Books › A Little Hatred
A Little Hatred
720 pages
A bloody, soot-stained plunge into a world where the industrial revolution meets dark magic and even darker morality.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like standing in the smog of a newly industrialized city while a brutal tavern brawl erupts behind you. It is a masterclass in grimdark fantasy, trading traditional medieval backdrops for the soot-choked chimneys and violent labor strikes of a magical industrial revolution. The narrative moves with a propulsive, cinematic energy, jumping between deeply flawed, morally bankrupt, yet undeniably charismatic characters. The prose is punchy and visceral, dripping with a cynical gallows humor that makes you laugh out loud even as the blood spills. It is a gritty, unforgiving experience that strips away the romanticism of epic fantasy, replacing it with the harsh realities of ambition, greed, and the relentless march of progress. Perfect for readers who prefer their heroes tarnished and their political intrigue settled with cold steel.
- Mood
- grimy
- smoke-choked
- tense
- unforgiving
- Tone
- cynical
- darkly comedic
- gritty
- pragmatic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- the illusion of heroism · cost of progress · generational trauma · class warfare · corrupting ambition
- The writing
- Punchy, visceral, and laced with razor-sharp dark humor and highly distinct character voices.
- The arc
- Moves from arrogant ambition and naive hopes into brutal, humbling reality, ending in a cynical but resilient survival.
- Who it's for
- Fans of grimdark fantasy who love morally gray characters, witty banter, and bloody, unromanticized action.
Content notes
- graphic violence
- gore
- profanity
- sexual content
- class-based oppression
About the book
The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever.
On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments.
Savine dan Glokta — socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union — plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control.
The age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die. With the help of the mad hillwoman Isern-i-Phail, Rikke struggles to control the blessing, or the curse, of the Long Eye. Glimpsing the future is one thing, but with the guiding hand of the First of the Magi still pulling the strings, changing it will be quite another...
Description from Open Library.
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