Reviews with content warning for Rape - Junaci

This book has me conflicted. JA gets you so connected to the characters and so entrenched in the battle that when the plot seems to kind of sputter to an end you feel left wanting more. Maybe it's just the futility of war, but the story of this one was my least favourite of his so far. Still a 4 mostly for JA's typically wonderful character work. You do have to be realistic about this sort of thing.

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janbabs's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I don't know quite what to make of this one. It's a First Law novel, so of course it was highly enjoyable and often very funny. However, with it only taking place over 3 days, and following the course of one battle, it lacked the usual plot-heavy momentum of the previous books. It was like a slice-of-life/vignette of a larger story and felt like a place-holder for what's to come. The characters were brilliant as always. Shivers' descent into cold-hearted existentialism develops further, and I particularly enjoyed Bremer dan Gorst's arc. This has left me wanting more, which I suspect was exactly the point!

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mylkyjo's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

As with all Abercrombie books, they're a mixed experience while reading.

At times, the darkness of Abercrombie's characters can be hard to get on board with. However, in The Heroes, we have the pleasure of reading some of the best and most memorable characters so far. Gorst, for example, may be one of the most unexpectedly wild POV characters I've ever experienced.

The Heroes is a poignant examination of war and soldiering and if you've enjoyed Abercrombie's writing before, you are in for a treat.

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narsere's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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hans_gougar's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think this is my new favorite Abercrombie. I loved it.

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mikeypwest's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book was amazing and a great entry in the First Law series. Definitely one of my favorites so far.

Pros:
+ As usual, the characters shine in this. I don't think I found any character boring (unlike the previous installment).
+ The pacing and plotting was perfect. 5/5 there.
+ Dark humor is great, as usual.
+ The philosophy/theming was great. So many things to ponder about war, conflict, life, and peace.

Cons:
- I felt the word/term 'hero' was thrown around a little too much. It felt really heavy-handed and annoying by the end.
- I was a little let down by one POV character's involvement in the plot (

Tunny

)

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