Reviews

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

vamarama's review

5.0

This book has really gotten me so attached to all the characters, in ways i never expected. The fight scenes are vivid and I can actually understand and visualize what is going on. I was not expecting the ending and can't wait to read the next book!

bigals909's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

adamsw216's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

Before They Are Hanged picks up immediately after the events of the first book. This is definitely one of those cases where this is just one long book that has been split into a trilogy.

Superior Glokta is sent south to defend the city of Dagoska from the Gurkish. Colonel West finds himself side-by-side with the Threetrees and company trying to babysit Prince Ladisla's regiment while Bethod marches his sizable army across the land against the Union. Bayaz, Logen, Luthar, Ferro, and Longfoot continue their journey to the edge of the world.

This book is filled with plenty of edge-of-your-seat action and as well as a good amount of exposition that fills in the backstory of the world and what Bayaz aims to do. I can't say that there was really a ton of character "development" aside from Luthar, but we do get to know them a lot better.

I think the writing was a bit better in this one--a little more consistent, perhaps. While I still hold that this book is nothing groundbreaking, I found it very readable and entertaining. It's a fun book (though, it is a bit graphic, if that bothers y0u), and I'm glad Abercrombie toned down on all the talk of "piss."

 

ewreath's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

amermezan's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

nerdynettle's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gfoley's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

rickwren's review against another edition

5.0

You should go read my review of [b:The Blade Itself|944073|The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)|Joe Abercrombie|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1284167912s/944073.jpg|929009] to get my take on the great great great characters in these books.

Now that you've done that, do you want to hear about the war? Yeah, there's a war. And it's damned good.

See, in the first book there was a quest and that quest was kind of a failure. Now there's a war and I don't have a lot of faith that the good guys are going to win. In fact, the guys I like in this conflict aren't really good. In fact, they're kind of awful and isn't that great? It is, trust me.

Inquisitor Glokta uses everything at his disposal to keep his sieged city from being overrun and it's as masterful as any I've read. Meanwhile Logan kills his way to the heart of the war and is sickened by it.

It's so dark and ugly and gripping that I couldn't let go, I had to know everything and consumed the whole book in a single sitting.

moonstruckkingdom's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

user_3131695191912's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5