Name: The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie (The Age of Madness: Book 2)
Item: The Trouble with Peace
Author: Trenzle Review

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Sure, it doesn’t last, but the main thesis in Abercrombie’s most recent book tries to explain why. The sobering conclusion is that choosing sides in a country’s governance will inevitably result in hazardous division and perhaps possible war, even if it is obvious that one is trying to “do the right thing.”

Ask Orso, a prince with a bad reputation who unexpectedly finds himself crowned King. Because nothing seemed to be accomplished, he grew up believing that his father was a bad King. But as Orso grows accustomed to the position, he finds that the real difficulty of his kingly responsibilities is maintaining a delicate balance of power between all the nobility of the Open and Closed Councils as well as the real power players behind the scenes. Even when severe sacrifices must be made by the less fortunate section of society to placate the more affluent side, a good king is one who is able to maintain peace. It’s a horribly unjust system, but that’s how riches and power work.

A member of the Open Council who is also the son of one of the most influential nobles in the nation is accused of raping and murdering a woman, and this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. 14 others watched the rapist and murderer’s deed in a tavern, and the case should be closed in court as a result. For such a despicable criminal, Orso’s sentencing ought to be swift and unforgiving. But one should never underestimate the cunning of aristocrats, and a long-standing animosity for Orso’s family has made this situation an opening for treachery and whispers of a coup.

In Orso’s tale, One of the three intertwining stories is Adua. We also return to Angland, where we run across a number of action-hungry Northmen and Anglanders, including Leo, Rikke, Clover, The Great Wolf, and other old pals. Additionally, Vick is studying some rebel organisations who may be able to change the course of an impending war while working some political magic throughout the continent. Each tale offers a distinctive viewpoint on what peace means and what motivates people to fight from various societal levels.

There is also fighting. The Little People is a series of POVs that shows the horrors of war as the reader switches between the perspectives of many unimportant characters. It wouldn’t be an Abercrombie novel without this chapter.

This one has everything. The Trouble with Peace is a classic Abercrombie tale that incorporates elements from the other seven First Law books. It includes all your old favourites, including the recurring humour, graphic brutality, gloomy wisdom, and an ending that will leave you wanting more. Would you have expected anything less at this point?

The Review