Joe Abercrombie's BEST SERVED COLD is a bloody and relentless epic of vengeance and obsession in the grand tradition, a kind of splatterpunk sword 'n sorcery COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, Dumas by way of Moorcock. His cast features tyrants and torturers, a pair of poisoners, a serial killer, a treacherous drunk, a red-handed warrior and a blood-soaked mercenary captain. And those are the good guys. Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, could teach even Gully Foyle and Kirth Gerson a few things about revenge. The battles are vivid and visceral, the action brutal, the pace headlong, and Abercrombie piles the betrayals, reversals, and plot twists one atop another to keep us guessing how it will all come out. This is his best book yet. All that's missing is a map.- GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
15 commentaires:
cant wait to read this
I guess this would be the spot to ask this, with the US release fast approaching: I absolutely HATE the US cover and was thinking of just ordering the UK version from bookdespoitory, but I also want to help Joe's stateside numbers. If I purchase the import will I, as I assume so, be cpontributing to the UK sales?
It's also nice to see GRRM swallow his pride and acknowledge the overwhelming talent of his handsomer and Britisher(?) better. (How was that Joe? :P )
The map bit cracked me up.
Abercrombie is outstanding and his Best Served Cold stands well above most of the other fantasy produced so far this year. More importantly, he turns in his manuscripts on time and meets his publishing deadlines unlike certain other authors who shall remain nameless (*cough* GRRM, Rothfuss, Lynch, Peter Brett, Richard Morgan...*cough*). Mind you, I wouldn't mind if Abercrombie was late for a change if he would at least use the time to make a friggin map.
mr martin :
until you speak about a release date for your 5th book in soiaf, I want to hear nothing else from you.
Ed: Just wanted you to know that Joe was late turning in the manuscript for BSC, and he has already notified his editor that he will be late turning in the manuscript for his new book...:P
Of course, he is nowhere near as late as many others. He probably looks at it as being fashionably late!;-)
Yeah, Joe may have been a bit late but it didn't stop Gollancz from still getting his books out in 2006,7,8,9 calendar years.
I think the problem with an author being late relates to the fact that so many are doing trilogies and series as opposed to stand alone books where being late is not so noticeable. For example if Joe had been a year late with his third book Last Argument of Kings it might have really annoyed some fans waiting for the ending. But if he had been a year late on the stand alone book Best Served Cold it wouldn't have been as noticeable.
It was cool to see GRRM commenting on Abercrombie. The map comment was a great bit of humor. I'd been holding off on buying it because the pile is already fairly high, but to read GRRM's testimonial makes it hard to continue to hold out. I'll have to go over (Amazon.com) and see what I might be able to pick up used.
I will receive my copy of the German edition in September. That is one of the rarely cases where I read the German edition. German title is Racheklingen which means Blade of Revenge.
GRRM has a good taste...
I'm guessing GRRM read the US version ;) The map is the cover of the UK Edition.
There's also a 'clean' version of the map on Joe's blog somewhere.
I like how Martin slips in a Jack Vance reference with his mention of Kirth Gersen in the quote. Say what you will about Martin, but I am forever grateful to him for turning me onto Vance.
Yeah the UK version also has map segments at the start of each main section of the novel.
I loved it, almost up-chucked during the torture scene. Joe writes good gore for a woman. ;-P
FYI - and for those that actually care about this kinda stuff... The UK, and true 1st Edition, has gone into multiple printings... I just got mine from Amazon.UK and it's a 2nd.
I've now bought two copies as well - I'm currently reading the US version, and I've got the better looking, but less investment worthy, UK copy sitting on the shelf.
BTW Georgie - the dustjacket for the UK version is sort of a wraparound map thingy.
A real map would be nice... Maybe we can get a nice map in the Subterranean Press version of "Blade" when it comes out?
Nice :)
Ah, here it is, a map of Styria in all its glory:
http://www.joeabercrombie.com/uploaded_images/Best-Served-Cold-Map2-%282%29-793409.jpg
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