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The Blade Itself (The First Law #1)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 26,673 ratings · 1,896 reviews

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at c...more

Paperback, 517 pages

Published 2007 by Gollancz (first published May 4th 2006)

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May 12, 2008 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people looking for full-blooded fantasy

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-and-horror, fiction, favorites

Anton Chekhov famously said that if an author mentions a gun, it had better go off at some point, a point often attributed to Raymond Chandler (who at least practiced this rule). The same goes for fantasy writers. Fantasy doesn't need to be all blood and whirling blades, but if a fantasy writer straps a broadsword to a character's side, it had better be drawn in anger, at some point.

This was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a while, especially impressive as it's a first novel. It has...more Anton Chekhov famously said that if an author mentions a gun, it had better go off at some point, a point often attributed to Raymond Chandler (who at least practiced this rule). The same goes for fantasy writers. Fantasy doesn't need to be all blood and whirling blades, but if a fantasy writer straps a broadsword to a character's side, it had better be drawn in anger, at some point.

This was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a while, especially impressive as it's a first novel. It has a fair amount of the aforementioned blood and swordplay, but it is much more than that. The characters are finely drawn and the story is both complex and well-paced.

For me, the most interesting character was the Inquisitor Glotka, who is deliciously cynical. A formerly dashing officer, he was taken as a prisoner of war and tortured. Having subsequently become a professional torturer himself, he can't help but admire the skill and creativity his captors put into breaking him. He harbors a great deal of hatred for his former comrades, who he feels forgot about him in captivity and would like to forget him still.

Glotka serves the Union, a civilization confident of its superiority, centered on the decadent city of Adua. War is brewing in the barbarian North and in the Gurkish south. Into this setting comes the wizard Bayaz, accompanied by the barabarian warrior Logen Ninefingers. Logen is famed in the North as a master of violence, but it is a reputation he wishes he could put behind him. Bayaz won't let him get away that easily, however, needing the barbarian's skills for his own purposes.

Bayaz has interests of his own in Adua, tied to the distant past and the vanquishing of a dark magus who was the founder of the city. Bayaz spends a good deal of his time acting un-wizardly (in Logen's opinion), more like a balding, fat, lazy peasant. It is an assessment others make, to the point that they risk underestimating the cranky, old man.

Abercrombie's accounts of fighting are incredibly well-done, fast paced and capturing the fear and confusion, along with the rage and bloody-minded delight of mastering an opponent. Yet, the violence in this book takes an emotional toll on those involved. Also, his accounts of magic are very good, not flashy but weird and disturbing.

A lot of fantasy writers make the mistake of giving the reader too much information about the world they've created. Abercrombie gives enough background to keep the plot going, leaving the rest as tantalizing clues that give the sense of a real world. The only part of the book where I thought he was giving us too much was in regard to the fencing tournament that the nobleman Jezal dan Luthar takes part in. It did help display the arrogant, selfish character of Captain Luthar, but I felt there was a bit too much detail expended on it. Still, this is the first book of a trilogy, so perhaps the event of the tournament will figure later in the story.

All in all, this was a great read. I've read too much fantasy in recent years that seemed too much like feminist theory or post-Marxian cultural critique with dragons, often written with a faux-epic wordiness. (I really think this is why the Potter books were so popular with adults; they were looking for something story-driven.) This book by Joe Abercrombie is an antidote for a lot that has been wrong in fantasy literature.

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Mar 29, 2013 Jon added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Patrick Rothfuss

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, read-in-my-40s, liked-it

4 stars. After Amazon devoured GoodReads on March 28, 2013, this review fled the postapocalyptic and dystpoian writing on the wall and sought sanctuary at my blog’s refuge post here: http://bit.ly/YJeF2o

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Feb 25, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: epic fantasy fans

Shelves: fantasy, male-lead, epic-fantasy

The Blade Itself will undoubtedly become classic fantasy. I found it engrossing, and one of the best examples of the "darker" epic fantasies, with protagonists lacking in traditional heroic qualities and quests that are less than selfless. I liked the way the story was constructed, primarily following three main characters, with a fourth was added partway through the book. I was fairly certain they would intersect at some point, so part of the interest in the story is seeing how their individual...more The Blade Itself will undoubtedly become classic fantasy. I found it engrossing, and one of the best examples of the "darker" epic fantasies, with protagonists lacking in traditional heroic qualities and quests that are less than selfless. I liked the way the story was constructed, primarily following three main characters, with a fourth was added partway through the book. I was fairly certain they would intersect at some point, so part of the interest in the story is seeing how their individual tales will intertwine. The stories of each are mostly linear, with some appropriate flashbacks, but never done so choppily that one can't tell primary time frame. I can't tell you what a relief this is; I've been reading too many deconstructionist sort of fantasies lately where narrative skill is dropped for the ease of disjointed four-page scenes. Does everyone have narrative ADD? However, I digress.

Abercrombie has a gift for clear storytelling without simplicity. While I had heard this was a "dark fantasy," with unlikeable characters, I would wholeheartedly disagree, at least within the confines of this book. Perhaps on the surface our three main characters are unlikeable--one a 'barbarian' with a very bloody past, Logen Ninefingers; one a vain and talented peacock, Captain Jezel; and the last a maimed and internally tortured torturer, Inquisitor Glokta--but they are imbued with a humanity that makes them likeable despite themselves. Frequently we are privy to their decision-making process, and it becomes evident that their motives are more complex than simple bloodthirst, vanity or hate. Ninefingers is undergoing a shift in his feelings on fighting and war, after losing everything he has loved. It's lovely seeing how the entitled noble Jezel finds himself attracted to someone very different than he, and the stages he goes through as he realizes his love. Glokta's interactions with the Arch Lector are stunning; we quickly develop the sense of the long term and unethical mechaniations of the Arch Lector and develop further sympathy for the poor torturer. It was a brilliant way to help readers understand the political ramifications of the actions we've been witnessing without a lot of dreary exposition or monologues.

A portentous and sinister air developes through the book. There is the larger issue of the Union and it's surrounding countries preparing for war, and the local issue of a power vacuum around king's throne, and competing interests. The evil characters are frightening-the Northmen have a sorceress working with them, and the Emperor of Gurkhul uses monsters called "Eaters" as enforcers. Nonetheless, there are light moments, and moments of redemption, even in beginning chapters, such as when Logen decides to rescue someone, even if it should mean his death. It's an astonishing level of complexity, but Abercrombie handles it well.

I've already got the second book on my shelf waiting to be read.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2012/1...(less)

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Mar 20, 2011 mark monday rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastickal

I’m going to do something that's a little disrespectful and start this review by talking about another fantasy series that I’ve enjoyed: A Song of Ice and Fire. That series rules. It has everything I’ve wanted in a series since Tolkien but there’s one thing to be said about it, neither good or bad, that is a big part of its impact: it is dark, very very dark. The darkness comes, as it should in all quality fiction, not necessarily from the actual bad things that happen to good people, but from t...more I’m going to do something that's a little disrespectful and start this review by talking about another fantasy series that I’ve enjoyed: A Song of Ice and Fire. That series rules. It has everything I’ve wanted in a series since Tolkien but there’s one thing to be said about it, neither good or bad, that is a big part of its impact: it is dark, very very dark. The darkness comes, as it should in all quality fiction, not necessarily from the actual bad things that happen to good people, but from the depth of the characterizations themselves. Bad things happen to very real, very well-characterized, and truly understandable people, and so those bad things are made all the more upsetting, all the more hard to read.

So that’s where The Blade Itself comes in. It is a funny thing for me, reading the reviews. Everyone goes on about how bloody it is, how graphic and hardcore, etc etc. How it is a part of the “George R.R. Martin tradition”. Of course there is truth to that: much blood is spilled, incredibly tragic things happen, and hell, one of its central characters (in fact, its best character) is a torturer with an awfully painful past. But what I rarely see mentioned is the wonderful lightness of tone that makes the novel such a pleasure to read. For all its tragedies and darkness, the tone is amusing, light-hearted, comic, and never in awe of the various mysteries depicted. I laughed out loud many times. It is also a surprisingly tender novel. That comment may be hard for lovers of this book to read. But The Blade does not demonize any of its characters, it allows all of them (even Black Dow!) their moments of decency and kindness, it views all of them in such a cheerful, upbeat way, that never did I feel a sense of bleak heaviness at the tragedies displayed. Those tragedies are shown to be a part of life, for some, and although they are impactful, the characters are not beaten completely down by their pasts. It is not a sentimental novel, but it is a very sweet-tempered one. The down side to this is that, at times, the characters and situations have a vibe to them that is almost close to being a sitcom. The upside is that it is wall-to-wall pleasure and at the end of the novel, I felt uplifted, rather than weighted down. It is a wonderful antidote to the compelling but grueling Song of Ice and Fire. A kind of tonic. The novel is a breezy delight and I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.

Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention: the author knows how to write action sequences. They were truly exciting, even cinematic in the clarity of what was happening. Often fights are confusing affairs in fantasy, but that is not the case here. The whole novel had a brisk yet cinematic feel to it. I choose Matthew MacFayden to play Inquisitor Glotka!
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Mar 23, 2013 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2013

On the run from a king he once served, barbarian Logen Ninefingers finds himself in the Union's capital, aligned with Bayaz, a legendary wizard long thought dead. Meanwhile, nobleman Captain Jezal Luthar trains for The Contest, a fencing spectacle, while lusting after Ardee West, sister of one of his comrades. Inquistor Glokta, crippled former swordsman, skulks around in the darkness, torturing the answers he seeks while searching for treason at every turn. What is Bayaz planning? Will Jezal bed...more On the run from a king he once served, barbarian Logen Ninefingers finds himself in the Union's capital, aligned with Bayaz, a legendary wizard long thought dead. Meanwhile, nobleman Captain Jezal Luthar trains for The Contest, a fencing spectacle, while lusting after Ardee West, sister of one of his comrades. Inquistor Glokta, crippled former swordsman, skulks around in the darkness, torturing the answers he seeks while searching for treason at every turn. What is Bayaz planning? Will Jezal bed his best friend's sister? Will Glokta be able to outmaneuver the other inquistors?

After reading Red Country, I had to see how it all began. I was most pleased.

The Blade Itself reads like Terry Pratchett on the mother of all bad days. While there is a surprising amount of humor, there are also buckets of blood and gore. Abercrombie writes fantastic battle scenes and I suspect they will only get better as the series progresses.

Anyway, the strength of The Blade Itself is in the characters. While many of them fit standard fantasy archetypes, they also are far from typical. Logen Ninefingers is a barbarian that spends a lot of time thinking and being scared, guilty of a hundred atrocities. Bayaz is an ages-old wizard that looks like a blacksmith. Inquistor Glokta seems like a pretty reprehensible torturer and guardsman at first glance but there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. Jezal is a great swordsman but also a snobbish bastard. I'm also very interested in Yugei and Ferro and Logen's former band of not-so-merry men. I can't wait until they find out their old leader is still alive.

I'm going to sidestep going into too much of the plot. to avoid spoilage. Suffice to say, I'm intrigued of what I've seen so far, bringing me to my next point. The only gripe I have about this book is that it very much feels like the first book in a trilogy. Most of it feels like setup to me. Fortunately, I think Abercrombie is move than capable of delivering the goods in future volumes so it's barely a gripe.

Additional Thoughts:
- Logen Ninefingers is quickly climbing the ranks of my favorite characters in science fiction and fantasy.
- Also, Logen reminds me of a young version of Terry Pratchett's Cohen The Barbarian.
- I'm not sure if Abercrombie has ever read Hugh Cook's Chronicles of an Age of Darkness series but the writing and morally ambiguous characters make them spiritual brothers.
- I have a feeling Glokta will wind up being my second favorite character in the series.
- I love Abercrombie's magic system and the history of the Magi.

Four blood-dripping stars!(less)

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Mar 31, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I started reading Joe Abercrombie's debut novel immediately after finishing a very popular old 1970s classic post-Tolkien fantasy that had left me -- quite frankly -- bored. I had the flu, my body ached, and I was feeling sorry for myself. But by the end of the first chapter of The Blade Itself, I was feeling much better. First, Mr. Abercrombie's writing was vivid, tense, action-packed, and droll -- just the way I like it. Second, I found myself thankful t...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I started reading Joe Abercrombie's debut novel immediately after finishing a very popular old 1970s classic post-Tolkien fantasy that had left me -- quite frankly -- bored. I had the flu, my body ached, and I was feeling sorry for myself. But by the end of the first chapter of The Blade Itself, I was feeling much better. First, Mr. Abercrombie's writing was vivid, tense, action-packed, and droll -- just the way I like it. Second, I found myself thankful that I was merely bed-ridden with the flu, rather than in the situation that Logen Ninefingers was in.

The story is told from several character's points of view -- the bloody barbarian who's lost everything and just wants the fighting to end, the former champion turned crippled torturer who considers himself an artist, the lazy self-absorbed wastrel who wants to be a swordmaster, but didn't realize he had to work for it. I would not like any of these people if I knew them personally, but after being in their heads, learning their fears, histories, and motivations, and even sharing a few enlightening moments with them, I realized that I actually care what happens to them!

Mr. Abercrombie unfolded his story gradually -- the reader is not told everything at once or given pages of backstory and explanation of this world's history, culture, and geography. The plot just keeps moving and the reader picks up the details as he goes along. For example, we meet the Shanka on the first page of the novel, but we don't find out what they really are until page 435. There's plenty more we're not told, even by the end of the book. This mostly works because it keeps the the pace quick and leaves a little mystery, but I wanted a map ... I really wanted a map ... I can not remember what's south of where, which lands are part of the Union, etc., especially with two books to go, if I don't have a map. And I could not find one on Joe Abercrombie's website. I was disappointed with this. I need a map.

There was plenty of action in The Blade Itself. All of it was realistic, most of it was scary, and some of it was downright hilarious. Frequent doses of droll humor was a nice counterpoint to all of the violence. A few scenes read like a Monty Python skit and I found myself laughing often. For the most part, the writing was excellent. Tone changed between characters' point of view, and the use of characters' internal thoughts was effective. More than a few times, however, I was confused about the object of a pronoun and that should have been caught by the editor. Also, the profanity was a little excessive.

This book does not stand alone. The ending is not exactly a cliff-hanger, but it's not an ending. I'm glad I've already purchased Before They Are Hanged and I hope it's just as refreshing and fun as The Blade Itself.

Read more Joe Abercrombie book reviews at Fantasy Literature .(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Veeral rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, favorites-of-2013

Joe Abercrombie needs to find the person responsible who might have misplaced the last 100-150 pages of this book just before it was to be published. But I have a feeling that he might not have to go much far to do so. A mirror would serve just as well as Hercule Poirot in this case. Yes, the book ends abruptly. But such is the curse of reading epic-fantasy.

Apart from that, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Especially the character Glokta, the Inquisitor, the torturer. His dry wit reminded me a...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aficionados-best-fantasy-list, wizards, dark-depressing, fantasy, military, political-intrigue, own-it-e-book, gritty

The Blade Itself is the first in a trilogy, and it takes its time building up a vivid sense of the setting. It gives us plenty of time to get to know the characters in their current flawed states rather than jumping immediately into the changes they'll go through. Normally, this would sound boring, but Abercrombie's descriptive powers are impressive. He gets you involved at a level that is rare, bringing you close to the characters physically as well as emotionally. This adds depth, giving a fee...more The Blade Itself is the first in a trilogy, and it takes its time building up a vivid sense of the setting. It gives us plenty of time to get to know the characters in their current flawed states rather than jumping immediately into the changes they'll go through. Normally, this would sound boring, but Abercrombie's descriptive powers are impressive. He gets you involved at a level that is rare, bringing you close to the characters physically as well as emotionally. This adds depth, giving a feel for the characters and conflicts before the larger story arc really begins to show itself.

I had read reviews calling Abercrombie's style "gritty." Now I understand what that means. It is gritty in the sense that your senses are all evoked in the vivid, descriptive language. Often it's not pretty, and it feels very real. I was disgusted at times, and turned off, but still couldn't help continuing on.

The story is pretty dark so far, but not in the sense of despair, and it's not horror. It's more the darkness of reality - that life sucks, and even the noblest of heroes is human and has pretty serious flaws. Normally I read fantasy to escape the inevitable realities of life. I hope that I won't regret making an exception in this case.

At the end of the first novel, I still have hope that the condition of the characters will improve with the rest of the story. In spite of the gritty reality of each of them, somehow I still hope that nobility will rise up and change will be for the better. The reason I can hope this is that there were one or two moments of light and hope in this part of the story. They stood out all the more for the fact that they were rare glimpses of light in the darkness. It might be foolish, but I'm hoping these are seeds that will grow in the rest of the series.

These are my impressions at the end of what seems like an introduction. I will have to reserve judgement until I see how the series continues and ends. If, as I hope, it is not merely pessimistic and dark and hopeless for the characters I can't help caring about, then the gritty style will have achieved something wonderful. If not, then I will be terribly depressed and will want to throw the book at the end. So we'll see.

Edit 9/27/12: I ended up quitting the series after book two. Really, it's because Abercrombie does what he set out to do very, very well. So well that I couldn't take it. Book 2 lacks any of the hope that I mentioned above. (view spoiler) It makes for really depressing reading, and his language is so vivid that I can still see scenes from book 2 that I'd rather not remember. It seems to me that this belongs more in the horror genre of fantasy, or at least in the bad dream variety. If you can handle that, I think Abercrombie is a brilliant writer, and you'll be in for some surprises if you read the series. It's just not my thing.(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fantasy fans

Recommended to Eric by: Max Kotelevets

Shelves: fantasy

I am subtracting a star from my review solely because the book ends on a cliffhanger -- no, it would be closer to say it ends at a beginning.

The fellowship of characters that Bayaz and his apprentice bring together -- Logen, Jezal, Ferro, and Brother Longfoot -- isn't successfully accomplished until the final chapters, and they don't leave for their epic quest "to the edge of the world" until the book closes. So this book functions as a 500-page character study, or prequel, for the reader to fam...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Ibrahim Z rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I almost put down the book when 3 paragraphs in the first 3 pages began with some version of this line:

"Shit," he said.

But I managed to slog through because I was told this was a some genre-breaking novel that didn't rely so heavily on typical fantasy clichés and it was supposed to be really dark and gritty. Instead of gritty, it felt kind of like a teenager who swears a lot to try and sound like an adult: really forced and usually out of context. A lot of the writing in general seemed to trip o...more I almost put down the book when 3 paragraphs in the first 3 pages began with some version of this line:

"Shit," he said.

But I managed to slog through because I was told this was a some genre-breaking novel that didn't rely so heavily on typical fantasy clichés and it was supposed to be really dark and gritty. Instead of gritty, it felt kind of like a teenager who swears a lot to try and sound like an adult: really forced and usually out of context. A lot of the writing in general seemed to trip over itself. Good editing would have helped a lot.

Luckily, it's a fast read and it only took a day to read it. Probably because I've read the books Abercrombie pulls from. Stop me if you've heard of any of these plotlines:

A powerful and mysterious wizard who reappears at various times through history reappears once again to put together an unlikely fellowship comprising of each of the major factions that we hear about in the novels and they have to transport an infinitely powerful magical item somewhere. They have to be on the lookout for a fallen wizard who wants said item and a bunch of magically created servants who are going to hunt them down.

An introspective torturer who's a shadow of his former self.

Invaders from the north who won't listen to others about the REAL threat coming from further north.

An unconventionally beautiful, plain speaking commoner girl, here to turn a certain nobleman's world upside down.

There's more I could list, but I'd rather talk about the last one for a moment. For the majority of the book, this down to earth girl is the only female character in the entire thing. And she's a victim of abuse. She's really only there to complicate things for the boys. About two thirds of the way through, we're introduced to our second female character who is also, surprise, a victim of abuse and a former slave. Neither of the characters seems to really have any depth, at all. One could be replaced by a pair of batting eyelashes and the other could be replaced by the word VENGEANCE.(less)

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Dec 02, 2007 Inara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who love fantasy books

Shelves: novels-fantasy-dark

Title in German:
Kriegsklingen

This is the story of Logen Ninefinger a warrior of the north, Inquisitor Sand dan Glokta a former brilliant young swordsman now a torturer, Captain Jezal dan Luthar a vain and self-obsessed nobleman, Bayaz the first of the Magi, Bethod King of the Northmen, Collum West, an armyofficer, Ardee West his sister, Ferro Maljinn and some more...
To give a proper synopsis of this book is difficult, many characters are introduced in this first installment of the "First Law"-Se...more

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Aug 17, 2012 The_britguy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Este primer volumen de la trilogía "La Primera Ley" nos sitúa en un mundo muy próximo a la realidad de nuestra Edad Media, donde la magia, los demonios y otras criaturas tienen su papel, pero donde la normalidad científica e histórica es la norma. Como también las intrigas palaciegas, la guerra, los amoríos o el comercio: cualquier elemento mundano puede y debe formar parte de los mimbres con los que Joe Abercrombie (autor que tuve el gusto de conocer en el Festival Celsius 232 de Avilés) teje s...more
Este primer volumen de la trilogía "La Primera Ley" nos sitúa en un mundo muy próximo a la realidad de nuestra Edad Media, donde la magia, los demonios y otras criaturas tienen su papel, pero donde la normalidad científica e histórica es la norma. Como también las intrigas palaciegas, la guerra, los amoríos o el comercio: cualquier elemento mundano puede y debe formar parte de los mimbres con los que Joe Abercrombie (autor que tuve el gusto de conocer en el Festival Celsius 232 de Avilés) teje su mundo.
El autor británico ya reconoce que tiene suficientes elementos en nuestro pasado histórico en los que inspirarse, así que concede un papel secundario (pero no irrelevante) a lo sobrenatural o mágico, dejando que lo verosímil o "realista" sea el argumento general de la trama.
Para ello se apoya en una ambientación muy trabajada, así como en una construcción de los personajes formidable. Y es que en ellos Joe Abercrombie vierte proporciones de virtudes, defectos y peculiaridades que cualquiera podríamos observar a nuestro alrededor: altanería, cinismo, honestidad, superficialidad, melancolía, etc. Son uno de sus puntos fuertes.
La trama, que arranca de diversos puntos del mapa de su mundo, nos narra unos acontecimientos que desembocan en conflictos bélicos que amenazan con romper el punto de equilibrio que se había alcanzado entre las dos principales potencias del momento: la Unión y el Imperio Gurkho. Es tal la magnitud del conflicto que Bayaz, el Primero de los Magos, se ve forzado a dejar su retiro y tomar parte activa en el curso de los acontecimientos, reuniendo a una caterva de "héroes" que lo ayuden a llevar a cabo su misión. Entrecomillo lo de "héroes" porque nadie podría imaginarse como tales a los personajes elegidos, verdaderos cúmulos de imperfecciones que los sitúan como anti-paladines; pero a juicio del Mago, son los ideales.
A lo largo del desarrollo del argumento, Abercrombie aprovecha para ir contándonos más y más sobre el mundo, su estructura e historia, permitiendo que ganemos en la sensación de familiaridad y enganchándonos emocionalmente con las diatribas de guerreros, mago y demás. El uso que hace de los personajes para ofrecernos esos detalles es más que correcto: se ve que Abercrombie domina ese recurso con maestría, así que no hay nada que objetar al respecto.
En cuanto a los topónimos y otros elementos del lenguaje se ven tributos a autores clásicos del mundo de la literatura fantástica, como pudiera ser Tolkien. Un ejemplo pudiera ser la tierra norteña de Angland, donde prosperan las minas de hierro, haciendo eco de Angband, la fortaleza norteña de Melkor en el Silmarillion, cuyo nombre significaba en élfico Sindarin "prisión de hierro". Tales homenajes se encuentran con frecuencia en el libro, como es el caso de llamar a la zona del mundo Midderland (enorme parecido con la Middle Earth de Tolkien) y cualquier lector familiarizado con el famoso clásico encontrará multitud de ejemplos.
A pesar de ser una aventura épica, Abercrombie consigue tejer unas historias dentro de historias entre sus personajes, y crear unas relaciones entre los mismos muy complejas, como pudiera ser la existente entre el comandante West y el inquisidor Glotka, por ejemplo.
En definitiva, una gran obra dentro del panorama actual de la literatura fantástica, y muy recomendable.(less)

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Nov 27, 2011 sologdin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: speculative, ruling-class-protagonist

A fun read. Artful jacket design.

Misleading marketing copy on the back cover (which appears to have been republished by Goodreads, above), which makes it seem like a bad D&D story, complete with a group of disparate personalities of differing character classes who set out on a magical adventure to defeat an evil gelatinous cube.

The story isn't like that at all. It does create something of a seven samurai by the end, and partakes of the more or less regular convention of a manufactured evil...more A fun read. Artful jacket design.

Misleading marketing copy on the back cover (which appears to have been republished by Goodreads, above), which makes it seem like a bad D&D story, complete with a group of disparate personalities of differing character classes who set out on a magical adventure to defeat an evil gelatinous cube.

The story isn't like that at all. It does create something of a seven samurai by the end, and partakes of the more or less regular convention of a manufactured evil race. Perhaps the narrative development will carry this to a result other than the ordinary--and, indeed, the reputation of this series claims that it breaks cliches. We shall see how it turns out--but this particular book, while well told, is at times very conventional.

Some have complained about the inarticulateness of several protagonists--but I enjoy their realistic inability to express themselves outside of grunting and erming. Not everyone is Saruman, or John Galt, after all.

Speaking of Mr. Galt, the novel presents some amusing parallels with Goodkind's *Wizard's First Rule*, including the series title, which refers to a rule of sorcery, and the presence of a mystical box of some sort. The similarities end there, and this novel appears to have more leftwing concerns--or, at least, the presentation is aware of class politics and economics. Consider this text in itself to be an antidote to goodkindism, which may awaken those under the spell of Mr. Rahl from their dogmatic slumber. This text is overall a potent remedy, despite any trifling criticisms that I may make otherwise.

The lack of maps is refreshing, but I am so brainwershed by the cartography of secondary creation that I found myself missing them. The text has several detailed geographical discussions, however, that attempt to rectify the dearth.

Not entirely sure where the narrative is heading at this point, which is a good thing.

Very much enjoying the barbaric protagonist, who displays some amount of reflection and self-consiousness. The other protagonists are well drawn, if less interesting.

One of the best bits is that the title of the novel is taken from a line of Homeric verse, quoted as the epigraph to the first part of this particular installment: "The blade itself incites to deeds of violence." I am therefore expecting a strident anti-gun argument to be developed during the course of the series.

Recommended for nerds, ex-Goodkindites, and thoughtful barbarians.

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Dec 29, 2012 Lilli Perspice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fantasy, its-a-freaky-world, made-me-laugh, get-your-godliness-on, series-worth-continuing, tear-jerker

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’ve been having a torrid affair with the fantasy genre since I was a jail-bait teen. We’ve quested after every kind of magical doodad together, learned from wise mentors, discovered our secret pasts, joined countless ragtag bands of unlikely heroes, and saved a universe full of kingdoms from total annihilation.

But lately I’ve grown bored. The wise mentors have started sounding more like pontificating fools, the ragtag bands of friends so similar that I frequently forget th...more

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May 03, 2010 Hazel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, for-rereading

Vivid characters populate this novel which inverts the usual fantasy formula. Which do I love best, the chief torturer or the barbarian? My new mantra? 'Still alive'...

April 2010
On this second reading I've decided for Sand dan Glokta. My introduction to the Spanish Inquisition via Dogs of God: Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors has given me a new appreciation of his art. But you don't have to be interested in the history to appreciate this fantasy character. Here's our introd...more Vivid characters populate this novel which inverts the usual fantasy formula. Which do I love best, the chief torturer or the barbarian? My new mantra? 'Still alive'...

April 2010
On this second reading I've decided for Sand dan Glokta. My introduction to the Spanish Inquisition via Dogs of God: Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors has given me a new appreciation of his art. But you don't have to be interested in the history to appreciate this fantasy character. Here's our introduction to the man.

Why do I do this? Inquisitor Glokta asked himself for the thousandth time as he limped down the corridor. The walls were rendered and whitewashed, though none too recently. There was a seedy feel to the place and a smell of damp. There were no windows, as the hallway was deep beneath the ground, and the lanterns cast slow flowing shadows into every corner.
Why would anyone want to do this? Glokta's walking made a steady rhythm on the grimy tiles of the floor. First the confident click of his right heeel, then the tap of his cane, then the endless sliding of his left foot, with the familiar stabbing pains in the ankle, knee, arse and back. Click, tap, pain. That was the rhythm of his walking.

But you know, even The Bloody Nine has his charms. He's on the cover of this Orion edition, but the artist hasn't done him justice.

Never in his life had Jezal seen a more brutish-looking man. Even Fenris the Feared had seemed civilised by comparison. His face was like a whipped back, criss-crossed with ragged scars. His nose was bent, pointing off a little sideways. One ear had a big notch out of it, one eye seemed a touch higher than the other, surrounded by a crescent-shaped wound. His whole face, in fact, was slightly beaten, broken, lop-sided, like that of a prize fighter who has fought a few bouts too many. His expression too, was that of one punch-drunk. He gawped up at the gatehouse, forehead furrowed, mouth hanging open, staring about him with a look of near animal stupidity.

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Aug 09, 2008 Arn Howald rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book gets better the longer you stick with it. It starts off fairly loose and disparate, with far-flung characters (who run the gamut from disreputable-unlikeable-downright horrible) who seem to have only tenuous relationships with each other, if at all. Although there's plenty of action throughout the book, it doesn't seem to go anywhere. It's only about two-thirds of the way through that the story seems to coalesce, but once it does...Oh Boy, does it ever take off! Of course, the books end...more

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Mar 25, 2008 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start by saying that I don't like any of the characters in this book. Each of them is deeply flawed in some manner and I wouldn't care to spend time with any of them.

But...

I found the book very engaging and even though I don't like any of the people I found myself drawn into their lives and the world. A very gritty, hard world populated with folks that belong there. It's _less_ romantic than Glen Cook's Black Company series. Not as much humor either, and unapologetic in it's cruelties. Do...more

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May 13, 2011 Hirondelle added it

Shelves: fantasy, i-quit, meh

I seem to be in a mood for fantasy novels, so digging up all those very popular books I have been stockpiling for ages, this was next.

And it is no-go. I gave it a 100+ pages and while nothing about this is horrible, the eight deadly words come to mind: I do not care what happens to these people. Not a bit.

It seems to be a mostly political intrigue book - I love those, so I was biased to like it. The 3 main characters are flawed (euphemism, actually they are creeps), perhaps realistic (though the...more

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Apr 21, 2008 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very action packed -- though the "world" is clearly not ours, it reads almost more like a historical novel than a fantasy novel. Abercrombie is establishing his cast for the trilogy, setting up backgrounds, and setting wheels in motion. While a good portion of the characters introduced are men, the women characters definitely stand out and are no simpering secondary characters. I can't wait to get to the next book.

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Jan 06, 2010 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

Ooh, I loved this. The writing is excellent, aside from the author's mild preoccupation with teeth. Great characterizations - and that's almost all there is in this first part of the trilogy, which might not suit everyone but I was enchanted. The fight scenes are vivid and seem very realistic, perhaps because they involve nearly as many accidental and incidental injuries as deliberate ones. There's some dry humor, but the overall tone is pretty dark.

The plot itself offers just enough deviation f...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Unai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hoy toca un poco de fantasía épica pero de la buena, sin gilipolleces. Este primer tomo de la trilogía empieza exactamente así, sin gilipollez ninguna, sino con sangre, muerte, desesperación, caída al vacío y tocando fondo uno de los personajes, en sentido literal y figurado. Puede que sea una manera un poco ruda de presentar personajes y a mi personalmente siempre me cuesta un poco entrar en un nuevo mundo y ver todas sus reglas, pero merece la pena dejarse abofetear por como son presentados pe...more Hoy toca un poco de fantasía épica pero de la buena, sin gilipolleces. Este primer tomo de la trilogía empieza exactamente así, sin gilipollez ninguna, sino con sangre, muerte, desesperación, caída al vacío y tocando fondo uno de los personajes, en sentido literal y figurado. Puede que sea una manera un poco ruda de presentar personajes y a mi personalmente siempre me cuesta un poco entrar en un nuevo mundo y ver todas sus reglas, pero merece la pena dejarse abofetear por como son presentados personajes como Logen Nuevededos y el inquisidor Glokta.

Es un mundo nuevo, hay que acostumbrarse, nuevo mapa, nuevas facciones, nuevos personajes, nuevas disputas, nuevas reglas y a mi me suele dar pereza y tras el desgaste por el desencanto de los últimos tomos de Canción de Hielo y Fuego, cuesta volver a dar confianza a otro autor. O eso quiere piensa uno, porque luego aquí estoy esperando como agua de mayo el ultimo tomo de las aventuras de Kvothe.

Y no son baratos precisamente
Por ponerlo en un contexto y dejando claro que los preceptos (que no su desarrollo) son mucho mas clásicos que los que usa George RR Martin, podría decirse que esta saga es la evolución de la literatura algo ingenua y buenrollista de las novelas de Salvatore sobre los Reinos Olvidados, pero subiendo a nivel adulto y con personajes bien definidos y bien vivos, con los que uno disfruta compartiendo sus desgracias. Aquí hay cierto nivel de magia, hay guerreros norteños duros y rudos, hay un mal oculto que nadie cree cierto, hay muy pocos magos y hay un reino decadente y señorial, llamado La Unión, que se ve abocada a una guerra en 2 frentes.

Tampoco es gran cosa lo que contar en cuanto argumento, es mejor ir leyendo cada cual y con lo que os he explicado es suficiente. Hay marrones por todas partes, nadie tiene una vida fácil, aunque unos la tienen mas jodida que otros y entre los que la tiene y han tenido mas jodida, mis preferidos con Sand dan Glokta como antiguo militar de carrera prometedora, que en una pasada guerra es hecho prisionero y torturado sin piedad y que hoy es un inquisidor tullido y amargado, que se encarga de ser quien tortura. Dicho lo cual, es un personaje al que se le coge cariño enseguida, porque siempre aparece en cursiva lo que piensa pero no dice en cada conversación. Amargura y humor negro casi indistinguibles entre si…. parece que siempre este murmurando un “malditos hijosdeputa….“

El “bueno” de Glokta, mi preferido.
El temible guerrero norteño Logen Nuevededos, conocido también como “el sanguinario”, que esta ya cansado de una vida mísera, de ver morir a sus compañeros, de la ruindad del autoproclamado rey del norte para quien solía combatir. Muchas cosas se pueden decir de Logen, una es que sabe matar, otra que nunca se llevan suficientes cuchillos encima y otra es que puede hablar con los espíritus. En su extremo puesto tenemos a Jezal dan Luthar, un joven de noble cuna, bastante gilipollas, bebedor, mujeriego y tramposo a la cartas que esta en la capital de la Unión entrenándose para un prestigioso torneo de esgrima, que sirva de trampolín en su carrera militar por la gloria que conlleva. Es el típico personaje de mierda que a base de encontrarse con la horma de su zapato tanto en tema de mujeres, como en todo lo demás, va viendo que esta tan hasta el cuello de mierda como el resto.

El venerable Bayaz, el primero de los magos es otro personaje peculiar y quien pondrá las piedras para que los caminos de personajes tan dispares confluyan. Contaremos también con un apocado aprendiz, una salvaje mujer de un lejano país llamada Ferro y que es una asesina letal, brutal y llena de cicatrices por dentro y por fuera.

El consabido mapa
Y así Joe Abercrombie, con una buena base de personajes va dando forma a este primer libro, en el que a través de sus 650 paginas, nos hacemos una idea de cómo son las cosas, donde esta cada cual, como se esta liando el asunto y quien debe ir con quien a hacer que. Muy recomendable, muy crudo en sus acciones y en su lenguaje adulto, brutal y con una estupenda mano para el humor negro teñido de rojo sangre, aquí no hay héroes, aquí hay como en la mili, mierda para comer y encima ni siquiera hay para todos. Ya estáis tardando, yo por de pronto me pongo manos a la obra con la segunda parte “Antes de que los Cuelguen”.(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Meg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: let-downs

I spent good money on this book. They didn't have it in my school library so I went to the bookshop and bought it despite its ridiculously steep price. And so I was deeply disappointed when it failed to blow me away.

I was around fifty pages in when I realised that so far, it had failed to blow me away. "Well, that's alright," thought I. "Some books just take a while to get into." So I read more. And more. And then finally: "Alright. That's it. This book has failed to blow me away, and there's no...more

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Apr 18, 2012 John Sherman rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Would you listen to The Blade Itself again? Why?
No; it was a bit drawn out in parts and the book just ended without anything really happening. Someone should write a short summary of book 1 so we can all jump to book 2.

Who was your favorite character and why?
Inquisitor Glokta. He was the only character I really found interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?
Nothing really stood out

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Yeah at the end when I was looking for...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Rather surprisingly, I liked it.

Yes surprisingly, because I'm not generally into books that have a lot of fighting, and occasional torture. Call me a puss, but I trend toward simple and happy, not complex or disturbing. (And well, torture makes me squirm... but let's try a jaunt in the real world anyway).

However, it turned out I really wanted to know more about these characters (very good in depth and quirky character development) and what was going to happen to them. So I continued reading......more

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May 12, 2011 Paul Stotts rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After having recently reviewed one of the most hyped novels in the last six months, Scott Lynch's debut "The Lies of Locke Lamora", I decided to tackle Joe Abercrombie's "The Blade Itself", another much-hyped debut. It should be said that I am a sucker for hype and, clearly, the testing of the fates. Could there really be two excellent debut fantasy novels in the last six months? The probability didn't seem good. (The Magic 8-ball had no answer!)

However, "The Blade Itself", while not quite on pa...more After having recently reviewed one of the most hyped novels in the last six months, Scott Lynch's debut "The Lies of Locke Lamora", I decided to tackle Joe Abercrombie's "The Blade Itself", another much-hyped debut. It should be said that I am a sucker for hype and, clearly, the testing of the fates. Could there really be two excellent debut fantasy novels in the last six months? The probability didn't seem good. (The Magic 8-ball had no answer!)

However, "The Blade Itself", while not quite on par with the stunning "The Lies of Locke Lamora", is a worthwhile debut full of hard-edged, brutal dialogue and worldbuilding, nasty and anti-heroic characters and an overall gritty and stark tone. I admit I have a taste for this type of dark fantasy and gallows humor, so the book really works for me in a refreshing new way. These are not your normal epic fantasy type of characters. That said, I imagine some more traditional epic fantasy readers may be turned off by the hard-edged nature of the storytelling.

Logen Ninefingers is a Northman who has worn out his welcome in his homeland due to his bloody, corpse-littered past. He now finds himself escaping from the new King of the North, an old acquaintance who no longer wishes to keep the Bloody Nine around. Logen's only recourse is to travel to the south to the empire called the Union. Inquisitor Glokta is a Union torturer of extraordinary abilities working in the House of Questions. Glokta, who once was a dashing, skilled warrior before he was captured by the Gurkish and tortured, is now a shell of a man, in constant excruciating pain and crippled. Captain Jezal dan Luthar is a young, arrogant swordsman and debutante who basks in his nobility, and strives to make an even greater name for himself in a highly publicized fencing contest. Logen, Glokta and Jezal are probably the most important of the major characters int the novel, and the majority of the story is told through their perspectives.

Abercrombie successfully writes a style for each of his characters. Glotka, for instance, is much more cerebral in his chapters, his thinking process alway in overdrive as he works out the political angles and consequences of his situation. Refreshingly, he thinks the smartass things people would love to say, but don't have the courage to. However, much of this subject matter is dark and brutal considering it revolves around his occupation as Union torturer. On the other hand, Jezal doesn't exhibit much in the way of cerebral gymnastics, and this adds greatly to the perception of his character as mindless twit.

Into the lives of these disparate characters, the wizard Bayaz is injected, a man who embodies mystery and appears to have his own agenda. If anything, "The Blade Itself" is a setup novel. We get an introduction to the characters, get a familiarity with the situation, tone and worldbuilding, and by the end the pieces finally seem to have been placed on the chessboard for the real story to begin. Therefore, not many questions are answered in this novel, and the story is far from self-contained, so if you dislike books without some sense of completeness to them, you may wish to wait until Abercrombie finishes the trilogy.

Abercrombie's writing is simple and not heavy on detail or description. It is straightforward and a hard-boiled type of prose, almost a fantasy noir, that is used effectively to move the story along. As far as technical writing chops, "The Blade Itself" appears very much to be a debut novel which seems more focus on story than prose. There is a good amount of profanity and explicit, brutal violence and torture in the book, so if those things bother you, you've been warned.

Last Word:
If you enjoy a gritty and brutal type of dark fantasy loaded with a plethora of nasty characters, then look no further than Joe Abercrombie's "The Blade Itself", a crackling debut novel that holds a vast amount of promise for the ongoing series. It must be said, the future of fantasy fiction now appears in good hands with the recent successful debuts of Lynch, and now Abercrombie.(less)

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May 12, 2008 Terence rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy

Another author in the tradition of Glen Cook & Steven Erikson: There is no Good nor Evil, just people, and even the most heinous Dark Lord had a mother.

Of course, the danger in such a book is that you wind up with utterly unlikable characters and no one to root for. Afterall, you may not have liked Aragorn but you knew that his side was Good; it happens that I've liked most of the characters in Erikson's work but I couldn't condone many of their actions. It's my 2nd gripe with Robert Jordan'...more

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Nov 05, 2007 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

A promising start to a new fantasy series by a new writer.

At first glance, the book has a similarity to many other fantasies currently doing the rounds. The book has been sold as ‘gritty heroic fantasy’, though there are subtle differences enough here to make it better than a run of the mill fantasy.

One of the key themes through the book seems to be about heroism, from a number of different perspectives. The book starts with Logen Ninefingers (so called because he is missing the middle finger of...more A promising start to a new fantasy series by a new writer.

At first glance, the book has a similarity to many other fantasies currently doing the rounds. The book has been sold as ‘gritty heroic fantasy’, though there are subtle differences enough here to make it better than a run of the mill fantasy.

One of the key themes through the book seems to be about heroism, from a number of different perspectives. The book starts with Logen Ninefingers (so called because he is missing the middle finger of his left hand), a Northern barbarian-hero-type figure, who starts the novel running from a potentially good beating. After a subversive meander through the landscape, a meeting with an injured Malacus Quai leads him to meet the First Magus of the Old Time, Bayaz.

As an alternate view of heroism, the book also concerns itself with the importance of organised heroism - through an upper-class military hero, a vain and rather self-absorbed scoundrel named Jezal dan Luthar. Here the story concerns itself with his preparations for The Contest, as he is a contestant in the grand fencing competition held in a rather bread-and-circuses manner whilst the Union is at war with the nations of the North, who are led by Bethod, King of the Northmen and once Ninefinger’s employer.

Most impressively, the book deals with ex-hero-gone-bad, the Inquisitor Sand de Glokta, a former war hero who was captured, tortured and crippled, but then returned to be Inquisitor (Head Torturer) for the Union. His battles these days are of a different sort, dealing with the complex political shenanigans of a morally corrupt empire.

The story has an element of dark humour running through it, though we’re not talking Terry Pratchett here. Though there is a lighter humour concerning Jezal’s infatuation with the sister of a fellow officer, it is perhaps mostly grimmer – more gallows humour than Pratchett humour. Much more noticeable throughout the book is the bleakness of the landscape and the opulent decay of the urban environment which gives an impression of empirical decline. Some of the images of the city and decaying technology are impressively memorable.

The grimness is also shown in the rather brutal violence through the book in the same style as, say, Steven Erikson. There are violent scenes of torture and killing here – Glokta, for example, was tortured by having selected teeth removed, no doubt without anaesthetic, and is happy to continue such practices now as head torturer. Though reluctant to fight unless he has to, Logen’s battle style is deceptively efficient as he hacks his way through the book.

On a slightly negative point, the story does (after the initial chase through the woods) start a little slowly – we are looking at a trilogy here – but it is careful to set up the landscape and the backstory whilst introducing the broad variety of characters. If we are looking at the first novel setting up a world and the conditions therein, then this does the job. There are situations set up and conflicts unresolved by the end of the book, which no doubt will be dealt with in the later books.

As this is a first book, there are a few little lapses in phrases that clunk a little, though not as many as perhaps expected. Some of the place names are a little too reminiscent of others – Angland (England), Gurkish (Turkish) – though this is a minor quibble and may not worry others as much as they did me.

Despite this, after the first 50 or so pages I was hooked. The chapters are short and not difficult to read, which kept the pages turning. There is nastiness and violence aplenty, which may not be for everyone, but the old themes of revenge, vengeance and heroism are enough to keep pages turning.

In summary then, a surprisingly good debut novel, perhaps rather protracted, but if you like many of the recently published dark fantasy (Steven Erikson, George RR Martin and KJ Parker spring to mind) then this is worth a read.(less)

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Jan 28, 2008 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a lot of fun. The author has a deadpan sense of humor very similar to mine, so I definitely enjoyed this. The best part of this book is the characters. They are very fully developed and very interesting. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view and it's possible to tell who's point of view it is just from the writing style. There's lots of action and the setting is very interesting. However, this book feels like it is written entirely as an introduction to an...more

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Apr 22, 2013 kellyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Moving this to the 'saving for later' shelf even though I most likely won't pick it up again. The story was entertaining and although a bit predictable, interesting characters pepper the story. It was exciting and I was drawn into caring about the outcome of the story and it's characters.

I didn't care for the gruesome descriptions of torture, fight sequences, and chilling details of some of the characters' backgrounds. But I suppose that's what you should expect when the praise on the back call...more

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Mar 04, 2009 Reid rated it 5 of 5 stars

Within a hundred pages of this book, I bought the next two, knowing it would take a while for them to reach me here in China. I intentionally read the book only about 30 pages a day, savoring it like a delicious soup. Now that I've finished, it's like I want another bowl, and I just have to wait, with amazon just giving me a delivery estimate of sometime in the next 15 days. Damnit! Abercrombie has a good sense of humor, he's well-read in the genre and avoids many cliches. His 3rd-person perspec...more

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About Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law Trilogy...more

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Books by Joe Abercrombie

Before They Are Hanged (The First Law, #2)

Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)

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Quotes from The Blade Itself

“Has it ever occured to you, Master Ninefingers, that a sword is different from other weapons? Axes and maces and so forth are lethal enough, but they hang on the belt like dumb brutes. But a sword...a sword has a voice.
Sheathed it has little to say, to be sure, but you need only put your hand on the hilt and it begins to whisper in your enemy's ear. A gentle word. A word of caution. Do you hear it?
Now, compare it to the sword half drawn. It speaks louder, does it not? It hisses a dire threat. It makes a deadly promise. Do you hear it?
Now compare it to the sword full drawn. It shouts now, does it not? It screams defiance! It bellows a challenge! Do you hear it?” — 122 people liked it

“Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it. - Logen Ninefingers” — 120 people liked it

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