BEST SERVED COLD | non-spoiler review 

This is my favourite Abercrombie so far, and I already knew that before starting it because this plays to his strengths so much. The hardest thing about writing a vendetta is to avoid making your protagonist too unlikable for readers as they get darker and darker, as they're transforming from hero to antihero while taking their revenge. And Abercrombie is the supreme overlord of writing antiheros, so he was born to write vendettas. It also plays to my preferences as a reader so much (Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all-time favourites), so it was basically impossible to not fall in love with this book. About this being slightly weaker on a reread, I can definitely see me feeling the same. This is more plot-focused than the trilogy, and I tend to like books less on a reread the more plot-focused they are.

I've read all of Abercrombie's First Law books, and this one is my favourite. The character interactions are both hilarious and tragic, and the pacing is so compelling ... but admittedly I haven't reread it yet, so your perspective on that is super helpful.

Nicomo Cosca is everywhere, I wonder if at some point his ghost will appear in a book. 🤣

No way! I literally just finished reading this. Perfect timing!

Oh boy, more characters to fall in love with. I think I'll get to this in June 😃 I love how this sounds faster paced than the first 3 books.

I just finished the trilogy and started this book and I'm really enjoying it. Loved your take on the books. I liked and subscribed to hear more of your book reviews/opinions. 🙂

I'm so glad to catch you today. I'm so behind schedule.

I CAN’T WAIT TO READ THIS NEXT MONTH!! LOL - I’m actually reading this one and the Heroes...lol I can’t get enough of Abercrombie’s writing and First Law world - but I’m also excited for the newer series too!!

I've been thinking of rereading first law this year, definitely at least AoM 1 & 2. Love that cover too! I absolutely love how Joe moved the world forward with these "standalones". I always rant to people about how special that is. I really enjoyed this review.

I just finished reading this for the first time. Such an amazing stand alone fantasy. Although youre right, reading rhe first law trilogy adds so much to it. What i loved about the book is the greyness of literally every character. I took turns loving and hating shivers, monsa, cosca, friendly, morvir, and especially the ladies from gloktas chapters. This was an amazing revenge story and expanded the world brilliantly. Thabks for introducing me to Abercrombie.

Definitely my favorite First Law standalone as well! I'll probably wait some time before rereading it so that I can forget what happened in it. My memory is pretty bad so I won't have to wait long🤣

Love the redesigns.

Started it today. Great review!

Just finished Last Argument of Kings for the seconds time, and the first trilogy I enjoyed even more than the first time. Started Best Served Cold today.

I was looking for a fantasy series to get into and your reviews played a huge part in my choosing of the First Law. Absolutely love it, so into the world and the characters. It just has everything I want in a story. Finished BSC and will be picking up the Heroes soon. Also snagged a signed copy of Wisdom of Crowds when it is released as I'm fully confident I'll love the new trilogy.

Not only is Best Served Cold my favorite book in the series, but it's my favorite book of all time. It's like Abercrombie scanned my brain patterns and wrote it specifically for me. That's how much I fucking love everything about it. The Trouble With Peace is and very, very close second for me, though. I've never been more excited and invested in a new release than I am for The Wisdom of Crowds. Only 4 months left, September can't get here soon enough!

Do you have a PO Box? For Arc's

I can't wait to get into reading Abercrombie's books! I've been torn between wanting to start them and wanting to finish the series I'm currently reading.

I'm about to read this book in a few days

BSC was my first Abercrombie as when I first discovered First Law (2013/14), I wanted female-led fantasy and the trilogy isn't that. I'm really impressed with how the scene in Cardotti's is written because that increased my confusion over the mystery plot in the trilogy, when I went back and read it. The only thing it spoiled for me was in "Before They Are Hanged" where Shilo and Glokta are fighting

Con: it can't get more fantastic.

Have you ever read the count of monte Cristo because I heard best served cold being compared to the count of monte Cristo and would you ever do a review on it 🤔🤨😊

Best served cold was the reason I gave the trilogy another try and I ended up loving it. :)

This is an unpopular opinion but I read Best Served Cold for the first time last month and only gave it 3 out of 5 stars. I liked the original trilogy better. I found BSC was a slog for me and it took me two weeks to get through it because I kept picking up other books I'd rather be reading instead. So much repetition in this book plus some of the character dynamics at the beginning felt like a re-tread of a pairing in the original trilogy. The Heroes is next for me when I have a chance.

In my opinion it is

I have 20% to finish Best Served Cold, and unfortunately, up to this point, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the original trilogy. I do think it’s a good book, but it’s just not for me. I loved the way the first law made me love horrible characters. I feel that Best Served Cold didn’t accomplish that, especially with Monza. My main issue was drug addiction; was it necessary? I understand why it’s plausible, but not that’s necessary.

No. Before they are Hanged is #1. BSC is complete and that makes it more compelling. But as far as rereading? BTAH is the book that has the most of why it's better than Tolkien 1. Glokta in Command 2. West /Ladisla/Northman is the essence of the brutality that makes the series 3.The Fellowship of the Seed gives us the History of this world

Less fun to read!!! YES! #BattleRap

I literally stopped reading it and this is the first video I saw. 😆

Why are you so sweet 🥺😍

Aside from a few funny lines for Friendly and Cosca this one was a major chore to get through. Abercrombie’s shtick is just not for me 🤷‍♂️

I've read and love the First Law trilogy. Best Served Cold is not fantasy. There are no fantastical elements to this book, magic?, mages?, ancient swords with mysterious runes? No, No, No. No one breaks the First Law in this book ( Ishri hinted at it ), no one breaks the Second Law in this book. Kind of a disfunctional Oceans' Eleven with a crew of a--holes that all turn on each other. But with no fantasy elements. A lot of name dropping from the first trilogy made me nostalgic and missing the Bloody Nine again. 3/5.

Cringe. (The obligatory arrow and qualifying comment are implied.)