Book Review: Last Argument of Kings
- Author: Joe Abercrombie
- Series: The First Law Book #3
- 536 pages, Kindle Edition
- First published March 20, 2008
Epic fantasy with a fitting ending
“Last Argument of Kings” is an absolutely superb conclusion to the trilogy “The First Law”. The plot itself continues in chronological order, with no interruptions from the end of “Before They Are Hanged“. The war with the King of the North is still in full swing. Three Trees is dead and The Dog is the new leader of the group of Northerners.
Logen finally joins his comrades, but something has changed drastically in him and there seems to be a rift between them. Being the bogeyman of the Bloody Nine and returning to where everyone knows what it’s like is a heavy burden for our hero.
Meanwhile, the Alliance must choose its new king and Glokta is embroiled in plotting, blackmail and manipulation to choose the “right” candidate. Entangled in political machinations, no one listens to the warnings that the Gurkhuls are preparing for war.
And to complicate matters further, Bayaz reveals many details from his and the Union’s past. Secrets that will decide who the future king will be and who will rule behind the scenes.
Abercrombie’s ability to unravel the
The First Law trilogy is one of my top fantasy books. Joe Abercrombie has managed to impress me “with his complex and contradictory characters since “The Blade Itself“. I think he won me over with our first meeting and the “Shattered Sea” trilogy
“The Last Argument of Kings” definitely presents us with the climax of the story. The war and battles are even bloodier, the political intrigue and twists even more ruthless and unexpected, but what will always captivate me about his work is what he does with his characters. When you meet Abercrombie’s characters, you can’t divide them into “good” and “evil”. There is no righteous character who is as pure as a tear and has no blood on their hands. All of his characters straddle the line between villains and saviors. 90% of the time, we find ourselves sympathizing with and rooting for the worst choice as the story progresses.
My honest opinion of the book
I couldn’t give it a lower rating than 5 stars. Joe Abercrombie is an absolute favorite of mine. His characters are some of the ones that stand out and will always haunt my thoughts. Each of them developed in their own way and showed unexpected good and bad qualities. Different perspectives and colorful world building. These are all among the things I like about the author’s style, and when you add in the brutal battles and dark humor, the combination becomes explosive. Great is Joe Abercrombie there is not a shred of doubt about that.
The end is coming. Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him but it’s going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the King of the Northmen still stands firm, and there’s only one man who can stop him. His oldest friend, and his oldest enemy. It’s past time for the Bloody-Nine to come home.
With too many masters and too little time, Superior Glokta is fighting a different kind of war. A secret struggle in which no one is safe, and no one can be trusted. His days with a sword are far behind him. It’s a good thing blackmail, threats and torture still work well enough.
Jezal dan Luthar has decided that winning glory is far too painful, and turned his back on soldiering for a simple life with the woman he loves. But love can be painful too, and glory has a nasty habit of creeping up on a man when he least expects it.
While the King of the Union lies on his deathbead, the peasants revolt and the nobles scramble to steal his crown. No one believes that the shadow of war is falling across the very heart of the Union. The First of the Magi has a plan to save the world, as he always does. But there are risks. There is no risk more terrible, after all, than to break the First Law…
