A Little Hatred Audiobook by Joe Abercrombie | The Age of Madness series

Summary

What happens when the grinding wheels of industry collide with ancient grudges and the children of legends must forge their own bloody paths? Joe Abercrombie’s A Little Hatred plunges listeners into a world where smokestacks rise alongside swords, and the sins of fathers echo through a new generation desperate to prove themselves – or simply survive.

Audiobook Info

• Author: Joe Abercrombie
• Narrator: Steven Pacey
• Duration: 14 hours and 47 minutes
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release Date: September 19, 2019
• Series: The Age of Madness
• Book: 1

Review

Steven Pacey doesn’t just narrate A Little Hatred – he inhabits it. His return to Abercrombie’s grimdark universe feels like welcoming back an old friend who happens to possess the vocal range of an entire theater company. Each character receives a distinct voice that burns into memory: the ambitious rasp of Savine dan Glokta, the eager bravado of Leo dan Brock, and the dissolute charm of Prince Orso. Pacey navigates accents, emotional registers, and the brutal poetry of Abercrombie’s prose with the confidence of someone who has lived in this world for years.

Set thirty years after the original First Law trilogy, this opening installment of The Age of Madness introduces us to a Union transformed by industrial revolution. Factories belch smoke into skies once dominated by magic, and the children of beloved (and despised) characters from earlier books now take center stage. Abercrombie masterfully balances multiple viewpoint characters, each compelling in their moral complexity. There are no heroes here – only people making terrible choices for understandable reasons, which is precisely what makes them impossible to stop listening to.

The industrial backdrop isn’t mere window dressing; it’s the engine driving social upheaval that mirrors our own history. Workers suffer in conditions that would make Victorian England wince, while the wealthy scheme in gilded parlors. Abercrombie weaves themes of class warfare, generational trauma, and the corrupting nature of power through every blood-soaked chapter. The battle sequences are visceral and chaotic, while the political maneuvering cuts just as deep.

What sets this audiobook apart is how Pacey handles Abercrombie’s signature dark humor. The author’s wit is razor-sharp, and Pacey delivers each sardonic observation with impeccable timing. One moment you’re wincing at brutal violence, the next you’re laughing at the absurdity of it all – a tonal balance that few narrators could pull off so seamlessly.

Fans of grimdark fantasy will find everything they crave here: morally gray characters, consequence-laden choices, and a world that refuses to offer easy answers. Newcomers to Abercrombie’s work can absolutely start here, though those familiar with the First Law trilogy will catch delicious references and appreciate how far – or how little – certain bloodlines have evolved. If you appreciate complex political fantasy with teeth, A Little Hatred will sink its claws into you and refuse to let go.

Download & Listen

Experience the brutal brilliance of Joe Abercrombie’s industrial-age grimdark epic brought to life by the incomparable Steven Pacey. Download A Little Hatred today from KTAudiobooks.com and discover why this series has captivated fantasy fans worldwide. Nearly fifteen hours of masterful storytelling awaits – perfect for those who like their fantasy served dark and uncompromising.