Welcome to the Escape Velocity Collection!
We are an opinionated group of friends reviewing all sorts of fantasy and science fiction media. Don’t forget to get to know the curators and visit our curated Collection, where we discuss the stories that never cease to transport us to another world.
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- Book written by Joe Abercrombie
- Published 15 March 2007
- Part two in the First Law Trilogy
Bayaz, first of the magi, gathers a party of misfits around him for a quest to the end of the world. Among them are Logen, the barbarian looking for a better version of himself, Ferro mal Jin, the woman looking for revenge on an empire, and Jezal dan Luthar, the nobleman not looking for anything at all. In the meantime, Inquisitor Glokta is sent to an outlying Union colony to solve the murder of his predecessor, and Colonel Collem West is sent to the North, Logen’s homeland, to defend the civilised world from the unholy alliance of northmen, sorcery and Shanka that threatens to engulf the northern reaches of the Union. How they’re all connected remains to be seen…
Listened to the audiobook with Steven Pacey (whom I liked a lot).
I really felt like the first part of the trilogy was a prelude, so I am glad the story took off in the second instalment. The prose remains great and scene for scene, the book is a page turner, but as with the previous part, the plot progresses slowly once you take a step back.
I liked that Abercrombie had us spend a lot of time with Logen’s former crew in the North, which I think are some of the best characters from the series. I am also glad that Abercrombie manages to make the distant-past worldbuilding that will be necessary to understand where the overarching plot is going enjoyable, though I do have to admit that the worldbuilding itself is not mind-blowing.
Overall, a good read which sets up a lot of pegs for the final installment to knock down. You can read my review of The Last Argument of Kings to see whether I thought the conclusion to the plot was as satisfying as Abercrombie’s prose was in the first two parts.
Tagged:
- Book written by Joe Abercrombie
- Published 20 March 2008
- Part one in the First Law Trilogy
A cast of diverse characters, each broken and twisted in his or her own way, struggle to find meaning in a world where everything seems bigger than they can handle. Follow the stories of, among others, Logen Ninefingers, a grizzled champion from the barbarian north, Inquisitor Sand dan Glokta, a former war hero and current torturer, and captain Jezal dan Luthar, a fencing duelist with more skill than sense – all the while Bayaz, the First of the Magi, a quick-to-anger wizard, seems to have an agenda of his own…
Listened to the audiobook with Steven Pacey (whom I liked a lot).
An interesting read that features a lot of really dark characters that will, depending on your likes and dislikes, straddle the divide between too-edgy for their own good and refreshingly grim, but realistic. Personally, I found the characters well-written though I could not bring myself to like them, despite Abercrombie clearly trying.
The book has some of the most enjoyable prose I’ve encountered in a long time in a fantasy book, and it has an absolutely terrific balance between humour and serious storytelling.
Somewhat disappointingly, however, you cannot read this as a standalone book – this is the first book in a trilogy, and it shows. If you want to read this, plan on having to read the entire story for any of the story lines and character arcs to progress out of their initial stages. This book is a set up – and does well in that role – but requires further storytelling to bring home the rewards.
Initially I was a bit frustrated with Abercrombie for leaving so many endings open, and it took me a while before I caved and listened to the other two instalments; having now finished the trilogy, I can say that it is well worth the read.
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Welcome to the Escape Velocity Collection!
We are an opinionated group of friends reviewing all sorts of fantasy and science fiction media. Don’t forget to get to know the curators and visit our curated Collection, where we discuss the stories that never cease to transport us to another world.
Will you escape with us?
Review: Disenchanted – Disney
In ‘Enchanted’, former storybook princess Giselle leaves her fairy tale life behind to find a happily ever after in the real world with a single dad and his pre-teen daughter. In this movie, Giselle has a baby of her own and a now gloomy teenage stepdaughter. To try and escape an existence in a rut, Giselle makes her family move to a small suburban village. Furthermore, she uses a magic wand to wish a fairy tale life for her family. Alas, as often tends to happen with wishes, things don’t work out as she intends…
Review: The Golden Fleece of Thule / Het Gulden Vlies van Thule – Thea Beckman
Part 3 in the Children of Mother Earth Trilogy – Elvira is the daughter of the Badener vice-governor of Uppernavik, one of the Annexed Territories in Thule. Life in the annexed territories is primitive, in no small part due to constant sabotage by Thulenian terrorists. When she resolves to learn the Thulenian language in an attempt to understand the foe, she could not have foreseen the path that that decision would set her on.
Review: The Test – Sylvain Neuvel
In order to obtain UK citizenship, a man sits a difficult immigration test. Before he finishes, though, the session is disturbed by some unexpected visitors and the afternoon takes a grim turn…
Review: Fool’s Quest – Robin Hobb
After the events of Fool’s Assassin, Fitz finds himself back at Buckkeep Castle with his old friend, the Fool. The Fool warns him that the pale folk are looking for a child known as the Unexpected Son. Meanwhile, Fitz’s young daughter Bee is left at Fitz’s estate Withywoods, but she won’t be alone for long…
Review: The Last of Us – HBO Max
Global society collapsed after a fungus turning people into zombies spread like a wildfire. Joel is a world-weary smuggler used to a life out of sight of what remains of the authorities. Ellie, on the other hand, is a sassy teenager growing up in a dreary post-apocalyptic world, whose importance neither she nor Joel can grasp. When Joel is tasked to take Ellie on a dangerous trip across country, he is (understandably) less than thrilled.
Review: The infernal paradise/Het helse paradijs – Thea Beckman
Part 2 in the Children of Mother Earth Trilogy – Several years after the failed expedition of the Badenfelder, the Egon of the expansionist Great Badener Empire equips a new fleet of five steam-powered warships to once again set out for the mythical land of Thule. Young linguist Kilian Werfel is attached to the fleet to facilitate intercultural communication. But from the moment the Badeners’ new fleet draws near the paradise island nation, things start going south rapidly.
