A short story set in the First World of Joe Abercrombie.

Too short while I wait impatiently for the start of his next series... ( )

I haven't yet read any novels by Joe Abercrombie, the master of 'grimdark'. But if this story's tongue-in-cheek irreverence is any guide to his usual style, I think I'm going to get on very, very well with him. Here we join Shevedieh, called Shev, who is travelling with the muscle-bound heroine Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp, through the bleak and miserable north with enemies on their trail. When their path across a bridge is blocked by the hero Whirrun of Bligh, called Cracknut Whirrun, the resulting encounter between two great heroes could be a thing of legend. But the long-suffering Shev isn't particularly bothered about legend, because their pursuers are coming ever closer... Full of witty jibes at hero conventions in epic fantasy, and lashed with delicious throwaway comments ('Shevedieh is not my servant ... She is at least a henchman. Possibly even a sidekick'), this is a really enjoyable romp. I wonder if the characters are from one of Abercrombie's longer novels? I'd love to learn more about them. And I really must read his First Law books.

For this review, and other short stories from Tor.com, please visit my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/04/20/more-short-stories-from-tor-com ( )