A review by amir_hamza
The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

adventurous dark emotional funny informative 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

4.25

A clear step up from Best Served Cold and comfortably my second favourite First Law Book after Last Argument of Kings, The Heroes was still something that left me somewhat disappointed. By all means, it's not a bad book, but my expectations from it were much, much higher. When I finished Day 2 I thought the quality of the book would just keep on climbing higher, but it seemed from that point the quality, like the pacing, it just jogged steadily towards the ending. This is a straightforward book, almost painfully so. (Vague spoilers) 
There's no mind-blowing plot twist, no jaw-dropping revelation or epic magical twist (this book has basically no magic or fantastical element at all).
There's just a deus ex machina in the very last part
Shivers killing Dow , after which literally everything goes to Calder's favour instantaneously
, which was the only decision in the book I hated, as it was far too convenient a thing to occur by First Law standards.
Yes, the character work is the best yet, by far. Yes, so is the thematic work. This is absolutely one of the most thoughtful reads I've had along with Dandelion Dynasty. But it just lacks that oomph that to me, regrettably makes it harder to rate above:
8.5/10.
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