Best Served Cold

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 26 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Springtime in Styria. And that means war. There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white.

While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king. War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste.

Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.

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

Extraordinarily

Most entertaining book I've listened to in a long while, if not ever!

The book is funny, exciting and offers up a lot of twists and turns. The characters are varied, quirky and well written. Everyone is an asshole but you still love them.

The narration is perfect. It was a joy to listen to Pacey give life to all of the different characters. It is always a mark of good narration when you can instantly tell who is saying what and this was flawless.

Absolutely riveting. Paceys narration is masterful

Abercrombies world is dark, humorous and fascinating. I find myself mumbling quotes under my breath. Brilliant.

As Always

Thank goodness for Abercrombie a creator of real people and places unlike the usual heroic good guy fantasy schmaltz.

Amazing

Loved every second of it. Continuing my First Law journey right away.
Great sound quality.

An amazing story

This book surprised me from beginning to end. I like Joe Abercrombie's ability to bring to life all the characters in the story and that even if you know that what they are doing is very wrong, you have an understanding of their actions

Abercrombie at his best. Gory, funny, plot twists.

Excellently performed swashbuckling yarn. Characters and dialogue almost as good as Pratchett, but in service of a dark and exhausting tale of politics and revenge.

Raw and entertaining

It is not for the faint hearted but it's an entertaining story in the heist category.

Pacey id amazing!

Great book with amazing performance from Pacey, as always. Characters develop nicely and have great motives and drives. Well worth a listen!

Fun and Twisted

At this point, I think it's a safe bet that I will enjoy anything read by Steven Pacey. And I honestly think Joe Abercrombie gets better with every book. Very very addictive.

Delicious

Another triumph by the best current writer of epic fantasy. From the first page Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold is a deliciously sordid tale of revenge, murder, cowardice, triumph and trial.

The narrative is pacey and very well constructed. The scenes each build upon each other as the book progresses. The book is also on funny. There are many moments when you can't help but laugh (and then feel guilty for laughing).

The main characters are each triumphant yet flawed; dogged yet weak; hateful yet at the same time likeable. Although none of the characters are typically heroic, you can't help but sympathise with them, notwithstanding how despicable they can be.

Michael Page is excellent.

One of my top 10 audiobooks of the last 12 months. The book caused me to laugh, sympathise, despise the violence, root for the under dog, hate the hero whilst at the same time willing her to victory...a simply delicious book.