malinamon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
michaelkerzman's review
dark
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
waxingquixotic's review against another edition
4.0
What an incredible start to the First Law series! This is a series I’ve heard so much about and finally reading for the first time. Clocking in at around 500 pages and 22 audiobook hours, I blazed through this story in essentially two days, reading about 75% of it on a lazy Sunday.
This first entry into the First Law trilogy, series, world, whatever is all about setting the stage. There’s a little bit of action sprinkled in, but this book is more concerned with introducing its motley crew of POVs and supporting cast, all of them fully-developed and intriguing, all of them with their own mysterious backstory that’s slowly revealed over time. There are barbarians, magi, inquisitors, commanders, kings, and unions. The map is full of vast locations to explore, including the ominous Northmen and the Gurkish of the South.
By keeping the chapters pretty short and bouncing around multiple POVs, it’s easy to keep reading to revisit a new storyline and perspective. It was great to follow the adventures of multiple characters at the beginning and then watch them converge into the same storylines later. The audiobook narrator is also a one of the best I’ve heard, creating unique voices for each character so you never lost track of who’s talking or what’s happening.
This is also a darker fantasy tale, what the kids these days often refer to as “grimdark”. There can be some comparisons made to A Song of Ice and Fire, sure, but this story also stands on its own with very unique characters in an expertly-crafted world. It is definitely very dark and visceral at times , but it’s also lighter in tone and has a nice sense of humor about it at other times as well.
Even though this book is setting the table for the rest of the series, it had me locked in from the beginning, and I’m anxious to continue to the next book to find out what happens next. There is so much foreshadowing in The Blade Itself that leave plenty of questions to be answered. I’m glad I finally took the plunge and picked this one up. I will absolutely continue on to the next book very soon!
This first entry into the First Law trilogy, series, world, whatever is all about setting the stage. There’s a little bit of action sprinkled in, but this book is more concerned with introducing its motley crew of POVs and supporting cast, all of them fully-developed and intriguing, all of them with their own mysterious backstory that’s slowly revealed over time. There are barbarians, magi, inquisitors, commanders, kings, and unions. The map is full of vast locations to explore, including the ominous Northmen and the Gurkish of the South.
By keeping the chapters pretty short and bouncing around multiple POVs, it’s easy to keep reading to revisit a new storyline and perspective. It was great to follow the adventures of multiple characters at the beginning and then watch them converge into the same storylines later. The audiobook narrator is also a one of the best I’ve heard, creating unique voices for each character so you never lost track of who’s talking or what’s happening.
This is also a darker fantasy tale, what the kids these days often refer to as “grimdark”. There can be some comparisons made to A Song of Ice and Fire, sure, but this story also stands on its own with very unique characters in an expertly-crafted world. It is definitely very dark and visceral at times , but it’s also lighter in tone and has a nice sense of humor about it at other times as well.
Even though this book is setting the table for the rest of the series, it had me locked in from the beginning, and I’m anxious to continue to the next book to find out what happens next. There is so much foreshadowing in The Blade Itself that leave plenty of questions to be answered. I’m glad I finally took the plunge and picked this one up. I will absolutely continue on to the next book very soon!
hankdatank's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jamdoughnut91's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chrischacos's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hollydunndesign's review
3.0
This was an interesting experience. The first half of this novel was difficult to love. Until the turning point in the middle I felt like I wouldn't have cared if any of these characters had been killed off. I was actually tempted to DNF it. The second half really picked up, and while I didn't love any of the characters, I did find them much more engaging, especially when some of their storylines start converging.
The other thing I found odd about this book was how much of it seemed to be setting up the next one. In some ways this felt like the first act of the story, and I suspect that's what it is. It didn't have the typical story structure one comes to expect from a fantasy trilogy, where the smallest of three obstacles is overcome only to be superseded by a larger one in the next book. That said, The Name of the Wind doesn't really do that either, so I can't hold that fact against Joe Abercrombie without seeming a hypocrite.
All up, I'm keen to read the next one and actually see the plot moving forward a bit more. This book leaves a lot of questions unanswered. One of the characters actually says as much: something along the lines of 'the more I discover the more questions I have.'
The other thing I found odd about this book was how much of it seemed to be setting up the next one. In some ways this felt like the first act of the story, and I suspect that's what it is. It didn't have the typical story structure one comes to expect from a fantasy trilogy, where the smallest of three obstacles is overcome only to be superseded by a larger one in the next book. That said, The Name of the Wind doesn't really do that either, so I can't hold that fact against Joe Abercrombie without seeming a hypocrite.
All up, I'm keen to read the next one and actually see the plot moving forward a bit more. This book leaves a lot of questions unanswered. One of the characters actually says as much: something along the lines of 'the more I discover the more questions I have.'
mrkren's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75