“Best Served Cold” by Joe Abercrombie

Emily of Embuhleeliest and I are working our way through Abercrombie’s First Law books; we completed buddy-reading this one in December. I liked the books in the First Law trilogy, but this one, a standalone novel set in the same world with some familiar characters, wasn’t as appealing.

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GENRE

Grimdark Fantasy

SERIES

First Law

PUBBED

2009

Quick summary

As the title suggests, Best Served Cold is a story of revenge. The famous and talented female mercenary Monza Murcatto and her brother Benna were betrayed and murdered by their employer and close, somewhat trusted, associates. However, death didn’t take to Monza despite her being thrown down a cliff (or mountain, someplace high). Angry and bent on revenge, Monza gathers up a group of misfits — the Northman Shivers, self-important poisoner Morveer and his assistant, a former member of the Inquisition named Vitari, the once-famous mercenary and now drunkard Cosca, a killer with a love of numbers called Friendly — to hunt and kill the eight men (I think it’s eight… or was it seven?) responsible for her murder, which includes Duke Orso, father of the new queen of the Union.

“Last Argument of Kings” by Joe Abercrombie

Here I am, just now reviewing this book while I’m nearing the end of the standalone novel that follows it — Best Served Cold.

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GENRE

Fantasy

SERIES

First Law, book 3

PUBBED

2008

MY THOUGHTS

Last Argument of Kings is grimdark fantasy and the last in the First Law trilogy. It picks up after the events in the second book, Before They Are Hanged, but I’ve since forgotten exactly what that means since the books have all melded together in my mind now. One thing that stands out about the starting point in this, though, is that Bayaz and crew (Ferro, Logen, Jezal, Quai, and Longfoot) are just returning to Adua after their journey abroad in search of “The Seed.” (Goodreads)