First Law Readalikes

[@currangill430]

I'm a simple man. I see First Law I watch

[@niebieskie2]

Very interesting, and informative. I like these comparisons

[@LienesLibrary]

hope you find some new faves!

[@barendhechter5698]

Oh and Kings of the wyld.

[@LienesLibrary]

I actually really hated that book 🥲

[@edsheeran1243]

This might be a hot take, but I feel like if Joe Abercrombie started writing non-grimdark slice of life stories in a low fantastical setting, he would literally be Robin Hobb

[@LienesLibrary]

haha yeah kinda

[@amoura9586]

Blackwing sounds AMAZING!!!

[@LienesLibrary]

that's because it is 😌

[@tawnyman]

As a massive Robin Hobb fan who has been reading the First Law for the first time, I have been noticing a lot of similarities between the two as well. The Liveship Traders particularly comes to mind because of the character dynamics, plus Kennit is kind of like an Abercrombie pov (though maybe even darker?)

[@LienesLibrary]

yeah, throughout my Liveship read I kept saying Kennit felt very First Law to me

[@robertpihl3556]

Blackwing has been on my tbr for some time and I am lokking forward to read it and its going to be fantastic.

[@spencercorpuz]

Liene you've gotta read Holly Tinsley's We Men of Ash and Shadow. Everything I was looking for in First Law I found in her book. It is a perfect Grimdark book, that is not just edgey and dark for the sake of it. It really feels like a real story

[@currangill430]

I have Hobb in crosshair. But I heard she's grim and I'm taking a grim dark break. I read the first page and a half on my kindle and I already love her prose and this is coming from someone who despises first person. So, I can already tell she's a great storyteller. If she can make me like her first person narrative I'm in for a treat!

[@LienesLibrary]

yeah, her stories have a lot of dark and tragic things, but she's not "grimdark"

[@currangill430]

@@LienesLibrary Just grim?

[@currangill430]

It's ironic I just made a First Law poll about the stand-alone books. 26 votes for Best Served Cold 18 votes for Heroes 8 votes for Red Country

[@ducky36F]

Yeah looks about right

[@currangill430]

@@ducky36F It got bigger: 96= Best Served Cold 59= Heroes 35= Red Country I just didn't like the Heroes at all. I didnt' really like the characters apart from Calder and Finree. Gorst was annoying with his obsession over Finree, I didn't care at all about Tunny, Craw's chapters were only good when it featured Black Dow, Wonderful or Shivers, Beck was alright it was interesting to see a warrior kid not follow his father's footsteps. I was glad when the book was over lol. On the other hand I liked Red Country way more than the Heroes.

[@currangill430]

@@ducky36F BSC is surging! 103 vs 63 vs 35. Best Served Cold is the best stand alone book you have to be realistic about these things.

[@BasalThor]

Great video ! You have sold me on By Force Alone, that sounds really interesting. Hobb and American Gods were already on my tbr. I think I have a pretty good Idea which scene in raven's cry you were talking about. That was indeed horrifying...

[@LienesLibrary]

I think there's a strong chance you'll enjoy all of those! and Ravencry....yeah, it's so messed up

[@BasalThor]

@@LienesLibrary Adding it to the ever growing tbr !

[@archlectoryarvi2873]

If you've ever wondered what Abercrombie's books would read like if he were an American Horror novelist, look no further than Christopher Buehlman. Both of their works are very cynical in tone but with lots of dark humor, entertaining dialogue and characters that you simultaneously love and despise. The Lesser dead or Between Two Fires is a great place to start the Buehlman experience.

[@LienesLibrary]

I read The Blacktongue Thief and quite enjoyed it and I think I previously put Between Two Fires on my wishlist? or added it as to-read? that one rings a bell anyway

[@archlectoryarvi2873]

@@LienesLibrary Haven't read The Blacktongue Thief yet but I've been slowly making my way through all of his horror books and it's been a blast. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[@angelaholmes8888]

I absolutely love American gods I read that book in one day great read 🙂💯🌟

[@artbyandia]

Given that Realm of the Elderlings is my favourite series and First Law is my second that is a good recommendation. I read Hobb first and then Abercrombie on the same year I finished the series. "The Folding Knife" by K.J. Parker is reminding me a bit of Abercrombie. I haven't read his other books.

[@LienesLibrary]

I'm very interested in reading Folding Knife

[@PonderingsOfPete]

You should definitely read KJ Parker's other works. His novellas and the one novel I've read of his (the Folding knife) have that humor, but not to the extent of 16 ways

[@LienesLibrary]

I did previously read Prosper's Demon and really enjoyed it so I definitely plan to read more from him

[@joelindley5113]

Started Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes. I've noticed it has the same irreverent, snarky humour. Only about 200 pages but I'm enjoying it so far

[@LienesLibrary]

I originally planned to read that, but what we learned about the author's behavior in real life put me (personally) off ever wanting to read from him which is a shame because it sounded up my alley

[@phen0menos]

Re: "Hobb is not grimdark because of the perspectives, Abercrombie would take those terrible characters and make them POVs" - while this is broadly true, I think Hobb proves she's just as capable of writing the despicable POVs with Kennet!

[@LienesLibrary]

I have frequently said that Kennit is the most Abercrombie-esque thing I've read from her so far

[@osoisko1933]

By force alone I shall read these books! And I too like the Abercrombie-esque Grimdark rather than try hard slaughterfests.

[@LienesLibrary]

"try-hard slaughterfests" lol accurate

[@floydwilliams497]

I know you said you weren't very familiar with King Arthur and the whole round table story, and for that matter neither am I, but I am curious as to whether or not you've ever heard about Tracy Deonn's Legendborn? If so, do you have a review on it, because I would love to watch it.👍🏿

[@LienesLibrary]

my friend Heather really wants me to read that so it'll probably happen one of these days 😋

[@floydwilliams497]

@@LienesLibrary You'll be glad you did, but don't rush yourself, book 2 is due out Nov. 8th, so feel free to procrastinate just a little while longer, that way when you actually see what the fuss is about, you won't have to wait like the rest of us.

[@nickywal]

Blackwing was one of my top 5 books last year, I really need to get to the rest of the trilogy. By force alone was just so odd, but a lot of fun to read. It is relatively true to the older myths, rather than the later more Christian, puritanical versions but obviously twisted and a lot darker

[@LienesLibrary]

Blackwing is SO good and yeah, By Force Alone is quite odd but imo a good odd

[@joelindley5113]

I second the Raven's Mark trilogy. The gillings would fit right into a horror story. Ed McDonald has recently recovered from illness and it's great that he's back writing again. I'll definitely be getting Daughter of Redwinter. About the time GoT came out on TV there was an Arthurian show called Camelot which only ran for one season. Very dark and gritty. Eva Green was Morgaine and Joseph Fiennes was a very morally grey Merlin, especially in the show's retelling of the Lady in the Lake myth

[@LienesLibrary]

I have the box set of Camelot haha - I didn't like the actor who played Arthur but Green as Morgana and Fiennes as Merlin *chefs kiss*

[@nickywal]

Literally the darlings are creepier than most straight up horror book monsters I've seen

[@angelaholmes8888]

The song of ice and fire is definitely similar even though it's been years since I read the series 🤔👍

[@LienesLibrary]

yeah, there's a reason they get compared so much

[@ducky36F]

First Law and Farseer are my two favourite series. I’d throw the Witcher novels and Empire of the Vampire in as being quite similar to Abercrombie, although neither Sapkowski nor Kristoff’s writing styles are for everyone. But the wit and cynicism in their stories greatly reminds me of Abercrombie.

[@LienesLibrary]

I like Witcher, haven't read EotV yet (can't say I'm looking forward to it though, honestly) but I don't really find Sapkowski or Kristoff to be that reminiscent of Abercrombie, personally

[@ducky36F]

@@LienesLibrary its the way the two authors use humour and irony along with the darker tone and character focus that makes me think of Abercrombie with them. However they do have rather, unique, writing styles so I do get people not liking them.

[@coleton7048]

You NEED to read Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher. I'm 90% certain it would be a 5 star read for you. And 10% certain it won't be anything less than 4 stars. I tell everyone it's like Abercrombie if he wrote while tripping on acid. Please read it. You read like 17 books a month, can you please fit it in soon? I want to hear your thoughts on it. :)

[@LienesLibrary]

perhaps one day 🙃

[@zacturf-n-sports6203]

That was a great series. I really enjoyed it!

[@thisandthat418]

The only problem i have with you comparing Abercrombie to Hobb, is that although i think Abercrombie writes brilliant characters that i am interested in and like reading about, i am not emotionally invested in them much at all. Where as The Tawny Man trilogy and The Fitz and the Fool trilogy wrecked me the first, second and third times i read them....😢😢😢

[@LienesLibrary]

hope you enjoy!

[@angelaholmes8888]

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the tv adaptation of American gods I watched the first two episodes and I didn't enjoy the show 😬😖