The first law is my favorite fantasy series of all time

If you re-read this book any more times, you'll turn into the real life Glokta.

I love this series with a passion of thousand burning suns and the unstoppable rage of the Bloody-Nine. This was such a fantastic, nuanced review of a book you love! I binge read all 8 books last summer one after another before the release of The Trouble with Peace and instantly became obsessed. I went into it expecting to be lukewarm on book 1 because of the apparent 'lack of plot' but I actually ended up giving it 5 stars without a question because it was just so damn rewarding and entertaining, and unlike anything else I've ever read. I think the one I enjoyed the least besides the short stories collection is Red Country, but even that kept me glued to the page towards the middle. Abercrombie's witty writing style and clever character work seem to always win me over, no matter what the man writes. I reaaaaally hope you'll get an ARC of The Wisdom of Crowds before its release in September and bring us an early spoiler free gush of a review!

This is the best review of The Blade Itself that I found and it's mostly because of your love and passion and deep understanding of the series. I'm halfway through the book (first time reading) and I have to say, I LOVE IT so far! :D

First vid I watch from your channel and I basically agree 100% with all you just said. A rare occurrence. Beautifully put.

I dislike this review because it tempts me to throw out my planned TBR to start this series. I own the first book and I keep putting it off and this is making me want to read it right now.

Read it and loved it. Now reading book 2. Totally agree with you about getting to know the characters through their inner and outer dialog

I'm just now reading TBI for the first time and I'm already obsessed. Some of the ways the characters act feels a little bit over the top though particularly jezal 😂

awww i want a bloody nine t shirt. Specially cos i actually have nine fingers too.

i read this for the first time last month and all these characters are the worst I LOVED ITTT, the humour is 10/10 and you're so right these characters are soooo real and messy and i have no idea where this story is going but im soo ready for book 2

And you will like it *even* more if you listen to it with Steven Pacey narrating. I *Love* this series. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie; he can write very satisfying endings.

So nice to find a piece of storytelling for which you find yourself saying (usually several books later, and possibly with a reread under the belt): "With the clarity of hindsight..." And then you have a crap-ton of new thoughts and feelings. Your review brings that home. Thanks.

This was a great review, you captured pretty much everything I liked about it. I’m one of those people that saw and appreciated this book the first time around, and I often listen to the audiobook while I’m walking to work. It’s my favorite First Law book because it encapsulates everything I really like in a story, those being character and atmosphere. Because I have to admit that while the later books are still good for the most part, I personally have more criticisms of them than I did with TBI, which is the king in my opinion. My favorite thing bout the book being the prose and dialogue. I feel the First Law series is a must read if you really want to learn how to write well. Keep up the awesome content, I love all your videos.

Just started this one for the first time last night! Happy to hear it gets better with re-reads, because I’m a big time re-reader.

Just picked this up at Half Price Books yesterday. Never heard of it before and it looked interesting enough. Im really excited to read it now

I really find your reviews intellectually helpful and well rounded- you are a charismatic character yourself - I like how you described how you felt differently when reading the book at a younger age - such character development! Thank you so much I will listen to this and cancel Malice based upon what you said as I can’t imagine disagreeing.

Damnnnn, that Bloody Nine t-shirt!! Also, The First Law series is the best grimdark series of all time, imo!

I just wanted to let you know that I really really like your video I’ve watched a lot of book reviews and it’s very refreshing And as far as a review, it’s what I needed to hear

I am a quarter of the way through it, and ngl I was getting frustrated with the impression that nothing had happened yet. So I I decided to watch your review. I am a very plot driven reader, but can enjoy character driven stories as long as I know I'm not going to get the type of story I prefer. So thank you for being honest about the book and now I can read it and enjoy it and won't be disappointed by an ending that doesn't meet my expectations

Such an amazing review, Liene! I couldn't have said any of this better myself. I have a similar experience with this trilogy. I read it 2 years ago and rated it 3-4 stars because, despite amazing writing, I was confused as to what it was all leading to and why everything was so grim. Now upon rereading I changed all my ratings to 5 stars and appreciate what Joe is actually doing here. And I'm having an absolute blast spending time with these characters and laughing at the sarcastic humor. Will definitely reread again.

A very honest and sincere review 🙂

Loved your "review"! Kind of comforting to be not the only one addicted to that stuff. I've read the First Law trilogy 5 times but contrary to you The Blade Itself hit me at my very first read. Most consider The Blade Itself one of Abercrombies weakest books, I think it is as great as (or maybe even better than some of) his other books. Maybe some people just need a bit to adjust to a new writing style and setting. Rereading the trilogy is like visiting old friends for me. Well kind of horrible friends but at least some of them try to be good ... occasionally.

I trust you and how you feel about certain books 📚

I literally just bought Before They Are Hanged, so I'm excited to finally continue the series!

Reading it for the first time I knew it would be one of my "to be reread" series.

I got the First Law Trilogy for my birthday based on your recommendation! You rave about Joe Abercrombie so much that I figured I had to give it a go! I am hoping to read it over the summer break (I work in education and that just seems like a good time for a binge)

I reread 2 & 3 just so I could get a deeper understanding of Ardee & Ferro's story. I loved this trilogy. I am totally following your video guide as to what order to read his books. Thanks again.

This is definitely the best non-spoilery review I've watched of yours! Thank you so much! I loved this novel, it was a strong 4.5 stars for me! It made me excited to read the sequel in April. I prefer mysteries and a slow reveal surrounding the magic/laws of the world, character motivations and political intrigue. I can't wait to see what Abercrombie had in mind! If an author can make me care about his characters and some (or most) elements of the world he's created, it's enough for me, and he managed to do that very well. And I must say my favourite novels of all time have a well-balanced mix of humor and dark/thought-provoking themes, so I just knew I might very well love his books. :) Now let's start The Farseer trilogy in March, I've been dying to read it since last December, but life - aka book mail - happened. 🙈

I'm halfway through and I. Love. It!!

Just got this book because of your recommendation cant wait to get into it

Hey, I just finished The Blade Itself yesterday! I agree with everything you said. I think some underrated aspects of the book are its prose, which is actually quite beautiful at times (Logan’s first time seeing Adua) and the comedy, which is always sharp and clever (basically every time Glokta is thinking or being condescending). Can’t wait to finish the trilogy!

I’m going through a slow re-listen of the series to prepare for Wisdom and semi-participate in Alex Nieves’s readalong. I wrapped up TBI last week and am halfway through BTAH. It’s my third favorite series, and Abercrombie is one of my favorite living authors. I love that you’re such a big fan, and your journey was cool to hear about.

In the word of Frosty the Practical, “Etherer.” Great review, and impressively critical given your obvious devotion to JA’s books. So glad to see you tackle head-on the popular criticism around plotting. As you say, there IS plot and narrative. The genius is that it is largely hidden and only revealed as the trilogy unfolds. So The Blade Itself is even more impressive once you’ve completed the trilogy and can appreciate M’lud Grimdark’s subtlety in a staggeringly impressive first novel. Like others, I was locked into the book very early. I only had to read Glokta’s first chapter to know that I would follow Abercrombie through the gates of Hell. I don’t care what he says about Glokta’s origins, he’s channeling raw, uncut Blackadder when he writes Glokta and I won’t ever get enough of it. And all the characters are great - real & flawed, as you say. The last point I’d stress is the humour. From the dry, sardonic wit of Glokta to the earthy vulgarity of the Northmen - FMD, even naked Bayaz putting some stick about* - the whole book is suffused with wry humour that is never excessive or distracting. It’s just real, human comedy, for which Abercrombie seems innately gifted. *That reads very wrong, but I’m keeping it.

Not yet on the re-read stage yet. Finishing up Red Country.

Can't wait to start reading the second book in the series 🤗🙂

I dunno what's happening with my comment lmao but this was awesome, I loved the internal monologue of the characters and that made Glokta so interesting. There's absolutely plot threads being built here and we just don't see where everything is going yet which is probably why so many people say there's no plot.

Very good review. I loved the First Law trilogy and the world as a whole! Easily up there as one of my favorites. I just sent this to a few friends hoping you can convince them of what I could not. I’m currently half way through Red Country. Plan to finish it this week and move onto the Age of Madness. Can’t wait to see the reviews of the rest.

I'm a bitt blind so I do audiobooks instead of reading when I can. Listened to this one after your ruthless Abercrombie marketing campaign on the ASOIAF streams. Perhaps it's Steven Pacey's masterful narration. Perhaps it's because I'm a cynical old bastard. It's probably both, but loved this on first listen. The structure is very interesting. As a big ASOIAF fan, I'm used to seeing POVs last a whole chapter, so the chapters where the POV shifts were particularly impressive. Another thing I really liked was the theme of dogma being so destructive. About to dive into book two.

I really liked the Blade Itself. And your point about the humor in bleak situations, speaking as someone who grew up poor and not white in the States...being able to laugh is sometimes all you have. So good point.

I think I will try and read this book 📖 please stay safe love you and your amazing channel love your number one fan in Australia John

This channel should be called The Blade Itself

A couple friends and I are about to start this series, really looking forward to it!! We also just started reading The Broken Earth trilogy, so we are apparently on the Liene fantasy train, and the sights have been great so far!

Ill get to this one day 🤞

I thought the book was good, but not great. By the end of the trilogy, I was in love with Joe Abercrombie. I think I should reread it now, though.

I'm halfway through the Blade Itself and I'm really enjoying it so far. I feel like the first half is just spent getting to know the characters and just letting you see how interesting they are. It reminds me of a Tarantino film. lol. I expect the plot will come into play more in the second half.

It’s my favorite Joe Abercrombie book. Despite all the violence, it never felt inappropriate in given situations. The series ending was just perfect.

Totally agree with you...Prior to the HBO series, my ex-roommate got me started on the Song of Ice and Fire, and though I turned from fantasy years prior (due to the sanitation of the genre...good vs. evil with no Clint Eastwood), the series reignited my interest into what I thought was a dead genre. Then, google search dark fantasy (did not know grimdark at the time). Joe popped at the top of all lists. (aside: think I saw Best Served Cold at my local Barnes, and that piqued my interest, but didn't purchase). So I read the Blade Itself...actually read the trilogy, and wasn't impressed. But continued reading all his books. Now rereading the trilogy from the beginning. Am starting to notice clues, which I like. I guess I'll sum up this nonsensical diatribe with what kept me going: Read tons throughout my life and most I forget right away. Yet, this trilogy has characters that have stuck with me to this day. 9 fingers and dogman and bayaz the first time. 2nd time through get to add more like Glockta (though never forgot his issue with eating due to dental problems). Anyways, can see how people who know the genre may have issues but everyone else who grew up in the same hollywood that Joe did will realize how awesome these novels are.

I think I'm on 6th. I still find little bits on each read-thru of all the books

I just finished the First Law trilogy for the first time and loved it. I gave the first two books four stars and the third book I gave five stars. I'll be reading the standalones soon.

I had a VERY similar experience with The Blade Itself. I'm pretty sure I gave it a 2 originally, then a 3, then a 4, and now a 5. First Law is one of my favorite series, Abercrombie is one of my favorite authors, and Best Served Cold might be my favorite book of all.

I liked it from the start and I am planning to reread the first trilogy this year at least. I am also one of the few people that liked Jezal from the start and doesn't have Glokta as number 1 favourite XD

I so agree with your point about the dialogue at 17:43 Ever since reading this series I can't stand books where every character talks the same.

Need a Bloody Nine shirt

Sure, but maybe I'll wait for a more wholehearted recommendation. (I'll read it, I swear. Just gotta feel pretty good about life before tackling something grimdark.)

good review, i now want to read the blade itself... for the fourth time ;). and i agree with a lot, but i would change one thing probably: the scene with the fire spirit. like that never comes up ever again? if that is a thing he can do, why doesnt he do that everytime? (bc it would be to gimmicky). its a very cool scene, but it doesnt fit

The Blade Itself series is the best contemporary author fantasy fiction book - you have to be realistic about these things.

Oh, so that's a Bloody-Nine-shirt. I was wondering if you'd joined the forces of Saruman, that Isengardian Bolsonaro, haha. And this book? I still smile every time when I read my three-star review of this book in which I wrote that I didn't like the characters, it had no plot, and that it was merely 'slightly above average' :D

Im a little less than halfway through the blade itself. Im not sure what to think of this book so far. Its not bad in any way, but im not loving it. I hope the rest of the book changes my mind.

Why Joe Abercrombie is awesome? Because you have to be realistic about these things.

LET MY COMMENT IN!!!!!

Great shirt....too bad it’s his left hand missing the finger

Okay, so I was at Barnes & Noble, trying to decide whether I should grab John Gwynne's The Shadow of the God's, and I saw The Blade Itself and thought about the million times I've heard you mention Joe Abercrombie, and thought...I am just a little tired of hearing the hero's tale myself, and so I said "f@#k it", there's no way this can be bad, not with the way Liene raves about it, so I got it, and because the store clerk couldn't break a $100 bill and so I went ahead and got Before they are Hanged also to make it easier on her 🤷🏿‍♂️, nonetheless I'm glad I did it, I was originally gonna read The Age of Madness by itself, and just skip the rest, but I'm sure starting with First Law will only help me appreciate it more, so...thanks for the recommendation, great job and great video, keep up the good work.

If you like Abercrombie so much why don’t you marry him? lol jk My plan is to read the trilogy after I’m done with the Farseer Trilogy and Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I’m hoping I’ll like it because I’ve read other grimdark and it just comes off very edgelord and humorless. I’ve heard he has a great sense of humor in both his writing and as a person from interviews I've seen of him. So I’m looking forward to it. Also, Liene you should read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Tad Williams, the author, is a great writer and would consider it almost like a Robin Hobb in the way that they are pretty classic fantasy and, but can write the shit out of a story.

I like the first law trilogy for the style, but why does his prose suck so bad? I grimace every time he uses 'grimaced' for the thousand fucking time. The characters, superb. The story, fantastic. His writing style and prose, freaking garbage.

what, you talk about the pretty book but dont show it?! what a missed opportunity! XD