Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

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Summary They laugh, cry and break wind, they're as real as fictional characters get.

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 trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run - if he could even walk without a stick - and Inquisitor Glokta needs answers before the Gurkish army comes knocking at the gates.

This is the second book in the First Law Trilogy and after an electric start in 'The Blade Itself' it does not disappoint.

Before They Are Hanged continues to follow the three main characters of Logan Nine Fingers, Jezel dan Luthar and Inquisitor Glokta and as well as developing these characters we see some of the sub characters of the first book begin to develop their own storylines.

War continues to rage in the North, with Bethod's Army fighting for Angland and the Union Army trying to defend their hold, however, Bethod seems to have help of an otherworldly kind. Glokta has been sent to the South to defend the Union strong hold of Dagoska, but just how much does the Union really want to keep this city? What has happened to the previous Superior that Glokta has been sent to replace and will he accept an offer that looks like he can't but should refuse? In the meantime Logan and Jezel have begun a quest, somewhat reluctantly on Jezel's part, at the behest of the Bayaz, First of the Magi, with some rather interesting companions to locate a missing relic of the Dark Art that could change the outcome of everyone's future.

This second book continues to weave it's plot lines at such a thumping pace, with political intrigue, masses of humour, plenty of bloody battles with healthy dollops of gore and some real thrilling edge of your seat twists, that you'll find it hard not to try and read it in one sitting.

I absolutely love this book, it does what a sequel should and submerges you deeper into the plots and characters. You feel by now that you really know these people, you care about them and what happens to them and I love that they're three dimensional, they have moods and selfish moments, they laugh, cry and break wind, they're as real as fictional characters get. The humour is wonderful, self depreciating and funny as hell. My husband got a bit niggly as I kept laughing out loud whilst reading, which I appreciate can be a bit annoying but I fully expect him do the same when he reads it.

Having read The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged I can hardly wait for 20th March 2008 and the final installment in the First Law Trilogy, Last Argument of Kings. I think it goes without saying having read this review that two books in and I'm now a huge fan of Mr. Abercrombie who has a very refreshing and most entertaining style of story telling. I would recommend these books to anyone as I think there is something for everyone and you just don't get wonderful characters like this very often. So, only three more months to wait; obviously I've already read the extract of Last Argument of Kings on Joeabercrombie.com, which has only served to make the release date seem an eternity away, but as it's unlikely that I'll some how manage to wangle an advanced copy.. (worth a try) I shall have to patiently await it's release and get my pre-order into Amazon without delay!