The Heroes

Joe Abercrombie

Mar 2016 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Steven Pacey

About this audiobook

They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbor, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

THE HEROES

For glory, for victory, for staying alive.

Ratings and reviews

The Heroes is probably Abercrombie's best book. It's one I return to more often than any other fiction in my collection and the reason is simple: it is never boring. This is a book of many protagonists and many competing points of view. I have found it very difficult to root for or hate anyone in it, as even the worst, most villainous characters show themselves to have redemptive and highly relatable qualities. Steven Pacey's reading of this book is about as perfect as one could hope for in the telling of a story of this scope. It's heroes and villains feel sometimes larger than life and often enough, lower than low. The comedic bits hit the way they were meant to and it's darkest moments are narrated with perfect pitch. Pacey really conveys the emotion of the moment. The only problem with this book is that you really do need the context of Abercrombie's prior books to really get in on some of its most profound narrative moments. Good news is, all those books are great, too.

I've read and listened to this book well over a dozen times in the last few years. I would say it's the best book I've ever read, and I've been at this reading thing for awhile. Anyway, I literally cannot say enough good things about it. If you're thinking about reading it, just do it as it's a damn masterpiece.

great backstory to the later series

About the author

Joe Abercrombie is the New York Times bestselling author of Red Country and the First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings. He is a full-time writer and occasional freelance film editor who lives in Bath, England with his wife and three children.