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They burned her home.
They stole her brother and sister.
But vengeance is following.
Shy South hoped to bury her bloody past and ride away smiling, but she'll have to sharpen up some bad old ways to get her family back, and she's not a woman to flinch from what needs doing. She sets off in pursuit with only a pair of oxen and her cowardly old step father Lamb for company. But it turns out Lamb's buried a bloody past of his own. And out in the lawless Far Country the past never stays buried.
Their journey will take them across the barren plains to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feud, duel and massacre, high into the unmapped mountains to a reckoning with the Ghosts. Even worse, it will force them into an alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, and his feckless lawyer Temple, two men no one should ever have to trust . . .
Red Country takes place in the same world as the First Law trilogy, Best Served Cold, andThe Heroes. This novel also represents the return of Logen Ninefingers, one of Abercrombie's most beloved characters.
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"'Red Country' has witty dialogue with clever self-deprecating characters and is set in an intensely imagined landscape. The good guys are a mixed bag of downtrodden failures and murdering barbarians just like Abercrombie's other books but their likability doesn't suffer much due to his knack for characterizing their mistakes as those any reader might make. Many new characters are introduced, but fear not, just with all of his books, familiar characters can be found around every corner... all of them making a hilarious mess of things. The plot suffers a bit near the middle when several of the story lines coalesce and the plot drags, but aside from that the characters move you briskly through the pages. I enjoyed the complications of 'Best Served Cold' more than the straightforward plot of 'Red Country' but anyone looking for the gritty detail and thoughtful characterization Abercrombie normally serves, won't be disappointed."
— Kevin (4 out of 5 stars)
“Magnificent, richly entertaining.”
— Time“Brilliant.”
— The Guardian (London)“Terrific fight scenes, compelling characters (some familiar, some new), and sardonic, vivid prose show Abercrombie at the top of his game.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Pointed, driven, and sharp.”
— Locus“Joe Abercrombie’s return to the world of his First Law trilogy in this standalone novel will please fans with its blend of characters new and old, the later including the return of Logen Ninefingers. One of the year’s best.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review“Abercrombie’s latest fantasy adventure follows the fortunes of one of the series’ most complex characters, adding even more depth to a richly detailed yet grim universe. Though familiarity with the First Law books is helpful, this tale of a young woman’s determination and an old man’s redemption stands on its own, bolstered by strong characters and a sure hand at storytelling.”
— Library Journal“It’s violent and full of treachery and horror, but it’s delivered with Abercrombie’s signature dark humor and a hint of cynicism.”
— Sci Fi Magazine" A little slow getting started, but overall a good read. It's always good to see some "old friends" and see new ones added to the world of The First Law series. The story takes place in a part of the world that was not included in the previous books, which was refreshing. After reading "The Heroes" I expected a lot more violence. While there IS enough of that to satisfy the need, don't expect the same level of action as in previous books. Enjoy! "
— Edward, 2/16/2014" Not his best, unfortunately. Might even be his worst. The world weariness that in other books comes over as fun and refreshing is here ubiquitous - every character has the same outlook on life, leaving little room for any kind of development or tension. The one character that ought to stand out is strangely muted throughout. Perhaps because we rarely, if ever, get to experience the red country through those central eyes. A lot of travelling takes place. A lot less arriving. One character or the other at some junction begs his travelling companions to 'get to the point'. I kinda felt this was rather symptomatic of the whole set-up. Still, Abercrombie's so-far worst is still very much worth reading. And I shall read it again - perhaps I just expected something very different, and therefore missed the essentials. And please, bring on the next trilogy. Can't wait. "
— Anne, 2/15/2014" For me, his poorest effort-the Wild West thing just doesn't work with the rest of the world he built up, there's no sense of geography, and is jut a bit cheesy. Really disappointed after Heroes which was awesome "
— Jamie, 2/15/2014" Back to form, some very obvious twists but generally an excellent read "
— David, 2/7/2014" Joe just keeps putting out these great character stories.............can't wait t see what is next. "
— Rick, 2/3/2014" Outlaw Josey Wales with sword "
— Terry, 2/1/2014" Huh. Two and a half stars. 'Unforgiven' did it better. "
— axe, 1/26/2014" While good I think this is the lesser of Abercrombie's work to date. If you are already a fan you'll like this one but if you aren't it's not a good jumping off point. Even though it's considered a standalone it helps to know the characters from the First Law trilogy. "
— Mark, 1/20/2014" So far, the least interesting book by an otherwise great author. Not saying it's a bad book: especially the ending really works. However, compared to the rest of Abercrombies work it pales. "
— Stas, 1/14/2014" Looking good so far "
— Neil, 11/21/2013" Joe Abercrombie continues to improve - and he started remarkably well. I loved his many aphorisms, commenting on the human condition, but it's his characterisation that carried the story along. This was an excellent read, to the point where I did not want it to finish. "
— Andrew, 11/10/2013" Abercrombie continues to be the leading practitioner of modern Sword and Sorcery. This fantastic and exciting read goes back to the pulp origins of S&S by melding the western with fantasy in one exciting and dusty tale. "
— Tony, 11/2/2013" I would have given it only two stars, but I bumped it up one star because ninefingers made an appearance. A boring attempt at blending old fashioned quest type fantasy with a Western. Characters were 2D and overall lacked his usual depth. "
— Keith, 8/26/2013" Wow ! Really looking forward to the next - its one long read :) "
— Michael, 1/5/2013Joe Abercrombie is a British fantasy writer and film editor. He is the author of The First Law trilogy, as well as other fantasy books in the same setting, and a trilogy of young adult novels. His novel Half a King won the 2015 Locus Award for best young adult book. He was born in Lancaster in 1974, spent much of his youth in imaginary worlds, and left school with a good idea of how to make stuff up. After graduating from Manchester University he worked as a television editor, but he never stopped making stuff up.
Steven Pacey is an actor and Earphones Award-winning narrator. He is a highly decorated stage actor, performing often at the West End Theatre. He has appeared in numerous television roles, including Tarrant in Blake’s 7, and has made over three hundred radio broadcasts.