That is “War Is Hell”! This book is wonderful! It can be said to be the mature work of Acropolis, with characters portrayed and plot arrangements set up on a Living Up above the First Law trilogy! The entire story is nothing more than a meaningless three-day-and-three-night war erupting around this meaningless hilltop called Hero hill. And the entire book is all about one thing: “War is hell.” A complete and utter hell. Any glory and rules are worthless illusions. Although the entire novel is a medieval war story, it clearly uses a lot of scenes from World War I literature, so much so that it feels like reading World War I scar literature. By the way, the level of the United Kingdom‘s generals really gets worse from generation to generation. From Burr to West, from West to Chloe, and then to Mitterick, whether it‘s the moral level or the military level, they continuously deteriorate... I just didn‘t expect that Gorst, who was such a bright and upright hero in the first three books, has turned into a vain, dog-licking, murderous maniac here... That schemer prince has become more likable than before, not turning into a complete bastard. Craw is bright and upright, everything is about a “straight edge,” but he didn‘t realize in the end that the so-called right way is to kill people openly and honestly... My favorite character is actually that greasy corporal Tunny. He reminds me of many characters in anti-war literature, such as the Czech famous book “Good Soldier Švejk.” In the end, my feeling is to go fuck Bayaz. I hope he completely rot in hell
My favorite novel of his, it's just brilliant, the sheer pointlessness of it all
The Heroes has one of my favorite chapters in fantasy with the POV switching battle scene.
The three standalones are my favorite of his works.
Is that the one where it starts off with a character and then switches to the PoV of the one who killed him?
Yeah that's the one. It is one of my favorite ways I've seen a battle unfold in a book.
Yeah these scenes were amazing. Such a great idea
"Casualties". Blew my damn mind first time around. Second time, too!
It’s my favorite First Law book. It’s so good
The book reminded me of Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, which the movie Gettysburg is based on.
Split into 3 days, similar structure. Very good book, if you like The Heroes, I recommend it.
That's a really good comparison. Hadn't realized it
I wish I could find more books like these. Military fiction/historical fiction with detailed troop movements and the battle line maps
wait a minute, that movie isn't a slave owners' Propaganda Film？
Gettysburg is less "lost cause" nonsense than Gods and Generals which was written by his son (I think?). That movie is putrid and actual propaganda, avoid it.
I don't remember Gorst being a hero in the first 3, He was just...there. The rival in the contest. Assigned to guard, Jezal discovering this and using him.
Until the Age of Madness where he does more.
I think it’s largely that we didn’t really get a sense for him in the first trilogy, we only saw him through other people’s eyes, where he is largely played up as a super motivated, super hard working knight who fights for honor, or something similar. Then being shown the real him is kind of… slimy can be a shock I suppose
I think he saves him at the end of book 3 from an eater as well.
He does almost nothing in AoM
Gorst enters as a contestant in The Contest.
Gorst becomes a Knight of the Body. The King asks Gorst to quietly bring his former lover Ardee West to the palace.
During the Battle of Adua, Gorst remains at the King's side throughout He saves his life when Jezal leads a charge of the royal guard, wading into the enemy to rescue him. As the Gurkish Eaters breach the palace to kill the king, Gorst helps fight them off.
Sipani,
The Heroes
Yesterday, Near a Village Called Barden, leaves some money for the troubles,
Bremer dan Gorst continues to serve King Orso the First as Commander of the Knights of the Body. Gorst is always at the king's side. During the Battle of Stoffenbeck, Gorst remains by Orso's side throughout the fighting.
Maybe the real contested territories were the enemies we slaughtered along the way.
Heroes is my favorite Abercrombie book. I always fpund that it's a good companion piece to Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, which takes place during the Vietnam War.
This was the first Ambercrombie book I ever read. It kind of sets the gold standard in military fantasy.
To quote Harding Grim: uh.
Tunny is the best character, so you are smart and wise and I'm proud of you
Gods, his writing was strong then.
I've just finished Devils...
His writing is still strong, and I see what he was going for in The Devils, it just didn't work. One bad book doesn't mean he's no longer a great writer.
It's fine. Easier entry point to the author than The Blade Itself for most people
It had some flashes of brilliance but it felt to me like it was written specifically to become a movie or tv series. I still go back and relisten to the "The Good Meat" every once in a while. Steven Pacey's narration is just so good.
Cope harder
I preferred The Devils over The Heroes. Probably the only First Law book I would rank it over though. They are all great books.
Haha, yeah, that was my thought upon reading Devils.
I'm glad he felt free to write something outside of his norm and that many people liked the book, but I did not enjoy it and his books are off my instant-buy list. I'll still read the ones that are more to his old style, but I'll do some investigating first to make sure it's not more Devil's-like.
Yeah it was cool to see Joe hit the bestseller lists with Devils and get that recognition. Just wish he didn't have to write such Marvel movie YA stale cheese to do it.
Having tasted that success I'd anticipate him writing more of the same, but we'll see.
I mean the Devils feels more like a conscious choice to lean into more pop fantasy.
And if worked - heaps of people love it and find it as a great entry point.