Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 4, 2020 11:18:28 GMT -5
Before the Are Hanged
(First Law #2)
Joe Abercrombie
With so much set up on the 1st book... this book just HAD to have more plot movement that the typical 2nd book of a trilogy. And it did... just.
There are now just three threads to the story... Bayaz's quest, the war in the north, and the war in the south... that's good. 3 threads is plenty... the 5 or 6 of the first book were simply too scattered.
There was a battle, but not a decisive one.. not surprising for a 2nd book. There's some added intrigue that paid off some hints form the first book that were not surprising, but are intriguing.. you don't get mysterious bankers as antagonists too often.
Overall though, the plot still has far too go to make sense of everything... most importantly... who are the good guys? Yes, we've been hearing the story from the Union, but are they really? Especially after the events in this book, it seems maybe we'll have to look elsewhere for the heroes.
I think that might be the thing that keeps me from really giving the series glowing remarks so far. I get it, that's the trend in storytelling.. everyone is shades of grey and good and evil are what you make of it. Great, thought provoing stuff in it's place. But when that's all there is? Sometimes gray can become a confusing muddle that just becomes uninteresting.
So often, series like this talk about the plight of the common man, and how it doesn't matter who wins. If that's the case, why am I reading the book? There can be TOO much of a good thing, and there's something to be said for having a clear villain to fight.
The characters continue to be the strength.. I still REALLY like Glotka, who would think a torturer could be such a humanizing character? I'm looking greatly forward to the group that went on Bayaz's quest to go back to interacting with the other main players.. that has been too long in coming... it seems the main point of that part of the story was an excuse for historical exposition. I appreciate good world building, but it can be done in a better way than this.
Logen Ninefingers continues to be an well done Conan analog who I REALLY want to get back to the North and sort things out... he's been totally wasted on the quest... almost as if they just needed him to be out of the way to develop the others and be ready for his return.
I've heard from some that the 3rd book is where it all brilliantly comes together, and others who say it ended with a dull whimper... I can see a few different paths. That's a good thing, but if it's the one I expect, I'll admit to being a bit disappointed. We'll see in book three!
(First Law #2)
Joe Abercrombie
With so much set up on the 1st book... this book just HAD to have more plot movement that the typical 2nd book of a trilogy. And it did... just.
There are now just three threads to the story... Bayaz's quest, the war in the north, and the war in the south... that's good. 3 threads is plenty... the 5 or 6 of the first book were simply too scattered.
There was a battle, but not a decisive one.. not surprising for a 2nd book. There's some added intrigue that paid off some hints form the first book that were not surprising, but are intriguing.. you don't get mysterious bankers as antagonists too often.
Overall though, the plot still has far too go to make sense of everything... most importantly... who are the good guys? Yes, we've been hearing the story from the Union, but are they really? Especially after the events in this book, it seems maybe we'll have to look elsewhere for the heroes.
I think that might be the thing that keeps me from really giving the series glowing remarks so far. I get it, that's the trend in storytelling.. everyone is shades of grey and good and evil are what you make of it. Great, thought provoing stuff in it's place. But when that's all there is? Sometimes gray can become a confusing muddle that just becomes uninteresting.
So often, series like this talk about the plight of the common man, and how it doesn't matter who wins. If that's the case, why am I reading the book? There can be TOO much of a good thing, and there's something to be said for having a clear villain to fight.
The characters continue to be the strength.. I still REALLY like Glotka, who would think a torturer could be such a humanizing character? I'm looking greatly forward to the group that went on Bayaz's quest to go back to interacting with the other main players.. that has been too long in coming... it seems the main point of that part of the story was an excuse for historical exposition. I appreciate good world building, but it can be done in a better way than this.
Logen Ninefingers continues to be an well done Conan analog who I REALLY want to get back to the North and sort things out... he's been totally wasted on the quest... almost as if they just needed him to be out of the way to develop the others and be ready for his return.
I've heard from some that the 3rd book is where it all brilliantly comes together, and others who say it ended with a dull whimper... I can see a few different paths. That's a good thing, but if it's the one I expect, I'll admit to being a bit disappointed. We'll see in book three!