First Law Trilogy - Joe Abercrombie

[Balerian]

Just finished these...read all three books inside of 10 days.

Pretty good reads, and quick ones to boot (though they aren't particularly short)...I'd forgotten what that was like after Patrick Rothfuss and George Martin.

I'd equate these books almost to a hack-n-slash game. Fast-paced. I'd like to see Frank Miller get his hands on these for a graphic novel adaptation and have the movies done in that 300/Suckerpunch/Sin City style.

Anybody else read the books?

[Alex]

Just finished these three and already reading the next one. Looks like he wrote a trilogy, then he wrote 3 standalone novels in the same setting w/different protagonists but with many overlapping side characters.

There isn't a main character, maybe 5 primary characters, and all could be viewed as bad guys as easily as good guys. There are no chars that are even 'mostly' good guys. The world is pretty dark, and everybody is trying to make the best of things and survive, except for the giant evil masterminds.

Like Balerian, I read these books in a few days, and I actually really suggest them. Quick fun reads.

The magic and setting seems a bit not-the-norm (won't quite say totally original) which is good. Maybe Sanderson has spoiled me, but I need more detail with my magic system now. The novels entirely hinge on a few things, the plots are determined by a couple magic-facts, which are left a little too vague for me, given how invested we become with the characters and how their fates are entirely decided by the unknown magic-facts. What is the nature of the Magi's powers, how does the non-aging thing work? These are too important to be left entirely alone by the end of a trilogy. Anyway, I'm sure he'll go into it more in future works.

[Coop]

Anyway, I'm sure he'll go into it more in future works.

Not in the 6 books he's put out so far. Most people in the world don't believe in magic at all. There are only a handful that know anything about it and they aren't telling.

Love the books and am sad I ran out of them.