If you clenched your teeth hard enough, and took enough strides, you could get anywhere.

Before They Are Hanged is a slog in the most sincere and positive way possible. The book is fantastic and an excellent middle step of a trilogy. However, for our characters after The Blade Itself nothing is easy, everything is a struggle and war is all around them.

The slog of Ninefingers, Glokta or Jezel is tiring, ruthless and a continuous struggle for survival and it made for a brilliant read. Grizzled veterans or fresh faces to battle experience the constant onslaught of existence and what could be a monotonous read is gripping and suspenseful.

We are leaders. War is what happens when fail.

Each chapter moved the story along and I never felt my enjoyment drag. The book was shorter than The Blade Itself and that helped prevent the story from having any unnecessary weight. For as much as I enjoyed it I'm not sure it is worthy of it was amazing five stars.

The story focuses on familiar characters, there are struggles and wonderful character development, and more action than its predecessor but ultimately the book doesn't conclude anything. This moved characters along, cranked up the tension and set up for what should be an incredible finish in Last Argument of Kings.

Got to have fear to have courage.

The spoils of war aren't sugar coated in this story the violence may be extreme for some reader but I am glad Abercrombie writes this way because you feel that life and death truly hangs in the balance. Fantastic story and I'm looking forward to finishing the trilogy off!