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The Blade Itself

(The First Law #1)

Joe Abercrombie

4.16 · Rating details · 174,606 ratings · 9,341 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 Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at c ...more

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Paperback, 515 pages

Published March 8th 2007 by Gollancz (first published May 4th 2006)

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Mar 15, 2011 mark monday rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-modern

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 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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Oct 09, 2016 Petrik rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Grimdark & character-driven fantasy fans

Shelves: favorites

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo

4.5/5 stars

The Blade Itself was my first entry into a grimdark fantasy novel that I highly enjoyed; on this reread, I loved it even more.

“Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.”

Back in October 2016, the only reason I stumbled upon this bloody marvelous trilogy was that, as many other readers did, I was looking for a reading experience that could offer me the kin ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) added it

Patreon Book Club Pick of the month!

Super excited to see if it lives up to the hype

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May 12, 2008 Jim rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: people looking for full-blooded fantasy

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

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 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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Dec 17, 2012 Bookwraiths rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, grimdark

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews

As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, Joe Abercrombie is a fantasy author who all my real-life friends have raved about for years and insisted that I read. From their proselyting, it seemed that my life would not be complete without sampling Lord Grimdark’s wares. So, in order to save myself from some accursed fate, I read the first two novels in Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea series.

Unfortunately, grimwhine was not for me. If interested in the “why”, you ca ...more

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Mar 04, 2017 James Tivendale rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I was up until half five yesterday morning reading intensely to finish off this story. I didn't write the review then as it would have been a tired, mumbled mess with little to no eloquence and it wouldn't have included any cool sounding words. Let's see how I get on now after a good nights sleep. Prior to reading this, I had completed Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy and enjoyed it a lot. Where that was classic story focused fantasy with twists aplenty, this is best described as a macabre, d I was up until half five yesterday morning reading intensely to finish off this story. I didn't write the review then as it would have been a tired, mumbled mess with little to no eloquence and it wouldn't have included any cool sounding words. Let's see how I get on now after a good nights sleep. Prior to reading this, I had completed Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy and enjoyed it a lot. Where that was classic story focused fantasy with twists aplenty, this is best described as a macabre, dark and twisted character study of morally questionable individuals. This narrative takes place in a world that seems to be brimming with a blood-splattered past, interesting races and a heightened amount of warmongering aggression between the countries and factions. There is a lot going on in Abercrombie's world yet, it is a shame that the two versions of this book that I have didn't include any cartographed maps. I did get a little confused trying to compose a mental map of the world and distinguish where the action was taking place.

The greatest accomplishment achieved by Abercrombie here is the characters he has created.

The four main individuals are:
Jezal: A vain, selfish nobleman and talented fencer.
Logan: An infamous warrior.
Glokta: A tortured and crippled torturer.
Bayaz: A mage whose motives are mystical.

I will not go into any real details about them, how they intertwine, their opinions shared in monologues regarding the others (if they meet that is) but it is a pleasure to read about these characters that are, on paper at least, completely unlikeable. There are times that these characters surprised me with their thoughts. Glokta's internal opinions are darkly humorous yet tortuous when relating to his past, and the womaniser and dashing swordsman Jezal actually having some weird emotions for only one lady are two fine examples. The players' interactions had a Tarantino-like quality.

This book was a slow burner for me. It has many great qualities but whilst reading I occasionally had an internal dilemma about whether I should put it down and pick up something with more action. Two or three amazing setpieces excluded (such as a fencing contest and Logan's old gangs' antics), it doesn't really include many all out adrenaline fueling segments. Towards the end, however; reading this was quite intense hence why I was up until stupid o'clock to finish the story. I reflect that this books main agenda was probably for the reader to get to know the characters because this is done extremely well. At the finale, the seams are brimming with reported conflicts and a bizarre proposed mission that the characters find out are their fates and destinies moving forward. To conclude, I have to admit that Before they are Hanged is set up phenomenally well and I am looking forward to shortly jump back into Abercrombie's world. www.youandibooks.wordpress.com x ...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Ibrahim Z rated it did not like it

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 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. ...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Mpauli rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre_gritty-fantasy, setting_western-european, orga_read-in-2013, topic_knights, topic_barbarians, genre_fantasy, setting_woods, rating_4-stars, setting_ice, topic_wizards

"So, let's cast the characters for our novel, shall we?"
"Of course, boss, Mr. Abercrombie, sir!"
"Where is the run-of-a-mill farmboy with a great destination?"
"I'm afraid he ran of the mill, met a goblin. Now rots in a ditch."
"Oh, how unfortunate."
"Indeed, boss, indeed."
"Let's see. What about the maiden fair in need of rescue from a dragon?"
"Apparently she ate the dragon. Now she was saying something about a burning sensation in the...well...digesting area. Went to the toilet, never saw her again ...more

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Dec 11, 2018 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

gritty. visceral. unapologetic. and darkly humorous. everything you could ever want from a story like this.

its safe to say this is primarily a character driven novel, which is fine by me because every character is brilliant - it has quite the ensemble cast! each has their own secrets, histories, and quirks; making it quite the experience getting to know each of them.

not a lot happens plot wise, and with the main focus on the character developments, this felt very much like an introduction rathe ...more

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Oct 06, 2016 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it liked it

Shelves: year-2018, 3-star

So this was one of my most anticipated reads.

Grimdark fans from all over offer up this book as one of the best in the genre, and so that understandably rocketed my expectations!

And this was not a bad book by any means.

In fact, as soon as I started I was told multiple times that I could liken the first book of The First Law series to "a giant prologue," and I think that's a really accurate way to describe it.

The book follows a handful of characters who are all entangled in some way in the dege ...more

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Jan 17, 2014 Sean Barrs rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 4-star-reads

Joe Abercrombie certainly knows how to write some disturbingly likable characters. In any other book the protagonists would be the bad guys. Logan Ninefingers is a brutal warrior who goes into insane blood rages where he kills anything, and everything, near him. Yet, weirdly, he is also a wise and sensitive soul. San Dan Glocka is a torturer whose heart is pure malice, yet somehow his attitude toward life boarders on the hilarious. These two are such great characters; they make the series what i ...more

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Sep 17, 2018 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-library-catalogue

After finishing my second read-through of The Blade Itself, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts on it.

The book is a slow burn, which should not be confused with “boring.” Slower pacing can be incredibly effective if all the scenes have great character development and purpose. This tale took its time, and it was mostly time well used. The first time through, I found myself constantly distracted during one section of the book (about 20% shortly after the halfway point). At the time, I chalked i After finishing my second read-through of The Blade Itself, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts on it.

The book is a slow burn, which should not be confused with “boring.” Slower pacing can be incredibly effective if all the scenes have great character development and purpose. This tale took its time, and it was mostly time well used. The first time through, I found myself constantly distracted during one section of the book (about 20% shortly after the halfway point). At the time, I chalked it up to a mood thing on my end. After losing interest at the exact same section during this read, I can trust that something about that part just didn’t work for me. It was a small struggle to get through, but not enough of one to steal my enthusiasm for the rest of the book. Another thing I’ll point out is that I reread the book because I couldn’t remember very many pivotal plot-advancers and I wanted a refresher before continuing. As it turns out, I recalled most of it really well, there just aren’t that many things that happen in the whole book lol. What I’m getting at is, it’s an excellent book (among what I would call the staples for the genre), but it’s definitely not for the reader who needs a ton of action scenes.

It’s a multiple POV story. If you read my reviews for McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogy, you’ll recall how highly I praised the characters for playing so well off of one another (the relationships are everything). These characters weren’t quite as brilliant as those, but were still incredibly strong and memorable. And for a story with not much pacing and a fairly narrow focus, I think good character development is the main reason most people rave this series. I’m especially excited to see how they develop in future books because there’s definitely a ton of growth potential there.

Can we talk specific characters for a minute? Notably the brilliance that is Sand dan Glokta? If you want a master class in how to develop characters with duality and depth, study Glokta. Even though the character’s physicality is repulsive, and his profession as torturer for the crown deplorable, it’s his frank way of seeing the world and sardonic dialogue that still manages to make him one of the most likable characters I’ve ever come across. I’m thrilled to read more, if only just to spend more time with him.

I’d been eyeballing this series for years, but hesitated to pick it up in my younger days because of how often I heard about the gritty nature of the story. You’ll often hear it described as one of the original Grimdark novels…. which might be true, but I have some hesitations selling it with that impressions. Series like Malazan, GoT, and Sword of Truth we’re already on the market, and, in my humble opinion, contained scenes that were significantly darker and grittier than I’ve read here (so far). So for anyone hesitating to read it because of what you’ve heard about the content, it’s not that bad. Comparatively, anyway. It’s still torture lol.

Recommendations: as a (well-deserved) staple in fantasy, I highly recommend The Blade Itself to anyone who wants to experience the best of the genre (based on mass appeal and quality of content, not necessarily on my own personal top books list). So far its Grimdark appeal has been surprisingly moderate, so I think it would appeal to a wider range of readers than I initially predicted. It’s packed with great characters, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

Other books you might like:

Promise of Blood (Powder Mage, #1) by Brian McClellan

The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1) by Daniel Abraham

Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1) by Robin Hobb

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1) by Mark Lawrence

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin

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May 12, 2011 carol. rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: epic fantasy fans

Shelves: epic-fantasy, male-lead, 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 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... ...more

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Jan 17, 2015 Celeste rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, funny, favorites, grimdark, rereads

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

The Blade Itself is exactly why I believe in second chances. When I first read this book four years ago, I had very little adult fantasy under my belt. I had read Elantris, Mistborn, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Kingkiller Chronicle. That’s pretty much it. I think I just wasn’t mentally prepared for something like The Blade Itself. Even ASoIaF, by far the darkest of the fantasy novels I had read up to that point, had a number of characters w You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

The Blade Itself is exactly why I believe in second chances. When I first read this book four years ago, I had very little adult fantasy under my belt. I had read Elantris, Mistborn, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Kingkiller Chronicle. That’s pretty much it. I think I just wasn’t mentally prepared for something like The Blade Itself. Even ASoIaF, by far the darkest of the fantasy novels I had read up to that point, had a number of characters who were mostly moral. Even if I wasn’t sure how long said characters would live, I knew that there was good even in this dark world. Then Abercrombie entered. While even on my first reading I appreciated how fleshed out and unique his characters were, there was a part of me that was horrified to find a core of darkness within those I had thought were basically good. My little brain didn’t cope well with that.

“Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. What is my story now, I wonder?”

Fast forward to 2019. With much more of the fantasy genre under my belt, I decided to give The First Law another shot. My co-blogger, Petrik, considers this one of his favorite series of all time, so I wanted to give the series at least one more try before writing it off as too dark for me. I’m so glad I did. If I could travel back in time and smack past me on the back of the head, I would. I don’t know what my problem was, because The Blade Itself is absolutely fantastic. Now that I’m not clutching my pearls in horror over a cast of completely morally gray characters, I have so much respect for Abercrombie and the world he created.

“History is littered with dead good men.”

What really makes this book shine is the very element that turned me off during my first reading: the characters. They’re all insanely lifelike and fleshed out, and I love them intensely. Rarely have I come across characters so vibrantly alive. Glotka is one of the funniest, foulest, cleverest, most pitiable characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I honestly wouldn’t have been too surprised had he limped right off the pages. I know he limped his way into my heart, ugly smile and all. He’s one of the most determined characters I’ve come across, and I really respect his tenacity, because even when he wonders why he doesn’t just give up, he somehow finds the strength to take the next step, and the next.

“Everything frightens me, and it's well that it does. Fear is a good friend to the hunted, it's kept me alive this long. The dead are fearless, and I don't care to join them.”

And Jezal! This noble son turned soldier is shallow and lazy and breathtakingly self-absorbed. There’s a whole little section of him just admiring his jawline in a mirror, mediating on how superior it is to other jaws. I laughed out loud so many times during scenes from his point of view. I especially loved how mercurial his moods were, changing radically mid-paragraph. Bayaz, though not a perspective character, also deserves special mention. He reminded me of Merlin as presented in Disney’s The Sword in the Stone, but far surlier and with a much fouler vocabulary. And I mean that in the best way. There were other side characters who I eventually found fascinating, as well, as they reveals hidden depths and darknesses and motivations. Every fictional person in the world Abercrombie crafted felt believable to me, full of hopes and dreams and quirks and failings.

“I’m trying to put things in the best light, but a turd’s a turd, whatever light it’s in!”

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he knows how to write a compellingly reluctant action hero. The star of the book for me, despite how much I enjoy Glotka and Jezal, is without a doubt Logen Ninefingers. The Bloody Nine has a fearsome reputation, but Logen would honestly like nothing more than to leave it behind. But he is who he is, and will never back down from doing what needs doing. Despite his body count, Logen is perhaps the kindest character in the entire novel. He’s far more conflicted and selfless than others around him, though he is by no means perfect. You can’t help but root for him.

“The best steel doesn't always shine the brightest.”

I also want to take a moment to praise Abercrombie’s writing. The man really has a way with words. His prose is captivating in a way that doesn’t distract you from the story. And I love how his writing style shifts subtly for each perspective, adding an extra layer of distinction for each voice. Despite the darkness of the world and the plot, Abercrombie was able to seamlessly pack in a ton of humor. The only other novel I’ve read that was able to achieve this balance so deftly is The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, with is one of my very books.

“Some things have to be done. It's better to do them, than to live with the fear of them.”

Coming back to this book was a wonderful decision. I can see now, having read so much fantasy over the past three years, how much Abercrombie has inspired other authors in the genre. I can’t wait to continue reading and see what he has in store for Logen and Glotka and all the rest. You know, maybe grimdark isn’t too much for me after all. It’s amazing how tastes change. ...more

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Nov 07, 2013 Rick Riordan rated it it was amazing

It's been a while since I read a fantasy trilogy all the way through, back to back. Joe Abercrombie's The First Law series was too compelling not to finish in a single marathon. The first book, The Blade Itself, introduces a cast of well-developed, complex characters throw together in a world loosely based on medieval Europe. At first, it's not entirely clear what the major story line will be. It's also not clear who the good guys and bad guys are -- kind of like real life. If this sounds like A ...more

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May 05, 2020 Muhtasin Oyshik rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 501-600-pp, read-in-2020

I appreciate it. I didn't like this story as I expected, but I didn't dislike it. ...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Joey Woolfardis rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, champion, bookshelf, masculine, 2019, myths-magic-and-mordor, sterling, 2010, ce21

I first read this book nine years ago and my memory of it was rather hazy: I could remember the Bloody-Nine alright, and Glokta was a name that rang heavily in my ears, but otherwise most of it was cloudy, vague memories of possibilities. After finishing my Annual Reading Challenge six months early-and having read mostly genres that were not my favourite just to see how I fared with them-I knew I needed something good: something I knew (or thought I knew) I liked.

I'm so happy that I was not disa ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Mario the lone bookwolf rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, abercrombie-joe

Compared to other High-Fantasy, there is lesser action, many character scenes, introspective and dialogues and yet as much suspense as in a horror novel.

It must have taken the author much time to find such original characters and to combine them in a way that gives new perspectives and potentials for the fantasy genre. It seems to me as if, as with many newer great High-Fantasy series, that there is nothing healthier for a genre than to become unconventional, progressive and well, yes, pretty da ...more

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Nov 25, 2015 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommended to ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) by: Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘

Shelves: my-friends-corrupted-my-soul, fantasy, dnf-graveyard, 2016, br-2016, what-a-rip-off, outrageously-overhyped-fishsauce, boredom-fest, let-s-bail-snail, self-preservation-is-the-key

● Buddy read with the wannabe torturers over at BBB ●

DNF at 34%.

You! Yes, you there! The person who is reading this review right now! Are you one of the ~~hilarious~~ people who told me I was going LOVE this book? You aren't? It's your lucky day, you should try playing the lottery or something. Now. If you are one of the ~~delirious~~ people who did tell me I was going to LOVE this book…oh man, you are SO doomed.

I mean, what the bloody hell??!! How DARE you ~~suicidal~~ people lure me into this by dangl ...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013, fantasy

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 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! ...more

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Nov 30, 2019 Merphy Napier rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, four-stars, adult

Here's my video review https://youtu.be/nYw1Rv9HZ6E ...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Eric Allen rated it did not like it

I tried to read this book. I really did. I got over halfway through, but I just can't go any further. It's too damn boring and pointless. I hate every character in it. I'm not interested in what's going on in the slightest. I keep making excuses not to read any more of it. A good story is about interesting people doing interesting things. And this one lacked both of those things. I should never have to force myself to keep reading, I should be excited and compelled to read by what's going on and I tried to read this book. I really did. I got over halfway through, but I just can't go any further. It's too damn boring and pointless. I hate every character in it. I'm not interested in what's going on in the slightest. I keep making excuses not to read any more of it. A good story is about interesting people doing interesting things. And this one lacked both of those things. I should never have to force myself to keep reading, I should be excited and compelled to read by what's going on and how it's written, and I'm just not. If a book is so bad I can't finish it, it gets one star by default in my rules of reviewing that I made for myself when I first started out. I really wanted to like this book, because I hear a lot of people saying such great things about Joe Abercrombie, but holy crap, this book is just a complete and utter failure to tell a compelling story in every single way imaginable. If this is what I can expect from the author, I don't even want to try any of his other books.

At over halfway through, the book doesn't really have any reason to exist. There's no point or purpose. There's no goal to be achieved. There's no impending doom, or mysterious questions that need answering. It's just a bunch of things that happen, rather than any sort of cohesive story or narrative. A story is more than simple a collection of things that happen--I'm looking at YOU Rothfuss!!! There's like three completely separate and independent plotlines that lave little to nothing to do with one another, and are all equally as pointless and boring. I don't like or don't care about any of the characters in it. I don't care what they're doing or why, when the author even bothers to tell us why. I don't feel any sort of attachment to any of the people, places, things or events. This is not how good storytelling works. It's like The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. It's just a bunch of things that happen, with nothing tying them together in any meaningful way, and about characters that either a.) have no actual defined character at all, or b.) are utterly loathsome human beings. Not a great way to pique my interest.

Chapters would start out, and my first reaction to seeing which character it was about would be, "I don't care." Or, "not this douchebag again!" These are reactions that no one should ever have to your characters. When you don't like, or don't care about any of the characters in a book, there's no emotional attachment. And without emotional attachment, there's no tension or drama, because those things come from caring about the characters, and a genuine desire to see them succeed and overcome. If they're so bland, or without character that they might as well not even exist, and the reader is constantly asking why am I reading about this person, he's not doing anything interesting or important, and he's about as interesting himself as a plank of wood. Or are so loathsome that the reader actually dreads another chapter about them, you have failed as a storyteller.

So yeah, I give up. I tried, but there's just nothing in this book I found even remotely interesting, and I just can't force myself to try reading any more of it. Sorry to any Abercrombie fans out there, but I'm done with this one, and good riddance to it. I absolutely hated the 2/3-ish of the book that I read, and was bored to death rather than entertained in any way by it. No ending, no matter how epic and awesome, can ever make up for the boring, soulless, and all-together pointless drudgery of the rest of the book leading up to it. There are far more interesting ways to set up a series than this. Thanks but no thanks. I'll go find something worth the time and effort to read.

If anyone has a suggestion on a Joe Abercrombie book that is actually worth reading, rather than this boring, pointless mess, (meaning a book about interesting characters doing interesting things, rather than characters that are boring or loathsome, doing things that are pointless, completely unconnected to each other in any meaningful way, and boring as sin) please let me know, and I'll stick it on my to-read list. But if they're all like this one, please don't bother, because I didn't like it at all, and I don't want to read anything like it again. ...more

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Aug 28, 2019 Hamad rated it really liked it

Shelves: good-covers, 2019-reads, paperbacks

This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷

“The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. Still, the struggle itself is worthwhile. Knowledge is the root of power, after all.”

★ When I first started reading, all I cared about was a good plot twist and nothing else. 400 and something book later, my opinions have drastically changed and I think good characters are the most important thing to me beside the plot and writing. I probably would not have liked this book if I r ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 Markus rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

"Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. What is my story now, I wonder?"

Solid stuff. A real page-turner at times.

Aside from such splendidly enjoyable characters as Logen Ninefingers, Inquisitor Glokta and Major West, I especially enjoyed the musings about history, politics and urban life. Suffice it to say I completely share Logen’s aversion to the annoying crowds to be found in cities.

The book clearly deserves considerable praise, an ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Choko rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-grim

*** 4.75 ***

A buddy re-read with my friends from BB&B

Just as great as the first time around:-)

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Oct 29, 2019 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: 21th-century, epic, fiction, fantasy, british, literature

The Blade Itself (The First Law #1), Joe Abercrombie

The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie. It consists of a trilogy, three stand-alone novels and a number of novellas set in the same world.

The Blade Itself: 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 Captain Jezal dan The Blade Itself (The First Law #1), Joe Abercrombie

The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie. It consists of a trilogy, three stand-alone novels and a number of novellas set in the same world.

The Blade Itself: 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 Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و هشتم ماه فوریه سال 2018 میلادی

عنوان: تیغ شمشیر؛ نویسنده: جو آبرکرومبی؛ مترجم: سعید سیمرغ؛ تهران: کتابسرای تندیس‏‫٬ 1396؛ در 815ص؛ شابک 9786001822568؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 21م
‬
تیغ شمشیر، خود، عاملی برای تحریک به اِعمال خشونت است. نقل از: هومر

نقل از نمونه متن: (نجات یافتگان: نخستین چیزی که حس کرد صدای جریان آب بود که گوشهایش را پر کرده بود. صدای جریان آب، خش خش برگ درختان و صدای جیک جیک یک پرنده. لوگن چشمانش را به اندازه ی شکاف باریکی گشود. نوری محو و درخشان که از میان برگها میآمد به چشمانش خورد. آیا این مرگ بود؟ پس چرا بدنش اینقدر درد میکرد؟ تمام سمت چپ بدنش از درد میتپید. تلاش کرد نفس عمیق بکشد، اما راه نفسش بسته شده بود. به سرفه افتاد و آب و لجن را تف کرد. غرشی کرد و چرخید و روی دستها و زانوهایش قرار گرفت. خودش را از رودخانه بیرون کشید. در حالیکه میان دندانهای قفل شده اش نفس نفس میزد، به پشت روی خزه و لجن و علفهای گندیده ی ساحل افتاد. لحظه ای همانجا دراز کشید و به آسمان خاکستری که بالاتر از شاخه های سیاه درختان بود خیره شد. هنگام نفس کشیدن سینه اش خس خس میکرد. با صدایی خسته و ضعیف به خود گفت: «هنوز زنده ام.» با وجود همه ی تلاشهایی که طبیعت، شانکاها، مردم و حیوانات درنده کرده بودند، هنوز زنده بود. خیس و خسته، در حالیکه به پشت افتاده بود، شروع به خندیدن کرد. خنده ای بلند و از ته دل. اگر قرار بود لقبی به لوگن نُه انگشتی بدهند، لقب «نجات یافته» برازنده اش بود. باد سردی روی ساحل متعفن رودخانه میوزید و خنده ی لوگن آهسته قطع شد. شاید زنده بود، اما زنده ماندن خود مسئله ی دیگری بود. نشست و از شدت درد چهره در هم کشید. با پا خود را به عقب هل داد و به تنه ی نزدیکترین درخت تکیه زد. خاکی که به بینی، چشمان و گوشهایش چسبیده بود را تکاند. لباس خیسش را کنار زد تا نگاهی به محل آسیب دیده بیندازد. پهلویش بر اثر سقوط پر از کبودی بود. لکه های کبود و بنفش در همه جای دنده هایش دیده میشد. به آرامی آنجا را لمس کرد، اما انگار هیچکدام از دنده هایش نشکسته بودند. اوضاع پایش خراب بود. دندانهای شانکا آنرا دریده، و پوشیده از خون بود. اگرچه درد بدی داشت، ولی به خوبی کار میکرد و مهمترین چیز همین بود. اگر میخواست از این مخمصه خلاص شود، به پایش نیاز داشت. چاقویش هنوز در نیام روی کمربندش بود و از دیدن آن بسیار خوشحال شد. در زندگیش چاقوهای زیادی نداشت و این یکی، از آن خوبهایش بود، با وجود این چشم انداز پیش رویش هنوز چندان امیدوار کننده نبود. یکه و تنها در جنگل، همراه با کله تخت ها. کوچکترین تصوری از اینکه کجا بود نداشت، ولی میتوانست مسیر رودخانه را دنبال کند. همه ی رودخانه ها به سمت شمال میرفتند و از کوهستان به دریای سرد میریختند. باید در کنار رودخانه به سمت جنوب و در خلاف جهت آب حرکت میکرد. میرفت و به جاهای مرتفعی میرسید که هیچ شانکایی نمیتوانست پیدایش کند. این تنها بختش بود. این وقت از سال بالای کوهستان سرمای مرگباری داشت. نگاهی به پاهای برهنه اش انداخت. عجب شانش مزخرفی داشت که سر و کله ی شانکا، زمانی پیدا شده بود که او چکمه هایش را درآورده بود و تاولهای پایش را تیمار میکرد. کت هم نداشت، چون کنار آتش نشسته بود. اینطور، حتی یکروز هم در کوهستان دوام نمیآورد. دستها و پاهایش در طول شب سیاه میشدند و خودش پیش از آنکه به گردنه برسد، ذره ذره میمرد، البته اگر قبلاً از گرسنگی نمرده بود. زیر لب گفت: «لعنتی!» مجبور بود به اردوگاه برگردد. باید امیدوار میبود که کله تخت ها از آنجا رفته باشند، و چیزی پشت سرشان باقی گذاشته باشند. چیزی که بتواند از آن برای نجات خودش استفاده کند. این همه امید بستن به چنین چیزهایی بسیار بد بود، ولی چاره ی دیگری نداشت. هیچ وقت چاره ی دیگری نداشت.؛
***
وقتی که لوگن به اردوگاه رسید، باران شروع به باریدن کرده بود. قطرات باران موهایش را به سرش چسبانده و لباسهایش کاملاً خیس شده بودند. خودش را به تنه ی پوشیده از خزه ی درختی چسباند و به اردوگاه خیره شد. قلبش میکوبید و انگشتان دست راستش چنان سخت دور قبضه ی چاقویش بسته شده بود که درد گرفته بودند.) پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 19/03/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Jul 17, 2014 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-i-want-to-hang-out-with, ghosts, witches-warlocks-and-magic, awesome-audio, super-sidekicks, 4-5-stars, fantastic-fantasy

Sale Alert: Kindle Daily Deal on 19Mar20 on Amazon for $3.99

Buddy read starting 7/25/14 with Athena, Alexa, Kat Stark, Jessica, Jennifer and Eon

  
    ‘History is littered with dead good men.’

  
    ‘History is littered with dead good men.’

Do you like morally ambiguous characters? Do you want to read something where there is no clear ‘all good’ or ‘all bad’ persons, where people and their motivations are a mystery for the most part? If you love fantasies that focus on the characters a little more than the world building then this is totally for you.

There is not one Mary Sue character in the bunch. Of the two main female characters one drinks a little much, swears like a sailor and isn’t afraid to hand you your ass, the other is a stone cold killer. The men are just as diverse. Logen has a brutal and bloody past

“There are few men with more blood on their hands than me. None, that I know of. The Bloody-Nine they call me, my enemies, and there’s a lot of ’em. Always more enemies, and fewer friends. Blood gets you nothing but more blood. It follows me now, always, like my shadow, and like my shadow I can never be free of it. I should never be free of it. I’ve earned it. I’ve deserved it. I’ve sought it out. Such is my punishment.”

And he is willing to take that punishment when the First Magis, Bayaz finds him and asks for his help. You are never quite sure what you are dealing with when working with Bayaz. Sometimes he seems almost fatherly or grandfatherly but then other times he is just downright scary. He definitely has a plan and through most of this book he was just bringing his group of misfits together to travel on and possibly cause a lot of mayhem and havoc.

Then there is a completely different cluster of characters living in a city with a mad king and a magic tower that has been locked for centuries. Jazel’s main worry in life is training for a tournament that should set him politically for life. He was so easy to hate in the beginning, but much like Han Solo he might be redeemable in the end.

And Then There is Glotka I never knew whether I liked him or hated him. He has had a tortured life, like literally and now he is the torturer.

“Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. What is my story now, I wonder?”

Being inside this characters head was a trip to say the least and I hated loving him and loved hating him. But he knows that monster he is and the political game that he is playing could get him killed at any time.

The strong point of this story is the characters and the complexity of their actions. While things were happening constantly and I was totally cast into this story I will admit that there isn’t a lot of plot as of yet. It seems more like this is Part I of a 1500 page book. But now that we have met everyone and the stones have been cast I imagine the next book will have more plot details happening.

Recommended for people who like there fantasy a little on the grungy side. ...more

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Jan 28, 2016 Orient rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone, who likes humour, fighting, magic and badasses

Recommended to Orient by: Milda Page Runner

Shelves: desperado, entertaining, fantasy, hero, killer, abercrombie, recs-by-milda

I can certainly say that this book is gritty. So, you start reading it and it pushes your face in mud, sweat and blood. If someone just falls somewhere or rolls down the stairs, you can be sure, it will be shown with all the glory of sticky stuff running down the face with an agonizing squirm. It reminds me of Tolkien or Sapowski in some episodes.
But this book is not just a merciless hole covered in darkness and blood. You can find a lot of fun, humor (slight or hard)and that just makes the book ...more

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May 15, 2020 TS Chan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 stars.

Before anyone gasped in surprise that I've not read this excellent grimdark entry by Joe Abercrombie, allow me to provide a little backstory.

I have attempted to read The Blade Itself 6 years ago. However, I was then suffering from a massive, and I truly mean massive, hangover after finishing Words of Radiance; my head and heart were too reluctant to leave the characters and their stories. Frankly, I don't think any fantasy read would have helped, and so I set aside this book barely a ...more

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Aug 16, 2008 Stephen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: signed-first-or-limited-edition, 6-star-books, all-time-favorites, award-nominee-campbell, hardboiled-and-noir, kings-of-badassia, fantasy, multiple-award-nominee, award-nominee-locus

6.0 stars (One of My All Time Favorites). Absolutely outstanding debut novel. Right along side The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss as the best debut Fantasy novels of the last few years. This book is as good as the fantasy genre gets and I can not wait to read the sequel. Finally, IMHO, Glotka is one of the most original and best developed characters in a long time. Highly recommended.

Nominee: John A. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Novel (2008) ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
2021 Reading Chal...: The Blade Itself (The First Law #1)	24	86	Feb 23, 2021 06:02AM
Fantasy Reads: Buddy Read — The Blade Itself	55	18	Sep 29, 2020 05:09AM
The Blade Itself - A Buddy Read	4	23	Mar 24, 2020 12:24PM
Čtenářský klub Cz/Sk: Sama čepel - Joe Abercrombie	1	28	Feb 29, 2020 11:15AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: The Blade Itself [Apr 5, 2019]	62	99	Feb 19, 2020 08:46AM

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About Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie

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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

Other books in the series

The First Law (3 books)

Books by Joe Abercrombie

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

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

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Articles featuring this book

Dragons, demons, kings, queens, and the occasional farm boy (with a special destiny, of course): Fantasy literature has it all! To celebrate...

Trivia About The Blade Itself ...

7 trivia questions
1 quiz

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Quotes from The Blade Itself

“Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.” — 768 likes

“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?” — 388 likes

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