The Blade Itself. Joe Abercrombie

The characters have gripped me so hard in this book and I can't put it down. If you liked game of thrones then this is a book for you. Gritty. Gory. Dark. Funny. I loved it!

I bought this book after several recommended it to me. I was not dissapointed, for any of you who have an itch for gritty dark fantasy in the same vein as George R. R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones", this is for you. Expect loads of violence. It takes awhile to get there but when it does it hits hard.

I picked up the books THE BLADE ITSELF and BEFORE THEY ARE HANGED several months ago and I have to tell you, I miss the characters from these books more than I miss a lot of people I've known. I poured through the books in pretty short order. I found the pacing was fast, the story was highly entertaining, and the settings were vivid and believable. Then, like most books I've read, I set them aside and moved on to something else. But unlike most other books, these keep creeping back into my thoughts on almost a daily basis. Joe Abercrombie wrote these books from the perspective of several different and fascinating characters, each with their own set of issues and problems. All the characters in the book are fully realized, complex individuals that are an absolute pleasure to love or hate, as you see fit. Even the most minor of characters are uniquely written and entertaining; many of them will make you squirm in your seat and all will make you want to turn to the next page. There's Logan Ninefingers, the northern barbarian who is one of the most likable and grounded of people, except of course when turns into a berserker, known and feared far and wide as "The Bloody Nine." San Dan Glotka is a complex, cunning and dangerous ex-officer of the Army who was captured by the enemy, brutally tortured for years, and left a cripple. His total cynicism and contempt has him seeing conspiracies and assassins around every corner, and makes him the perfect inquisitor for the Union! And There's Bayaz; the impossibly old first mage with tremendous powers, who gathers a group of disparate individuals together to further his own private agenda. Not only is he the center one of the major story arcs, but he supplies this fascinating world with a rich and compelling back story that rivals Middle Earth in complexity and wonder. I could go on with many more biographies, but my point is made. The story is very good on all counts. Set against the backdrop of impending war on two fronts, the books wind through perilous journeys, doomed battles, ill-fated love affairs, political and economic intrigue, tournaments for glory, and thousand year old rivalries between the world's remaining mages. But in the end, it's the characters that you will remember. As I said in the beginning, hardly a day goes by that I don't ponder the fate of the Dogman, Ferro, Jezal, and Colonel West. I highly recommend both books and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third installment, LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS. Joe Abercrombie is an author to watch.

Action? Check. Violence? Check. Magic? Check. Politics? Check. Romance? Well you get the idea. The Blade Itself has everything I look for these days in a fantasy novel. Joe Abercrombie's debut , the first of a planned trilogy -2nd book is already out in the UK, packs a lot of action in a refreshingly (for fantasy readers) short space. Fight scenes occur often and are brilliantly written. I tend to skip over fight scenes in many fantasy novels as the writing is often boring. Not so here. The action sequences are both cinematic in scope and exciting to read. The heart of this story, however, is its characters. It's rare to find such a fast-paced novel that is so character driven. Unlike much fantasy writing, the characters act both intelligently and consistently, so we are able to witness believable growth over the course of the novel. Each character has very human, very real flaws that impact events in the story. Many (Logen Ninefingers, Bayaz, and Glokta all spring to mind) are stock fantasy characters turned on their head and given depth. The writing itself it superb. The dialog is witty and revealing of character. There is just enough description. And there is an energy and fun feeling of adventure that I can best compare to classic swashbuckling tales. My one complaint, and the reason this review is 4 stars instead of 5, is the plot. Though the story moves quickly from scene to scene and lots of "stuff" happens, I feel like I worked towards an ending that was a big set-up for the rest of the series. That being said, I had a lot of fun getting to that ending and eagerly await the future entires. In fact, I'm so excited a may just try to get a UK version of Book 2: Before They Are Hanged. Highly recommended for fans of smart fantasy.

Described by many as "noir fantasy," I was at a loss as to what The Blade Itself could be - but my curiosity was piqued. Although, the answer couldn't be more simple - it's a fantasy novel with strong noir elements, in a combination as refreshing as it is entertaining. Admittedly, it's not for everyone: there are no damsels in distress or knights in shining armor. Yet that's what grants Abercrombie's story its appeal - the characters are painstakingly real, even if they're not "heroes" by strict definition. The very fact that one of the main characters is crippled demonstrates something that much fantasy seems to lack: this is a world with consequences - a wave of a magic wand won't heal every body and soul. The characters aren't questing to save the world or defeat evil; they're struggling to live their own lives amidst fascinating plot and conflict. Above all, though, Abercrombie's characterization is his strength. The reader feels the pain and sees the world through the jaded eyes of Glokta, or is right alongside Ninefingers in his struggle for survival. While the characters may have unlikable moments, the reader can always sympathize and can identify with them as real people. I, for one, can't wait to get ahold of the next installment.