Book Review - Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

"Before They Are Hanged" is the second volume in the First Law Series by promising young British writer Joe Abercrombie. The first novel, the wonderful "The Blade Itself" was a fantastic introduction to a series featuring brutal, hard-boiled characters, excessive profane language and copious amounts of violence. It was dark fantasy at its best--nasty and brutish.Well I am here to say that "Before They Are Hanged" is an even bigger, meaner and better story as things get kicked up here to another gear.Inquistor Glokta and the barbarian, Logen "The Bloody Nine" Ninefingers are anti-heroes for the ages. Abercrombie turns all of his characters, who are filled with violence, maliciousness and machinations, into guilty pleasures. You know you should feel shocked and offended at some of the things the characters say or do, but it is just too damn hard not to enjoy it. While it may be good to be the King, it is also good to be bad.As the novel begins, the Union finds itself at war on
its Northern front against Bethod and his massive horde of battle-tested barbarians. Impending war with the Gurkish also threatens the southern city of Dagoska.Inquistor Glokta has been dispatched to Dagoska to solve the mysterious disappearance of the previous Inquisitor of Dagoska. He finds he must overcome the corrupt and incompetent leadership of the city in order to achieve his objective, and defend the city from the impending Gurkish attack. Deadly backroom political intrigue ensues as forces within and without battle for their own agendas, causing Glokta to use his wits in order to keep control.Meanwhile operating under his own agenda, the wizard, Bayaz, has gathered a party of his own, the mindless and arrogant Union officer, Jezal dan Luthar, the mysterious hate-filled Ferro Maljinn, and Logen. They have set out to recover an apocalyptic artifact from the past which Bayaz covets, the Seed. This device supposedly contains a destructive force so powerful and otherworl
dly that it will be able to save the Union from the invasions of both the Gurkish and the North. But will Bayaz' group be able to recover the Seed and harness its power in time to save the Union?Like "The Blade Itself", Abercrombie's writing here is hard-edged and relentless. Like a nail-chewing, steroid-popping beast of a fantasy novel, the story's pace flies at breakneck speeds, flexing its considerable muscles during well-conceived battle sequences. The action pounds, the dialogue cracks, and the humor oozes through, combining into one of the most enjoyable reading experiences of the year. I find that I cannot wait for the conclusion.Last Word:Better than the first novel, "Before They Are Hanged" is a fast-paced, gritty bit of brutality and fantasy that grabs you and doesn't let go. Dark, well-conceived and enjoyable, this is one not to be missed.

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