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**4.5-stars rounded up**The First Law series has been on my TBR for a long time. It's one of those Epic Fantasy series that seems to stand out as a favorite amongst Readers. After completing this, I can absolutely see why.With a lush, Grimdark Fantasy setting, extremely well-constructed characters, magic and a ton of intrigue, I was fully immersed within this story.Even when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I had no clue where the story was going, but was perfectly content to sit ba...
I haven't enjoyed a character driven Fantasy book this much in a while!Totally recommend it, loved Glokta, will read the rest of the series before the end of the year.
Anton Chekhov famously said that if an author mentions a gun, it had better go off at some point, a point often attributed to Raymond Chandler (who at least practiced this rule). The same goes for fantasy writers. Fantasy doesn't need to be all blood and whirling blades, but if a fantasy writer straps a broadsword to a character's side, it had better be drawn in anger, at some point.This was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a while, especially impressive as it's a first novel. It has
SO EXCITED THAT WE GOT TO INTERVIEW JOE ABERCROMBIE! Check it out here - JOE ABERCROMBIE INTERVIEW - talking THE WISDOM OF CROWDS, FUTURE PROJECT and more... A breakdown review of The Blade Itself can now be found on our channel, The Brothers Gwynne - The Blade Itself (Spoiler Free) ReviewMy 45th read of the year! 45/60 through my Reading Challenge. Three quarters! And this is up with the best of those 45.Well, well, well. I finally dived into one of, if not my most, anticipated read of the year...
Compared to other High-Fantasy, there is lesser action, many character scenes, introspective and dialogues and yet as much suspense as in a horror novel.It must have taken the author much time to find such original characters and to combine them in a way that gives new perspectives and potentials for the fantasy genre. It seems to me as if, as with many newer great High-Fantasy series, that there is nothing healthier for a genre than to become unconventional, progressive and well, yes, pretty da...
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths ReviewsAs I’ve mentioned in other reviews, Joe Abercrombie is a fantasy author who all my real-life friends have raved about for years and insisted that I read. From their proselyting, it seemed that my life would not be complete without sampling Lord Grimdark’s wares. So, in order to save myself from some accursed fate, I read the first two novels in Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea series. Unfortunately, grimwhine was not for me. If interested in the “why”, you ca...
After finishing my second read-through of The Blade Itself, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts on it.The book is a slow burn, which should not be confused with “boring.” Slower pacing can be incredibly effective if all the scenes have great character development and purpose. This tale took its time, and it was mostly time well used. The first time through, I found myself constantly distracted during one section of the book (about 20% shortly after the halfway point). At the time, I chalked i...
I’m going to do something that's a little disrespectful and start this review by talking about another fantasy series that I’ve enjoyed: A Song of Ice and Fire. That series rules. It has everything I’ve wanted in a series since Tolkien but there’s one thing to be said about it, neither good or bad, that is a big part of its impact: it is dark, very very dark. The darkness comes, as it should in all quality fiction, not necessarily from the actual bad things that happen to good people, but from t...
I almost put down the book when 3 paragraphs in the first 3 pages began with some version of this line:"Shit," he said.But I managed to slog through because I was told this was a some genre-breaking novel that didn't rely so heavily on typical fantasy clichés and it was supposed to be really dark and gritty. Instead of gritty, it felt kind of like a teenager who swears a lot to try and sound like an adult: really forced and usually out of context. A lot of the writing in general seemed to trip o...
It's been a while since I read a fantasy trilogy all the way through, back to back. Joe Abercrombie's The First Law series was too compelling not to finish in a single marathon. The first book, The Blade Itself, introduces a cast of well-developed, complex characters throw together in a world loosely based on medieval Europe. At first, it's not entirely clear what the major story line will be. It's also not clear who the good guys and bad guys are -- kind of like real life. If this sounds like A...
So this was one of my most anticipated reads. Grimdark fans from all over offer up this book as one of the best in the genre, and so that understandably rocketed my expectations!And this was not a bad book by any means. In fact, as soon as I started I was told multiple times that I could liken the first book of The First Law series to "a giant prologue," and I think that's a really accurate way to describe it. The book follows a handful of characters who are all entangled in some way in the dege...
Joe Abercrombie certainly knows how to write some disturbingly likable characters. In any other book the protagonists would be the bad guys. Logan Ninefingers is a brutal warrior who goes into insane blood rages where he kills anything, and everything, near him. Yet, weirdly, he is also a wise and sensitive soul. San Dan Glocka is a torturer whose heart is pure malice, yet somehow his attitude toward life boarders on the hilarious. These two are such great characters; they make the series what i...
You can find this review and more at Novel Notions. The Blade Itself is exactly why I believe in second chances. When I first read this book four years ago, I had very little adult fantasy under my belt. I had read Elantris, Mistborn, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Kingkiller Chronicle. That’s pretty much it. I think I just wasn’t mentally prepared for something like The Blade Itself. Even ASoIaF, by far the darkest of the fantasy novels I had read up to that point, had a number of characters w...
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo4.5/5 starsThe Blade Itself was my first entry into a grimdark fantasy novel that I highly enjoyed; on this reread, I loved it even more. “Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.” Back in October 2016, the only reason I stumbled upon this bloody marvelous trilogy was that, as many other readers did, I was looking for a reading experience that could offer me the kin...
I was up until half five yesterday morning reading intensely to finish off this story. I didn't write the review then as it would have been a tired, mumbled mess with little to no eloquence and it wouldn't have included any cool sounding words. Let's see how I get on now after a good nights sleep. Prior to reading this, I had completed Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy and enjoyed it a lot. Where that was classic story focused fantasy with twists aplenty, this is best described as a macabre, d...
"So, let's cast the characters for our novel, shall we?""Of course, boss, Mr. Abercrombie, sir!""Where is the run-of-a-mill farmboy with a great destination?""I'm afraid he ran of the mill, met a goblin. Now rots in a ditch.""Oh, how unfortunate.""Indeed, boss, indeed.""Let's see. What about the maiden fair in need of rescue from a dragon?""Apparently she ate the dragon. Now she was saying something about a burning sensation in the...well...digesting area. Went to the toilet, never saw her again...
The Blade Itself will undoubtedly become classic fantasy. I found it engrossing, and one of the best examples of the "darker" epic fantasies, with protagonists lacking in traditional heroic qualities and quests that are less than selfless. I liked the way the story was constructed, primarily following three main characters, with a fourth was added partway through the book. I was fairly certain they would intersect at some point, so part of the interest in the story is seeing how their individual...
I tried to read this book. I really did. I got over halfway through, but I just can't go any further. It's too damn boring and pointless. I hate every character in it. I'm not interested in what's going on in the slightest. I keep making excuses not to read any more of it. A good story is about interesting people doing interesting things. And this one lacked both of those things. I should never have to force myself to keep reading, I should be excited and compelled to read by what's going on and...
gritty. visceral. unapologetic. and darkly humorous. everything you could ever want from a story like this.its safe to say this is primarily a character driven novel, which is fine by me because every character is brilliant - it has quite the ensemble cast! each has their own secrets, histories, and quirks; making it quite the experience getting to know each of them. not a lot happens plot wise, and with the main focus on the character developments, this felt very much like an introduction rathe...
I appreciate it. I didn't like this story as I expected, but I didn't dislike it.