Red Country has been described as Abercrombie’s interpretation of fantasy meets western: the harshness of the setting, turbulence of the characters’ lives and interactions all work to present an exceptionally dark story. High fantasy with western elements, adventure, warfare and regular tips to his previous books, “Red Country” is firmly set in Abercrombie’s own universe, despite its genre subversions, and needs to be approached in sequential order, rather than as a stand-alone piece, although its blurb may suggest otherwise.

The text is ostensibly a travel narrative prone to frequent violent outbursts, including the ear-severing murderousness of “the Ghosts”, kidnappers, general amorality, selfishness and greed of the main cast.  Previously encountered characters are paraded out, only to be jettisoned back and picked up again later, keeping the reader constantly on the look-out for familiar faces. This approach works rather well for “Red Country”, which occasionally threatens monotony with its initial travel focus, and keeps the reader guessing (although some characters’ disguises are very easy to anticipate).

Black humour and banter between the characters breaks up the atmosphere, keeps the story moving along, and gives out clues where the reader can next find a familiar character. This kind of “treasure hunting” adds another level to the travel narrative. The descriptions of the seedy towns, gore on the battlefields and fear experienced while travelling through the forests are wonderfully conveyed, as per usual, and the dialogue between characters is well maintained. Even with all its flaws, this is still a book that demands to be read, even where scenes begin to drag.

However, some of its flaws are concerning. Women just don’t get a good run in Abercrombie’s stories (just ask the lesbian queen in another book sentenced to reproduction for fear of her lover being killed – not a pleasant character, certainly, but this punishment made me feel particularly antagonised). “Red Country” is another such instalment. Despite attempts at creating “strong female characters”, none in Abercrombie’s books have really hit the mark quite yet. Shy’s actual development is slow to start with, and she suffers through long periods of text with simply being a very dull character in comparison to the better fleshed-out men. She is simply not very engaging, at least, not until the story goes over the halfway mark, and even that is limited. Her compassion for her kidnapped siblings is overshadowed by Lamb’s overarching compassion for her as his charge, and her deference to him is marred by suspicion. Temple’s sardonic plight, and the clamourings of countless other, more interesting male characters only highlight her relatively dull characterisation. The only other women mentioned are whores (barely mentioned at that), and a young girl who is yet another victim of the kidnappers (and who takes on a nurturing role for the other kidnapped children). Hardly the most refreshing depictions of women in fantasy, but better than nothing, which is what the characters come dangerously close to in many scenes. The Mayor is a more promising character, but there are still no Bechdel test passes here.

However, if you are a fan of medium-high fantasy and are looking for something that bends genres and is generally very enjoyable, then this is a book that I would recommend with only a small disclaimer. Abercrombie’s expression is crisp and very readable, his characters easy to visualise, and his stories accessible, if briefly frustrating in places.

Excerpt:

‘A man must follow the opportunities.’ He turned to take in the plot with an airy wave. ‘I am contracted to build upon this unrivalled site a residence and place of business for the firm of Majud and Curnsbick.’

‘My congratulations on leaving the legal profession and becoming a respectable member of the community.’

‘Do they have such a thing in Crease?’

‘Not yet, but I reckon it’s on the way. You stick a bunch of drunken murderers together, ain’t long before some turn to thieving, then to lying, then to bad language, and pretty soon to sobriety, raising families and making an honest living.’

‘It’s a slippery slope, all right.’

Red Country is available in Hardback format for $21.86 AUD / $22.86 USD from The Book Depository.