Sharp Ends

Stories from the World of The First Law

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Sharp Ends

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Joe Abercrombie, Steven Pacey

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About this listen

The Union army may be full of bastards, but there's only one who thinks he can save the day single-handed when the Gurkish come calling: the incomparable Colonel Sand dan Glokta.

Curnden Craw and his dozen are out to recover a mysterious item from beyond the Crinna. Only one small problem: no one seems to know what the item is.

Shevedieh, the self-styled best thief in Styria, lurches from disaster to catastrophe alongside her best friend and greatest enemy, Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp.

And after years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There's only one obstacle left - his own lunatic champion, the most feared man in the North: the Bloody-Nine . . .

Sharp Ends combines previously published, award-winning tales with exclusive new short stories. Violence explodes, treachery abounds, and the words are as deadly as the weapons in this rogue's gallery of side-shows, back-stories, and sharp endings from the world of the First Law.©2016 Joe Abercrombie

Anthologies & Short Stories

Classics

Epic

Epic Fantasy

Fantasy

Fiction

Short Stories

Witty

Funny

Thought-Provoking

Law

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Critic reviews

Highly recommended - a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out (Joe Hill)

Pratchett-like parody of epic fantasy throughout... if Pratchett dropped the C-bomb and relished disembowelment.

'Joe Abercrombie has created a world able to stand alongside landscapes the likes of George RR Martin and JRR Tolkien have created in terms of drama, political intrigue and, of course, bloodshed.'

Suffice to say that Sharp Ends is an intriguing entry point into the World of the First Order. I'm equal parts hooked and scared. Is it all like this? Can anyone survive?

These stories proved to be engrossing. They are a spicy addition to the main courses of the novels, adding to the flavour of the original and offering a wider explanation of how some characters got to the place they did. I look forward to enjoying the novels and I'll be looking out for my favourites.

There are some great writers of low fantasy around today, but few are as good as Abercrombie...Each short story does offer an entertaining and dark read

Dark, and darkly comic, this is an ideal read for anyone who enjoys their humor dry and their vengeance bloody.

he consistently high standard of the stories in Sharp Ends make it a triumph. Granted, readers would be advised to acquaint themselves with their setting, but anyone who was excited by Abercrombie's debut ten years ago will feel those butterflies again. It's a masterful approach, displaying everything that's great about the short story format, from a writer at the height of his powers.

Sharp Ends is by turns brutal, witty, chilling, charming but always brilliant.

Overall, the best fantasy collection it's been my pleasure to read in many years.

Most relevant

I am not usually a big fan of short stories, but this is something quite different: a filling in of the back-story of some of the characters we all ready know from previous books. At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed it because the writing is just so good. Amazing characterisations, heart-stopping action and wicked, dry humour. My only slight criticism was that I didn't enjoy the last story, as it seemed to take a well-known character somewhere that was very dark, even by Abercrombie's standards. But that should not put you off at all.

I am a bit cross with Steven Pacey though. I have read all of Abercrombie's previous books in print, but now because Pacey's reading is so awesome I am going to have to go back and buy the Audible versions. You have cost me a fortune Mr Pacey, with your perfect intonation, pace, tone and characterisations!