The Heroes

Got this book a few days ago and have already read it. Loved every minute of it. Abercrombie has a great writing style, and his books have all the stuff good fantasy should have, vicious fights, quirky characters and grim humour. Definitely up there with my favourites.Yes it has lots of characters, but not as many as, say, Game of Thrones or maybe even The Lord of The Rings. It switches from points of view quickly, and is fast paced, doesn't get bogged down with the politics or too much detail of the reasons why there is a battle. The pacing makes me think of films or tv shows today.All in all a fun read. Plus it even has a map! (isn't it obligatory for all good fantasy books to have a map??!)

This is a very simple book revolving around one battle for the hill known as the heroes, with it's stone circle at the top. It has some of the characters from the previous books but weaves them perfectly with new rich characters that you will love and hate. Abercrombie has you loving characters from his previous books that you used to hate because he has opened those characters up. Characters you grow to love fall in the battle while others simply survive but take little glory for it. It strips war bare and shows despite the tales and the songs it is a case of staying alive and not letting yourself and your "crew" down. Fantastic book !!!!!!!

So, if you're expecting a straight sequel to "The Last Argument of Kings" or even "Best Served Cold" than this will not be for you.It's set in the same world and the events follow on, but you definitely won't see all the same characters.Everyone keeps hoping Abercrombie will crack out a trilogy about the defiant rise to defeat the manipulative prime mover as revealed in the first three books, but this isn't the come uppance.I devoured it in a single sitting. No spoilers, but, bearing in mind it's not a sequel, it's still a treat.

This is the first Abercrombie book I have read, and I cannot wait to read more in the future. His writing style is immersive and visceral, and can be blunt and poetic in equal measure. Whilst this book could be slow in places, particularly around the middle, I did genuinely like the characters and wanted to know what happened to them even in the slower parts. Bremer, Calder and Finree were my particular favourites, all three being complex and intriguing. I shall certainly be reading his other works, and can only hope they're as well written as this one.

I really enjoyed this book as it was as exciting and fun as Joe's previous books, albeit in a more limited, intense setting. The key, as usual, is the irreverent characters with their own homespun, pragmatic philosopies. Despite the gore, there is great humanity and humour, and it was nice to see the reappearance of old friends from earlier stories.Essentially, a thoroughly enjoyable read with a nice sense of not taking itself too seriously!