Before They Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

There was plenty of action in Before They Are Hanged, at least in part 2. Part 1 was kind of slow at times. But whether it was full of bloody, bone-snapping action or not, I found it dragged for me most of the time. I skimmed, I took breaks to read other books and came back, and then I finally forced myself to make it through and be done with it.

I could somewhat appreciate the first book of this series, even though it wasn't really my cup of tea. But this second book was all grit and toiling, and everything going badly for pretty much everyone. I can't think of a single sliver of positive. Any hope that you might be foolish enough to feel is systematically squashed (although I didn't hope anyway because it was too bleak for me to feel anything).

It's too much for me. I can't continue. I don't even care what happens in the end anymore. All I feel is relief that I don't have to read it anymore, and some perverse satisfaction that I didn't quit and leave myself another 'didn't finish', which I hate doing. Unfortunately, I don't feel that perseverance paid off this time. The end really wasn't worth it to me.

I can recognize the value of this type of fantasy existing - the gritty, dark, realistic sort that at least offers a fresh approach for readers who are tired of the classic heroic style. I personally prefer the classic heroic style, though. I haven't tired of the good vs. evil, farm-boy becomes hero type of plot yet. I don't worry about it being repetitive because there's always something new about the world or the magic system or the characters. Those are a great escape. This is not. I will be cautious in the future about reading anything with the world 'gritty' in the description. This is not a sub-genre that I can dig into.