5 replies to this topic

[MaxTheSilent]

The writer of the award-winning 'The First Law' trilogy has been trickling out details of his next meaty fantasy-noir epic, due out near the end of the year. And it seems pretty certain that we'll see the return of Logen Ninefingers, the fearsome Northman also known as 'The Bloody-Nine'. Fans are pretty ecstatic about this after Logen's sudden and unresolved fate in THE LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS.

Here's the synopsis Abercrombie himself wrote and posted on his website:

Shy South comes home to her farm to find a blackened shell, her brother and sister stolen, and knows she’ll have to go back to her bad old ways if she’s ever to see them again. She sets off in pursuit with only her cowardly old stepfather Lamb for company. But it turns out he’s hiding a bloody past of his own. None bloodier.

Their journey will take them across the lawless plains, to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feuds, duels, and massacres, high into unmapped mountains to a reckoning with ancient enemies, and force them into alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, a man no one should ever have to trust . . . .

'None bloodier', huh?

Also just released was this artwork for the US version, simply titled RED COUNTRY. Count the fingers.



I'm over the moon at the prospect of more adventures of Ninefingers. It sounds like he's gone through a profound change in character since his last appearance, and Abercrombie has been reading lots of western fiction as inspiration. So it sounds like a dark fantasy mash-up of THE SEARCHERS and UNFORGIVEN with one of the most bad-ass characters in the genre being brought back into the fray.

The only other thing this book needs is a cameo from BEST SERVED COLD's Monza Murcatto and my life will be complete.

So who else here is an Abercrombie fan?

Edited by MaxTheSilent, 16 April 2012 - 06:04 AM.

[Libaax]

I have only read first book of First Law but it was very promising in good hardcore epic fantasy way. It has good characters,nice grim action. I look forward to getting back book 2,3 from my brother. Im potentially new fan. Bloodfingers seemed at first like generic Barbarian you expect in many fantasy these days but i havent seen much more of him yet.


JB is coming here to my town in Sweden in October for SFF convention. I was thrilled to see a fantasy author i liked is coming here.

This books sounds promising though i will stay away until i finished the other series. Hehe the cover looks like they are trying to look like Kurosawa film.

[MaxTheSilent]

'The First Law' trilogy is awesome; but it's extremely long and it started the trend of certain people being unsatisfied with Abercrombie's nihilistic conclusions.

And although it's impressive to get a nice quote from the Wall Street Journal, the actual content of that quote makes absolutely no sense in regards to the book itself. There's nothing remotely LORD OF THE RINGS about anything Joe Abercrombie writes. Although his commitment to incisive character psychology does invoke Kurosawa at his best.

Edited by MaxTheSilent, 16 April 2012 - 02:41 PM.

[Libaax]

'The First Law' trilogy is awesome; but it's extremely long and it started the trend of certain people being unsatisfied with Abercrombie's nihilistic conclusions.

And although it's impressive to get a nice quote from the Wall Street Journal, the actual content of that quote makes absolutely no sense in regards to the book itself. There's nothing remotely LORD OF THE RINGS about anything Joe Abercrombie writes. Although his commitment to incisive character psychology does invoke Kurosawa at his best.

extremly long ? I like Sanderson and Abercrombie type authors because they are big epic fantasy books but their series end after 3 books and they are written like heroic/S&S subgenre. The slow parts of the first was carried by the hardcore,interesting characters. Sure he is grim,gritty like most modern fantasy authors in those subgenres but he had Glokta and co carriying the book for me.

The fact he isnt Lord of the Ring type fantasy is why i will keep reading him. I dont like that kind of fantasy. I dont read GRRM,Erikson type.

[MaxTheSilent]

I tallied the 'First Law' series at around 1800 pages. That's a ****-tonne of story. I loved all of it, but I think he could definitely tighten his books.

Even BEST SERVED COLD and THE HEROES topped out at around 600 pages each. I'd love to see him take on Elmore Leonard's rule of a maximum of 300 pages and deliver an incredibly tight, brilliant piece of work.

[Strom]

Finished Red Country a week or so ago - did not realize we had a topic on it. This was my first Abercrombie book and I like his style of writing. The characters are very fleshed out - good or bad - and oftentimes it is not clear just who is what. I liked the "quest" storyline with the edge of a sword & sorcery/western feel. The action is good if not plentiful but even the non-action is interesting and kept my interest. Shy is the main character but she isn't your typical tough girl in that she is very realistic, not over the top. Her step father is the real draw - an Unforgiven type character that is very interesting. The ending of the book is

Spoiler

very western - not fantasy, which kinda left me wanting a bit. But not a deal breaker.

I give it a thumbs up!