However, Abercrombie quickly shows that Bayaz is not the copy and paste wizard expected, but someone with a biting sense of humor, a spiteful temper, and a mysterious agenda that may not be all that ‘good’. When first introduced, he does have the jolly, Gandalf-feel of the standard, wizened, fantasy wizard. Bayaz is the all-knowing wizard and guiding force of The First Law. The world-building isn’t as grandiose as typical of epic fantasy and while the plot is good, it takes a definite backseat to characterization. It’s the way in which he defines and combines these elements that sets The First Law apart.Ībercrombie chooses to emphasize characters in The First Law.

We have a wise, guiding wizard, we have a brutal barbarian from the north, we have a spoiled nobleman, we have a long-lost king, we have a raging war in the north, we see a siege, and a threat that could destroy the world. Abercrombie takes the trope of a guiding, mysterious wizard with a traveling group of people of wide-ranging origins and tweaks the formula, creating a story in which said wizard may actually be a malicious manipulator with self-serving goals and the traveling troupe may not become poster children for an after-school special.Ībercrombie achieves his unique take on epic fantasy by first embracing many of the tropes commonly found.

Joe Abercrombie ’s First Law Trilogy presents an alternative interpretation of the relatively standard epic fantasy quest.

Best served cold trilogy