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The Great Change

The Great Change

NovellaDark FantasyFantasy
Pages
107
Published
2023
Language
English

Synopsis

Four short stories set in the world of the Age of Madness, following the Great Change from perspectives the trilogy's main cast never sees. A cotton-field slave in Gurkhul. A diamond-cutter in Adua. A dress-maker navigating the revolution. And in the title story, the revolution's arrival as experienced by Glokta himself — Old Sticks, the most feared man in the Union — alongside Savine.

Published as a limited-edition novella collection by Subterranean Press (US) and Gollancz (UK) in 2023, The Great Change (and Other Lies) is companion reading for Age of Madness trilogy veterans. The four stories — "The Thread", "The Stone", "The Point", and "The Great Change" — are thematically linked, following the revolution from its roots in exploitation to its culminating moment, seen through the eyes of people who had no power in it.

Prose complexity
5/10

Vibe

DarkGrittyThought-ProvokingAtmospheric
Morally GreyMultiple POVsBetrayalSurvivalAnti-Hero

Genres

Dark Fantasy Fantasy Grimdark

About the author

J
Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie (born Joseph Edward Abercrombie, 31 December 1974 in Lancaster, Lancashire) is an English fantasy novelist. He was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and read psychology at the University of Manchester, then moved to London and joined a television post-production company before going freelance as a film editor, cutting documentaries, music videos and concert films. He began writing The First Law in 2002, and the trilogy — The Blade Itself (2006), Before They Are Hanged (...

Characters

Prince OrsoProtagonist

Appears in the title story during the revolution's climactic moment.

Sand dan GloktaSupporting

Old Sticks — the most feared man in the Union — present for the collection's central story.

Savine dan GloktaSupporting

Glokta's daughter, whose arc in the title story connects to the end of The Wisdom of Crowds.

Vick dan TeufelSupporting

The revolution's enforcer, appearing in at least one of the collection's stories.

All characters in The Great Change

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need to read the Age of Madness trilogy before The Great Change?

    Yes — the collection assumes full knowledge of all three Age of Madness books, including their endings. It contains significant spoilers and is designed as a companion for readers who have already finished the trilogy.

  • Is The Great Change a novel or a short story collection?

    A short story collection — four linked stories totalling novella length. It is not a novel and was published in a limited hardcover edition rather than as a standard trade release.

  • How many stories are in The Great Change?

    Four stories: 'The Thread', 'The Stone', 'The Point', and the title story 'The Great Change'. They are thematically linked by their focus on the revolution from different social perspectives.

  • Is this collection widely available?

    It was originally published as a limited edition by Subterranean Press (US). A trade edition is available as an ebook and through Gollancz (UK). It is less widely distributed than Abercrombie's novels.

  • Does this spoil anything from The Wisdom of Crowds?

    Yes — the title story directly revisits events from the end of The Wisdom of Crowds from Glokta and Savine's perspectives. Read the trilogy first.

  • What is 'The Great Change' as an event in the world?

    The Great Change is the revolutionary upheaval depicted in The Wisdom of Crowds — the populist overthrow of the Union's nobility, mirroring the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. The collection explores how it looked from outside the trilogy's main cast.

  • Who is 'Old Sticks'?

    Old Sticks is the nickname for Sand dan Glokta in his old age — still the most feared man in the Union, still walking painfully on his crippled legs, still deeply intelligent. He is a central figure in the Age of Madness trilogy.

  • Are the four stories connected or standalone within the collection?

    They are thematically connected — all follow the revolution from different social angles — but each has its own cast and timeline. They work individually but resonate together as a portrait of the Great Change from the ground up.

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