The Blade Itself

The First Law: Book One

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers.

Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain and shallow, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men. And Logen Ninefingers, an infamous warrior with a bloody past, is about to wake up with plans to settle a blood feud with Bethod, the new King of the Northmen, once and for all - ideally by running away from it.

But as he's discovering, old habits die hard....especially when Bayaz gets involved. An 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 Glokta, Jezal, and Logen a whole lot more difficult....

©2010 Joe Abercrombie (P)2010 Orion Publishing Group

A Solid Character-Based Fantasy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I enjoyed this listen. Due to the general clarity of the writing/reading, I was even able to keep up with what was going on (for the most part- I got a little foggy on the political connections in Glokta's investigations) in between listens that were a few weeks apart.

What other book might you compare The Blade Itself to and why?

Hmm, I guess there is not much that I would? At least not in whole. It has some of the tumultuous backstory and on-going moral character struggles you might liken to 'A Song of Ice and Fire', but (as of this first book anyway) is more focused and not quite so epic or expansive. It also contains the physical violence which marks that series, but delivers it in a more clipped manner.

What does Steven Pacey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voices were excellent, particularly that of Glokta. It really imparted a tremendous amounts to the characters and engaged my interest, as well as granting subtlety to their tones.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I actually didn't emotionally resonate with the characters that much; that I guess would be one of my main hold outs with this story. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I didn't really feel /with/ them a ton. I guess Logan was the closest I could somewhat connect with, because he 'shares' the most intimately in his internal dialog (at least from what I felt), but not to the degree I have been able to with other characters in other stories.

Any additional comments?

This is a really solid story, no doubt. I felt like it was just somewhat missing a particular spark which might have engaged me further, but that still lands it at a solid 4-something for me. The writing itself is very good and continually entertaining in a similar vein as Terry Pratchetts- though more weighty in context and not quite so flippant, which is all a matter of taste/appetite. I will be picking up the next in the series at some point in the future, but I'm not in a huge hurry just yet.

My favourite surprise was the humour

Intelligently written, with the overarching story building through the adventures and misadventures of various characters in different parts of this world. You get that feeling that all are connected and something is looming on the horizon.
It's often gripping, ruthless at times, but running through the whole story is a subtle humor which had me chuckling away on many an occasion. I don't think I would have picked up on half of it but for the excellent narration, which really brought the story and characters to life.

Great Sequel to the First

Love the second book as much as the first. Storyline picks up from where it left off with great detail and action. As the book comes to an end, it leaves you wanting to go out and pick up the third one instantly.

Abercombe's storyline is amazing and Pacey's reading is unbelievable...Can't wait to start the third.

Simply the best fantasy series of recent years

I can't believe that this book is here for under $15. The author creates a series of interesting morally flawed characters and involves them in fast paced, gritty plot with everything from political intrigue to bloody battles. The series are incredibly well read with the narrator providing each character with a distinctive tone.

If you like epic fantasy then get this, it'll be the best thing you listen to this year.

Best narrator ever!

This is probably the best narrated book I have in my collection. The story is good, but the narration brings it to life.

Such an excellent book.

Brilliant from beginning to end.

Probably the best characters that have been put to page. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Outstanding Series - Hard to Put Down

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. I am on the last book of the series and am sorry it will soon be over. The narrator is engaged and his narration is excellent; being very distinct between the characters throughout each book and consistent across the books. The humor is often raw but that happens to be the way I like it. It is a masculine oriented environment and all dialog reflects this orientation whether male or female characters are speaking.

The best way to describe the feel of the books is to envision a clever mixture of Conan the Barbarian, the Gunslinger by Stephen King and The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. For me, the number of characters you follow as the adventure unfolds is enough to keep the storyline fresh and the reader engaged.

If you are looking for a series that keeps the action meter pegged, the humor quotient in the acceptable zone and several opportunities for introspection then this series is for you.

I have recommended this series to several friends and I recommend it to you.

Excellent!

Great listen! Steven Pacey is one of the best narrators I have heard and does Joe Abercrombie's tale great justice.

best narration ever

the narrator is fantastic. very wide variety of voices. I really enjoyed the story. The fighting is more gritty and realistic than many books. The main characters still get hurt in fights and they're not all perfect looking. I can't wait to listen to the next book in the series.

Fantastic

Just the story I was looking for.
A fantastic start to an adventure, with all the elements I love in fantasy.