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The Blade Itself

By Joe Abercrombie
Series: First Law Trilogy
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Blade Itself, the first novel in Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy, follows three central characters whose fates intertwine amid rising tensions and dark conspiracies. Logen Ninefingers, a notorious barbarian, finds his luck running perilously thin. Captain Jezal dan Luthar, a self-absorbed nobleman, dreams of glory while avoiding the harsh realities of war. Inquisitor Glokta, a cripple turned torturer, navigates a web of treason and deadly secrets within the Union's government. Their lives become entangled with Bayaz, a enigmatic and formidable wizard, ushering them into a perilous journey where the lines between heroism and villainy blur.

This noir fantasy is unpredictable, compelling, and laced with dark humour, set against the brutal backdrop of a brewing war and shifting allegiances.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5300

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel will captivate readers who enjoy gritty fantasy with complex characters and intricate plots. Fans of dark, morally ambiguous tales and those who appreciate a blend of sharp wit and intense action in a vivid, unforgiving world will find The Blade Itself particularly engaging.

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Infamous Logen Ninefingers has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian. He is caught in murderous conspiracies and old scores, along with Captain Jezal dan Luthar, Inquisitor Glokta and the wizard Bayaz, who all must try to survive the coming war.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The first novel in the First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie.

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian—leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle.

But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.

Series: First Law Trilogy

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  • Tim's Pick
    The First Law Trilogy
    Embark on an enthralling journey into the heart of darkness with the First Law Trilogy, a captivating series by renowned author Joe Abercrombie. Delve into a world teetering on the edge of chaos, where sinister plots unfurl, ancient rivalries ignite with a vengeance, and the demarcation between hero and villain blurs to a perilous thin line. Through a labyrinth of...
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  • Before They Are Hanged
    Before They Are Hanged
    The second novel in the wildly popular First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie. Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run—if...
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  • The Blade Itself
    The first novel in the First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie. Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian—leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of...
    By Joe Abercrombie
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    $5300
    Available
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  • Last Argument of Kings
    Last Argument of Kings
    The final novel in the First Law Trilogy by New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie. Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him—but it's going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the king of the Northmen still stands firm, and there's only one man who can stop him. His oldest friend, and his oldest...
    By Joe Abercrombie
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780316387316

Publisher: Orbit

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 September 2015

Country: United States

Imprint: Orbit

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 43.0mm

Width: 150.0mm

Height: 224.0mm

Weight: 544g

Pages: 560

Collections

Fantasy Fiction General Fiction Joe Abercrombie Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series: First Law Trilogy

About the Author

Joe Abercrombie is the New York Times bestselling author of Red Country and the First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings. He is a full-time writer and occasional freelance film editor who lives in Bath, England with his wife and three children.

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