Curious King presents to you, Joe Abercrombie’s “Last Argument of Kings” illustrated by Greg Manchess!
The third and final book in Joe Abercrombie’s masterful “The First Law” Trilogy is here, and signifies the first finished trilogy by Curious King.
Following on from the first two books in the series, we are honoured to put Last Argument of Kings up for public pre-order following the rights holder period closing. Not only that, to have Greg Manchess illustrate this edition is a dream come true.
As usual there is only one copy of each tier allowed per household, and we have two shipping options:
- TBB: offers a more cost-effective solution but can take longer to arrive through customs
- Ludlow: usually arrives quicker and utilises higher quality packing materials
We’ve been working with Joe on this series for several years now and to release the third book is a big moment for the press. All orders of Last Argument of Kings come with Series Rights to the next Abercrombie book we will be releasing (which is Best Served Cold).
author
Joe Abercrombie is a highly acclaimed British author known for his groundbreaking contributions to the fantasy genre, particularly through his First Law series. Born on December 31, 1974, in Lancaster, England, Abercrombie studied psychology at Manchester University before embarking on a career in television post-production. While working as a freelance editor, he began writing his debut novel, The Blade Itself, which was published in 2006. The book marked the beginning of his First Law trilogy and quickly established him as a leading voice in the grimdark subgenre of fantasy, characterized by morally ambiguous characters, gritty realism, and subversive storytelling.
Abercrombie’s works are celebrated for their complex characters, sharp dialogue, and dark humor. His First Law trilogy—The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings—presents a world rife with political intrigue, brutal conflict, and philosophical questions about power and morality. Beyond the trilogy, Abercrombie has expanded the universe with standalone novels like Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country, which delve deeper into the lives of secondary characters and explore themes of revenge, war, and redemption. In 2019, he launched a new trilogy, The Age of Madness, set decades after the original series, showcasing his ability to evolve his storytelling while maintaining the dark and satirical tone that fans love.
Abercrombie’s success has earned him critical and commercial acclaim, as well as a dedicated global readership. Often referred to as “Lord Grimdark,” he has been praised for his ability to blend visceral action with deep emotional resonance, creating stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. In addition to his novels, Abercrombie has also dabbled in screenwriting and contributed to anthologies, further cementing his reputation as a versatile and innovative writer. With his signature wit and relentless focus on character-driven narratives, Abercrombie has left an indelible mark on modern fantasy, influencing a new generation of authors and reshaping the genre.
art
We have a living legend working on the third and final book of this series. Greg Manchess needs no introduction. He is one of the most revered painters in publishing and has not just maintained great work, he continues to improve to this day. For those who don’t have an insight into how these artists plan, prepare, and produce their work, they won’t be aware at just how good and quick Greg is when he gets going on a project. What some do in months, Greg can do in weeks. Oh yes, and it’s all oils. A very unforgiving medium, but Greg makes it look easy.
Greg is producing 9 colour paintings and a B&W line drawing for this edition.
Finishing off the trio of dust jackets, the brief was to focus on the third principal character Jezal Dan Luthar as this is his book to shine. Greg recently turned in his draft of the dustjacket and it’s looking phenomenal!
We have had some amendments done by Greg after we shot the Standard Edition, so the dustjacket in the prototype shots is out of date, and we’ve had a mockup made of the front. The current version of the dustjacket image in it’s current state is just below, and what a powerful picture it is!
Limited to 500 copies only, the Standard Edition is 560 pages, printed letterpress two colours (black and blue) on Omnia Natural 120gsm by Pat Randle and Ellen Bills from Nomad Letterpress on their Heidelberg Windmill Press.
This is the only version that comes with Greg’s dustjacket of Jezal Dan Luthar and Bayaz. It is bound in black buckram cloth with two hit foil stamping to the cover and spine, with rounded spine, tailband and coloured ribbon.
The endpaper will be a printed landscape illustration by Greg Manchess, and there will be another 7 colour images within the book, 6 interior images and 1 frontispiece.
The book is protected by a black buckram slipcase with unique design foil stamped onto the cover side.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-Order Price – £235
Published Price – £255
Limited to 150 copies only. The Numbered Edition is 560 pages printed letterpress two colours on Omnia Natural 120gsm paper by Pat Randle and Ellen Bills at Nomad Press.
Bound in a matching blue goatskin and handbound by the artisan’s at Ludlow’s Bookbinders and sporting a Crown and Sceptre design with three-pass foil stamping on the cover, spine and back.
The tailbands and ribbon will be the same as book 1 and 2 and we’re carrying on the blood spattered topedge as it just feels right. This design has been worked up alongside the first 2 to ensure they flow.
As with the Standard Edition, this book comes will an illustrated endpaper Greg Manchess and a further 7 tipped in plates (including a frontispiece).
Housed in a curved mauve cloth slipcase with the Crown and Sceptre design foil stamped across all three sides.
This book comes with rights to Best Served Cold and any future Abercrombie works we take on following this release.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-Order Price: £600
Published Price: £635
The Lettered Edition is limited to just 26 editions and printed two colour letterpress on Magnani Mouldmade 130gsm paper by Pat Randle and Ellen Bills at Nomad Letterpress, this edition features unique bindings, case and title setting.
Bound in finest Harmatan black goat with blue leather onlays on the front, back and spine with three colours of foil stamping. It includes 4 raised bands, rounded spine, coloured headbands and all 3 edges gilded gold.
As with the previous editions there will be 7 tipped in pieces of art (including a frontispiece). The lettered also comes with a new unque marbled endpaper and foldout piece of art (the illustrated endpaper used in the other two editions).
It’s housed in a black and blue leather solander box with a rounded spine, and blind stamped cross hatching across the front and back covers. There are also 3 hits of foil stamping on the leather covering and inside is lined with a sumptuous dark blue suedel.
The Lettered Edition also comes with a matching portfolio which includes 10Â prints selected from all three books illustrations. No images of the prototype yet, but this will follow soon.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-Order Price: £2250
Published Price: £2350
the
series
This is part of the The First Law Trilogy series. Curious King plans to publish the entire season. Books in this series include:
The Blade Itself
