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Joe Abercrombie
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Book
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Publisher | Gollancz | ||
ISBN | 978-057508245 | ||
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Reviewer
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Steve
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Synopsis
Springtime in Styria. And that means war. There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king. War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die. Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.
Joe Abercrombie
Review
After the broad scope of the previous trilogy, this is set in the same world but only in one country and concentrates on fewer characters. Monza Mercatto, a too-successful woman general, is left for dead by her employer and sets out to be revenged on the 7 she holds responsible. You could read this as a stand-alone novel, but it was diverting to note the references to a few earlier characters and their cameo appearances here.
Monza isn't a very sympathetic character and her companions tend to only join her for the money on offer. Shivers seems to be the only one with any loyalty and his (initially) positive outlook brings a little light to this dark tale. Despite the setbacks, I did begin to suspect that she would succeed in defeating all 7, as a pattern started to emerge after a couple of eventual successes. It seemed ironic that as she questioned her motives and ends the story planning to make the best of new situation; Shivers changes from a hopeful optimist looking to turn over a new leaf into a desperate and brutal cynic.
I was left at the end of Last Argument of Kings hoping that Joe would enlarge on his hints of a greater conflict to come. It wasn't till the end of Best Served Cold that I was given some indication that there might be hope for more in the future.
In my review of the 1st part of the trilogy, I grumbled about the lack of a map. I may not have been alone as Joe has given us one this time - as the dust jacket. However, not to make it too easy for us, the map is stained with blood and half-hidden by a sword.
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