The Heroes cover art

The Heroes

A First Law Novel

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £19.83

Buy Now for £19.83

About this listen

 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 neighbour, 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.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own.

Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail.

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.©2011 Joe Abercrombie Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Military Fiction Scary Heartfelt

Critic reviews

Highly recommended - a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out (Joe Hill)
The Heroes is an indictment of war and the duplicity that corrupts men striving for total power: bloody and violent, but never gratuitously so, it's imbued with cutting humour, acute characterisation and worldweary wisdom about the weaknesses of the human race. Brilliant
[The Heroes is a] blood-drenched, thought-provoking dissection ofa three-day battle is set in the same world as Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy but stands very well alone . . . Abercrombie never glosses over a moment of the madness, passion, and horror ofwar, nor the tribulations that turn ordinary people into the titular heroes
All stars
Most relevant
I?ve just finished The Heroes and would strongly recommend it - terrific, gritty battle scenes and some great gallows humour from the soldiers help to make it an audiobook you can really get immersed it. By the time I finished it, I felt like I was waving goodbye to old friends.

Great book, sad to see it end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
you have to listen to everything before it but... what a pay off! such a fantastic book. it takes place in three acts over three days of a deciding battle and never lets off the gas.

the best in the series! loved every second

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Hard to give this four stars, but I lost my way with it a little in the middle when holding it up to those that came before. That being said, the characters, action, dialogue and twists were superb - as was the narration, as always. 4.5* is closer to the mark, for me, but I'm sure it'll hit 5 for most followers of the Abercrombie.

Another excellent instalment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Stephen Pacey knows how bring a book alive. War, with all it’s frailties and futility explained.

Another masterpiece

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Steven Pacey is unreal in this series. one of, if not the best narrator I've had the pleasure of listening to. Joe Abercrombie does a fantastic job of telling a story with specific well thought out themes and great characters. what a great book.

fantastic story, fantastic performance

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews