Not really to my taste. I suspect that it will be better on a re-read, because again there is a whole cast of new characters and plotlines that hadn't really been explored earlier in the series, and the Western take overall is not a genre that I care for, but [spoiler] a more satisfying send-off for Logen Ninefingers than the original trilogy, and a disappointing end for Nicomo Cosca [end spoiler]. ( )

Joe Abercrombie tries different things in each of the standalone novels set in the First Law world. In this case, Red Country is a Western. Yes, Western as in the Old West. We have a gold rush, settlers, Indians (here called Ghosts), mining operations, saloons, brothels, lawless towns, booze, caravans, war, along with more fantastic elements... The story, full of recognizable Western tropes, is Unforgiven meets True Grit and Deadwood, Joe Abercrombie style.

While she and her father-figure Lamb were absent, Shy's farm was attacked by outlaws, their friend killed and Shy's little siblings kidnapped. She is not going to take it, and she starts a long pursuit, even if she doesn't expect much help from the gentle and rather cowardly Lamb. However, to everyone's surprise, Lamb hides a violent, bloody past, and a past such as that can't stay buried for ever.

Veteran readers of the series can expect the appearance of some favorite characters, but for new readers the story works well as a standalone. Nevertheless, I would recommend reading these books in order, starting with The Blade Itself, because the references are enjoyable.

The story is pulpy, but well-written, as expected from Mr. Abercrombie. As usual, we have several cynical and/or self-loathing characters (which to be honest can get a bit tiring after six books), but he also has fun with the setting. It's a fun book to read, with interesting characterization and constant action. For my taste, of the three standalones set in this world, Best Served Cold was the weakest, while The Heroes and, even more so, this one are extremely entertaining. This one is in fact more suitable than The Heroes for new readers.

Like all good Westerns, it's also a morality play, for some characters a story of personal redemption, for others of personal damnation. While not perfect (a few minor plot holes and foreseeable plot twists), I found it very enjoyable. ( )

DolceAmaro, come ci si aspetta da Abercrombie
La triste apparizione di Brivido, il ritorno di Logen Novedita il Sanguinario, la morte di Nicomo Cosca
( )

Unlike the other standalone books in 'World of the First Law' which stretch too little across too many pages, this book has the opposite problem. Some great new settings and characters that we don't spend enough time with. It shows, for example, in the evolution of certain children characters whose motivations change faster than the time line makes probable. ( )

I know a lot of people will argue the point with me but for my money Joe Abercrombie is writing the best fantasy out there right now. His books are always gripping. His pace is fast and furious. He is able to make you genuinely care about people in a world of horror. I love that every book is set in the same world but he now makes each novel a complete little nugget on its own.

I won't go into major plot points because I don't want to spoil anything but several old familiar characters appear. Some have their stories end while others spin off in a new direction. I know he will be leaving this world for a little while and I am okay with that but the ending leaves me with great expectations when he decides to return. ( )

Excellent. Nice change of scale for this series - this story doesn't concern itself with empire-shattering battles and politics. No less a good read for it; it's a western, a revenge story crossed with a road trip. It's about love, failure and redemption, large disasters and small victories. Old characters are reinvented, new ones are introduced.

Highly recommended. ( )

Entertaining Western-fantasy. I've thought some about why you would want to write a Western this way. In some sense it is just a re-naming of things, the Indians are called something else, a large blonde man is said to be from somewhere or other, but he would be Scandinavian in a non-fantasy world - maybe it gives the author more flexibility. He could, for example, say that all of his Indians are left-handed or something. It has all the stock Western story elements: fording the river, the storm on the prairie, the coward who shows his worth, the mild-mannered gunfighter, etc. [No guns though, just swords, spears and arrows as in most fantasy worlds]. ( )

Very good. A little sadder than previous books. ( )

This was a weird one for me because I only started to get invested in these characters near the second half of the book. I didn’t have any problem getting invested with any of the other First Law books, even “The Heroes”. That said, I really really liked the second half.

“Red Country” starts with Shy South, along with her stepfather Lamb, going in pursuit of the people that kidnapped her brother and sister. They end up joining a fellowship that goes in the same direction for their own purposes, some want to get rich and others just want a new start.

As the synopsis says, “The past never stays buried...” and eventually everyone will need to face it in order to decide what to do from there. Besides this theme there is also the confrontation of religious beliefs and a bit about grief. Actually, after rereading “The Hobbit” before this one it’s funny how both have the theme of greed and include a quest, a treasure and a dragon.

My main problem with the first half is that I wasn’t given enough information about most characters to be interested in them. Characters that were there from the beginning only started to have more lines and moments dedicated to them in the second half, like Hedges or Crying Rock. That was a weird choice and I would have liked that some of the information about their past had been shown earlier because I need to find the characters interesting in order to get invested in their journey.

There are some spoilers ahead so if you haven’t read the book stop now.

Even though it didn’t bother me much, there were some predictable moments, like the scene with the actor near the end and the real identity of Conthus and Lamb. I still thought it was fun, but at the same time I wish it would have been a surprise.

This book probably has the happiest ending that any book in the First Law series will ever have. I think it had a similar idea to the first trilogy when it comes to so many things changing and yet people ending up in the same place. However, here more characters did change in a way that impacted their own story (and others died or left), the most obvious being the comparison between Jezal and Temple at the end of their plot lines since they both had to deal with their cowardice. This one is a bit more hopeful and honestly I like that message more. I like to think people can change little by little and that will slowly have an impact on the world around them.
( )

Most likely I was in a different head space for this installment - typically I find Abercrombie's books to be 4.5-5 stars. This one just didn't grab me quite as much as some of the others. It was still in the same vein, but perhaps not as dark and mature-themed as his other works. Still... I will read more of his books. ( )

Finnst Abercrombie með skemmtilegri fantsíuhöfundunum. Hann skrifar blóði drifnar sögur með öflugum kaotískum bardagaköflum. Húmorinn er þó ekki langt undan og breyskar persónurnar er sterkar og eftirminnilegar.
Þessi saga er fantasíuvestri. "Siðmenningin" heldur innreið sína í óbyggðirnar, sverð og hnífar eru notuð í stað skammbyssa og riffla. Frumbyggjarnir hrökklast undan blóði drifnir. Gullæði og spilling þrífst ásamt spilavítum og hóruhúsum. Græðgin, hefndarþorsti og valdabarátta eru drifkrafturinn.
Abercrombie dustar hér rykið af einni af breyskustu hetjum sínum sem reynt hefur að hverfa frá fyrri lifnaðarháttum en neyðist nú til að endurvekja grimmdina og blóðþorstann. Fantagóð saga. ( )

Habe nun ach alle Teile teils mehrfach bis zu diesem in chronologischer Reihenfolge gelesen und war bei Blutklingen eher mäßig begeistert. Es dauerte lange, bis die ganze Story in Fahrt kam und überrascht dann mit starken Westernanleihen.
Fantasy-Spaghetti-Western, dass mus man schon wirklich mögen, ich tat es nicht. Der Trek nach Westen mit den alternativen amerikanischen Ureinwohner, der Beginn der Industrialisierung und der für mich aunausgegorene Plot mit dem Drachenvolk und ihrem eigenen "Wounded Knee", ganz und gar nicht mein Beritt. An Bord blieb ich dennoch bis zum Schluss, da Abercrombie wieder ein interessantes Aufgebot an alten und neuen Charakteren aufbot: Tempel, Nicomo Cosca, Scheu Süd, sowie Carl Espe begleitete man trotz allem gerne durch das für mich unattraktive Setting.

Und was sollte das mit dem Blutigen Neuner? War jener für mich völlig überraschend wieder an Bord, blieb er dann völlig blass inklusive dem absolut unwirklich wirkendem Cliffhanger am Ende?

Für mich bis dato leider der schwächste Teil. ( )

Loved this book 4 1/2 stars, it is so brutal but so so funny. Not one character is above reproach, except for possibly the children. Abercrombie makes a fusion of western with fantasy that just seems like it could really happen. In fact there are hardly no fantasy aspects in this book at all, a few supposed magi but we never really see any magic or fantasy creatures, if this wasn't set in the First Law world it could have easily be set in ours, with an American west where the most advanced weapon is a most primitive siege cannon.
Aside from an interesting setting, the real reason to read Abercrombie is for his characters, and he's packed this novel with some great ones both old and new.
Not much of a spoiler, I suspected that Lamb was Logan from very early in the novel, but it's a little way into the book before it's revealed. Logan and Cosca are two of my favorite characters in fiction and they are both in this novel and get to interact for the first time. ( )

What would a fantasy western be like? Red Country the sixth book and third standalone novel of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law world answers that question in its blood-splattered pages with a cast of morally questionable characters some of whom are looking to save family, become better, and to get rich.

Shy South, her sister Ro, brother Pit, and their stepfather Lamb live on a farmstead near the little town of Squaredeal in the Near Country, a lawless and large unsettled land west of the Union ruled Starikland that is constantly in rebellion. While Shy and Lamb are in town, their farm is burned to the ground, their friend Gully murdered, and Shy’s siblings kidnapped by an indebted Grega Cantliss who plans to sell children to the Dragon People who reside in the mountains northwest of the goldrush boom town of Crease. Shy and Lamb begin chasing Cantliss’ gang and eventually find three deserters who Lamb beats up for information then kills in a tavern in Averstock to Shy’s surprise. The legendary scout Dab Sweet and his ‘associate’ Crying Rock catch up with the duo and offer them a chance to join their caravan to Crease in the Far Country that they accept. Meanwhile the Union with ‘help’ by Nicomo Cosca’s mercenary company defeats the most recent rebellion in Starikland, Cosca’s company is paid by the Inquisition to head into the Near Country to find rebels much to the chagrin of the Company’s lawyer, Temple. After sacking Squaredeal, Temple and another Company solider go into Averstock to convince the rebels to save the townspeople but Cosca sends in the Company to sack it before the time he gave them was up. Temple runs from the Company and through a series of misadventures falls into a river and is saved by Shy and allowed to join the caravan but in Shy’s debt that he must work off. The biggest incident on the trip was an attack by the Ghosts, native tribesmen, lead by Sangeed through the instigation of Sweet and Crying Rock to get money for their retirement. After fighting off the Ghosts, Lamb kills Sangeed at the negotiation leading the band retreating. Upon their arrival in Crease, Shy and Lamb learn that Cantliss is employed by Papa Ring who is feuding with The Mayor with each control one-half of the city (on either side of the only street in town). Lamb agrees to fight for The Mayor in an upcoming fight for control of the town and later learns his opponent is Glama Golden. Temple helps build a shop for one of the caravan’s participants to finish off his debt to Shy and at the party upon its completion hooks up with Shy but runs out on her when Cantiss bursts into their room to kidnap her before the fighting. Another of the caravan’s members rescues Shy during Lamb’s fight in which he goes berserk and kills Golden resulting in The Mayor winning the town. Ring is hung and Cantliss is captured to lead Shy and Lamb to the Dragon People when Cosca appears forcing a change of plans. Shy, Lamb, Dab, Crying Rock, and a few others of the caravan lead Cosca’s company now including Temple again to the Dragon People and rescue Ro and Pit along with many others as the mercenaries ransack the mountain hideaway that includes a cave full of gold. On the way back, one of the caravan’s members is found out to be the leader of the Starikland rebellion leading to the rest of the caravan members attempting to rescue him by stealing the Company’s pay wagon while Lamb fights his way into where the Inquisition is questioning him. Temple and Shy crash the wagon but are saved by the real rebel leader who takes the gold to start a new war. They return to Crease before the mercenaries and arrange a trick to convince them that the town has pledged allegiance to the slowly rising Old Empire, the Inquisition strips Cosca of leadership of the Company and head back to Starikland. Lamb returns a few days later and the family head home only for Cosca to reappear only to be killed. Upon their return to Squaredeal, Shy takes over the general store while Temple becomes a carpenter/lawyer. One day Caul Shivers appears looking for Lamb to get revenge for his brother but decides not to fight. Lamb leaves the same day for his own reasons.

The amount of morally questionable characters in this Joe Abercrombie work should not be a surprise, what is how many of them are at least trying to not be total…jerks. Shy and Temple were both fun characters to read, each having their previous screw ups to live down but also wanting something better. Seeing the return of one of Abercrombie’s best characters from the first trilogy answered the cliffhanger ending he had at the end of The Last Argument of Kings, but his years long struggle to be a better man ended when he once again became the Bloody Nine. Though I have never read a western, this had the feel of one not only with the caravan and it’s obligatory native tribesmen attack but also a goldrush boom town that its literally isn’t big enough for the two factions opposing one another. Abercrombie also shows that the overall political situation in the world is changing as the Old Empire of the original trilogy is apparently revitalized and a potential rival for the Union, yet the long shadows of the past as seen with the Dragon People means that the fantastic elements of the world are still around ready to play a role.

Red Country is the answer to the question we didn’t know to ask, what would a western be like set in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law world. The mixture of previously established and newly introduced character makes a engaging story that keeps you reading from beginning to end. ( )

Good, especially if you enjoy American Western tropes. "Shane!!"

Abercrombie has managed to make each of these recent books incorporate characters from previous ones, but still had each include a surprisingly wide range of tones and subjects. ( )

Reliably entertaining, Abercrombie continues to build his world with another story focusing on his best character - Logan Nine Fingers (the Bloody Nine). Looking forward to seeing where he ends up next though given the pattern so far, it will be a while before Logan is again in the spotlight. ( )

Joe just keeps putting out these great character stories.............can't wait t see what is next. ( )

Another stand-alone novel in the world of The First Law. The main trilogy is to be read first before reading the stand-alones; that way, you'll have a better understanding of the world, of the characters, etc. Of course, you don't have to follow that guideline, but you'd better. ;-)

To keep it brief and write something: Near Country-girl Shy South's little brother and sister were kidnapped by a gang led by Grega Cantliss and taken to the Dragon People, who are a strange folk. Or rather, a folk invented by others, as the kidnapping of children is a recurring process, because of a natural bug (The Dragon People apparently can't have children of their own). Cantliss works for a man of powerful, political influence (Papa Ring).

Shy, helped by her stepfather (or is he?) Lamb, decides to not let this cruel act, during which her house was burnt down and and old friend killed, unavenged. So she sets out on a quest. Lamb goes along, but isn't the sort of type to get into a fight. He's rather cowardly... at first.

And so our duo meets up with other people, after having found out from a small group of ex-kidnappers where the children have gone, even joins a fellowship thanks to Dab Sweet, a famous scout, who was hired by the leader, Abram Majud, who's headed in the same direction as the tracks apparently lead: the city of Crease, where he'll set up shop and continue his business. This fellowship consists of different kinds of people, including whores. But most of all, it contains people who can defend themselves against attackers and robbers. Each has his/her own reasons to go to that mining town: seek riches, start a new life, find help to find the children, etc.

Lamb is one of the characters of the previous novels. Hint: He's missing a finger. If you hadn't figured it out yet, Lamb is Logan Ninefingers, who soon enough throws of the cloak of cowardliness and turns into the killing machine that he is deep inside. He, too, will play a massively important role in this book.

Also present: Nicomo Cosca and his mercenary band the Gracious Hand, still and always in search for a profit, a lot of profit. Any cause, especially the bad ones, will do. Helping out the Union (in the previous books and now again, with the Union Inquisition), for example. In this case, a lot of gold, hidden by the Dragon People, it is said.

Cosca's right-hand, lawyer Temple, is also very much active, though f***s up a lot. At some point, he sees the light and decides to change his life, seek better, more positive opportunities. That's when he, one way or another, joins (or must join?) the aforementioned fellowship. Temple will later prove to be a jack-of-all-trades (lawyer, riding drag, carpenter, ...), all of which not perfectly executed, of course.

The Fellowship thus travels to Crease, though not without trouble, and tries to settle there. There they find out there's a political fight going on: The Mayor (a woman) vs Papa Ring. The population is also divided: choose your side (of the street). Woe unto you if you're on the other side. These two leaders decide to organise a fight, with each appointing a warrior of choice: Lamb vs Glama Golden, whom we know from [b:The Heroes|9300804|The Heroes (First Law World, #5)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337294177s/9300804.jpg|12879765]. No need to tell what the result was, right?

The kidnapped children, Pit (boy) and Ro (girl), are so integrated into the Dragon People population that they start to live and think differently. Pit, however, is the rebel, still has memories of before, of Shy, Lamb, ... Ro, on the other hand, has been brainwashed more severely. No harm (except shaving of their hairs) was ever done to them, however. The reunion, after a lot of pursuing and fighting, isn't a 100% happy one. Especially Ro needs some help, in a manner of speaking.

But anyway, as you can derive from previous stories in this world, there's a lot of action, enough surprises and twists (Temple being quite a twister, I must say, sometimes more coward than anything else), more than enough bloodshed (fights, killings, ...) and even a bit of modern weaponry. The setting has some Western influences, though I didn't really detect those. Or rather, they weren't too obvious to me.

The end was a bit surprising (Lamb leaving Squaredeal, as he thinks he won't be able to control his secret identity in the near future, which would again create trouble. But also, Shy and Temple? Dafuq?), but I guess that's always a point of discussion. Abercrombie did mislead me - I don't know why - into thinking that Iosiv Lestek, an actor who also travelled with the Fellowship, was Bayaz (from the First Law Trilogy).

The writing is very smooth, very descriptive and graphic, and like before - despite the themes (kidnapping of children, political intrigues, killing and bloodshed, ...) - a joy to read. I can really recommend this third stand-alone, which takes place after the events in [b:Best Served Cold|3891951|Best Served Cold (First Law World #4)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407170973s/3891951.jpg|2322406], which is on my wish-list. So yes, there does seem to be a chronology in the stories.

For more information on this book, see the First Law Wikia, where you'll find information on all the books and characters and more: click here. ( )

Red Country by Joe Abercrombie is a stand-alone, dark fantasy set in the same world as his First Law Trilogy and, even has some of the same characters making an appearance. This tale is a gritty, dirty, realistic spaghetti Western with plenty of violence, lots of swearing, and very little morality.

When Shy South’s farm is attacked, her hired man killed and her younger brother and sister taken, she and her step-father, Lamb, set out to rescue them. Both Shy and Lamb have done things in the past that they now regret, but these very things prepare them for the perilous journey that they set forth on.
Set in a lawless world that is peopled by unscrupulous individuals, Shy and Lamb join a fellowship that is travelling across the Far Country and heading into the mountains where gold has been discovered. As they follow in the tracks of the villains that stole their family, they must fight the elements and clash with the Ghosts, a native people who consider this their land. And unbeknownst to them, coming along behind is an even greater threat as Nicomo Cosca, the infamous solder of fortune and his men are also heading in their general direction.

Red Country is an exciting story that the author brings to life with his razor sharp prose and sardonic humor. Fast paced and bloody, this is a rollicking tale of adventure, greed and grit that I loved. ( )

I like the First Law novels but it was a while since I read the first five. This the sixth novel lets us meet quite a few characters from earlier books quite a few years later. Sky South has started a new life and together with Lamb she's running a farm, when she's suddenly pulled back into the violent world she once experienced.

Anyone reading this book knows by now that there are no guaranteed happy endings. That shit things happen to people that do not deserve it and that people that do deserve shit things somehow escape. It's a concept that seems to work really well in G. R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones novels but he works at a much higher level. In his novels they are kings, queens, princes and princesses. In Abercrombie's novels they are thieves, mercenaries, scum, drunken scum, geriatric drunken scum.

The story telling is good and it's in general a clone of earlier books in style. Giving it a 3.5 rounded up to 4. ( )

All I can say about this fantastic (super fantastic) book is "that's not the end I saw coming..." ( )

4.5 stars. Would give it 5 but I didn't like it as much as Best Served Cold or Last Argument of Kings, and I gave those 5s.

LOVED the American West-flavor of this one. Brutal and cynical and funny as hell, just like his others. ( )

I have seen Abercrombie books on the shelves for ages, and never quite got round to reading one, and this is the first of his that I have read.

It starts with children being stolen from a farmstead by a band or thugs and the father is left hanged . The older sister, Shy and a friend decide to follow this band across country to get their children back. They find others who have lost children and other join them in the pursuit. They discover the children have been passed to the dragon people. At a town at the edge of the plains they forge a alignment with a self proclaimed leader called Cosca, and untrustworthy man, who also seeks the dragon people, and using an insider go up into the mountains.

It is brutal book in lots of ways, lots of gore and hard living, and ever shifting alignments between the main characters. The plot is simple, but the complexity comes from the characters, and landscape that he imagines. It is said that this is a cross between fantasy and western, and I can see a little of that, but it is a great book nonetheless. ( )

great writing, great characters, but I'm getting a bit tired of how dark Joe Abercrombie's themes are. ( )

I had heard that many people found this to be Abercrombie's worst work (which would still put it pretty high on any list by my reckoning). I do not agree with this. I thought it was fantastic. On par with the excellent The Heroes although with a slightly different tone while still maintaining the grimdark personality. Some great new characters and a fascinating growth of some old ones. Now very excited for Sharp Ends then A Little Hatred (almost uncontainably). ( )