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mdkx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zekik20's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
akriegshauser's review against another edition
Really hard to get in to. Maybe would enjoy more as a physical book as opposed to audiobook?
keegan_elliott's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
xxscramblesxx's review against another edition
4.0
This is an oddly compelling read.
Odd, because the prose isn’t spectacular (it’s actually fairly clumsy at certain points), there’s not much depth in world building, the magic is essentially not explained at all, and there’s no strong central conflict then entire story - only spatterings of smaller problems.
This is the most “first book in a trilogy” kind of book I’ve ever read. It’s a good read in the same way watching a third of a good TV series is a good watch. I truly hope that doesn’t turn people off from reading this book, because I did enjoy it the whole way through.
The compelling part of the story is the cast of characters. They’re all introduced as the most base of cliched characters that exist: a big, strong tough guy who’s brooding, quiet, and perhaps regrets his bloody past. A quirky band of the world’s most sinister and deadly thugs. A noble brat who’s decent in a duel, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but might have a soft spot in his heart. A man with a rosey past, twisted and tortured into the monster he is today. A commoner, risen above his station, trying to cling to everything he’s earned, while at odds with his own morals and the nobility around him. A plain country girl who’s actually beautiful and strong-willed, and catches the eye of someone above her station. A savage outlander woman, who kills first and asks questions never. A powerful old wizard, come to gather everyone to embark on a grand adventure - with his young, frail apprentice in tow, of course.
You’ve seen all of these characters before. However, there’s something beneath each of these tropes - slightly hidden - that begs the reader to ask, “Is that all? Will these characters also resolve their stories in a familiar way? Or is there something deeper and different waiting at the end of this journey for these characters?”
I can’t quite put my finger on why I enjoy this story so much. I feel like it’s a story you recommend to someone as an introduction into the genre. The Blade Itself is like the Jim Butcher Desden Files of high fantasy. It’s just fun.
Odd, because the prose isn’t spectacular (it’s actually fairly clumsy at certain points), there’s not much depth in world building, the magic is essentially not explained at all, and there’s no strong central conflict then entire story - only spatterings of smaller problems.
This is the most “first book in a trilogy” kind of book I’ve ever read. It’s a good read in the same way watching a third of a good TV series is a good watch. I truly hope that doesn’t turn people off from reading this book, because I did enjoy it the whole way through.
The compelling part of the story is the cast of characters. They’re all introduced as the most base of cliched characters that exist: a big, strong tough guy who’s brooding, quiet, and perhaps regrets his bloody past. A quirky band of the world’s most sinister and deadly thugs. A noble brat who’s decent in a duel, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but might have a soft spot in his heart. A man with a rosey past, twisted and tortured into the monster he is today. A commoner, risen above his station, trying to cling to everything he’s earned, while at odds with his own morals and the nobility around him. A plain country girl who’s actually beautiful and strong-willed, and catches the eye of someone above her station. A savage outlander woman, who kills first and asks questions never. A powerful old wizard, come to gather everyone to embark on a grand adventure - with his young, frail apprentice in tow, of course.
You’ve seen all of these characters before. However, there’s something beneath each of these tropes - slightly hidden - that begs the reader to ask, “Is that all? Will these characters also resolve their stories in a familiar way? Or is there something deeper and different waiting at the end of this journey for these characters?”
I can’t quite put my finger on why I enjoy this story so much. I feel like it’s a story you recommend to someone as an introduction into the genre. The Blade Itself is like the Jim Butcher Desden Files of high fantasy. It’s just fun.
nativeplants's review against another edition
3.0
Up until two thirds of the way through I was disappointed with this book. I felt disinterested in at least half the pov characters and the plot was slow in coming. This book does not stand alone as its own novel. It is really one long setup for the plot of the rest of the series. Only by the end of the book did I have a real sense of what the main plot would be in the series. Based upon the last third of the book I might continue the series to find out what happens.
One thing did drive me crazy. One of the point of view characters, the noble fencer guy, was obnoxious to read, not just because he was a crappy person. Rather, there were parts of his point of view that seemed like a caricature. The rest of the book was written in a typical close third person style but at times his section seemed to have a much stronger narrator/authorial voice that gave the reader his witty opinions/descriptions rather than fading into the background like the rest of the book. It was distracting.
One thing did drive me crazy. One of the point of view characters, the noble fencer guy, was obnoxious to read, not just because he was a crappy person. Rather, there were parts of his point of view that seemed like a caricature. The rest of the book was written in a typical close third person style but at times his section seemed to have a much stronger narrator/authorial voice that gave the reader his witty opinions/descriptions rather than fading into the background like the rest of the book. It was distracting.
yourboytroy's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jess_always_reading's review against another edition
Explicit torture scenes, unlikeable characters, it's just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
rufio7's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this and one of my first fully grimdark stories. Great characters and world building with a lot of set up for the rest of the trilogy. Looking forward to the next one.