A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read three other novels by Abercrombie and I was thrilled to see just how much grimdark fantasy has exploited the field of normal epic fantasy back in the day. I was IMPRESSED by the number of vibrant characters, the grit, darkness, the blood, and the feeling of utter hopelessness in the face of ridiculous odds.

I mean, we're all used to this kind of thing, aren't we? Now? Well, some novels capture the need to root for these characters at all costs, and Abercrombie is one of the best in the field.

Hopping into this new trilogy of his was something of a no-brainer. I mean, yes, I have to psych myself up for the grimdark aspects, but once I cracked the spine, it was the easiest decision I could have made. I got sucked right into the story. New characters, a few great walk-ons for old characters, but most importantly, a thrilling new story that catapults the kingdom into a truly delightful (if horrible) conflict.

It's the coming of the industrial age. Economics woes meet displaced workers as they knock heads with machine workers that do the jobs better. The worldbuilding is complex and timely (or universal if you take in the last 200+ years) and I found myself rooting for every side in the conflict.

This is a pretty awesome feat. I love it when authors refuse to give us clear-cut enemies. Instead, we have many wonderfully drawn characters standing on different lines, bloody and atrocious battles being waged, and the classic idealism vs opportunism motif.

I fell for this novel pretty hard. I really got into it.

Great characters, complex society and so many grey areas, and even love stories that I seriously love amidst all the hell. I'm all over this. It reminds me of the heyday of SoIaF but with characters I feel a bit MORE for. *ducks*

I'm quite pleased, indeed.

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