Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

11 reviews

msawyer77's review against another edition

funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

vereadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense slow-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

3.5

When I entered this world, I knew these characters were morally gray and weren't heroes in golden armor. I also knew that the tone of this type of book was much darker and heavier. What I didn't expect was to become attached to these characters.

The book is too slow and never seems to move forward in the story. It focuses heavily on the characters and their day-to-day adventures. Sometimes, it was tedious to read chapter after chapter that amounted to nothing. However, I found myself hooked and wanting to know more about them.

Joe Abercrombie's greatest strength is his characters. Each one has a distinct voice and perspective that sets them apart. The audiobook emphasizes these distinctions, highlighting the personality of each character.

The book introduces us to Logen, a northern man who falls off a cliff while fighting some half-man, half-animal creatures called Shanka, ultimately becoming separated from his group. Logen's reputation as bloodthirsty in battle precedes him, suggesting a dark past. However, we find a character who wants to leave that identity behind. By chance, he ends up with Bayaz, a bald man claiming to be the first of the Magi, and his apprentice on their journey to the Union.

In the Union, we meet Jezal, a young swordsman training for the Champion’s Tournament. Jezal is vain, selfish, and conceited. He believes himself superior to others because of his birthright. However, his beliefs conflict when he becomes involved with Ardee, someone from a lower caste who challenges him to see beyond his superficial ambitions.

We also have Inquisitor Glokta, a former swordsman captured and tortured during the war with the Gurkish. He's a bitter invalid who tortures anyone who might betray the crown. Glokta is cynical and self-pitying but very intelligent and witty, which makes him an enjoyable character to read.

Finally, we meet Ferro Maljinn, a former slave who hates those who enslaved her. Her thirst for revenge knows no limits, and she'll do anything to quench that thirst. Ferro is a skilled, fierce, and distrustful fighter. During the book, she has to trust in other characters. Her interactions with Logen are interesting, and they both share common traits.

The book introduces these characters, revealing almost nothing of the plot. I'm intrigued by what may come in the next installment.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

gdwilliams019's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Solid characters. Not enough women though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

luis_vieira's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and War

bitter_critter's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I did not enjoy this book. It came highly recommended and seemed interesting, but I should have DNF'ed 50 pages in. I'm used to books that take some time to meander towards the good stuff but the good stuff didn't come until the last 30 pages and by then it feels cheap. I spent the first 350 pages "giving it a chance" and the last 150 finishing it so I don't have to pick it up again.

There is a decently thick line between characters that are morally bad or questionable and characters that are just unlikeable. I found Logen and the Dogman kind of interesting but every other character whose POV we can read was boring and flat. 

Maybe it's something you would like and could connect to, but this fell flat for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Blood

da3m0nic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, War, and Classism

nerdkitten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, War, and Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Colonisation

strawberrypinch's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Torture, and Kidnapping

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

apiecalypsejen's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The First Law trilogy is my favourite of the two trilogies that take place in this world. The characters are definitely flawed, each of them in their own way with not one of them being clear or free of some kind of barrier or encumbrance to you calling them your "favourite" without some reluctance or guilt (aside from

possibly Brother Longfoot

). This story sets up the next two books, which means it is a lot of establishing of relationships, characters, and the basis for the

journey/war

that comprises the second book. It's a great story about men in their 20s, and how they can be hardheaded and too arrogant, and where that can take them, as well as has two excellent and deep woman character in Ferro and Ardee. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

Minor: Rape

podanotherjessi's review against another edition

challenging tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is not nearly as devoid of plot as so many claim, which is definitely a point in the book's favor. But it's still primarily character driven for the first 2/3 or more of the book, so when you don't really latch onto the characters, it's hard to be invested. There was really only one plot line that kept me interested, so until the rest of the stories started converging with that one, I was really uncertain how I felt. Now that I've finished, I know I liked it, but I'm not sure of much beyond that. I will definitely be continuing the series though because I am very curious to see where it all leads.

Characters: 8
Plot: 6
Setting: 7
General Appeal: 7
Writing Style: 9
Originality: 8
Ending: 7

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Cannibalism