, he's not that lowly, he just thinks that about himself and having recently finished law school it's nice to have a lawyer who isn't terribly unlikeable as a main protagonist! Usually we get this treatment.


Temple is far too easy for my liking to relate to. He's the type of guy who always goes for the easy way, even taking the easy way when he knows it will only become the hard way. I'm sure there are a few others who may be able to relate as well.

It's just too easy to take the easy way isn't it?

"And Temple always took the easy way. Even when he knew it was the wrong way. Especially then, in fact, since easy and wrong make such good company. Even when he had a damn good notion it would end up being the hard way, even then. Why think about tomorrow when today is such a thorny business."

Temple has had many professions in his life, but his current one as lawyer for the infamous Nicola Cosca (another recognizable face), mercenary captain extraordinaire, making his lawyering the least of what makes him so contemptible at the moment, it's more the company he keeps. Cosca's band of mercenaries is charged with rooting out rebellion, but what they do is anything but. They pray upon destitute towns, killing with abandon.

One of the things that makes Red Country great is that Abercrombie gives us the very interesting interaction between Temple and Shy, one who takes the easy way out with another who does her best, usually meaning hard work, no matter the situation. For me, this was the interaction of what I am compared to what I wish to be. It really got me thinking about looking for excuses and just getting things done. I'm in a position where I can easily blame all my problems on the fact that I don't get much sleep...or I can go out and do something good, make the world better in even the smallest way. The easy way tends only to help yourself.

Before I get any further in this review, I must admit that the only other Abercrombie I've read is his The First Law trilogy, but this book made it quite easy to jump back to old times. Having studied as a lawyer, I've learned that you can argue anything you want, so while I can't compare Abercrombie's newest to his last two offerings, I can find a place for myself. For those who have only read The First Law, you're in for another treat.

Obviously, I need to get back in the saddle, so to speak, and one of the things I've really missed is how quotable Abercrombie is. These lines just jump off the page and make you think about them long afterward. As Oscar Wilde has said, "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit."

Here are a couple gems along with that quoted above:

"To be brave among friends was nothing. To have the world against you and pick your path regardless - there is courage." 

"My old commander Sazine once told me you should laugh every moment you live, for you'll find it decidedly difficult afterward." (Cosca)

...and of course my favorite appears again:

"Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it."

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but Red Country didn't feel as dark and cynical as I was expecting and it may be because of Shy's character. While as blunt and ill-tempered as any of the best of Abercrombie's characters, she is so great because she does what it takes no matter what those around her think. There are some other less-than-completely-cynical parts that occur toward the end that help as well.

Even someone as behind in his Abercrombie reading as me knows there are a few things you can expect in any Abercrombie novel. Is there lots of action? Yes, although it has a bit of a slow start, but I remember The Blade Itself being similarly slow and similarly excellent. Blood, guts? Definitely, mainly encompassed by one word, "Lamb." Deep thoughts and great lines? Yes, as mentioned above. Low magic? Yup, you could argue none in fact. Great characters? Abso-freaking-lutely. 

Abercrombie doesn't focus on the world building, although that gets accomplished well enough along the way, he's more about the characters and their relationships. This isn't really a world you want to live in anyway, although if you look around yourself you might just find out you're not far away. Detailed world-building, however, does not belong on the list of "Abercrombie-isms."

Some people may be put off by a bit of a slow start, but once you reach the halfway point you will have a decidedly difficult time putting the book down. This was a great reminder that I need to read more Abercrombie and soon. Red Country manages not only to be a stellar fantasy, but ranks with the best of the western genre as well. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid eat your heart out.

4.5 out of 5 Stars (Very Highly Recommended)

The First Law trilogy
1. The Blade Itself (2006)
2. Before They Are Hanged (2007)
3. Last Argument of Kings (2008) [My very old review.]

Standalone Books Set in the world of The First Law
-Best Served Cold (2009)
-The Heroes (2011)
-Red Country (2012)

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher