Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Best Served Cold” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

more photos (1)

Best Served Cold

(First Law World #4)

Joe Abercrombie

4.18 · Rating details · 56,319 ratings · 2,441 reviews

Springtime in Styria. And that means war. Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and ol ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 534 pages

Published June 5th 2009 by Gollancz

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Best Served Cold, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

The Grimdarks

353 books — 983 voters

J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Best Epic Fantasy (fiction)

3,202 books — 23,438 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.18 ·

Rating details

· 56,319 ratings · 2,441 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Best Served Cold

Jul 15, 2017 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Grimdark fans

Shelves: owned-physical-books

4.5/5 stars

A magnificent tale of revenge filled with bloody actions, betrayal, and humor.

“One cannot grow without pain. One cannot improve without it. Suffering drives us to achieve great things.”

I’ve postponed starting Best Served Cold, the first book in Abercrombie’s First Law stand-alone trilogy, for almost a year now due to the reason that I thought it will pale in comparison to the first trilogy, although it’s the weakest so far, it’s still so much better than a lot of grimdark books out there. The year is now 579 AU,humor.
“One ...more

flag 185 likes · Like · see review

Dec 18, 2013 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: liburry-book, read-2015, fantasy

I'm gonna have to do it. I'm going to give a Joe Abercrombie book a 3 star.

Calm down. I almost gave it a 2.

As to why? The good first.

The characters.
Monza is completely bad ass, but I never felt that connection with her. She wants revenge for her brothers death, I get that..but give me some anger..give me some emotions..give me something!

Calm down. I almost gave it a 2.

As to why? The good first.

Her band of misfits, you have a drunk, a torturer, a master poisoner and his assistant (who eats constantly), a killer who has OCD, and a man from the North that just wants to be a better man.
So why was this not the most awesome book ever?
There was humor..and Abercrombie can be very funny when he chooses too. And violence! I like the violence!!
But then the bad comes in:
Frigging politics. They bore the shit out of me every single time.
Then the book may have lasted too long, my eyes kept glazing over and I kept promising myself it would get better.

Sex scenes. *shudders*
I'm not done with Abercrombie's writing and this one is no where near as bad as most of the books I subject myself too. I just expected more.
...more

flag 131 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2014 Sean Barrs the Bookdragon rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

If you are going to say one thing for Abercrombie, say he’s got catchy sayings because, after all, you have to be realistic about these things!

Did you see what I did there? Well anyway I was about fifteen pages in and was thinking, “this book seems unusually slow” then the blood started spraying in the usual Abercrombie style about half a paragraph later. I knew from then that this was going to be as good as what came before it.

The Snake of Talins, the self-made mercenary with no regret, is at the height If you are going to say one thing for Abercrombie, say he’s got catchy sayings because, after all, you have to be realistic about these things!

Did you see what I did there? Well anyway I was about fifteen pages in and was thinking, “this book seems unusually slow” then the blood started spraying in the usual Abercrombie style about half a paragraph later. I knew from then that this was going to be as good as what came before it.

The Snake of Talins, the self-made mercenary with no regret, is at the height of her power. Monzcarro Murcatto (this name sounds so ridiculously cool) is then betrayed by her employer and thought dead by the world. Now she must creep out of the gutter and reap revenge on those that took what was most important from her: her brother. He was the only person she ever really loved and trusted. She must take the lives of six men to avenge his death, ending with the Grand Duke Orso himself. It’s a very bloody business.

Who loves a tale of revenge?

She hires a notable cast comprised of a murderer obsessed with numbers, an aged poisoner, a Northman trying to do what is right, a drunken mercenary and a red headed torturer. Most are familiar faces from the first law trilogy. So we’re about to see what happened to some of these odd-balls after the carnage that took place in The Last Argument of Kings. As per usual in this world everybody has their own secret motives and agendas. Nobody is honest and everybody has a knife ready to plunge into your back.

This book is filled with plot twists, betrayals and murder, murder, murder. This is a brutal story, told with much speed and intensity. The Snake of Talins is a very tough woman. I sure wouldn’t want to cross her.

“One cannot grow without pain. One cannot improve without it. Suffering drives us to achieve great things.”

description

Of all of Abercrombie’s books, this one is my favourite to date. It showcases much of what he does best; it shows how far his characters are willing to go to meet their achieve their own desires. This is a very dark fantasy world.
...more

flag 113 likes · Like · see review

Mar 19, 2017 Paul O'Neill rated it really liked it

Vengeance first, questions later.

A terrific, action packed romp with a vengeance.

This book is all about revenge. It follows Monza as she is betrayed very badly and then plots her course to get revenge on all those present at the time of the betrayal.

Set in the same world as the great First Law trilogy, the back drop is the region of Styria.

Springtime in Styria. And that means war. Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

It deals with revenge, what it means and what it feel ...more

flag 77 likes · Like · see review

Apr 17, 2017 Jokoloyo rated it it was amazing

TLDR: A MUST READ for fans of Nicomo Cosca. Cosca to the rescue!
NCbyK

Now the review:
Continuation after First Law Trilogy, telling about epic bloody revenge story. Compared with the trilogy, this novel has significantly lower magical content. I believe people don't read FL series due to magic system but because loved the characterization of FL. Fortunately, the author knew this and delivered another excellent s ...more

flag 71 likes · Like · see review

May 15, 2014 Evgeny rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

In this standalone we visit the area which was only mentioned in the original trilogy: Styria. The favorite pastime of the local people is to make war; local nobility that is: the peasants suffer or get killed when an army marches through their land. Monza Murcatto was the leader of a very successful mercenary band under Duke Orso employ. In fact she was so popular among Duke's subjects that he decided it was time to do something about it.

During one of the meetings with the Duke her In this standalone we visit the area which was only mentioned in the original trilogy: Styria. The favorite pastime of the local people is to make war; local nobility that is: the peasants suffer or get killed when an army marches through their land. Monza Murcatto was the leader of a very successful mercenary band under Duke Orso employ. In fact she was so popular among Duke's subjects that he decided it was time to do something about it.

During one of the meetings with the Duke her brother was killed and Monza herself left for dead. She became crippled, but survived and now her only goal is revenge on the seven men who betrayed the siblings. She also happens to have enough means to make her goal a reality.

After I read the first trilogy of the series I was ready to proclaim Joe Abercrombie to be one of the best modern fantasy writers. This book suddenly came up as a disappointment. So what is wrong with it?

Abercrombie has shown himself to be able to write very good and complex characters. In this book he recycles them. Shivers is exactly like Logen: he is a barbarian in the unfamiliar surroundings where he ended up for exactly the same reasons as the latter and he has exactly the same moral dilemmas - copy and paste type of exact. There was an excellent character named Glokta in the original trilogy; we now have him named Monza. To be politically correct he is a female in this book, so the requirement for a strong female is fulfilled. She is crippled - just like Glokta, she has exactly the same physical pains, her mood is the same, and so on.

The book tells the tale of revenge. The Count of Monte Cristo was published around 150 years ago and it is still unsurpassed as such tales go. Abercrombie tackles the same issues as Dumas' classic, but this story does not quite reach the level of the latter.

I failed to connect to any of the characters. Everybody is miserable and everybody has exactly zero redeeming qualities to the point where I felt relieved whenever somebody got killed: at least the poor guy/girl ended their misery. I really mean it: a mass suicide would be the best way out for all of these people of the land as I really do not see any sense of them to continue their pitiful existence full of pain and loss.

There were quite a few sex scenes in here. They all deserve a dubious award of being the most awkward in the literature - this includes sexual fantasies of 14-year-old boys. Dear Joe, please stop writing them and stay away from writing erotic literature as far as possible. I really do not understand how these got past an editor as no self-respected one would allow them to remain.

Abercrombie is a good writer so the quality of writing alone warrants 3.5 stars for the book. I will continue reading the series, but not before a big break.

This review is a copy/paste of my BookLikes one: http://gene.booklikes.com/post/892725... ...more

flag 69 likes · Like · see review

May 20, 2011 carol. rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of gritty fantasy

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy, female-lead

AKA "Abercrombie and the Ultimate Anti-Heroes."

Here's the short review: reading Best Served Cold is like being a guest judge on 'Iron Chef America: Sardines.' Sure, there's some incredible stuff happening--but still... it's sardines . And would you really want to eat like that every day?

The long review: What's good? The writing, the world, the character description, the brilliant way Abercrombie links and weaves so many plots together, both large and small, and the tension he is ab AKA "Abercrombie and the Ultimate Anti-Heroes."

Here's the short review: reading Best Served Cold is like being a guest judge on 'Iron Chef America: Sardines.' Sure, there's some incredible stuff happening--but still... it's sardines . And would you really want to eat like that every day?

The long review: What's good? The writing, the world, the character description, the brilliant way Abercrombie links and weaves so many plots together, both large and small, and the tension he is able to build through the story even when the general outline is known ("seven deaths"). There were times I found myself saying, "now that was a fabulous sentence/paragraph/plot twist," but I couldn't tear myself away from reading long enough to take down a note or two. So we will all have to remain unsure which particular points struck me; what I remember is that they were there and there was more than one. One notable narrative device used to brilliant effect is in memory segments in the beginning of some chapters. The memory gives context an earlier event we've already heard rumors about or how it has given rise to particular actions. It results in a neat little bite of background to the rumors, character insight and world history. Overall, he achieves that rare writer's groove where the reader stops to marvel, but not long enough to disengage from the story.

The bad? Well, while it's not done badly, truly none of the characters are very likeable. Caught in webs of their own weaving, and victims of their own pursuits, no one is very sympathetic. These are well-created characters that occasionally navigate their challenges with grace, and always with fortitude, but most often just use determination and brutality. If you've read The First Law series, and Abercrombie is hoping you have (as more than a few characters have first made appearances there), the main character, Monza, "The Butcher," suffers overmuch from similarity to Inspector Glotka. The frequent references to her physical discomforts sounded a great deal like the words used to describe him, and I found myself feeling like a significant amount of her character-building was poached from him. Abercrombie writes that part of his personal challenge with this book was writing a lead female character, and perhaps because of Glokta, I just feel like he didn't quite succeed.

Four stars for literary excellence, but the brutality and lack of truly heroic characters will keep me from adding to my personal collection, and prevent me awarding full five-star awesomeness rating.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0... ...more

flag 64 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2014 mark monday rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-modern

What is best served hot?

> Flesh
> Blood
> Slaughter
> Desire
> Revenge*

*also delicious served cold

Best Served Cold delivers all of the above in a warm-blooded fashion. this is a sweaty, fully engorged adventure novel that follows a diverse cast as they move through various locales on their own sort of anti-quest. although it spends much time examining the psychological make-up of its characters, is heavily reliant on the kinds of de What is best served hot?

> Flesh
> Blood
> Slaughter
> Desire
> Revenge*

*also delicious served cold

Best Served Cold delivers all of the above in a warm-blooded fashion. this is a sweaty, fully engorged adventure novel that follows a diverse cast as they move through various locales on their own sort of anti-quest. although it spends much time examining the psychological make-up of its characters, is heavily reliant on the kinds of details usually found in military fantasy, and is not shy of graphic sex and violence, it still lives and breathes all of the classic, instantly recognizable tropes of adventure fiction - to its credit. tropes are tropes for a reason: their familiarity creates an ideal framework on which to hang a narrative, characters, and themes that may play into or challenge those tropes, depending on the author's goals. this author wants to do both, and he succeeds. his book is complex and simplistic, old-fashioned and very modern.

synopsis: sibling mercenary leaders Monza and Benna Murcatto are betrayed by their employer during a meeting that ends in violence and murder. the six people in the room besides the Murcattos (plotters and bystanders alike) must now die, and so a colorful band of miscreants are assembled for just that purpose. thus the fun begins. don't let the title fool you into thinking that this is a book of cunning feints and subtle plots and diabolical machinations. far from it. its characters may be cold-blooded but Abercrombie serves his adventure yarn quite hot.

the author is well-known for his bleak world view and this novel is certainly more of the same. not a real hero to be found within these pages - although there are plenty of characters who are truly complicated. or at the very least, amusingly and/or sympathetically depicted. being forced to ride alongside such a cynical perspective could make for a depressing experience; fortunately, the author's cynicism is matched by his ability to make his characters consistently entertaining and often surprisingly funny. dark humor - but still humor! I appreciate that. although a 600+ page doorstopper, the book is far from a heavy one to read and is often an exciting, page-turning experience rather that one submerged in the sort of fatalism that makes me less than eager to read what will happen next. humor is the MVP in Best Served Cold (and after that would come Abercrombie's skill at writing cinematic action sequences).

unfortunately, there is a Least Valuable Player present and it is that incredibly aggravating flaw that seems to be prevalent across so much of modern fantasy and science fiction: REPETITION. ugh. it is so frustrating to see smart, talented authors like C.J. Cherryh, Patrick Rothfuss, Janny Wurts, George R.R. Martin, Jacqueline Carey, C.S. Friedman, Peter Hamilton, Connie Willis, and I'm sure many more, fall prey to the idea that their readers simply can't be trusted to remember traits integral to their characters, and so those traits and feelings are conveyed, via dialogue and thought processes, over and over and over, again and again and again and again and AGAIN. readers are not idiots who need to be repeatedly reminded about important details because their tiny little minds don't have the capacity to retain an important piece of information over the course of the book. repetition does not make the heart grow fonder; it make the mind grow numb.

but back to the compliments because despite that glaring flaw, I still loved reading this book.

so I'm a secretly sentimental sort of chap and despite my cynicism about people and life in general, I still believe that deep down most of us actually recognize the difference between good and evil, feel guilt about negative actions, and genuinely strive to be good - when that's possible. I doubt many people get off on their villainy. happily, Abercrombie shares my point of view - and only the most superficial read of his books would enable a person to come away thinking that the author writes everyone as a villain. assholes, yes; villains, no. like his First Law trilogy, Best Served Cold has protagonists who try to do good despite themselves and who do attempt - sometimes too late - to make up for regrettable actions. they regret things, they try to make amends, they see the need for change - even when they are also alienated or bloodthirsty or Machiavellian. I hate cheap positivity but I hate cheap nihilism even more. this novel has all the appeal of a dark, cynical adventure novel set in a bleak, war-torn landscape, but it still has a warmly beating human heart at its center. I wouldn't have loved it otherwise.

also, nice parallel between Monza and the prior books' Glokta. clearly this type resonates with the author. cynical cripples who are super deadly and of course terribly misunderstood. and beautiful - or at least once beautiful. poor Glokta! anyway, I could read more of this type. ...more

flag 62 likes · Like · see review

May 18, 2017 Scott Hitchcock rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, abercrombie

It was good but it wasn't great like the trilogy. The character interactions were what made the book. The plot was lacking and his writing style has never been smooth. It entertaining from an action point of view and you don't have to wait for it. From the prologue on it's battle, guts and assassinations. A killing smorgasbord.

flag 54 likes · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2016 Phrynne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5000-books

I love these books especially listening to them on audio. The narrator is just excellent and there is a little soundtrack with slashing swords which really sets the scene. The only problem is that I do not get to have the paper copies with the oh so beautiful covers.

Best Served Cold is typical Abercrombie fare which means it is the epitome of grimdark. If you do not enjoy gritty then you will not like his books. Somebody dies unpleasantly on just about every other page and even the people who live ...more

flag 47 likes · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2010 Michael rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2000s, fiction-that-speculates

Filter the retro feel and the Tarantino dialogue from "Kill Bill Volume 1." Take what's left and mix in one random barbarian from Abercrombie's earlier trilogy, then pour into a pan with a good dollop of the late Middle Ages. Fry for 880 pages, dropping in one new badguy every 110. By the end of the process, it should look something like "The Unforgiven". . . It won't taste nearly as good, though.

I'm surprised about all the glowing reviews this book has gotten considering how little Filter the retro feel and the Tarantino dialogue from "Kill Bill Volume 1." Take what's left and mix in one random barbarian from Abercrombie's earlier trilogy, then pour into a pan with a good dollop of the late Middle Ages. Fry for 880 pages, dropping in one new badguy every 110. By the end of the process, it should look something like "The Unforgiven". . . It won't taste nearly as good, though.

I'm surprised about all the glowing reviews this book has gotten considering how little new ground this one breaks. Abercrombie, as always, goes against some of our genre stereotypes, but. . . well, so what?

Here's the plot: Monza Murcatto is a heartless badass who leads a group of mercenaries called the Thousand Swords, and her brother is her advisor and right hand man. She's recently worked for a man who wants to conquer a bunch of countries, and when she meets him in his castle, he has both of them stabbed and thrown over the balcony, where they fall far, far down, and land in a forest.

Monza survives, and begins her quest to kill all seven of the guys who were in the room when she was betrayed and her brother killed. Think "The Crow." Think "Payback." Think "The Machine Girl" and ninety-seven-thousand other movies.

So, Abercrombie's first mistake was making it seven badguys. Four, or maybe five, were necessary to make his story work, because character and plot development happens during that many episodes. Did I mention they feel like episodes? They do.

Throughout the book, we increasingly learn that this apparently straight-up revenge story has some darker, murkier undertones, and even what we thought we knew about the larger conflict is vastly skewed because of whose vantage point we're seeing these events from. I like this approach to fantasy, but unless you're new to Abercrombie, it's not much of a surprise.

Why three stars? Well, I enjoyed this book, despite its flaws. This is probably one of those I-love-you-so-I'm-hard-on-you kinda things, because I couldn't believe Abercrombie had the balls to end his First Law Trilogy the way he did. It was fucking awesome. But Abercrombie pulls most of the same tricks here, and we end up with no greater understanding of the genre, or of Abercrombie's take on heroes, than we had at the end of the First Law Trilogy. For many fantasy readers, this is exactly what they're looking for; but the sameness of most fantasy bores the shit out of me.

Abercrombie has a new and unusual take on the fantasy genre, and turns the common tropes of fantasy on their head in certain ways. Unless he finds new ways to do this, though, he's going to create his own standard fantasy formula that can be repeated by nine thousand hack authors who will make it just another kind of stereotypical fantasy: 'Medieval Noir."

I'm in a grumpy mood and can apparently not focus on the positive, so let me try again: this book is funny, action packed, full of amusing stereotypes that are sometimes almost real characters. Shit, there I go again. . . I give up. I'm going to write an Ann Coulter review. ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2016 Tammy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'll be honest at the start, I felt this one was going to be straight forward. I felt I could predict everything that was gonna happen. I was wrong.

I doubt I have the words to explain how good the second half of this book was. Not to say the first half was bad, I mean the prologue was simply amazing. The tempo was like a ball rolling, slowly at first, then gathering momentum the farther it goes.

With tension packed moments, bloody and gritty action and exceptional world building. How ...more

flag 41 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2014 Choko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-grim

*** 4 ***

This brilliant writer completed successfully another life lesson, which could be summarized with the cliche " Life sucks and than you die! "... Only the sucking is much worse than you could have ever thought possible, you can not trust anyone, everything beautiful is there to be destroyed, you live and die alone, and we should all be lucky to die fast, the alternatives being very, very undesirable!!!

Abercrombie is a wonderful author and has become one of my favorites. Howev ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jul 06, 2009 Felicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, man-fantasy

Well, one of my favorite authors does not disappoint, I totally love this guy! So much violence, grit and...fun. I really enjoyed the characters, new worlds and especially liked the glimpses of seconday characters from the other Trilogy popping up in interesting more fleshed out roles.

Definitely a great purchase, boy readers rejoice, there's lots of blood and guts flying around!

flag 37 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2016 Orient rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everybody with a need for rough-tough story

Recommended to Orient by: Milda Page Runner

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, desperado, bloody-romance, hero, killer, abercrombie, recs-by-milda

Just starting to read this book I understood, oh how I missed Joe Abercrombie’s writing. It just feels like… ;)

*leaving Mr. Abercrombie half mutilated from hugs in my mind (It’s love, you know <3 True love hurts)*
Once more I was in love with Mr. Abercrombie and his dark fantasy revenge story.
Revenge, was served (cold of course) by a rough-tough heroine (already one of my BBHF – Best Book Heroines Forever ) with cold steel and a gripping story for dessert.
Monza Murcatto was everything I like about heroines.
Just starting to read this book I understood, oh how I missed Joe Abercrombie’s writing. It just feels like… ;)

I adored the painting of her, created skillfully by Mr. Abercrombie. She’s adored and feared, she had amazing ups and awful downs. She’s a true warrior, a true general. Those almost 700 pages of violence, adventure, wit and grittiness kept me hooked and interested all the reading time.
Also I liked other charming characters in this book. They were so unpredictable and well written.
From the poisonous childish, in some way, peacock

counting maniac with cleavers

bloody optimistic Northman, who tries to be a better man

to brave drunkard general

and others. So unique, interesting and dangerous, they have their own endearing personalities and emotions. I was really happy to meet the characters I got to know from the first three books.
Betrayal and intrigue led the story just enlarging the number of various deaths, making everything to grow ever more difficult and gritty. But the witty dialogues and remarks with cynical humor and good taste made this story likable, enjoying and interesting to me. I was amused how Mr. Abercrombie wasn’t afraid to show the vulnerability of the characters together with their strong tough side in the light of vengeance, moral challenges, heroism (which sometimes is on the sides of villains), war between good and bad (when everything depends on the opinion or the amount of money).
A really wild ride with Mr. Abercrombie!

...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Apr 17, 2019 Deborah Obida rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, adult

You can weep over your misfortunes, or you can pick yourself up and make the best of things, shit though they may be.

This book is a spin-off of the Initial first law trilogy, its not neccessary to read that before this, but it will help in understanding some terms.

This is the best portrayal of morally ambiguous character I've ever read, all negativity. They trust someone as much as they can throw them which is not much, and to them Mercy and Cowardice is the same, who thinks like that ...more

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 David Sven rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favourites, dark-fantasy, audiobooks

They say cream rises to the top and I must say Abercrombie has risen to the top of my list of "must read" authors. And Steven Pacey has risen to the top to join my favourite audio narrators. If you are into audio books and have Abercrombie on your "to read" list, then treat yourself to the audio version. The narration really added that extra punch to an already hard hitting story.

Best Served Cold is a fantastic addition to The First Law universe. It’s stand-alone so you don't absolutely ne They say cream rises to the top and I must say Abercrombie has risen to the top of my list of "must read" authors. And Steven Pacey has risen to the top to join my favourite audio narrators. If you are into audio books and have Abercrombie on your "to read" list, then treat yourself to the audio version. The narration really added that extra punch to an already hard hitting story.

Best Served Cold is a fantastic addition to The First Law universe. It’s stand-alone so you don't absolutely need to read the previous books first. Having said that, there is plenty on offer for those who have read The First Law Trilogy, with references to events and characters from the prior books that go a long way to adding to the background depth and context of the story.

Abercrombie’s characterization is second to none. The major characters are well thought out and well written. There are quite a few who were side characters in the First Law books, like Shivers, the Northman who fought alongside The Bloody Nine(who is not in this book sorry), and a few more I can’t mention without spoiling too much. Among my favourites is a flambuoyant mercenary, a self righteous poisoner, and an obsessive compulsive ex- con with a fixation on numbers.
The main characters develop, they change, but not necessarily for the better, which is what makes them so accessible and believable.

The book is set in Styria instead of The Union and follows chronologically immediately after the events of Last Argument of Kings. The story is fast paced. There’s a lot of action. A lot of violence, even more so than First Law. And I think overall this is a darker and bloodier story than the previous books. The humour is black as ever which Abercrombie weaves in skilfully to provide comic relief without being corny and without undermining the dark undertones of the book. The ending was good, which is to say believable rather than happy. More messy than fairy tale.

This is a story of vengeance, its moral ambiguity, and its unintended consequences. When revenge becomes an obsession, it can bring the whole world down in blood.

5 stars.
...more

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2010 Peter rated it it was amazing

Joe Abercrombie is my new nemesis. His books are too damn good.

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2014 Althea Ann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

So far, I'm 5/5 with Joe Abercrombie - and I think I have 3 more yet to-read. This is Good Stuff!

Set in the same world as 'The Blade Itself,' 'Best Served Cold' introduces us to Monza Murcatto, a mercenary general. It's unusual for a woman to be a mercenary, let alone a military leader - and she's achieved her place by being twice as ruthless and tough as the hard-bitten men around her.

However, tough as she may be, she's not invulnerable. A shattering betrayal has ended w ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2014 Carmen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fantasy fans who can stomach grisly, painful, brutal suffering that will spare no one

Shelves: traditionally-published, he-says, fiction, fantasy

Monza is a skilled and merciless killer. She acts as a general in the Duke's army, alongside her little brother, Benna.

Monza's brother is the only person she has in this world. The only person she loves. The only person she trusts.

Duke Orso, the man she's working for, decides to betray her and her brother. Killing them in cold blood while his sons and advisors watch.

They stab her and beat her and throw her off the roof. She's left for dead.

As Jet L ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Aug 30, 2018 J.J. rated it it was amazing

Fuckin love this book/audiobook. Trust me listen to the audiobook and appreciate the sweet, dark, sordid insights of this crews banter plus how great the narrator did the characters. It’s hilarious! Mercenary Cosca turned out to be my favorite character towards the end of the book. He’s a drunk, mercenary, general or soldiers but brilliant.
Mercatto, she’s Ferro but more worldly and knowledgeable in many things. I’d never cross her. Shiver well he went to Steryia to be a good man, well, he ...more

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2014 Silvana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-google, dark-matter, girl-power, sff-2019-standalone-challenge, fyeahfantasy, mine-mine-mine, reading-with-friends, stand-alones, sff-2019-reading-challenge, sl-sword-challenge-2019

First reread:
I still think this is one of Abercrombie's best works. And Cosca, you stole every scene, you lovable scoundrel.

Original review:
It's been a long time since I felt shell-shocked after reading a book. That would be A Storm of Swords in 2011, I guess. Best Served Cold is now in my top five list of best fantasy novels ever graced this earth. Don't ask me about the complete list since I haven't actually made it since before that last sentence.

Cosca. Dear old Cosca. I understand n First reread:
I still think this is one of Abercrombie's best works. And Cosca, you stole every scene, you lovable scoundrel.

Original review:
It's been a long time since I felt shell-shocked after reading a book. That would be A Storm of Swords in 2011, I guess. Best Served Cold is now in my top five list of best fantasy novels ever graced this earth. Don't ask me about the complete list since I haven't actually made it since before that last sentence.

Cosca. Dear old Cosca. I understand now why some friends said he was cooler than Glokta. Well, I tend to agree with another friend who said both had their own qualities. Wit, sarcasm, resourcefulness, both never failed to entertain me as a reader. Even though Glokta was definitely not as vivacious as Cosca. I want to have a drink with Cosca, he'd make an excellent companion.

Back to the book. I think BSC towers over the First Law trilogy. I guess I am not really a fan of the mythology and magic and whatnots in the trilogy. I am more drawn to the characters and plots. And the banter. Omg Joe Abercrombie can really write amusing banters or inner thoughts. Can't remember how many times I actually LOLed during reading. The plots and the twists. Some you can kinda guess, but still ended up surprised and entertained at the end. Fast-moving, jaw-opening, insomnia-inducing writing. Bravo.

The characters. I was kinda disappointed that the ruthless scheming lying mass-murdering Serpent of Talins was actually a softie, but Monza still rocks my socks. Hey, you don't get many kickass female characters like her. Well, maybe Cara Mason from that awful Terry Goodkind series which name escapes my mind entirely (and maybe deliberately because it really, really sucks). Speaking of characters, as I said before, reading this book is like having a reunion. Some beloved (or not so beloved) characters from the trilogy made appearances, which is cool. Totally agree that one should not read this book before the trilogy. Spoilers galore.

The best new character would be Friendly I guess. He was just so loyal, simple and committed. I know why Cosca liked him a lot. Dependable, that's what he was. His OCD when it comes to numbers was adorkable.

Again I love that this book has no protagonists or antagonists. Only shades of grey. It's just a matter of POV. All did what they had to do. I want to know more about the Thousand Swords. They reminded me of Glen Cook's Black Company actually. Wonder who would win if both mercenary units meet. I need more mercenary stories! ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Gaby rated it liked it

I didn't jump right into reading ”Best Served Cold” after finishing the author's First Law trilogy, and now I can remember why. Reading Abercrombie simply leaves me emotionally drained. I very masochistically put myself through the experience because afterwards, once I've let myself cool down, I realize it was worth it. Still, these books are not for everyone. It's not just that they're violent, gory, unpredictable, and full of frustratingly flawed characters- it's that they leave you off (or at ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Feb 19, 2014 Em Lost In Books rated it really liked it

Shelves: group-books, 2000-09, 4-star, stand-alone-read, 2014

A stand alone novel set in the same world as his First Law Trilogy, Mr Abercrombie gives us another masterpiece to read.

this is a revenge story where Monza Murcatto set out to avenge her brother’s murder. So end is very much predictable and as simple as it gets. We get usual brutal characters with no conscience and loyalty who are driven by bloodlust. but its the characters themselves in the book that makes it so different from other revenge stories.

Abercrombie pays a great attention to his ch ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2015 Kells Next Read rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, adult, ebook, dark-fantasy

One man's villain is another hero; after all

It goes without saying that this read was Epic. It's Abercrombie people. He can do no wrong.

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2009 Justin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, fantasy

Joe Abercrombie is a master of his trade, and his trade is dark fantasy. He is becoming the standard bearer for gritty realistic fantasy, and Best Served Cold might well be the masterpiece that represents that sub-genre. Monza Murcatto is a renowned and very successful mercenary, or was…till she was stabbed, beaten and thrown from a mountain side by her employer. Best Served Cold tells the tale of Monza and her quest for revenge. Monza contracts a party of unsavory characters to aid her in her r Joe Abercrombie is a master of his trade, and his trade is dark fantasy. He is becoming the standard bearer for gritty realistic fantasy, and Best Served Cold might well be the masterpiece that represents that sub-genre. Monza Murcatto is a renowned and very successful mercenary, or was…till she was stabbed, beaten and thrown from a mountain side by her employer. Best Served Cold tells the tale of Monza and her quest for revenge. Monza contracts a party of unsavory characters to aid her in her revenge quest. The story goes from dark to black to “a wet match in the bottom of a dark cave”. Everyone suffers, lots of people die, the trail of blood and tragedy that Monza leaves in her wake is unprecedented. Abercrombie takes what appears to be a simple tale of revenge and twists it into a sanguine journey of self discovery on the part of each character. No other author I’ve found works so hard to create likeable characters out of such nasty individuals

The book is exceedingly well written, so much so that I have really no other option but to give this book 5 stars. It really is an amazing work. Reading his work is always bitter sweet for me. I know I’m going to get an amazing story, with unique characters told in a way that only Abercrombie is able to pull off. All the wonderful writing comes with a price for the reader. The price is that it changes you a little, it’s altered my perception of what fantasy can be. Before reading Abercrombie I was blissfully unaware of how truly brutal and tragic fantasy as a medium can be. Sure there is George R.R. Martin and his love of killing off main characters, but these books are different. In Martin’s work I never had any doubt that I was observing the story from the outside. With Abercrombie he makes it a point to bring you there. I feel the character’s spirit break in the hands of the torturer. I know the person that was on page 112 is now someone else on page 113, and it makes me sad. There is no redemption, no “making it up” later…they’ve simply changed. It’s a very real and unsettling thing to experience as a reader, and it’s a feeling that’s not commonly found in fantasy. The heart of Best Served Cold is how Abercrombie strips our “heroes” down to their core and reveals with in them who they truly are.

I have a love hate relationship with Abercrombie’s books. I will most certainly continue to read them, they are just too incredible not to. I will be sure to keep something exceedingly happy to read right afterwards. Best Served Cold is technically a stand alone novel, but I would highly recommend reading The First Law Trilogy prior to this since I get the feeling of an overall “Big Picture” taking place in this world. Read this book if you are ready to have your thoughts on fantasy challenged. Do not read this book if you like your fantasy to be a pleasant escape from the harsh realities of life. -JB
...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Aug 05, 2009 Stephen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 6-star-books, all-time-favorites, signed-first-or-limited-edition, hardboiled-and-noir, kings-of-badassia, fantasy, audiobook, multiple-award-nominee, award-nominee-british-fantasy, 2006-2010

6.0 stars. Another unbelievably good book by Joe Abercrombie. If you liked the First Law Series, you will like this. Given that the First Law series is on my list of "All Time Favorites" I think it is safe to assume, I loved this book. In addition to creating a superb story with a tight plot and, as always with his books, unforgettable characters, Abercrombie advances in subtle but very interesting ways the larger story arc of the "great battle" addressed in the First Law series. HIGHEST POSSIBL ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2016 Christopher Buehlman rated it it was amazing

Verhoeven's "Flesh + Blood" meets "Hang 'em High" in the most entertaining fantasy novel since Game of Thrones. This is the fourth novel set in Joe Abercrombie's First Law world, but it isn't tied so closely to the preceding trilogy that one can't enjoy it as a stand-alone. Honestly, as good as that trilogy was, Best Served Cold eclipses it.

When I was a teenager I read about Italian mercenaries in the late Middle Ages and how they fought (or pretended to fight) for the gold of famil Verhoeven's "Flesh + Blood" meets "Hang 'em High" in the most entertaining fantasy novel since Game of Thrones. This is the fourth novel set in Joe Abercrombie's First Law world, but it isn't tied so closely to the preceding trilogy that one can't enjoy it as a stand-alone. Honestly, as good as that trilogy was, Best Served Cold eclipses it.

When I was a teenager I read about Italian mercenaries in the late Middle Ages and how they fought (or pretended to fight) for the gold of families like the Sforza, the Medici, the Malatesta. The mercenaries themselves were a colorful, faithless lot, with names like Gattamelata (honey-cat), Castricani (dog-castrator) and other evocative monikers. I always meant to write about them one day, and still might do, but Mr. Abercrombie has beaten me to it with this deliciously dark, wonderfully funny fantasy masterpiece.

Styria in the Years of Blood is not unlike Italy circa 1500; a land without a king, a land where powerful city-states vie for prominence. Echoes of Florence, Milan, Venice and Rome aren't hard to find in the fascinating cities of Talins, Visserine and Sipani; but Abercrombie has done far more than shuffle and rename–his world is not a clone of ours; merely a cousin with shared cheekbones, a similar smile, and, regrettably, exactly the same appetites.

Of course, world-building without story is as dead as faith without acts, and this book lives. Monza Murcatto is a mercenary commander, a woman of great martial skill and frightful determination, more loyal than most of her greedy, fickle colleagues. She's not a woman you want to find yourself across a battlefield from, and she's the last person you'd want to betray and leave for dead. When mighty Duke Orso of Talins does exactly that, he sets in motion a revenge story that takes the reader on a Lonely Planet: Styria adventure with an obsessive-compulsive murderer, a bitter northern warrior, a single mother assassin, an insufferably superior poisoner and the most charmingly duplicitous mercenary commander in the annals of fantasy. Honestly, except for a supernatural djinn-like "Eater" or two, this hardly reads like fantasy. You will find a refreshing dearth of dragons in Best Served Cold, but a great abundance of economically drawn character, twisty but rock-solid plot structure, beautifully quotable prose, bloody but plausible action sequences, needle-sharp gallows humor, and that rare, unnameable "it" factor that distinguishes great stories from merely good ones. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it. Just fucking read it. ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2018 Esme rated it it was amazing

I am thoroughly and hopelessly addicted to this world. i liked this one even more than The heroes, which may be am uncommon opinion - i just liked these characters more. Shivers was great, and even though I went backwards I really enjoyed this book.

longer review to come - and not im onto Red Country

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2014 Apatt rated it really liked it

It has been over a year since I last read a book by Joe Abercrombie, there are just so many books to get through. However, after finishing The First Law trilogy he has become like an “old favorite” that I can come back to any time and be sure of a good read. His writing style is always immensely readable, witticisms abound on every page, very visual scenes of combat and of course vivid, complex and believable characters.

Best Served Cold is set in the same universe as the excellent First Law trilogy bu It has been over a year since I last read a book by Joe Abercrombie, there are just so many books to get through. However, after finishing The First Law trilogy he has become like an “old favorite” that I can come back to any time and be sure of a good read. His writing style is always immensely readable, witticisms abound on every page, very visual scenes of combat and of course vivid, complex and believable characters.

Best Served Cold is set in the same universe as the excellent First Law trilogy but this is a standalone volume, you don't need to be familiar with his previous books to read it. The title is from that old adage “revenge is a dish best served cold” . Monza Murcatto, an extraordinarily gifted mercenary captain is betrayed by her employer Duke Orsa apparently due to being far too good at her job and thus becoming too popular with the Duke’s subjects. Her brother, possibly the only person in the world she really cares about is brutally murdered in front of her by the Duke’s order, and the Monza herself is almost terminally wounded and tossed out a window. So begins her monomaniacal quest for avenge the death of her brother by putting an end to the lives of the seven individuals involved, and anyone else unwise enough to get in her way.

As with the other Abercrombie novels that I have read there are plenty of villains but no outright heroes. One poor fellow starts off wanting to be a good man and end up being a crazed killer after going through an extremely traumatic experience. As usual the dialogue is always sparkling, my only reservation here is that most of the characters seem to have the same penchant for sarcasm and several of them seem to have the same manner of speaking.

While revenge is obviously the book’s major theme, it becomes apparent as I read on that anti-revenge is actually the main subtext. Revenge is not so much a dish best served cold as a dish best discarded, unserved. The avenger is seldom happier after the revenge is successfully completed. There are often moral quandaries for the characters and the readers to ponder. “Mercy and cowardice are the same” appears to be the protagonist’s motto, except she does not really believe it.

Joe Abercrombie often describes his books as “grim dark” and it is really very apt, this is not a book for Carpenters fans and sweet grandmas. However, there is a subtle vein of optimism which only becomes discernable once you have finished the entire book. The fantasy element is rather low profile especially compared to The First Law trilogy. This helps to heighten the human drama and the realism of the violence which is quite unrelenting. If I have once complaint about this aspect of the book it is that there is so much of it that I became desensitized to it after while.

In any case Joe Abercrombie has yet to disappoint me, I wonder if he ever will. ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Best Served Cold [Jul 5, 2019]	29	50	Jul 23, 2019 05:04AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Fantasy: Heroine is on a quest to avenge brother with whom she had an incestuous relationship. [s]	5	30	Mar 04, 2019 03:54AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Best Served Cold [Apr 27, 2018]	155	72	May 14, 2018 06:53AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Best Served Cold	36	61	Jun 16, 2017 10:41AM
Goodreads Librari...: This isn't properly listed as book 4 of the series	2	23	Mar 23, 2017 03:59AM
2017 Reading Chal...: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie	1	16	Jul 08, 2015 02:08PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

3,163 users

Fiction

289 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

153 users

Fantasy > Dark Fantasy

114 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

75 users

Adventure

58 users

Audiobook

55 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

46 users

War

36 users

Epic

31 users

See top shelves…

About Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie

16,335 followers

Joe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law trilogy, Before They Are ...more