These books are so good, I can't even properly express myself. So many different characters in this book, yet every voice is quite distinguished apart from others.

You have to be realistic. Joe Abercrombie has crafted, once again a beautiful First Law Novel. I try not to compare books that are clearly different in terms of intentions, and I think Joe makes that both terribly easy and hard. All of his books he has written (especially the First Law ones), have been exceptional, and with each new entry into the series I find difficulty saying which one is the best or which one I like the most, because they are all so good. If you have never read a First Law series and you enjoy darker material then typical fantasy stories, then you really should.

The Heroes is probably the best war fantasy novel I have ever read. The way Joe writes his characters struggles and choices is superb, he draws in your attention and doesn't let go. All seven of the primary characters, and all the returning names from past novels are so wonderfully crafted that you fall in love with the new ones as hard as the old.

The Heroes takes place at the Heroes hill, where the North men and the Union are fighting for supremacy of the area. The Northmen, who have been in constant battle for years with many growing weary, and the Union who have larger problems with the rise and separation of Styria both want to end the battle quickly. This three day battle is grounded in reality with light touches of fantasy, as all soldiers suffer the consequences of prideful leadership.

"I’d also point out loyalty’s a dangerous foundation. Tends to wash away in a storm. Self-interest stands in any weather.’ "

"Whirrun clapped a hand to his chest. ‘Wouldn’t dream of putting myself in between two lovers.’ "

"Death is a bored clerk, with too many orders to fill. There is no reckoning. No profound moment. It creeps up on us from behind, and snatches us away while we shit."

"Always do the right thing sounds an easy rule to stick to. But when’s the right thing the wrong thing? That’s the question."

Summary
War in the north. The Union forces are tired and their morale is low with no end to the war in sight, until an end is demanded by his August Majesty.

The northern troops are little better. Black Dow, who is said to have stolen the throne from the Bloody Nine, is losing his grip on the north, and he knows it.

After three days of fighting, we find out quickly who The Heroes really are.

Initial Thoughts
I'll be honest, this was the first Joe Abercrombie book to take me a while to really start enjoying. At the beginning of the book it felt like I was introduced to a new set of characters at the beginning of each chapter, which was really overwhelming.

That changed when I started to look at this book like a season of 24. If you've never seen 24, it's about a government agent named Jack Bauer who uncovers and stops a terrorist plot in 24 hours each season. Every episode is in real time, so you would constantly be going back and forth between sets of characters and their arcs. Once I realized that's pretty much what this was, I started to enjoy it a lot more.

Final Thoughts
Overall I had a great time reading this one. Joe Abercrombie has yet to write a bad book, and his character work really flourishes in this book. At times there are entire chapters where it feels like he's just showing off, but you're content to let him keep going. We get multiple arcs in this book. We have coming of age, redeemed villain, and old veteran who just wants to retire among others.

Would I recommend it?
Yes, but it's the 5th book in The First Law world, so I wouldn't recommend starting this one. If you have read The First Law trilogy and Best Served Cold, definitely give it a go! You're clearly invested enough in this series to keep going.