Now that Merlin Reborn is safely out in the world, I am trying to catch up on reviews of books I’ve finished over the past six months. First up is Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. As its title suggests, it’s a story about revenge. And as revenge stories go, this one is among the best.
The book is set in the same world as Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy, which concluded with Last Argument of Kings, and takes place several years after that story’s end. Best Served Cold is the first of three standalone sequels to the main trilogy, and it brings back a few characters from the earlier tales, including the Northman Caul Shivers, the former Inquisition torturer Shylo Vitari, and the flamboyant and often drunk mercenary, Nicomo Cosca.
But the story’s main character is the famous and beautiful mercenary Monzcarro “Monza” Murcatto. Monza is an unforgettable character. Known as the Serpent of Talins, she’s bold, strong, and ruthless. Yet beneath her hard exterior lies enough humanity to make her easy to root for – most of the time. It helps, however, that her enemies are even more ruthless, more detestable, and, in most cases, more worthy of the revenge she’s seeking.
The story begins in the palace of her employer, Grand Duke Orso of Talins, the ruler of a lavish city-state in the land of Styria, a country reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. Monza’s latest victory has Orso primed to become king over his rival city-states, known as the League of Eight. Monza is popular with the people of Talins – too popular for Orso’s taste, leading him to betray her and her brother Benna, murdering him and leaving Monza for dead after throwing her down a mountain from his palace.
Monza’s broken body is stitched back together by a mysterious bone thief, but her right hand remains ruined, forcing her to hide it inside a glove and leaving her to fight left-handed. After that, the story’s sole focus is on Monza’s revenge against Orso and the six men who helped murder her brother and tried to kill her. These include Orso’s hulking bodyguard, a banker from the house of Valint and Balk, the general of Orso’s army, Monza’s former lieutenant, and Orso’s two sons.
To exact her revenge, Monza assembles a band of murderers and scoundrels whose often hilarious antics form the heart of the story. There is the aforementioned Caul Shivers, who has come to Styria to be a better man; an ex-convict with a penchant for dice and numbers; a self-proclaimed master of poisons and his young apprentice; former torturer Vitari, and Cosca, the mercenary general Monza betrayed long ago to win Orso’s favor. Like all of Abercrombie’s books, this one is heavily character-driven, and this cast is the best I’ve encountered since finishing The Devils.
Monza’s mission results in a series of thrilling set pieces filled with twists and turns, and a host of laugh-out-loud moments. These include breaking into a fortress-like bank, setting a trap in a famous brothel to try to assassinate Orso’s sons, weathering two different city sieges, taking on her old mercenary company, and her final return to Talins, resulting in a wild finale that rivals that of The Devils or Last Argument of Kings.
Overall, Best Served Cold is the best book I’ve read (so far) in 2026. It’s a nearly perfect grimdark tale filled with Abercrombie’s signature humor, brutal betrayals, and endearing characters. If you like Abercrombie’s fiction, this one can’t be missed.