Red Country

3.5

I'm of the opinion that Abercrombie probably can't write a bad book, but he can certainly write a book that doesn't vibe with me that much and that is Red Country. Literally nothing about this book is bad. Everything about it is well done- Abercrombie did not forget how to write compellingly. The characters are all interesting, the dialogue is great, the action scenes are great. But if I never have to read about a character trying to save a wagon ever again, I will be a happy lad.

One thing that did actively bother me a bit about this book is how it was trying to “have its cake, and eat it too” in regards to this being a standalone. I think this is a terrible “standalone” book. Most of the best parts require previous knowledge and I would go as far as to say that an entire character's arc and existence isn't given enough context unless you've read previous books. However, Abercrombie doesn't come out and say this character's name or most of the reasons why this character would be doing the things they're doing. The way this character's arc wraps up leaves a lot to be desired from what actually happens in this book. From a narrative standpoint this bothered me a lot; pick a lane here.

But the book was still enjoyable for most of it. There's a scene in this book that is one of my favorite scenes in First Law so far. Overall, I'm glad to have spent time with the characters in this book, but I'm also happy to move on into Age of Madness (after Sharp Ends).