Violent, bloody and fast paced; the new bestseller from Joe Abercrombie.
Springtime in Styria. And that means war.There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.
War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance.
Whatever the cost, seven men must die.Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.
About the Author
Joe Abercrombie is a freelance film editor living in London with his family.
Industry Reviews
Praise for The Blade Itself:
Fantasy fans, rejoice. In a genre bloated with mediocrity, a new talent has emerged Joe Abercrombie has spurned clich d characters his are flawed and not terribly likeable but all the more intriguing for that, leaving room for them to evolve Their promise is realised as the author reveals masterful use of wry humour and clever phrasing." [The Advertiser]
The Next Big Thing. [The Courier Mail]
Praise for Before They Are Hanged:
It's not easy to find mirth in a torture session, but this writer does it on several occasions. Full of surprises, this hard-to-put-down tale ends with the reader wanting volume three. In a word: great. [The Herald Sun]
Joe Abercrombie continues the epic themes and the luscious dark humour that makes this series such a treat." [Murder & Mayhem]
Praise for The Last Argument of Kings:
Joe Abercrombie has produced one of the most impressive first trilogies ever to hit the market. If you like your fantasy harsh and gritty, can stand a great deal of death and destruction, and if you don't want everything tied up in neat packages with 'happy ever after' stamped on them, you must read this trilogy." [The Specusphere]