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: Alien Clay – Adrian Tchaikovsky
Prof. Arton Daghdev, expert in alien biology, is exiled to a labour camp on the distant world of Kiln for his crimes against the scientific orthodoxy of the Mandate. His exile is as much a punishment as it is an opportunity: to actually study the complex and utterly alien ecosystem of Kiln up close is a dream come true. But the science is hampered by the confines set by the Mandate on the truths that may be discovered – and the life expectancy of a labourer in the camp on Kiln is terrifyingly low…
Review: Half a War – Joe Abercrombie
Skara, princess of Throvenland, narrowly escapes the clutches of Bright Yilling, sent to kill her family and take Throvenland for the High King. See flees to Gettland to beg King Uthil and his ally Grom-gil-Gorm to honour their word and set Throvenland free – but even if they do, what place can Skara and Throvenland take in the alliance, and can they withstand the might of the High King’s armies? Meanwhile, Raith, Grom-gil-Gorm’s cupbearer, is assigned to guard Skara – but that role swiftly turns out to be a cover for something else.
Review: Love and Monsters – Netflix/Paramount
In a world that has been ravaged by insects that have grown to the size of dinosaurs after a fatal asteroid crash, twenty something Joel Dawson wiles away his life in an underground bunker with a small group of fellow survivors. As the only single person in a colony full of couples, Joel finally decides to venture onto the dangerous surface to find his pre-apocalypse girlfriend, Aimee. one small problem: Joel freezes when he gets scared, and there’s a lot on the surface to be scared of.
Review: Half the World – Joe Abercrombie
Thorn Bathu wants to be warrior, but when she accidentally kills a boy in the training square, the odds of her achieving that goal look very long. Brand wants to be a warrior too, but when he speaks up on behalf of Thorn, his road, too, is diverted. Meanwhile, Father Yarvi, minister of king Uthil of Gettland, needs to find allies in the seeming inevitable wars Gettland will find itself in the near future. And when a kingdom is surrounded by enemies, it needs to look for allies further afield…
Review: Family Pack – Netflix
In a hopeful attempt to bond with each other, a family attempts to play a mysterious game together, passed down by earlier generations. The game soon becomes very serious, however, when they find themselves transported to a medieval town, beset by werewolves.
Review: Half a King – Joe Abercrombie
Yarvi was training to become a minister, but when his father, the king of Gettland, and his older brother are killed by warriors of neighbouring Vansterland on a sea voyage, he is called to the throne instead. But how can a weak man with only one healthy hand lead the nation of Gettland – and how can a man that is only half a man avenge the death of his father against the Vanstermen?
