Red Country

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times best seller!

They burned her home.

They stole her brother and sister.

But vengeance is following.

Shy South hoped to bury her bloody past and ride away smiling, but she'll have to sharpen up some bad old ways to get her family back, and she's not a woman to flinch from what needs doing. She sets off in pursuit with only a pair of oxen and her cowardly old step father Lamb for company. But it turns out Lamb's buried a bloody past of his own. And out in the lawless Far Country the past never stays buried.

Their journey will take them across the barren plains to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feud, duel and massacre, high into the unmapped mountains to a reckoning with the Ghosts. Even worse, it will force them into an alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, and his feckless lawyer Temple, two men no one should ever have to trust....

Red Country takes place in the same world as the First Law trilogy, Best Served Cold, and The Heroes. This novel also represents the return of Logen Ninefingers, one of Abercrombie's most beloved characters.

©2012 Joe Abercrombie (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Stellar!

Amazing characters, rich world, entertaining dialog and brutal action. Pacey’s narration is tops. I’ve read over five hundred fantasy books. In my estimation, Abercrombie writes best fantasy books out there, bar none.

Worthwhile read just to see greatest character of all make a comeback!

I listened to this book as slowly as possible, loving every minute, still basking in the First Law trilogy. Now I've finished and don't know what I have to look forward to! Fantastic listen, but only worth it if you've read the First Law trilogy so you know the backstory of Lamb.

Meh, like a cowboy story

(Spoiler)

Rowe is a horribly written character, so let me get this straight.. After she’s kidnapped she’s with the dragon people for like what 3 months? 5? Not very long, but In that time she has a new daddy and Lamb who has taken care of her since an infant is still just lamb? lol absolutely ridiculous how ‘close’ she is to her new slaver family’ and she’s completely learned there language? Lmfao get out of here joe, awful writing on rowed part, should have been YEARS of her being gone, not months

The writing, the narration

Well shite, one book less I have in front me by this guy. I really like his stories. Dismal, but humorous often as well. And Pacey I think has a large part, no a huge part I think, in why I’ve enjoyed these books so far.
I heard it once compared to game of thrones. Not even. Don’t get me wrong I loved those books too. And they’re both of the same fantasy style. But the humor in Abercrombie’s writing makes you enjoy them without wanting to get drunk after. There were times during GOT that I was literally depressed, no redemption anywhere for anything.
Another word about Pacey. One guy reviewed him as horrible - because he didn’t like the way “albino” was pronounced. And took great pains to character assassinate him as illiterate. What a joke. Pacey has more characters than Sybil running around in that head of his. Quite fun most is my point. The un-American dialects of English language pronunciations not withstanding.

Ok all that’s my 02c That’s said if you enjoy lots of action, while having fun that isn’t cliche or slapstick,, I’d say he’s self effacing but he’s not writing about himself, of the characters while also portraying in deadly earnest their power and strength or weaknesses etc. Adventure not requiring too much thought, yet very intelligent, enough to make it feel real. Then give it a try. But I’d suggest going to the First Law series book 1 otherwise you’d not get it early enough and would miss too much to truly enjoy it. Still it’d be good. But that’s only because you didn’t know what you missed. Give it a whirl.

Solid western with low fantasy trappings

Enjoyed the new characters and the failing forward. Some will enjoy the return of a former character.

Nine fingers fan

More nine fingers! He my fave and bring back farrow! I wouldn’t mind a series with Ro, shy, pit, and temple.

Captivating.

Another great installment. I love the reintroductions of old characters into the new casts and new stories. It gives me just enough familiarity to quickly invest me.

Great!

Yes, it was annoying that Audible messed up the release. But, I think people should rate this book according to its merits, and not a technical glitch that had nothing to do with the book.

That said, I love this book. I've enjoyed all Joe Abercrombie's books, but the first three were my favorites. The next two changed narrators and the feel of the books weren't the same either. I like Michael Page, but Steven Pacey is so much better in these books. Listening to 'Red Country' read by Steven Pacey is like running into an old friend and catching up with what's changed in their life since the last time you saw each other. It has really been a great couple days with this book to guide me on my daily drive.

Another great one from Abercrombie!

What did you love best about Red Country?

As in his other books, Abercrombie gives you a story that really draws you in. It's great to see strong female characters that knows how to hold their own .

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...with swords

I'm a newcomer to the world of The First Law trilogy , but I've been reading Sci-Fi & Fantasy all my life. From Asimov to Zelazny ; Moorcock to Martin. Abercrombie is in a league of his own. I've had authors make me root for villains before,(looking at you George R.R. Martin), but I'm not sure I've seen a collection of scoundrels and villains imbued with such fascinating and flawed humanity until now. Maybe in Donaldson's Gap Cycle.
The biggest twist in The First Law trilogy, for me(SPOILER SPOILER if you haven't read it, stop now!!) was the revelation that Logen Ninefingers, the most likeable character, was...shall we say remembering his own history a lot more charitably than he deserved. And isn't that what real people do? And doesn't even a monster like "The Bloody Nine" deserve a shot at redemption, if the desire for change is real? That resonated with me, even as I've cringed at the things he's capable of. It's a question very reminiscent of Is Bruce Banner really responsible for what the Hulk does? Because it very much seems to be a dissociative identity disorder situation.
Which brings me to this book: Incredible. I've never seen the genre of Westerns so well translated into Fantasy before. Spaghetti Westerns, spliced with True Grit and a dash of Shane, that is. I could damn near hear that famous whistling theme song in places. The return of Nicomo Cosca was also a welcome, if bittersweet turn. And if you've enjoyed the narration on the previous books,(I have), it's unchanged. This one's a winner.