The conclusion to The Age of Madness
CHOAS. FURY. DESTRUCTION.
THE GREAT CHANGE IS UPON US . . .
Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.
With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies . . . while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance.
The banks have fallen, the sun of the Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together . . .
Capping off the AGE OF MADNESS trilogy, THE WISDOM OF CROWDS brings the series which is revolutionising fantasy to its stunning conclusion . . .
Read my reviews of the previous volumes; A Little Hatred and The Trouble With Peace
My thoughts: I was looking forward to this and I was not disappointed. With elements of the American Revolution and lashings of the French (especially the Terror and Robespierre – a bloody time had by all) as well as a good dose of Abercrombie’s straight talking Northmen and chaos all around.
As the Burners and Breakers take the Agriont, King Orso finds himself on the wrong side, again. I do enjoy his dry sense of humour as everything around him falls apart.
Savine is of course plotting like mad to stay afloat and not end up being chucked off a tower or anything, Leo is making his mark in politics and learning to live with one leg and only one working arm. Less Young Lion than Limping Lion perhaps.
Meanwhile in the North, Rikke’s planning to finally return Black Calder to the mud with an audacious plan that will either unite the North or end up with everyone dead. So business as usual.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As I’ve enjoyed the whole series (and the ones before it set in the same world). It’s dark and twisted and funny. The characters are boldly written and thoroughly awful, all of them, but in a way that somehow makes them likeable. I cannot wait to see what Abercrombie does next. I mean, peace can’t last for long, can it?
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 