New Releases by Joe Abercrombie

''Delightfully twisted and evil'' GUARDIAN ''Highly recommended ... seek it out'' Joe Hill Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers. Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain, shallow, selfish and self-obsessed, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men. And Logen Ninefingers, an infamous warrior with a bloody past, is about to wake up in a hole in the snow with plans to settle a blood feud with Bethod, the new King of the Northmen, once and for all - ideally by running away from it. But as he''s discovering, old habits die really, really hard indeed... ...especially when Bayaz gets involved. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he''s about to make the lives of Glotka, Jezal and Logen a whole lot more difficult...

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.

Logen Neuf-Doigts, le barbare le plus redouté du Nord a finalement vu sa chance tourner : son dernier combat risque bien d''être celui de trop. La perspective de ne laisser à ses ennemis hilares qu''une poignée de mauvaises chansons ne l''enchante guère ; aussi, quand les esprits lui révèlent qu''un mystérieux mage l''attend au Sud, se met-il en route. Après tout, qu''a-t-il de mieux à faire ? Jeune et fringant officier, le capitaine Jezal dan Luthar n''a rien de plus dangereux en tête qu''arnaquer ses amis aux cartes, se mettre minable et remporter le Tournoi annuel d''escrime. Mais la guerre gronde, et les batailles qu''on livre sur le front du Nord ne s''interrompent pas au premier sang. Tortionnaire accompli, l''Inquisiteur Glotka ne rêve que de voir l''arrogant capitaine tomber entre ses mains. Mais lui ou un autre, Glotka déteste tout le monde : obtenir des aveux de traîtrise à longueur de journée laisse peu de place à l''amitié. Sa dernière piste de cadavres pourrait bien le conduire droit au cœur du gouvernement corrompu... si toutefois il vit assez longtemps pour la suivre. Alors que de funestes complots sont sur le point d''être révélés, que des querelles millénaires remontent à la surface, la ligne qui sépare les héros des traîtres est assez fine pour faire couler le sang !

" Der Fantasy-Überraschungserfolg Ein Barbar, ein Inquisitor, ein Magier - mit seinen einmaligen Helden schuf Joe Abercrombie ein aussergewöhnliches Fantasy-Erlebnis. Nach dem grossen Erfolg von " "Kriegsklingen" " beweist der junge Autor in seinem zweiten Roman einmal mehr, dass die Zukunft der Fantasy schon jetzt begonnen hat! Für Logan, den Barbarenkrieger, der eigentlich nur seine Ruhe haben will, und den zynischen Grossinquisitor Glokta, der eigentlich durch nichts zu erschüttern ist, hat die Begegnung mit einer lebenden magischen Legende alles verändert. Und so finden sie sich plötzlich im Zentrum von Geschehnissen wieder, bei denen es um nichts Geringeres als die Zukunft des Reichs geht ... "

A treia parte din seria Marea Sfaramata „Ceea ce face din Jumatate de razboi o lectura fantastica este placerea lui Abercombie de a contrazice asteptarile.“ Fantastic Book Review Cuvintele sunt arme. Tot ce iubea a fost distrus asa ca printesei Skara i-au mai ramas doar cuvintele. Iar cuvintele potrivite pot ucide ca taisul sabiei. Daca vrea sa-si ceara dreptul care ii revine prin nastere trebuie sa-si invinga temerile si sa-si ascuta istetimea ca pe o lama. Numai in jumatate de razboi se lupta cu sabia. Yarvi cel siret a mers drum lung pana sa ajunga in slujba regelui. S-a aliat cu dusmanii de altadata si impreuna au dobandit o pace deloc sigura. Insa acum Wexen cea neinfricata a incitat cea mai mare oaste condusa de un barbat care nu se inchina la niciun zeu ci numai in fata Mortii. Uneori un rau trebuie sa invinga alt rau. Unii cum sunt Bathu si Raith s-au nascut ca sa lupte si poate ca sa moara. Altii cum sunt Brand sau Kool prefera sa stea la lumina. Dar cand Mama Razboi isi intinde aripile de fier bezna cuprinde toata Marea Sfaramata. "