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  • Before They Are Hanged

  • The First Law: Book Two
  • By: Joe Abercrombie
  • Narrated by: Steven Pacey
  • Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,502 ratings)

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Before They Are Hanged cover art

Before They Are Hanged

By: Joe Abercrombie
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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Publisher's Summary

Bitter and merciless war is coming to the frozen north. It's bloody and dangerous, and the Union army, split by politics and hamstrung by incompetence, is unprepared for the slaughter that's coming. Lacking experience, training, and in some cases even weapons, the army is scarcely equipped to repel Bethod's scouts, let alone his elite forces.

In the heat-ravaged south, the Gurkish are massing to assault the city of Dagoska, defended by Inquisitor Glokta. The city is braced for the inevitable defeat and massacre to come... but a plot is festering to hand the city to its besiegers without a fight, and the previous Inquisitor of Dagoska vanished without trace. Threatened from within and without the city, Glokta needs answers, and he needs them soon.

And to the east, a small band of malefactors travel to the edge of the world to reclaim a device from history - a Seed, hidden for generations - with tremendous destructive potential. A device which could put a end to war, to the army of Eaters in the South, to the invasion of Shanka from the North - but only if it can be found, and only if its power can be controlled.

©2007 Joe Abercrombie (P)2010 Orion Publishing Group Limited

What listeners say about Before They Are Hanged

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  • Overall
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Outstanding

The perfect combination of author and voice. Abercrombie delivers something truly original in a genre saturated with bland tropes and predictable characters. This trilogy is bursting with flawed heroes, dark humour and unexpected turns.
Steven Pacy's interpretation is masterful. Distinctive accents and voices bring the characters to life and perfectly captures Abercrombie's taste for dark and bloody irony.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful audiobook

Amazing storyline.The narration was truely excellent. The different accents from the presenter were perfect in every way.
Probably one of the best overall audiobooks I have ever had the pleasure to hear.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a gripping tale.

the story itself isnt anything new but it is written very well. told even better.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pacey is brilliant!

The second instalment of the series speeds up its pace, with a lot of character growth. The story gets more riveting, and remains as funny and brutal as ever. Pacey's narration is some of the best I've ever heard!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen, great writing

Loving the story so far and Pacey presents a truly outstanding performance - with just one small niggle - I've learned to 'live and let live' with most books when they don't pronounce words the same way I do, but the word 'grimace' is used so often throughout the book that hearing it pronounced 'grimayce' is starting to make me wince a little (similar to another series I listened to where the pronounced the word 'shone' as 'shown'...gahhh! But apart from that outstanding all round. On with the next!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Before They Are Hanged

A fast moving, page-tuning, grimoire, full of action and surprise. It’s a fabulous follow-up to Abercrombie’s First Law Series. Am looking forward to immediately reading the next, “Lost Argument of Kings”.

Stars deducted for Steven Pacey’s utterly bizarre pronunciation of the word ‘GRIMACE’ … the usage of which becomes so more the noticeable (a whole lot more than you’d reasonably consider), when the narrator pronounces it, “GRIM-ace” (rhymes with:
Dim Face)!

This is my only issues with the book. For a Narrator as accomplished as Pacey, it seems inconceivable that he’s never heard the word, “grimace” pronounced correctly. (i.e. with the “a” as a “schwa” sound.)
Let’s see what the next book brings🤗

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

Great story, fantastic narrator. I just wish he didn't pronounce Grimace the way he does.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling and Visceral.

I spent much of my time listening to this story thinking of how well delivered the characters are. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot turns and twists even when the author made them so abundantly clear they were about to happen. I was so completely captivated by the terrible fights and bloodthirsty killing that I did not stop listening untill the Las drop of blood was spilt. Most of all I believed that the characters were real while I was listening. Well done Joe.

The narration was quite well done though a few characters were not voiced as they were intended to sound so I give less than full stars. Story and overall experience were amazing.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Quite simply, the best audiobook I've listened to.

Even better than the first book, I've read many books over my time but this is one of my favourites. Joe Abercrombie is a talented author and I find him to have his very own unique style which I appreciate. I often find myself finding similarities between authors, but Abercrombie stands on his own pedestal. The characters have developed amazingly well in the second book as well as the story and the pace makes you not want to put it down. Quite simply this is a masterpiece imo and this is the first time I've written a book review. I just had to!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great characters

Might even be better than the first book of the series. Great characters that mature with the storyline. Narrator is first class.

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