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The Heroes is Joe Abercrombie's fifth novel. It was first published in January 2011 by Gollancz in the UK, with an American edition following from Orbit Books.

Publisher's Synopsis[]

They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they’ve brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he’s far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it’s his own.

Prince Calder isn’t interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he’ll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn’t have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail...

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

Plot Summary[]

Eight years after the end of the original trilogy, The Union and The North are at war once again. In the intervening years, Black Dow has been Protector of the North; or stealer of it, depending on who you ask. He is opposed by Lord Marshal Kroy, commander-in-chief of the Union Army, with Dow’s former companion turned enemy, The Dogman, as a Union-ally. The title is a reference to a Stonehenge-like structure on a hilltop, over which both sides fight in the climatic three-day battle, as well as the grimly ironic deconstruction of heroes in wartime.

The story is told from the point of view of six characters. Curnden Craw, the aging chief of a crew of Named Men, known to all as a real straight edge. Prince Calder, Bethod's younger son, an infamous charmer and schemer among the straightforward Northmen. Bremer dan Gorst, King Jezal's disgraced former bodyguard, and a near unstoppable one-man-army. Finree dan Brock, the venomously ambitious daughter of Lord Marshal Kroy. Corporal Tunny, a long-serving veteran and cynical profiteer, who also does his best to keep his misfit rookies alive. And finally, Beck, a young farm-lad craving to follow in his famous father’s footsteps, until his first taste of the atrocious waste of human life.

In the Northern camp, Dow sends Craw’s dozen to defend the Heroes hilltop, driving-off some of The Dogman’s scouts. Meanwhile, he summons Calder back from exile to play a role in the coming battle. The implication is that Dow would like to see the treacherous prince killed in battle. Unwilling to accept his fate, Calder sets out to reclaim power from Dow, but finds few allies among the Northern warlords, and even his father-in-law urges him to back-off if he wants to stay alive. In the Union camp, the ancient Magi Bayaz shows-up to “help” Lord Marshal Kroy, having brought a new invention to test: cannons.

At the Battle of Osrung, the Union Army enjoy significant numerical superiority, but the Northmen prove a stubborn enemy. On day one, Dow launches a surprise attack, that drives the Union back south of the river. On the second day, a Union counter-attack makes significant gains all across the line, and apparently killing Calder’s brother, Scale. Afterwards, Dow tries to open peace-talks, using a captive Finree as go-between, but Kroy refuses at the insistence of Bayaz. The third day of the battle is carnage. In the west, Calder barely holds back the Union onslaught with some clever tricks. In the east, the Union almost capture Osrung in street-by-street fighting, until Dow’s Gurkish ally virtually destroys the town with gunpowder. In the centre, the Union make it all the way up to the Heroes, only to be driven back with heavy losses on both sides.

After the fighting subsides, the two sides do agree to peace-talks. Dow uncovers Calder's plotting, but is goaded into a trial by combat. Stepping into the circle, Dow doesn't even break a sweat against Calder, but insults his enforcer, Caul Shivers, one too many times. Shivers splits Dow’s skull with his own sword, and Calder is unexpectedly declared the winner. In the peace-talks, the cunning Calder plans to deliberately stall, knowing the Union’s impatience to deal with other enemies will get him better terms. Unfortunately, that night, he is abducted by Bayaz, who explains his ulterior motives for the entire war and all the lives lost; to rearrange the leadership in the North. With Dow out of the way, Calder will serve as his puppet King of the Northmen.

In the end, Calder wrings somewhat out of Bayaz’s trap through brotherly love, as the power behind Scale’s throne. Craw, having spent most of the book dreaming of retiring, goes back to soldiering at the first opportunity. Finree convinces Bayaz to appoint her husband Lord Governor of Angland. Gorst receives the royal forgiveness and returns to his previous position. Tunny prepares to ship-out to Styria with a new bunch of rookies. And finally, Beck returns to the farm, having seen enough of his father's lifestyle.

Characters[]

The Union[]

Lord Marshal[]

  • Lord Marshal Kroy – commander-in-chief of his Majesty’s armies in the North.
  • Colonel Felnigg – Kroy's second in command
  • Colonel Bremer dan Gorst (POV) – royal observer of the Northern War and disgraced king’s First Guard.
  • Rurgen and Younger – Gorst's servants
  • Bayaz, the First of the Magi – a bald wizard and an influential representative of the Closed Council.
  • Yoru Sulfur – Bayaz’s butler, bodyguard and chief bookkeeper.
  • Denka and Saurizin, members of the university coming with Bayaz

Jalenhorm's division[]

  • General Jalenhorm – an old friend of the king, promoted beyond his ability, brave yet prone to blunders.
  • Retter, his young cornet
  • Colonel Vallimir, commander of the first regiment
  • First Sergeant Forest, official of the first regiment
  • Corporal Tunny (POV)– long-serving profiteer, and standard-bearer of the First Regiment.
  • Troopers Yolk, Klige, Worth, and Lederlingen – clueless recruits attached to Tunny as messengers.
  • Colonel Wetterlant, commander of the 6th Regiment
  • Major Culfer, Wetterlant second in command
  • Sergeants Gaunt and Rose, soldiers in the 6th Regiment
  • Major Popol, commander of the Rostod Regiment
  • Captain Lasmark, captain of the Rostod Regiment
  • Colonel Vinkler, commander of the 13th Regiment

Mitterick's Division[]

Meed's Division[]

  • Lord Governor Meed – the governor of Angland, and an amateur soldier who hates Northmen.
  • Colonel Harod dan Brock – an honest and hard-working soldier, the son of a notorious traitor.
  • Finree dan Brock (POV) – Colonel Brock’s venomously ambitious wife, the daughter of Lord Marshal Kroy.
  • Colonel Brint – senior on Meed’s staff, an old friend of the king.
  • Aliz dan Brint – Colonel Brint’s naive young wife.
  • Captain Hardrick, Bregga, Saluc, officials

Dogman's Division[]

  • The Dogman – an old companion of Black Dow, now his bitter enemy, fighting with the Union.
  • Red Hat, Dogman's second in command
  • Hardbread – a Named Man of long experience, leading a dozen for the Dogman.
  • Redcrow, carl of Hardbread

The North[]

Black Dow's Division[]

  • Black Dow – the Protector of the North, or stealer of it, depending on who you ask.
  • Splitfoot – his Second, meaning chief bodyguard and arse-licker.
  • Ishri – his advisor, a sorceress from the Gurkish Empire, and sworn enemy of Bayaz.
  • Caul Shivers – a scarred Named Man with a metal eye, who some call Black Dow’s dog.
  • Curnden Craw (POV) – a Named Man thought of as a straight edge, now leading a dozen for Black Dow.
  • Wonderful – Curnden Craw's long-suffering Second.
  • Whirrun of Bligh – a famous hero from the utmost North, who wields the Father of Swords.
  • Jolly Yon CumberBrack-i-DaynScorry TiptoeAgrickAthroc and Drofd, members of his dozen

Scale's Division[]

  • Scale – Bethod’s eldest son, now the one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, strong as a bull, with a bull’s brain
  • Pale-as-Snow, second in command and former Bethod War Chief
  • White-Eye Hansul, great warrior and former Bethod's negotiator
  • ‘Prince’ Calder (POV) – Bethod’s younger son, an infamous schemer, temporarily exiled for suggesting peace too.
  • Seff, wife of Calder
  • Deep and Shallow, Calder's "bodyguards"

Caul Reachey's Division[]

  • Caul Reachey – one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, famously honourable, father-in-law to Calder.
  • Brydian Flood, great warrior and former member of Craw's dozen.
  • Beck (POV)– a young farmer craving glory on the battlefield, the son of Shama Heartless.
  • Reft, Colving, Stodder and Brait, young recruits

Glama Golden's Division[]

  • Glama Golden – one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, intolerably vain, locked in a feud with Cairm Ironhead.
  • Sutt Brittle, great warrior
  • Lightsleep, carl

Cairm Ironhead's Division[]

  • Cairm Ironhead – one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, notoriously stubborn, locked in a feud with Glama Golden.
  • Curly, Irig, Temper, soldiers

Brodd Tenways's Division[]

  • Brodd Tenways – the most loyal of Dow’s five War Chiefs, ugly as incest.

Stranger-Come-Knocking's Division[]

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