The Blade Itself

De: Joe Abercrombie

Narrado por: Steven Pacey

The first novel in the First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie.

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian—leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle.

But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald 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 Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Pointed, driven, and sharp."—Locus on Red Country

"Magnificent, richly entertaining"—Time on The Heroes

"Imagine The Lord of the Rings as directed by Kurosawa."—Lev Grossman, Wall Street Journal on The Heroes

"[Abercrombie has] begun breaking his own rules. And succeeding wildly at it. ... [R]arely has Abercrombie had so much fun while rollicking through his colorful cast's foibles and witty dialogue - and rarely has he dished out so much straight-for-the-heart poignancy."—The A.V. Club

"New, fresh, and exciting."—The Independent (UK)

"Exhilarating... Abercrombie's knack for wit and grit holds your attention throughout, and his eye for character means that there's heart as well as muscle."—SFX (UK)

"Abercrombie writes fantasy like no one else."—Guardian (UK)

Effing fantastic

Grit, humor, blood, wit, originality, excellent characters, hints of sexy romance, believable pain both physical and emotional. Can't wait for 2 and 3!

exceptionally Fenomimal

I listen to books probably 60% of the day, so I'd like to think I know a good one when I hear it. Abercrombie Delivers. if you are as hesitant as I was to start this one, please share in my regret. Regret of waiting too long to begin it.

Great narration brings the characters to life!

The best series I've read in years. Giving it my second listen-through. I can wait to "meet" all the characters for the first time, again.

great book and narration

couldn't get it into my brain fast enough! every character seems fleshed out, has very human motivations and very human flaws. good action, believable combat, not over the top use of magic (refreshing in the genre today) and the tempo of the plot never gets bogged down and slow like in other big hits like the storm light archive.

Narrator did good voice work, accents were always understandable and felt true to the source material and to the character. all in all, good good book.

Fantastic Characters Brought to Life! Outstanding!

The Blade Itself isn't about magic, elves, coming of age, dragons, or a quest to save a kingdom. It's a dark world on the edge of impending war. It's about a brutal swordsman whose nickname has the word "bloody" in it, a vain nobleman who's a playboy drunkard, and a former military officer who was once a well respected leader into battle...but now is a broken and handicapped interrogator for the Empire. These men are brought together in a larger plot, but it isn't the plot that drives Book 1 of The First Law series - it's the characters. Ambercrombie is one of those rare authors that can write characters so well you think they were real in another time and place.

Do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this gem of Grimdark fantasy. There's a reason this series is near the top of fantasy book lists; it draws you in and doesn't let go. You will laugh, be shocked, cheer, and condemn while reading this, it's outstanding storytelling. To top it off, Steven Pacey makes the best even better, bringing to life some of the most unique characters in fantasy.