The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)

by Joe Abercrombie

The great wage secret wars for power and wealth, and they call it government. Wars of words, and tricks, and guile, but no less bloody for that. The casualties are many.’

But that was civilisation, so far as Logen could tell. People with nothing better to do, dreaming up ways to make easy things difficult.

It’s a fool who thinks that any fight is too small to be the death of him, however tough he is.

I was once proud to call you my friend and . . . I would be again.’