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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Little Hatred is the first book in The Age of Madness series, written by Joe Abercrombie. Four characters' journies loosely organize the book - Leo "The Lion" dan Brock, Crown Prince Orso, Savine dan Glokta, Rikke, and Gunnar Broad.
A Little Hatred is a steampunk-themed Game of Thrones world of Adua. In the capital, Prince Orso and Savine navigate the politics of a teetering country weakened by wars, internal rivalries, and now a Great Change led by Breakers and Burners that hopes to turn society upside down. Gunnar is a former soldier who joins the"Breakers," the anti-manufacturing faction of the rebellion. Leo and Rikke help defend the North territory against a dangerous Northmen clan.
All characters become entangled together as they all are involved in the fight for power over the city.
Reading the first third of A Little Hatred was difficult due to comprehension and tedium. Abercrombie did provide readers with an onramp to The Age of Madness. Jumping POVs from five main characters and several minor characters alongside complex geo and socio-politics was too much to juggle. Perhaps if you read the earlier series, some of the cannon would make sense and allow the reader to focus on the characters - but then why would you call this book #1?
Despite the slow adoption, I was much more entertained and read longer once the plot picked up with an epic battle and duel. I especially enjoyed the payoff of intertwining all the characters together and am curious to see where their journies take them. Abercrombie did an excellent job of building enough of a foundation to justify interest in subsequent books. For example, despite being described as a story with magic, there was none whatsoever in A Little Hatred. Some other unanswered questions - Will Savine become a villain? What is in store for Gunnar? What does the Great Wolf's coup mean for his partnership with Leo? Is Leo bi-sexual? Are we supposed to root/like Orso? How powerful is Rikke?
Now that I review some of these questions and gauge my interest, I leave a more positive outlook on A Little Hatred.
A Little Hatred is a steampunk-themed Game of Thrones world of Adua. In the capital, Prince Orso and Savine navigate the politics of a teetering country weakened by wars, internal rivalries, and now a Great Change led by Breakers and Burners that hopes to turn society upside down. Gunnar is a former soldier who joins the"Breakers," the anti-manufacturing faction of the rebellion. Leo and Rikke help defend the North territory against a dangerous Northmen clan.
All characters become entangled together as they all are involved in the fight for power over the city.
Reading the first third of A Little Hatred was difficult due to comprehension and tedium. Abercrombie did provide readers with an onramp to The Age of Madness. Jumping POVs from five main characters and several minor characters alongside complex geo and socio-politics was too much to juggle. Perhaps if you read the earlier series, some of the cannon would make sense and allow the reader to focus on the characters - but then why would you call this book #1?
Despite the slow adoption, I was much more entertained and read longer once the plot picked up with an epic battle and duel. I especially enjoyed the payoff of intertwining all the characters together and am curious to see where their journies take them. Abercrombie did an excellent job of building enough of a foundation to justify interest in subsequent books. For example, despite being described as a story with magic, there was none whatsoever in A Little Hatred. Some other unanswered questions - Will Savine become a villain? What is in store for Gunnar? What does the Great Wolf's coup mean for his partnership with Leo? Is Leo bi-sexual? Are we supposed to root/like Orso? How powerful is Rikke?
Now that I review some of these questions and gauge my interest, I leave a more positive outlook on A Little Hatred.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For me personally, this series is better than Abercrombies first trilogy. This book hooked me right in in a way The Blade Itself did not. The characters seem more fleshed out, growing in different ways with nuance. 10 out of 10 for me.
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes