Before They Are Hanged is the second volume in Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law trilogy, positioned between The Blade Itself and Last Argument of Kings. As a middle installment, its primary narrative function is to escalate the conflicts introduced in the first book while expanding the scope of the world. Where The Blade Itself focused on uniting its ensemble cast and establishing political tensions in the city of Adua, this novel separates the protagonists, sending them into harrowing new circumstances. The narrative branches off into three distinct, parallel storylines. In the north, the Union army confronts a full-scale invasion in Angland, offering a brutal depiction of large-scale warfare. Far to the south, the city of Dagoska is besieged by the armies of the Gurkish Empire, exposing the Union’s strategic weaknesses. Meanwhile, the wizard Bayaz leads a perilous expedition into the forgotten lands of the Old Empire in search of a powerful artifact.

Characters and storylines continue to evolve from their portrayal in The Blade Itself. Jezal, a hard-partying, entitled nobleman in the previous book, turns more introspective in this novel, facing the reality of the violence that he once romanticized. In the first book of the series, Jezal was ready to ship off to Angland to fight the forces of Bethod, alongside his friend, West, until Bayaz forcibly inducted Jezal in his quest. Jezal is in love with West’s sister, Ardee, who in The Blade Itself, has just moved to Adua to live with her brother. Angry with Ardee for pursuing a romance with a man far above her station, West strikes her. Since he ships off to Angland soon after, West is consumed by guilt at mistreating his sister.

Logen Ninefingers, so named because of the finger he lost in a war, learns from the Spirits in The Blade Itself that Bayaz is seeking him, and joins the quest of the Magus. Logen has the power to converse with the Spirits, which is why it is he who summons the island’s Spirit at the end of Before They are Hanged. Glokta used to be a dashing, celebrated war hero before he was captured by the Gurkish Empire. Incarcerated in the Emperor’s prisons for two years, Glota was brutally tortured until he was exchanged for Gurkish prisoners. On his return to Angland, Glokta joined the King’s Inquisition, the draconian extra-judicial arm of the government. The Blade introduces Glokta in his post-heroic days as man traumatized by his horrific experiences. The experiences make Glokta cruel, the cruelty making him effective at his job. Glokta is friends with West, who before leaving for Angland, entreats him to watch over Ardee.