Wall Street Journal on The Heroes Lev Grossman
Imagine The Lord of the Rings as directed by Kurosawa.
SFF World
A Little Hatred may be the most
accomplished work from a writer who many already consider a master.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Lev Grossman
A master of the genre.
Locus
[Abercrombie] might have his most important series of novels yet.
Jeff VanderMeer on The Blade Itself
Bold and authentically original.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Pierce Brown
No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie.”
New York Times bestselling author. Robin Hobb
Abercrombie continues to do what he does best . . . Buckle your seat belts for this one . . . . A vivid and jolting tale.
author of Seven Blades in Black Sam Sykes
Rife with emotion with wit to spare, both honed to an effortlessly fine edge. A Little Hatred is the joy of watching a master of the craft with his tools at their sharpest.
author of Kings of the Wyld Nicholas Eames
A Little Hatred is Abercrombie at his very best: witty, wise, and whip-smart. Masterfully plotted . . . . I had high hopes for this book, and it exceed them all.
Scott Lynch on The Blade Itself
If you're fond of bloodless, turgid fantasy with characters as thin as newspaper and as boring as plaster saints, Joe Abercrombie is really going to ruin your day. A long career for this guy would be a gift to our genre.
Joe Hill
Highly recommended - a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out.
B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
A critical, compelling epic fantasy loaded with
wonderfully drawn characters, the bloodletting tempered with sharp social commentary and
a touch of satire . . . . It doesn't feel like a stretch to say Abercrombie's on his way to writing
another masterpiece of epic fantasy.
The Guardian
Abercrombie examines the effects of social upheaval and the use and abuse of power through the viewpoints of a large cast, from kings, princes, warriors and seers to businessmen and women; the characterization is little short of brilliant. The plot is labyrinthine, with trademark Abercrombie twists and turns and reversals of fortune. He writes of slum life with graphic realism, and his rendering of battle scenes is to die for.
author of Children of Time Adrian Tchaikovsky
Goddamn magnificent.
author of the Rivers of London Series Ben Aaronovitch
Joe Abercrombie writes with terrifying wit, humor and heart.
Forbes
Abercrombie’s work is dark and gritty and filled with black humor and grim observations about human nature.”
author of Sins of Empire Brian McClellan
Brutal, unforgiving, and terribly fun. Everything awesome readers have come to expect from Joe Abercrombie.
author of The Armored Saint Myke Cole
Joe Abercrombie's powerful voice raises the bar in any literary genre. Fantasy fans are beyond fortunate he chose this one.
Booklist (starred review)
In this brutal fantasy…Abercrombie unerringly juggles a large cast of multifaceted, morally ambiguous characters…This unflinching depiction of human nature becomes slow-motion tragedy on a grand scale, shot through with moments of humor, excitement, and hope.”
George R. R. Martin on Best Served Cold
Bloody and relentless.
From the Publisher
"Abercrombie squeezes your heart till it matches his beat. No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie."—Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A master of the genre."—Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Abercrombie continues to do what he does best . . . Buckle your seat belts for this one . . . . A vivid and jolting tale."—Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author.
"Highly recommended - a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out."—Joe Hill
"Rife with emotion with wit to spare, both honed to an effortlessly fine edge. A Little Hatred is the joy of watching a master of the craft with his tools at their sharpest."—Sam Sykes, author of Seven Blades in Black
"A Little Hatred is Abercrombie at his very best: witty, wise, and whip-smart. Masterfully plotted . . . . I had high hopes for this book, and it exceed them all."—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
"Brutal, unforgiving, and terribly fun. Everything awesome readers have come to expect from Joe Abercrombie."—Brian McClellan, author of Sins of Empire
"Goddamn magnificent."—Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time
"Joe Abercrombie's powerful voice raises the bar in any literary genre. Fantasy fans are beyond fortunate he chose this one."—Myke Cole, author of The Armored Saint
"Joe Abercrombie writes with terrifying wit, humor and heart."—Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London Series
"With expert craft, Abercrombie lays the groundwork for another thrilling trilogy."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say that he's a master of his craft."—Forbes
"Abercrombie unerringly juggles a large cast of multifaceted, morally ambiguous characters, each embroiled in their own complicated story."—Booklist (starred review)
"A critical, compelling epic fantasy loaded with
wonderfully drawn characters, the bloodletting tempered with sharp social commentary and
a touch of satire . . . . It doesn't feel like a stretch to say Abercrombie's on his way to writing
another masterpiece of epic fantasy."—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
"A Little Hatred may be the most
accomplished work from a writer who many already consider a master."—SFF World
"Abercrombie examines the effects of social upheaval and the use and abuse of power through the viewpoints of a large cast, from kings, princes, warriors and seers to businessmen and women; the characterization is little short of brilliant. The plot is labyrinthine, with trademark Abercrombie twists and turns and reversals of fortune. He writes of slum life with graphic realism, and his rendering of battle scenes is to die for."—The Guardian
"[Abercrombie] might have his most important series of novels yet."—Locus
"Bloody and relentless."—George R. R. Martin on Best Served Cold
"Bold and authentically original."—Jeff VanderMeer on The Blade Itself
"If you're fond of bloodless, turgid fantasy with characters as thin as newspaper and as boring as plaster saints, Joe Abercrombie is really going to ruin your day. A long career for this guy would be a gift to our genre."—Scott Lynch on The Blade Itself
"Imagine The Lord of the Rings as directed by Kurosawa."—Lev Grossman, Wall Street Journal on The Heroes
Kirkus Reviews
2019-07-15
First entry in a new trilogy set in the world of, and as a direct if long-awaited sequel to, the First Law trilogy (Last Argument of Kings, 2008, etc.).
There's nothing distinctive about the backdrop, being a fantasy-standard medieval Europe with magic and a developing industrial revolution. Nor the plot, which proves elusive and possibly unfathomable. The Northmen are invading the Union. (Again. It's what they do.) The Union may or may not be imperiled: Abercrombie spurns maps, so it's never clear which territories are part of it or where they lie in relation to one another. What matters are the details. Every scene features one or more memorably well-developed, convincingly lifelike characters. A desperate fugitive from pursuing Northmen, Rikke may have the second sight; tough hillwoman Isern is determined to help her survive long enough to find out. Battling the Northmen is reckless fighter Leo dan Brock. His mortal enemy is Stour Nightfall, whose father engages surly, insubordinate ex-warrior Jonas Clover to teach Stour how not be a total jerk. It's a thankless task. Savine dan Glokta, daughter of the feared chief inquisitor, nurtures a ruthless ambition to control large chunks of industry. Dissolute philanderer Prince Orso, Savine's secret lover, experiences vague urges to reform and do something useful while his father, High King Jezal, shows no interest in the looming conflict. Despite summary executions, the Breakers, an angry, Luddite-like group of dissidents and union organizers, are a growing force. Various mages may or may not be meddlesome. Some familiar faces return along with assorted offspring. It's a sprawling, often jarringly inchoate yarn with what seems like hundreds of moving parts, crafted by an author evidently keeping plenty of cards up his sleeve, so even fans of the previous trilogy will need their wits and memories intact.
Readers susceptible to Abercrombie's undoubted charms will become rapidly immersed.
