RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Both books are excellent and I’m looking forward to the third in the series, covering the 90s (although it probably won’t have the larger-than-life characters that the first two had).
Books & Reading Thread 2025
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
2025 Books
Joe Abercrombie is my favourite author. In the last 20 years, he’s written 14 books, most of them doorstop size, all set in fantasy worlds, but the setting for his latest is an alternative medieval Europe. Now, I like my fantasy with magic thin on the ground, focussing more on believable characters and Joe’s books deliver exactly that. So, it was with a slight sense of trepidation that I approached The Devils, because there is a fair number of special powers on show here.
But I need not have worried, because as usual, Joe Abercombie pulls off this slight change of direction with aplomb, demonstrating once again that there is no better fiction writer than him – and I mean all of fiction with this statement, not just the fantasy genre.
The story concerns the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, a religious group based in Rome, and their attempt to put a young girl thief on the throne of Troy. In Abercombie’s version of Europe, the pope, her cardinals and the saviour are all female, the wheel replaces the cross as a religious icon, and there are other differences that become apparent as the story progresses. The hapless Brother Diaz is called to the Celestial Palace (presumably this world’s Vatican) for what he thinks is promotion to a cushy job within the palace. Instead, he is tasked with delivering the would-be princess to Troy, with security provided by a dangerous group that includes a pirate, an elf, a vampire, a werewolf, an immortal warrior, and a necromancer. The introduction to this motley crew is terrific and then most of the story concerns the journey to Troy via Venice and the Balkans, hounded every step of the way by a group who have their own ideas about who should sit on the throne.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that Jo Abercrombie’s trump card is his characters, and once again they bleed off the page with equal parts relatability and black humour. It’s incredible that with so many main characters here that they are all unique. They are not just cardboard cut-out fantasy characters, and his latest set are as good as any he has created. I won’t go into them all, but I’ll just mention a few. Brother Diaz, the hapless monk who’s clearly out of his depth as leader is a fun read. Vigga the werewolf makes a terrific, ultra-violent first appearance but then you feel that you get to know her as the story progresses. Jakob of Thorn is the closest thing to a standard Abercrombie character. A world-weary warrior who is cursed never to die, we get to feel plenty of the misery he suffers from leg and back and other pains as the journey progresses.
Best of all for me is Baron Rikard, the suave vampire. Whilst we do eventually get to see him in full-on neck-ripping mode, for most of the story this is kept off the page. Instead, his special skill seems to be the ability to talk large groups of people into a hypnotic trance, providing ample opportunities for his comrades to exploit. His regular refrain of the story about the dumplings from Poland provides much humour and is brilliantly written.
It should be noted that A-list director James Cameron has already snapped up the rights to this book and thankfully, Joe Abercrombie will co-write the script with Cameron. This should ensure that the trademark humour and characterisation remain in place, and with plenty of monsters, brilliant locations and set pieces, this will be a spectacle to behold. My dearest hope is that if this adaptation makes it to screen, and is a success, this will lead to more film versions of Abercrombie’s superb work.
As it is, The Devils is a fine work that will absorb any reader who loves good characters. The good news is that Joe is already putting the finishing touches to the first draft of the sequel. I always say that if you haven’t read his books before, you are best starting with The Blade Itself and working forward. As this is a standalone book, or at least the first in a series, the curious can dive right in here and see what all the fuss is about.
Now, about those dumplings …..
- A Lesson in Violence – Jordan Harper - 7/10
- The Silverblood Promise – James Logan 9/10
- Exiles – Jane Harper 9/10
- Palace of Shadows – Ray Celestine 6/10
- The Wager – David Grann 8/10
- Grimdark Magazine Issue #40 – 6/10
- Grimdark Magazine Issue #41 – 6/10
- The Trials of Empire – Richard Swan – 7/10
- George Harrison - Philip Norman – 8/10
- Go to War: Football on the Brink in the 80s – Jon Spurling – 8/10
- Chasing the Light - Oliver Stone – 8/10
- The Narrows – Ronald Malfi – 7/10
- The Siege – BenMacintyre – 9/10
- The Devils – Joe Abercrombie – 9/10
Joe Abercrombie is my favourite author. In the last 20 years, he’s written 14 books, most of them doorstop size, all set in fantasy worlds, but the setting for his latest is an alternative medieval Europe. Now, I like my fantasy with magic thin on the ground, focussing more on believable characters and Joe’s books deliver exactly that. So, it was with a slight sense of trepidation that I approached The Devils, because there is a fair number of special powers on show here.
But I need not have worried, because as usual, Joe Abercombie pulls off this slight change of direction with aplomb, demonstrating once again that there is no better fiction writer than him – and I mean all of fiction with this statement, not just the fantasy genre.
The story concerns the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, a religious group based in Rome, and their attempt to put a young girl thief on the throne of Troy. In Abercombie’s version of Europe, the pope, her cardinals and the saviour are all female, the wheel replaces the cross as a religious icon, and there are other differences that become apparent as the story progresses. The hapless Brother Diaz is called to the Celestial Palace (presumably this world’s Vatican) for what he thinks is promotion to a cushy job within the palace. Instead, he is tasked with delivering the would-be princess to Troy, with security provided by a dangerous group that includes a pirate, an elf, a vampire, a werewolf, an immortal warrior, and a necromancer. The introduction to this motley crew is terrific and then most of the story concerns the journey to Troy via Venice and the Balkans, hounded every step of the way by a group who have their own ideas about who should sit on the throne.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that Jo Abercrombie’s trump card is his characters, and once again they bleed off the page with equal parts relatability and black humour. It’s incredible that with so many main characters here that they are all unique. They are not just cardboard cut-out fantasy characters, and his latest set are as good as any he has created. I won’t go into them all, but I’ll just mention a few. Brother Diaz, the hapless monk who’s clearly out of his depth as leader is a fun read. Vigga the werewolf makes a terrific, ultra-violent first appearance but then you feel that you get to know her as the story progresses. Jakob of Thorn is the closest thing to a standard Abercrombie character. A world-weary warrior who is cursed never to die, we get to feel plenty of the misery he suffers from leg and back and other pains as the journey progresses.
Best of all for me is Baron Rikard, the suave vampire. Whilst we do eventually get to see him in full-on neck-ripping mode, for most of the story this is kept off the page. Instead, his special skill seems to be the ability to talk large groups of people into a hypnotic trance, providing ample opportunities for his comrades to exploit. His regular refrain of the story about the dumplings from Poland provides much humour and is brilliantly written.
It should be noted that A-list director James Cameron has already snapped up the rights to this book and thankfully, Joe Abercrombie will co-write the script with Cameron. This should ensure that the trademark humour and characterisation remain in place, and with plenty of monsters, brilliant locations and set pieces, this will be a spectacle to behold. My dearest hope is that if this adaptation makes it to screen, and is a success, this will lead to more film versions of Abercrombie’s superb work.
As it is, The Devils is a fine work that will absorb any reader who loves good characters. The good news is that Joe is already putting the finishing touches to the first draft of the sequel. I always say that if you haven’t read his books before, you are best starting with The Blade Itself and working forward. As this is a standalone book, or at least the first in a series, the curious can dive right in here and see what all the fuss is about.
Now, about those dumplings …..
richardtheref
Well-Known Member
I saw this book for sale in a charity shop last week. It was for sale at £19.99. Its cover was a bit tatty so I had a word with the manager. I advised him that 100 yards up the road at Waterstones it was currently on sale for £12.50 as it had 50% off and would be in pristine condition. He said he could knock £1 off!!!!
richardtheref
Well-Known Member
27. Midwinter Sacrifice - Mons Kallentoft.
4/5. Typical Nordic Crime. This is the 1st in the Malin Fors series. Good start. I am a bit biased as I love this genre
4/5. Typical Nordic Crime. This is the 1st in the Malin Fors series. Good start. I am a bit biased as I love this genre
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Interesting. That's the first book in a trilogy that's a long way into The First Law series. Arguably it's a standalone trilogy but as it features characters and lore from earlier books you'll be missing out on a lot by not reading from the start.
I'd recommend you get stuck into The Blade Itself ASAP. Like Paladin, I predict you'll be thanking me later :)
I think it was recommended on a website i was reading about the best fantasy books it recommended that trilogy and i presumed it was standalone. I'll take your advice though as jumping into a world mid way through a full set, you can lose a lot of what's important and how certain things have got to that point.
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Good to hear. I'm going to post a little story, which a few on here might be bored with, but stick with it.
I always say that my two all-time favourite books are: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. But by far my favourite author is Joe Abercrombie, all of his books are the literary equivalent of solid gold.
Back at the end of 2006, I finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora, and thought where the hell do I go next? Anything I read after this is just going to feel like a massive disappointment. I had already bought The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, based on a few promising reviews on fantasy sites, so I picked it up and started reading it. To say that I was impressed was an understatement - I'd never read characters as good as Logen and Glotka, and even the supporting cast were brilliant. Of course, when I finished it, once again, I was thinking where the hell do I go next? But fortunately, Joe knocks out these books at a hell of a pace - 14 in 20 years. So I was sorted for the next few years at least.
"A Little Hatred" is a brilliant book by the way. Joe admits that he sped up evolution in his world for narrative purposes. So that trilogy focuses on an Industrial Revolution-type of age, only 30 years after the medieval setting of the First law trilogy. So it definitely makes sense to start at the beginning.
And after the first trilogy, you've got some standalones to look forward to, including the incredible Best Served Cold, again new characters, but featuring some minor characters from the original trilogy.
Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself - come back and let us know what you think when you've read your first Abercrombie book.
1. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens. 7/10.
2. Munich - Robert Harris - 5/10.
3. Conclave - Robert Harris - 8/10.
4. Deep Cover - Shay Doyle - 9/10.
5. Winter in Madrid - C J Sansom - 4/10.
6. Red Notice - Andy McNab - 5/10.
7. The Bayeux Embroidery - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
8. The Heretics of De'Ath - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
9. Unbreakable - Melvyn Downes - 6/10.
10. Precipice - Robert Harris - 8/10.
11. The Surgeon of Crowthorne - Simon Winchester - 8/10.
12. SAS: My Trial By Fire - Des Powell - 7/10.
13. The Pianist - Wladyslaw Szpilman - 10/10.
14. The Siege - Ben Macintyre - 9/10.
15. The Traitors Circle - Jonathan Freedland - 8/10.
This is currently on prominent display in Waterstones and other bookshops. It's a well researched true story of a group of German dissidents and how they risked their lives to help Jews during the second world war. Many Jews were hidden from the Nazis, some also surviving the war.
This particular group were friends from Berlin, among them a vet, a relatively high ranking Abwehr official, a headmistress, a Countess. Each member of the group acts independently of the others, but they meet occasionally as friends to discuss the war, and their political views. The group is infiltrated by the Gestapo and the group is betrayed.
Almost immediately, they are made aware of the betrayal, and one by one the friends are arrested, incarcerated, and interrogated by the Nazis. As the war rumbles on they are tried and convicted, most of them given death sentences for treason.
As we enter the final months of the war, with the Red Army on the verge of entering Berlin, can some of the friends escape with their lives?
We learn the fates of the group, and also the fates of some of their persecutors after the conclusion of the war.
A well researched book, giving sobering insight into life in Berlin during its most troubled period.
2. Munich - Robert Harris - 5/10.
3. Conclave - Robert Harris - 8/10.
4. Deep Cover - Shay Doyle - 9/10.
5. Winter in Madrid - C J Sansom - 4/10.
6. Red Notice - Andy McNab - 5/10.
7. The Bayeux Embroidery - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
8. The Heretics of De'Ath - Howard of Warwick - 7/10.
9. Unbreakable - Melvyn Downes - 6/10.
10. Precipice - Robert Harris - 8/10.
11. The Surgeon of Crowthorne - Simon Winchester - 8/10.
12. SAS: My Trial By Fire - Des Powell - 7/10.
13. The Pianist - Wladyslaw Szpilman - 10/10.
14. The Siege - Ben Macintyre - 9/10.
15. The Traitors Circle - Jonathan Freedland - 8/10.
This is currently on prominent display in Waterstones and other bookshops. It's a well researched true story of a group of German dissidents and how they risked their lives to help Jews during the second world war. Many Jews were hidden from the Nazis, some also surviving the war.
This particular group were friends from Berlin, among them a vet, a relatively high ranking Abwehr official, a headmistress, a Countess. Each member of the group acts independently of the others, but they meet occasionally as friends to discuss the war, and their political views. The group is infiltrated by the Gestapo and the group is betrayed.
Almost immediately, they are made aware of the betrayal, and one by one the friends are arrested, incarcerated, and interrogated by the Nazis. As the war rumbles on they are tried and convicted, most of them given death sentences for treason.
As we enter the final months of the war, with the Red Army on the verge of entering Berlin, can some of the friends escape with their lives?
We learn the fates of the group, and also the fates of some of their persecutors after the conclusion of the war.
A well researched book, giving sobering insight into life in Berlin during its most troubled period.
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Fat Chance
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Weapons of Mass Migration: Forced Displacement, Coercion, and Foreign Policy (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs): Amazon.co.uk: Greenhill, Kelly M.: 9781501704369: Books
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