The Last Argument Of Kings

by Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law trilogy has garnered a great deal of praise in only two years and it’s easy to see why. On the outside it looks like a simple fantasy tale with all the right elements woven in; there’s a city on the brink of war, a tall tower, a strange wizard with a bumbling apprentice, a quest for a magical artefact of immense power and a self-centered central character who you just know will change to grow into a hero. But while the ingredients may be familiar, Mr. Abercrombie blends them all with a delightfully dark twist, mixing ruthless violence, corrupt politics, sex and magic with tremendously dark humour and this, the last in the series, has been on my ‘want’ list for some time and I’m glad to say it doesn’t disappoint.

Having failed to return from the far side of the world with the seed, Bayaz, First of The Magi and his band of misfits return to Adua to find the Union armies still away in Angland, battling the Northmen led by self-styled King Bethod. While Logan Ninefingers heads out to join them, Jezal Dan Luthar, a changed man, heads off to pledge his love to Ardee West and seek a quiet life with her as his wife. Meanwhile outside the walls, the Gurkish army prepare to attack the city from the South while it’s defences are depleted, and inside the city, the Closed Council are locked in a power struggle to elect a new king before the current one finally dies leaving no heirs and in the midst of all this, the peasants are revolting (yes, I know…) It is against this backdrop, the fate of all the characters we’ve grown to know and love throughout this epic tale is finally decided.

I’ve loved this series from beginning to end. As modern heroic fantasy goes it sets a benchmark by which all others will surely be judged and the grand finale does, very much, do it justice. We get monumental battle scenes. On one level, we have a handful of Northmen and a few allies hold out against Bethod’s armies while waiting for the Union troops to bring support from the rear, and on a much bigger scale, Adua is laid siege by the Gurkish and the few king’s guards that remain try to hold the city against unbeatable odds. The political intrigue heats up as well, in the midst of which is our old friend Superior Glokta, the crippled inquisitor with a gift for torture and an unhealthy understanding of the dark side of human nature. His story is perhaps the most interesting as he struggles to serve two masters with conflicting goals, while trying to maintain the secrecy surrounding the source of the money he obtained while trying to defend Dagoska against all odds. As you’d expect the torture ramps up, as does the scheming and plotting, but what makes him interesting is how, through all this, he comes to terms with his own bitterness and self-loathing, giving welcome glimpses of his own humanity.

In fact, all of the characters, even the bit players, are beautifully realised, being recognisable without resorting to cliché, the world they live in is nicely presented but without overpowering the story like so many fantasy worlds do and the writing is straightforward and direct giving the action scenes an immediacy that moves things along at a decent clip but at the same time it doesn’t flinch from giving us the grim details where necessary.

Without giving anything away, the ending – especially the epilogue which must surely give us at least one more book – is subtly dark and twisted. For some, things are undeservedly a lot worse, those with true integrity and honour receive no laurels for their sacrifices, and for those newly in power there are painful downs as well as ups giving the stark warning to be careful what you wish for. But or most, life just goes on with little change – as surely it must.

The conclusion to this gripping trilogy, like it’s forerunners, is worth every second of your rapt attention. If you haven’t had the pleasure of diving into Joe Abercrombie’s world then I urge you to do so now, you’ll be glad you did.

Yep, say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he can write a bloody good book!

The Last Argument Of Kings is published by Gollancz and is available from Amazon, Blackwell and all good bookstores.

Joe Abercrombie has a website. You’ll find it here.