A review by onthesamepage
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

In a pretty big departure from the rest of the First Law books, Abercrombie brings us a light fantasy Western. I think that's part of what didn't work me, since I don't tend to enjoy that genre for the most part. The pacing felt extremely slow, and not much happens until the last 25% of the book. I really liked the last part, but not enough to bring the rating up any further.

I enjoyed the POVs we got. Shy and Temple and their interactions were a highlight, and of course I can't forget about Lamb. There are sadly no chapters from his perspective, though. I'm curious to see how the Near/Far Country will fit in with the rest of the world, and what plans Abercrombie has for it.
The dragon, specifically, really intrigued me, and I do hope we get to hear more about that at some point.
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