Product Description

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It s enough to make a torturer want to run if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters if they didn t hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven but not before they are hanged.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1718 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 543 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This grim and vivid sequel to 2007's The Blade Itself transcends its middle volume status, keeping the reader engaged with complicated plotting and intriguing character development. As savage Northmen invade Angland, the northernmost province of the unwieldy Union, honorable, hard-working Union soldier Colonel West watches his notions of civilized warfare erode in one horrible battle after another. In Dagoska, a southern city threatened by Gurkish soldiers and left undefended as Union troops head to Angland, dreadfully maimed Inquisitor Glokta employs tortures and deceptions to ferret out conspiracies against the king. Ignoring these worldly concerns, disreputable magus Bayaz of Calcis drives a squabbling little band through a wasteland in search of a relic that can open a gate to the realm of demons. Abercrombie leavens the bloody action with moments of dark humor, developing a story suffused with a rich understanding of human darkness and light. (Mar.)
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Review
"Before They Are Hanged grabs you and drags you along." -- SFF SITE

"Before They Are Hanged is an excellent sequel from an author writing compelling, character-driven, adult fantasy, for readers who want to be entertained as well as challenged." -- SFF WORLD

"Dark, deeply ironic and full of character gems that will appeal to your cynical side, Before They Are Hanged is as brilliant as its predecessor." -- John Berlyne, SF REVU

"In my opinion, Joe Abercrombie possesses all the qualities that made David Eddings such a powerhouse during the 80s and 90s. Before They Are Hanged is a satisfying sequel which should establish Joe Abercrombie as one of the bright new voices of the genre. " -- FANTASY HOT LIST

"We're right there in the heads of these dudes, thanks to the author's style of showcasing their thoughts. His knowing turn of phrase means that situations often appear ironic, with peripheral characters verging on the Dickensian. This follow-up is crammed with unexpected betrayals, murders and liaisons, often catching us off guard." -- Dave Bradley, SFX

About the Author
Joe Abercrombie (Lancaster, England) is a freelance film editor, working mostly on documentaries and live music events for bands from Coldplay to Iron Maiden. He lives and works in London. He is the author of The Blade Itself The First Law: Book One. Visit Joe Abercrombie online at www.joeabercrombie.com.

Customer Reviews

A journey
Before They Are hanged (lower case "h" mistake on cover) continues the story of 6 rag tag individuals traveling to the end of the world. Great fight scenes continue, Joe Abercrombie describing the landscape like a Cormac McCarthy novel and the same humor we've come to expect. No substantial new characters. What this trilogy really needs is a map.
"A good cook was almost as good as a fighter. Not Here. Bayaz could just about get his tea boiled, Quai could get a biscuit out of a box on a good day. Logen doubted Jezal would have known which way the pot went up and he reckoned Ferro was used to eating her food raw. Perhaps while it was still alive".
The reason Bayaz assembled this group is explained somewhat during their journey (all except one) and the fight scenes in Aulcus are like a scene in the video game Gears of War.
West is still frustrated about the group he's with and protecting the clueless Prince. Lord Marshall Burr and whole whole indigestion thing does get as tiring as Grim always saying nothing more than, "Uh".
Quai is Bayaz' apprentice, but has less lines than the Navigator.
Logen asks if anyone knows any stories while they're all together around the campfire and Quai tells a brutally depressing tale about feuding brothers and sommoning magic from the other side which is forbidden and ultimately destroys an entire civilization then asking Logen if he liked the story. "I'd been hoping for something with a few more laughs, but I'll take what's offered". Not much of the first book is *re-explained* so reading the first book is a must and for those who liked The Blade Itself, you won't be diappointed.

The best I've read in a looooong time
Mature, fantasy readers must read this. If you haven't read The First Law trilogy, go buy it. Now. Abercrombie has an amazing style, characters and plot development, and more importantly...the entire series doesn't have a single character or word more than it needs. Absolutely the best I've read, in any genre, for a long time.

The book deserves a 4 1/2 star rating BUT only gets a 2
This book was actually very well written--the best of the three in the trilogy; I enjoyed the inlay of humor even during serious scenes. The character development is flavorful in its variety--several good characters well developed and completely different than the next and these characters are brought to new places where you can see their personalities effected by their circumstances. I must admit the profanity got me down, I'm such a prude, and that's why I originally knocked it from a 5-star to a 4 1/2, but it got shanked down to a 2 because the last book of the trilogy was awful, simply awful.

What do I mean awful? Five main plots/subplots and only one of them turned out worth the ink used on the paper, and that one was just okay, not great. Personally, I just hate it when a good story gets a lousy ending...ruins the whole thing for me...makes me sorry I bothered with the first two books even though they are pretty darn good. It was so bad, that it inspired me to write this review, and I don't usually write reviews. I'd go into details, but I hate spoilers worse than I hate horrible, HORRIBLE endings.

But if you can get over a LAME ending to the trilogy, don't mind an f-word thrown here and there, a very explicit sex scene thrown in the mix (although I don't mind that, I know some do) then read this book, because by itself, it is good stuff, leaves you wanting more, so you'll buy book three and it will SERIOUSLY crap on your book reading experience just like it did mine.