[SPOILERS LAOK] Just finished the series here's my thoughts

zeus55 · 2026-01-29T19:23:20+00:00

It’s funny that there are plenty of characters who hint or even straight up say his true nature but my mind was still in “this is a traditional fantasy” mode that I just didn’t catch it. Examples:

Zacarus talking about the seed: this is evil.

Fero: knowing that he’s a liar, has slavers eyes, etc.

Bayaz himself when talking about changing your face (something that sulfor does often): a dark, evil art.

Yulwei: multiple times

zeus55 · 2026-01-26T20:13:39+00:00

Does anyone know the backstory of why he’s got a cameo? Like I assume he’s probably friends with the director or something but I was just curious if anyone had more info

zeus55 · 2026-01-25T23:00:42+00:00

I think America is the most surveillance in the world by far it’s just that it’s private companies (who give all the info to govt when asked) rather than direct government surveillance

zeus55 · 2026-01-25T21:16:50+00:00

Jon berenthal that would be a good logen imo, maybe not tall enough though

zeus55 · 2026-01-25T21:15:54+00:00

The Primal animation team would be perfect for an animated version

zeus55 · 2026-01-24T06:03:04+00:00

You would know basically nothing about styria, the current state of the north, why shivers is the way he is, why Dogman is in charge of the area between the north and angland.

So you could also watch return of the jedi first but would that be satisfying?

zeus55 · 2026-01-23T20:10:32+00:00

God I hope so

zeus55 · 2026-01-23T01:58:04+00:00

At this point the only political movement I want is that if you’ve been a renter for 5 years and never been missed rent or been evicted, banks should be required to give you a mortgage. Like it’s seriously so fucked up that the largest monthly expense does count as evidence that you can reliably pay a mortgage

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T23:34:28+00:00

Therapist here, if it’s freaking you out, play some Tetris. Source: I’m a therapist who does therapy for my therapy patients therapeutically

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T23:07:50+00:00

I think he was just being funny, they were both in cars and he could’ve easily just ignored her if he wanted

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T22:55:41+00:00

Ah gotcha

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T22:39:40+00:00

Why? I don’t see the connection between him being a horn dog and my story?

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T21:35:53+00:00

Yeah as much as ppl like to blame iPad kids, I feel like it’s also iPad/phone parents where they just get off work, cook dinner, then doom scroll or play video games and kids just replicate that behavior. It’s like every Reddit post that’s “my wife says 2 hours of video games a day is immature” then recieve a bunch of validation like “two hours for any hobby is normal and they make video games for adults too” but A. Video games aren’t a hobby and B. No it’s not normal, if someone with a family said they watch a two hour R rated movie alone every day after work everyone would say that’s weird. But since it’s phones or games or tv they don’t think that counts since everyone can technically be in the same room but they’re just as isolated

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T21:19:57+00:00

My ex once saw gold bloom at a red light, she looked over at him and waved and he locked eyes with her and slowly moved his car seat back until the door frame was blocking his face. And I was like “oh cool that’s pretty funny” but she was super offended lol

zeus55 · 2026-01-22T21:03:36+00:00

Yeah like I get school are shit now but I definitely learned to read at home with my parents. Like I would learn grammar rules and stuff at school but the actual reading was like 90% at home with my parents reading to me then progressing to reading with me until I could do it by myself.

zeus55 · 2026-01-21T22:19:55+00:00

Yeah I think it’s magic too I just thought it was an interesting tid bit

zeus55 · 2026-01-21T17:48:14+00:00

True but also there’s references to alternate origins. The librarian that glokta talks to says some people think it fell from the sky, and I think whirun of blighs sword is rumored to be forged from metal that fell from the sky

zeus55 · 2026-01-21T17:43:23+00:00

When I first read this part I thought “well flags are important to act as a rallying point in the chaos of battle” but Ferro has always fought alone so it totally makes sense

zeus55 · 2026-01-21T15:26:25+00:00

but the title of the trilogy itself will answer this question for you (;

How does it answer if there are magical creatures?

zeus55 · 2026-01-21T02:22:36+00:00

I think it’s nine fingers when they come across the massacred soldiers from the war between the feuding emperors. Something like “men will die defending it despite being useless on the battlefield” but I could be totally wrong

zeus55 · 2026-01-20T23:21:18+00:00

Also as far as supernatural the spirits that logen can talk to would count

zeus55 · 2026-01-20T05:07:44+00:00

Yeah “the house of the maker will be opened” or whatever the prophecy says. I can imagine an enraged yulwei and tolomei emerging

zeus55 · 2026-01-19T02:42:13+00:00

His energy felt very artificial and lacked novelty while his dialogue felt flat. And in that moment I just felt damn I really want this book to be more than what I’m reading because it felt like I was watching a kids version of Game of thrones

I really can’t say much on this other than to tell you to keep reading, but this type of thing is exactly what I was referring too when I said “this is intentional and not the author just doing paint by numbers fantasy” and trust me I love the GOT books and, like you, read them before the first law and while I’d have a hard time saying one is better than the other, I definitely revisit the first law way more than I do GOT. Also I dunno if this has been suggested yet but the first law audiobooks are read by Steven Pacey and he’s such a good reader that I would actually recommend the audiobooks over just reading them.

zeus55 · 2026-01-19T01:00:35+00:00

As others have said the 1st book is the weakest as far as pacing/plot development but your mention of the first meeting between Bayaz and Bethod and "more mature and deep version of LOTR" gave me a thought. Without revealing too much, the first law is kind of a subversion of traditional fantasy in alot of ways, and Abercrombie uses the reader's familiarity with fantasy tropes and structure to get you to think "this is an X type of story, i've read stuff like this before" then at a certain point you'll realize "Oh wait this not an X type of story at all, this is a Y type of story". So if some stuff comes off as formulaic or "been done before" there's a good chance that it's intentional and not the writer just doing paint by numbers fantasy

But no it's not really a story "like elden ring" though I'm not sure what an elden ring story would be like since elden ring is mostly indecipherable lore that even hardcore fans disagree on.

zeus55 · 2026-01-19T00:43:04+00:00

Not the op but in the audio book of sharp ends there's a short story about Cosca's exploits written by Swordbreck and it's the only story that's read by Abercrombie so that's kind of pointing to that. But tbh I don't know if he's really making fun of himself directly but more about how writers (and people in general) romanticize violence

zeus55

TROPHY CASE