A review by theravenkingx
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

Truly, life is the misery we endure between disappointments.

"Last Argument of Kings," the final book in Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy, is a masterful conclusion to a series that has become a reference book for grim dark fantasy writers. Abercrombie's world is grim and unforgiving, a place where heroes are flawed, and victories come at a steep price.

I have learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes. The one thing I never learn is to stop making them.

This book is not for the faint of hearts, nor for those who seek a satisfying conclusion to a story, even if they have endure some deaths. It definitely delivers on death, but then it seizes the satisfying conclusion, tortures it, extracts its teeth, and slaps you with a disheveled ending that leaves you scrambling through pages in search of its arms and legs.

The character development these characters undergo is, without a doubt, the best I have ever seen since Daenerys. Who would have thought my favorite character would be the one whose biggest enemy is the stairs? lol.
Glotka remains an undefeated, crippled King. He is the most compelling character I’ve ever encountered in literature. You feel for him even when is breaking someone's bones. His smarts and wits add layers of depth and intrigue to the plot and his inner monologue is a captivating blend of cynicism and sharp insight, revealing the complexities of his character. Indeed, he carries the plot on his crippled shoulders—undeniably so.

Proof is boring. Proof is tiresome. Proof is an irrelevance. People would far rather be handed an easy lie than search for a difficult truth, especially if it suits their own purposes.

Among the previous two, this book boasts some of the most well-crafted action scenes. However, I am not particularly keen on reading extensive action sequences, so it became somewhat overwhelming. A significant portion of this book is set amidst war. But the reward was worth it.

The ending is polarizing; you'll either love it or hate it. Personally, I appreciated how the stakes escalated to a climax that was both unexpected and inevitable at the same time. A true masterpiece and I can't wait to read rest of the books set in this world.

It's hard to be done a favor by a man you hate. It's hard to hate him so much afterwards. Losing an enemy can be worse than losing a friend, if you've had him for long enough.

First it is done to us, then we do it to others, then we order it done. Such is the way of things

Life is a series of things we would rather not do.

you can’t truly hate a man without loving him first, and there’s always a trace of that love left over.

But maybe that’s what happens once the fighting stops, to a man who knows nothing but fighting. He fights himself.