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: Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson
Hiro Protagonist is a freelance hacker, CIC operative, best sword fighter in the world, and also a pizza courier for the Mafia. When it seems he might incur the wrath of Uncle Enzo by delivering a pizza late, he is saved by Y.T., a skateboarding courier with an attitude. They form a partnership in an attempt to unravel the ever-thickening plot around real-world diseases being spread via the digital metaverse and people attending a particular franchise church speaking in tongues.
Review: Kaos – Netflix
“A line appears, the order wanes, the family falls, and Kaos reigns.” This is the prophecy that haunts a tracksuit wearing Zeus, who desperately tries to stay relevant and powerful in modern day Greece. Meanwhile, Prometheus plots to make sure the prophecy comes true.
Review: Sistersong – Lucy Holland
In 6th century Britain, three sisters, the daughters of the King of Dumnonia in modern-day Cornwall, feel their culture is beset on all sides: as Saxons invade the land, a Christian priest tries to convert the Dumnonians and convince them to abandon their old faith. When a mysterious stranger arrives at the court, the love between two of the sisters is tested – while the third feels uncomfortable in her body and the role society has given her.
Review: Nautilus – Amazon Prime
In the year 1857, when the British East India Mercantile Company reigns the world in all but name, it uses its their stolen riches and enslaved laborers to build a vessel to crown it all: a massive submersible ship called the Nautilus. However, as the construction of the Nautilus reaches its conclusion, one of the ship’s designers, Nemo, leads a prisoner uprising and seizes the Nautilus for himself. In a quest for freedom, knowledge and vengeance, Nemo and his crew brave the dangers of the world’s oceans, as the East India Mercantile Company hunt them for the prize they’ve stolen. Is it possible to escape the Company’s reach and maybe destroy this world power for once and for all?
Review: The Farthest Shore – Ursula Le Guin
A young prince is sent to the island of Roke to warn the masters of the School of Wizardry of the disappearance of magic from the shores of Earthsea. Alongside the boy, the Archmage Ged sets sail to find the source of the mysterious illness that is draining magic from the land.
Review: What We Do In The Shadows – FX
What We Do In The Shadows is a mockumentary style series, following three vampires and one energy vampire who are roommates living on Staten Island, New York. As the show progresses, we are given a glimpse into what it’s like to be an ancient vampire living in a modern world. Meanwhile, vampire familiar Guillermo tries to help the vampires survive while hoping that one day, he will be turned into a vampire himself.
