Each month Abington Library will feature a favorite book from a faculty, staff member, or student. They will give a brief synopsis of their chosen book. Instructions can be found on the instructions tab or at libguides.asub.edu/VanguardSpotlightBook/Instructions.
Question one - Information Technology Manager
Question two - Jacob worked at ASU-Beebe from 2018 - 2020 and returned to ASU-Beebe one year ago.
Jacob will be running the Esports Lab and plans on making a focus for clubs involving the room or using the space. He hopes to provide a welcoming space for those that are inclined to such entertainment. Outside of work, Jacob works on different developments that can grow into new projects. Jacob writes campaign settings for things like DnD as well as dabbling in art projects. Other hobbies include card games, video games and other similar activities.
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
Reviewed by Jacob Grindstaff
“When you tell a lie, you have to sound like you believe it. Goes DOUBLE for the ones you tell yourself…”
A Little Hatred, by Joe Abercrombie, can be described in one sentence: Gritty, Gruesome. and “down to earth”, even if said earth has a very bit of subtle magic to it. Set thirty years after the events of Abercrombie’s last series, The First Law Trilogy, the world and its people are on the cusp of changes; war, an industrial revolution with wide changes in technology, and the massive consequences of both. People lose their jobs, go hungry, as they get replaced by machines and smelteries. Banks have complete control over currency. Sex and the like are “prevalent” and used as a means to gain advantages over another, rather than out of actual meaning. War claims multiple casualties as the rich line their pockets with gold and profit and do nothing to help the common man.
The world has two large opposing forces overarching all the items beneath it – The Union, led by King Jezal, and the North - lead by the “Black Calder” clan, helmed by a ruthless and grotesque ruler known as Stour Nightfall. Our views follow individuals under the Union’s banner - Rikke, Savine, Gunnar, Clover, Leo, Orso, and Vick. From the top of the social hierarchy to the bottom – We have “Crown Prince” Orso, struggling with his mantle, Savine, a viper of industry and trade, Gunnar, a disgruntled and cast aside Veteran, Clover, a retired mentor, Rikke, a woman born with the ability to prophesy, Leo, a young leader learning how to lead, and Vick, a freedom fighter that wants to break the chains of industrial society. Everyone’s stories eventually collide with each other, or directly impact each other in ways that they do not expect – especially when the world goes to complete chaos. The War shows that Black Calder is winning hand over fist, and during this, Valbeck’s workers are on the cusp of rioting - leading to our seven characters forging bonds with one another that are as strong as steel.
The book isn’t necessarily about the war or the societal issues in Valbeck, though those are very important to the story – they’re primarily used to show how those items impact our characters, and how we follow those rapid, sweeping, terrifying changes from the view of our seven individuals. There’s no overarching force of “good” or “evil”, just shades of grey as everyone really has their own demons or issues to deal with. This, in my opinion, is a good thing, as the characters themselves are the strongest part of the book and will have you picking up and putting down the book in a wash of feelings such as anger, disgust, despair, happiness, hope, and more.
If this review got a little “real”, when I said down to earth earlier, I meant it. Joe Abercrombie has masterfully made a fiction novel that employs our own world’s self-teachings throughout history to make their book a veritable gut-shot to the reader’s palette, as well as using very rich and descriptive adjectives to describe every gut-wrenching scene. It’s bleak, and slimy at points, but filled with just enough glints of light in an overall “wasteland” to keep the reader’s brain and eyes scanning the pages – and it is tense, always having you at the edge of your seat trying to find out “what’s next”.
A Little Hatred will be very hard to put down for lovers of grim-fantasy but will be hard to swallow for those that can’t get past the dark realities of the Medieval times. However, for those that can stomach these themes, you’ll be treated to a fantastic story written by an individual who is a paragon of their craft.
