Last Argument of Kings

by Joe Abercrombie
670 pgs  (First Law series #3)

Last Argument of Kings concludes Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. And although he has, and still is writing books that take place in the world of the First Law, the story arc he began with The Blade Itself has ended.

The Union is in a precarious position. The King is dead, along with both of his male heirs, and with no clear succession plan in place, and with an approaching war with the Empire of Gurkhul looming, the ultimate fate of the Union is unsure.

For years, Bayaz, the ancient First of the Magi, has been preparing for this exact moment, and has been laying the groundwork for a plan that will put a man on the throne whom he will have full control over. For years he's been grooming Jezal, the arrogant young swordsman, who turns out to be the bastard son of the old King, and as such, is the closest thing to a rightful heir alive.

Meanwhile, Logen Ninefingers, the barbarian warrior, has returned to the North to settle a score with King Bethod, and Glokta, the torturer, finds himself in Agriont in the middle of the Gurkish invasion.

Last Argument of Kings is a rewarding conclusion to Abercrombie's series. It's full of bloody battles and ruthless scenes of torture at Glokta's hands. But even better than those aspects of the story, is the extent of the political machinations rewardingly revealed by Abercrombie by the end.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Malta Exchange

by Steve Berry
401 pgs  (Cotton Malone series #14)

The Malta Exchange begins with Cotton Malone arriving in Italy, on a special assignment from MI6 to track down letters between Winston Churchill and Mussolini, rumored to have been exchanged during the early stages of World War II. These letters are believed to reveal embarrassing information outlining a deal Churchill tried to make with the Italian dictator, which would have kept Italy from entering the war. But this is a Steve Berry book, so things are never as easy for Cotton as they could be, and he soon finds himself being shot at and attacked by a bear.

The trail to the letters leads Malone to Cardinal Gallo, who has his sights set on becoming the next Pope. But Gallo, whose ascendancy to power within the Catholic Church has been the result of plots, blackmail, and murder, is a man driven by power and control, instead of faith and devotion to his religion.

Berry's love for history is fully displayed in The Malta Exchange, and it was those elements of the story that kept me interested and turning the pages. There are long passages focused on Constantine and the origins of the Catholic Church that I found to be the most entertaining parts of the story. Unfortunately, the plot itself was a little tiresome and the action wasn't up to what I've come to expect from Berry. Hopefully he returns to form with The Warsaw Protocol next year.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Crucible

by James Rollins
461 pgs  (Sigma series #14)

In Crucible, James Rollins's latest Sigma Force novel, Gray and Monk return to Monk's house late on Christmas Eve to find the house in disarray, Kat, Monk's wife, comatose from a blow to the head, and Monk's two daughters along with Gray's pregnant companion Seichan missing. With the help of Painter Crowe and their resources at DARPA, they quickly learn that the those responsible are also tied to the deaths of five women in Portugal the same night, women who were the leaders of a network of scientists funding groundbreaking advancements in AI (artificial intelligence) technology.

The Sigma team must simultaneously search for their team's loved ones, make heart-wrenching decisions as the extent of Kat's injury becomes clearer, and stop a group determined to use AI to send the world back to where it was hundreds of years ago.

Crucible is a fun and action-packed read. Rollins delivers what I've come to hope for and expect with his books. I turn off my sense of realism and just go along for the ride. There are definitely a few over-the-top elements to the story, but Rollins has become pretty adept at describing those and incorporating them int his stories in such a way that they almost seem plausible.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆