5.22k reviews for:

Before They Are Hanged

Joe Abercrombie

4.3 AVERAGE

fairyfluffcake's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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

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Excellent follow up to the first book, the characters are as vivid as ever. Looking forward to finding out where it ends up in part three...

saam144's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

camila_avello's review against another edition

5.0

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Definitely better than book 1 - more plot focused with artfully written action scenes. The character development from book 1 paid dividends in book 2.

sydneyluvs2read777's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

cortel1's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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

gingirl7001's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I'm really liking this trilogy. Book 2 doesn't suffer from 'middle child syndrome' as much as other middle books that I've read in the past. I like the varied viewpoints and how the characters are developing. Superior Glokta is a torturer and continues to do horrible things, but I even like his introspective sarcastic humor. 

martenleget's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

morgonday's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fintrax's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This has been an unique series for me in how I've processed the books. It is more brutal and gritty than I really like to read but them Ambercrombie does a good job of using that darkness to ask powerful human questions of guilt, redemption, friendship, and leadership. I think I can think about those questions in less brutal ways tho. The finish also fell a bit flat and I didn't come away feeling the need to read the final of the trilogy really. 

98nanna's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated