A Little Hatred (Age of Madness #1) by Joe Abercrombie

A Little Hatred reads as an introductory piece into the lives of all the major characters who are youth, straining at the leashes of their guardians, and have been thrust into situations they seem quite unprepared for.

I took to reading this book because I had come across a tweet comparing it with the Wheel of Time, or at least it compared Leo with Rand.

I am currently on the second book in the series, and several times, I have had to exit the application I do my reading on to confirm what I am reading – the electronic version of closing a book in surprise to read the synopsis again, I guess.

It is pretty much unfortunate that I am compelled to finish what I always start, but I will admit that I will need a lot of fortitude to trudge through the rest of the series if something doesn’t quickly happen.

A Little Hatred reads as an introductory piece into the lives of all the major characters who are youth, straining at the leashes of their guardians, and have been thrust into situations they seem quite unprepared for. Leo and Orso- mama’s boys, impatient, rebellious. One chivalrous and stupid, the other so laid back, contrasting, yet so similar; Savine and Rikke are ‘princesses’ and become scarred that life would dare make them experience pain and fear.

One is left a nervous wreck, the other an angry harridan, although I believe she has the right to be. The setting is a kingdom (or empire?) on the cusp of an industrial revolution beset by boundary wars and plagued by internal strife.

So far, I’ve not tried to reach for the long eye, some sort of special feature that allows Rikke to look into the future, to predict how this will end, but it is Unthrilling and bland. The only time I seemed to have been shaken was at the great paternity reveal of Savine and the delicious shock at the taboo of her incestuous relations with Orso. Pre-teen me would have found the book interesting because of the nasty phrases and adult expressions and the general forbidden-ness.

I was appalled at the suddenness of the demise of the king of the union. Partying one night, dead as a doornail the next. I understand it is the way of death, but I better find out he had been poisoned because…