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Feb 23, 2011

Michael rated it:

Because, even after the first two volumes, every character will STILL surprise you. Because Glokta is the best fantasy character I've found since Tyrion Lannister. Because Logen is a mushroom-cloud-laying motherfucker. Because you should've seen it coming but you didn't. You really didn't.

Because even "gritty" fantasy writers are usually afraid to go this far against expectations. Because you will laugh. You will get angry. Because you will hate the ending. Becaus More...

6 comments like (26 people liked it)

Jun 28, 2009

Arthur rated it:

Just finished The Last Argument of Kings...

Mixed feelings.
Definitely it is not worth re-reading, otherwise it would be like Logen, pissing into the wind. Real life is depressing enough, why make it worse?
I didn't expect a happy ending, but everything, absolutely everything to be bad? While you have to be realistic is a good motto, the ending is not realistic because life is shit and people do not change is overplayed.

The Blade Itself starts with a chapter 1 - More...

3 comments like (8 people liked it)

Sep 17, 2008

Terence rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 04, 2012

Amanda rated it:

I just can't decide how to rate this book. I enjoyed everything about the Last Argument of Kings except the ending. Although, I'm not as unhappy about it today as I was when I finished the book last night. It has been on my mind so Joe Abercrombie knew what he was doing. If there was another book in the series, I would rate it 4 to 5 stars.

I am going to give it 4 stars because I do recommend this series...unless you are squeamish or require a HEA.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 02, 2009

Alex added it

Okay, so here's the thing with this book and why I gave it no stars:

1) It's the third and final volume in a trilogy that up to this book was pretty much as good as fantasy gets: good characterizations, egaging plot, nice overall writing style, etc etc etc.

1a) I specifically liked the first two because they were surprisingly nasty, not dark mind you (no brooding emo heroes of the night), nasty.

1b) "Nasty" isn't meant sexually either, incidentally, in More...

4 comments like (12 people liked it)

Mar 22, 2010

Kat rated it:

Say one thing for this reviewer, say she's a weak-minded sucker.

She really enjoyed the first two books of Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. This story was original, had a unique style, fascinating characters, and a darkly cynical style. She liked it. It was fresh. But she was kind of hoping, even daring to expect, that the last book, Last Argument of Kings, might have an ending that was, if not perhaps exactly happy, at least somewhat satisfying.

Unfortunately, Last More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

May 12, 2011

Paul rated it:

Joe Abercrombie‘s writing improved drastically between his debut novel, “The Blade Itself”, a hard-boiled, profane, dark fantasy-noir, and his follow-up novel, “Before They Are Hanged”. Now arrives the final volume in the First Law trilogy, “Last Argument of Kings”, and the question naturally arises, does Abercrombie again improve his writing chops between the two volumes or has he regressed artistically? The answer is emphatic as “Last Argument of Kings” is the best fantasy novel released so fa More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 30, 2008

Nikki rated it:

As another book in the series, I enjoyed this. It was good to see that things approached an end without it being too happy -- I was almost expecting Logen to become king and have everybody love him, all of a sudden, but the book avoided that pitfall. And I was expecting him and Ferro to resolve their issues in the end, but that didn't happen either. Nor did Jezal get everything, or Terez suddenly fall in love, or anything like that. In fact, I read someone somewhere complaining that it was too m More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 24, 2008

Ricky rated it:

I really like how this book tied everything together. Far too often in a fantasy setting you see the climax of a book bring us a happy world where the bad guys are beaten, the good guys win out, the world is saved and... that's it.

In Last Argument of Kings, you get this, but a bit more. By the end of the series we start to understand that the good guys aren't always good. The bad guys aren't always bad (they're still bad but at least we understand the "why" of their "e More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 01, 2010

Stephen rated it:

6.0 stars. On my list of All Time Favorite novels (along with the other two books in "The First Law" trilogy). This series re-wrote the definition of fantasy "noir" (i.e., darker in theme, characters "grey" rather than black and white and more adult in theme). All three books were incredible and the end was terrific (and completely in keeping with the tone of the series). Brilliantly done. I can not wait for the next book by Mr. Abercrombie. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMME More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 19, 2008

Matt rated it:

The plot and story arc are much better in this book than in book 2. The best thing this series has going for it has been the multidimensional, flawed characters. The problem becomes that by the end of this book every character either becomes so despicable, arrogant, cowardly, blood-thirsty or pathetic that it's hard to like any one of them. Without giving away too much I liked the non-traditional ending. It was not as satisfying as I hoped because it didn’t turn out like I thought it would, More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2012

Wang rated it:

The main reaction I have when I finally finished the book was,

"This was the end?"

?????

After having to slog through increasingly repetitive and tiresome descriptions of battle and torture, having to see very character go down the path of ambiguity and shadiness.

Eventually you ask yourself, WHY did I bother to finish this series?

The old formula of a battle between characters clearly differentiated between good and evil works because the More...

0 comments like

Jan 21, 2012

Versalin rated it:

Joe Abercrombie's The First Law series is about as realistic as fantasy books can go.

There is the standard magical fare found in most fantasy books, there is war between kingdoms and the characters go on a somewhat epic quest. Beyond all these, what makes this series special are the characters and the plots they become involved in.

Let me start with the bads of the series.

Firstly, the world wasn't as well developed as I would have liked. There's the generic n More...

0 comments like

Nov 17, 2011

Христо rated it:

Джо Абъркромби не оставя камък върху камък в “Последният довод на кралете”
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/09/blog...

Ето ме отново там, дето най-много искам да бъда – сред шантавелския свят на Джо Абъркромби и края на трилогията “Първият закон” – “Последният довод на кралете”. Новокоронованите особи са цели двамца, но мисля да не ви издавам имената им, колкото и да ми се иска. Знайте едно – Севера и Англанд ще имат нови властници, които хич, ама хич няма да се чувстват на мястот More...

0 comments like

Nov 07, 2011

Emily rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 30, 2011

Elf rated it:

I can't help but be disappointed by the end of Joe Abercrombie's 600,000-word epic first trilogy, The First Law. It is a series that promises one thing and very quickly gives you another. It has twists and turns that set your expectations on edge, and yet... it leaves you with only ashes, at the end.

The First Law begins is three places: the nation of The Union with its capital in Adua, a rich country situated near the equator, Gurkhul, a nation south of the equator, and "The N More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 23, 2011

Tessa rated it:

I want to be nice about this series, and I have just read all three in one fell swoop
but the problem is that i have read this before, i've been there, done that and had better. Mr Abercrombie seems to be very well received and the only reason I can think is because his books are like comfort food, you know what you're going to get, it won't challenge you or take risks
This series was so painfully formulaic any actual originality was swallowed up by cliche.
It is truly fantasy by nu More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 10, 2011

Chris rated it:

This is a review of the audio edition [27h 1m].

This oppressive, violent sword and sorcery is sometimes difficult to stomach, but there's a lot to like.

The third book dragged a bit as big battles were fought and loose ends tied up. I took a star off because the denouement lasted over two hours and just seemed to go on forever. Now that I'm finished with the series, I find I can appreciate it more than when I was actively listening. These books take awhile to digest and to com More...

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Aug 27, 2011

Cameron rated it:

Joe Abercrombie's talents jump by leaps and bounds from book to book, it seems. The Last Argument of Kings is one of the most remarkable fantasy novels I've ever read. It's wickedly bleak, with a sharp eye towards the good and evil men may do. Redemption is never found easily for any of its characters - it's something they must claw at desperately, and in the end, not all of them find it. Heroes are not all that they seemed in novels past, and in order to end the greater evils plaguing them, More...

0 comments like

Jul 27, 2011

Bearcatmark added it

The Last Argument of Kings was an action packed and all together satisfying end to the First Law trilogy. Throughout the trilogy Abercrombie proved himself to be second to none when it came to great action sequences. More importantly in my opinion was the fact that his characters were all incredibly unique and interesting. The events of The Last Argument of Kings are wrapped up very well, in the sense that they are consistent with the world Abercrombie created and that everything is tied toge More...

0 comments like

Jul 16, 2011

Roobosh rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

May 16, 2011

Joe rated it:

We're finally there! This is the payoff to almost 1200 pages of world building and scene setting. Whew!

Does it ultimately deliver? Sort of.

I'll start the review by saying, this was a much more enjoyable book to read. Abercrombie seems to finally have gotten his head around dialog, and how to write it without sounding wooden and stale. Reading this novel threw the other 2 into stark contrast. Books one and two took pains to point out how silent Logen and Bayaz were. Jez More...

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Jan 11, 2011

Ithlilian rated it:

The Blade Itself was groundbreaking with it's realism and intriguing characters, Before They Are Hanged gave more of the same with war, a quest, and character development thrown in. Unfortunately Last Argument of Kings didn't improve much, if anything it was a step backwards. There was war, character regression, and more war. I had to skip over large sections of this novel because of the boring fights and strategy talk. Don't take that to mean the novel was bad, I'm just not a fan of reading abo More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 26, 2010

Tanabrus rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

Sep 08, 2010

Ori rated it:

This is a grudging 4 star review.

True, the third book adequately wrapped up, or carried each storyline to a reasonable point, and yes, there were many twists and excellent action, but I wish it had done more and better.

Certainly part of this is because my expectations were very high. I'd read other reviews that declared this the best book in the series and was eager for the five-star capstone, but it just didn't quite make it.

As noted in just about every review the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 26, 2010

Ethan rated it:

Disappointing. This book probably deserves better than two stars, but I just can't bring myself to call it good, because I didn't really enjoy it even though I read it fairly quickly. Don't get me wrong: it's interesting enough, and the characters are still vaguely engaging, and there's plenty of action. By all means, the formula is there (even though it does feel a little bit tired).

So what's the problem? I guess I was just hoping Abercrombie would be able to salvage some of his More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jul 17, 2009

Erica rated it:

I left 4 stars for books 1 and 2, even though after book 3, I really wanted to dump all the books. It has been a while since I read any fantasy book and books 1 and 2 were a great reintroduction, or so I thought. Books 1 and 2 had great characters, action, and storylines. And I thought there was even some character development going on and general progress as far as the storyline was concerned. It all came crushing down with book 3. I understand that the author wanted to express the view th More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 04, 2009

Daniel rated it:

An excellent conclusion to the trilogy, that left me yearning for more, which I'm sure will come someday, as this world is too rich to be abandoned at this point.

Some may be a bit put off by how grim the ending appears to be, but I would argue that there was no other way this story could have ended. The characters are what they are, their personalities, histories and impulses were well established in the first two books. While some of the characters are ultimately good people strivin More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 14, 2009

Jesse rated it:

Yes. This is what I want from genre writing: great characters, fast, brutal, hilarious, twisty, dark, believable, action-packed, and wholly satisfying. A lot of fans were pissed with how Abercrombie concluded the trilogy, which is hardly surprising considering he doesn't take the easy way out. A lot of readers do want the predictable conclusion, or, failing that, a tidy finale where every little loose end is either tied up or snipped of, maybe with room for a follow-up if time allows. Abercrombi More...

0 comments like

Jun 10, 2011

Bearcatmark rated it:

The Last Argument of Kings was an action packed and all together satisfying end to the First Law trilogy. Throughout the trilogy Abercrombie proved himself to be second to none when it came to great action sequences. More importantly in my opinion was the fact that his characters were all incredibly unique and interesting. The events of The Last Argument of Kings are wrapped up very well, in the sense that they are consistent with the world Abercrombie created and that everything is tied togethe More...

0 comments like