‘A Red Country,’ or possibly just, ‘Red Country’.

[biodroid]

Will it be in the same world as the books he wrote previously?

 

[Menion]

Yes, another standalone before his next trilogy (also in the same world).Free Cyber-Cookie if you guess whos on the front cover. I don't think it's been made official yet but there a lot of theorys on other websites.

 

[Connavar]

It looks like Samurai 7 hehe, the cover almost sells the book to me on its own!

I hope the last two books of First Law is as good or better than first that i enjoyed. Logan grew from generic Conan like Barbarian to more interesting.

Joe Abercrombie is coming to my town in Sweden in October for some SFF convention i was shocked, brit,american SFF authors almost never come here.

 

[nj1]

The US cover has just been released!
UK release date: October 18, 2012
US release date: November 20, 2012

And also a teaser trailer. http://fantasy-faction.com/2012/a-red-country-release-date-teaser

Ha just watched the teaser trailer and if you pause near the end where the bloody hands pop up you'll see that there is a finger missing lol

 

[Menion]

Ha just watched the teaser trailer and if you pause near the end where the bloody hands pop up you'll see that there is a finger missing lol

Look closely at the US cover. His left hand. Me'thinks our new favorite nine fingered fellow has returned, step aside Frodo you are no longer wanted!

 

[Menion]

UK cover.

 

[Menion]

 

[Comrade Gwydion]

Awesome!

Stil, what to make of it?
The flap speaks of 'the far country'? What country is this?

Also, the maps clearly shows 'New Keln'. Keln is a town in Midderland if I'm not mistaken. So this would place this book in a New World rather than the Old Empire. I wouldn't know what would be a New World in the abercrombie series, unless it's a place not mentioned before.

Could it be we were all wrong in our guesses about Styria or the Old Empire?

 

[thaddeus6th]

I think it's a kind of frontier land that abuts Styria/the Old Empire.

I really liked reading about the Old Empire in the First Law. Hope a book gets set there.

 

[Dante DiBenedetto]

and force them into alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, a man no one should ever have to trust…”[/I]

That's all I had to hear to cement the fact that I'll most likely love this book.

Cosca is a riot. Wherever he goes, bloodshed and hilarity ensue.

 

[Rosemary]

Whatever the name of the book, or the characters it will certainly be great! The first three books were brilliant, although I enjoyed The Heroes as well.

I just hope we don't have to wait too long in Western Australia!

 

[Rosemary]

Whatever the name of the book, or the characters it will certainly be great! The first three books were brilliant, although I enjoyed The Heroes as well.

I just hope we don't have to wait too long in Western Australia!

 

[Tansy]

Absolutely loving this so far, about 40% through

 

[Comrade Gwydion]

**** me! I thought I pre-ordered it, but I did something wrong and now I'll have to wait until later this week

 

[Menion]

I pre-ordered months and months ago, counting down the days till the 18th.
Aaaand could take up to two weeks after the release date to arrive. Tell me again the advantages of pre-ordering? *Humpf*

 

[Tansy]

Pre-ordered on kindle and downloaded in seconds on the day.. ebooks eh

Finished in on the train today and so didn't want it to end, loved the cast - old and new - and just really loved this from beginning to end

 

[Red 13]

I'm loving "Red Country". Full of brilliant characters and witty dialogue as expected. I love the western feel of the book too.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Aye, it's probably my favourite of Mr. Abercrombie's books to date.

 

[elvet]

I started this last night and it was difficult to put down. Looking forward to get back at it tonight.

 

[Coragem]

Having finished Red Country I have mixed feelings.

In lots of ways, it's great:
** It's very well written.
** The characters are strong (even with his cameo characters, Joe can nail personality even in a short scene).
** More than Joe's other books, it will appeal to readers who like more sympathetic characters and/or happier endings.

I think my problems with it come mainly from a change in my reading tastes. Specifically, these days I prefer stuff that feels more 'real'. Now, of course, you could argue that Joe is at the "realistic" end of fantasy. Certainly, going by the lack of magic and the sheer proliferation of **** and whores in Red Country, it's hugely "realistic". The trouble for me is that while the humour is, well, funny, the dialogues and monologues sometimes read as scripted, contrived to comic effect.

Another problem was that possibly my favourite part of the book (characters like Lamb, Savian and Sweet philosophising on old age) felt like a repetition of Craw in The Heroes. The Heroes remains my favourite Abercrombie.

Joe has said himself that he felt a little flat at times when he was writing Red Country and now he's taking a short break from the first law world (writing a short viking-based piece, I believe). I'm not totally sure how much he's looking forward to writing the forthcoming trilogy. Personally I think he'll be glad when he's free to stretch himself with some quite different projects. I'll be glad to see that too because he is such a huge talent.

At the time I read The Heroes I felt it was a sharp and intellectually stimulating (as well as funny and entertaining) anti-war polemic. I would have given it 10/10. For me Red Country lacked that sharp edge, so (again, for me) it was more like 7/10.

Coragem.