Book Review - Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

 

Books Read in 2025 - No. 1

Hey Book Nerds!

Yes you read that right. This is the first book I read in 2025!  I actually started reading Best Served Cold on November 6th 2024.

Sadly with my old job I had some mental health issues.  Then there was the Christmas period where I was busy.  Then the sudden death of my girlfriend Jane in January definitely put me in the wrong mindset to read and put me in a reading slump.  I also needed new glasses which I purchased 2 weeks ago. I started slowly getting back into reading in July or August. Now nearly 11 months later I have finally finished.

Set in Joe Abercrombie's First Law world it is a standalone novel, but it helps that you've read the trilogy before as there are characters from there and nods to the World.

As the title suggests the theme of the novel is revenge. Taken from the quote by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos "Revenge is a dish best served cold".

The story starts with the female general and mercenary Monza Murcatto and her brother Benna being betrayed by their employer Duke Orso. Benna is killed and she is badly beaten and thrown down a mountain.  She just about survives and plots revenge.  She employs Shivers - a Northern man from the original trilogy.  Morveer a master poisoner, and Cosca her previous leader.

They systematically kill the seven people who were in the room when Monza was betrayed.

Overall - this is a great book although slightly over long.  It could do with around 50 pages less.  It seemed darker in tone than the First Law trilogy.  There still was some humour but not as much.

The characters, as ever with a Joe Abercrombie novel we're great, especially for me, Cosca and Shivers.  Most of the characters suffered throughout the novel and the majority that were left alive learned from it.

Best Served Cold was also gritter with more raw and detailed sex scenes.

I wish I had read it quicker than I had but with everything I've mentioned earlier sadly it wasn't to be.

I read the last quarter of the book in the last week or two and the action rammed up with gory delight.

Very close to being better than the First Law Trilogy although slightly over long and slow in parts.  Still a great read.

Score -   8.5/10

Goodreads Score - 4 out of 5