The Wisdom of Crowds is the third and final novel of The Age of Madness trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, his second trilogy set in The First Law world. It was published in September 2021 by Gollancz in the UK and Orbit in the US.
Publisher's Synopsis[]
Chaos. Fury. Destruction.
The Great Change is upon us . . .
Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.
With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies . . . while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance.
The banks have fallen, the sun of The Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together . . .
Characters[]
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Point-of-View Characters |
Other Influential Characters |
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Full List of Characters:
Notable Persons of the Union
- His August Majesty King Orso the First – unwilling High King of the Union, a notorious wastrel while crown prince.
- Her August Majesty Queen Terez – Queen Dowager and mother of the King of the Union.
- Hildi – the king’s valet and errand-girl, previously a brothel laundress.
- Tunny – once Corporal Tunny, pimp and carousing partner to Orso while he was still crown prince.
- Yolk – Corporal Tunny’s idiot sidekick.
- Bremer dan Gorst – a squeaky-voiced master swordsman who was First Guard to King Jezal, and now to King Orso.
- Arch Lector Sand dan Glokta – “Old Sticks,” the most feared man in the Union, Head of the Closed Council and His Majesty’s Inquisition.
- Superior Pike – Arch Lector Glokta’s right-hand man, with a hideously burned visage.
- Lord Chamberlain Hoff – self-important chief courtier, son of the previous Lord Hoff.
- Lord Chancellor Gorodets – long-suffering holder of the Union’s purse-strings.
- High Justice Bruckel – woodpecker-like chief law lord of the Union.
- High Consul Matstringer – overwrought supervisor of the Union’s foreign policy.
- Lord Marshal Brint – senior soldier and one-armed old friend of Orso’s father.
- Lord Marshal Rucksted – senior soldier with a penchant for beards and tall tales, married to Tilde dan Rucksted.
- Colonel Forest – a hard-working officer with common origins and impressive scars, commanded the Crown Prince’s Division for Orso.
- Lord Isher – a smooth and successful magnate of the Open Council.
- Lady Isold dan Kaspa – an insipid young heiress, engaged to be married to Lord Isher.
- Lord Barezin – a buffoonish magnate of the Open Council.
- Lord Heugen – a pedantic magnate of the Open Council.
- Lord Wetterlant – a handsome magnate of the Open Council with something missing around his eyes.
- Lady Wetterlant – Lord Wetterlant’s feared battleaxe of a mother.
- Lord Steebling – minor nobility, gouty and bad-tempered.
In the Circle of Savine dan Glokta
- Savine dan Glokta – daughter of Arch Lector Sand dan Glokta and Ardee dan Glokta, investor, socialite, celebrated beauty and founder of the Solar Society with Honrig Curnsbick.
- Zuri – Savine’s peerless lady’s companion, a Southern refugee.
- Freid – one of Savine’s many wardrobe maids.
- Metello – Savine’s hatchet-faced Styrian wig expert.
- Ardee dan Glokta – Savine’s famously sharp-tongued mother.
- Haroon – Zuri’s heavily built brother.
- Rabik – Zuri’s slight and handsome brother.
- Gunnar “Bull” Broad – an ex-Ladderman wrestling with violent tendencies, once a Breaker, now handling “labour relations” for Savine.
- Liddy Broad – Gunnar Broad’s long-suffering wife, mother to May Broad.
- May Broad – Gunnar and Liddy Broad’s hard-headed daughter.
- Bannerman – a cocky ex-soldier, working with Broad.
- Halder – a taciturn ex-soldier, working with Broad.
- Honrig Curnsbick – “The Great Machinist,” famous inventor and industrialist, and founder of the Solar Society with Savine dan Glokta.
- Dietam dan Kort – a noted engineer and bridge-builder, partner with Savine in a canal.
- Selest dan Heugen – a bitter rival of Savine’s.
- Kaspar dan Arinhorm – an abrasive expert in pumping water from mines.
- Tilde dan Rucksted – the blabbermouth wife of Lord Marshal Rucksted.
- Spillion Sworbreck – a writer of cheap fantasies and scurrilous pamphlets.
- Carmee Groom – a talented artist.
In Westport and Sipani, Cities of Styria
- Victarine "Vick" dan Teufel – an ex-convict, daughter of a disgraced Master of the Mints, now an Inquisitor working as a spy for the Arch Lector.
- Tallow – a skinny young Breaker, blackmailed into assisting Vick.
- King Jappo mon Rogont Murcatto – King of Styria.
- Grand Duchess Monzcarro Murcatto – “The Serpent of Talins,” mother of King Jappo, a feared general and ruthless politician, responsible for the unification of Styria.
- Shylo Vitari – the Minister of Whispers, once a colleague of Sand dan Glokta, now spymaster to the Serpent of Talins.
- Casamir dan Shenkt – an infamous assassin, rumoured to possess sorcerous powers.
- Princess Carlot – sweet-tempered sister of King Orso, wife of Chancellor Sotorius.
- Chancellor Sotorius – current ruler of Sipani.
- Countess Shalere – the exiled childhood friend (and some say more) of Queen Terez.
- Superior Lorsen – colourless Superior of the Inquisition in Westport.
- Filio – a senior Alderman of Westport and fencing enthusiast.
- Sanders Rosimiche – a junior Alderman of Westport and strutting loudmouth.
- Dayep Mozolia – a merchant in fabrics, influential in the politics of Westport.
With the Breakers and Burners
- Risinau – once Superior of Valbeck, behind the violent uprising in that city, revealed to be a leader of the Breakers.
- Judge – an unhinged mass-murderer or fearless champion of the common folk, depending on who you ask, the leader of the Burners.
- Sarlby – an old comrade-in-arms of Gunnar Broad, now become a Burner.
In the North
- Stour Nightfall – “The Great Wolf,” King of the Northmen, a famed warrior and arsehole.
- Black Calder – once the true power in the North, cunning father of Stour Nightfall.
- Greenway – one of Stour Nightfall’s Named Men, expert sneerer.
- Dancer – one of Stour Nightfall’s Named Men, nimble on his feet.
- Brodd Silent – one of Black Calder’s Named Men. Presumably a man of few words.
- Jonas Clover – once Jonas Steepfield and reckoned a famous warrior, now renowned as a disloyal do-nothing.
- Downside – one of Clover’s warriors, with a bad habit of killing men on his own side.
- Sholla – Clover’s scout, a woman who can slice cheese very fine.
- Flick – an apparently useless lad among Clover’s men.
- Gregun Hollowhead – a Chieftain of the West Valleys, father of the Nail.
- The Nail – Gregun Hollowhead’s son, a feared and famous warrior.
In the Protectorate
- The Dogman – Chieftain of Uffrith and famous War Leader, father of Rikke.
- Rikke – the Dogman’s fit-prone daughter, blessed, or cursed, with the Long Eye. Rhymes with pricker.
- Isern-i-Phail – a half-mad hillwoman, said to know all the ways.
- Scenn-i-Phail – one of Isern’s many brothers, scarcely saner than she is.
- Caul Shivers – a much-feared Named Man with a metal eye.
- Red Hat – one of the Dogman’s War Chiefs, known for his red hood.
- Oxel – one of the Dogman’s War Chiefs, known for his poor manners.
- Hardbread – one of the Dogman’s War Chiefs, known for his indecision.
- Corleth – a girl with stout hips, keen to fight for Rikke.
From Angland
- Leo dan Brock – “The Young Lion,” Lord Governor of Angland, a hotheaded warrior and famous hero, victor in a duel against Stour Nightfall.
- Finree dan Brock – Leo dan Brock’s mother and a superb tactician and organiser.
- Jurand – Leo dan Brock’s best friend, sensitive and calculating.
- Glaward – Leo dan Brock’s exceptionally large friend.
- Antaup – Leo dan Brock’s friend, renowned as a lady’s man.
- Whitewater Jin – Leo dan Brock’s friend, a jovial Northman.
- Lord Mustred – an old worthy of Angland, with a beard but no moustache.
- Lord Clensher – an old worthy of Angland, with a moustache but no beard.
The Order of Magi
- Bayaz – First of the Magi, legendary wizard, saviour of the Union and founding member of the Closed Council.
- Yoru Sulfur – former apprentice to Bayaz, nondescript but for his different-coloured eyes.
- Khalul – former Second of the Magi, now arch-enemy of Bayaz. Rumoured to have been killed by a demon, plunging the South into chaos.
- Cawneil – Third of the Magi, about her own inscrutable business.
- Zacharus – Fourth of the Magi, guiding the affairs of the Old Empire.
Plot Summary[]
The story continues to follow the interweaving stories of seven characters:
- Orso dan Luthar, the High King of The Union, who recently prevailed against a major rebellion led by members of the Open Council.
- Rikke, who now sits if Skarling's Chair, but sitting in it is nothing special; it’s staying in it that’s the trick with Black Calder being the most immediate threat.
- Jonas Clover, who has firmly sided with Rikke against Stour Nightfall.
- Leo dan Brock, a condemned traitor sentenced to life imprisonment.
- Savine dan Glokta, whose ambition has consumed her and burned her life clean.
- Gunnar Broad, who was last seen surrendering to King Orso with Savine.
- Vick dan Teufel, who either has recently joined the Breakers' cause, or is a prisoner of the Breakers, or a spy within the Breakers.
Chapter Summaries[]
Quotes[]
"Lieb would have very much liked to run away. He didn’t want anyone’s blood on his hands, least of all his own, and he wasn’t without sympathy for their cause up to a point. Freedom, and justice, and so on. Who doesn’t like that stuff? In principle.
But he’d sworn an oath to the King. Not to the King directly, of course, but you know. He’d sworn it even so. He’d been happy to swear it when things had been going well, and supposed he couldn’t just unswear it the moment things turned dicey.
What kind of an oath would it be then?"
"He should've told that treacherous coward Isher to fuck himself the moment his prattle tilted toward rebellion. Or better yet, gone straight to Savine's father and spilled the whole story to Old Sticks" - Leo Dan Brock