A review by mario_g
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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

4.25

Revisitng this world after the first trilogy was "nice".
Some characters we already knew, some were new but the roster was great.
I find myself "cheering" mostly for the northmen in this world although they are not better people than the others. I don't know what makes them somewhat more likeable to me. Anyway.
I had a great time with this one too.
If you are here, you have liked both the cruelty and the humour throughout "Lord Grrimdark"'s pages.
So enjoy the ride!
In case of spoilers the rest shall be hidden.
As previously stated, I liked Shivers pov. I liked how his journey/character arc starts, shifts, and ends in this story. And having both perspectives, with Monza, on their relationship, was a nice touch.
Cosca and Morveer. I didn't warm up to them until their comments and thoughts became the most entertaining thing for me. "Merciful slumber ha indeed released me from her soft bosom......"etc, the locked in a latrine scene, "Harsh Mistress /fortune never missed an opportunity to demean him."
"You one-eyed cocksucker!" Not clever perhaps, but from the heart.
Or the horse shitting while Rogont has his "moment" in the fight....
These insights are always awsome.

Only thing that tired me at some point is that it felt repetitive. On the bigger scale, meaning we go to a new town, new recruit, kill. next town, new recruit, kill. again and again, seven times.
(also Ganmark's death felt anticlimactic to me, but i guess at least one in so many had to rely on luck or be less interesting than others.)
But everyone was creative and "fun"-for a lack of a better word- to read.

Can't wait to delve into the next one!

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