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

This could easily be the next HBO fantasy series

What made the experience of listening to The Blade Itself the most enjoyable?

I loved how the lives of the very different characters eventually came together. You also get a good mix of a little bit of everything from magic, to deception, to sword fighting, and even a little bit of romance (just a bit).

What did you like best about this story?

Inquisitor Glokta and Logen are such complex individuals that I couldn't get enough of.

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

He brought this book to life. Pacey was able to capture the essence of each character and easily allowed me to visualize the entire story. I especially love his Inquisitor Glokta voice. Simply magnificent!

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

The most moving part of the story was when Ardee spoke about the men in her life. I don't want to give any spoilers!

Any additional comments?

Brilliant read! I can't wait to read the next book!

Gripping, action-packed & full of intriguing!

The narrator performs the story such that each fascinating character is brought to life. The story itself is an intricate tale, that had me sucked in from page 1. I highly recommend it.

little slow at the start

it got better the hole way thru good enough I am continuing the series. o o o o

Bloody fun!

Funny, engaging, thrilling and filled with good old fashion sword and sorcery and complex characters. You'll finish the book wanting more.

Soooooooooooooo good

I had read the books and was worried that if I did the audio book that narrator would ruin the experience. It turned out to be the complete opposite. Steven Pacy does a phenomenal job at bring the characters to life and making you feel like you could be standing right there next to the Bloody Nine, or looking over Glokta's shoulder in the interrogation room. Can't wait to start book two.

Teaser.. Slow, tedious start.. It gets interesting

Initially, I agreed with one of the bad reviews.. First couple of hours of this seemed to be all over the place. I fought through the beginning to find that I really was starting to enjoy the story and the characters. It was well written. Then, unfortunately it ended leaving me wishing there was more to the 1st book. Its obvious the entire book was a set up to a sequel. Ends before climax. However, I hope the next one comes soon.

Truly terrible series. Loved it. Listened twice!

. Enjoyed every word. Sorry when it ended. I have listened to this twice, better the second time. Lots of irony. Know one wins, or is happy, constant death war suffering and treachery. The main characters are terrible people. But its a great existential tale. Nine fingers accepts who he is and what he has done but that doesnt change things you have got to be realistic. Say one things for Nine Fingers, he's a realist. I recommend this as a great story with very good characters who evolve as the story does. Sure its got a wizard in it and some magic but it could easily be a Hillary Mantel book.King Henry and Glokta would get along famously.

Sets a high bar for fantasy

Astounding narration, captivating story, and excellent writing

Just buy it. You will not regret it

Amazing

Great story, impeccably written, well developed characters and a healthy dose of visceral violence. I cannot praise enough the narator. He alone makes the audiobook sound like a full cast production. I can say that I have had the pleasure of listening to a significant number of audiobooks (including a couple of full casted ones) but none can compare to the naration of this book.

Great Story

I truly enjoyed the story and the story was made even more enjoyable by the narrator. Can't wait to listen to the next two books