Best Served Cold
by Joe Abercrombie
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joe AbercrombieEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-07-29
ISBN: 0316044962
Number of pages: 640
Publisher: Orbit
Book Reviews of Best Served Cold
Book Review: A Fantastic Follow-up to The First Law Trilogy
Summary: 4 Stars
No spoilers.
There were few books I looked forward to more, after finishing THE LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS, than Abercrombie's next. So when I got my copy of BEST SERVED COLD I could barely contain my excitement.
Right from the get-go you know what this book about, and it doesn't pretend to be anything else. It's a fast-paced, action and twisted, humor-filled tale of a woman's pursuit of revenge. They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Monza Murcatto makes that sound like a silly understatement.
In BEST SERVED COLD Abercrombie introduces a smattering of new characters who meet up with some of the most interesting supporting cast from his First Law Trilogy to great effect. If Joe were a nuclear physicist, and the characters components in his lab, BEST SERVED COLD would be one hell of a bomb. Each of the characters have believable strengths, faults, and motivations. Despite the fact that they are all pretty awful people as far as morality goes, they are sympathetic, and I think everyone can find a bit of themselves if these characters.
The plot really is simply about revenge (Really, did you expect anything else with a title like BEST SERVED COLD?), and there are very few surprises. But Joe's execution of the telling of this tale anything but simple. Much like Patrick Rothfuss did with the coming-of-age magician tale (THE NAME OF THE WIND), Joe Abercrombie is the puppet master behind the new standard-setter revenge stories. Has there been a better attempt/success? Not that I've read.
Something that intrigued me early on is that Abercrombie acknowledges, through his characters, the toll their actions take. They understand they are awful people, and consider the cost of their actions frequently. This is something I haven't seen a whole lot of in recent fantasy books. It is refreshing to see the gray characters (black and white characters bore me to death) reflect on their actions a bit. In BEST SERVED COLD, we found our favorite shade of gray.
There is a very real magical quality in the way Abercrombie writes that entrances the reader. There is an artistry behind the words, and it sucks us in. From the opening scene of BEST SERVED COLD, we are reminded of what makes Abercrombie so good. The banter between the characters. The exciting events that the characters are wrapped up in. Very few authors can grab me from the first line on the first page like Abercrombie does.
This novel is fantastic. It isn't quite as great as The First Law Trilogy, but it holds its own. If you like Abercrombie's first novels, you should be reading BEST SERVED COLD. If you are a fan of Dark Fantasy or the new-ish variety of Sword and Sorcery, BEST SERVED COLD is an essential novel for your collection. Just be aware that this is a mature novel (see below). The only bummer about all of this is a new Abercrombie novel isn't due to be released until 2011 (though we do get a short story this year).
Recommended Age: 18 and up.
Language: The main characters are poisoners, murderers, criminals, soldiers, and torturers. Do you really think they would have a problem swearing? They swear like it's their job.
Violence: Luckily, swearing isn't their job. Killing people is. They do it well. Lots of it.
Sex: There are a couple sex scenes, some innuendo, reference to sexual acts, but Abercrombie, again though, seems to treat it all mostly as a joke.
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