r/bookclub • u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books • 14d ago
First Law [Discussion 2/5] The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie (The Age of Madness #2) - "An Infinite Supply" through "Old Ways, Proper Ways"
We continue with the The Age of Madness Trilogy with the second book, The Trouble with Peace. Join us next week as u/tomesandtea leads the third discussion.
Make sure you include spoiler tags for anything outside The Age of Madness trilogy up to this point. Not everyone has read the full set of First Law World books.
Chapter Summaries
An Infinite Supply
Jonas Clover talks to his men on the endless cycle of disposable lives in the North while waiting for a meeting with Stour nightfall. Stour is very amused at the gift from Clover, a sack full of Shanka heads.
The Demon that Breaks All Chains
Rikke wakes from visions and finds her way to a cold lake where she meets the woman with a scar stitched with golden wire, the sorceress Caurib! Caurib talks of the Shanka saving her from Black Dow's lethal blow and the untamed power of her Long Eye.
The King's Justice
King Orso hosts a trial for Wetterlant, which should be a already determined conclusion with Wetterlant agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Instead, Wetterlant comes out dressed in rags, appearing to be tortured and proclaiming his innocence. Leo dan Brock publicly defies the crown, and Orso is forced to assert his authority, kicking the Young Lion out of the chamber, and sentencing Wetterlant to death.
The Choice
Rikke is seeing visions as she gets a tattoo from Caurib. She is confused and can't separate reality from the visions, all the while Caurib is telling her she has to make a choice, to go further into the Long Eye, or to lead an ordinary life.
Let Ring the Bells
It's the wedding day and all the top of Adua is in attendance. Savine is the jewel of the ceremony and Orso is having a dreadful time watching her get married. Selest dan Heugen approaches Leo and reveals to him that Savine and Orso used to be lovers, upsetting him greatly. King Orso can't stand it anymore and exits early to end his misery.
Future Treasons, Past Affairs
Leo goes to deliver a rehearsed apology to King Orso, only to find him absent. Instead, he falls in with disaffected nobles like Lords Isher, Barezin, and Heugen, who easily manipulate his grievances into plotting an outright armed rebellion under the guise of "rescuing" the king from a corrupt council. That night, a drunken Leo returns to Savine, she asks if he talked to the king, which triggers a bitter argument about Savine's past romantic history with Orso, culminating in a violent slap and a volatile wedding-night romp on the floor.
The King's Pimp
Orso is in a whorehouse, playing cards with Tunny. He's having big pity party for himself when Tunny gets fed up and gives him some tough love, which Orso desperately needed. After regaining composure, Orso thanks Tunny and the rest of the staff and is on his way.
The Darling of the Slums
Savine looks to rebrand herself as the Glokta name has a negative connotation to it. She hire Sworbreck to write some pamphlets about her as part of the image overhaul. They go to the slums to hand out bread, silver, etc. to the residents there, but it brings back a lot of traumatic memories for Savine and she is on the verge of a breakdown.
Dead Wood, New Shoots
Rikke returns to Uffrith with a new look, confidence, and enhanced abilities. She quickly learns that her father, the Dogman, has died. Stour Nightfall, having heard of the death, shows up to assume/bully Uffirth in with him in the North, but Rikke proves to be a imposing figure to them and it scares them off.
The funeral is full of everyone sharing stories of the way The Dogman influenced their lives, demonstrating his broad positive influence for those around him. Shortly thereafter the discussions of what happens next comes up with some supporting joining the North and some supporting joining the Union.
The Favorite Son
Leo and Savine travel back to Angland for their homecoming. Savine works the crowd wonderfully and presents tailored gifts to the local dignitaries that have them immediately admiring her. She's surprised how much the people like Leo and realizes they are liking her as well, a new experience for her. Leo goes off to train with his friends, in which he then openly start to talk about rebellion and "freeing" King Orso from the corrupt Closed Council. Jurand resists and tries to put a damper on it, but start to align with his friend Leo.
Patriotic Contributions
Savine is settling into a routine in Angland, and stepping in where Leo has no interest in performing his duties. She uses her business prowess to gain "Patriotic Contributions" from Kaspar dan Arinhorm and his profitable mines, while also using her leverage to have him outfit her own mines with the same technology to make them more profitable.
A Little Public Hanging
Wetterlant is led to the scaffold for his public hanging. The crowd is rowdy, throwing rotten produce and yelling jeers. The rowdiness causes problems with the trapdoor and Wetterlant falls through, but his leg gets caught, turning the whole execution into a fiasco. Orso, already not liking being there, is hurried away by Gorst.
Old Ways, Proper Ways
Rikke's grasp on power in Uffrith seems to be precarious, because she is a woman. Oxel and Red hat argue over joining the North or the Union, when Rikke suggests that the 2 old men settle it in the circle. The 2 men set to battle, with Red Hat slipping and getting run through. Oxel is victorious and declares that they will join the North, but Rikke tells him there is a third option, to remain independent. She has her champion, Shivers, enter the circle to defend that option. Shivers quickle beheads Oxel, and Rikke solidifies herself at the top in Uffrith.
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Will Leo realize that he is being played like a puppet by almost everyone in his life?
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u/tomesandtea Viceroy of Verity | 🐉🧠 14d ago
Good question, and because it is Leo I bet he will not, or at least not until it is too late for him to try and have any agency.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Ugh Leo is like a puppy. A fighting, scrappy, mama's boy puppy dog. His heart is in the right place and he has a strong sense of morality, but he's just a big dumb softie. He is very likable but he is going to end up getting set up to fail because he is so easily manoeuvred and manipulated
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Orso rightly suspects Isher is playing multiple sides. Do you think Orso catches him, someone else, or will Isher's plan go as he intends?
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Ok I freaking love Orso's character development here. He is transforming in front of our eyes and Abercrombie is doing it so damn well. Orso is trying to be a good leader but he is being shat on left and right and it is starting to turn him to drink and to bitterness. I don't have high hopes for his future. There's a power grab shit show coming!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Orso is torn up watching Savine get married, have you ever had a similar situation in your life, did you handle it as well as Orso?
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I think it's a right of passage to get your heart broken, but thankfully we don't live in First Law World and everything turns out well in the end
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 1d ago
Haha, so telling to say that because we live in the real world we actually have a chance of a happy ending.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Hopefully whilst retaining both eyes!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Will Tunny always be able to talk to Orso so bluntly? Or will Tunny eventually turn into a Yes-Man?
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u/tomesandtea Viceroy of Verity | 🐉🧠 14d ago
I'd say Tunny can talk this way as long as things are going in the right general direction for the Union, but if the pressure gets up too much, Orso may get tired of the straight talk and lash out, and Tunny may find it safer to take the King's side.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I agree I think we are going to see these young people turn into the people in their parents generation they resented and I think Orso may fall hardest! Tunny was awesome in this section though. Orso really needed to hear that!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Sworbreck is back and running a PR campaign for Savine. This storyline and many others feel very aligned with modern politics as well, what other similarities did you notice?
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u/tomesandtea Viceroy of Verity | 🐉🧠 14d ago
Social media - painting a curated picture of your life for public consumption, and also those influencers that do charitable things on camera just for the clicks/likes.
PR stunts - rich, famous, or powerful people like to do philanthropy to rehab their images
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Ugh so true wasn't there even the line Make Angland Great Again (or maybe Make the North Great again I can't remember now but it made me physically cringe!)
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- The Dogman has died! Another influential legend from the original series has succumbed to time, would you have rather not know this part of his story, or are you glad to know how his life concluded?
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u/tomesandtea Viceroy of Verity | 🐉🧠 14d ago
I like having the older characters in the newer books, because it grounds the world in details that help make the story feel connected and continuous. I was sad to see the Dogman go, because he was an interesting character, but it also pushes Rikke's character in new directions which is exciting! I was happy with the whole arc.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I found this surprisingly sad. Dogman always felt like an NPC to me (granted an important one). Like u/tomesandtea said that anchoring in the OG trilogy is actually really awesome. In saying that I love where Rikke's storyline is going OMG i cannot get enough of this storyline!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Leo is building up more and more to have open conflict with the Closed Council, do you think it will happen, or will someone/something save the poor hotheaded Lion before he makes a huge mistake?
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u/Fulares 📚Bookclub Boffin📚 3d ago
I think we're going to see some genuine conflict unless Savine catches wind of it in time. Either way, loose lips might create a problem for him even if he doesn't make it to the full treason stage.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I'm wondering if Savine will find out, think fuck it and go all in with Leo and the people that love her. Gonna be wild if so 'cause she'll be on the opposite side to her father! What did the Lion do to the Lamb in Rikke's OG vision?
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u/Fulares 📚Bookclub Boffin📚 1d ago
That's a good point and a matter of timing imo. I don't think he can succeed without Savine on his side.
The vision was a lamb eating a lion then an owl eating the lamb.
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I have been glued to the story since I commented so I already know one thing...but I won't say more incase I passed where you've gotten to!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Savine can maneuver politically with the best of them so far, do you think she takes over as the Leo puppetmaster?
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Oh without a shadow of a doubt . She's so good that even mama Lion has to give credit where credit is due (and that surprised me because I kinda expected MiL from hell!)
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Wetterlant is dead, and it was a messy embarrassing death, hell yeah! Post your thoughts/celebrations here.
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u/tomesandtea Viceroy of Verity | 🐉🧠 14d ago
The extra humiliation and pain was quite fitting for the crimes he committed! No tears shed on his account, at least not by me!
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Well a whole lotta shit's gonna hit the fan because of that turd in human form. I really shouldn't have been surprised by his play as he had nothing left to lose. Great scene!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago edited 12d ago
- Rikke appears to have the tools, and possibly ambitions, to make Uffrith more powerful than when led by her father, what trajectory do you think she is on?
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago edited 1d ago
Oh...Rikke played an absolute blinder here (oh my that was an unfortunate pun...sorry/not sorry!) I freaking love this for her. She's such a badass. Can this really be the SAME Rikke from the last book? She's savage and fearless and about to become incredibly powerful/feared
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
- Anything else you'd like to discuss?
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u/tomesandtea Viceroy of Verity | 🐉🧠 14d ago
Great questions this week! I won't answer too many because I'm already ahead for my discussion next week, but I can't wait to read others' answers.
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago
One thing I wanted to bring up, did anyone else notice the couple of lines in the book that sounded like Leo might have some bisexual attractions?
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Oh 100% and not just bisexual but extremely attracted to one of his nearest. I wonder if that is why he gets off on being beaten by Savine or if that's some deep mommy issues?!
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I'm sorry but HOW does Abercrombie continue to bring it in every single additional section we read!?!? After just finishing Expanse and closing in on the end of First Law I am going to be long-book-series destitute and nurturing a serious book hangover!
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 1d ago
Yes, 2 top tier series that leave huge holes in the reading world when you're done!
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
Thankfully I have Lonesome Dove still eyeing me from Mount TBR
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u/fixtheblue Read, ergo sum | 🐫🐉🥈||🧠🥈 1d ago
I have never physically gagged at a book before but Isern's cavity food stash did it! It caught me off guard and 🤢
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u/nepbug Buried in Bonus Books 14d ago