The Heroes in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Feb 05, 2011 Greg (adds 2 TBR list daily) Hersom rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: hersom-s-all-time-top-10, fanlitreading, favorites

The war between the Union and the North culminates in a three-day battle among two small villages, bogs, and barley fields. The high ground is a saddled hilltop ringed by ancient standing stones called the Heroes. The ruthless fighting prowess of Black Dow, the new king of the North, is pitted against Lord Marshal Kroy, the commander of the southern King’s army. The Heroes reads more like historical fiction than fantasy. In true Joe Abercrombie fashion, it’s a grim tale told by an array of inten The war between the Union and the North culminates in a three-day battle among two small villages, bogs, and barley fields. The high ground is a saddled hilltop ringed by ancient standing stones called the Heroes. The ruthless fighting prowess of Black Dow, the new king of the North, is pitted against Lord Marshal Kroy, the commander of the southern King’s army. The Heroes reads more like historical fiction than fantasy. In true Joe Abercrombie fashion, it’s a grim tale told by an array of intensely colorful and intriguing characters.
Joe Abercrombie is to fantasy books what Clint Eastwood was to Western movies; he’s taken the genre to a whole new level of badass.
From beginning to end, reading about medieval warfare cannot get any more real than it is in The Heroes. This book is sure to give readers the instinctive urge to duck a swinging battle-axe or dodge a spear thrust. As always, Abercrombie is a master of dialogue that ranges from hysterical to profound. While reading The Heroes, the pages (the e-pages, in my case) disappeared and I achieved the Holy Grail of bookworms: the complete mental transportation from reality into the imaginary world. If action is not your thing, worry not.
This is a war story that takes place in the same world as Joe Abercrombie’s other books: The First Law Trilogy and Best Served Cold. Take a gander at the “Order of Battle” — the character list, which is cleverly placed at the beginning of the book instead of the end. Bayaz, Bremer dan Gorst, Black Dow, and The Dogman return from The First Law Trilogy. We also see some of Curnden Craw’s “dozen.” Named Men like the woman warrior called Wonderful and Whirrun of Bligh introduced in “The Fool Job,” Abercrombie’s short in Swords and Dark Magic, are more than enough for established Abercrombie fans. For newcomers, how could you not be enticed by names like Rurgen and Younger (who are described as “faithful servants, one old … one younger”), Corporal Tunny, Caul Shivers, Pale-as-Snow, and Stranger-Come-Knocking? (Notice anything, veteran fantasy readers? Those names are all easily pronounced, making the story flow much better than many other fantasy stories where the author insists on bogging the reader down with words almost humanly impossible to utter.)
As in Abercrombie’s other books, the reader is often drawn to the most despicable of scoundrels like “Prince” Calder, whose clever wit gets him both into and out of trouble, or the standard-bearer Corporal Tunny, a con-artist who is proud that, despite his long-service, he’s managed to rise no further in rank. There is also the politically ambitious Finree dan Brock. In a male dominated society, she strategically designs her husband’s rise to power despite his own lack of ambition. My favorites are always Abercrombie’s warrior-heroes, like Whirrun of Bligh, a.k.a. Cracknut. Each time Whirrun carries the Father of Swords into battle he wears fewer clothes. Col. Gorst is a master swordsman plagued with a high feminine voice. Gorst is angry at everyone, including himself most of all, and can only find joy in mortal combat. Those are only a handful of sensational but believable characters that bring this gritty story to life.
Joe Abercrombie’s writing is both fresh and edgy. He has that deep understanding of the human psyche and society that only the very best writers possess. The only other fantasy author that so grandly wrote such gray tales was the late master, David Gemmell.
I had such a good time reading Abercrombie’s latest story that I didn’t want it to end. If I read just one more new fantasy book in 2011 that’s two-thirds as good as The Heroes, I will consider it an outstanding year for the genre.
...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2012 Mike rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you’re a fan of total badassery, of giant battles, of soldiery wisdom, or of solid exciting prose you should do yourself a favor and read The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. Indeed, if someone were to ask me what badass means I might just hand them a copy of this book. Likely if you’ve read and enjoyed The First Law trilogy, or Best Served Cold you’ve already picked up and read The Heroes. Indeed events in The Heroes trace their origins back to The First Law trilogy (I’ve yet to read Best Served C If you’re a fan of total badassery, of giant battles, of soldiery wisdom, or of solid exciting prose you should do yourself a favor and read The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. Indeed, if someone were to ask me what badass means I might just hand them a copy of this book. Likely if you’ve read and enjoyed The First Law trilogy, or Best Served Cold you’ve already picked up and read The Heroes. Indeed events in The Heroes trace their origins back to The First Law trilogy (I’ve yet to read Best Served Cold) and, while the novel can certainly be enjoyed absent of Abercrombie’s debut series, readers familiar with the author’s past work will definitely get more mileage out of The Heroes.

The Heroes focuses on the set-up and execution of a three day battle in the Valley of Osrung in the North. The Union is desperately trying to keep the North under their control while Black Dow, who betrayed and killed Logen Ninefingers, fights to keep the North free (or at least under his control). The novel goes back and forth amongst several Named men of the North, officers and enlisted in the Union, and several camp followers as well as the battle unfolds. The Heroes manages seamless transitions between these sections offering a variety of perspectives that paints the entire picture in various shades of gray and crimson.

Alongside Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie writes perhaps some of my favorite soldiers. While not as heavy handed as Erikson can sometimes be Abercrombie similarly doles out the wisdom of the common soldier with serious aplomb. Abercrombie sticks with two major voices for this wisdom: Corporal Tunny and Curnden Craw. Craw, the grizzled old campaigner, and Tunny, the seasoned opportunist, represent two similar yet differing views on war. Even in the quiet moments of the novel Abercrombie’s ability with dialogue and turn of phrase makes for entertaining reading. In those quiet moments the character that stood out most was the somewhat cracked Whirrun. Abercomrbie’s ability to inject all of the doom, gloom, and fatalism with humor is most readily apparent in Whirrun who, at one point in the novel, “invents” a sandwhich:

“Then, when I’ve got two cut,’ and he dropped a pale slab of cheese on one slice then slapped the other on top like he was catching a fly, ‘I trap the cheese between then, and there you have it!’
‘Bread and cheese.’ Yon weighed the half-loaf in one hand and the cheese in the other. ‘Just the same as I’ve got.’ And he bit off the cheese and tossed it to Scorry.
Whirrun sighed. ‘Have none of you no vision?’ He held up his masterpiece to such light as there was, which was almost none. ‘This is no more bread and cheese than a fine axe is wood and iron, or a live person is meat and har.’
‘What is it, then?’ asked Drfod, rocking back from his wet wood and tossing the flint aside in disgust.
‘A whole new thing. A forging of the humble part of bread and cheese into a greater whole. I call it … a cheese-trap.’ Whirrun took a dainty nibble from one corner. ‘Oh, yes, my friends. This tastes like … progress…”

Moments like that pepper the novel, deadening the impact of the violence to a degree and providing a useful pressure release valve for tension throughout the novel.

The battle of Osrung is crafted masterfully and the description of the first days fighting is perhaps one of the finest bits of military fiction writing that I have ever seen. In a lengthy chapter and extended scene worthy of any big budget action movie Abercrombie crafts an extended single shot action scene that spans an entire battle. He seamlessly hands off the perspective flitting from character to character with a seamless ease that is epic in scope and elegant in execution. An absolutely masterful scene that would have redeemed any lesser novel and catapults The Heroes to a new height that few if any other novels can reach. Joe Abercrombie is to fantasy battles as David Weber is to space battles.

If you like well written military fantasy, are a fan of the grim and the gritty then you really should have read The Heroes by now. This is a massive tome of a novel that can, and likely will, be devoured at the speed of something a quarter of its size. It’s grim, somewhat fatalist tones make it comparable to Erikson’s Deadhouse Gates (my favorite Malazan novel) though leavened with a heavy and welcome dose of humor. This is an almost instant classic and as near a textbook on how to write “military fantasy” as you’re likely to see. Read this book. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2010 Chompa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An enjoyable read, but not quite on par with his first series or the follow up book. I've pondered why and honestly am not sure. None of the characters are very likable and that might be the issue. By the end of the book I'm left feeling kind of apathetic at the results. Don't get me wrong - it is still a good read, but with Abercrombie's dark style and characters you can't quite sympathize with makes it a bit on the dreary side. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2010 J.M. (Joe) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Currently marking 3 stars (3.25), but will be giving it more thought over the course of the day. I can see it going up to 4 stars, as I liked how it ended, but it was a rather meandering path along the way...

1 like · Like · see review