Highly Recommended Reading: 'Last Argument of Kings' by Joe Abercrombie

Filed by: Darren on January 11, 2008 at 19:09
Filed In: Books

A couple of days ago I finished Last Argument of Kings, the third and final part of Joe Abercrombie's debut series, The First Law. And I reckon that all in all it has been one of the most incredible, twisted, inventive and above all utterly enjoyable fantasy reading experiences I've had in a very, very long time.

Throughout The First Law Abercrombie has taken a perverse delight in herding the cherished conventions of the fantasy genre into a dank, darkened cell before gleefully waving the instruments of their interrogation before their frightened faces. The chief implements in Abercrombie's literary armoury are narrative surprise, a very dark streak of humour, an earthy and authentic use of language and dialect, a superb feel for the natural rhythms of dialogue, and an absolute focus on the individuality and humanity of his characters. No mere trope or allotted plot-coupon can stand up to such an onslaught for long. Gradual crumbling and inevitable collapse are all they have to look forward to under his tender ministrations.

And how I've loved watching him at his work.

In the first two books in the series, Abercrombie took a smattering of staple fantasy stereotypes - the wizard mentor, the ultimate barbarian warrior, the feckless nobleman, and the quest to the far corners of the world for an object of ancient object of great power and mysticism - and dragged them kicking and screaming down from their lofty perches in order to give them a bloody good going over. Without wishing to commit an act of gross spolierage, the reveal at the end of book two was such a simple yet brilliant slap in the face for bog-standard fantasy that it had me punching the air in sheer delight.

The overall result has been a series steeped in subtle yet biting satire; one that - disguised as a traditional Campbellian quest-myth fantasy - undermines the whole tired, mangy old edifice and gives it a thoroughly modern overhaul. Sadly, a few reviewers - guilty perhaps of not reading much further than the surface layers - didn't seem to quite grasp that this was what he was about; mistaking his tongue-in-cheekery for yet another stock-in-trade fantasy quest trilogy. I fear they've rather missed the point.

Volume three continues in the same quietly anarchic vein, with more over-tired tropes battered to the canvas by Abercrombie's ascerbic wit and utter disregard for the assumed sanctity of well-worn genre conventions. I could list a half dozen off the top of my head, but again, I wouldn't want to ruin the fun for anyone else.

But before you draw the conclusion that spoof and mockery are all that Abercrombie is about, I'd also like to stress a few of the many strengths that this author brings to the writing table. His descriptive prose is succinct yet vivid, his pacing is excellent, and for a writer who claims nothing but disdain for the whole world-building process, he displays a wonderful eye for establishing consistently authentic politics and social organisation within his milieu, without boring the reader to tears with info-dumping in the process. Not for him the bog-standard three-kingdom fantasy world, with completely distinct cultures, a history of intense emnity and no economic interdependence whatsover. At least you get the sense that Abercrombie's world would actually work, however little time he's spent on building it.

And to cap it all off, I'd like to highlight the great inventiveness and originality he brings to his characterisation. For evidence of that you need look no further than one particularly superb character: the Inquisitor, Sand Dan Glotka.

First introduced to us as a tortured-cripple-turned-torturer, Glotka a man seemingly without scruples, morals, mercy or much more than a shred of decency in his whole twisted frame. Yet as the series has developed so has he, into one of the most engaging, intriguing and (somewhat bizarrely) sympathetic villains that you're likely to encounter in any form of literature, within the fantasy genre or without.

In Last Argument of Kings, for me at least, Glotka is the sublime star who steals the show. And any writer who can create a character who is as repulsively, shockingly and utterly human as Glotka, then make them live so convincingly and completely in the reader's imagination... well, that writer really does have a pretty bloody special talent at their command.

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he knows how to tell a bloody good tale.

Spot o' Disclosure: Joe Abercrombie is a website client of mine, yes. But I'd already read and loved the first two books before he succumbed to my outrageous threats and agreed to let me build a website for him. And when it comes to Recommended Reading, I only ever call them as I find them.

Filed on: January 11, 2008
Filed under: Books
Tagged with: Joe-Abercrombie | Last Argument of Kings | The-First-Law |

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5 Responses to 'Highly Recommended Reading: 'Last Argument of Kings' by Joe Abercrombie'

Gav (NextRead) on January 11th, 2008 10:43 pm

Not another one!! (you've joined the list of people waving their proofs about :P)

This is really turning into a series I have to read!!
Sayuri on January 12th, 2008 4:15 pm

*sigh*

My head and heart love me for finding this website, it fufills all thier reading desires. My wallet hates this website.
Darren on January 13th, 2008 5:37 pm

Gav - Yes, you really, really do... :)

Sayuri - Well, thank you! I'll call that mission accomplished for now, then... :)
Jon on February 24th, 2008 3:12 am

Say one thing for Abercrombie, say he likes to use this saying.

Say one thing for me, say i don't mind. The first two books were brilliant, and damn late Australian releases making me wait.
Darren on February 24th, 2008 4:56 pm

Could you not order from Amazon.co.uk. and get it sooner? Yes, the postage would be a bit extortionate, but you'd be able to enjoy much more immediate gratification...