Before They Are Hanged

This is almost excellent. I feel so stingy not giving this a full five stars because it seems like it has been ages since I enjoyed a fantasy novel as much of this but there are a few niggles.

So, my general rule of thumb is if a book is glued to my side when I am reading then I know I am having a good time. I so looked forward to going to bed early to read for an hour, and then grabbing the book for a quick read before work and at lunchtimes. This book really grabbed me, and the structure of the book made me want to read the next chapter as soon as I could.

'Before They Are Hanged' is the second book in 'The First Law' trilogy and I am glad I hadn't left several years before reading this having read the first book in the autumn last year. All the characters and their history and their motivations were brought back to me in an instant. I guess this is my first niggle in that the book really doesn't work unless you've read the first. Whilst series are designed to be enjoyed from end to end I kind of think that they should work as standalones too and I am not sure this does.

This book also suffers in the same as the first one in that it really does not have a fulfilling ending, indeed, it is quite the false finish that veers on disappointment and frustration. I get what Abercrombie is trying to do (please read my third book) but there is a sense that much of the book is a waste of time (and without getting into spoiler territory I can make a good argument that it isn't too, but I connected to my emotions on this one).

If 'The Blade Itself' was all about introducing the characters and 'getting the band together' then 'Before They Are Hanged' is more to do with splitting the band up. Whilst the first book had quite a few different points of view and threads spreading a few continents this book is still contained. There is still pretty much the same cast from the first book and we do get their points of view the book is pretty much divided into three plot threads so early on in the novel, pretty much everyone is involved in their thread on a continent and very few get to meet up again. The other thing I found was at the end of a chapter, I found myself wanting to jump to another place in the story wanting to know what happened. That's quite cool because although I had my favourite thread, it didn't stop me wanting to see what was happening on another.

The main plot is Bayaz, a grumpy old wizard, his apprentice Quai, and navigator Longfoot joining forces with Jezal a layabout noble into drinking and women who is nifty with a sword, Ferro a former slave and highly aggressive and closed off fighter and Logen, a Northman beserker named the Bloody Nine feared everywhere. This is largely the group brought together at the end of the first novel to go on a quest through a barren empty land to the 'end of the world'. This thread often meanders and you do get the sense of a never ending journey where not a lot happens. There is occasional peril and violence but it is slow going. In this section this is where we learn more about the world and it's history and why people are where they are and why the nations are. We get a lot of lore here from the history of the world (short version - a bunch of powerful wizards fall out). If I am being honest this made me glaze over a little bit, finding the politics of wizards thousands of years ago not that important. What this section does though in it's sometimes pedestrian way is provide some of the best character development I have ever read.

Indeed, it is in the character development that this novel shines. We learn Logen is a really decent guy trying to learn from his past and be a better man. Ferro slowly breaks down some of her barriers that she needs to protect herself from the world. Jezal becomes the man people think he appears to be and loses some of his prejudices. It all feels quite organic and introspective. I also kind of liked the awkwardness of a 'romantic' relationship and how wounded people need people too, even if it is hard to break down.

The second part of the novel focus's on Inquisitor Glotka (effectively a secret police state sanctioned torturer) sent to investigate the murder of a colleague and on the side defend a city from attack in impossible odds. He's toned down quite a lot from the first book, but we get so many of his inner monologues and sarcasm and it is hard not to view him sympathetically. In the first novel he is broken by torture and the only thing he values himself as is of the breaker of others. His humanity comes through here. Is he a nice guy? No! But he is trying to get the best out of a shit situation.

The third part of the novel is a battle in the north. The Union (the state in the book) have been invaded by 'the King in the North' over 'their' territory Angland. They send their armies to fight the barbarians, including sending their idiot prince to claim some glory. There's some good military fiction here, the expected pampered privileged elite making disasters and the stars of the book Logen's former band of fighters. Logen thinks they are dead, they think he is so we know what book three is bringing. This band were often pitched as cold blooded murderers in the first book but here again they show their humanity in a variety of ways. This was my favourite thread in the book by far. I loved this gang and their intersection with the Union military and other characters. There are scenes in this plot thread that you are just certain are going to have repercussions later and were quite shocking in both a good and bad way! I can't wait to see what happens to them.

The action in the book is always engaging. The violence is brutal and gory but doesn't feel exploitative or overly grim (well it's borderline sometimes!). The world building and characterisation is excellent. I think the romance, sex and general presentation of women leans into the male gaze too much but that aside I really enjoyed this. I'll definitely read the next book.