Everything comes to an epic, violent conclusion in Joe Abercrombie’s Last Argument of Kings, the final book in his First Law Trilogy. This book is the most spectacular in the series, wrapping up—for the most part—the two main plotlines and a myriad of subplots. Some of these conclusions are quite satisfying; others, not so much….
I began Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie as soon as I finished the first book in his First Law Trilogy, The Blade Itself. Book 2 picks up shortly after the events of the first and offers much more insight into the fascinating history of Abercrombie’s world. Before They Are Hanged has a more…
It’s been almost twenty years since The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie was first published. I had seen it on the shelves of my local Barnes & Noble for years but only got around to reading it this past December. I found it to be an odd yet entertaining entrée into his First Law Trilogy,…
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is an intriguing grimdark fantasy with the most extreme antihero I’ve encountered in fantasy literature.
A hectic work month has set me back in keeping up with this blog, but I have a brief reprieve this week, just long enough to write a review of a recently finished novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. This is the first book I’ve ever read that warns readers they…
I’m rounding out my reviews of recently finished novels with the epic fantasy Malice by John Gwynne. I’ve admired his brilliant book covers for years at my neighborhood Barnes & Noble and finally got around to reading his debut novel. Better late than never, as they say. My first observation is how squarely this book…
Earlier this year, I declared Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell the best book I’ve read in 2024. That remains true, but de Castell’s Play of Shadows now stands as its equal. Both are part of his new Court of Shadows series, with Crucible of Chaos serving as a prequel to the rest of…
After relishing Sebastien de Castell’s Crucible of Chaos, I went back and finished his earlier Greatcoats series. The third book, Saint’s Blood, sets up the tale that unfolds in Crucible of Chaos, and it turned out to be one of my favorite Greatcoat books. Falcio Val Mond, the First Cantor of the Greatcoats, continues his…
Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series reaches its epic conclusion in The Trials of Empire. This installment is more harrowing and bloody than its predecessors, but it provides a satisfying conclusion to this captivating trilogy. This novel begins where The Tyranny of Faith left off. Former magistrate justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt and his law…
I returned to Jacob Pepper’s Saga of the Known Lands earlier this year with the series’ second installment A Warrior’s Redemption. The novel is a worthy sequel to this grimdark fantasy tale. So far, these books are not epic stories but more personal journeys focused on the series’ chief protagonist, Cutter. Also known as “Kingslayer,”…
Richard Swan’s The Tyranny of Faith is that rare sequel that outshines its predecessor, The Justice of Kings – which happened to be one of the best books I read last year. Suffice it to say that Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series is becoming one of my favorites. Set in the aftermath of the…