A little Hatred

To be as open and fair as I can be, I’m bias regarding this book. Joe Abercrombie is my favourite author. I didn’t realise that until just now when I wrote it, but when I search the dusty vaults of my mind for my favourite writers, it is Abercrombie that tops the pile. Brandon Sanderson may create some of the best and extensive worlds and Lawrence’s use of wit and intellect leave his books entirely unforgettable, but Joe Abercrombie writes, in my humble opinion, the most beautifully flawed characters in the most beautifully flawed worlds; and as a plus, he has the wonderful habit of making me like characters who in almost any other novel would be cast as the bad guys. A Little Hatred is no different.

We return to the world he so masterfully crafted in the First Law trilogy and the First Law World trilogy, arriving back at our old haunts of Angland and Adua to fly through the opening moves of what is looking to be another fantastic trilogy. Several of the characters are the children of our protagonists from the previous novels, but a working knowledge of the other books is not necessary. The book stands up all by itself, but if you have read the previous novels then you’ll be constantly guilty of that absurdly pretentious habit of self-congratulation every time you get a subtle reference or pick out the recurrence of some obscure character.

As usual, the book is split into multiple perspectives, with just as many female as male. Now I have a nasty habit of on occasion not connecting terribly well with some female characters despite my best efforts, me being an emotionally stunted and backwards man and all. However, I can wholeheartedly say that the way Abercrombie creates his characters means that their gender is merely one of the many aspects of their truly human personas and not the be all and end all of who and what they are. There are some sections of the book that do drag on a little. For some of the characters there are periods where not a lot is happening or something happens that you thought would lead to bigger and better things but then it kind of just fizzles out into nothing. On the one hand it does keep you guessing, but on the other I feel like there was an opportunity to cram in a little more action on occasion that wasn’t seized.

That said, the action that is there is written brilliantly. When there is a battle, it isn’t all gallant charges and heroic deeds. It’s getting your legs caught in the entrails of a screaming man whilst your head is ringing from the bludgeoning you helmet just took. When people are angry, they aren’t spouting eloquent soliloquies or constant streams of witty and cutting barbs. They are cursing, swearing, and all but spitting at each other just as truly irate people would. Even the sex scenes (of which I am not usually the biggest fan of) aren’t written as an idealised notion of some hallowed coupling. They are the squelching, hissing, weird noise making mess that carnal intimacy really is, including possibly the most graphic and blasé post-moneyshot clean-up process I have ever been privileged enough to find in fantasy literature. The whole world Abercrombie creates is disgustingly wholesome and charmingly unforgiving, and that I cannot get enough of. I loved this book.

The narration of Steven Pacey is phenomenal, particularly in relation to said intimate scenes. I haven’t read the book, only listened, so I am extremely intrigued to see what exactly was written on the page for Pacey to produce such disconcertingly real noises for both the carnal and carnage heavy sections of this book. A job very well done.

Score: 5 Star   

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