Sharp Ends, by Joe AbercrombieI am a huge fan of Abercrombie, and short of getting a new novel set in the world of the First Law, this was a very welcome appetizer. With over a dozen short stories, you get a taste of the bloody action and wry humor and wonderful twists Abercrombie is so adept at.
The tales splash all over the timeline of the First Law world, from the imagery of what Glokta is doing right before his fateful attack on the Ghurkish to how Logen "The Bloody Nine" ended up at odds with Bethod King of the North. While I do think anyone picking up the book could enjoy the hell of out of them - you would definitely be enriched by already being familiar with the world and characters. I'm not saying its an absolute must for enjoyment but it would help.
I think my favorite tale was "Tough Times All Over" relating how an item is being transported/stolen etc all over the city one night. The dar humor is what gets me and what I think Abercrombie s such a master at - along with his surprises.
I highly recomend this for the sake of quick witty tales set in a fantasy world I get such a kick out of. And if you haven't read the previous books, there is still a lot to enjoy here - the impact is simply greater if you have read at least some of them.
And as I always do for Joe's books, I have opted to show the superior UK cover instead of the US cover which is always lame by comparison.
4 comments:
So did you actually manage to get a copy of the UK edition (without spending a bundle)?
So did you actually manage to get a copy of the UK edition (without spending a bundle)?
I actually just recently bought my first Abercrombie. Haven't read it yet but looking forward to it
Keith, I did not, I just wanted to share my preferred cover.
Charles, it's gritty good stuff I expect you'll enjoy it.
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