The Last Four Things (The Left Hand of God, #2)

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The Last Four Things (The Left Hand of God #2)

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 1,831 ratings · 168 reviews

The epic story of Thomas Cale-introduced so memorably in "The Left Hand of God"--continues as the Redeemers use his prodigious gifts to further their sacred goal: the extinction of humankind and the end of the world.
To the warrior-monks known as the Redeemers, who rule over massive armies of child slaves, "the last four things" represent the culmination of a faithful lif...more

Hardcover, 422 pages

Published April 1st 2011 by Michael Joseph (first published 2011)

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Nov 10, 2011 Joana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mine

Ora portanto, resumindo o livro numa "palavra": nhe.
Quando li A Mão Esquerda de Deus, ao início achei o livro um pouco parado e desinteressante. No entanto a partir mais ou menos das 100 pág a história começou a tornar-se interessante. Parecia que as coisas aconteciam com uma finalidade.
Quando parti para As Quatro Últimas Coisas ia preparada para que pudesse, eventualmente, acontecer o mesmo. Um início mais morno e depois desenvolvimentos interessantes. Não podia ter ficado mais decepcionada. O...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011_release_read, review_fbc, genre-fantasy, read_2011, top_25_2011_novels

Below quick thoughts as I was reading the book; as usual I will c/p the full FBC review in due course

4/16; Some 1/3-1/2 in the book and it is as crazily inventive and good
as The Left Hand of God, with the same alternating of styles, tones and narrative modes; there is considerably more backstory and world building and things make sense and hang together well, but the same "all but the kitchen sink" is thrown in and this one has some stuff that's even more outrageously funny than in The Left Han...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Alaisse Amehana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Da http://labellaeilcavaliere.blogspot.i...

“Morte, Giudizio, Paradiso, Inferno
Le quattro cose ultime su cui poggiamo”.
Thomas Cale è l’Ira di Dio personificata o, come apprendiamo nel primo romanzo di questa serie, Thomas Cale è la Mano sinistra di Dio (titolo del libro). In un’ambientazione post apocalittica, il nostro protagonista deve vedersela col Redentore Bosco, l’uomo che l’ha educato alla più rigida disciplina, senza lesinare in botte e soprusi di ogni tipo. Ora, dopo la tentata fuga di C...more Da http://labellaeilcavaliere.blogspot.i...

“Morte, Giudizio, Paradiso, Inferno
Le quattro cose ultime su cui poggiamo”.
Thomas Cale è l’Ira di Dio personificata o, come apprendiamo nel primo romanzo di questa serie, Thomas Cale è la Mano sinistra di Dio (titolo del libro). In un’ambientazione post apocalittica, il nostro protagonista deve vedersela col Redentore Bosco, l’uomo che l’ha educato alla più rigida disciplina, senza lesinare in botte e soprusi di ogni tipo. Ora, dopo la tentata fuga di Cale, Bosco non ha intenzione di lasciarlo scappare di nuovo, ma cerca con ogni mezzo di portare il ragazzo dalla propria parte affinché lo aiuti nel suo piano blasfemo: prendere il posto del Pontefice e scatenare l’Ira di Dio sul mondo.
Devo dire che questo secondo libro mi è piaciuto, e allo stesso tempo mi ha deluso. Mi è piaciuto per lo stile dell’autore che spesso sembra quasi giocare, raccontando la storia come se fosse seduto davanti a un caminetto e stesse parlando a un amico di vecchia data. Inoltre la trama è intrigante e i personaggi decisamente ben costruiti, ognuno col proprio carattere definito. E’ raro trovare caratterizzazioni così forti. Spesso in un libro i personaggi finiscono per assomigliarsi, invece in questo caso ognuno mantiene le proprie sfaccettature, a partire da Cale stesso, ma anche dagli amici Henri il Vago e Kleist. Di questi personaggi mi è piaciuta soprattutto la totale assenza di eroismo. I tre si oppongono ai Redentori, gli uomini che credono nella Vera Fede e che per questo sono pronti a sacrificare le proprie vite in guerre senza fine, ma non lo fanno per spirito di sacrificio. Cale, Henri e Kleist si scontrano coi Redentori perché è l’unico modo per sfuggire alla vita di sofferenze a cui sono destinati, e finora l’hanno fatto con risultati piuttosto scarsi.
Il libro mi ha anche deluso perché come il primo ha un finale troppo aperto, che oltre a non concludere la vicenda lascia coll’amaro in bocca. Si intuisce che i tre ragazzi, separati da alterne vicende, stanno per riunirsi. E si capisce anche che la battaglia decisiva si sta avvicinando, ma allora tutto il libro diventa solo un lungo proemio al finale vero e proprio. Forse si è già capito dalle altre recensioni che ho fatto, ma non capisco questa moda di dividere le serie in più libri, se poi ogni libro non ha una sua conclusione e una sua logica. Mi sembra fatto solo per vendere di più, perché in questo modo se uno vuole conoscere la fine deve comprarsi tre libri e non due, e questo oltre che sleale rovina la storia e la rende meno coinvolgente.

Alaisse(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Bücherplanet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dieser Teil des Buches stellt die 1.Fortsetzung des Buches Die Linke Hand Gottes von Paul Hoffman dar. Da dies die Fortsetzung ist, werde ich den Stil des Autors nicht wiederholen. Größtenteils bleibt sein Schreibstil erhalten, und somit ist nichts weiter auszusetzen.

In dieser Fortsetzung wird erzählt wie Cale zu Gottes Hand wird und Gott durch Ihn den Zorn an die Menschheit ausübt. Er wird sozusagen zu einem Erlöserengel, sowohl strategisch als auch auf dem Kampfplatz unersetzbar, und wirkt tat...more Dieser Teil des Buches stellt die 1.Fortsetzung des Buches Die Linke Hand Gottes von Paul Hoffman dar. Da dies die Fortsetzung ist, werde ich den Stil des Autors nicht wiederholen. Größtenteils bleibt sein Schreibstil erhalten, und somit ist nichts weiter auszusetzen.

In dieser Fortsetzung wird erzählt wie Cale zu Gottes Hand wird und Gott durch Ihn den Zorn an die Menschheit ausübt. Er wird sozusagen zu einem Erlöserengel, sowohl strategisch als auch auf dem Kampfplatz unersetzbar, und wirkt tatsächlich ziemlich "aufgepumpt". Dies hat jedoch den Grund, dass Cale im 1.Buch emotional komplett enttäuscht wird und die dadurch aufgestaute Frustation in Wut transformiert, um diese dann auf dem Kampffeld auszuüben. Die beiden Freunde Kleist und Henri werden in diesem Teil eher in den Hintergrund gerückt bzw. spielen in diesem Buch eher einen Nebenstrang und kommen dadurch nur jede 3 Kapitel mal zum Vorschein. Dies hat natürlich auch eine "nervende" Auswirkung auf den Leser, da der Fokus des Lesers nicht mehr so scharf gestellt werden kann.

Weiterhin wird der Spannungsaufbau essentiell gestört, da Paul Hoffman sehr viel Wert auf die politischen Gestricke in seiner Welt aufmerksam macht und die Spannung somit teils verloren geht. Dies ist natürlich wiederum enttäuschend, da diese Informationen den Leser kaum in seiner neu zusammengewürfelten Welt weiterführen.

Nun, warum ich diesem Buch dennoch 3 Sterne gebe und nicht nur einen Stern oder warum ich dennoch nach dem Lesen gespannt auf den 3. Teil bin? Nach dem Lesen des Buches entschied ich mich, etwas von diesem Buch zu distanzieren, um vielleicht einen Gesamtüberblick dieses Buches zu erhaschen. Dabei ist mir kaum merklich aufgefallen, dass der erste Teil, der sehr sehr gut geschrieben wurde, eigentlich ein Maß anzielt, welches dagegen der 2.Teil kaum eine Chance hatte. Das hat damit zu tun, dass auch nach dem Lesen des ersten Teils äußerst viele Fragen aufkommen, die Paul Hoffman in dem 2.Teil versucht zu erklären. Natürlich geht vor lauter Erklärungen da die Handlung ein bisschen verloren, aber da es im 1.Teil hauptsächlich nur zusammenstrickende Handlungen ohne detailierte Beschreibungen gibt, kommt der 2.Teil sozusagen als Ausgleich, um dem Gesamtverständnis des Buches entgegenzuwirken.

Daher finde ich, dass der 2.Teil, obwohl enttäuschend, dennoch eine sehr gute Vorlage für den letzten Teil der Triologie darstellt, weshalb ich diesem Teil 3 Sterne gebe.

xanatos von MexxBooks

Mehr Informationen zum Autor und zum Buch findest du in unserem Buchmagazin BücherPlanet .(less)

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Nov 09, 2012 Mónica Silva rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Esta foi uma das sequelas mais pobres e dissonantes do volume original com a qual me deparei. É um livro parado, desinteressante, que pouco ou nada acrescenta à estória. Consiste basicamente numa crítica nada subtil à Igreja. Não que o problema resida nesse facto, uma vez que não me incomoda minimamente, exceto quando essa reflexão sobre a religião ocupa 99,9% do livro.

O autor enrola e limita-se a relatar acontecimentos desconexos e vagos, na sua maioria cenas bélicas e planeamento de batalhas p...more

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Aug 17, 2012 JJ DeBenedictis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like the first book in the trilogy, my rating for this one is more because it's so memorable and well-executed than because I liked it.

There is a lot a person *could* like about this book, but you also have to be able to tolerate the very cynical view of humanity it takes as well as horrifyingly-skewed version of Christianity it portrays. It's all really interesting stuff, and I can see some readers loving this and others hating it. I was merely flummoxed by it, but I also haven't been able to s...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Tempo de Ler rated it 1 of 5 stars

{Blog} http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/2012/07/...

Classifico este livro com uma estrela, não por ser completamente mau mas por não estar, de modo algum, à altura do do seu predecessor.

Depois d'«O Braço Esquerdo de Deus», seria obviamente de esperar que a história se desenvolvesse num sentido interessante e que as personagens crescessem e ganhassem alguma maturidade e profundidade...mas o que acontece é que o livro basicamente não tem história...limita-se a relatar (de forma pobre e mal estruturada)...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Katrina Ly rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book was just as great as the first book. It had an awesome plot which contains a twist at the end which you will NEVER (and believe me when i say NEVER) see coming. The writing was as gripping as always and no less expected from paul Hoffman whose fast becoming one of my favourite authors. now, some people might say that this book was darker than the first and to a degree this is true but its only because this book doesn't have all that sappy romance in it (not that there's anything wrong...more this book was just as great as the first book. It had an awesome plot which contains a twist at the end which you will NEVER (and believe me when i say NEVER) see coming. The writing was as gripping as always and no less expected from paul Hoffman whose fast becoming one of my favourite authors. now, some people might say that this book was darker than the first and to a degree this is true but its only because this book doesn't have all that sappy romance in it (not that there's anything wrong with that. i kind of like sappy romances but I like both people in the relationship to feel the same way). In the four things, the world into which we were introduced before is developed further and you delve further into this fictional world, learning more of its histories and cultures. Which was very interesting.

as some of you may have realised, I tend to base my star ratings on the awesome-ness of the main character, the plot and the way is written. So to me, as you might've guessed, this character was freaking amazing.

to all those thinking of reading this book, here's a little run down of what to expect. First of all, this is not a book for the faint-hearted. If you love happy endings, perfect characters who never make mistakes and bright, cheerful atmospheres, DO NOT read this book. However if you don't mind dark, gritty books which pull you into a world of corruption and conspiracy, epic plans and battles and ingenious schemes with a little hint of romance (or a lot) and complicated relationships with friends, READ THIS NOW. So what can you expect? this book starts off right where it left off in the left hand of god. From there you follow the torment and misery of Cale as he descends steadily into the darkness as well as other threads from other character's old and new like IdrisPukke, Vague henry and Bosco, all the way up to the inevitable and mind-bloeing twist at the end of the story that just makes you want the next book ASAP.

So in conclusion if you don't mind dark books, read all about the epic and tragic (wait actually ignore that, he might have a happy ending) of Cale.

SPOILER ALERT

oh my god i feel so sorry for Cale. After all the harshness of his childhood and all the cruelty he had to endure...and the ungratefulness of most of those he had saved....I'm not really surprised Cale ended up the way he was. His fighting and tactical skills awe soooo awesome though. like seriously. its freaking awesome.

SPOILER FINISHED(less)

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May 07, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The Last Four Things"
So how does the sequel to "The Left Hand of God" fare? I think for a lot of people it will have a similar marmite effect, it is one of those books that leaps and bounds around the imagination, pulling references from the literary world willy-nilly EG: Edmund Spencer's A view of the present state of Ireland, to show a description of starvation (which Hoffman does in gruesome fashion), the king James bible, a Boer war training manual and many more. As well as ideas from histo...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Last Four Things is the sequel to Left Hand of God.
It continues to follow the story of Thomas Cale, now back with the Redeemers, and separated from his two `friends'.

I will start with what I liked. The first thing, which I also liked about the first book, was what feelings I have when reading about Cale. I feel pity, sympathy, but mixed in with disgust. Sometimes his actions make me cringe, and his coldness make me fear he knows no remorse, his actions make him seem like a stone-cold killer....more The Last Four Things is the sequel to Left Hand of God.
It continues to follow the story of Thomas Cale, now back with the Redeemers, and separated from his two `friends'.

I will start with what I liked. The first thing, which I also liked about the first book, was what feelings I have when reading about Cale. I feel pity, sympathy, but mixed in with disgust. Sometimes his actions make me cringe, and his coldness make me fear he knows no remorse, his actions make him seem like a stone-cold killer. At other times however, I empathise with his burden, think him a hero, a saviour, etc. Safe to say, very mixed emotions. But that is perfect, as that is what most people in the book feel towards Cale. Admiration mixed with fear. I very much like the way the author conveys these sentiments and drags the reader into the jumble of emotions. This is no ordinary protagonist.

In my review of the first book, I commented on the narration, where the author seemingly talks to the reader. To explain subtext, or what I really liked, upon introducing a new character, in a very absorbing way, will delve into who the new character really is, and who people perceive him to be. In the first book, this form of narration would show itself sometimes, but not often enough to really represent `the' style in which the book was written. I feel the author fixes that with this second installment. His narrative style is now truly the style that is used throughout the book, and it serves the book well. There is more consistency.

I find this book much better written than the first one, not only because of the narrative style, but also because it has grown somewhat more verbose. It feels less `simple' because of the wording. Verbose for the sake of being verbose is never a good thing. But often it adds to the story, and it definitely does here. Events have more depth because they are better described. Characters are introduced more elaborately making you wonder whether to store all that information, because this person might turn out to be important. Or will he? Seeds of doubt are planted with much more skill than in the first book, where some things were quite transparent.

However, there are some things I don't like.

I feel that more than half of the book is filled with battle tactics. It goes on and on and on and on. If this was a first book, I would shrug and say `okay, not the book for me, moving on'. But this is the second in the series. The first also had battle strategies, but when reading the first, I don't think anyone expects the second to be that much centered around strategizing. It was like the promise of the first book, content wise, was broken with the second book. Everyone that sees this through though, that manages to wrestle through all of the fighting talk, is awarded generously with again, an excellent and powerful ending which will make you crave the sequel.

The twist and turns in the plot are interesting, but I dare not judge more thoroughly than that. In the first book, there was (what seemed to be) an interesting plotline, starting at the beginning, concerning an item Cale finds. This plotline was (seemingly) tied off neatly by explaining what the item was. It left me dissatisfied and it felt a bit weak. The author definitely knows how to create plotlines that make you want to read on and find out how they end. But I hope, not every created plotline is finished up as clumsily as that of the item which I talk about in this paragraph. Promise is there, definitely, execution of ending could be better. However! I dare not claim that the ending of the plotline as I perceive it, is the true ending of said plotline. Things have a way of popping back up. So maybe, I will get to eat my words later, I very much hope I will.

To conclude; I thought the second book was better written than the first, massively better even, but I felt the pacing of the first (without the constant battle tactics) was faster, and the plotlines pushed you to read on. Even though this book is not perfect (very few are), I definitely recommend any fantasy reader to read this, as I feel most will very much enjoy it. (less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Bluefly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Questo secondo capitolo mi ha talmente delusa che quasi quasi non ci credo. Eppure La Mano Sinistra di Dio mi è piaciuto immensamente. Vi ho trovato una forza, un'originalità e anche un'atmosfera che in questo mancano completamente, almeno a mio avviso. Le pagine scorrono, con una certa difficoltà, la palpebra si abbassa, e di quello che succede a Cale non mi importa in fico. Possibile? ma ho aspettato un anno (UN ANNO!) per saperlo!!
Dialoghi piatti, introspezione assente. Un cambio di stile pa...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Peebs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. While reading this book, I felt that there were times when I couldn't understand sentences. I wasn't sure if it was due to my brain not understanding English or what. It turns out that the writing seems to have an allergy to pauses, mainly commas and the like. It's very annoying to have to read a sentence or a paragraph more than once and sometimes read it aloud in order to make those natural pauses. And it's not just a chapter or two. It's the whole book. Is this how English is changing in my l...more While reading this book, I felt that there were times when I couldn't understand sentences. I wasn't sure if it was due to my brain not understanding English or what. It turns out that the writing seems to have an allergy to pauses, mainly commas and the like. It's very annoying to have to read a sentence or a paragraph more than once and sometimes read it aloud in order to make those natural pauses. And it's not just a chapter or two. It's the whole book. Is this how English is changing in my lifetime? I hope not because I will be put out if the language continues like that.

Anyway.

Thomas Cale kicks butt in his very 15 year-old mind. Yes, he's still a teenager with no definite moral compass. He goes along with Bosco's plan despite his hatred for the man. I like the story itself (despite its lack of natural pauses) and keep thinking about Cale and and everything that he does, says and plans. Bosco convinces Cale to help him get to Avignon where the pope resides and make him become the next pope. The best surprise out of that is that the pope turns out to be a woman and they only discover that after she dies. Cale manages to win a major battle for Bosco which causes the coup d'etat in Avignon and while Bosco is celebrating his triump, Cale escapes him again.

Aside from the lack of natural pauses, I have a problem with the timeline. There is no specific mention of weeks or months going by, as far as I can remember. I do feel that when I read the book, months had gone by since the end of the last book which is when Bosco recaptures Cale. Right before all that Cale is "betrayed" (and I put that in quotes because the betrayal takes place under duress and after the fact that Cale had surrendered himself to Bosco). Cale was Arbell's lover and I wondered at the end of the book if she'd end up pregnant after all that boinking. In the second book we see Arbell again after she's already married and very pregnant. By that account, it's assumed that 6-8 months have gone by since she hasn't given birth yet. The timeline feels all out of whack. It felt as if Cale's battles and eventual escape from Bosco happened over more than 6-8 months. Spatially it makes no sense.

All that notwithstanding, I couldn't come up with a story like this. All the characters have a purpose, even Arbell and Cale's two friends. I can't wait for the final installment just so I can see Cale be a boy again. That is my hope for him.(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Hanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

hanging on the three star border...

I want to love the books in this series. I probably do a bit. So let me explain my rating...

When reading the first book I fell in love with the main character. And the idea for the story? Wow. Very nice there Hoffman! But when I finished the first one I was left with the thought that not a lot had actually happened in it. Sure, there were parts of action and big revelations, but when I turned the last page I was still waiting for that something.

Never the less...more

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Sep 16, 2011 drey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, fantasy

When we last saw Thomas Cale, he'd just gone through battle and heartbreak, then was handed over to the Redeemer who made Cale's life at the Sanctuary positively miserable. He learns that Redeemer Bosco actually has a plan for him--to mold him into the Angel of Death. And as it happens, so far Cale has been pretty darn good at bringing chaos and ruin wherever he goes...

Now, to say that Cale is an evil mastermind is completely overstating it--he's just had a combination of (mostly) bad luck and o...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Ruth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spec-fic

c2011. From Hero to zero - considering how much I enjoyed the first book. I did not find this to be "epic" which is how it is described by the publisher. By the author's own admission, this story contains "many acts of righteous larceny" culling, distorting and summarising some well known historical events and personalities. While I felt that he got away with it in the first book, this second book was a real mish mash cobbled loosely together (see what I mean). I actually hated this book...disap...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Nick Brett rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was underwhelmed by The Left Hand of God, while I thought it had potential it was also flawed. The test was going to be whether the author built on the potential or not.
Sadly, in The Last Four Things the flaws are much more evident in a rather difficult read where the author seems to have abandoned the potential and built in more flaws! The narrative style seems different, with a smug observational style and the author then rather over indulges himself in the very things that jarred in the fi...more

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Jun 26, 2011 James rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was no where near as the first one in the series. It was... passable.

After the first one I felt that there was great character development and a great plot line getting ready to unfold. However, the reality was something else.

The plot was... boring. It didn't hold much attention for me and seemed to jump around the place. The characters became annoying and dull, and as the time passed so quickly I just couldn't give a damn about them or what they were up to.

In fact the first three quarte...more

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May 19, 2011 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got through the Left Hand of God in the space of 48 hours, I found the writing style intriguing and the plot fantastic. It has taken me just over 2 weeks to get through the sequal though. The book is pretty good, certainly enough happening with the different story lines to keep you interested, but there's something about it that doesn't seem quite right. I think it's the fact that compared to the first book that it seems a bit too real, if that makes any sense, the comparison between the Redee...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Lord Nouda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, epic-fail, fantasy

If anything, it was only marginally better than the first book. In other words, still completely horrible to read. The Last Four Things was a confusing mess of random turn of events, spurred on by the whims of characters who themselves don't know what they want to do. If the plot wasn't being predictable as hell, it was being entirely random; kind of like a retard wandering around a well-known paved road and then deciding in his little mad head to go off the path into the unknown.

1. The battles...more

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May 08, 2011 Patrick rated it 2 of 5 stars

A relatively good sequel to The Left Hand of God. The storyline is quite involving in a simplstic way, however I feel that Hoffman's writing style detracts from the storyline. I personally found the way he goes off on a tangent from the story when he is trying to explain lore quite distracting and difficult to keep myself involved with the plot. Similarly the Redeemers religious dogma can be quite heavy and to a certain extent boring. There were amounts of it that I felt that I didn't need to kn...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow ... what a strange book. So I really loved The Left Hand of God as it was one of those fantasy books that was a little more real, a little more brutal ... dark, and not in the warlock way. By the end it started smacking of sci-fi rather than fantasy. It was unpredictable in both the usual way, and in the way that I felt I had no familiarity with this kind of writing. The characters were well defined but also unpredictable (some reviewers claimed this was a weakness in the writing - that char...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cared-enough-to-buy, own, adventuring, main-characters-are-bad-people, fantasy, male-protagonist, child-protagonist, wandering, series, 2011

I quite liked this book in that I felt invested in (some of) the characters, the plot was interesting, and I wanted to know what happened next. I would recommend it to others.

However. The entirety of the book feels like a cathartic exercise for the author. In the first book, it's apparent he has a very low opinion of organized religion. The second book it's apparent he has a very low opinion of women. I would never consider myself a feminist, and I don't care what people think about religion, bu...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Shelagh (The Word Fiend) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-review, reviewed, books-i-own, fantasy

Review from my blog The Word Fiend.

Warning: As this is the second book in a trilogy this review may contain spoilers for those who have not read the first one, The Left Hand of God.

I had mixed feelings after finishing the first book in this series, The Left Hand of God. I enjoyed the world that Paul Hoffman has created and was intrigued by Thomas Cale, the violent and unpredictable young man at the heart of the story. But I wasn’t entirely sure I liked how The Left Hand of God had ended. So I wa...more

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May 05, 2011 Billthebloody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The Last Four Things continues the story begun in The Left Hand of God with Thomas Cale - the young man heralded as the 'Incarnation of God's Wrath' - back in the hand of the Redeemers and his erstwhile and hated master Bosco. Bosco believes that God has ordained the race of mankind to be destroyed for it's imperfection and that Cale is the instrument of the Almighty's anger.

Cale, heartbroken and disillusioned by the events in the first book, goes along with Bosco's direction as life with the Re...more The Last Four Things continues the story begun in The Left Hand of God with Thomas Cale - the young man heralded as the 'Incarnation of God's Wrath' - back in the hand of the Redeemers and his erstwhile and hated master Bosco. Bosco believes that God has ordained the race of mankind to be destroyed for it's imperfection and that Cale is the instrument of the Almighty's anger.

Cale, heartbroken and disillusioned by the events in the first book, goes along with Bosco's direction as life with the Redeemers is one he understands, if not cares for. He is sent to turn the tide in the war against the Antagonists and lead Redeemer forces to victory, so that Bosco will be able to reap the rewards of his protege's successes and gain futher power. This Cale accomplishes in a typically ruthless manner.

We also follow Cale's former cronies Vague Henri and Kleist. Kleist, having abandoned his fellow Redeemers to get as far away from his former life as possible, inadvertantly saves the life of a young girl who he subsequently falls for. She brings him back to her tribe - a group of cheerfully craven bandits. Vauge Henri doggedly follows Cale in the hope that, with IdrisPukke's help, he can be made to escape the Redeemers again.

As with the first book, I am little confused with the tone. The style of narration and the prose used is both florid and knowingly sardonic. The story veers from pitch black humour to poignancy to uber-violence to ridiculous and back at breakneck speed. As with the previous installment I enjoyed the blatant potshots at the absurdity of religion which seems one of the major themes of the book.

Even more than in the first book Hoffman uses real place names to populate this world like Switzerland, The Rhine, Stuttgart and most notably for me - my hometown Leeds which is cheerfully insulted, even in a fictional world. Maybe it shouldn't be a big point but it jars me from fully enjoying the story. I get that maybe Hoffman is trying for the 'dark mirror of the real world' but Terry Pratchett manages a similar line without re-using existing names.

Having said all that I enjoyed this book immensely despite it's flaws and uneven nature. (less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Jason Bucky Roberts rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Yes

Mister Hoffman's first book in this series, The Left Hand of God was a real favorite for me. Not just because of the story, but because it had a mammoth ending which left you hanging on the edge with only a finger of grass to hold onto. I didn't think he could top that, and really had no excessive expectations for the sequel. So, when I got around to cracking open the first pages, I was pretty much ready to be unimpressed.

Unfortunately, Mister Hoffman doesn't seem the kind of fellow to let me be...more Mister Hoffman's first book in this series, The Left Hand of God was a real favorite for me. Not just because of the story, but because it had a mammoth ending which left you hanging on the edge with only a finger of grass to hold onto. I didn't think he could top that, and really had no excessive expectations for the sequel. So, when I got around to cracking open the first pages, I was pretty much ready to be unimpressed.

Unfortunately, Mister Hoffman doesn't seem the kind of fellow to let me be disappointed. I have a feeling he likes to find people who are ready to be disappointed and then punches them in the nose. Which is what The Last Four Things does. It not only does your nose in, though, it then proceeds through your face and gives your brain a damn good smashing worthy of the Hulk his green self.

With The Last Four Things, Mister Hoffman brings a level of intricate and dry wit which while it wasn't lacking in the first book is certainly ramped up in this one. I read this during my lunch breaks at work and my poor work colleague had to listen to many fragments as I giggled my way through the book. It's not so much the story that's funny (which it isn't), but the subtle mannerisms at play in Mister Hoffman's prose. A few times you'll think you're reading a history novel as written by Douglas Adams. Which you're not.

In this novel, the freshly betrayed Thomas Cale is once more among his Redeemers, but this time he's in the bizarre situation of being some kind of messiah, though naturally he knows he's just a very naughty boy. There's something wonderfully nihilistic about the situation our young hero is in, and I was genuinely pleased with his embracing of his combative nature, and really hope that just continues. Consumed by bitterness and spite, I really would hate to see the character rise from the depths to become a shining bright hero of light. Better the destroyer that he is, in my opinion, because that's really what Mister Hoffman does so well.

A personal favorite moment is toward the end when there's a night of assassinations. The telling of this night is masterful, and goes down as one of the greatest fragments of story telling I think I've ever read. If you haven't picked up The Left Hand of God, or its sequel, you really should do yourself a favor and do so. Especially if you have a love of some of the modern more edgy authors poking their noses through the carpet these days, like Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks and Peter V. Brett. It's a wonderful new flavor they're bringing to fantasy and one I hope will fully bloom into the Swordpunk genre we all wish would flower. (less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Mart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Ако първата книга беше прелюдията, то тази е началото на историята, която обаче достига до някъде и спира, т.е. книгата свършва, без да е задоволила любопитството ми. И въпреки това смятам, че като история надминава Лявата ръка на Бога (както и откъм военна тактика и стратегия) и именно заради това получава една звезда отгоре. Като за начало бих искала да кажа две думи за анотацията, в която е вплетен един кратък диалог:
- Имате подходящ цвят за ангел на смъртта, господин Кейл. Но сте малко нисич...more Ако първата книга беше прелюдията, то тази е началото на историята, която обаче достига до някъде и спира, т.е. книгата свършва, без да е задоволила любопитството ми. И въпреки това смятам, че като история надминава Лявата ръка на Бога (както и откъм военна тактика и стратегия) и именно заради това получава една звезда отгоре. Като за начало бих искала да кажа две думи за анотацията, в която е вплетен един кратък диалог:
- Имате подходящ цвят за ангел на смъртта, господин Кейл. Но сте малко нисичък.
- Прав сте. Но ако ви отрежа главата и стъпя на нея, ще стана по-висок.
Ако искате ми вярвайте, но чаках гореспоменатите реплики с огромно нетърпение като си представях какви ли не сцени, в които биха могли да се употребят. И така, с всяко разгръщане на поредната страница се чудех няма ли да разбера най-сетне обстоятелствата около този разговор. Почти прочетох книгата и вече си мислех, че всъщност изобщо не се случва нищо подобно, но ето, че съвсем на края - може би 30 страници, плюс-минус някоя и друга, тъй като не съм запомнила точно, еврика! Естествено, представите ми бяха доста по-цветущи от реалността и бях малко разочарована. Със сигурност можеше да се вмъкне някъде другаде, но това са само моите собствени прищявки.
В тази книга Боско се разкрива като един невероятен герой, изпълнен с амбиции и притежаващ достатъчно здрав разум и находчивост, за да знае как да постигне целите си въпреки постоянните непредвидени провали на задкулисните му игри в продължение на десет години. Но той успява да преобърне провала в успех не само на помощта на Кейл, но и благодарение на собствените си способности. Не мога да кажа, че той е злодеят в историята, тъй като за мен няма разграничение на геройте на добри и на зли - всеки си има и положителни, и отрицателни качества, които се проявяват различно и съм сигурна, че Пол Хофман няма и намерение да ги разделя на лагери. Относно Боско, може да с екаже, че най-много ми въздейства чрез своята презпрецедентна вяра в Кейл - дори когато момчето го предава за пореден път и избягва в Швейцария, той продължава да вярва, че ще се върне при него, защото това е отреденото му място.
Кейл от своя страна продължава да бъде толкова противоречива личност както и в първата книга. Той е все така пресметлив, жесток, находчив и безмилостен в своята омраза, че просто няма как да не ми е симпатичен. При него няма чувство, което да не е доведено до крайност, да не е изпънато до скъсване и това е изключително чисто - именно то е онова, което в крайна сметка ме кара да си кажа: "да, той все още е дете", все още е непораснал и може само да чакам последната книга, за да разбера дали изобщо Кейл някога ще бъде достатъчно зрял. Едиственото, което ме подразни обаче беше, че както всеки автор, Пол Хофман всячески се опитва да унищожи героя си като му придава една уязвимост и слабост, които за човек като него изглеждат странни и не на място. Не мога да разбера защо това се повтаря навсякъде.
Клайст не ми беше симпатичен преди и сега това не се промени. За мен той си остава най-голямото бебе от тримата послушници. Хенри Мъглата не претърява особени обрати и развитие, освен, че трябваше да вземат малко "месо" от задните му части и да го зашият на лицето му. Беше забавно. (less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, fiction

An interesting follow up to The Left Hand of God. Thomas Cale has been taken back to the Redeemers and is back in the hands of his old tutor Bosco, the things that Bosco fills Cale's head with, are they lies or truths? Has he been born the way he is or moulded? The question of nature vs nurture is brought up many times. Warfare is clearly understood by Hoffman as he uses many pages (perhaps too many...) explaining tactics that the Redeemers use in their wars against the Laconics, the Klephts and...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Neil rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a big step up from the first book in the Thomas Cale series. Here, Thomas is increasingly convinced by Bosco that he is the anger of God turned to flesh, sent on a campaign against the Antagonists and their proxies. Vague Henri tries to moderate him somewhat and Kleist is off on a separate encounter with an odd, but practical people called the Klephts (this storyline has moments, but is less successful on the whole).

On two levels, as a dark philosophical farce and as a military fantasy,...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

The second of Hoffman's trilogy lacks the charm and wit of the previous instalment.

I don't have a problem with the lack of clear setting (are we on an alternate-earth or future earth?) although it would be nice to have.

I have some problem with the number of grammar errors (particularly towards the end - did Mr Editor get bored).

I have bigger issues that the Main Character is fundamentally unlikeable.

But my biggest bone of contention, is that the plot only advances through human-error, stupidity,...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Nikki Finn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thomas Cale. Čtyři poslední věci je již druhý díl této trilogie. Pro hlavního hrdinu mám opravdu velkou slabost. Již v prvním díle si mě získal svou krutostí, chytrostí, nebojácností, ale také dobrým srdcem. Po přečtení druhého dílu jsem si říkala, že by Thomasovi neuškodila ještě krutější povaha. Obvykle to nesnesu, ale tenhle akolyta si o to naprosto říká. Nicméně, ačkoli jsem byla z pokračování Levé ruky Boží unešena, nemohu říci, že by bylo stejně tak výborné. Ani nedokážu přesně popsat v če...more Thomas Cale. Čtyři poslední věci je již druhý díl této trilogie. Pro hlavního hrdinu mám opravdu velkou slabost. Již v prvním díle si mě získal svou krutostí, chytrostí, nebojácností, ale také dobrým srdcem. Po přečtení druhého dílu jsem si říkala, že by Thomasovi neuškodila ještě krutější povaha. Obvykle to nesnesu, ale tenhle akolyta si o to naprosto říká. Nicméně, ačkoli jsem byla z pokračování Levé ruky Boží unešena, nemohu říci, že by bylo stejně tak výborné. Ani nedokážu přesně popsat v čem, ale zkusím něco vypotit. Možná si Thomas zasloužil více prostoru, ale něco mi říká, že ten prostor, který autor věnoval i jiným postavám a různým dějům, budou nezbytné pro další pokračování. Co se týče jeho milované Arbell, kéž by dostala více prostoru i ona, ale opět, mám takové tušení, že ona a Thomas si společné chvíle užijí v posledním díle. Stejně jako při mnoha jiných trilogiích mi i zde přišlo, že je druhý díl jakýsi mezičlánek k famóznímu finále.
Co bych ale neměla nechat jen tak ladem je fakt, kolik kvalitní „šťávy“ dodal autor tomuto dílu. Dřív než jsem dočetla do konce, musela jsem si přečíst čtyřstránkový doslov autora a byla jsem naprosto uchvácena, co všechno musel přečíst a prostudovat, aby měl pro knihu tolik nápadů. On sám se nestydí přiznat, z kolika různých zdrojů čerpal a ktreými se nechal inspirovat, budiž pochválen, jelikož většina čtenářů by se k takovým materiálům zjevně nikdy nedostala.
Tak tedy, Thomas Cale, Váhavý Henry a Kleist (obzvláště na tohohle klučinu se v příštím díle těším, jelikož jeho příběh je také velmi zajímavý), to jsou nejdůležitější jména, která vedou celý děj. Iddris Pukke dostal jen velmi málo prostoru (škoda, chyběly mi jeho hlášky), vykupitel Bosco se naprosto ohromil svým chováním vůči Caleovi a musím říct, že si mě trochu získal svou láskou ke Caleovi, jelikož se zdá, že on jediný v něj maximálně věří i přes všechny nesnesitelná příkoří, která mu prováděl v prvním díle. No a nakonec je tu podvraťák Gil – něco jako rádce Bosca. Proč podvraťák? V posledních řádcích této knihy se to dozvíte.

Snad nemusím říkat, jak nesmírně se těším na druhé pokračování a v momentě, kdy píši tyhlety řádky, ještě stále nevím, kolik hvězdiček dát. Když dám čtyři, mám pocit, že knihu urazím, když dám pět, urazím první díl, který byl doopravdy o malý chloupek lepší… Po deseti minutách rozjímání jsem se rozhodla, že dám hvězdiček pět. Jelikož Paul Hoffman je člověk, který přelomil moji bariéru strachu a odmítavosti číst cokoli z historické fantasy. Za tohle mu opravdu vděčím.
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About Paul Hoffman

Possibly the only novelist of his generation to be born by the light of a paraffin lamp, Paul Hoffman spent much of his childhood on airfields all around the world watching his father – a pioneer of sports parachuting and European Champion – jumping out of aeroplanes. After a long battle with the English educational system which involved avoiding school whenever possible he was offered a place to...more

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Books by Paul Hoffman

The Left Hand of God (The Left Hand of God, #1)

The Beating of His Wings (The Left Hand of God #3)

Renovating Your Home for Maximum Profit, 2nd Edition

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Quotes from The Last Four Things

“Hypocrites,’ replied Cale, ‘I’ve come across a lot of them recently. I mean by that I understand now how many of them there are.” — 5 people liked it

“...the heart of a child can take forty-nine blows before it’s damaged for ever and what’s done can never be undone.” — 5 people liked it

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