The Wulver’s Library‘s Review of Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie is the last in the First Law Trilogy. It’s been an expertly weaved tale that was both harsh but pleasant. One thing I have taken from the series: life is cruel. Sometimes happy endings aren’t required, no matter the journey but this fits in with the story Abercrombie has been telling for the past three books. The finale was a vicious spectacle of what can happen when you put too much trust into something.
The action scenes that Abercrombie described were brilliant but may have been too overwhelming. The combat descriptions and brutality were immensely violent and merciless. This is the most action-packed of the three and the bloody explosion of quality severely heightened my interest towards the end. The war scenes were a highlight. There were many personal duals that were terrifying to read because you never know what Abercrombie is going to do. The picture that Abercrombie paints whenever he describes everything encompasses the full tale that he has written.
The characters were the best part in reading this. So uniquely distraught and terrible but we root for them, nonetheless. A terrifying combination of torture, indulgence, and brilliance that Abercrombie has masterfully concocted. The plot itself was executed well that a re-read should highlight every nook and cranny that was missed. The tone felt tense and full of despair but the achievement here is the pleasure I got from reading such a depressing, but satisfying, tale.
Abercrombie is cruel but this is grimdark at its best. The characters were written expertly, and Abercrombie’s compelling prose and capability bordered on cinematic. The quality in this work is indisputable and lived up to the hype.
