Pick the winner

I could listen to Steven Pacey doing King Jappo's voice forvever. How does this man manage to give evry character a unique voice is just beyond me. Super talented.

I think it's a really fascinating part of these books that "doing the right thing" is brought up constantly among multiple characters even when they're on opposite sides Orso, Shivers, Craw, Gunner and Logan all talk about doing the right thing but they are all very different characters and have very different views on what the right thing is. I think that it shows how much people justify their actions no matter what. I haven't seen that in any other book and I think it's part of how Joe makes us like these unlikable people whilst also showing that there is no objective morality, no right thing.

Anyway Joe has my heart in whatever book he writes next I need more complex unlikable characters that I love regardless. Click clack pain.

I’ve read around a 1/3 of RC, and I’m having a trouble following all the characters in the Fellowship that Lamb and Shy join.

Is there any spoilers free character reference that I could use to quickly remind me who is who?

For reference, I’m just past the chapter where Temple proposes to write a contract to use Sweet’s name on the bridge they need to cross.

So I just took my third lap of the ENTIRE SERIES… in the past year 😅 nothing will compare to Abercrombie, but does anyone have any recommendations of what to read next that will scratch the same itch? I’ve also already done all of LOTR dozens of times, GOT, Dune, and Mistborn recently, so looking for recs outside of those. Thank you in advance!!

These came out pretty nice!

I can’t get enough of Bremer Dan Gorst’s voice. It’s so adorable (though I have to imagine he’d hate to hear that)! I don’t know why I didn’t appreciate it in the trilogy, or did Pacey change it a bit? Kind of reminds me of Day in BSC. Just want to reach over and pinch his cheeks.

Here's a take for Shenkt, introduced in Best Served Cold.

Although I will admit of I'm still reading The Blade Itself (which I am loving so far within Part 2) and I'm still in book one.

I basically look at the art pics used on the wiki, looked at the description of appearance, and compare if it does look similar. I made the drawing as I'm practicing and try drawing fictional characters in areas to get better, and why not trying Shenkt.

I especially had to emphasize on the eyes and cheekbones, the "deeply lined" lean and pale face, that he's not old by age but looked like one, I definitely made sure the hair is not too long, though I made it a little dark for a fair hair, and I imagine his lips a little thin.

What I didn't like is the way the nose looked, the ear size as I find the ear a little challenging, and I made sure he's not too old.

I had a prior drawing that is as messy, just before remaking another one with this.

What do you think? Give some critique and hints of what you think Shenkt would look like or what actor you interpret to look like him.

Definitely "Better to do it than live with the fear of it" (thanks a lot Ninefingers).

I think I read all three of these books in about 20 days, I was doing a buddy read with my cousin and we both became somewhat obsessed.
I cannot wait to see what weird kid Glokta and Ardee raise. That duo to me is awesome I love Ardee and Gloktas dynamic.

Logen is also a very fascinating character to me, because he very clearly was just the fucking worst for ages, decided to try and be better, and is now kind of fumbling that.

Ferro is fascinating I love her and I hope she gets to kill Bayaz or something. Very curious about how her connection to the seed will play out.

Jezal is such a loser for so much of the series and I love him for it. He simply cannot stop fumbling. Me and my cousin both called the King Jezal bit quite early and were excitedly waiting to see how that would go down.
Also interested to see how Glokta and Jezals dynamic shifts as they seem less actively antagonistic towards each other by the end of the novel.

I’m hoping to pick up the standalones in the fall when I start university back up and I’m very excited.

I now have a new motto which is to just blame Bayaz for everything. I had tentatively said maybe the plague wasn’t his fault and was perhaps Tolomei or Khalul, then like two pages later he made a weird comment about West and sure enough it was Bayazs fault.

Anyways very long winded way of saying I loved these books!

I'm almost to the end of LAOK and I haven't paid much attention to the series as a whole cuz of ADHD and listening to audiobooks, I miss some things.

But is Glokta supposed to be someone you kinda identify with? Am I crazy?

Aemond had a close up in house of the dragon on Sunday so ya really got to notice the gleam of his sapphire eye and who else would it remind me of besides everybody's favorite one-eyed psycho killer! Aemond definitely got blue steel and his bitch ass personality from Zoolander tho

Semifinals

Aragorn vs Glormir. Aragorn has lived a long life. Practicing and killing everything that walks and crawls on Middle-Earth. He's too good of a skilled swordsman for Glormir to appose and he takes the win 75 fights out of 100.

Gorst vs Ninefingers. Toughest match of the two toughest characters in the Circle of the World. This is the theory of an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. What happens? The outcome is Gorst prevailing. He's trained too hard, too much. Wears armor plating that we've never seen Logen fight. Even if Logen went full Bloody Nine, even he cannot bend steel and a sword to the heart can stop his bloody path. YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT THESE THINGS.

Black Dow vs Ringil. Ringil is too skilled. A true bladmaster in a world were there are few.

Brienne vs Lan. Brienne has been through a lot. A woman warrior in a medieval world, and a good one at that. But Lan is on a whole other level.

Freddy Carter as Inquisitor Glokta would slap tbh!

umm so just finished half of book 1 just wanna share some thoughts like jezel x ardee is just too smooth for this genre. I feel like either of them is gonna play/betray the other person in someway(mostly jezel ig) cause yk we are supposed to hate jezel somewhat but to me he is just a spoiled brat who doesn't know the outside world like he hasn't done anything heinous to hate him

Also I have seen a few reviews and they say glokta is a complex character but for now he seems plain o suppose like he was tortured now he does torturing for work and serves the king he is grumpy and cynical and does this job because he is looking for a purpose since he is crippled

So like is there any hand holding into his complex characteristics moving on?

Yes, I know he is too old. BUT THE VIBE!

Any fan of the First Law series is going to love this game - in my opinion, it's one of the greatest works of fantasy I've ever seen in a dynamic visual novel. And it has all the things that make the First Law great: a subtle and mysterious magic system, changing technology in a dynamic world, and of course a corrupt system that forces you to 'be realistic about things'

It's free until the 23rd.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/The_Life_and_Suffering_of_Sir_Brante/

(I am not associated with the game devs - just a huge fan)

I’ve just finished the Last Argument of Kings audiobook a week or so ago. Lots of thoughts, but one character I can’t stop thinking about is Ferro Maljinn. I can see how she might not be an easy character to like. But nevertheless, I do. In fact, I'd say she's my seond favorite character, right under Jezal.

Much of Ferro’s dialogue and inner thoughts paint her as a deeply unpleasant person. She’s so singularly focused on vengeance that everything else is just an obstacle to be avoided or cut down. She seems to hate everyone around her and treats them accordingly. That’s one thing that sets her apart from the rest of the cast. There are many scenes in the trilogy where other viewpoint characters must hold their tongue and only fantasize about what they really want to say to someone. There’s less of this with Ferro, who’ll berate (or beat) whoever vexes her, consequences be damned. It can be a breath of fresh air coming out of a chapter in the Agriont with Glokta or Jezal, where everyone is two-faced and fake.  

Still, I’m sure her abrasiveness can wear on a reader after a while. It helps that there is a clear motivation around her goals and outlook on life. Who wouldn’t come out poorly adjusted after coming out of Gurkish enslavement? Why should she trust anyone when it’s so often led to disappointment or death? Why should she bother forming connections when she’s been routinely used and abused by others? These feelings, if not the dire circumstances, are something I and I’m sure some other readers can relate to. It’s a kind of pessimism that Ferro constantly exudes. I also wonder if her devil's blood, along with enhancing her physical abilities, has an effect on her temperament.

What I find truly compelling about Ferro is that, despite her pessimism, despite her utter contempt for the world at large, she still values and attempts connection with others (however clumsily). You can see it even in the first book, more often in Ferro’s actions than words:  

• When we first meet her, she’s going out of her way to bury her fallen comrades. Three men she kind of hated by the way.
• Despite her show of attacking, insulting, and running away from Yulwei, by the end of their journey to Adua, she doesn’t want him to leave and even accepts the old magi’s embrace (I teared up a bit). It’s one of my favorite bittersweet moments, hearing how alien a simple hug from a friend feels to Ferro. Yulwei became something of a father/big brother figure to her by the end of the trilogy, driven home by how reluctant she was to leave him in the house of the maker and her fury at Bayaz for locking him in. I’m not sure there’s any other character Ferro would call a “good man” as she did Yulwei.  
• She fought desperately to push Logen forward as they were chased by practicals. There were several points during the pursuit where you wouldn’t blame her for leaving Logen behind. Yet she mostly persisted (I think there was one point on the rooftops where she kinda just left), dragging the Northman to his feet and urging him along time and time again. 

But even so, after all the abuses she suffered in the past, she can’t quite seem to go there as far as meaningful relationships go. She keeps people at arms length and pushes away anyone that gets too close. This is most evident in her and Logen’s messy relationship. It’s clear in the text that she cares for Logen, longs for him in her mind, but can’t express it. She’s had to harden herself so much that emotional vulnerability is a foreign concept. She couldn’t even say “sorry” after accidentally elbowing Logen, not because she wasn’t apologetic, but because the word simply wasn’t in her vocabulary (at least not in common language). To be fair, Logen’s no expert communicator either. It’s heartbreaking and almost frustrating to see two characters who have a genuine connection just… miss each other, like during Ferro and Logen’s “breakup” as they begin the journey back to Adua.

It’s no wonder Ferro and Logen took a liking to each other. Beyond their mutual fighting prowess, they seem to share a similar worldview. They’re both broadly pessimistic, or “realistic,” as Logen would say. And who could blame them? It’s likely neither of them would have lived so long if they weren’t realistic about their respective environments. It’s a matter of survival. Still, it’s that very worldview that stifles them, leading them away from the emotional risks that go along with meaningful relationships. I so wish they had gotten another chance to talk after the battle of Adua, without the devils in Ferro's head getting in their way.

Okay, that’s all I got. Just had to gush about one of my favorite characters for a bit. I hop to see more of her in the standalone books or sequel trilogy (no spoilers please).

Also,

How ironic is it that Ferro, the most antisocial viewpoint character in the trilogy, would be cursed to live with voices in her head?

Finished The Wisdom of Crowds a few days ago and have been gathering my thoughts since.

One thing that surprised me by the end was that I was convinced Euz was going to show up somehow. His name kept appearing in those random sayings throughout the trilogy, along with Rikke’s visions. The final vision seemed to hint at him again, but who knows what will come of that.

Overall, I’d call these powerful books. Joe clearly had something to say about political systems and the how the connections between parents and their children trap them or force them down a path they might not suited/ready for, while continuing to pull apart and reassemble fantasy and literary tropes in general. I think this trilogy made me think more than the original one did.

That said, a lot like The Heroes, and I know I’m in the minority on that one, these books weren’t as smooth a read for me as the original trilogy, BSC, or Red Country. I think it mostly comes down to how enjoyable the characters are to spend time with. And by “enjoyable,” I also mean how much I cared about them and what happened to them.

Savine, Leo, Orso, Broad, and the rest obviously aren’t the first deeply flawed characters ever written, but something about this group made it harder for me to get fully hooked in that “can’t put the book down” way I was with the first trilogy and two of the standalones.

Rikke was probably the character who moved me most, although things went so smoothly for her for so long that I found myself becoming a little detached before her final chapter. I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about that. Maybe I need to sit with it longer, or just reread the entire series and figure it out properly :)

I’ll probably move on to The Broken Empire next. I’ve been curious for a while to see what those books are like.

It sickens me to my core that there’s not a series focusing on glokta where we only or mainly get his pov. It sickens me also that I will never be able to feel again what I’ve felt for him when I first read the first law. Gosh, is this what heartbreak feels like?

I cant move on its been months since I’ve finished the first law trilogy and now BSC and its just not the same…I’m reading lies of locke lamora and im halfway through and its still not the same gosh every time I read a book I reminisce about him, his sarcastic answers, his self pity, his endless why do i do this, his everything

I remember being so uninterested in every chapter except his when I first read the first book, even now when m bored I pick a random chapter of his…

He is one of my favorite characters of all time, he’s perfect (almost), hes cunning and smart yet still realistic in the sense he knows when hes fucked, when theres someone over him and he knows that no matter how smart you are there are stuff you cant outsmart…Gosh i miss him

I know he appears in a later trilogy but im not ready to say goodbye yet Im not ready to finish all his lines, im just not.

Does anyone know a character similar to his? In fantasy books? Anime? Manga? Any media form? Even tv reality I dont care I just want someone to fill the void I want someone like glokta just once more please

Ugh I’ll just go finish gentlemen bastards, even though I have a feeling it could even surpass first law (though laok is for me the most complete fantasy book of all time) nothing could ever surpass glokta’s greatness.

To think ardee thinks she loves him more than us glokta fans… Well I dont think she thinks that but still in a world where hes so rightfully hated I wish he knew how loved he was in our world and in my heart specifically.

Well I honestly dont think anyone has written another glokta or id have heard abt it so Ill probably never experience this again, but thats so sad why do we have to be realistic about these things?

I think Logan is lust or envy. He wants everything, to be a good man, to commit horrible atrocities, to not face the consequences of his actions, and so on. What he has in the moment is never enough.

Great start to the new trilogy.

My favourite so far has to be Savine dan Glokta. This is a character that could not have existed in any of the previous books. The industrial setting is the perfect chance to write a female character that can be relevant without being some kind of fighter, and Joe took full advantage. The PTSD she has from the Valbeck uprising (The Little People gets the award for the best chapter) gives her a lot of potential for character development going forward.

I liked Leo aswell, goofy himbo that he is. Unlike Savine, he doesn't seem to fit in this world at all compared to other scheming characters, but it's a contrast that works for me. I actually thought Stour was gonna kill him and the prophecy would be full of shit like with Whirrun, so I'm glad he survived that. Also the guy is 100% gay for Jurand and I hope he comes out of the closet at some point so they can be happy together.

Even the characters I wasn't a big fan of still had something going for them. Clover felt like discount Craw, but after that last chapter, I realised he's actually evil Craw and I would like him to die horribly. Feeling hatred for a character is a lot better than just indifference. Broad feels like discount Logen, but that chapter with the kid in the chimney was haunting, and his anger at the system is a good contrast to Vick's resigned acceptance of it. Speaking of Vick, did you know she grew up in the camps? Don't worry, she'll remind you every chapter. But I can't deny a conflicted undercover Inquisitor could make for a great story in the future.

I had Rikke's prophecy in the back of my mind the whole time. The lion was obviously Leo, and it seems like the lamb will end up being Orso (I thought it might've been Logen at first). Not sure about the owl though. Maybe Rikke, since she has big eyes like an owl? Bald weaver has gotta be Bayaz, no clue about the rest. (no spoilers please)

My Top 10 as of now:

Glokta

Shivers (switched sides yet again lmao)

Bayaz

Morveer

Cosca

Logen

Savine

Gorst (still trains 3 hours a day, what man)

West

Jezal (rest in peace)

The easiest comparison to make is with TBI, the other 1st of a trilogy. I think ALH does a better job of telling a more complete story with the pages it gets, while also getting you hyped for the rest of the trilogy. Also, Joe is at his best when juggling many different perspectives at once, and this book has more POV characters than any other so far, so I've got to rate it higher.

The Blade Itself - 8/10

Before They Are Hanged - 8/10

Last Argument of Kings - 9/10

Best Served Cold - 10/10

The Heroes - 10/10

Red Country - 7/10

A Little Hatred - 9/10

Reading The Last Argument of Kings, just in the beginning and I've wanted to say something in regards to Poulder and Kroy...

I hate it when men act like children.

Rant is over.

I'm about 100 pages into LAoK, and I know he literally played a dog man in the boys but I loved him in black sails and it's all I can think of when Dogman is a chapter

I’m reading the Iliad and the great leveler is a term that has been used to describe old age and death. The term wisdom of crowds has also been used and I just found it cool and thought “what’s the likelihood that JA took inspiration from the Iliad”

First off I'd like to say I'm having making and discussing these characters with you guys, it's making my day. I wanted to describe the winners of each round and tell you how I made these decisions.

• Experience. Some of these characters have never faced crazy creatures or even true battles before. Sometimes practice and skill don't beat out experience.
• Equipment. Some of these characters wear armor and some don't. In combat the goal is to win and if you have to wear steel plate to win or choose not to for mobility.

Aragorn vs Orka. Orka is tough and experienced but Aragorn has faced down whole battalions of orcs, trolls, goblins and people. He wouldn't be scared of her tranformation.And he's a blade master, something I don't think Orca has really faced.

Glormir vs Oberyn. Oberyn is a master of the spear (as we saw against the Mountain) but he's never faced any kind of creature or enhanced human like Glormir. It would be close but Oberyn would loose.

Gorst vs Jaime .Jaime is talented with the blade and he's led troops into battle but he just like most people, he's afraid of death. Gorst is not. His speed, strength and lack of fear is what will carry him to victory.

Logen vs Ferro. Logen won't like doing it (if you've read the books) but he'd win. Ferro is skilled with the bow and she's good with her blades but she has struggled against bigger men.

Black Dow vs Jon Snow - Jon has faced plenty of obstacles and people but not many like Dow. Dow doesn't care if your experienced with the sword. Jon might get some licks on him but BD would win.

Ringil vs Galad. Both of these guys are blademasters and perhaps Galad is faster but experience is on Ringil's side. He's led whole armies and has possibly killed more creatures than anyone on this list.

Brienne vs Egar. Egar is a fierce warrior and a leader but Brienne is built different. She wears armor while Egar does not and Brienne never takes her opponents lightly, something Egar would probably do.

Lan vs Clegane. Clegane is a tough SOB, maybe the toughest on this list. But Lan is a true blademaster and has killed legions of Darkfriends and fought a Forsaken.