The Trouble with Peace

About The Trouble with Peace

The Trouble with Peace is the second epic fantasy novel in Joe Abercrombie's Age of Madness trilogy, and a gripping exploration of how idealism curdles under the pressure of power. The Union is at rest after the events of A Little Hatred, but peace is its own kind of violence. King Jezal's heirs squabble for position, the Open Council is riven by competing ambitions, and the merchant class grows ever more resentful of noble privilege. Savine dan Glokta must navigate a marriage of political convenience while maintaining her empire of enterprises, even as revolution begins to simmer in the slums and factories of Adua. Leo dan Brock, young and glory-hungry, is drawn into a conspiracy that he cannot fully understand. Rikke, daughter of the Dogman, learns to interpret her prophetic visions while playing a brutal game among the northern clans. And in the background, the First of the Magi moves pieces on a board that spans centuries. Abercrombie is at his sharpest here—cynical, funny, and devastating in equal measure. The Trouble with Peace shows that the hardest battles are not fought on fields but in corridors where power is quietly rearranged. Grimdark fantasy at its most intelligent.

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