Before They Are Hanged

Joe Abercrombie

Sep 2015 · The First Law Book 2 · Sold by Orbit

About this ebook

The second novel in the wildly popular First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie.

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run -- if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem -- he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters -- if they didn't hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven -- but not before they are hanged.


First Law Trilogy
The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
Last Argument of Kings


For more from Joe Abercrombie, check out:

Novels in the First Law world
Best Served Cold
The Heroes
Red Country

Ratings and reviews

Of course the series got an endorsement from George RR Martin. It makes his works look like literary masterpieces by comparison. It falls tonally somewhere between A Song of Ice and Fire and The Riyaria Chronicles, just absent the same quality of writing.

The absolute best opening in a fantasy series ever written. It doesn't get better than this folks, unless the next two happen to be better.

An utter waste of time. Graphic depictions of violence and torture, and a very unsatisfying ending. Save your money, and more importantly, your time.

About the author

Joe Abercrombie is the New York Times bestselling author of The Heroes, Best Served Cold, 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.