Before They Are Hanged
by Joe Abercrombie
Fiction
The second novel in the wildly popular First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie. Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run -- if he could even walk without a stick. Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem -- he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world. And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters -- if they didn't hate each other quite so much. Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven -- but not before they are hanged. First Law Trilogy The Blade Itself Before They Are Hanged Last Argument of Kings For more from Joe Abercrombie, check out: Novels in the First Law world Best Served Cold The Heroes Red Country
Echoes
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Echoes summary
The echoes surrounding Joe Abercrombie's "Before They Are Hanged" reveal a fascinating interplay of thematic resonance, particularly when juxtaposed with J. R. R. Tolkien's foundational work, "The Fellowship of the Ring." Both novels, despite their vastly different tones and approaches to epic fantasy, tap into a shared vein of the profound burden of responsibility and the often reluctant nature of heroism. Readers who find themselves drawn to the grim pragmatism and moral ambiguity of Abercrombie's world often discover a similar, albeit more overtly optimistic, exploration of what it means to face overwhelming odds in Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring." The connection is not superficial; it lies in the core human experience of being thrust into circumstances far larger than oneself, a theme that binds these seemingly disparate narratives.
In "Before They Are Hanged," the weight of the world rests precariously on the shoulders of flawed, often unsympathetic characters. Superior Glokta, a man literally broken by his past, is tasked with defending a crumbling city, a testament to the idea that even the most compromised individuals can be essential in times of crisis. Crown Prince Ladisla, hobbled by managing a woefully inept army, embodies the struggle of leadership when competence is a luxury not afforded. Their journeys, fraught with betrayal and desperation, mirror the inherent challenges of any quest, echoing the sentiment found at the beginning of "The Fellowship of the Ring," where the seemingly ordinary hobbits are tasked with a destiny that dwarfs their humble origins. The connection deepens when considering the "perilous mission through the ruins of the past" undertaken by Bayaz and his companions. This echoes the epic journey Frodo and his companions embark upon in "The Fellowship of the Ring," a quest that necessitates traversing dangerous lands and confronting ancient evils. Both narratives highlight the sacrifice and sheer endurance required when the fate of entire peoples hangs in the balance, and the inherent difficulty of forging unity amongst disparate individuals, a challenge that plagues both the Fellowship and the unlikely alliance in Abercrombie's work.
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