Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

The Blade Itself: Book One of The First Law  - Joe Abercrombie

Publisher:	Gollancz
Date:	2006
Size:	517 Pages + 16 pages from Book 2
Format:	Trade Paperback
Price:	£7.99
ISBN:	978-0-57507-979-3
Reviewed by:	Rod Cameron
Review Date:	May 2007

The Blade Itself is a debut fantasy novel from Joe Abercrombie. I don’t normally read fantasy novels, mainly because I don’t like the unrealistic settings, the weak unlikely characters, or the samey plots. The reason why I was attracted to The Blade Itself  having skimmed a couple of pages, apart from the unusual title and the attractive cover, was the deep characterisation of flawed characters which immediately leapt off the page.

There is Logen Ninefingers, an infamous barbarian thug and warrior who has become separated from his band of followers. There is a fat bald magician called Byaz who may have been a powerful Magi several hundred years previously. In the city of Adua, there is a crippled torturer, Inquisitor Sand dan Glokta who is a very bitter and twisted ex-fencing champion who is more than a little envious of Captain Jezel dan Luthar who is a youthful, shallow, would-be fencing champion. The lives of these characters and a whole lot more, become far more complicated when Bethod, king of the Northmen decides to invade.

The Blade Itself is very readable, quite funny if a little dark, and not only gritty, but also very brutal in places. I found it a most enjoyable read and look forward to acquiring the sequel Before They Are Hanged which is out now in Trade Paperback. Oh, and the title is derived from a quote from Homer – “The blade itself incites to deeds of violence”.