My Year of Abercrombie | Updated Ranking

[@BooksAndThingsUK]

I’ve recently finished reading The Blade Itself, and liked it enough that I’ll be reading the next two books, but I need more of an emotional connection to characters to feel really invested in books. I’m halfway through The Wheel of Time series and that’s possibly ruined other books for me, I love the books that much!

[@pratikmajumder1670]

Now that I've finished The First Law, I can't find anything even half as good. The man has absolutely spoiled me ughh!

[@LienesLibrary]

yup, join the reread cycle it's the only thing to be done 🥲

[@Amanda_the_Librarian]

I am currently reading The Blade Itself for the first time and I am really liking it. It has made me want to pick up the rest of the series and ignore the rest of my TBR. I actually went to Book Depository and ordered all the stand-alones. I just have to get Sharp Ends and Wisdom of Crowds and I will own all the Abercrombie books

[@LienesLibrary]

yaaas! soon you'll be in a never ending reread cycle too 😛

[@wederator2152]

These books punch in the guts really hard. I just finished the Wisdom of Crouds, and i feel depressed. Exactly the way i felt with LAoK. But i cant deny that i love the series as much as Joe seems to enjoy making me sad hahaha

[@suzannemoore404]

I'm just now starting to read Abercrombie with The Blade Itself. It's great. I'm really enjoying it.

[@LienesLibrary]

hooray! so many more great books await!

[@alinschiii1774]

after asoiaf I've been trying to find books that sort of fuck me up the same way, I watched your video on the first law and just started it a few days ago and almost finished with the first book AND I LOVE IT SM thank you for these videos really, can't wait to read more of him :)

[@LienesLibrary]

yaaas! Abercrombie will ruin you for all others and then a new quest begins to fill THAT void haha

[@412JFury]

I'm currently reading the blade itself for the first time.. there where so many series I was going to grab but something was pulling me to Abercrombie.. man am I glad I chose this. Glockta has the potential to be one of my favorite characters of all time in any medium. I can't wait to read it all.. I also hate westerners! Now you have me really excited as I'm watching the end of this video and you're talking about the newer trilogy. I was nervous to not have these characters that I'm falling in love with.

[@MJHaylett]

It just struck me I could complete a year of Abercrombie if I read the YA Trilogy. Just finished a reread of the first Trilogy and then a first read of the 7 books that came after. He joins the small ranks of Authors whom I would even consider reading 10 of their books, never mind in one year, but at all. Think I'll leave my year of Abercrombie to just The First Law. Glad you enjoyed The Heroes more this time round, of the standalones it's the one I would be most excited to reread, I enjoyed it that much the first time.

[@dmuse3813]

Love the sweatshirt! I am just now starting Part 2 of The Last Argument of Kings and have been loving (devouring!) the series. Thank you for praising his work and for saying the initial book’s plot is not what one is typically use to. His character work is phenomenal and some of the best I’ve ever read, so I never minded the “plot” structure. However, it was helpful to know what to expect going in. I appreciate it.

[@Gijs030]

Hey we’re on the same pace! Just started Part II today, it’s great

[@LienesLibrary]

I definitely think it's always good to have the right expectations going into anything, cuz even brilliant things can be ruined by the wrong expectations

[@Gijs030]

Update: finished part II of Last Argument of Kings, it was amazing. Any recommendations on where to go from here? Straight into the next trilogy or read the stand-alones next?

[@LienesLibrary]

@@Gijs030 standalones and Sharp Ends next!

[@Gijs030]

@@LienesLibrary Alright I'll order them asap! Great content you make btw, hope 2022 gets your channel well deserved growth!!

[@JoanaSousaReads]

I'm on sharp ends but you make me want to restart it all already. But I think I'll do that once I've finished sharp ends and the age of madness. You're the heroes review adjusted my expectations for that book and its my favorite of the standalones. I loved it so much.

[@LienesLibrary]

glad I could help you have a better experience with The Heroes! Age of Madness will blow you away...

[@JoanaSousaReads]

@@LienesLibrary oh i am fully expecting it to! i am waiting on Johanna now since she just finished the heroes and then we will read age of madness together =D

[@zurieledwards6188]

Beautiful and a great taste in books 😍😩

[@TheNerdyNarrative]

I will watch any and everything First Law from you!!! 💚 We have a lot of similar opinions, I’ve got a few different ones. Hmmm. Mayhaps I’ll do a quick ranking before I start a reread so I have a reference between read and first reread. 🤣 Shivers 😍

[@LienesLibrary]

yes do it! I love that you are also obsessed with FL makes me feel less crazy 😂

[@kittyshiv]

ooo excited to watch this, perfect timing! I'm on best served cold right now

[@LienesLibrary]

glad you're enjoying! so many great ones to go!

[@joelindley5113]

I think Before They Are Hanged is my personal favourite of the first trilogy because of Glokta's time in Dagoska. It's been the closest we've been to Gurkhul and if I remember rightly this book introduced my favourite mercenary Nicomo Cosca. My favourite of the standalones is The Heroes, mostly because I'm a sucker for a good battle and this is a great portrayal of a battle, not a skirmish or melee, a BATTLE. The quality of the second trilogy went up with each entry, Wisdom of Crowds being my favourite First Law book. Shattered Sea is fine but best to go into not expecting it to be as good as First Law. Apparently his next work is something different, all I've heard is it has multiple popes in it. Great sweater BTW, I need some First Law merch. Closest I got is a personalized mug with a picture of the Bloody Nine and the phrase "Say one thing about Logen Ninefingers, say he's a c*nt" from Amazon

[@LienesLibrary]

Glokta's time in Dagoska feels very much to me like it was inspired by Tyrion's plotline in Clash of Kings but Abercrombie definitely made it his own and, being the FL shill that I am, I'd venture to say that I prefer Glokta's 😋

[@joelindley5113]

@@LienesLibrary I compare the two characters a lot. Both very shrewd men and both broken, or seen as broken by others. Tyrion might be a little more moral but then the lines between good and bad are always more blurry in First Law than in ASoIaF

[@audiobookemperor]

Youre my go to First Law person but I really have to disagree about the original trilogy. From page one I knew I had something really unique in my hand. I loved the super slow plotting and the expansive character development. If I hadnt read ASOIAF, it would be my favorite series hands down. Granted, I havent read the second trilogy and am currently reading best served cold, but my first read of the original trilogy blew me away. Id love to see you do some character deep dives for the initiated and spoiler lovers. Maybe bring other people on to talk about them.

[@LienesLibrary]

the podcast episodes we're doing are deep/spoiler dives

[@angelamccollister]

It's so funny how we are kind of the opposite with FL. My favorite is The Heroes and Bremer dan Gorst is my second favorite character behind Logen. BSC is my least favorite (along with the short story collection). It put me in a reading slump. Red Country is ok. I still haven't read the Age of Madness trilogy so my rankings may change.

[@LienesLibrary]

Age of Madness is incredible and you'll get to see a bit of Gorst again hehe

[@johnmarks9994]

Even though I haven't read it, based on what she said about The Heroes, I think the battle IS the plot.

[@airlinesecret6725]

Enjoyed thanks, not quite my ranking but lovely to hear yours and the reasons.

[@LienesLibrary]

glad you enjoyed!

[@mhatt9773]

Was wondering when you'd finally get around to reading Abercrombie. Can't believe it took you this long.

[@LienesLibrary]

har har har 😛

[@mhatt9773]

@@LienesLibrary I freely admit my comment was a mixture of obvious and lame, but the fact your reply triggered the "Translate to English" option makes it all worthwhile.

[@LienesLibrary]

@@mhatt9773 🤣🤣🤣

[@VeronicasShelf]

I'm most likely going to reread The Heroes this year and I hope it is as you said, that when you know the intention it will be better. :)

[@LienesLibrary]

I hope so too!

[@peterjullien4987]

I read them all last year too! First Law is my love language 😅

[@LienesLibrary]

lol same

[@ariadneblue2201]

I honestly prefer the first trilogy over everything else from First Law. I am really struggling through The Trouble with Peace. It could be just college screwing with me, but I think it's also the characters. I know he writes 'unlikable' people, but I never hated any of his characters until Savine and f Leo. Would pay Ramsey to skin him. I'm glad you like Heroes more this time around. It's my favorite standalone from any series ever.

[@LienesLibrary]

agreed, Leo is the worst

[@qine6559]

I should do an Abercrombie year too! What an excellent idea! Only done 6 books! I love him!

[@LienesLibrary]

one can never have too many Abercrombie reads

[@artbyandia]

I only read the first law series once and with some time apart between certain books. I want to do a reread someday without letting so much time pass between books to see how much I changed my mind since the first read.

[@LienesLibrary]

it's also a lot easier to spot the little connections and easter eggs when you read it all back-to-back

[@niebieskie2]

You’re the reason I started reading JA. I recently had to put The Heroes down because the mood has left. I almost want to skip some and read the last trilogy

[@LienesLibrary]

noooooo! no skipping - the new trilogy is so much better if you've read everything that came before, particularly The Heroes

[@niebieskie2]

@@LienesLibrary ok, ok but only because you are the expert 😂

[@dallascowboyshighlights9632]

There are just too many books that I want to read for me to read anything more than once.

[@arlissbunny]

I tend to agree that authors who normally write novels rarely deliver fully realized short stories but there are short story specialists who kill in the form. Flannery O’Connor would be a common example but years ago I read Dance Me Outside, by William Kinsella, and it broke me. Kinsella can do more is a short story than most literary fiction authors can do in an entire book. Personally, I still much prefer epic fantasy because I like being immersed in the world for an extended time but weighing plot punch/word, it’s Kinsella every time. FYI, he’s also the author who wrote the book that the movie Field of Dreams is based upon. (The book was better.)

[@LienesLibrary]

i haven't seen Field of Dreams 🙈

[@paramerge1]

I actually enjoyed the shattered sea trilogy. The first 2 at least and thought Half the World was the best out of the 3. I haven’t read his adult works yet but planning to start The Blade Itself next month.

[@LienesLibrary]

I wonder if I'd been more impressed with Shattered Sea if my expectations hadn't been set so high by First Law

[@johnmarks9994]

Say one thing about Liene, say she loves Sand dan Glokta.

[@currangill430]

This is the material I watch for 😂

[@danielw8620]

If i have yet to read joe abercrombie but am definately interested should i read the first law trilogy first or the age of madness trilogy. Which do you recommend. I am leaning towards first law trilogy since it is great but you consider the latter to be better so i don't want to read the best of the best first then go back as it may take away from my opinion of the first law.

[@LienesLibrary]

I actually have a video on First Law reading order, but tldr: start with Blade Itself

[@BrokenWingman]

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he writes fantastic conclusions.

[@currangill430]

If Shattered Sea had been written for adults do you think it would have read better for you?

[@LienesLibrary]

I talked about that in my Shattered Sea video 🧡

[@currangill430]

@@LienesLibrary So yes is the answer. Honestly though, this was better writing than the Vikings show post Ragnar (I don't know if you've watched Vikings).

[@angelamccollister]

Your sweatshirt! 🤣