Quick Take
- Best for: Readers who crave slow building diverse character relationships.
- Vibe: Gritty, grim, eerie, and deadly.
- Pace: Medium
- One-liner: Some of the best character work I've ever read.
Overview
The initial entry to his grimdark trilogy—The First Law—The Blade Itself is a world-building clinic for fantasy writers. Abercrombie takes his time breathing life into his characters and bringing 'The Circle of The World' into focus.
What I loved
This was the first book I've ever read by Joe Abercrombie, and it had a LOT of hype from the BookTube and BookTok community. So much hype—that I was fully expecting a masterpiece along the lines of Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien... I was not disappointed.
The Blade Itself starts off slow but intentional. The build up is long but it's not boring or monotonous. Instead, it's intentional and well planned. The difference for me was that the threads of the story are separated enough so as not to confuse the reader, and they come together at the end to form a beautiful mosaic.
Honestly I loved EACH of the characters—but my favorite was Bayaz. There's something so mysterious about him—even after finishing the book—He's a perfectly written mysterious old mad mage. It might be that he reminds me of one of my favorite video game characters of all time, Deckard Cain. He's wise and powerful beyond your imagination, and that's part of what makes him so intriguing.
What didn't land for me
For a book titled The Blade Itself, it was surprisingly more sparse with combat than I thought it would be—I was expecting a very bloody affair. That said, the combat that is present is very well done. Abercrombie seems to focus more on the psychological and emotional elements of combat, whereas someone like John Gwynne uses a hint of psychology but he leans heavily on tactics, flash, and flair.
Favorite Moments / Quotes
"You wanted iron, so you crossed the sea, and slaughtered them and stole their land! It must be, then, that most ancient of laws: that the strong take what they wish from the weak?” ~Hansul
“Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. What is my story now, I wonder?” ~ Glokta
“Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.” ~ Logen
“You can never have too many knives.” ~ Logen
“Has it ever occurred to you, Master Ninefingers, that a sword is different from other weapons? Axes and maces and so forth are lethal enough, but they hang on the belt like dumb brutes." He ran an eye over the hilt, plain cold metal scored with faint grooves for a good grip, glinting in the torchlight. "But a sword... a sword has a voice."
"Eh?"
"Sheathed it has little to say, to be sure, but you need only put your hand on the hilt and it begins to whisper in your enemy's ear." He wrapped his fingers tightly round the grip. "A gentle warning. A word of caution. Do you hear it?" ~Bayaz
Who Should Read This
Everyone who is interested in Fantasy should read The First Law Trilogy—it is regarded by many as one of the greatest fantasy trilogies ever written, and it doesn't disappoint. Prospective writers should STUDY Abercrombie, as he clearly stands above the crowd when it comes to character writing.
Final Verdict
Absolutely one of my favorite reads from 2025. I read this starting on my 38th birthday and it was an absolute treat.