Author: Joe Abercrombie | Narrator: Steven Pacey
Runtime: 22h 32m | Genre: Grimdark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Industrial Fantasy, Military Fantasy, Court Intrigue
The chimneys of industry rise across Adua as the Age of Madness begins, sweeping Savine dan Glokta, Leo dan Brock, and Rikke into a savage maelstrom of rebellion and war.
Spanning twenty-two and a half magnificent, blood-soaked hours, *A Little Hatred* launches Joe Abercrombie’s acclaimed *Age of Madness* trilogy, bringing the industrial revolution kicking and screaming into the unforgiving world of The Blade Itself. Nearly three decades after the brutal climax of Last Argument of Kings, the Union is modernizing at breakneck speed. Soot-choked factories, coal mines, and mechanical looms have concentrated astronomical wealth in the hands of greedy industrialists while grinding the working class into revolutionary fury. When the shadowy 'Breakers' smash textile mills and the radical 'Burners' demand blood in the streets, civilization teeters on the brink of domestic rebellion.
Abercrombie brilliantly anchors this social upheaval in a dazzling new generation of flawed, compelling characters. Savine dan Glokta—daughter of the notorious Arch Lector—is a cutthroat venture capitalist whose ruthless financial investments mask deep vulnerability. In the rugged North, young warrior Leo dan Brock hungers for battlefield glory against Stour Nightfall, while Rikke, daughter of the Dogman, struggles to control the tormenting seizures of the Long Eye. When war explodes on both fronts, their colliding destinies expose the monstrous machinery of political manipulation that has always governed the Circle of the World. Abercrombie’s sharp prose, cynical black humor, and ferocious combat sequences feel more vital than ever.
In audio, narrator Steven Pacey once again proves why he is universally celebrated as the undisputed gold standard of fantasy voice acting. Pacey effortlessly transitions from Savine’s aristocratic veneer to Leo’s stubborn bluster and Clover’s cynical Northern pragmatism, creating an acoustic universe that is utterly peerless. For listeners seeking peerless character development, thrilling socio-political intrigue, and top-tier Grimdark Fantasy narration on a single monthly credit, *A Little Hatred* is an absolute masterpiece.
The Age of Madness Reading Order: • A Little Hatred (Book 1 – 22h 32m) • The Trouble with Peace (Book 2 – 22h 55m) • The Wisdom of Crowds (Book 3 – 23h 48m)
Steven Pacey’s performance on A Little Hatred is an acoustic tour de force that redefines what audiobook voice acting can achieve. Pacey seamlessly voices an enormous ensemble of aristocrats, factory workers, and Northern warriors, giving every single persona distinct vocal pacing, dialect, and emotional resonance. His dry, gravelly delivery of Abercrombie’s caustic wit is exquisitely timed, while his bone-crunching action sequences maintain breathtaking dramatic tension. Recorded with immaculate studio clarity, this twenty-two-hour listening experience sets the benchmark for epic fantasy audio.
*Note: Narrators may differ across regional releases and audiobook editions.