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The Heroes

A First Law Novel

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The Heroes

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

 They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own.

Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail.

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.©2011 Joe Abercrombie Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Military Heartfelt Scary

Critic Reviews

Highly recommended - a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out (Joe Hill)
The Heroes is an indictment of war and the duplicity that corrupts men striving for total power: bloody and violent, but never gratuitously so, it's imbued with cutting humour, acute characterisation and worldweary wisdom about the weaknesses of the human race. Brilliant
[The Heroes is a] blood-drenched, thought-provoking dissection ofa three-day battle is set in the same world as Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy but stands very well alone . . . Abercrombie never glosses over a moment of the madness, passion, and horror ofwar, nor the tribulations that turn ordinary people into the titular heroes
All stars
Most relevant
Took me a bit of time adjusting from James Marsters voice in the Dresden Files series to this, but it was a fantastic book and impressive performance .

lovely

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Add to that. I think I like the standalone books better than the three others too. I find the Union officer imitations hilarious and the simplicity of the Northmen’s way of life and fighting appealing

My favourite of the series

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An epic, suspenseful and witty tale. Steven Pacey is the best narrator I've had the pleasure of listening to

Best Narrator on Audible

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Fantastic war story filled with complex flawed characters, wit and sarcastic humour. Great battle scenes and interesting inner dialogue as we focus on our main pov characters as they fight, trudge and scheme their way through a war fought to fuel the egos of more powerful people.
What completely blows me away though are the scenes with some background characters, the short sharp focus on one background character leading to the next, those sequences are pure gold. You may only be in one of their heads for 2 sentences but damn its good! Current film and tv writers could learn a lot about writing characters from this book.
The Heroes is some of the best storytelling filled with real characters that are cruel, clueless, self effacing, loyal, ambitious, powerful, self aware, powerless and everything else a person can be... and also that some dreams are better left unrealised.
Joe Abercrombie is my hero (favourite author)!

Fantastic war story.

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Good story as always by Joe, Steven Paceys narration is the highlight - so many character voices !

Fabulous narration!

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