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Nermin 's Reviews > Before They Are Hanged
Before They Are Hanged (The First Law, #2)
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Ok, two books down and only one to go and still i have scarcely any idea what this series is really about.
I often hear that the characters in the First Law trilogy is rather unpleasant and despicable. Bullshit. This series has the most fascinating set of main characters. My favorites so far are Glotka and Jezal. Glotka used to be a dashing soldier of the Union. One of the best. And then he was taken captive by enemy, tortured for two years. Now he is a bitter cripple and a torturer. Jezal is a young handsome and skilled soldier. He was also an arrogant douchebag who would look down on his inferiors and fawn over his superiors at the start of the series, now after being through hell and coming face to face with death, he's somehow changed for better. I liked the new Jezal in Before they are hanged but I liked the old Jezal, for that matter.
The other main characters are the centuries old powerful wizard Bayaz , Logen 'the most feared man in the North' who is a ruthless fighter, but when he's not fighting he has the most tender heart. Colonel West, an honorable commoner with a rather good military mind. Most of his superiors seem to despise him for becoming a Colonel and overreaching himself. And Ferro, who has a blood of devil. She is either frowning or sullen or grunting 99% of the time. She trust no one, hates everyone and everything, the goal of her life is to take revenge on her enslavers.
Just like in the first book, Before they are hanged was full of gruesome violence and humor. I just love the way Aercrombie mixes this two unlikely element to his books.
All in all, I really like JA's writing style, his characters, his dark humor. I'm still not so much impressed by it, say, as I was impressed by GRRM, to give it a 5 star but i'm definitely looking forward to reading the last book.
I often hear that the characters in the First Law trilogy is rather unpleasant and despicable. Bullshit. This series has the most fascinating set of main characters. My favorites so far are Glotka and Jezal. Glotka used to be a dashing soldier of the Union. One of the best. And then he was taken captive by enemy, tortured for two years. Now he is a bitter cripple and a torturer. Jezal is a young handsome and skilled soldier. He was also an arrogant douchebag who would look down on his inferiors and fawn over his superiors at the start of the series, now after being through hell and coming face to face with death, he's somehow changed for better. I liked the new Jezal in Before they are hanged but I liked the old Jezal, for that matter.
The other main characters are the centuries old powerful wizard Bayaz , Logen 'the most feared man in the North' who is a ruthless fighter, but when he's not fighting he has the most tender heart. Colonel West, an honorable commoner with a rather good military mind. Most of his superiors seem to despise him for becoming a Colonel and overreaching himself. And Ferro, who has a blood of devil. She is either frowning or sullen or grunting 99% of the time. She trust no one, hates everyone and everything, the goal of her life is to take revenge on her enslavers.
Just like in the first book, Before they are hanged was full of gruesome violence and humor. I just love the way Aercrombie mixes this two unlikely element to his books.
All in all, I really like JA's writing style, his characters, his dark humor. I'm still not so much impressed by it, say, as I was impressed by GRRM, to give it a 5 star but i'm definitely looking forward to reading the last book.
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Before They Are Hanged.
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Reading Progress
November 21, 2012
– Shelved
March 16, 2013
–
Started Reading
March 17, 2013
–
11.0%
March 24, 2013
–
18.0%
March 26, 2013
–
23.0%
"“... A great leader must share the hardships of his followers, of his soldiers, of his subjects. That is how he wins their respect. Great leaders do not complain. Not ever.”
“Fuck them then,” muttered Jezal under his breath. “And this rain, too!”"
“Fuck them then,” muttered Jezal under his breath. “And this rain, too!”"
March 26, 2013
–
36.0%
March 26, 2013
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41.0%
March 28, 2013
–
47.0%
March 29, 2013
–
58.0%
March 30, 2013
–
91.0%
March 30, 2013
–
100.0%
March 30, 2013
– Shelved as:
fantasy
March 30, 2013
– Shelved as:
series
March 31, 2013
–
Finished Reading
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Mar 27, 2013 03:36PM
I wanted to read the first one for months is it great? I keep getting the impression that it's bursting with irony and humor but just the right amount of historical details as well :)
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I'm not sure if it's great, I mean I liked it and I'm liking the second one even more, but I wouldn't say it is as good as ASOIAF series. it really is humorous, on the other hand, there's a lot of violence, gore and disturbing and graphic torture scenes in this book.
even more gory than ASOIAF?! wow now that's something you don't hear everyday
I think so. Fight and torture scenes are very explicit, graphic and disturbing. One of the main characters(and he's my favorite one so far) in the book is a tortured torturer who used to be a dashing soldier but then got captured by the enemy and was tortured and crippled.and now he is a torturer himself. so there are a lot of gruesome torture scenes.
Eh, my problem with characters is opposite. I find them too predictable and boring. I wish they were really unpleasant and despicable. But Abercrombie plays it safe and gives them excuses under the guise of ambuiguity. There is no real conflict; we have just enough to feel bad about liking them yet sympathise with them at the end of the day. Very cleverly balanced, but I don't like that kind of manipulation and it feels like a cheap cop-out.But I didn't find it gorier than ASOIAF, though I finished only the first book of First Law so far.
I don't really know how to reply to that, on the one hand, I can't help but agree with you about characters being predictable. on the other hand, I'm really too fond of most of the characters to find them boring. So I think Abercrombie quite managed to manipulate me, huh? :)Hmm, I don't know, both series are quite gory, to be sure. But some parts of the First Law books, especially the torture scenes were very explicit and they disturbed me more than any violence scenes in GRRM books. maybe it just me though.
Nermin wrote: "But some parts of the First Law books, especially the torture scenes were very explicit and they disturbed me more than any violence scenes in GRRM books. maybe it just me though. "Even Ramsay?
Alright, Glotka is nowhere near as disgusting as Ramsay. But we don't see Ramsay torturing people throughout the whole series whereas Glotka is always interrogating and torturing someone.
Nermin wrote: "Alright, Glotka is nowhere near as disgusting as Ramsay. But we don't see Ramsay torturing people throughout the whole series whereas Glotka is always interrogating and torturing someone."You really are persistent in calling him Glotka. Sand dan Glokta.
Oops, sorry, I didn't know until now that his name was actually Glokta:) Glotka sounds nicer to my ears, I suppose:) Thanks for correcting me.
Helen wrote: "Eh, my problem with characters is opposite. I find them too predictable and boring. I wish they were really unpleasant and despicable. But Abercrombie plays it safe and gives them excuses under the guise of ambuiguity. There is no real conflict; we have just enough to feel bad about liking them yet sympathise with them at the end of the day. Very cleverly balanced, but I don't like that kind of manipulation and it feels like a cheap cop-out.But I didn't find it gorier than ASOIAF, though I finished only the first book of First Law so far. "
By the way, now having read the book, I really think JA manipulated and deceived us but not in any predictable way. Everything we knew about the characters, everything we thought we knew about them turned out to be wrong. I can't say more without spoiling the book but we both were very wrong in thinking that the characters were predictible. Therefore, i think, this series should be read and assessed as a whole.
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