[Werthead]

Can't remember much debate.

Yes, there was, but not on the board. It was restricted to emails. And it was specifically said that linking to a review when you could quote the entire review instead in a thread was no longer allowed. What al'Kael has done is precisely what I (and others) used to do before these new rules came in. However, if it is now fine to go back to doing what we did before, all the better :) Thanks for clearing that up.

EDIT: Absolutely no criticism of Al'Kael's excellent review intended here, it just seems to be contradicting something myself and at least two others were told beforehand, either that or we badly misunderstood what was going on.

[Nimea]

Werthead,

I think we all understood that you did not criticise al'Kael's review. :) And I do not want to argue with you, just clear this up. I know about what you call a debate (as I said, we informed you and other bloggers of this coming change and gave the opportunity for a statement) and I also know each version of the "changes to sffworld" before it got official - it never essentially said anything else than it says now.
And we had many more bloggers who did not do it like this before we posted the new policy . . .

Okay? :)

[al'Kael]

Thanks Werthead, glad you enjoyed the review. No offense has been taken!

As I understand it (RobB and I have spoken on this subject several times) as long as a post containing a link also contains other information that will solicit conversation here on SFFWorld then the post is probably okay. I've posted entire reviews before in quotes and been told that wasn't necessary.

In any case, back on topic:

I was totally enamored with all the characters who found their origin in the north. Logen, especially, just has me wrapped around his finger. The complexity of his character is just delicious and I always looked forward to reading from his POV. I love the way Abercrombie shows Ninefingers through the eyes of other characters who view him as nothing more than a simple, barbaric warrior with a bloody past. But, reading from Logen's POV, we know this is far from the truth and I watched with joy as other characters, such as Luthar and Ferro, discovered this as well.

Then there's his buddies in the north. Threetrees death moved me more than anything else so far in the series. His battled with the Feared was epic and kept me up way past my bedtime as I finished the novel. There was something terrifying about seeing such a legendary Named Man go back to the mud really brought the war and the story into perspective. It's also nice to see some complexity from Dogman, in regards to Cathil. If there's anything that Joe knows how to write it's barbaric warriors from cold climes!

Collem West is also another favourite of mine. Someone (I think here on SFFWorld) mentioned that he seems to be about the only character who might be considered a "good guy"... and yet even he has dark moments of violence and even murder. I can't tell exactly how he fits into the story, but I'm damn interested in finding out.

[Joe Abercrombie]

Cheers for the reviews al'Kael - glad you liked the books, and the characters especially. Perhaps I can get you to eat your plotting criticisms with the last book . . .

I'm really looking forward to Last Argument of Kings. I hope Abercrombie can inject a few more nail-biting set pieces
More nail-biting set pieces? I'd be surprised if you have any nails at all by this time next year. You might well have chewed your hands off to the wrists, and have to turn the last few pages with your toes . . .

[al'Kael]

Ahh, there's something intensely satisfying about posting an opinion on a book and then being responded to by the author!

I have faith that you won't disappoint with the final book. It's clear there's a lot more going on in the background that the reader isn't privy to, and it'll be a heck of a ride finding out what it all means:


- What is Kahlul, and the eaters, really up to and how does it relate to Bayaz's past?
- Why was Luthar brought along on the quest to the edge of the known world? How does his father know Bayaz?
- Is that really all Logen was needed for? To speak to the spirit once and then receive a stone?
- What's Ferro's connection to the Emperor of Gurkhul.
- Where're the rest of the Magi? And why are so many of them jackasses?
- How does the back (and Goyle) play into everything?
- Who is The Feared?


I could go on like this for an hour, but the point is, there's a lot of stuff for you to cover and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing it all come together. I'm personally pretty attached to my hands, so I hope your book isn't that good!

[Eventine]

I finished this up as well, and thought it was pretty good. The POV characters are definitely the strength of this book - they strike me as being realistic in that they change throughout the story as a result of what happens to them, rather than being a vehicle for the plot that remains unchanged by it.
I have to agree with Luke that some of the peripheral characters don't stand up to the scrutiny - especially the prince, who to me is little more than a predictable cardboard cut out.
I was also often surprised by some of the twistings of the plot along the way - a few times, just as I thought I had what was going to happen mapped out Joe shook things up again. Good stuff.

The most interesting thing for me now: Bayaz's plans for Jezal, and how that relates to Glotka. There's something fishy here!

Enjoyable stuff - keep up the good work Joe - I'm looking forard to the next one.

[Decado]

Loved this book. A little sad it is only a trilogy, though, since the story doesn't seem to have gotten very far.

[thrinidir]

I loved the book even though it has its undeniable flaws; but I'm just a sucker for character driven novels...character driven novels that are done well.

biggest pros:
multiple POV and short chapters (this contributes greatly towards page-turning virtue of the novel - and it blurrs the sometimes slow pace)
characterisation (especially glotka and logen[as before],jezal[!],northeners and west)
writing style (simple but not obtuse,and deliciously ironic)
action scenes (the thing most comments if not all of them miss is: intense and undecided fights, where even the "named men" are not superior to normal soldiers/flatheads; the enemies are not just pieces on the board ready to fall as one even looks at them.even logen in his "normal" mode finds himself hard pressed by what we would call simple brigands)
good ending (good choices of the people that die...not because I hated them but it really made me aware of how attached I grew to "them"[not neccessarily the ones that died])

most notable cons:
the pace is slow at times
I found some characters underdeveloped (especially ferro,bayaz,quai and the two bristling generals in the north)
having to wait for The Last Arguments Of Kings (I applied for the limited reading copies at Joe's blog,but I'm not to hopeful...I never had much luck with lottery :rolleyes:)
name of the novel (übercool but pointless) - this isn't really a con, is it?

I have a question for Joe, if you still lurk about these pages? Why did Bayaz help Jezal in the turnament? I can't find any passable reasons - all through the second volume Bayaz preaches humility to Jezal...so why did he help him with his vanity in the final fight of the turnament? thank you.

[dexcess]

Bought 'The Blade Itself' a long time before I actually got to read it and then I found the first few chapters hard work - Got distracted by Neil Gaiman for a while - but I returned and I'm glad I did. Thoroughly enjoyed it and 'Before they are hanged' - really like Logen's character and others perception of him.

dex

[saintjon]

Even with having to work around driving around north america and maintaining a healthy social life when I'm not I managed to read this book in a week and a half or so, and I think I threw my girlfriend off a bit when I remarked to her that I was "finally done". Well, it seemed like it took a long time because I couldn't tear through it fast enough.

I pretty well enjoyed the whole thing, even the boring, drawn out and bleak nature of the lands travelled on the quest resonated with me. Just drive from where I live to the middle of Nebraska and you'll see way too many boring landscapes to ever believe that an epic quest could be exciting for more than a couple minutes a month lol.

There are two scenes I need to address though that were just top-shelf:
First of all, that sex scene with Logan and Ferro was the most hilarious and awkward "lovemaking" episode I've ever come across. It kind of put me in mind of Howard Stern at his very best, where a good hard look at just how unromantic reality (or fantasy in this case) is can lead to such hilarity. There are few enough writers in fantasy who can make a sex scene good in any way whatsoever, let alone as a hilarious character commentary. Great stuff!

The other big thing was the build up to that wild fight scene at the end. What a hell of a thing, to show something so great about Threetrees just before he dies, through the mind of the Dogman as he is led from fear, to hesitation to fierce and eager courage. I know I throw a lot of praise around but that whole segment that started with the mist, the Shanka and the Feared appearing right up to the charge was one of the most gripping and thrilling things I have ever read. The fight that came immediately after was terrific, no doubt, but there are a lot of terrific fight scenes out there. I just found that part before to be wholly unique and inspiring. God I love those Northmen. I don't know who started this trend of marking out to rugged northern dudes in fantasy (Robert E. Howard I guess) but god bless them! I think I mentioned before that they kind of put me in mind of a hybrid of Conan and the Trailer Park Boys.

I'd like to the thank the movie Braveheart for giving me a gripping portrait of an effeminate ninny of a prince to base Ladisla on in my mind :D.