My review of The Blade Itself

My review of “The Blade Itself” Written by Joe Abercrombie, reviewed by Merick N.H. Ulrik

Why do I love this book so much? I am going to try to break that down. Joe Abercrombie did such a fabulous job with this book. I’m going to also try to give a non-spoiler review.

“The Blade Itself” is the first book in the “First Law” series by Joe Abercrombie. This book has been put into the category of Grim Dark, fantasy. “Grim Dark”, fantasy has scenes of graphic violence or gruesome horror, or just fantasy of a more gritty nature. While it had scenes of gruesome violence, nothing appeared to be put into the story just to be gorier. Everything was brilliantly woven together with master storytelling by Joe Abercrombie.

Who needs a plot when you have great dialogue?

Afer a few years have passed since I’v read this three-book series, I’ve had more time to think about why this book was great. It’s the dialogue that was used creatively to develop the characters. The plot is vague in THe Blade Itself. We know some things are happening, but we don’t exactly know what or why.

But the saving grace in this story is amazing dialogue which shapes the characters and the story. He uses repeated phrases as hook lines for his main character, Logan Nine Fingers, The Bloody Nine.

You have to be realistic about things like that.

Logan Nine Fingers

The dialogue and narration of the character Sand Dan Glokta especially makes the reading more enjoyable. He’s not exactly a hero either, nor the villain. Glokta is a crippled war hero and now a professional torturer.

Interesting Characters

I started very quickly liking several characters and feeling for them sympathetically to just loving them. “Logan Nine Fingers” or “The Bloody Nine” is a character that seems to have no luck at all. The use of repetition in this book is very enduring, “You have to be realistic about things like that…”

But Sand dan Glokta has had worse luck. But this character with his tragic life is honest. He’s honest about his sadism as well. 

There are contrasting characters that are torn apart by the divide between rich and poor, common and noble. There are so many funny moments in this book. Honest moments that make the characters endearing. At one point later in the book, I teared up a little. And it could be that I was having a lot of introspective thoughts anyway, but the scene was just too sad and believable. These characters that were fighting in a hopeless struggle to survive and not get killed by their enemies became not characters in a book, but my friends somehow.

I’ve read Brandon Sanderson and I love his work too. But Joe Abercrombie is my new favorite author now. That’s where I put him. And like Sanderson, something Abercrombie does well is weaving side plots together. The ending came together but also created more questions for the sequel.

Villians and few heroes…

You have multiple villains in this book. Two groups that are opposing each other, The King of the North, and The Union, and devious other parties that are mysteriously at work possibly even more threatening. And several mysteries that spring up in this book, The First of The Magi, The House of The Maker. This book even has a sports side story to it. An awkward love interest.

After reading the whole series now I can say I loved the entire trilogy.

I give “The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie” five stars! The highest marks I can give. I highly recommend you read it or listen to it on audible.