Before They are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie

[biodroid]

I just feel that if the book is tattered like that I don't like to read it. Joe should be happy that I am giving him some more royalty. I normally wouldn't do that I would most likely get a second hand one.

 

[Joe Abercrombie]

Joe should be happy that I am giving him some more royalty.

You hear that, kids?

We eat this month!

 

[Ursa major]

* Wonders who caused the power outqge at biodroid's house. *

 

[Bup]

I've read the series, and it seems like something happened to the author somewhere around the middle of the second book, something that made him...kind of a downer?

The first book was great - interesting characters, often hilarious, refreshing language. The count of hilarious moments went downhill from there though, and the ending..wrapped up? Not really, and satisfactory? Subjective o'course, but I've read and much enjoyed all hitherto Covenant books, and this... not a chance. Its simply very imbalanced- an unnatural amount of things of the same nature happen.
Most on Amazon disagree with this view, though a few agree entirely.

It leaves me a bit undecided whether to pickup his next series..if it's mostly like The Sword Itself, then great, if more like Last Argument of Kings, then no.

 

[biodroid]

You hear that, kids?

We eat this month!

Hehe, normally I just shop around for a secondhand one but because I really like the books so far and really want to read it I am going to buy a new one. Glad I could put food on your table, keep up the good work and you will be living like a king (at least not like Bethod I hope)

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Or like... actually, I can't say. That would ruin it.

It leaves me a bit undecided whether to pickup his next series..if it's mostly like The Sword Itself, then great, if more like Last Argument of Kings, then no.

The Blade Itself.

As for series, he hasn't written one yet. His latest novel is Best Served Cold, which is a stand-alone (though set in the same world as The First Law). I've just finished reading it, and it's very good. Then again, I loved the trilogy, so I can't say whether or not you'd like it.

His next book is called The Heroes, also a stand-alone.

By the way, is that really Joe Abercrombie??

 

[thesoothsayer]

First Law's an enjoyable series with a nice twist, but I have one minor peeve - the dan in the names of some of the characters.

"Dan" means "and" in Malay and sometimes when I read Sand dan Glokta, I think Sand and Glokta. Don't usually have a problem with capitalised Dans, but the small dans seem to throw me off from time to time. I guess it's just one of the weird stuff that happens from time to time for non-native speakers.

 

[Ursa major]

To me, the dan sounded a bit like the Dutch van (which, incidentally, is the English word for a small vehicle used for commercial purposes - amongst other things - though I rarely envisage Dutch society as a form of traffic**).








** - In spite of the part some Dutch citizens play in the international trade in certain substances.

 

[biodroid]

I reckon "dan" like in the Dutch meaning of "van" is actually more like the place/clan you come from. "Van" in Dutch means "from" and is pronounced like the word "fun" where the v is also pronounced as an "F". South Africa has a very large Dutch heritage as it was basically discovered by them.

 

[Ursa major]

I've always assumed that van was the Dutch equivalent of the German von ("fon") and the French de/du.

 

[thesoothsayer]

Well, I assumed that "dan" meant "of" or "from" like in some of the European naming conventions, but my mind still played tricks on me while reading it.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Devil's Advocate............ good question ........... is it really Joe Abercrombie?

 

[Ursa major]

I've always assumed so, given the contents of the posts.


(And quite a few published authors post here, so it shouldn't be that much of a shock.)

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Wow - impressed!

Are the others anyone I'll have read?

 

[biodroid]

I think Mark Robson is one of them and Neal Asher is also a member who responds too.

 

[Ursa major]

Off the top of my head:

TobyTwo is Toby Frost (of Space Captain Smith fame) and Teresa Edgerton writes under this name and has also done so as Madeline Howard. Ian Whates has two new books out at the moment (one Fantasy and one SF), plus a short story collection.


I'm sure that there are others: check the Press Releases section. (I've just seen Stephen Palmer and John Sprunk there, for instance.)

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Thanks for the info Ursa, good to see writers communicating with their readers

 

[GOLLUM]

Indeed...there are others too...

I agree, its always good to see writers communicate with their fans.

 

[Ursa major]

I feel embarrassed now: I should have included Mary Hoffman in my first list; she has her own sub-forum under Books and Writing > Authors for her own works, but also posts elsewhere.



(I'm almost certain she coined the Chrons word, chutnering.)

 

[nixie]

also Freda Warrington posts here now and then,