Book Review: Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

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Book Review: Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy is a remarkable work that brings epic fantasy down into the gutter. The writing is sophisticated and compelling and yet I feel the need to have a shower after I finish reading.

In the third book Last Argument of Kings all the plots so carefully put into place are brought together in a series of thrilling set pieces and the answers to several puzzles are revealed.

Characters and Voice

One of the areas where Abercrombie excels is in giving his characters such a distinct voice and attitude. Whether it's Logen (got to be realistic, say one thing for Logen Ninefingers say he's) or Sand dan Glokta (body found floating at the docks) he provides easy ticks and behavior to distinguish the characters while at the same time giving them complex, and sometimes inconsistent motivations.

It might seem odd to praise inconsistent motivations, but people generally tend to be highly inconsistent and portraying that in fiction while still having them come across as credible characters is an impressive feat.

Almost to a man, or woman, these are people who believe that they are the heroes of the story. They think they're doing the right thing and they're doing it for the right reasons. Of course then we switch to another viewpoint and Abercrombie takes great delight in showing us exactly how wrong that belief is.

We also get credible villains. People who are equally motivated and whose arguments when we here them sound just as credible as those of the supposed heroes. The result is compellingly complex.

Does it Have to Be So Miserable?

The previous two books weren't exactly a boy scout camp out but the pessimism on display by the end of this book was quite hard for me to take. If the author has a message at all it would seem to be some combination of the fact that people don't change and that blood breeds more blood.

In the end almost everyone pays for their sins and the only exception is a person who arguably was already paying for them. There are no heroes here and there's really no evidence that the characters changed or grew. They think they did, but in the end when put to the test, they revert to what they were before.

It's probably a realistic view of humanity, we don't really change very much, but I sort of like reading about people who are better than me rather whereas in this world the people are universally dark and twisted. When the most honorable character is a murderer who also attacked a woman in a fit of rage, it's hard to cheer for anyone.

A Brutal Game of Chess

Abercrombie holds back the reveal for very near the end, but it had become pretty obvious even in the previous books that what is really going on here isn't some titanic struggle of good versus evil. Rather it is a ruthless game played by two powerful men who manipulate, use and discard any and all who come within their grasp.

And in the end, much like the characters don't change, neither does the power balance between the two of them. The character of Bayaz plays off readers expectations for kindly old mages. But look at his actions from the first book onwards and you will see something entirely different at work.

This is an incredibly violent and brutal world that's being described. It's not just the wars and battles. There's rape, torture, beatings, betrayals. It's as though the author took the expression "no good dead goes unpunished" and built a story around it. And in the end, most of that violence is fundamentally pointless because these are all puppets whose strings are pulled without them even realising it.

Why Won't It End?

While I think the writing in general is extremely good there is a stage in the last hundred pages or so where things really seem to drag. It's as though the author felt the need to spell out a dozen little details for his readers.

Some of it felt obvious and some redundant. There was also a just a bit too much glorying in how screwed over everyone had been. When things are turning out that spectacularly miserably for everyone I don't really need it drawn out.

And yet the actual ending, with it's call back to the very beginning of the first book is pretty much note perfect.

Who is This For?

Do you like epic fantasy?
Do you prefer a gritty realism?
Is Grimdark a good thing?

This one is for you.

Did You Like It?

Yes I did like it, almost despite itself. The plot is compelling and the characters are so well written it's hard not to care, regardless of the darkness of the events. That said, I'm not sure if or when I'll read the sequel stories. There's only so much darkness I can take.

Buy, Borrow or Skip?

The skill displayed in the writing makes this one a must buy if you can tolerate the brutality and cynicism on display.