Last Argument of Kings

Amazing! I hope the side novels are just as breathtaking as this series has been

Great series. The character development here is fantastic. It appears that those who in first book were complete assholes appear to be the better ones in the end but agonizingly constrained by reality and vise versa.

Here there is an ugly sense of realism instead of a hero who makes everything great.

Grimdark indeed!

Executive Summary: A fitting end to what is an essence a bleak series. Still, it made for an entertaining ride. I'm not sure what that says about me exactly. lol.

Full Review
I started this book fully expecting to give this book one of the those elusive 5 star ratings, but somewhere along the way it lost me. I'm still not quite sure why.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, but it just didn't hold my attention fully like a 5-star book does.

The Union is learning what Napolean and the Germans could have told them. Don't fight a 2-front war. Things are pretty bad. They are only going to get worse.

Thank god there are heroes like Logen Ninefingers, Superior Glokta and the First Magi Bayaz to put things right. Or should we be cursing god and wondering what we did to deserve such “heroes”?

The characters are great, albeit not very likable. Yet they are. I'm rooting for killers and torturers. Mr. Abercrombie must himself be a wizard, because I don't understand how else he can have me not only enjoying these characters, but rooting for them as well. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I chalk it up to “interesting to read about, but I'd never want to meet any of them.”

This book is worth reading just for Glokta's internal dialogue alone. I have also acquired all the wisdom Logen's father has to offer.

Overall I was happy with the ending, but some things were left open-ended and unresolved that I wouldn't mind a follow-on story. Or maybe I'll get some glimpses into what happens after from the stand-alone novels? I shall see eventually, as I now count Mr. Abercrombie among my favorite authors, and plan to read the rest of his works at some point.

Good wrap up of the current story-line, but I want more!

This is a short review for ‘The First Law' series.

Gritty, gritty books. None of the three tell happy stories. Stay away if you want to read a book that'll make you feel unconditionally good, in the way the Harry Potter(s), or even The Name of the Wind does.

So why read these, then? Because the writing is top-notch. Because, at times, it's funny, or sad, or both, and it never feels awkward or out-of-place. And the grittiness, and oh-so-very obvious flaws of the characters who we follow, is a breath of fresh air. Heck, even the sparsely mentioned magic system is way grittier than most Fantasy novels I've read - the author easily manages to convey the idea of magic in this world being a chaotic / powerful force.

However, the reason that the last book is the one I've added to my favorites list is the ending, which I felt was perfect - the inevitable conclusion to a journey in a world that is decidedly unfair.

This is one of the best series of books I've ever read. The characters are incredibly well written and the story is well done. This third book in the trilogy wraps up the story but as with some other books, not everything turned out just right. For the most part the good guys win but it wasn't a storybook ending either.

I was a bit surprised at how satisfied I felt at the ending. I didn't like it so much as felt done. Which is very rare. I know some other of Abercronbies books take lace in the same world, and I look forward to that. I really enjoyed being in this world. But unlike some series Enders I didn't feel ripped off or hungry for another volume. I really felt oddly done.

It's always tough to satisfactorily end these epic fantasy trilogies. This one ends on a couple of unusual notes for the genre including one that I didn't see coming at all and didn't really like because it was so far outside the norm.

In the end, that's what I liked best about this series. All of the trappings of a Traditional Epic Fantasy are there but events unfold in a very non-fantasy way. Characters die, difficult decisions are made, and the consequences of those decisions a addressed head-on.

After a sluggish first 2/3 of the first volume the rest of this trilogy held an strong pace.

This is the last of a trilogy and I enjoyed it but not to the gushing degree I've found on Amazon. Nevertheless, the characters don't exactly take a fairy-tale story arc. Instead, their arcs seem more realistic. That was interesting to see. Also, there were a couple of characters you just knew were headed to the grave but their route to the hereafter seemed anti-climactic. I suppose my biggest gripe would be that none of the characters really merit rooting for – or actually, just don't overcome a certain flaw in their character. But without a doubt, the most interesting character was the crippled torturer Glokta. He's heinously twisted, ruthless, miserable, smart, and perhaps a softie at heart. And, for a fantasy epic, this trilogy curiously did NOT come with a map (but then again, it wasn't really necessary either).