Review: Before They Are Hanged

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem – he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters. If they didn't hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven – but not before they are hanged.

“Before They Are Hanged” is the 2nd book in the First Law Trilogy. The First Law Trilogy is actually one long story which is published in three books. Compared to for instance Scott Lynch’s Lock Lamora series, the First Law books are much less suitable to be read as standalone books.

“Before They Are Hanged” picks up right after the open ended story lines of “The Blade Itself”.

Sand dan Glotka is ‘promoted’ by Arch Lector Sult to the position of Superior of Dagoska; a city state somewhere in the South. His task is to root out traitorous elements in the ruling council of Dagoska and to defend Dagoska from a possible attack by Gurkish forces.

Meanwhile, the Union Army and the merry band of Northmen lead by Threetrees prepare to fight their war against Bethod, the King of the North. The Union army is ill prepared and ill trained. Lord Marshal Burr has enough worries managing the two rivaling generals Kroy and Poulder and Colonel West is burdened with babysitting Prince Ladisla, who proves to be a useless weakling.

The third main plot thread is the quest of Bayaz, Ninefingers, Jezal and Ferro in the far far west. Their journey takes them through a war ravaged Old Empire and a dead ancient city to the very edge of the world where supposedly the Seed, an devilish weapon of enormous can be found. Bayaz is intending to use this weapon against his former co-apprentice Khalul, who is now a prophet behind the Gurkish Emperor and seeking to increase his influence on the world using dark methods.

Once again it was Glokta who stole the show for me. His constant inner dialogue makes Glokta the most developed and best rounded character. Logen Ninefingers is a close second for me, he is the one that ‘carries’ the quest plot thread. Character development is the strong point of this book anyway, like it was in “The Blade Itself”. We see Jezal changing, being humbled by his experiences on the road. Bayaz remains bit of a mystery but perhaps we’ll learn more of his motivations in the last book. Collem West is bit ‘flat’ to me, but I really liked the parts with the Dogman, Black Dow, Tul Duru Thunderhead, Harding Grim and Rud Threetrees. It will be interesting to see where their adventures take them in “Last Argument of Kings”.

Concerning the plot: The war in the North is the only plot thread that remains completely open ended in this book; the other two story arcs have a beginning and an end, but what they actually contribute to the story as in advancement of the plot remains to be seen. Sure, there is the character development, but for me the result of Glokta’s activities in Dagoska and especially the result of Bayaz’ quest left me wondering a bit about the actual contribution to the overall story. (Spoiler ahead: they travel several months to the end of the world and find… nothing? Ah it’s not here - well, let’s get back to the Union then. ) Maybe / probably we will understand some things better after reading “Last Argument of Kings”.

Point of criticism once again: there’s no map. In this book it’s even more annoying than in the first one because the characters are on the move a whole lot more and there are even more references to faraway places. I still think it’s a cop out to not include a map and say it’s because it might restrict the reader’s own fantasy too much. But hey, I rather read a good story without a map then a bad story with a map. And a good story it is.

Conclusion: I liked “Before They Are Hanged” , albeit a little less than “The Blade Itself”. The novelty and freshness of Abercrombie’s approach to the epic fantasy genre is naturally a little less in the 2nd book. Without it there’s still plenty to enjoy – the action, the political intrigue, the humor /cynicism and especially the dialogue, the characters and their development. But regarding plot advancement I have mixed feelings and some of the musings of the main characters tend to get a little repetitive. But still: “Before They Are Hanged” is a very entertaining and enjoyable book and if you enjoyed “The Blade Itself” you will like this one too without a doubt!

8 / 10

Review: The Blade Itself

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught up in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian, leaving nothing behind but some bad songs, a few dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends as cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendships. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government... if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

Finally… I read The Blade Itself, the much-hailed and critically acclaimed debut of Joe Abercrombie. I bought this one and it’s follow up “Before They Are Hanged” over a year ago. It took some time however before I could get my hands on the last book in the trilogy. The George RR Martin experience taught me not to start a series anymore before the series is actually finished. In the Netherlands the paperback edition of “Last Argument With Kings” was released just last month, so after I picked it up and had it actually sitting on my book shelve, I felt save to start the First Law Trilogy.

It certainly was worth the wait and actually I am happy I waited, because after finishing “The Blade Itself “ I know I would have been frustrated if I had to wait a year (or five) to be able to continue reading. Now I have no problem – I ‘m already well on my way in “Before They Are Hanged” and the 3rd one will follow immediately after that one. Be warned: “The Blade Itself” is not a standalone novel and if you buy it you might as well by book 2 and 3 right away.

About “The Blade Itself”: I really liked this book, almost everything about it. You have to like it just by looking at the books: beautiful cover art (the whole series) and also the booktitles: not standard and therefore intriguing – at least to me. I maybe strange that way, but if a book ‘looks ugly’ I will not buy it; even it got raving reviews.

The characters make this book shine. Not really your typical fantasy stereotypes to be found here. Also all of the characters have their own distinctive voice, which is an achievement because it's where a lot of writers fail.

We have a barbarian, but this one, Logen Ninefingers, is tired of fighting. He is a legendary warrior turned tired and somewhat philosophical. But that doesn’t mean there will not be fighting… I liked his philosophy when he accepted a sword, even though he would rather not use a sword anymore: “better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it”. You have to be realistic after all.

There is a young officer in the King’s Army, Jezal dan Luthar; who is reluctantly training for the yearly sword fighting Contest. He wants the honor and the glory, but doesn’t want to be bothered too much. He is superiorly arrogant, selfish, snobbish, lazy and should be utterly unlikable. But maybe the reader sometimes recognizes some things in his way of thinking…?

The star of this book is Sand dan Glotka, a former legendary sword fighting champion and war hero. Now he is a cripple (after having spent two years in an enemies torture chamber), who is employed by the Inquisition – so he is now a torturer himself. His constant inner dialogue is what makes this the most interesting character. “Why do I do this…?”

Then there is the old wizard Bayaz, the First of The Magi. Not your typical kind of wizard, who’s character is used to provide most of the history of the world and through who’s storyline we see most of the direction in which the books will go. This book is setting the ground for some kind of quest it seems.

Other characters that will play a role are Ferro; a savage ex slave woman from the south hell bent on revenge on her former masters and Collem West; an officer in the King’s Army and friend of Jezal, despite him being not of the same (good) blood as Jezal himself; and we have a pack of Northmen, barbarians who used to be with Logen Ninefingers.

All these characters start off with storylines of their own, but it soon becomes clear that somehow somewhere their paths will cross.

I also liked the world itself. Not really the standard medieval setting, something similar but ‘fresh’. I liked the humorous references to standard fantasy: the barbarian and the wizard with his apprentice going to a prop shop to buy costumes before an audience with the King to really look like… a barbarian, a wizard and an apprentice. Or Ardee who is reading a history book (in three volumes..) about wizards and knights and swords; about magic, romance and violence – and calls it ‘utter shit’. Funny stuff, just read it to appreciate it.

The political intrigue is there and it’s well done. There’s a puppet king with a useless heir; the Kingdom is really ruled by the Closed Council, consisting of different figures vying for power.

One thing I didn’t like: there’s no map. Abercrombie seems to have his reasons for not including a map but whatever these reasons are: I just like a map in a book like this. I want to know where the characters are in relation to each other; especially when they are on the move (like they will be in the 2nd book.) An argument seems to be that it is better if the reader uses his own fantasy and creates a map of the world in his own head or else the readers imagination is restricted or something. Hmmm. I just disagree. This is my only complaint however and it doesn’t stop me warmly recommending this book to anyone who likes their epic fantasy with an edge.

Conclusion: this is epic fantasy with a twist. Hard edged, not for the faint of heart because of the explicit violence and swearing, with some clever humor; this is a character and dialogue driven book that is clearly laying the ground works for something bigger. A good, fast and enjoyable read that will make you want to jump in its sequel “Before They Are Hanged” right away!

8,5 / 10

Review: Red Seas under Red Skies

Escaping from the attentions of the Bondsmagi Locke Lamora, the estwhile Thorn of Camorr and Jean Tannen have fled their home city. Taking ship they arrive in the city state of Tal Varrar where they are soon planning their most spectacular heist yet; they will take the luxurious gaming house, The Sinspire, for all of its countless riches. No-one has ever taken even a single coin from the Sinspire that wasn't won on the tables or in the other games of chance on offer there. But, as ever, the path of true crime rarely runs smooth and Locke and Jean soon find themselves co-opted into an attempt to bring the pirate fleet of the notorious Zamira Drakasha to justice.

The second installment in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence is a strange, difficult one to review. It seems that there are a lot of things to criticize, but I still finished the book with a good feeling; I simply enjoyed it, despite its shortcomings. And now I will try to explain why...

Like the first book I enjoyed the world Scott Lynch created. We get to see more of the world now, not just the city of the first book. Because the first book was exclusively limited to the city state of Camorr it’s fair to say the world in the first installment was a bit better developed, more detailed for sure. But I enjoyed seeing more of the world and not being limited to just Camorr. For me seeing more of the world worked and it’s good to know there is much more to discover left for the next 5 books.

The sharp and crisp dialogue, the humor, the drama & tragedy, the intrigue, Scott Lynch’s stylish style (?) – it’s all there and it’s all good. This is escapism as it should be – read an hour before sleeping and being completely transported to and absorbed by the world the writer created – this feeling is what I remember from being a young boy who started reading and being totally absorbed by the stories I read. The Gentleman Bastard books do this for me and that’s good. I even found myself ‘saving’ the book for reading in bed, without distractions of wife, child, television and telephone during the evenings. Lesser books I can read with whatever going on around me, the two Lock Lamora books I wanted to save for optimal enjoyment it seemed. Good job Mr. Lynch!

But there are also some problems. Locke and Jean are invulnerable. In itself this is not too bad (I mean I can also enjoy a James Bond movie while I know James will never die) but being in mortal peril constantly and coming out alive no matter what gets to be a little bit much after a while (and takes away some of the tension and excitement). Leading characters in ongoing series obviously usually survive, but in Locke’s and Jean’s case is too often because of dumb luck or because of other contrived reasons.

There were also some problems with the pacing. The first third of the book is used for setting up the Sinspire heist and the Archonate plotline. Nice and slow, no problems here. Then we get a part that’s a bit too long to my taste and drags a bit in which Locke and Jean learn to be sea men, which is the set up for the pirate part of the book. It is a too sudden departure from the Sinspire / Requin plotline; somehow it didn’t feel right, like Lynch threw together the plans for two separate books – one about the heist and one about pirates and crammed these two books into one. It felt somehow inconsistent I guess.

I actually liked the pirate part when it started good and well; the characters of Zamira and Ezri and the rest of the pirates, the description of Port Prodigal, the adventures at sea. Biggest problem arises when the plotlines of the beginning of the book are wrapped up in the last 50 pages or so; which seems to be ridiculously fast compared to the much slower pace of the early and middle part of the book. I appreciate the dramatic effect of a quickening pace toward the end of a story, but this was a bit too quick and too conveniently wrapped up.

Another unsatisfactory part of the ending: who was Merrain really working for? Didn't seem to be for Requin or the priori and she definitely wasn't working for Stragos . Did she work for the Bondsmagi? Doesn’t make much sense does it? Something for the next book maybe. And what’s the deal with these Bondsmagi anyway? I’m not a big magic fan and if it’s used it has to be explained well. The bondsmagi are completely off scene in this book, which is fine, but we are led to believe that they are super powerful. Why then don’t they just kill Locke and Jean them if they hate them so much? We’ll find later I suppose.

But all criticism aside: I still enjoyed this book a lot. A bit less than its predecessor, but I’m sure that everybody who read ‘Lies’ will want to read this one, and that the overall vibe and being in Locke and Jean’s world is enough to provide enjoyment. And although both books feature a lot of graphic language and violence, this one has a somewhat ‘darker’ vibe overall. No problem for me, but I can imagine that readers who particularly liked the devil-may-care vibe of the first book are a little bit put off by this one.

Conclusion: Despite its shortcomings it is still an enjoyable and entertaining story with the same sense of adventure as the first Gentleman Bastard book and I recommend this book to everybody who enjoyed ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’.

8 / 10

PS: Although this is the second installment of a supposedly seven book series, this book like the first one is pretty much self contained. There are some open plotlines and there’s even a ‘cliffhanger’ at the end of ‘Red Skies’ but these books are nothing like for instance GRRM’s Song of Fire & Ice where all plotlines stay open. This makes the waiting for an extra year (Gentleman Bastards #3: Republic of Thieves seems to be postponed to 2010) less aggravating than in GRRM’s case.

Review: Bones of the Hills

Great conclusion to a brilliant trilogy.

`I am the land and the bones of the hills. I am the winter.'

Genghis Khan is the powerful leader of a nation united from the tribes and victorious in the long war against the Chin, the Mongolians' ancient fow. But now trouble arises from another direction. His embassies to the west are rebuffed, his ambassadors killed or mutilated.

So Genghis and his armies, led by his brothers and trusted generals, embark on their greatest journey, through present day Tibet, Iran and Iraq and on to the shores of the Mediterranean. Conquering city after city, one empire after another, by battle, by the siege warfare they have learnt from the Chin, by fear and by persuasion, the Mongolian power stretched over the entire region.
Genghis Khan conquered a greater empire than any other man. This achievement was made even more extraordinary as during these years, over these campaigns, his sons as well as his brothers were vying for his favour, for the right to lead the most successful of his armies, to bring in the greatest conquests, to achieve the succession.

He had already proved himself a great warrior. Now the challenge is to show himself as an outstanding ruler for his people and that rare leader, one who can manage his succession.

This is the final book of the Conqueror trilogy and maybe the best one of the series. This is high praise indeed because the other two books where excellent as well.

In this book Genghis turns his ‘attention’ to the West – to Muslim Central Asia. A governor of these lands killed the envoys that where send there by Genghis’ brother. Genghis, never a man for envoys and negotiations himself, is outraged and decides to teach the governor and his Shah a lesson.

This results in another book full of military strategism, intrigue, bloody battles, cruelty & heroism – and as always Iggulden’s writing style puts the reader right there in the front lines; feeling the sand between the teeth, seeing the blood and the guts and smelling the horses.

What made this book even deeper than the previous installments is the further development of the characters we already came to love or hate, like Genghis’ brothers Khasar, Kachiun and Temuge, the shaman Kokchu, the generals Tsubodai, Jelme and Arsan. Also important in this book is the story of the sons of Genghis. We especially get to see the struggle between the oldest two sons: Jochi, the brave but bitter eldest son of who Genghis doubted if he was really a trueborn son or a bastard as a result of the rape Genghis’ wife had to endure during an abduction by a band of Tartar raiders; and Chagatai, the treacherous second son looking to usurp the position of his elder brother, who by rights of birth, should inherit his father’s position. Here we get to see Genghis at his most vulnerable. He is the great leader, the cold and calculating strategist and ruthless conqueror, but also the father who has mixed feelings about his sons and who doubts his own ability to do the right things regarding their upbringing. Especially the character of unwanted and unloved Jochi and his special connection to Genghis’ best General Tsubodai leads to heartbreaking developments. Good stuff!

Conclusion: the last installment in the Conqueror Trilogy is a must read not only for fans of historical fiction but also for anyone who loves an action packed tale of war and conquest. Be sure to read ‘Wolf of the Plains (Birth of an Empire) and ‘Lords of the Bow’ first!

9 / 10

Review: Lords of the Bow

Deeply satisfying sequel.

For centuries, Mongol tribes had warred with one another. But now, under Genghis Khan, they have united as one nation, setting their sights on a common enemy: the great, slumbering walled empire of the Chin. Genghis will lead his warriors across the Gobi Desert and into a realm his people had never seen before—with gleaming cities, soaring walls, and canals. Laying siege to one city fortress after another, he will crush each enemy in a different way—until his army faces the ultimate test of all.In the city of Yenking —modern-day Beijing— the Chin will make their final stand, setting a trap for the Mongol raiders, confident behind their towering walls. But Genghis will strike with breathtaking audacity, never ceasing until the Emperor himself is forced to kneel.

This impressive sequel to Wolf of the Plains / Birth of an Empire starts at the point where Genghis, formerly known as Temujin of the Wolves, is finishing up his campaign to unite all the Mongol tribes.

After becoming the undisputed leader and melting all these different tribes into one nation, one army, he turns his attention to the South – to the Xi Xia Empire and next to that the great Chin Empire. We get to see the preparations, the logistics involved in moving a 100.000 person army with followers over vast distances; we are part of the trek through the Gobi desert and the arrival at a fortified mountain pass that guards the access to the wealthy empires in the south, which will be the scene of the first major battle in this book. We get to see the learning curve of the Mongols, who have to adapt their warfare methods. On the plains the Mongols never knew stone buildings, nor walled cities with defensive weapons like they encounter in the empires in the south.

Like the first book this one has a lot of bloody action and intrigue; more than the first book this one has major, large scale battles. Iggulden’s descriptions of these battles, his eye for detail and for strategy and tactics are sublime. In this book we don’t spend all the time with Genghis. We see the adventures of Genghis’ brothers Khasar and Temuge on their ‘scouting trip’ into the Xi Xia Empire. We get to know these brothers better than we did in the first book; Khasar the crude warrior, Kachiun the intelligent leader, Temuge the soft schemer. Also we are introduced to Tsubodai – a heroic youngster who will be the best known general in Mongol history; a real historical figure. All these characters feel real and have their own distinct personalities.

In this book the period is covered of the first steps into the Xi Xia Empire to the siege of Yenking (present day Bejing). We get to see not only Genghis’ victories, but also his doubts and frustrations. Lengthy sieges were not exactly to the Mongols taste but sometimes unavoidable.

Interesting detail and real historical fact is the tactic Genghis and the Mongol invented to cower the besieged city into surrender. On the first day of the siege they would put up a big white tent. This tent symbolized the possibility for the city to surrender without bloodshed. Without the besieged city’s surrender the Mongols would put up a red tent the next day – indicating that surrender was still possible but now only the women and children would survive. If necessary the next day a black tent would be raised – meaning surrender was now impossible and everybody inside the city walls would be killed. Implemented without exception this was of course a perfect way to install fear in cities that where next on the Mongol’s route.

Iggulden simply is a master storyteller. His style makes the reader feel right in the middle of the action and paints a vivid picture of the day to day life in an army on the move and also of the life and machinations in the Chin cities.

The end of the book lets us see a brooding Genghis who longs for the plains of home and who wants to see his sons grow up (although they are not equally loved by their father...) And with just a little knowledge of history we know Genghis still has to look to the West… Anyway: enough promise for the last book!

Conclusion: Lords of the Bow is a deeply satisfying sequel to Wolf of the Plains and appetizing prequel to the last book in the series: Bones of the Hills. Outstanding!

9 / 10

Review: Wolf of the Plains (Birth of an Empire)

Excellent historical fiction.

A remarkable story of heroism and adventure, of a boy who had to become a man too soon, of a family and a tribe who had to learn to win to survive. A man without a tribe was at great risk, so the young boy abandoned with his siblings on the harsh Mongolian plains had to struggle to avoid death. He survived both starvation and hostile attacks by learning remarkable leadership skills and gathering a group of outsiders like himself. Hunted and alone, he dreamed of uniting the tribes into one house, one nation. He became a great warrior. He would become father to his people. He would be Genghis Khan.

I read this book a while ago and didn’t get to writing a review yet. But a review is in order, because this book deserves the highest recommendation imho. For me there’s just a fine line between an enjoyable historical novel or a good fantasy book – I like my fantasy light, with low key magic. I enjoy good stories however that focus on massive battles, political machinations and adventure in various interesting settings. The real world can be as good a stage for me as a well developed fantasy world. Because the (13th century) Mongolian plains that make up most of the stage of this book was almost like a ‘new’ world to me it is easy to recommend this book also to readers who tend to stick exclusively to (epic) fantasy.

Wolf of the Plains is the story of Temujin, who would be later known to his people and the world as Genghis Khan. Temujin was born a son of the khan of his tribe, the Wolves. Although there’s little written account of the life of Genghis Khan, there are some facts known of his early life. It is known that when his father died Temujin, his mother and siblings, were cast out of the tribe and left to die on the frigid Mongolian plains. Temujin’s older brother was too young to take on his father’s position and they were abandoned. Circumstances made Temujin leading figure in the survival of his family and his slow and difficult rise to a position of power.

Historical purists or fanatics always have criticism on historical fiction because authors take creative liberties. I am not a purist nor fanatic but I simply enjoy an engrossing story with characters you care about. Iggulden carefully explains in his afterword where he took some artistic liberties and what is based on actual fact. Even so: it’s not called historical fiction for nothing. So don’t expect a history book but a straight up action packed and fast paced read that’s hard to put down.

Another reason that makes this book a high quality read is Iggulden's description of the life as lived by 13th Century Mongol tribesmen. He clearly thoroughly researched the era and the people (as he explains in his notes). Their way of life really comes alive and is completely believable: The strong tribal structure, the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols, the prowess with bow and arrow, the importance of horses and good horsemanship; what they ate; the drinking of the blood of their living horses when there was no food available; the constant warfare and uneasy, shifting alliances between the tribes, and the warfare and tensions between the Mongols and other races in the area such as the Tartars in the north and the Chin in the south.

This book covers Temujin’s youth. So keep in mind that this is the first book in a three book series! We get to know Temujin through his hardships in his early years and we see him develop in a hard, brutal, ambitious, vengeful and intelligent leader of men. Funny thing is that we get to see the development of his empire through the Mongol eyes. History tells us Westerners that the Mongols were a ruthless an barbaric kind of people who paved their empire by ways of death and destruction. And although Iggulden does not try to sweeten the picture of the exploits of Genghis and his peers and ruthlessness was definitely part of their tactics, the fact that we see it ‘from their side’ does make you think. We are more inclined to think of Alexander the Great or Julius Ceaser or Richard Lionheart as great conquering heroes. But people like Atilla the Hun and Genghis Khan are barbaric tribesmen in our collective history’s eyes. Depends on which continent you grew up I guess…

But I digress… Wolf of the Plains (Birth of an Empire in the US) is a terrific start to a three book series. And although the pace of this first installment may be a little bit slower than that of two following books it’s a truly wonderful book. Don’t let the slow start put you off, but enjoy the atmosphere / ‘worldbuilding’ and the introduction of the characters. Soon enough you’ll be engrossed in the life and trials of Temujin and hungry for the next installment!

9 / 10

Review: The Lies of Lock Lamora

Slick, Stylish & Fun!

The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a ghost that walks through walls. Half the city believes him to be a legendary champion of the poor. The other half believe him to be a foolish myth. Nobody has it quite right.

Slightly built, unlucky in love, and barely competent with a sword, Locke Lamora is, much to his annoyance, the fabled Thorn. He certainly didn't invite the rumors that swirl around his exploits, which are actually confidence games of the most intricate sort. And while Locke does indeed steal from the rich, the poor never see a penny of it. All of Locke's gains are strictly for himself and his tight-knit band of thieves, the Gentlemen Bastards.

Locke and company are con artists in an age where con artistry, as we understand it, is a new and unknown style of crime. The less attention anyone pays to them, the better! But a deadly mystery has begun to haunt the ancient city of Camorr, and a clandestine war is threatening to tear the city's underworld, the only home the Gentlemen Bastards have ever known, to bloody shreds. Caught up in a murderous game, Locke and his friends will find both their loyalty and their ingenuity tested to the breaking point as they struggle to stay alive...

Obviously I am later than anybody jumping on the Lock Lamora bandwagon. Super hyped in 2006 / 2007, but I managed to ignore it – for some reasons the jacket description and the setting didn’t really appeal to me. So I had this one sitting on a book shelve for almost two years and I gave it a try because I just finished The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney and I wanted something less military and less bloody. It was certainly less military...

The Lies of Lock Lamora brought me back to childhood memories of when I first consciously started enjoying being absorbed by a good book. I remember reading (too) late in bed with a little light on and being transported with a fantastic adventure to a make believe world. This is exactly what ‘Lies’ did. (Even though the content is definitely not for children – there’s a lot of violence and strong language.) This book is just plain old fun!

The plot is nothing too complicated. The story is situated in Camorr; a city state reminiscent of Venice with a renaissance / gothic vibe with hints to be a much bigger world. Very well done! Minor criticism: the book could have used a map. (But hey: there’s internet, so a map is easily found). The book jumps back and forth between present and past. The flashbacks (called interludes) are short enough not to distract from the main story and important enough to be interesting. Alternating between past and present is a tricky thing to do but Scott Lynch did it just right.

The story starts as a caper-tale full of scheming, planning and thieving and turns about halfway in a pretty violent and bloody tale of war and revenge. As I said: nothing to complicated – but he overall ‘vibe’ of this book is what makes it special. This is an old fashioned adventure full of twists and shocks, with interesting characters in a beautifully realized world that draws you right in. A book that makes you think about how it will continue during the day, during work or under the shower or other mundane activities has to be fantastic! Another sign this was an truly excellent book is that I really did not want it to finish…

What also made this book stand out over others was Lynch’s flair for language; his descriptions are imaginative, lyrical and vivid, and the dialogue is witty to the extreme. I really liked the eloquence; the way people talk in this book – something that may not seem realistic when you look at our own world, but which was perfectly acceptable for me as the way of conversation in Camorr and which adds a lot of humor to the story.

The Lies of Lock Lamora goes (close) to the top of my all time favorite list and I will start reading the sequel right away even though I had planned to start another book. That says it all!

Conclusion: strongly recommended for everybody who like a good old fashioned adventure story in a fantastical setting. Slick, stylish & fun!

9 / 10

Review: The Ten Thousand

On the world of Kuf, the Macht are a mystery, a seldom-seen people of extraordinary ferocity and discipline whose prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legend. For centuries now, they have remained within the fastnesses of the Harukush Mountains. They have become little more than a rumour.

In the vast world beyond, the teeming races and peoples of Kuf have been united within the bounds of the Asurian Empire which rules the known world, and is invincible. The Great King of Asuria can call up whole nations to the battlefield. His word is law.

But now the Great King’s brother means to take the throne by force, and in order to do so he has sought out the legend. He hires ten thousand mercenary warriors of the Macht, and leads them into the heart of the Empire.

Is it possible to be a fan of fantasy books and don’t like magic? If the use magic is presented in a ‘believable’ way I have no problem with it; unfortunately to my taste magic is often too contrived or convenient for my (too limited..?) imagination to capture. I have no problem with elves, orcs or trolls – but when they or some uberwizard starts shooting fireballs from their staff or freezing time or something else which can miraculously save the day I’m turned off from maybe an otherwise interesting story or a well build up world.

I am a historical fiction fan boy but I also like to read a good story in a fantasy setting; sometimes maybe even more so because of the fact that knowledge of the ‘real’ history cannot conflict with the enjoyment of the story. So give me a book that tells a good tale in a believable fantasy world but without much (miss)use of magic and I am a happy man.

Enter The Ten Thousand. This is my kind of book. We have the isolated Macht, a human race that lives isolated from the rest of the empire; physically separated by sea and because of events centuries in the past. These Macht are a hard people, warriors to the bone, who’s phalanx fighting style combined with their discipline and endurance make them a formidable foe. This is book is clearly based on the classical tale of the Greek mercenary army that was hired by a pretender prince of Persia to overthrow his brothers reign. The Macht can be compared to the Spartan warriors of legend and the continent they live on is like ancient Greece with its city states. In this book a story similar to Xenophon’s Anabasis unfolds – a pretender brother hires the Macht to take his brother’s throne and takes them to the heart of the empire where a battle will take place between the pretender’s Macht army and the emperors own army. The outcome of this battle sets the stage for the rest of the book.

We get to know Rictus, a city-less warrior who will make a name for himself; Jason, a war leader who discovers a new goal in his life during the campaign; Vorus, a Macht who lived in Kuf for over twenty years and is a general in the army of the emperor, the Kefren Emperor and his pretender brother Arkamenes; Arkamenes’ concubine Tiryn and more secondary characters – some more interesting than others (I would have liked to see more of Proxis and his motivations; I didn’t care much for Gasca).

The battle scenes are what makes this book shine – the reader is taken right to the middle of the battle lines and feels part of the dying; the blood and the guts. I would have liked to see more of the political machinations and the motivations of the main characters. Because of the relative shortness of the book I found that the characters were a bit 2 dimensional and less developed than the world they are part of. I found Kuf to be an interesting world, with a well explained and believable history. Apart from the fictional world of Kuf, the only real fantasy element in this book were the humanoid races of the Kefren and the Juthan (and the Qaf, but they play only a marginal role). The end was a little abrupt and a bit of a blow (eventhough I saw it coming...)

The only gripe is I have with this book is that it could and maybe should been have longer... It’s close to 500 pages in (smallsized) paperback, but with not a lot of words per sentence / page – so it’s a relatively quick read. I would have liked to see a bit more character development, some more of the history of this world and I would have liked to see more background of the different races. Ah well – maybe more stories in Kuf in the future?

Conclusion: Recommended. The Ten Thousand is a quick and fun read for anyone who love an alternate history full of action, blood and guts and who prefer their fantasy with a realistic feel.

7.5 / 10

Review: Acacia, the War with the Mein

An assassin sent from the frozen North on a mortal mission. A mighty empire under siege by its oldest enemy. Four royal children in exile or captivity, bent on avenging their father's death. Prepare yourself to be astonished and transported by Acacia.

Having read en enjoyed Durham’s solid historical novel ‘Hannibal’, I was more than a little curious to his first venture in the ‘epic’ fantasy realm: Acacia, the War with the Mein.

Mixed feelings about this one... Good thing was that I was immediately sucked into the world Durham created with his distinctive descriptive style. The story starts with an assassin, sent by the Mein - a race exiled about 20 generations ago to the uninhabitable, frozen north. He sets out to Acacia, the idyllic island named after the empire where King Leodan holds court. Leadon is an intelligent, sensitive and maybe even soft man. He lives for his four children, and has always protected them from the realities of the world; mainly the reality of where the wealth and position of the Akaran rule is based on. The empire is founded on slavery, the trafficking of drugs (called Mist) and the trading of a ‘Quota’ of children to an unseen peoples; the Lothar Aklun. Leodan would like to see things differently but is effectively powerless to change the reality of his world.

The book is set up in three parts. In the first part we see Leodan’s internal struggles and we get to know his children, his advisor and a general of the army. We also get introduced to the Mein and their motivations to conquer the known world and the steps towards this goal. In the second part the Mein rule and the children are young adults and scattered throughout the empire. The way this came to be is described through flashbacks. We will simultaneously get to know personalities and ‘new’ lives of the four Akarans. In the third part they have come to grips with their past and their destinies and the story comes to a conclusion.

The world building is done very well. We get a believable history, interesting cultural differences and we get introduced to the ‘ways of the world’ regarding the Mist and the Quota. (More than one parallel with the word we live in can be found in Durham’s world...) We can clearly see the beginnings of a much bigger story that can be told about the offstage parts of the world and its inhabitants. Lots of potential here!

But it is not a perfect book. One point of criticism is that the story was too light on dialogue to my taste. The descriptive style, although beautifully done, bogs done the flow of the story a bit. When there is dialogue it is as good as any writers, unfortunately there is not a whole lot of it. Rather than dialogue, there is whole lot of introspection going on, which gives us the info we need. That’s why I couldn’t begin to care much about any of the characters. Also, some actions of some characters either don’t make much sense (for instance the killing of a messenger early in the book), or seem contrived (the development and actions of Corinn in the last pages of the book come to mind).

Even with the negatives in mind I am pretty positive about this book. I like my fantasy ‘light’ – like an alternate history or a parallel world – but with a realistic feel and therefore not too heavy on the magic. There are magical elements here but they are not overdone. Durham’s style of writing and painting the picture of the world is beautifully done. I liked the moral ambiguity of some of the characters. The Mein chieftain was not just a villain and proved to be no worse a ruler than Leodan was. And even though I didn’t care for all the main characters a much as I should, I am still curious how they will develop in the future.

And, nothing to do with the story, the cover art is beautifully done. A big part of selling a book is marketing and presentation and it’s done perfectly here. I already saw the cover of the next book and for me it is impossible not to want this book on my shelve. Hideous cover art has prevented me from buying books in the past (I still want to read Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy but I cannot buy these books with the ugly covers...) Acacia doesn’t have this problem.

Conclusion: Acacia, War with the Mein is a solid and enjoyable debut in the fantasy realm and allthough far from perfect holds big promise for future books.

7 / 10

Review: Fall of Kings

Excellent conclusion to a brilliant trilogy

Darkness falls on the Great Green, and the Ancient World is fiercely divided. On the killing fields outside the golden city of Troy, forces loyal to the Mykene King mass. Among them is Odysseus, fabled storyteller and reluctant ally to the Mykene, who knows that he must soon face his former friends in deadly combat. Within the city, the Trojan king waits. Ailing and bitter, his hope is pinned on two heroes: his favourite son Hektor, and the dread Helikaon who will wreak terrible vengeance for the death of his wife at Mykene hands. War has been declared. As enemies, who are also kinsmen, are filled with bloodlust, they know that many of them will die, and that some will become heroes: heroes who will live for ever in a story that will echo down the centuries.

This book has everything a good book needs: intrigue, bloody action from mass battles to Hector's dramatic one on one fight with Achilles, love and hate, life and death. Helikaon, Andromache, Odysseus, Kalliades, Banokles, Hektor, Achilles, Agamemnon, Gershom - and all the others we came to love or hate have a role to play and will meet their fate, for good or for bad and for some with surprising twists. The sense of bravery, loyalty, grief, honor and happiness and the feeling that you know the characters so closely you feel their triumphs and pain like your own is the same as in the two previous books.

It is hard to tell which part was still written by David Gemmell himself and where his wife Stella took over after David's untimely death. Respect to Stella for this - it's quite an accomplishment.

The complete trilogy is a strong retelling of Homer's classic saga. For anyone who like their tales actionpacked, full of intrigue and great dialogue, with a big cast of characters to be loved or hated - don't hesitate to pick up this book. Be sure to read Lord of the Silver Bow and Shield of Thunder first!

Strongly recommended.

8,5 / 10

Review: Shield of Thunder

Excellent 2nd book

The war of Troy is looming, and all the kings of the Great Green are gathering, friends and enemies, each with their own dark plans of conquest and plunder. Into this maelstrom of treachery and deceit come three travellers; Piria, a runaway priestess nursing a terrible secret, Kalliades, a warrior with a legendary sword, and Banokles who will carve his own legend in the battles to come. "Shield of Thunder" takes the reader back into the glories and tragedies of Bronze Age Greece, reuniting the characters from Lord of the Silver Bow; the dread Helikaon and his great love, the fiery Andromache, the mighty Hektor and the fabled storyteller, Odysseus.

The Shield of Thunder is the follow up to Lord of the Silver Bow and just as good. It takes a about 200 pages before we are reintroduced to the characters of Lord of the Silver Bow, but this works out amazingly well. Gemmell takes his time introducing runaway priestess Piria and two renegade Mycene warriors: Kalliades and Banokles. Especially these two Mycene are characters you can't help but grow to love. Banokles even provides a little comic relief in a book that has it's fair share of battles and bloodshed. These new characters are so well done that we don't even have to miss the ones we got to know in the first book. Later in the book the storylines interweve and we get a perfect set up for the third book: Fall of Kings.

We are also introduced to other new characters. Most notably Achilles, the legendary hero of Thessaly, who burns to show his skills of war against Hektor, Prince of Troy. His first confrontation with Hektor makes for one of the interesting moments in the novel.

History fanatics who can't stand authors who take 'liberties' with events as they supposedly took place, will probably not appreciate this book. Gemmell remixed Homer's tale and made it more of an alternate history than a realistic retelling of the original legend. But that doesn't make it any worse - in fact it reads like a blockbuster movie. For some this may be a reason to dislike the book and the complete trilogy; for me it was a reason to love it.

8,5 / 10

Review: Lord of the Silver Bow

Superb Historical Fiction

Troy: city of gold and heroes, beloved of the gods, where wealth, privilege and rapacious greed walk hand in hand, and where the greatest of tragedies is about to unfold.

Helikaon, prince of Dardania, sets sail for Troy. On board his ship, the largest in the Aegean Sea, but regarded by many as dangerously unseaworthy, is his trusted friend and sea-captain Zidantas. Also aboard is Argurios, a deadly Mykene warrior, intent on revenge. Their journey to the fabled city will encompass storm and near shipwreck, personal tragedy and a bloody sea-battle whose bloody aftermath will haunt Helikaon and his companions for the rest of their voyage. Helikaon will also meet his old friend and master-storyteller, Odysseus, and fall in love with Andromache a woman as beautiful as a goddess. But when he arrives in Troy — a city riven by the destructive rivalries of King Priam's younger sons —he finds a city ready to implode, and, with nearby enemy kingdoms eyeing the city's riches, he knows a terrible war cannot be long in coming.

This is a great book. It is hard to fit it into a categorie - although David Gemmell is a renowned fantasy author, this book is not a classical fantasy. It could be labeled as historical fiction. The word fiction already implies it is not necessarily entirely acurate. Gemmell took some (great) liberties with the classical Troy mythe and created an excellent start to a trilogy.
Gemmell combines epic and historical fantasy into three novels set in the time of the Trojan Wars. This first book is the set up for events that lead to the war between Troy and Mycanea.
Historical figures as Agamemnon, Aeneas (Helikaon), Odysseus and Hektor and many more are brought to life in an exceptional way.

This is a story of war, romance and legend featuring honor versus treachery with characters that are very human, flawed and neither good nor evil. The pace of the story is terrific, it is totally absorbing and believable with realistic characters. The Greek Gods of the myths are almost not present in this tale, which gives it it's realistic feel. The focus is on the people, the characters are multi dimensional and there is no black and white characterisation. There are the supporting 'bad guys' who are a bit two dimensionally evil (like Agamemnon), but the main characters are beautifully developped. Helikaon has a definitive dark side and the character of Argurios, betrayed by Agamemnon and forced to fight against his own people, is especially well developped. The dialogs, the vibe of this classical era, the (bloody) battles - everything feels and reads just right.

Lord of the Silver Bow is an colourful, exciting and action packed book and highly recommended not only to readers of historical fiction but also to fantasy lovers who don't mind the absence of magic, dragons, elves, dwarfs and trolls.

Great stuff anf highly recommended!

9 / 10

News: George RR Martin finally gives an update..!

The man finally sheds some light on his progress. Read his comments here:

"No, it's not done.Yes, I am aware that more than a year has passed since my last update. A lot of you have been emailing me to point that out. Thanks, but really, I did know. Unlike many of you out there, I got my copies of the Song of Ice & Fire calendar, so I knew what date it was.

No, I'm not planning to update the update, for reasons stated in the update itself. Until such time as I can write, "It's done," it will remain the last update... aside from what I may say here from time to time, on my Not-A-Blog.

I made a lot of progress on the book in the first half of 2008. So much so that I was optimistic that I would be done by the end of the year. Unfortunately, I did not make much progress on the book in the second half of 2008. Indeed, I made some regress. (That Sansa chapter I talked about finishing, for instance. It’s still finished, but my editor and I decided it belongs in THE WINDS OF WINTER, not A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, so it’s been moved into the next book. Sansa will not appear in DANCE.)

Some of the reasons were literary, arising from problems in the narrative itself. I’m not going to discuss them here, because I really do not like talking about questions I am still wrestling with on a work in progress. It never helps. Art is not a democracy, and these are problems I need to solve myself. Having a few hundred readers weigh in with their thoughts and opinions — which seems to be what happens whenever I post here about DWD — does not advance the process. I’m sorry, but that’s true. I know that many of you would like to help me, but you can’t. I have editors and I have two capable assistants, and that’s sufficient. I’m the only one who can dance this dance.

Some of other reasons for the delay have nothing to do with the book itself. They’re extra-literary, arising from other things in my life. I could sketch out some of them here, sure, but what good would it do? Those who are inclined to understand would send me messages of sympathy and support. Those are not so inclined would dismiss them as “excuses,” or even “feeble excuses.” A few will even go so far as to accuse me of lying.

That’s the part that really bothers me. For the record, I have never lied about anything having to do with A DANCE WITH DRAGONS or the series as a whole. I have been wrong, yes. I have been wrong lots of time, especially when I’ve tried to predict how long it will take me to complete the book, or when it will be published. Being wrong is not the same as lying. Since the very beginning of this series, I have been guilty of being over-optimistic about how long it would take me to finish the next book, the next chapter, or the series as a whole. I cannot deny that. I have always been bad with deadlines… one reason why I did my best to avoid them for the first fifteen years of my career. That’s an option I no longer have, however. Or at least will not have until A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is complete.

That’s the main reason why I no longer want to give any completion dates. I am sick and tired of people jumping down my throat when I miss them. This latest flood of emails has worn down my resolve, however. So in hopes of quieting it, once more I will step into the breach – I am trying to finish the book by June. I think I can do that. If I do, A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will likely be published in September or October. (Yes, I am aware that I have previously said that I hoped to finish by the end of 2008. And before that, I said that I hoped to finish by June 2008, before I went to Spain and Portugal. And before that, I said I hoped to finish by the end of 2007. I know, I know, I know. No, I was not lying. I was wrong. And wrong again. And wrong before that. This time I hope that I am right. But you know, I can’t swear that in blood. I write one chapter at a time. One page at a time. One word at a time. And then the next.)

That’s all I have. But it’s more than Amazon has, or anyone else.

The INSTANT that I finish the novel and put it in the mail to Bantam, I will post that fact here, just as I did for SUICIDE KINGS a few days ago. Until and unless you read that announcement here, believe nothing you hear from any other source. I have made a lot of progress on the book since August 2007, but this part hasn’t changed: Thanks for your continued support… and for your patience."

So would do we think..? I for one lost interest a bit (although the fact that this news is my 1st post on my own blog may indicate something different...) I can see what GRRM is thinking and I also think he doesn't have to make frequent progress reports to his readers, but: in my opinion the 'updates' he did on his website in the last few years showed at least a little bit of frustration in his own lack of progress in finishing this book and at the same time these updates showed a bit af disrespect to his readers - who let's be honest - made him 'the man' by buying his books. And it is the Song of Fire and Ice that is his biggest achievement. I dare to say that nobody is really interested in his other 'activities', nor in reading his opinions about the NFL. But OK, that's not that important. What is important is that it was in 2000 that we read about our favorite characters like Tyrion, Dany and Jon. AGOT, ACOC and ASOS where brilliant books. AFOC fell short however... The decision to split the POV's into two books was completely wrong I think. It's just been too long since 2000 and the last good book. Well, we'll see - without a doubt I will buy ADOD as soon as it is available; let's just hope it will bring the series back on track.