#83 in Fantasy
The Heroes
- 672
- Pages
- about 12 h
- Reading time
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About the book
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.
Reading order · The First Law
Full order & progress →- The Blade ItselfStart here
–Not ranked yet - Before They Are Hanged
8.58.5 / 10 - Last Argument of Kings
8.68.6 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.6 across 578 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 76% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 8.4 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.6 | 578 | 100% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“This is the First Law standalone that I was most anticipating, and I'm really glad to say it mostly met my expectations! The Heroes follows a three day battle from both sides as they fight a battle over...some hills known as The Heroes. And it has all the things a three day battle would entail- pointless death, the tedium of campaigning, violence, pointless death, politicking, commander hubris, great duels, pointless death. Because without a doubt, Abercrombie has some things to say about war in this book. And for a book that is, on its face, about battles, it is certainly pretty critical …”
“Three days battle in the North from Lord Grim Dark So many various, interesting characters already in the first couple chapters and it’s so good to see how characters change as the story progresses. Also there's a very well made, kinda natural recap of the most important events from previous books. Although some characters have too many descriptions and inner monologues in their chapters. Abercrombie captured the three days battle from every possible angle—young, scared men with no experience, generals, great swordsmen, strange and furious Northmen. You can feel the heavy atmosphere of war i…”
Frequently asked
What is The Heroes rated?
8.4 out of 10, from 578 reader ratings across 1 independent sources.
Is The Heroes worth reading?
Readers give it 8.4/10 from 578 ratings, which puts it ahead of 59 % of the Fantasy shelf.
How long does it take to read The Heroes?
About 12 hours at an average reading pace — 672 pages.
Where does The Heroes rank?
#83 in Fantasy on the current snapshot.
How long is The Heroes?
It has 672 pages — longer than 72% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Fantasy — and a score of 8.4, the closest to this book.
