Wonderful storytelling, as always. I was blown away by the dark humor and realistic, well-developed characters. Everyone's scared and no one's a hero unless by accident of course.
This book takes place after a couple of decades from the ending of the First Law Trilogy on the brink of an industrial revolution. Many of the old characters have gone back to mud but we get to glimpse some old ones. Can't say that I don't miss my favorite characters from the First Law Trilogy. The main characters are young fighters (of war or politics) of the next generation in a changing world. They have little to no combat experience, which sets a different atmosphere, compared to having mainly veterans. As a result, there's less action than usually in Joe Abercrombie's books but still plenty. The storytelling jumps from one character to the next and even some very minor characters get to have their say.
This novel is brilliant. What sets it apart is how truly realistic everything is, although it is not a surprise for anyone familiar with Abercrombie's other work. Events, thoughts, and relationships feel as though they could be real. The world is not softened or simplified as it often is in many books. The cold truths can be found from the pages of this novel. One would expect that from a fantasy book, even if the fantasy aspects are very subtle.
I strongly recommend reading the First Law Trilogy before starting this one. Otherwise, you won't understand many references. If you enjoyed reading any other books set in the World of the First Law, you'll like A Little Hatred too.