Last Argument of Kings

Calling all females- forget the romantic vampire books, this series is all you can want! Easy to read, romance, action, fighting, not too much magic. This book is so good that I can't stop reading it at night. The character development is unusually good, with unique characters. I care about all of the story lines. The action is so well-written, I don't want the chapters to end. I am only halfway through, but expect a great ending. The last time I felt like this was for George R.R. Martin's latest (except the last book), and didn't have to wait so long for him to write it. Thank you, Joe Abercrombie, for the hours of pleasure.

Last Arguments of Kings by Joe Abercrombie is the third, and final, novel in the First Law trilogy. The first book in the trilogy is titled The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One) and the second book is titled Before They Are Hanged (The First Law: Book Two). Mr. Abercrombie is quickly making a name for himself with this trilogy. While there are traditional fantasy elements in this trilogy, it does not follow the normal, and usually ever present, clichés many other fantasy series do. If you like your fantasy filled with fluff and feel good storied, do not read this book. However, if you like your fantasy novels to have dark, gritty, nasty characters; then by all means take a look at this series. The plot of this novel picks up right where the second book ended. The Union is doubly threatened. First by the Northmen, led by Bethod, and also from the south by the Gurkish. A simple army plot is not enough for this novel, or trilogy. So for added effect Mr. Abercrombie crams in several sub plots. Things such as a mysterious bank that seems to have its funds strategically invested in several different areas for optimal, shall we say blackmail. There is the process of who will be elected the new ruler if the king dies because he has left no heir. Additionally, there is the fallout of the mysterious magic item a select group of people were seeking in the second novel. Lastly, the plans of the First of the Magi, Bayaz, are laid to bare. There are even things I didn't talk about be cause of spoiler potential. If that seems like a lot of material to put into one book, well it is. But, it works. The plot never bogged down, nor did it ever feel like the section I was reading was irrelevant to the story. For 636 pages, this was a fast paced plot that really ties up all the loose ends from the previous two books, although, be warned. How Mr. Abercrombie ties up those loose ends may very well not be the way you want, nor expect, them to end. The characters in this novel are largely the same cast of characters as were present in the first two books; Glokta, Logen Ninefingers, Bayaz, Ferro, Jezal, and West. However, one very interesting thing about this book is that the characters who I thought would dominate the story did not always do so. All the characters in this trilogy are complex. They all have flaws and doubts, they do things wrong and they are not always the most honorable people. It is rather refreshing to read about characters that do not always have the noble cause in the forefront. To add to that the character development in this book, and for that matter the entire trilogy is simply fantastic. The characters are gritty, hardened, and sometimes downright crooked. Yet, each and every one has something about them that most people will be able to identify with. They all seem so very real that it is easy to root, or hate, them. That is the true magic of the characters. A couple minor criticisms about this novel. 1 - As with the first two books, the

I found the final book to this series to be just as good as the rest and ties many of the threads up nicely, if not all predictable. For those that are tired of waiting on George Martin to finally finish another book, this is a great way to fill in the years. Looking forward to Abercrombie's next.

Alright, I'll confess: I loved this trilogy and I enjoyed the third installment every bit as much as the first two. This is an unconvential fantasy epic that stands typical fantasy stereotypes on their heads and I had a blast reading it and would unhesitatingly recommend the entire series. This is fantasy with dirt under the fingernails and pus festering under ragged scabs though. Sure, you have your traditional cast of characters...barbarian warrior, old wizard, handsome young captain, and a fearless warrioress, etc. but Abercrombie takes these archetypal characters and gives them deep character flaws, dodgy pasts, and poor attitudes. They must face hard circumstances in a complicated and morally ambiguous world. His books are complex and extremely well-plotted, the characterization superb, the dialogue excellent, and the writing is involving and keeps you riveted to your seat. Even though this finale ran over 600 pages I managed to bang it out in a day, partially because it is so deliciously readable but equally because I simply couldn't put it down until I finished it. The Last Argument of Kings is a grand finale too. Abercrombie satisfactorily ties up most all of the major plot points but there is enough ambiguity at the end that additional books would not necessarily be precluded. Personally, I would have preferred a tighter, less ambiguous ending but I wouldn't be surprised if elements of the ending weren't driven by the editor/publisher. I'll forgive Abercrombie for it and, I confess!, I still loved the book and think it is a wonderful five star read. 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. The first two novels present enough character development that a reader could hope that the books would end on a high note in a Tolkienesque fashion, but they also provided plenty of clues that there could be a grim ending indeed. I won't give away any of the plot and ruin your enjoyment, but I will say that this book did not disappoint m

I'll start with the bad news first. I had one major problem with this book/series: it ended. In its defense, it had to. It was so tightly written and well-plotted, anything less than a magnificent finale would have been disappointing. Abercrombie ties up every loose end masterfully, in such a way that he indulges certain fantasy tropes while still maintaining the series' originality by standing those tropes on their sides. All in all, this series is comprised of three of the best fantasy books I've ever read. If you've read The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings is required reading. If you haven't read the first two, you're missing out and you should. The one problem some people seem to have with the book is that the protagonists aren't sympathetic. It's a valid critique. However, I enjoy my shades of grey, and I found the characters to be very well- and fully realized, their virtues that much more triumphant because of their flaws. I'll echo the sentiments of many others here: I think Abercrombie has reinvigorated the genre. And I can't wait for whatever he sends our way next.