Review - The First Law Trilogy

[gastondeveaux]

I just started the trilogy and another thing that I like about it, is that it's quite readable.
I've read a few books of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erickson. It is absolutely brilliant, but certainly far from an easy read.
And The First Law is a debut trilogy? Wow. Impressive.

[BowTieWriter]

This trilogy has been on my TBR pile FOREVER and while I'm not a fan of "brutal", it seems brilliant enough I'll just have to pull it off the TBR and actually START it. Thanks for the review!

[sinistermephisto]

Glotka not being a hypocryte doesnt make him the most moral. He is amoral and doesnt give a shit about it.

[kentuckyrex]

I got this series today as a Christmas present from my mother-in-law. Really looking forward to reading it.

[cameronbarge]

I would encourage everyone to check out the audio book version! This is a story that gets better with every re-read.

[arifinz.]

I read it and I like it but for me A Song Of Ice & Fire is much much better

[weaverdoug]

I'm not a fan of this genre either, but your review makes me want to get into it. Btw, what kinds of books do you prefer to review? I would suggest my own novel, but it's kind of a hard sell, although it's pretty good: AIDS/butt sex/drug addiction/crime. Title: Be Safe. It's also funny as hell.

[sinistermephisto]

I hated this story so much. I just finished a week-long binge so, I had to check why I disliked it
The real problem with the trilogy was book 2. These guys went on a journey with no purpose. In fact they had no idea why they were suffering.
"He who knows why can bear any how".
The characters all attempted to/claimed to change by book two due to these hardships (Although Logan's motivations for change was non-existent)
But then they reverted back to there old ways with no real impulse for change. Logan found himself in his old environments so it is understandable
but Jezal's changes were so unconvincing it became annoying to go through them. What led to his reversion?
In fact, it is hard to claim he reverted back into a selfish spoilt brat because every-time he challenges Bayaz (post-coronation) was due to his desire to help others or simply being outside his comfort zone.

The book is plagued with constant deus ex machinas and lucky escapes. Gruesome insignificant battles, injuries that only video game characters would survive.
A mace in the mouth would do grievous injuries that modern medicine probably cannot fix.
The torture scenes were so unnecessary because we already knew the outcome before we faced them.
6/10
The ending, Bayaz and the magic system are unforgivably bad.