Before They Are Hanged

The First Law: Book Two

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Bitter and merciless war is coming to the frozen north. It's bloody and dangerous, and the Union army, split by politics and hamstrung by incompetence, is unprepared for the slaughter that's coming. Lacking experience, training, and in some cases even weapons, the army is scarcely equipped to repel Bethod's scouts, let alone his elite forces.

In the heat-ravaged south, the Gurkish are massing to assault the city of Dagoska, defended by Inquisitor Glokta. The city is braced for the inevitable defeat and massacre to come... but a plot is festering to hand the city to its besiegers without a fight, and the previous Inquisitor of Dagoska vanished without trace. Threatened from within and without the city, Glokta needs answers, and he needs them soon.

And to the east, a small band of malefactors travel to the edge of the world to reclaim a device from history - a Seed, hidden for generations - with tremendous destructive potential. A device which could put a end to war, to the army of Eaters in the South, to the invasion of Shanka from the North - but only if it can be found, and only if its power can be controlled.

©2007 Joe Abercrombie (P)2010 Orion Publishing Group Limited

loved it

I've listened to this book multiple times and it only gets better. I love the voice of the narrator.

Loved this series

I loved this series, and I hope there's more. Weeks later, I'm still wondering about the characters.
Abercrombie has created some deliciously complex characters. Good work!

Exceptional read

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I don't know if there is a third book but I know I will be looking for one.

Excellent High Fantasy for Grown Ups

Any additional comments?

Before They Are Hanged is top notch fantasy by one of today’s best and most under-appreciated writers. Here are characters that reek of substance and are grounded in real, believable world. And here, at last, is a story impossible to predict with its many twists and turns. I read a great many fantasy books, many (too many) in the form of trilogies or series. I can typically figure out where a series is going by the middle of the second book so that I’m rarely surprised by the time I get to book three and beyond. Here is one of the few exceptions, a story that does not follow Tolkien conventions or modern fantasy tropes. And here is a series written for grown-ups. While I wouldn’t put Abercrombie on the same level of sex and gratuitous violence that one would put George RR Martin, his books are certainly not for the YA crowd. Unlike the aforementioned Martin, who uses sex and violence to shock his readers, Abercrombie uses violence to do little more than advance his story and develop his characters. How else to describe scenes of torture that aren’t memorable for their shock value but for how mundane they seem in the context of the greater tale? Even the rare sex scenes, which are explicit despite lacking any eroticism, are written in advance of the story and nothing more. While this may put some readers off, I find it quite refreshing in an adult fantasy novel that is adult because it assumes its readers are mature enough to enjoy a story without the shock. Great series, well worth the credit.

Wow. They just get better and better

Seriously, these performances need to stop being so outstanding and immersive. The story is fantastic, adult, charming, curious and slap in the mouth funny. The delivery is something else, I cannot recommend it enough and I'm exhausted to say it's utterly brilliant.

It keep's getting better.

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he writes a damn fine fantasy series.

This review is more for the series as a whole but if you need something specific to Before They Are Hanged, then it is better than book 1. All the things that you liked in book 1 are better in book 2. If you liked but not loved book 1, keep going.

Admittedly, it took me a while to get my footing in the first book. I think this is more due to me having this attention span of a flea then any fault of the book. Once I got going I did not stop. The First Law Trilogy is a gritty, violent world that is utterly enjoyable. It's as violent as anything I've read yet is does not carry the weight of George R.R. Martin or Steven Erikson. It felt much lighter than that. I think this is in part due to the likable characters that Abercrombie so expertly creates. This could actually be taken as a good and bad thing. I mean, I actually liked all of the characters. Even the bad guys have redeeming qualities that makes you root for them. While rooting for characters is great, I did kind of miss feeling the satisfaction of watching a reviled character get his just due.

One of the greatest things this series has going for it is the narrator, Steven Pacey. I am fairly new to audiobooks. I've only been listening for a couple of years but I can say without hesitation that I have not heard better narration than Pacey's. The subtle differences in characters voices never feels fake or forced. I could always tell who was talking by the sound of his voice. The voices always added to the writing, never took away from. I am extremely critical of narrators but could find little fault with Steven Pacey.

Amazing characters and a masterful performance

Every character and story line has you hooked, they can be slow at times but they are worth the wait.
Steven Pacey's performance makes every character feel like its own and at times I completely forgot it was one person voicing them all... masterful.

Never know what is going to come next

Great cast of characters, narration was wonderful. I really loved this first book. I just finished the series of three and I can tell you it just gets better. Never know what will happen next.There were many characters and the narrator did a fine job of keeping up with who was who. .Trying to figure who the real villains & heroes are, plus.the twists and turns are amazing. The narration was done very well. It is hard to do so many different voices from different places both male and female but Steven Pacey did a wonderful job. Well worth the credit. (the entire series is well worth a listen) Things never really go the way you may expect this is really a great series.

Great

If you enjoyed the first, the second will not disappoint. Keeps you going right to the end and really makes you consider dropping some cash on another boom credit.

A surprisingly good book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good fantasy. The narrator does a great job and the story is quite simple but very well laid out.