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Last Argument Of Kings: The First Law: Book Three: Book Three of the First Law (Gollancz S.F.): Book Three of the First Law (Gollancz S.F.) | 
 enlarge | Author: Joe Abercrombie
Publisher: Victor Gollancz
Category: Book
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £7.00
You Save: £5.99 (46%)
New (27) Used (4) from £7.00
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 109
Media: Paperback
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.7
ISBN: 0575077905
EAN: 9780575077904
ASIN: 0575077905
Publication Date: March 20, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 LOTR meets Guy Ritchie May 14, 2008
Mr. A. I. Harrison
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!
 promising but ultimately disappointing April 28, 2008
Badg
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed the first 2 books in the series, unfortunately I feel Joe Abercrombie lost his way big time with the last book.I think he tried to wrap up two many story lines too quickly and could probably have entended the series, that said he has left the door open for more from the main charactors.Its a pity as I found the first two books hard to leave down.The last one was hard to pick up!
Best Trilogy since Hobbs' Liveships April 28, 2008
Johnny (Worcestershire, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A brilliant conclusion to a very fine trilogy indeed.
One of those books that cannot be put down - a story on a grand scale, engrossing characters and explosive action. The main story arcs converging upon one of the best battle sequences I've ever read.
Writing that is delightfully dark, detailed and ironic with snippets of humour ( that will make you chuckle out-loud ).
An engrossing, original and exciting trilogy that just has to be read.
If only Joe had included a map.
triumph of evil April 27, 2008
D. Stoddart (London,UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There are few heroes and nobody gets what they deserve. Abandon your ludicrous notions of justice, and confess, the Practicals are waiting...
Few books I can think of have genuinely breathed new life into a genre but The Last Argument of Kings and the rest of this series does a pretty good job of it. Fantasy is awash with limp heroes and LOTR clones but this gleefully subverts the whole concept.
The "heroes" are as monstrous and in some cases worse than the enemies -if there is a real flaw it's that it isn't made clear enough how terrible life would be under the demon worshipping Gurkish. Perhaps that's the point...
Just get it. April 14, 2008
P. Forbes (London)
The First Law Trilogy is one of the most fun novels I've read is a long time. If you're into fantasy novels or not I recommend these books as a great read. Quite violent though so be warned!
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