Best Served Cold

Spring09

Spring-Summer 2010

Good book.
I've been hearing about Joe Abercrombie from a few different sources. And they didn't let me down.

A good book. Brutal, hard hitting, but a good story. A lot of the "gritty" fantasy lately sometimes feels like some of the sex and violence is there more for shock value than for telling the the story.

Gratuitous.

In Best Served Cold, it isn't. It's hard hitting, and ya.. that quickly becoming cliche "gritty". But every bit serves the story.

My only complain, well not really a complaint really, but the only weakness really, was the ending. just a smidge too contrived and tied up. But you know what, I'd probably complain if there were loose endings and unfinished story lines too.

I'm definitely going to be reading more Joe Abercombie. I started with this one simply because it was the first to arrive in the mail. But it's the 4th one written in this world. I'm going to go back to the first book. The Blade Itself, form The First Law trilogy. ( )

Ok, to start, the paperback edition I read was 664 pages, but don't be fooled, there's more text in this than any 600 page book I've read so far, so be prepared for a long read (Now I didn't read it at any great speed, but still, the book was much longer than I expected)

Anyway, I loved the first law trilogy, but I'm wondering if the book hadn't been better if there wasn't as much throwback stuff to the main characters of the prior books.

Whenever they are mentioned, I get pulled out, and I get as interested, if not more interested in what has happened to them in the years since Last Argument of Kings, than the characters of this book. Now, for a new reader, this might not be a problem and don't get me wrong, I would love to read more about Jezal and Sand and the others, but too me, it felt like too much like fanservice, and I'd rather have another full book focused on Jezal and the others than having walk on parts in this one.

Another issue I had with the book was that the voice of characters didn't shine through as much as in the first law trilogy, every now and then you'd get a glimpse of it, but more often than not, the chapters read very similar to each other.

Lastly, and this might've been what the author was aiming at, it reminded me of a blockbuster action movie. Too often, there were last second rescues, or things falling just in the right way and so on, and that can work well in a 90 minute movie, but I didn't think it translated all that well in bookform.

But it was an enjoyable read, not much was left hanging in the end, so it gets a good closure as well. ( )

If you enjoyed Abercrombie's prior books (The First Law series) chances are good you'll like this one too.

Not a very detailed review is it? No, I guess not and it does tend to ignore everyone who hasn't read a prior Abercrombie book (what? you haven't? Go read them, they are very good!). Okay, well, I'll try again then.

Best Served Cold is about revenge; all sorts of revenge. The book opens with a betrayal and then spends the rest of the tome describing how the betrayed, Monza Murcotto, exacts her revenge on those that betrayed her.

Monza is a well drawn character who's backstory is filled in as the novel unfolds. And, as we learn more about Monza, she is joined by a variety of characters that you may remember from the First Law books thus providing a robust cast of characters that, at times, keep the tale more interesting than the activity surrounding them.

Overall I thought this story was a bit simplistic but it was still a fun read and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest to others. However, as in the First Law books, there are some scenes that may be disturbing; especially scenes detailing torture so proceed with caution if that type of action, in it's written form, is difficult for you.