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A review by samtherat17
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. What a spectacular ending to this trilogy. I don't think I've ever seen such amazing character work in a series. Glokta, Logen, Jezal, Bayaz...all of these characters are so layered, unique, and memorable. The choice of Abercrombie to make the characters the forefront of the trilogy rather than the plot wouldn't have paid off if they weren't just written so damn well. At the end of the book, when the characters reflected on the events of the trilogy, it made me realize how they had been developed so masterfully by Abercrombie. A lot of them, especially Glokta and Logen, are probably all-time favourites for me.
The book just takes so many twists and turns and most of the revelations, especially at the end of the book really caught me by surprise. Don't get me wrong, I thought the first three quarters of the book were really great, but the last 200 or so pages were what elevated this from being great to being amazing. Abercrombie describes the chaos of a battle really well through multiple PoVs. While the final battle was really great, possibly my favourite part of the book was the part after the climax. Another highlight was the duel in the middle of the book-what an epic scene.
I think possibly the most divisive part of the trilogy is its ending, but I absolutely loved it. While many of the characters' fates are left ambiguous, and there isn't really a happy ending for any of them, it all seems in-character for them, if that makes any sense. You don't see this kind of ending a lot in fantasy, which is perhaps why it still has me marvelling at the genius of it from time to time.
I mean, if you haven't already guessed from this review, I really enjoyed this trilogy, and especially this book. I can't wait to read the other books in this universe!
Logen's ending...just wow. Talk about things coming full circle-it was really sad to see how he couldn't change even though he tried so hard. Glokta also cemented himself as one of my favourite characters with his arc in this book. From getting your life ruined in your prime to becoming the Arch Lector and having a caring wife? What an absolute rollercoaster of a journey. Also, West's ending. ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
The book just takes so many twists and turns and most of the revelations, especially at the end of the book really caught me by surprise. Don't get me wrong, I thought the first three quarters of the book were really great, but the last 200 or so pages were what elevated this from being great to being amazing. Abercrombie describes the chaos of a battle really well through multiple PoVs. While the final battle was really great, possibly my favourite part of the book was the part after the climax. Another highlight was the duel in the middle of the book-what an epic scene.
I think possibly the most divisive part of the trilogy is its ending, but I absolutely loved it. While many of the characters' fates are left ambiguous, and there isn't really a happy ending for any of them, it all seems in-character for them, if that makes any sense. You don't see this kind of ending a lot in fantasy, which is perhaps why it still has me marvelling at the genius of it from time to time.
I mean, if you haven't already guessed from this review, I really enjoyed this trilogy, and especially this book. I can't wait to read the other books in this universe!