Before They Are Hanged (First Law, Bk 2)
Author:
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Hardcover
This is Book 2 of The First Law Trilogy.
In all, this was not a bad book. Character development is coming along well enough, and all of the separate character arcs are finally starting to converge. Everyone is still mostly unlikable, but Abercrombie continues to tease the reader with glimpses of personal growth and the potential for them to develop more redeeming qualities. But in the end it is only that - a tease. It is on that point that he never seems to fully deliver.
The plot still remains a bit of a mess and the characters are still sucking their teeth, but they are doing it less often in this book and for that I am grateful. Abercrombie does have a gift for moments of witty dialogue, black humor, and irony. However, I can't help but feel that his attempts to write a darker fantasy series that defies stereotypes will also fall short of the mark, and could render this entire journey even more pointless than it already seems to be.
In all, this was not a bad book. Character development is coming along well enough, and all of the separate character arcs are finally starting to converge. Everyone is still mostly unlikable, but Abercrombie continues to tease the reader with glimpses of personal growth and the potential for them to develop more redeeming qualities. But in the end it is only that - a tease. It is on that point that he never seems to fully deliver.
The plot still remains a bit of a mess and the characters are still sucking their teeth, but they are doing it less often in this book and for that I am grateful. Abercrombie does have a gift for moments of witty dialogue, black humor, and irony. However, I can't help but feel that his attempts to write a darker fantasy series that defies stereotypes will also fall short of the mark, and could render this entire journey even more pointless than it already seems to be.
