The First Law Trilogy

by Joe Abercrombie

‘How dare you, you magical arsehole?

It was a commander’s place to set a tone of fearlessness which his men would not be able to help but follow.

then Jezal was beginning to doubt that anyone in a position of high authority ever really knew what they were doing. The best one could hope for was to maintain some shred of an illusion that one might. And occasionally, perhaps, try to give the mindless flood of events the slightest push in one direction or another, hoping desperately that it would turn out to be the right one.