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

Great!

Great narration, and great story! And I hope good beginning of the series. I can recommend.

A good story with great potential.

This is a good story. it does progress a bit slowly to my taste but the characters are very well thought out and very charming and that does compensate for a lot. The narrator did a good job of making to story come to life. i am definitely charmed enough to listen to the sequel of this story.

Darkly Brilliant

Rollicking stuff with an engaging cast of characters. Darkly hilarious at times. The reader is excellent.

So Good I'm Re-Listening to It.

What did you love best about The Blade Itself?

This is one of the rare series' which becomes a standard for others in the genre to be judged against. George RR Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and Robert Jordan, have proven to create masterpieces which have the same standing. I have purchased and devoured every Joe Abercrombie book after this one the day it came out, and have yet to have any disappointment in the stories. My only complaint to this day is that Steven Pacy was replaced after the initial trilogy. If this is your first time listening to this book, and this series, I am truly jealous. Enjoy...

Slow starter but enthralling by middle of book.

Well I bought this book with a little trepidation because of some of the reviews and some were correct that the story unfolds very slowly.. However; I am convinced now that the book is worth the wait and will recommend it to my group of readers/listeners (mostly my sisters)...

The characters while none are initially favorites become likable and I find myself supporting them... Even (thought I can't believe I'm saying this) the torture guy.. Although I think he could get a better job.

I give a 4 stars because it's far better than a 3 star book and I'm onto the next book in the series. Maybe a 3.5 is justified because it had a very slow start.

amazing

this book is crazy good, respect to the narrator he should narrate the rest of GOT books.

Good grim dark

This is my 15 words for this review to count as a real review.

Not what I expected

Would you listen to The Blade Itself again? Why?

Eventually, yes. I'm still soaking in the binge listen of all three main books in the series. Although I didn't go on to the others because I became very attached to the characters as they were portrayed, I did listen to all of the First Law books and truly loved them.

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

Probably the Stormlight books. Note these are not NEARLY as good but man... those books are incredible! However I would compare them because there is a great deal of depth to the characters and the story is unfolded from so many unique perspectives. The book is not as epic but it's huge.

What about Steven Pacey’s performance did you like?

It just felt comfortable. Easy to follow the voices, not forced and appropriately acted. Every time Ferro called someone "PINK!" ... very well done.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I never got bored.

Any additional comments?

Everyone has a certain amount of wrong to them. This book doesn't really make judgements. I liked that.

Just amazing. Up there with game of thrones for me

Gritty with a great storyline.. Blown back about this gem. Can't wait to finish the series

A Great Story and Magnificent Narration

The story will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. I found the dialog lacking in some ways, but the story pulls you along and keeps you entertained. If you like dark fantasies, give this book a try. The Narrator Steven Pacey is one of the best I've ever listened to. The voice for each character is unique and distinctive making it easy to follow the story and never did I find a character's voice annoying (an issue I personally often have with other narrators). A must read for a Fantasy lover.