By Sandy Amazeen Apr 14, 2008, 16:22 GMT
Dark, twisted and full of subplots, second of the First Law trilogy is a surprisingly strong follow-up to The Blade Itself. Where many of the characters in the first book seemed stiff and contrived, here they become dynamic, well-developed personalities struggling to survive the trials of the day. A powerful, well-trained fighting force invades Angland, the northernmost province of the Union while Colonel West watches as the Crown Prince entertains delusions of grandeur. Prince Ladisla thinks to repel the Northmen in a blaze of glory yet Colonel West is well aware of the shortcomings of Angland’s poorly trained army. In the South city of Dagoska, Inquisitor Glokta begins to ruthlessly torture anyone suspected of attempting to undermine himself or the King with chilling precision and detachment. Meanwhile, Bayaz attempts to keep a mixed bag of characters on track in the wasteland as he pursuits the Seed, a powerful artifact. Trust is a rare commodity amongst this group but it will be up to them to defeat the Eaters and the threat they pose to humanity.
Plenty of fast action and wit augment this complex, often dark fantasy with real world parallels that will leave readers anxiously awaiting the final installment. If Abercrombie continues this pattern of improvement, he will undoubtedly become a major voice in the fantasy genre.
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