You know that feeling when you finish a book and immediately want to call all your friends to gush about it? That’s exactly how I felt after finishing Before They Are Hanged. After reviewing The Blade Itself last week, I dove straight into this one, and wow – Abercrombie has somehow managed to make an already excellent series even better.
The character development in this book is absolutely phenomenal. Remember how I mentioned in my review of The Blade Itself that I loved morally complex characters? Well, this book takes that complexity and cranks it up to eleven. I found myself staying up way too late, telling myself “just one more chapter” because I needed to see what would happen next with these delightfully awful people.
Let’s talk about Glokta, who continues to be my favorite character. His chapters are like watching a master class in character writing. The way Abercrombie peels back his layers to reveal something almost resembling a heart underneath all that cynicism and cruelty is just chef’s kiss. It reminds me of the way my favorite wuxia novels would gradually reveal the humanity in their seemingly irredeemable characters.
And then there’s Jezal! Remember how much of a pompous jerk he was in the first book? His transformation in this one had me completely invested. It’s like watching someone who’s never had to work for anything in their life suddenly realize the world doesn’t revolve around them. The way Abercrombie handles this character development is masterful – it’s gradual, believable, and sometimes painfully realistic.
The story feels much tighter this time around, with three main plotlines that kept me thoroughly engaged. Unlike the first book where some viewpoints felt a bit disconnected, everything here feels purposeful and interconnected. I found myself equally invested in all the storylines, which is quite rare for me – usually I’m tempted to skim some POVs to get back to my favorites, but not here!
I have to mention the relationships in this book, particularly between Ferro and Logen. It’s so refreshing to see a romance (if you can call it that) that isn’t about instant attraction or perfect chemistry. Instead, we get something raw and real – two damaged people slowly learning to trust each other. It made me think of my parents’ stories about arranged marriages in their village, where love wasn’t about passion but about slowly building trust and understanding.
The world-building expands beautifully in this installment. We get to see more of this grim world beyond the Union, and each new location feels distinct and lived-in. The way Abercrombie describes these places reminded me of how my grandmother would tell stories about her hometown – not just the sights, but the feelings and atmosphere of being there.
Now, I should mention that this book is definitely not for everyone. It’s dark – really dark. There’s violence, torture, and some seriously uncomfortable moments. But what makes it work is how Abercrombie balances this darkness with moments of surprising humanity and even humor. It’s like eating super spicy mapo tofu – it burns, but you can’t stop coming back for more!
The pacing might feel slow to some readers, but I found it perfect for what the story needed to accomplish. This isn’t a book about racing from one action scene to the next – it’s about watching these characters grow, change, and sometimes regress in believable ways.
I finished this book feeling both satisfied and desperate for more. It’s rare to find a middle book in a trilogy that doesn’t suffer from “middle book syndrome,” but Before They Are Hanged actually improves upon its predecessor. I’m already eyeing the third book on my shelf, but I’m also trying to savor this experience because I know I can only read it for the first time once.
If you enjoyed The Blade Itself, you absolutely need to continue with this one. And if you haven’t started this series yet – what are you waiting for? Just make sure you have plenty of tea and snacks ready, because once you start, you won’t want to stop!
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