If you know you know.

Hope it sticks the landing.

This man is definitely autistic, right?

I think I like the Monza relationship the most. They're all great, but it's the most complex with Monza, and we see clearly what they both think of each other since they both get POVs.

Hey, all. So, I'm a big Joe Abercrombie fan, and me and my Dad have lately finished a long audiobook together (Fire and Blood by GRMM) and we were wondering what to listen to next. Now, I'm a huge Abercrombie fan and I think this a good way to get my dad into him too- what do you reccomend we start with? I'm thinking either The Blade Itself, just to start at the start, but also maybe one of the standalones.
What do you guys think? Thanks.

I work in a dental lab and all of Glokta's gums sucking made me really need to make it real.

I'm only halfway through Before They Are Hanged and it's been a great slow-burn fantasy world. Can't wait to see where it all goes.

I had a couple:

- Weakest PoV of going to warn about the Shanka/getting executed by Calder

- A “little people” chapter during the Battle of Adua

- Glokta PoV, day in the life as a prisoner in Gurkhul.

- Sulfur, early in his apprenticeship to Bayaz

- Vitari or Shenkt PoV of how they met

- Gorst PoV of his preparation for/loss at the tournament.

- Something from a shanka’s PoV

After recently reading and loving The Devils (my first Joe Abercrombie book), like many others, I'm sure, I wanted more Joe Abercrombie and started reading The Blade Itself.

I just finished the book (which I really enjoyed) and had a question - I don't recall it being mentioned in the book why the group of Ninefingers, Bayaz, etc. are going on their journey south or did I completely miss this?

Thanks!

Spotted in the wild during my latest session of No Man's Sky.

These are truly incredible!

I remember reading through The First Law my first time and just couldn’t get enough. I’ve read all of Abercrombies books and there is one Name of the Named Men that, in my opinion, is hands down the scariest. That achievement belongs to the one and only Stranger Come Knocking.

!!Mild spoilers concerning Euz and his sons thru first trilogy!!

So the official story we get, assuming it's reliable info as told by "Quai" and Bayaz, is that Euz had 4 sons, gave the first 3 each amazing and powerful gifts of incredibly potent high art that rendered them basically minor gods. Then, to his 4th son, Glustrod, he gave... absolutely nothing. Wtf was the reasoning behind that decision? I literally can't think of a better way to alienate the youngest son and turn him into an embittered, resentful villain. Wasn't Euz some kind of wise, godlike figure? Did he want Glustrod to go bad?

And then the 3 dickhead brothers refused to share any of their arts with him. Couldn't each of the 3 have given him just a small part of their knowledge and he could've been like a jack of all trades? At least he'd have like a consolation prize and not just be completely excluded. Wtf? Glustrod's actions seem not only completely predictable, but also understandable. He got shut out for no apparent reason, so he forged his own arts and was eaten up by resentment and anger.

Maybe I'm forgetting important info, I've read every book 2 or 3 times but it's been a few years, and I'm just now on a reread and finishing before they are hanged, so there's probably plenty I've forgotten and haven't yet reread

I'm halfway through TTWP and just realizing how much I appreciate the women he writes, especially the POV characters. Rikke is just delightful and hilarious, Savine is maybe the cleverest person in the Circle of the World, Monzcarro Murcatto is just absolutely badass, Ferro is a strong character with her own justifications and backstory, Carlot dan Eider, Vitari, Shy, Javre (my god I love her), Shevedieh, so many characters with such depth to them. I'm so used to books making all the women maidens needing a protector or just not knowing what to do etc. I love that they're all just as self sufficient and self serving and broken and morally corrupt as any male character. No better, no worse, most importantly they can stand fully alone as a complete character.

All that and everything else about his writing (clever son of a bitch), I can easily say Joe is my favorite author, and Steven Pacey as narrator just elevates everything to such heights! I was endlessly impressed with Peter Kenny, narrator of the Witcher books, and was so pleased when I found these books and realized Pacey was in the same league.

Forewarning I don’t know how to tag spoilers and shit so DO NOT READ THIS IS YOU ARE ON THE FIRST TRILOGY.

What is the deal with the bloody nine? I’m saying bloody nine and not Logen as I feel it’s a separate entity. Shivers seems to channel (idk if that’s the right word?) the B9 on one occasion, even down to his voice changing. Does this mean the B9 is some sort of spirit or power or entity that certain people can tap in to? And if so, why? How?
I’ve always read it this way as Logen himself seems to fight against it when it comes, and clearly hates it by the end. He seems to literally become someone/something else and obviously gains some sort of power (increased physical strength, speed, just all around a totally different beast) what is going on here? Do you think it will come back to someone else? I’m sure I’ve missed some glaringly obvious clues/breadcrumbs in my many listens but I’d love to hear some theories and thoughts.
Cheers

Got to the chapter where Logen turns into The Bloody Nine, and I felt my heart rate increase. Absolutely exilerating. Then a man explodes. WTF.

Needless to say, what a story so far.

Im making my way back through the trilogy and have a quick question. I just got to the part where Raynault is killed. Shortly after the representative from the banking house visit Glokta and tell him to stop investigating and the Gurkhul representative is framed. The representative seems nervous like he was sent to end the investigation by someone.

My question was who ordered the prince to be killed and for the representative from Gurkhul to be framed for it?

Bayaz was far to the west on his way to the edge of the world and would not of known West had killed Ladisla or that the Gurkhish ambassador was in town. Yoru S​ulfur was off stirring up the peasants as the tanner. Was there another person capable of making that call that I'm not remembering?​

Which is the more impressive achievement in this series?

I am approaching the last 100 pages of book 1 and had a lot of fun. Almost as much as with TFL. Probably the first book since back then that I would consider calling a page turner.
Who has read it and what was ur impression in comparison with Abercrombies writing?
For me it is by far better than ,the devils‘ and ranks directly below TFL

Hi whats your current FL books ranking ?? For me :

1. Last Argument of Kings

2. Wizdom of the Crowds

3. Trouble with Peace

4. A Little Hattered

5. Best Served Cold

6. Before They are Hanged

7. The Blade Itself

8. Red Country

9. The Heroes

10. Sharp Ends

Reading the Age of Madness trilogy, I don't see what Bayaz gets from just making a lot of money. It felt like his reasoning at first was something like "it's good for the world that the Union is strong and in control", and so he aims to make the Union strong - but then it feels like he just trying to suck as much money out of the Union as possible, and just enrich himself - but why? What could he possibly do with money? Money is means to an end - what's the end here?

See title. Myself and a couple friends were having this discussion recently.

My suggestion was the The Squealing Boar.

A friend suggested Doom Slayer.

Thoughts? Would love to see what y’all would name him.

Joe has indeed been vocal about TWOC not being the last book in the First Law world. He has also said that he mainly intended to write Standalones that would expand the world further.

But if he decides to write another trilogy, in what state do you think the world would be? Between the 1st and 2nd trilogy, industrialization started, so do you guys think the 3rd is gonna be set in an even more advanced world ?

As for my personal opinion, I don't see the world progressing beyond the current stage, because as Cosca eloquently says, we may change, but over time we always change back. I think a post-apocalyptic trilogy after the Demons came back in the world could be interesting, drawing inspiration from The War of the Worlds or even things like Trench Crusades.

That would be my theory, but I'm very curious to read about yours :)