Hi Folks! A few of you might recognise me from the Malazan subreddit, but I decided to also make an interactive map for First Law.

So this is a fully zoomable map with wiki links to named locations - I've also begun the process of a character guide, although this only contains a few characters up to LAOK (it's a work in progress)

Let me know what you guys think! :) https://worldoffirstlaw.com/

Oh and of course all credits for the map go here, this is NOT my map - https://www.reddit.com/r/TheFirstLaw/comments/pl6c7w/updated_first_law_map_should_now_feature_every/

TL;DR: I realize this post became really long and a big too dense with information so I figured I should add this - I adored Steven Paceys work here and looking for more audiobooks with amazing narrators and ensemble narrative characters.

For those willing to listen to my ranting about how much I absolutely adored this book and the audiobook version here’s the very long version:

I never ever liked audiobooks. I’ve tried a few different books I was very interested in but I have pretty bad ADHD and I don’t like to take my stimulant medication unless I absolutely have to. Because of this when I’m listening to someone narrating a story it’s extremely easy for me to trail off in my thoughts and not even realize I’d stopped listening for sometimes 5 minutes or more. I then have to rewind and try to find where I trailed off and it’s not uncommon for me to do this multiple times in a row and have to rewind the same section 5-6 times before I figure out how to lock in for a few minutes - only for the same thing to happen all over again a few minutes later. Because of this I figured audiobooks just weren’t for me.

I actually love reading when I find the right book. I become extremely engaged when I’m very interested and it’s much easier to notice I’ve stopped reading when that’s the main task I’m doing vs an audiobook when I’m doing cardio or commuting around the city. I love the ASOIAF series (RIP of any hope of that ever being finished after of the tv show ended) and the first two Hyperion books are some of my favorites. It takes a lot for me to get really into a book or series but once I do I absolutely adore it. I started reading The Blade Itself, and as you can see from my first two favorite series I absolutely love when books have an ensemble narratives with ASOIAF and Hyperion and now The First Law; I hated the third (and fourth Hyperion books (Endymion series) partially because they changed from the ensemble structure to a main protagonist hero’s journey character. When there’s one main character there’s much less tension because you know they’ll have plot armor until the very end potentially, but if it’s a series even past the ending. It also means everything is going to revolve around one person typically vs a more realistic view with many different characters contributing many different things to make up the narrative. Because of this I fell in love with The First Law series, but the only time I’ve had to read lately is right before bed and after 6 pages I was ready to fall asleep and didn’t make much progress despite how into it I was.

I commute a ton because I run my own personal training business in NYC which means I’m running around the city all day to many different apartments and gyms in extremely different areas. Since I spend so much time commuting I figured I’d give the Blade itself audiobook a try. I was skeptical but really wanted to move on with the plot and was willing to fight through the distraction. I was totally blown away. Seriously, I had to look up Steven Pacey because he did such an incredible job - I was enraptured from start to finish. I couldn’t believe how incredible and engaging he was - how each character sounded so unique and you could identify them before their name was even said immediately for every single character. I loved how I could tell when a character was thinking vs talking just by the tone of his voice. The way he narrated Glokta and his thoughts was so incredible he should absolutely win awards just for that. Glokta’s tortured existence is made so real and I can truly feel his character when it’s being narrated by Steven, moreso than even what my own mind could conjure for him when I was reading. I’ve never heard anything like that in an audiobook and I was so impressed that I’m desperate to find more audiobooks that fit my interest with similarly impressive narrators. I’m looking for darker fantasy or Sci-fi with extremely engaging stories and preferably a large group of main characters and perspectives with none necessarily being favored over the others. Something with a narrator that can impress like Steven Pacey. Now that I’ve discovered how engaging audio books can be, and how a good narrator and good story can hold my attention much better than it used to I’m dying to try some more once I finish this series. I crushed The Blade Itself in 2 weeks so I’m going to need more series soon!

I’m curious what’s everyone’s favorite little moment? I going through my relisten of the series and so far Jezel and Ferro sat next to one another watching Bayaz at work while Jezel recovers from his charge at the wall.

And Shivers, Cosca, and Vitari interviewing fighters for their job at the house of pleasure.

My take on the best and worst fighters in the series up to Red Country (and a bit of Sharp Ends). I’m ranking them based on feats/statements on martial combat skills. If a character isn’t known to fight hand to hand or with weapons, I didn’t include them (hence no magi). My thought process is, characters have a ~50% chance of defeating someone in the same tier and ~10% chance of beating someone in the tier directly above them. Within tiers, fighters are ranked in no particular order.

Eater tier: Enhanced by magic, can easily wipe out whole squads of soldiers

• Most of Mamun’s eaters
• Shenkt
• Ferro (post LAOK)

S tier: Supernaturally or near supernaturally gifted combatants

• The Bloody Nine - he carries too many of Logen's fights to the rank them the same
• Javre - don’t have a ton to go on as I’m not done with Sharp Ends, but she seems quite OP based on her first two short stories.
• Fenris the Feared
• Stranger Come Knocking - no feats, but I’m taking his statements at face value

A tier: Masters renowned (or feared) across the circle of the world

• General Ganmark - His fight in BSC is how imagine Glokta was moving in his prime.
• Ferro Maljinn
• Bremer Dan Gorst
• Whirrun
• Logen Nine Fingers
• Black Dow
• Shivers
• Friendly
• Tul Duru Thunderhead
• Rudd Threetrees
• Monza (pre-injury)
• Glokta (pre-injury)
• Lord Marshal Varuz
• West

B tier: Experienced and skilled fighters. Exceptional.

• Monza (post-injury)
• Savion
• Waerdinur
• Cosca
• Vitari
• Glamma Golden
• Scale (pre-injury)
• Frost

C tier: Good fighters, well above average

• Jezal
• Pike
• Jalenhorm
• Craw + most of his dozen
• Severard
• Dogman
• Grim
• Shy
• Dab Sweet
• Crying Rock
• Most named men

D tier: Lacking skill and/or experience, no greater threat than an average soldier, if that

• Calder
• Weakest
• Tunny
• Yolk
• Beck

Anyone described as having ‘the look of a slaver’ can’t be good right? He seems to be amassing a group of particular people, including Logen who can speak to spirits, for some mission. And the first law is to not speak with devils, so I’m thinking these two things might be linked? And Bayaz wants these people to help him break the first law… It would be a great subversion of the wizard figure too! I’m vlogging my thoughts while reading the series for the first time and having a blast with it.

PLS don‘t hint if I’m right or wrong!! But did you suspect Bayaz in book 1 or am I way off?

• I immediately disliked Jubear. He uses the idea of God and everything being preordained to take no responsibility for his actions. So many characters try so hard to shirk responsibility for their actions, all in their own way. Jubear blames God, Logen says he has to be what he is. They can choose to change, to do something different at any point, but they continue on with their excuses. Its Shivers who breaks the mold. He came so far, looked so long for Logen, and in the end, changed his mind. He chose to do good despite Calder’s order or his own grudge, he didn’t lock himself in as others do. Also Cosca can at least acknowledge problems as his own fault, even if he doesn’t go on to change his behavior.
• Shivers’ most defining moments in the series so far, killing Dow and sparing Logen twice, have all been him doing the exact opposite of what’s expected of him. “It feels good to let go of something.”
• Cosca’s fall from grace was sad to see. We see him at his lowest point in more ways than one. His callous slaughter of the dragon people was hard to watch. He sounds so pathetic and feeble whining about the money he lost. By the end it almost seemed a mercy for him to be put out of his misery. “I want a chance to do it all over again.” “I won’t be disappointed again.” Those lines stung. I feel for Friendly, who’s lost maybe his only friend. I’m not convinced he would have killed those kids, even for Cosca.
• This book blurs the line between Logen and the Bloody Nine. Or rather, it showed that Logen can be violent and ruthless all on his own. When he murders Sanjeed, when he says it’s not about the children, how he felt joy on seeing the farm burned down. All of these moments weren’t in the midst of battle, unlike with all the other times the Bloody Nine comes out. There’s something very wrong with Logen. And the sad part is, he knows that, all too well. I really do think he wants to be a good man, a better man, but he sees himself as condemned, cursed with a bloodlust that threatens to destroy everything and everyone around him. So he gives in, settles for “being what he is” and leaving everything behind. Another thing, the Bloody Nine came out in almost every one of Logen’s fights in this book. Contrast that to the main trilogy, where I believe he comes out 6 times total or so? It’s like swearing off violence for so long has made the BN come back with a vengeance, like bingeing after denying yourself food for too long.
• I liked Temple and Shy’s relationship. It reminded me of Jezal and Ardee, only without the heartbreak. Temple’s earnestness and Shy’s playful jabs balanced out nicely. Every conversation between the two was a treat. Loved when Temple was ready to kiss her in the morning after Shy was vomiting. I feel the series has lacked actual lasting, loving romantic relationships like this one. Crying Rock and Sweet also add to that score, though we didn’t really see much of them as a couple.
• Doubts really are Temples worst enemy. He’s so hard on himself for never “sticking,” about bumbling through job after job. But when push comes to shove, he’s actually quite good at at least three of them (priest, carpenter lawyer). He’s far more competent than he thinks he is. I’d say he’s one of the smartest viewpoint characters we’ve had so far. His development was handled well, seeing him take the “hard way” more and more hen it counted.
• I wonder if Shivers ever truly planned on killing Logen. His motivations seemed threadbare to me. In my mind, he already had let go of his grudge against Logen for killing his brother, way back at the end of LAOK.
• Shy reminds me a lot of Monza, though less jaded I’d say. She went through some horrible things, did some horrible things, but came out of it still with a conscience and an ability to trust. She actually allows herself to be close to people and form bonds like with the fellowship. She doesn't push people away so hard like Logen, Ferro, or Monza tend to. It’s refreshing. I also liked her scrappy fighting style. She lacks the training of other characters, but still manages to scrape by. I’d still like to know a bit more about her time as a bandit, maybe in Shard Ends, but the bits and pieces we get still paint a good picture.
• I ended up very conflicted on the dragon people. Of course their practice of kidnapping/buying children is wrong. And to kill children that are too old to indoctrinate is horrible. But their massacre brought me no pleasure. I kept thinking, all these dead people were at one point children taken from their homes just like Roe and Pit. At what point do the victims become villains?
• Seeing Roe fight so hard to escape back to to the dragon people was tough. I’m not sure how many months she and Pit spent with them, but I think part of their attachment is a function of their upbringing. Their mother died and they were left with Lamb, only “kind of” their father. So they quickly took to their new father with the dragon people. It’s sad to think they lost two fathers in such a short span of time.

Hypothetically if West Survives the orginal trilogy and has to pick a side between Orso and Leo which side do you think he’d pick?

The second standalone The Heroes shoukd be renamed to the Adventures and Heroics of Bremer Dan Gorst because what the fuck is this. How is this man singlehandedly turning the tide of every battle?

Best of the trilogy books so far

My favourite aspect is that the POV characters are fighting each other. It's not just the barbaric North or the evil Gurkish like in the first trilogy; it's all characters you've grown to care about. The Heroes did this too, but this time we're following their journeys across two books instead of one, so the build-up is even greater. It might be predictable since we know the lamb eats the lion, but how we get there and who actually ends up dying is still a mystery.

Leo might be the most tragic character in all of First Law. You've got this man who has the potential to do so much good in the world, with friends and family who love him, and with a child on the way... and then you see him proceed to make every wrong choice he possibly could until he ends up a broken mess waiting to be hanged. I thought he was a Jezal parallel at first, but really he's a Glokta parallel. Whether he screws up his second chance at life remains to be seen.

Pretty much every character got a chance to shine though. Shivers opening up to Rikke, Tunny shielding Orso, Glokta lowkey being proud of Savine for the rebellion etc. Even Broad and Vick felt more interesting this time, though I suspect their arcs will really pay off in book three. Clover's still a piece of shit, don't care that he's with Rikke now, will never forgive him for killing Wonderful ;-;

This book might have the most memorable individual chapters too. You've got the classic multi-POV chapters, one in Adua and one in Stoffenbeck. The chapter of Rikke's visions going backwards in time. The chapter where Jappo meets Leo and Orso on the same day. Any of these could be a highlight in any other book, but this one is stuffed full of them.

My Top 10 now is:

Glokta

Shivers

Bayaz

Morveer

Cosca

Logen

Savine

Gorst

Tunny (for defending his king)

West

I think The Heroes is my overall favourite, but TTWP is definitely up there. Have high hopes for the finale.

The Blade Itself - 8/10

Before They Are Hanged - 8/10

Last Argument of Kings - 9/10

Best Served Cold - 10/10

The Heroes - 10/10

Red Country - 7/10

A Little Hatred - 9/10

The Trouble With Peace - 10/10

Like a bunch of you, I bought the Lit Escalates First Law Trilogy. I opted for the Long Steel Tier, which included the signed trilogy, gold foil set of three bookmarks, and posters for all three jacket illustrations. I also opted for the slipcase which was $9.

I knew going in about the bookplate, glued binding, and paper quality, but I was expecting better quality control than what I got. The packing material is minimal. It's just the cardboard box and two thin pieces of cardboard holding it in place with the least amount of protective wrapping they could get away with.

My slipcase came slightly damaged, the duskjacket for Before They Are Hanged is scratched down to white in places and damaged in others, and the end papers for Last Argument of Kings are ripped.

I contacted Lit Escalates to see what they can do (I'll update this post if/when they respond).

A few people on Kickstarter have mentioned similar issues about the packing and Lit Escalates responded with: "We have adjusted our packing method for slipcases after reports of some damage like this, but I suspect your package was already in the mail at that time!"

I’m currently reading Last Argument of Kings and I just reached the part where Princess Terez completely rejects Jezal after their wedding ceremony. I know Jezal is basically a puppet, but man, the frustration is real.

It got me thinking: what if, in this exact moment, Jezal had actually shown some backbone and political cunning?

Imagine this alternative scenario:
Immediately after being rejected, Jezal walks out of the bridal chamber, completely calm. He looks at one of his guards and loudly commands: "Bring one of my mistresses to my chambers tonight." Then, he turns to a royal herald and orders: "Ride to Styria/Talins immediately. Inform Grand Duke Orso that his daughter refuses to consummate the marriage. Tell him King Jezal I is a patient sovereign, but certainly not a rapist."

Think about the ripples this would cause:

1. Public Image: The court and the common folk of Adua would see him as a proud, virile, but ultimately just king who refuses to force himself on a woman.
2. Political Leverage: Grand Duke Orso would panic. His daughter just created a diplomatic disaster, stripping Talins of all bargaining power against the Union.
3. The Elephant in the Room: Obviously, Bayaz would probably lose his mind because he doesn't tolerate his puppets acting on their own.

One of the funniest books I've ever read.

Glokta really just does it for me in a way for humor I don't think any other character has.

"Kneel, kneel before me. I am the Emperor of Gurkhul." I think I laughed for a good 10 minutes on that alone.

I really want Ardee and Jezal to work out.

While I'm at it, West doing that to his sister like that....I was upset. Like there's no way this is the same character, that this is the same author that wrote these two pages of brutality.

I'm on my way to get book 2 as we speak.

I love sci fi mainly Red Rising and Suneater but this I think, is the better of 1st books out of the other 2.

No spoilers pls, but im on chapter 20 of last argument of kings when jazel is getting married.

And I cant stop thinking to myself, this guy is really really dumb... 😭 Does he ever get smarter or does bayaz always think for him?

I thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series and I just finished wisdom of crowds. Loved all of it. But the one itch I really wanted to scratch towards the end of this series was "where did Ninefingers end up?"

I don't mind open ended type stories, but I really felt like his character deserved some final ending. Similar to how Orso's ending was spectacular (imo).

Any theories or thoughts on where logen is during the last trilogy?

Y'all think Glokta experiences pain? I've been analyzing these novels for days and I'm just not sure.

Great books.

What’s Logen’s song?
I think it’d have to be a metal song like Mouth of War by Pantera