Book Review: The Great Change (and Other Lies) by Joe Abercrombie
Cover art by John Anthony di Giovanni
The Great Change (and Other Lies) by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Age of Madness (Book #0.5 of 3), First Law World (Book, #11 of 11)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Grimdark fantasy
Pages: 120 pages (Hardback)
Published: 30th September 2023 by Subterranean Press
The Great Change (and Other Lies) is a terrific and thought-provoking insight into the behind-the-scenes of creation and revolution in The Age of Madness.
“Greed was the one thing in the diamond trade, after all, that could always be relied upon.
Reading and reviewing a new book by Joe Abercrombie, especially for a new book in The First Law World, was not on my 2023 schedule. The release of The Great Change (and Other Lies) is a serendipitous moment for me despite its short length. Here is the thing. Joe Abercrombie is one of my favorite authors. The First Law World is one of my favorite series/worlds. Every time people ask me what my favorite grimdark fantasy series is, I will immediately point them to The First Law World which is comprised of The First Law trilogy, The Great Levellers trilogy, The Age of Madness trilogy, and now two collections of short stories. I have made this feeling abundantly clear on a myriad of occasions. Having any new stories—no matter how short—in The First Law World is a blessing for literature. When I found out about The Great Change (and Other Lies) collection of short stories, I knew it would be imperative for me to read the new four companion short stories taking place in the Age of Madness trilogy.
“Across the sea, after all, the machines needed to be fed. More of them and hungrier every day.”
Picture: The Thread by John Anthony di Giovanni
The $60 price for the physical edition of this collection by Subterranean Press stopped me for a while. Fortunately, a kind-hearted friend bought it for me as a Christmas present, and I had the chance to read this less than two-hour reading-length novella-sized collection of four short stories sooner than I expected. If you missed out on the physical edition, you can purchase the ebook at a much more affordable price. The Thread, The Stone, The Point, and The Great Change. These are the four Age of Madness companion short stories you can read in the collection. Featuring old friends and new: from smugglers to kings, from diamond-cutters to dress-makers, from the most apparently insignificant of slaves to the most feared man in the Union, Old Sticks himself, I strongly believe The Great Change (and Other Lies) will give the fans of the series—myself included—a quick refreshment and reminder on why we continue to love reading Abercrombie’s writing. As I always say, no one in the grimdark fantasy subgenre writes like Joe Abercrombie.
“Diamonds are like people, after all—they need to be ground down a little before they reveal their best.”
Picture: The Stone by John Anthony di Giovanni
As Abercrombie said at the beginning of the book, it is recommended and better to read The First Law World or The Age of Madness trilogy first. Especially for The Great Change short story. I will keep this review brief and spoiler-free. The Age of Madness happened during the Industrial Revolution era of The Circle of the World. With technology transforming industries and the uncountable individuals involved, progress is never safe from sacrifices. The web of commerce and industry was knitting the whole world ever more tightly together, and the price of progress was steep. Changes are inevitable. Nothing can be conjured out of thin air. The purpose of this collection of short stories is to provide an efficient exploration of this reality. Every item, every material, every event; there are origins, transitions, and endgames to each one of these. In The Great Change (and Other Lies), the character’s stories revolve around an object or concept. In The Thread, we follow the thread from the cotton fields of Gurkhul to the heights of Aduan society. In The Stone, we follow a stone from the rivers of Kadir until it becomes a crown of the Union. In The Point, we follow the iron from the prison mines of Angland to a knife in the back of the old regime. And finally, in The Great Change, we follow the slow gestation of the Great Change itself, a revolution which will turn the whole world upside down…
“Your Majesty, when a great man dies, it is tempting to think it can only be the result of some great event, some grand conspiracy, some towering malevolence… It would be a reassurance, in a way, to feel that death follows such meaningful patterns. But the hard truth is that great men die of the same things little ones do. Sometimes they slip and strike their heads, sometimes they choke on a fish bone, and sometimes they pass peacefully in the night, for no particular reason. When they do so, it is, in a way, a mercy. We should all be so lucky as to die in an unspectacular fashion.”
Picture: The Point by John Anthony di Giovanni
Did I love reading all four short stories? I would not say ALL of them. The Point did not click with me as much as I hoped. But I will gladly give my stamp of approval to the other three short stories: The Thread, The Stone, and The Great Change. As I always say, I have a soft spot for Abercrombie’s characterizations and writing style. I am biased about this world, and reading anything new in The First Law World already gives me joy and satisfaction. This feeling is elevated further because some of the beloved main characters from The Age of Madness trilogy do appear in The Great Change (and Other Lies). Savine, Zuri, Vick, Orso, Old Stick, Bayaz, and more. With a storytelling similar to the one employed in The Little People chapters, which is a storytelling technique Abercrombie utilizes to direct and flow a transition from a point or a scene to another scene seamlessly repeatedly, Abercrombie succeeds at telling thematic stories of corruption, greed, capitalism, and revolution quickly. Although I certainly would have preferred reading a new novel instead of short stories in The First Law World, my brief return to this grim society is, once again, a comfort to my soul.
“I have often thought it would be a fine thing… To leave the world better than we found it.”
Picture: The Great Change by John Anthony di Giovanni
Well, this review ended up longer than I expected. I find it challenging to put a brake on myself when I am talking about my enjoyment of Abercrombie’s books. Lastly, though… I need to mention this Subterranean Press edition is embedded with four black-and-white interior illustrations by John Anthony di Giovanni, who returned once again to provide his skill to the Subterranean Press edition of Abercrombie’s books as he did for The Age of Madness trilogy. The artworks in The Great Change (and Other Lies), cover art included, are all beautifully drawn montages of the main scenes, or titles in the case of the cover art, inside each respective short story. On top of Abercrombie’s excellent writing, I believe John’s contributions did augment my enjoyment of The Great Change (and Other Lies). Try to observe each interior art after you read each short story. You will see what I am talking about. The details are exquisite.
“Ah, the curse and the blessing of parenthood, that can coax a sentimental tear from the pitiless eye of even a monster like me… Filling this place of death and pain and bloodless paperwork with hope, and beauty, and potential… And to think, I was once a main with nothing to lose.”
If I have to mention a downside or pain of reading this collection, it would be the craving for more of Abercrombie’s books and The First Law that comes after. This is inescapable. If it happens, it will be years before Abercrombie writes another novel or series in The First Law World, but his newest book in a different series, The Devils, is coming in 2025. The pain of waiting for it will be torturous, but I have no doubt it will be worth it. Until then, if you are a fan of The First Law World and The Age of Madness trilogy, read The Great Change (and Other Lies). It is a delightful dessert to The Age of Madness trilogy.
Picture: The Great Change (and Other Lies) by John Anthony di Giovanni
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