October Fantasy selection: The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

[[deleted user]]

I just finished reading a little bit of brain sorbet to cleanse my palate for Mr. Abercrombie and Haven't quite started this book yet but I'm starting this evening .... Have you read it yet? what are your thoughts?

[Donna]

I read it in February of 2012 after loving The First Law trilogy. I normally don't like books that are as dark and violent as Abercrombie's but his writing always sucks me in.

Here's the review I wrote for The Heroes:

"I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars but Abercrombie is just such a great writer that I had to give it 4. The Heroes is set in the same world as The First Law trilogy and many of the same characters make appearances. The book covers a span of just a few days involving a complex battle between the Union and the Northmen. While the writing was great and the battle scenes gripping, the unrelieved bleakness and grisly violence wore me down. However, it was impossible not to get caught up in the characters so I ended up glad to have visited this dark world again."

I loved your comment Geoffrey about brain sorbet because I always need it after I read Abercrombie.

[[deleted user]]

I was on the fence with three or four stars too, but went with three, mostly because it didn't stand up to the First Law Trilogy that I heard as audio books. There was something special in the audio narration that I miss in the text while just reading, and I might have gone four with the audio or if real life complexities hadn't mulled things up at the time.

What I really liked was that his battles aren't very heroic or glorious and it's hard to pick between to good guys and the bad guys.

[[deleted user]]

I like Abercrombie but I guess I'm not feeling him at them moment. I keep finding excuses not to read him or other things to read instead .... so I'm setting him aside for now before I force myself to read and end up hating it.