War may be hell, but for Monza Murcatto, a solider of considerable fortune; 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 and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.
Duke Orso imagines that he can become king by ending the civil wars that have devastated Styria, but he errs by trying to kill his overly popular general, mercenary Monza Murcatto. Recovering from her massive injuries and mourning her murdered brother, Monza vows vengeance on Orso and half a dozen of his accomplices.
"Joe Abercrombie takes the grand tradition of high fantasy literature and drags it down into the gutter, in the best possible way." --- Time "Abercrombie is both fiendishly inventive and solidly convincing, especially when sprinkling his appallingly vivid combat scenes with humor so dark that it's almost ultraviolet." --- Publishers Weekly "A satisfyingly brutal fantasy quest. BEST SERVED COLD? Modern fantasy doesn't get much hotter than this." --- Dave Bradley, SFX "Abercrombie has written the finest epic fantasy trilogy in recent memory. He's one writer that no one should miss." --- Junot Diaz on The First Law Trilogy
War may be hell, but for Monza Murcatto, a solider of considerable fortune; 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 and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.
Duke Orso imagines that he can become king by ending the civil wars that have devastated Styria, but he errs by trying to kill his overly popular general, mercenary Monza Murcatto. Recovering from her massive injuries and mourning her murdered brother, Monza vows vengeance on Orso and half a dozen of his accomplices.
"Joe Abercrombie takes the grand tradition of high fantasy literature and drags it down into the gutter, in the best possible way." --- Time "Abercrombie is both fiendishly inventive and solidly convincing, especially when sprinkling his appallingly vivid combat scenes with humor so dark that it's almost ultraviolet." --- Publishers Weekly "A satisfyingly brutal fantasy quest. BEST SERVED COLD? Modern fantasy doesn't get much hotter than this." --- Dave Bradley, SFX "Abercrombie has written the finest epic fantasy trilogy in recent memory. He's one writer that no one should miss." --- Junot Diaz on The First Law Trilogy
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Find Best Served Cold Joe Abercrombie in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
First Law World
First Law World
47 books in catalog
Epic fantasy literature received a distinct infusion of moral ambiguity, visceral action, and dark humor with the publication of The First Law trilogy. Written by British novelist and film editor Joseph Edward Abercrombie, these gritty narratives subvert traditional heroic tropes by focusing on cynical, complex characters navigating messy political conflicts. His expanded fantasy universe and young adult works, including the award-winning novel Half a King, offer grounded perspectives where noble intentions rarely yield clean outcomes.
Born in Lancaster, England, on December 31, 1974, Joseph Edward Abercrombie attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School before studying psychology at the University of Manchester. After moving to London, he worked in television production as a freelance film editor before embarking on a career in fiction writing. Drawing on his early interests in cartography and gaming, he began drafting his debut novel, The Blade Itself, in his mid-twenties. Published in 2006, the book was shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award and launched The First Law trilogy, which continued with Before They Are Hanged (2007) and Last Argument of Kings (2008). He later expanded this setting with standalone fantasy novels and The Age of Madness trilogy, while also entering young adult fiction with the Shattered Sea trilogy.
Abercrombie's writing is distinguished by its sharp wit, dark humor, and unvarnished portrayal of violence and power dynamics. Rather than presenting clear distinctions between good and evil, his narratives center on morally complex figures whose personal flaws and cynical viewpoints drive the story. His background as a film editor informs his dynamic pacing and vivid scene construction, allowing intricate multi-character plotlines to unfold fluidly across war zones and political courts. Recurring themes across his bibliography include the corrupting influence of authority, the cyclical nature of violence, and the personal cost of survival.
47 books in catalog
Epic fantasy literature received a distinct infusion of moral ambiguity, visceral action, and dark humor with the publication of The First Law trilogy. Written by British novelist and film editor Joseph Edward Abercrombie, these gritty narratives subvert traditional heroic tropes by focusing on cynical, complex characters navigating messy political conflicts. His expanded fantasy universe and young adult works, including the award-winning novel Half a King, offer grounded perspectives where noble intentions rarely yield clean outcomes.
Born in Lancaster, England, on December 31, 1974, Joseph Edward Abercrombie attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School before studying psychology at the University of Manchester. After moving to London, he worked in television production as a freelance film editor before embarking on a career in fiction writing. Drawing on his early interests in cartography and gaming, he began drafting his debut novel, The Blade Itself, in his mid-twenties. Published in 2006, the book was shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award and launched The First Law trilogy, which continued with Before They Are Hanged (2007) and Last Argument of Kings (2008). He later expanded this setting with standalone fantasy novels and The Age of Madness trilogy, while also entering young adult fiction with the Shattered Sea trilogy.
Abercrombie's writing is distinguished by its sharp wit, dark humor, and unvarnished portrayal of violence and power dynamics. Rather than presenting clear distinctions between good and evil, his narratives center on morally complex figures whose personal flaws and cynical viewpoints drive the story. His background as a film editor informs his dynamic pacing and vivid scene construction, allowing intricate multi-character plotlines to unfold fluidly across war zones and political courts. Recurring themes across his bibliography include the corrupting influence of authority, the cyclical nature of violence, and the personal cost of survival.
