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Best Served Cold

A First Law Novel

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Best Served Cold

By: Joe Abercrombie
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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About this listen

 Springtime in Styria. And that means war.

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.

War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular - a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto's reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.

Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...

Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.©2009 Joe Abercrombie Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Hard Science Fiction Military Science Fiction Fiction War Scary Thought-Provoking Royalty

Critic Reviews

Highly recommended - a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out (Joe Hill)
Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold is a bloody and relentless epic of vengeance and obsession in the grand tradition, a kind of splatterpunk sword 'n sorcery Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas by way of Moorcock . . . The battles are vivid and visceral, the action brutal, the pace headlong, and Abercrombie piles the betrayals, reversals, and plot twists one atop another to keep us guessing how it will all come out. This is his best book yet
Overall this is an immediately rewarding experience. There are reveals in the final third that are unexpected yet satisfyingly logical . . . Best Served Cold? Modern fantasy doesn't get much better than this
All stars
Most relevant
Absolutely fantastic reading once again b. Steven Pacey, truely brings the characters to you in a personal way. The man is a master storyteller.
The book is another great work by Mr. Joe Abercrombie. gritty, bold, bloodthirsty and brutal. this cutthroat piece of fiction will keep a smile on your face while you follow along and join the characters to find revenge styrian style

Sweet Revenge

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This is one of those books you really need to take a couple of days break every 10 hours or so. Joe Abercrombie is a great writer and this story was very well done. I felt like it was a bit drawn out though so it’s not quite a 5/5.

Otherwise, great characters, great motivations and really interesting storyline.

Very good, maybe slightly too long

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Best book in the entire series, feels like a movie worthy script with twists and story telling that kept me captivated in every moment

Best book in the first law series

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Pacey's narration is impeccable as always and abercrombie delivers another highly entertaining, brutal and hilarious story with loveable but demented characters both new and old. If you are considering a new author or audiobook you need not go further than a collaboration between Stephen Pacey and Joe Abercrombie

A brutal and hilarious feast

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Another great book and another great performance by Steven Pacey. Some of his best voice work in Cosca and friendly. I didn't like it as much as the first trilogy but it's still an entertaining listen

Wonderful book and brilliant performance

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