Best Served Cold

The Count of Monte Cristo with Steel and Blood: Steven Pacey Commands 26 Hours of Styrian Vengeance

Widely celebrated as one of the finest revenge fantasies ever written, *Best Served Cold* shifts Joe Abercrombie's gritty world to the sun-drenched, treacherous city-states of Styria. Mercenary commander Monza Murcatto—the feared Snake of Talins—is double-crossed by her employer, Grand Duke Orso, who murders her brother and has her broken body tossed from a fortress cliff. Surviving against all odds through sheer spite, Monza enlists a cast of damaged degenerates: a Northman obsessed with doing the right thing named Shivers, an ex-con poisoner named Castor Morveer, a drunkard mercenary general, and an obsessive mathematician who loves counting things. Together, they embark on a calculated, chaotic purge of Monza’s seven betrayers.

Steven Pacey’s vocal performance in *Best Served Cold* is nothing short of legendary. Widely considered one of the pinnacle achievements in modern fantasy audiobooks, Pacey inhabits every character with theatrical precision. His portrayal of the priggish, neurotic poisoner Morveer is comedic perfection, while his gradual hardening of Caul Shivers—from hopeful adventurer to a hollow-eyed engine of slaughter—is utterly chilling. Monza’s raspy, pain-wracked voice grounds the bloodbath in genuine human anguish. Fans of classic revenge sagas like The Count of Monte Cristo and gritty heist fiction like The Lies of Locke Lamora will find themselves laughing out loud at the black humor one moment and gasping in horror the next.

At twenty-six and a half hours for a single credit, this standalone novel provides astonishing entertainment value. Abercrombie proves that revenge rarely leaves the avenger intact, offering an unsparing deconstruction of vengeance wrapped in blistering pacing and breathless action set-pieces. It is an unmissable, darkly hilarious auditory masterpiece that will dominate your listening for weeks.

The First Law World Reading Order: • The Blade Itself (The First Law Trilogy Book 1 – 22h 15m) • Before They Are Hanged (The First Law Trilogy Book 2 – 22h 38m) • Last Argument of Kings (The First Law Trilogy Book 3 – 27h 3m) • Best Served Cold (Standalone Novel 1 – 26h 28m) • The Heroes (Standalone Novel 2 – 23h 05m) • Red Country (Standalone Novel 3 – 19h 52m) • Sharp Ends (Short Story Collection) • A Little Hatred (Age of Madness Book 1) • The Trouble with Peace (Age of Madness Book 2) • The Wisdom of Crowds (Age of Madness Book 3)