Warning this is not your father's fantasy novel.In "The Blade Itself" Joe Abercrombie has created a cast of characters so flawed that it's hardly possible to like them. And yet you'll love them. A crippled torturer, an arrogant nobleman , and a runaway slave whose only thought is vengeance, are just a sampling of what you'll get. The setting is as gritty and violent as the characters and that's saying something.
A word of advice for future readers. Before you pick this book up make sure you find a clear a weekend when you will have time to read in large chunks. The book moves very fast and has a lot of points of view and can be a little tough to follow if read in very small chunks. Well that and you won't want to stop reading once you get rolling so find a quiet spot and enjoy.
The end of the story while climactic definitely comes too soon. I'd really have liked some of the threads to have been woven just a little longer before stopping, but that might just be jealousy for having to wait for the next installment.
Great characters, good setting, some good (and some spectacular) fight scenes, fast paced and sarcastically funny. I recommend it highly.
Rating: 8.8/10
You can find out more about Joe Abercrombie and his First Law Trilogy at his website.
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