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?
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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: Dune Messiah – Frank Herbert
Part two of the Dune Chronicles – his entire life, Paul “Muad’dib” Atreides has struggled against his fate. Now that he has attained it, what is left for him is to safeguard his family and his legacy against enemies within and without of the palace, some as far away as the edge of the universe, and some as near as the inner circle of the emperor himself.
Review: M3GAN – Gerard Johnstone
Review of M3GAN; Cady, a little girl of nine years old, is forced to live with her aunt Gemma after her parents are killed in a car accident. Gemma, an ambitious roboticist at a high-tech toy company, quickly discovers she is way out of her depth when it comes to caring after a child. To help both herself and Cady, Gemma constructs M3GAN, a robot doll companion for her niece to bond with.
M3GAN quickly proves to be a work of genius, exceeding everyone’s expectations. However, the question arises: are there limits to what technology can and should do instead of humans?
Review: BioShock: Rapture – John Shirley
In this prequel to the BioShock video game series, ultra-wealthy tycoon and passionate libertarian Andrew Ryan sets out to build a city at the bottom of the sea, to escape the looming threat of atomic war and the constant interference of parasitic governments and petty morality. As the project advances, however, others try to take advantage of Rapture’s ‘freedom’. As art, scientific experimentation and exploitation of the working classes run rampant and the city itself starts to spring its first leaks, will Ryan and those loyal to him be able to maintain their ideological positions?
Review: Nimona – Netflix
“Nimona” is an animated movie based on the graphic novel of the same name by N.D. Stevenson. The story revolves around a knight who has fallen from grace, Sir Ballister Blackheart. He is joined by a young shapeshifter named Nimona, as they try to uncover the truth of who is really responsible for the crime Ballister has been framed for.
Nimona, with her whimsical and unpredictable nature, brings a lot of chaos to Ballister’s earnest attempt to find out who was truly responsible for his own banishment. But who, really, is she even?
With its witty dialogue, vibrant animation, and engaging storyline, “Nimona” explores what it’s like to be an outsider in a world that likes to keep outsiders firmly behind a wall.
Review: Red Mars – Kim Stanley Robinson
In the near future, mankind sets out to colonise Mars. But as tensions within even the first 100 colonists starts to rise and the first cracks begin to show, the question rises whether mankind will ever come to an agreement on what life on Mars means for the shared future of humanity.
As the colonisation progresses and man’s impact on the planet keeps growing, the disagreements between the first 100 turn into full blown gloves off interplanetary politics. Still, the personal relationships between those first settlers may prove pivotal in preventing worse.
Review: Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Evelyn Quan Wang is a tired Chinese American trying to run a shabby laundromat with her husband Waymond. Nothing is easy: Evelyn’s marriage is in shambles, and so is her relationship with her daughter.
When the business is audited by the IRS, Evelyn is suddenly thrust into an adventure beyond her wildest imagination.
