…The Heroes
“War’s ninety-nine parts boredom and, now and then, one part arse-opening terror.”
Joe Abercrombie has earned a reputation for writing gritty, intense fantasy that’s unafraid to deconstruct and reexamine the old fantasy tropes. I’m glad to say, “Joe’s back,” this time with The Heroes, another standalone novel set in the world of The First Law trilogy. He didn’t even make us wait a whole year after his gory revenge epic, Best Served Cold. Now that’s nice of him. Best Served Cold was a violent, exhilarating tale of merciless vengeance, and The Heroes promises to deliver plenty more of the same.
The Heroes’ structure couldn’t be simpler: one battle, three heroes, three days. But prepare to be amazed by how much depth and growth can occur in three bloody days. The opening hundred pages document the lead up to the Battle of Osrung and introduce the major protagonists we’ll be following through a hail of arrows, spears, and swords. Abercrombie serves up an entire smorgasbord of heroes, however you like them: Bremer dan Gorst with his brawn and raw brutality, the conniving northern Prince Calder, foolish young Beck, eager to earn his name, the long-serving and long-surviving Corporal Tunny, or perhaps the scheming wife Finree dan Brock. Take your pick. However, be warned: just being a hero doesn’t imply perfection. Bremer is a narcissistic prick too timid to speak his mind, Beck’s inexperience endangers himself and his comrades, and Calder’s cowardice leaves him less freedom than the pawn on a chessboard.
But Curnden Craw, a Named Man with his own dozen, won my loyalty from the beginning. In The First Law trilogy, the exploits of Dog Man and his dozen were some of the most exciting story elements; what sort of trouble can ten dangerous men find, or fix? Major events often hinge on the actions of a few, in the right place at the right time. Entire wars are won or lost thanks to a critical piece of information, a crucial piece of territory seized, or one man’s spilt blood. Curnden, an honorable but aging/aching warrior, leads his dozen in service to the Protector of the North, Black Dow. The Named Men in his dozen cover the bases without ever becoming cartoonish cookie-cutter caricatures: Wonderful, second to Craw and a fierce warrior woman, the half-mad Whirrun of Bligh who commands the Father of Swords, never to be sheathed until it has tasted blood, Jolly Yon, Agrick, Brack, Drofd. Each combatant carries their own story, as does every single soldier on every side of a battlefield. Discovering their myriad lives promises to be a joy, but battles kill, so expect the sorrow of saying farewell to all those people you were just starting to like.