Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

14 reviews

marthadude's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a great second entry in this trilogy. It builds on the foundations of the first novel and leaves a lot of interesting loose ends for the next book to hopefully wrap up. Abercrombie’s character work is fantastic. I do have a gripe with the way the female characters are written. Only one of them feels fleshed out and the rest seem more like objects for the male characters to gain more characterization. I wish they just had more to do. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Vomit, and War

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Minor: Fatphobia and Suicidal thoughts

There is a scene where a female character is about to be raped but is saved. There are also consensual sex scenes. They aren’t too graphic but they get the point across. Lots of mentions of death, war, and torture.

coulro's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Animal death, Sexual content, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Classism, Cursing, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and War

jaskovivich's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

In this second installment of the First Law, Superior Glokta tries to defend a city while surrounded by enemies and traitors, the Union makes war on the North, and Bayaz and his band of unlikely allies continue his search for an ancient weapon to save mankind from The Eaters. 

This is Another amazing installment in the first law it throws us right into the thick of things at the beginning, with war starting in the north, a conspiracy in the south, and a journey to the edge of the world. this book balances intrigue and warfare perfectly with all the character development that seems to be Joe Abercrombie’s trademark. all the plots are finally coming together and interweaving into a blanket of “Holy Fuck” continuing with the brutality displayed in The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie Gives us another easy Must-Read for fans of Grimdark Fantasy with Before They Are Hanged. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Mental illness, Grief, Body horror, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: Cannibalism

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use

taglharp's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4 bloody stars, and no mistake.

From a structural point of view, middle books in trilogies are always hard to judge for me. Not much experience analyzing them as I do with beginnings. The better they are in the elements I favor, the harder I know how to review them. This one is no different.

But. Say one thing for Abercrombie, say that he does not let you down when it comes to characters. Bastards they might be, bastard roles they might play, and yet no matter how vile... they fucking grow on you. If you were ever attached to any characters you met in the first book, well. I have both good and bad news for you in this one.

(And though I do have some qualms about certain choices in the narrative, they're few compared to the good.)

NGEL, don't think I'll be able to keep myself from jumping on the Last Argument of Kings ASAP.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Sexual content, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault