The trouble with peace

Abercrombie returns to his bleak but gripping Age of Madness trilogy in this second entry (after A Little Hatred, 2019). Orso, the increasingly world-weary new King of the Union, and Leo dan Brock, the idealistic Lord Governor of Angland, are manipulated by traitorous nobles into a conflict that encompasses multiple kingdoms. Leo, still nursing injuries sustained from dueling against Stour Nightfall, becomes embroiled in a plot to depose Orso, while Orso learns that no matter what good he tries to do, it is outmaneuvered, undone, or co-opted by his enemies. Savine dan Glokta, pregnant and suffering from PTSD after the Valbeck uprising, finds herself at the crossroads of this upheaval after she marries Leo. Rikke, whose future-telling Long Eye has grown in power, looks for a way to keep the Northern city of Uffrith free. These tragic, tangled stories play out amid a backdrop of industrial innovation, secret magic, workers' strikes, class warfare, and financial corruption. This violent, sophisticated sequel is essential reading for those captivated by the first in the series.

The impressive second epic fantasy of Abercrombie's Age of Madness trilogy (after A Little Hatred) grounds the ongoing power struggles within the Union in issues that resonate with contemporary politics. Orso, "a notorious wastrel while crown prince," is now High King of the Union, but his controversial reign has sparked an opposition movement dedicated to toppling him and "making the Union great again." Abercrombie balances the ensuing intrigue, espionage, and a bloody assassination attempt with the nitty-gritty of Union politics, shining a light on corruption, tax reform, and class distinctions, on the way to a climactic confrontation between Orso's forces and those marshalled against him. Meanwhile, Leo dan Brock, the leader of the rebels, marries Orso's former lover, Savine dan Glokta, who left Orso after learning a scandalous secret, adding emotional stakes to the political turmoil. The large cast, which takes over four pages to list in a helpful appendix, becomes overwhelming at times, and newcomers to the series will have a hard time untangling the complex backstory, but Abercrombie's satisfying plotting and expert subversion of genre expectations are sure to please. Readers will be gripped. (Sept.)