That’s not to say NOTHING happens in this book – a lot of stuff goes down. The only drawback to The Blade Itself is that it feels a bit like setup for the next two novels. The Blade Itself is witty and fun and scary, all at once. Seriously, the closest comparison I can draw is Stephen King. Body found floating by the docks…Ībercrombie makes wonderful use of third person limited viewpoint, letting plenty of character voice through the narrative. Glokta in particular is the most entertaining character to read. The characters are immensely likable, despite their faults.

Yes, there are grim elements, but I found it just as hopeful and fun. I don’t get all the bloody/grimdark talk surrounding this book. Can Jezal learn to fence, impress Ardee, and gain the admiration that his ego so desperately desires? Ardee is seemingly the only person that isn’timpressed with Jezal. To make matters worse, Jezal is immensely distracted by Ardee West, the sister of his friend Collem. He’s got a long way to go before he can hold his own in the dueling ring. Jezal enters the biggest dueling competition of the year in the hopes that he’ll gain notoriety and fame. The duelist-in-training would rather listen to admirers laud his talents and looks than do anything else. Jezal dan Luthar is obsessed with himself. He wiped his face, and then-his favourite part of the day-gazed at himself in the looking glass. Will Glokta be standing over the Inquisitor’s chair, or sitting in it? As the threads of conspiracy begin to unravel, Glokta suddenly finds himself uncertain of his place in the web of intrigue. As an Inquisitor, Glokta roots out crime and corruption in the Union by torturing the accused for information. Mutilated and disfigured by years of torture in the Emperor’s dungeons, the once-dashing duelist has been reduced to a shuffling shadow of his former self.

“Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. As much as Logen tries to hide from his violent past, it always seems to catch up with him at the most inopportune times. Former leader of a band of barbarians, Logen wants nothing more to escape the war that’s brewing in the North. Logen Ninefingers is a barbarian from the frozen north. It follows me now, always, like my shadow, and like my shadow I can never be free of it. The Blade Itself follows the trials and trevails of three viewpoint characters: It’s the first book of The First Law trilogy.

The Blade Itself is Joe Abercrombie’s debut novel, first published back in 2006. Don’t let all the grimdark talk fool you: this book has as many laughs as it does gut wounds.īig thanks to Hachette Audio for my audiobook copy of The Blade Itself in exchange for an honest review. The Blade Itself is pure entertainment from cover to cover.

The blade itself cover