ranking The First Law🩸🗡️ all 11 BOOKS *spoiler-free*

[@9thimmortal]

The stand alones were my favorite - the call backs are always awesome. The Heroes prob is my favorite book of all time, any genre, which is saying something. Love that almost everyone is a shade of grey in the books.

[@valliyarnl]

VERY GOOD TAKE

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Love this! I've only read the original First Law Trilogy but you've got me hyped for the rest of the books, especially the standalones.

[@valliyarnl]

Hope you enjoy them!

[@Ghbhubghb]

ik this is unpopular but Red Country was my favorite standalone. I love the western vibe and i think that the cumbersome atmosphere really suited it! Also liked how it tied in to Age of Madness ;)

[@valliyarnl]

I know exactly what you meant about the AoM tie in. IT WAS AHHH love 🥰

[@AttaMan]

I red it multiple years before realizing it was even a part of a series and it’s easily the most memorable for me.

[@CountBoris45]

1. Last argument of kings 2. The Heroes 3. The trouble with peace 4. Before they are hanged 5. Best served cold 6. A little hatred 7. Wisdom of crowds 8. The blade itself 9. Sharp ends 10. Red Country Jezal, Orso, Savine, Collem West, Glokta, Gorst, and Jonas Clover are my favourite POV characters

[@Corlwow]

My Favourite First Law Books: Best Served Cold Last Argument of Kings The Heroes The Trouble With Peace The Wisdom of Crowds Before They Are Hanged A Little Hatred The Blade Itself Red Country Sharp Ends I have but need to read the Great Change

[@beatricesekula-petukhov2352]

Oh my god I love Joe Abercrombie! Great video Wera! 👍❤️

[@valliyarnl]

Thanks girl!!!

[@maja.z.pszczola]

Sounds great! Maybe I’ll give it a try if I have time ☺️❤

[@valliyarnl]

Definitely do! The audiobooks are FANTASTIC and available on Storytel (not sponsored obviously hehe I just really like their student plan) and I’d truly commit to the full trilogy in one go!

[@marginsofmarisa]

Loooove a tier ranking video 😌 even tho I’m not familiar who Joe Abercrombie at all 🫣 will def look into it now! 💗

[@valliyarnl]

I'm so shocked you haven't heard of him! He's very popular. Definitely check him out if you like gritty character-focused fantasy :)

[@marginsofmarisa]

@@valliyarnl probably because I’ve barely dipped my toe into fantasy 😳 hahaha I do like character driven books though!

[@valliyarnl]

I would do ANYTHING for Jezal and Prince Orso

[@Talking_Story]

Great video. I have just got past the first trilogy. I gotta grab the stand alones soon. Welcome to the community by the way.

[@valliyarnl]

Definitely do be sure to check the standalones out! And thank you for welcoming me 🫶🏻

[@forevermarked5826]

So glad i jist found this channel! I love reading books, and ive read the first law and some of the second and loved it and Joes writing style, ive been dying to continue and this just made me order some. That being said, your personality is a treat and very adorable 🥰 also absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I dont want to be crushing on a woman i never met! Ahhhh. But will be checking out your other videos! Ive gone a bit without reading until very recently . Just got the first Stormlight book and glad im back reading so this was oerfect channel and time to find thus. this.

[@valliyarnl]

Ahhhh so glad you like Joe and I hope you enjoy Stormlight too!! I’ll be making a few Sanderson videos closer to SA5 😄

[@williamhowells7651]

I’m only at the start of book three in the series…but I’m already hooked. Your energy and enthusiasm are exact portrayals of how I feel so far… Thank you for alerting me to what the rest of the books are like. It’s really nice to hear from someone who “gets it” 😄…

[@valliyarnl]

Yessss oh my gosh I hope you enjoy the rest of the series!!! I want to do more videos on First Law because I love love love it so much. And just get ready for Age of Madness it is probably the best trilogy I’ve ever read 🥰🥰🥰

[@williamhowells7651]

@@valliyarnl I would LOVE to hear your thoughts in way more detail (with spoilers) on the first few books in First Law. I hate not having anyone to discuss their greatness with.☹️ Haha Thanks again for sharing with us…

[@pavlinaivanova4574]

Life will never be the same, amazing books, I cant wait for The Devils. ❤

[@valliyarnl]

I’m this 🤏🏻 close to emailing his publisher and begging for an ARC

[@richardcoupe1017]

Excellent video! Very well done. The audio books are awesome as well

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you! I listened to almost all the books on audio and wow Steven Pacey is incredible

[@tragicallycanadian8317]

Ah man, you hyped up this series so much that I went to go get it from the library...and it's like a 16 week wait.

[@valliyarnl]

Oh noooo that’s tragic (pardon the pun), but I hope you enjoy it in 16 weeks haha

[@elliott9995]

I've read up to the Age of Madness so it's great to know you think so highly of the latest trilogy. Awesome video

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you!

[@ibib2449]

Before they are hanged was the first book i read in this series, all because my mum is a huge fan of Abercrombie and was reading the book at the time, so i just randomly took it one day and started reading it. Fell in love with it and absolutely loved the inquisitors shenanigans alongside costa XD Made me read Served Cold last summer and i plan to keep going from there! Loved the video ❤

[@valliyarnl]

oh wow you skipped the blade itself?? how was that??

[@ibib2449]

@@valliyarnl sadly yes because i literally went through before they were hanged in a few days, i loved it that much. I do regret not reading the blade itself before going to read best served cold (even tho techincally it is a standalone), but i will defo read it this summer!

[@valliyarnl]

@@ibib2449 this is the craziest secret forbidden reading order... did you read Last Argument of Kings?? im both in awe and terrified of you

[@ibib2449]

@@valliyarnl its absolutely heretical i know 😂 I usually read books in a normal order of course, its just that this was a very random phase that i had for whatever reason. Did not read the last argument of kings yet, i will after i am done with the blade itself so i can round up the story normally 😂😂

[@valliyarnl]

@@ibib2449 wait…. AND YOURE DOING BSC BEFORE ?!? 😱 dude you’re like the final boss of reading

[@user-oo1fm3ok6i]

This video is like a rollercoaster ride of emotions! One minute you're laughing because you can't believe Wera cried over a revenge story with a sassy mercenary, and the next minute you're worried because she might need therapy after reading the ending of the age of Madness trilogy. Also, who knew Joe Abercrombie could be so life-changing? Maybe he should come with a trigger warning for emotional investment. 😂 But seriously, this was a fantastic ranking. Thanks for sharing your love for the First Law world!

[@valliyarnl]

thank you Dylan for this comment! Your comments always make me smile. and yes JOE ABERCROMBIE IS LIFE CHANGING

[@Ghbhubghb]

Real

[@beatriceonbooks]

This series has been on my tbr from the beginning of my reading journey :)) Can't wait to start it this year 🙂✨️

[@valliyarnl]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@The_sound_Of_Thunder]

Need to get back to the series, think I read the first four and they were excellent, fairly original and I really liked the perspective of the torturer. Joe then did some teen books and I tuned out for a while.

[@valliyarnl]

Definitely come back because what he crafts here is just breathtaking!

[@The_sound_Of_Thunder]

@@valliyarnl Well Wera, then Im looking forward to reading the rest, not much has been able to hook me recently, glad you brought this up, Cheers!

[@Corlwow]

If people were to name a first law MAIN character (a silly but fun question) - I would argue Shivers over Glokta xD

[@valliyarnl]

Ooooo good one!

[@KALtheHighstorm117]

Man, I really need to read Abercrombie. I'm a very character driven reader, so I think that his style is going to be perfect for me! Especially since we both love Sanderson (as you can probably tell from the profile pic lol), and you're saying that Abercrombie has almost taken his spot as your favorite. Also , how dare you?! A 2toRamble enjoyer using star ratings? Inconceivable!!!

[@valliyarnl]

Ok so. I think. I like Joes writing style way more than Sanderson but I enjoy what Sando is creating with the Cosmere more if that makes sense. These two are VERY different but characters are definitely central to both authors. Abt the star ratings: Democracy is cringe and thus I shall rate novels according to how they teeter my totter 😌😜

[@KALtheHighstorm117]

​@@valliyarnlThat is the perfect response to that criticism! 😂 And what you were saying about Joe and Sando is pretty similar to my feelings about Sando and Robin Hobb. Stormlight is my favorite series, but I absolutely adore Robin Hobb's writing style, prose, and characterization. Contradictory to that, however, Kaladin is my favorite character across all fantasy series. Picking favorites is hard lol

[@valliyarnl]

@@KALtheHighstorm117 I need to tackle Robin Hobb ASAP it’s so embarrassing I haven’t yet…

[@KALtheHighstorm117]

@@valliyarnl She's amazing. I've only read the Farseer Trilogy so far, but it was fantastic! Hobb, Sanderson, and John Gwynne are definitely my top 3!

[@valliyarnl]

@@KALtheHighstorm117 oooo John Gwynne is the other one I need to get to but I’m waiting until I shadow of the gods trilogy is complete later this year so I can marathon it :)

[@wederator2152]

I almost drop the series (the bade itself is very introductory) but i went through and has become one of my favorite series. Rereading it right now and i love it even more.

[@valliyarnl]

Exactly!! After book 1 I thought “this is what the hype is all about?” But oh man I’m so glad I continued. I heard there is so much foreshadowing in TBI so I can’t wait to reread it in the future (the tension between me and relistening to TWoC is palpable)

[@lukemurphy232]

Excellent video✅ Cant wait to finally get around to the second book!

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!

[@JonahLobeDraws]

Loved these books, they were incredible. Some got me down more than others, and I sort of stopped reading them for a while, because they felt so cynical. But I'm glad I picked back up, they're tremendous. And the audio-book versions are absolutely stellar.

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you so much for commenting! I am in awe that you watched my video because Skyrim was one of the early things that got me into fantasy and I found it through fan art of the creatures and armors! Thank you for being such an influence for me 😄

[@JonahLobeDraws]

@@valliyarnl My pleasure! Thanks for creating great content in the form of these reviews. I'm always looking for good recommendations - especially for audiobooks while I work - and I appreciate how thorough you are with these.

[@theblackberseker1978]

This has convinced me to continue with the series, I was underwhelmed by the lack of anything in book 1

[@valliyarnl]

Aww I’m so glad I did! Trust me I know what you mean by underwhelmed bc I was a bit as well. BUT I did some research and found out that the entire trilogy was written in one go and then divided into 3 books kind of like Lord of the Rings so I forced myself to push through and wow 🤩 Alternatively you could try Best Served Cold and see if it speaks to you!

[@tonkabeanicecream5698]

I originally read the first book after seeing all the hype on booktube for like a year. I am a heavy plot reader and found it was borderline pointless of a book, I however kept pushing and read the second then the third. Finished the trilogy and just thought, well that was kind of a waste of time. For some reason I couldn't stop thinking about it though. Two months later im reading them again and enjoying them more the second time but still feel valid about my original opinions, this time I went straight on and read all three standalones after and loved two of them. The following year I reread the first trilogy, then all three standalones, the short story collection, then the age of madness trilogy. The following year I read everything all of again.

[@runningcommentary2125]

Something I realised upon re-reading Best Served Cold was what a vile man Benna was. I missed it the first time around, but he really is just a disgusting character.

[@valliyarnl]

absolutely. that was one of my favorite parts of the book slowly getting the "cute younger sibling" stereotype be deconstructed.

[@hewhospeaksoftales]

Great video! I really should pick up The Heroes soon! It’s been on my shelf staring at me for months.

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you! Definitely give it a try it’s a gorgeous novel

[@derkeks3591]

alright imma need a ranking of the realm of the elderings please. aand i'm kinda the same as you i take so long to get through best served cold. i enjoyed the first trilogie but this book is just draining

[@valliyarnl]

It’s sooo embarrassing but I haven’t read Robin Hobb yet 💀💀💀 I WILL I PROMISE and I think I’ll take each trilogy and make a dune/3bodyproblemb style video on it (and then rank when I’m done with all of them) Thank u for validating my feelings on best served cold 😁

[@TF-lk6co]

So far I've completed the original trilogy and Best Served Cold. I want to hear the 44-minute voicemail.

[@valliyarnl]

Haha I actually scrolled back thru my messages and it’s still there 😅 it’s just me low-key mentally breaking down while trying to be quiet as I sat outside my library during exam season… I hope you LOVE The Heroes, I sure did ;)

[@TF-lk6co]

@@valliyarnl Sounds like some great Patreon-exclusive content (or an Onlyfans where you tell us what you REALLY think about certain books and authors). I didn't love Best Served Cold but am looking forward to Heroes and the Age of Madness trilogy after seeing your video.

[@valliyarnl]

@@TF-lk6co age of Madness is amazing. … but I’m not starting an OnlyFans 💀

[@RDsLibrary]

Great video! Interesting to hear your thoughts and see your ranking. I have the same bottom 2 (but still enjoyed them) for the same reasons, though the Shev and Javre stories were my faves, and it was great to have more Whirrun and Friendly. I'm undecided about Logan's story. It shed new light on the character, yet made him more unlikeable. The Heroes is also my favourite of the 'standalones', though I love BSC. It's hard to separate the individual books from the story they tell over 3 books, but I preferred the first two AoM books to WoC, which I had a couple of small issues with despite giving it 5*. I love the first trilogy because of its cynicism, trope subversion and the mystery of the magic, but AoM had more a more intriguing plot and flowed better even though it relied on the first trilogy for a lot of the groundwork. I don't think Joe's written a bad book. Considering how WoC ended, I'm desperate to jump back into the world, but his new book sounds pretty good. Fave characters are probably Rikke and Orso, both for their humour. I love Orso's self-deprecation and desire to do good, but Rikke's sarcasm and pragmatism are a great contrast. Or maybe it's Cosca or Clover in small doses? They're all so good. Sorry for the long comment - it's favourite series, particularly on audio.

[@valliyarnl]

thank you for your comment! (here's a long one incoming) About my bottom 2: I definitely Sharp ends (rating wise it is higher for me than The Blade Itself, but in the video I was going on my personal enjoyment/impact) but I'd say I struggled so much with Red Country that it is really on the edge for me. if i do a reread idk if I will not just skip it bc Westerns are really not my thing... About Shev and Javra i think that a few of their short stories were truly the best of the whole book. like the one where Shev goes to save Javra and it is a trap? LOVED IT. but the one where they meet was ehh for me. I'm surprised that they're not talked about more though and I would love for them to have a cameo down the line. I think in the minority where I like Logan's story more than Glokta's but I wonder if it's the fact that we get it from Bethold's POV and I find how he is presented from different character's perspectives very interesting throughout the series (especially also after we see Caurib in AoM), so it was very cool to see inside his head and that he truly wanted a better North :(. What you say about the First Law and its trope subversion, YES absolutely. You can really see how well researched Joe is because he knows how to write the tropes so well and then flip them on their head at the end. I too don't think Joe has written a bad book and I want to delve into his Half a King series. have you read them? I'm excited for the Devils (his new work) especially since it is set in a historical alternate version of our real world and I wonder how that will influence Joe's world-building. Orso... man.... it has been a WHILE since a character has touched me so much. I cannot belive that this man had me rooting for incest by the end. I'd say my favorite girl in AoM is Savine (stereotypical i know) but WOW especially how manipulative she became in TWoC. I did love Rikke and Vick though too. What you said about the contrast of her sarcasm and pragmatism was very true. I think it also ties into how she ultimately betrays Orso in the end. What a fascinating arc she had. thank you once again for this comment. I literally have no one in my day to day that has read Joe's work so i loved reading your thoughts (and sorry for the essay you got in return). Do let me know what you thought of Half a King if you read it!

[@RDsLibrary]

@@valliyarnl No, thanks for essay. I love talking Abercrombie with a fellow fan. I totally get your point about Savine. I loved her cleverness at the start, and enjoyed how manipulative she became (while being manipulated herself by more experienced players of the game). I liked Half and King and the rest of the Shattered Sea trilogy, but it's (deliberately) YA and comes across as Abercrombie-light. The humour is still there but less prominent, and the MC in the first book has Glokta-like touches, but he's not as complex. There isn't the array of great characters who feel very different from each other. For me, all the books were 3 to 3.5* level, whereas The First law are all 4 or mostly 5. It's aimed at a difference audience and does play into some YA tropes. I don't mind YA, but it feels as though he's limiting himself by writing within the constraints of YA. I'd suggest reading it after a break form The First Law when you are not expecting much, but you might well enjoy it straight off. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you decide to pick it up.

[@valliyarnl]

@@RDsLibrary thanks for the advice on the YA series :)

[@ducky36F]

Yeah Before they are Hanged and Best Served Cold broke my brain

[@valliyarnl]

Before they are Hanged is soooo underrated!

[@knotslip8862]

Hello. Great rating of these books...except, I think I liked Red Country way more than you did. It was my favorite of the 3 stand alones. Im on The Wisdom of Crowds now and about 60% of the way through it. Im really enjoying this trilogy. Going to read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch next then move on to The Three Body Problem. Gonna subscribe to your channel so I can follow your reviews...Seems we are reading a lot of the same books. Keep up the great work!

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you so much! I hope you love Dark Matter and The Three Body Problem (MAKE SURE TO IMMEDIATELY READ BOOK 2 BECAUSE IT IS PERFECTION).

[@KyleLGlasgow]

Completely agree, The Heroes was AWESOME!

[@valliyarnl]

HEROES SUPREMACY!!!

[@statictech7]

This is a great channel

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you 🥹

[@tonieja8814]

Jak dla mnie to najlepsza seria fantazy od czasów Wiedźmina

[@valliyarnl]

Na 100%. W moim następnym filmiku (spoiler haha) ktoś mnie zapytał jaką serię bym poleciła fanom Wiedźmina i bez dwóch zdań polecam twórczość Joe Abercrombie. Jeśli chodzi o klimat, subwersywną fabułę, i humor to Abercrombie i Sapkowski myślę “go hand in hand” jak to się mówi po angielsku 😊

[@armaanwalli7058]

So amazing love your videos🔥🔥🔥

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you 🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@stevecanada4830]

I definitely want to read these now.. I have the first book waiting in my library but want to finish Oathbringer first..

[@valliyarnl]

i love Oathbringer! what are your thoughts so far? if you do end up reading this series (i forgot to mention it in the video but) the trilogy was written as one story that was then split up (kind of like Lord of the Rings) so I would really encourage you reading them all in one go especially since book 1 is mostly set up :) Happy reading!

[@stevecanada4830]

I’m only about a third into it, and had stopped a year ago to reread Wheel of Time on audiobooks with my 91 year old mother(our favorite books! Which you probably figured out already! Haha) she started rereading again and I’m trying to get back into oathbringer now.. loved book 1 &2.. Bridge 4! I also really enjoyed the mistborn series! How did you like those?

[@valliyarnl]

@@stevecanada4830 I’m a huge Sanderson fan so I adored Mistborn as well! Congrats to your mother on reading the Wheel of Time! I hope she enjoys it 😄

[@stevecanada4830]

She loves it, 3rd time through.. favorite character? Lan Mandragoran, Mat close 2nd! Keep up the awesome work Wera!

[@ptcomp1196]

You should read Donald Ray Pollock a read. Devil all the Time, knockemstiff and Heavenly Table are great books. Hard to find a good book after those...

[@valliyarnl]

I read the Devil all the Time and really enjoyed it! I haven't heard of those works so I'll definitely look into them. Thank you for the recommendation 😄

[@ptcomp1196]

@@valliyarnl definitely worth the time 😎

[@bauman921]

If your favorite characters aren't a cripple and a bloody madman you are just plain wrong. and the blade itself is criminally underrated in your list.

[@valliyarnl]

In this house we support all of Gloktas rights and all of Gloktas wrongs