Red Country

I was a huge fan of Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy, a dark, grounded fantasy about a series of deeply flawed antiheroes, each of which struggled with their own shortcomings and weaknesses in an effort to do something greater. What resulted, though, was a pretty unflinchingly dark series about violence and cruelty, showing how hard it is to change, and how the world cares little for intentions in the face of power and will. The whole trilogy was epic, rich, character-driven, and stark, delivering rich writing, complex worldbuilding, and satisfying character arcs that struggled with questions of redemption, forgiveness, guilt, and change. While The First Law is a self-contained series, that didn't stop Abercrombie from writing more stories set in that world. And while I haven't read any of the others, if they're even half as good as the incredible Red Country, I need to read them post-haste. It won't take you long to realize that Red Country is Abercrombie's take on the Western genre, even with its fantasy trappings. Opening on a town far away from the cities of The First Law, Abercrombie shows us weathered, hardscrabble men and women who have left behind the comforts of "civilization" for the new frontiers of the Far Country. Some are looking for gold and new wealth; some are leaving behind their old lives in hopes of a fresh start; some are businessmen, looking for towns where they can make their fortune; and some are soldiers of fortune, expanding the Empire by force and crushing any thought of rebellion among those who might be using the lack of central authority to make their own power. It's familiar fare, done with Abercrombie's usual rich writing, dark humor, and complex characterization. And when the young siblings of a woman named Shy South get kidnapped by raiders and sold to a tribe, it's easy to think that Abercrombie is going for a Searchers homage here. Here's the uneasy relationship between profit, racism, and violence; here's characters whose lives of violence have led them to indulge their worst tendencies; here's questions about the relationship between "civilization" and "savage" and which is the case. But then, in the space of one line, Abercrombie made me realize that what I was reading wasn't The Searchers; it was Unforgiven - a study of a lifetime of violence, of what it does to the soul, and whether there's any returning from it. Oh, there are other elements at play here - the exploration of frontier towns will remind any Western fan of the seedy anarchy that Deadwood gave us in its first season, and that Searchers feel never quite goes away - but in true Abercrombie fashion, this is a story about violence and those who deal it out. (This is the part where I mention that, while you don't have to read The First Law to appreciate Red Country, it definitely will increase the book's greatness. While Red Country entirely stands alone, there is an aspect of the book that is deeply informed by the events of that series and is never spelled out in Red Country's pages. It gives the events we're watching a whole different feel, and undeniably raises the tension of what we're reading as we wait for that shoe to drop.) There's a lot going on here - Abercrombie follows several major characters as they interweave, and alternates third-person limited narration between them (although we are never given a window into the mind of one key player, interestingly, leaving him defined entirely by his actions). And while the story starts simply enough - with the pursuit of these kidnapped children - there's so much more going on, including the fate of the tribes who inhabited this land before "civilization" came along, a fight for self-sovereignty, a crew of mercenaries destroying everything in their path... ...and yet, what makes Red Country great is none of that. No, what makes it great are the character arcs, as Abercrombie does something he never was able to do in The First Law: he lets them attempt to find redemption and absolution from their sins, as they grapple with their pasts and look inward to see if change is possible. Does Abercrombie give us easy answers? Unequivocally no - this is a hard book, with brutal violence, characters who let us down, and changes for the worse. But he never forgets that the quest for redemption is important in of itself, and maybe worth doing, even if it's never quite possible. And as we watch these characters struggling through the darkness and attempting to find any light to cling to, Abercrombie finds their dignity and humanity, even while keeping true to the broken people they are. Red Country is an absolute knockout - it's riveting, exciting, brutal, surprising, and completely gripping, but more than that, it's satisfyingly rich, both in terms of the world we're seeing and - more importantly - in terms of the characters we're meeting. It's everything I loved about The First Law but even more so, giving me unforgettable characters and a final scene that couldn't be more perfect in how it draws together the themes of the book. The First Law was stunning, but this is something truly special. A must for any fantasy fan, but also for anyone interested in how you tell the story of an antihero.

I'm a big Abercrombie fan; I love his Circle of the World setting and how he ties all of his books together with recurring characters and references. While this is technically a stand-alone novel, if a reader isn't familiar with--well, pretty much all of Abercrombie's past books but especially the First Law trilogy and Heroes--then they will miss a lot of good stuff in here. Abercrombie always manages to create great settings, write edge-of-your-seat suspense scenes, and introduce great, gritty, three-dimensional characters. And while he has all of that here, it doesn't shape up compared to his best works. I'm in the minority of his fanbase in that I really liked Best Served Cold, moreso than the Heroes. I prefer both of those to this. One reason is the characters are nowhere near as entertaining as those in past works. Shy is one of Abercrombie's more likable female protagonists, but her whole "I have a dark and secret past" storyline, which ultimately isn't that interesting, never did it for me, and she ended up being rather one dimensional in her desire to save her siblings while choosing to ignore what was happening to characters around her, especially her step-dad Lamb (who really is the star of the book. The cowardly lawyer, Temple, is a stronger character and seems to actually go through some deep character development. But the duo pale in comparison to Abercrombie's past protagonists. It's the gritty western-ish setting of the Far Country that's the real star of the show, here, as are the supporting characters. The new supporting characters, like the protagonists, aren't as entertaining to read about as those in past books, though the famed scount Dab Sweet and his stoic ghost companion are welcome additions to the Circle of the World series. It's the returning characters who steal the show here, some using their real names, some old ones. Without spoiling anything, it's pretty obvious from the get-go who one of the characters are, though for another, only attentive readers will figure out her real identity. Moreso than any other characters, even the lackluster protagonists, this story is about Lamb and everyone's favorite amoral mercenary, Nicomo Cosca. While there is an incredibly thrilling finale (pretty much as soon as part V begins until the end of the book) involving both these characters, the road getting there often took boring turns, and the payoff for one of the main characters was disappointing, seeming to just set the stage for future books. All in all, a gritty take by Abercrombie on the western. A solid read, but not one of his best works, as the characterization was pointedly lacking compared to his past works. I get the feeling Abercrombie is setting us up for another trilogy in his Circle of the World with these standalone novels. I hope that's the case, and can't wait to see more of his regular cast of characters (perhaps a certain former slave with a chip on her shoulder will be making a reappearance soon?). Unfortunately, Red Country does little to add anyone new to it, focusing on more familiar faces instead.

Wonderful trip and finally we know destiny of loved characters Adventure, fight and a solution that give the right way to all stories If you have read the other books of the author, this one will get you so much better with this

Simplemente, genial. Otra vez. De nuevo Ninefingers, de nuevo Caul Shivers, y todo el ejército de formidables personajes creados por la imaginación de Abercrombie. Otra vez el tono gris en las batallas morales y la evolución de los personajes y otra vez los giros inesperados y una trama absorbente. Más que soberbio. Otra vez

Joe Abercrombie continues to impress with each successive work; this one is probably his finest achievement. Abercrombie's done something quite rare: he's stayed within the world he created with his first novels, yet has managed, not merely to maintain, but actually to improve on his excellent initial work. What happens to aging warriors--can they truly wash the blood off their hands, or are they doomed forever to repeat the mistakes of their past? Read on to find out!

Red Country ist eines der Nachfolgebücher der 'First Law' Trilogie und führt mehrere Geschichten der Charaktere aus den drei Hauptbüchern sowie aus 'Best served cold' und 'The heroes' weiter. Während die Trilogie eine Fantasy-Geschichte ist, 'Best served cold' eine Rache-Story ala Kill Bill hat und 'The heroes' eine Kriegsgeschichte ist, lehnt sich 'Red country' an das Western-Genre an. Deswegen ist die Geschichte anfangs etwas ungewohnt, nimmt aber schnell an Fahrt auf und hat die von Abercrombie gewohnt hohe Qualität. Die Charaktere sind überzeugend, die Handlung ist spannend und der bissige Humor kommt auch nicht zu kurz. Insgesamt sehr empfehlenswert - man sollte aber die anderen Bücher vorher lesen, um sich nicht selbst zu spoilern.

This is the sorry story of the man whose frenzy killed all his friends (bar one). There is something sad in this book which is very satisfying, especilally when the main protagonists are dangerous old men. Or desperate ones ? You decide. My opinion is that "A red Country" is better than both "Best Served Cold" and "The Heroes", a very good read indeed. You cannot finish the First Law books without reading this one. You have to be realistic.