The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1) in Beyond Reality

Jan 29, 2019 Wealhtheow rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, disabled-character, didn-t_finish

A barbarian warrior, a debauched nobleman training to be a fencer, and a respected officer turned disabled torturer all do stuff. I don't know how their various plots come together because 300 pages in I hit my limit on characters I didn't care about doing horrible things/having horrible things done to them. I actually hit that limit 200 pages before but read on for Logen Ninefingers alone. If there was a book that was just him, I'd have stuck with it. (Not only is his pov a welcome change from ...more

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Oct 07, 2014 Banner rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Wow this was a gritty, dark and well written book. The action grabs you right from the start (I admit I like that in a book). These characters live in a harsh world and while I found myself immensely interested in what was going to happen to them, I think if I meet any of them in real life I would take off running the opposite direction.

This first book is basically a set up for the trilogy, but don't let that thought dissuade you, the story is totally engaging, if not complete. Yes it does just ...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Oni rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This is one of the finest exhibit of a fantasy novel. The plot is intriguing, the character is well designed, the dialogue is witty, and the most important one, the struggle is believable. Too many books in the market already are insulting our common sense and better judgement.

This novel also has gritty and dark element, a genre popularized by the over-famous A Song of Ice and Fire series. Even though it is not as complicated and heart breaking (yet) as ASOIF, I still find the plot very interest This is one of the finest exhibit of a fantasy novel. The plot is intriguing, the character is well designed, the dialogue is witty, and the most important one, the struggle is believable. Too many books in the market already are insulting our common sense and better judgement.

This novel also has gritty and dark element, a genre popularized by the over-famous A Song of Ice and Fire series. Even though it is not as complicated and heart breaking (yet) as ASOIF, I still find the plot very interesting and well paced.

The beginning is quite modest, actually, introducing three main characters in their daily lives, as barbarian, soldier and inquisitor (in our world's term: interrogator). From those three, I like the inquisitor best. A crippled, caused by torture when he was captured during war, with wit and attitude. I remind me of our beloved Tyrion Lannister of ASOIF. Well, I always have soft spot for broken things, to quote Tyrion himself.

The author is using three different style of writing to differentiate three different character. The inquisitor, Glokta, has a lot of inner thought, written is italic, mocking others in his mind. The Barbarian, Logen Ninefingers, is a tortured soul. Quite philosophical, lots of thinking, but more reflective instead of mocking, which is a contrast to Glokta. And the last one, Jezal dan Luthar, a carefree character. Not to much a thinker, but a man of action. Green compared to the first two. The changing of style between three of them is refreshing, like you seeing the same picture, but from three different point of view, which makes this book really rich.

The last 100 pages, after the Contest, are a bit dragging. I feel that the writer is loosing steam, going from 4th and 5th gear, to 3rd gear. But I think it is inevitable. You cannot go on 5th gear all the way. The other weak spot is the last main character, Ferro, a runaway slave girl. The background story on her side is not enough to interest me. But most of the time, I have nothing to complain. A solid 4 STARS.

Note: the usage of "dan" for name of nobility confused me the first time. In my mother tongue, "dan" means "and". So when I read Sand dan Glokta, hey, are we talking about ONE person or TWO persons here? Only later I realized that the word is "dan" not "and". ...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Tani rated it really liked it

Shelves: male-author, fantasy, 2013

This one thought about being five stars for a while, but didn't quite make the cut. I think where it lost me was when it started putting multiple viewpoints into the same chapter. It felt too abrupt, after spending 75% of the book with each character for a more prolonged period. The change interrupted the flow of the story pretty severely for me. I love the way that Abercrombie writes his characters, though. They're kind of asses, but they're realistic, and they all feel like they have opportuni ...more

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Feb 18, 2024 Richard rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ebook, sffbc, sffbc-prime

Should be four stars for the characters, writing, action and evolving story, BUT it never goes anywhere. I quite like fantasy series but I do want each book to have a proper start, middle and an end, a satisfying conclusion of at least some aspect of the story. This was a great setup for what looks like is going to be an enjoyable and intriguing adventure, but I personally want a bit more closure after 500 pages.

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Jun 17, 2023 jess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

For much of the book, I felt lost. I even googled one time of this was really the first book of the series! You get dropped in and its a mystery with the plot not really unfolding, even at its conclusion: but Im interested in Logen and Ferro. And of course, Bayaz! The second book is on my TBR!

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