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beaktastic's review against another edition
4.0
So I really enjoyed this book. I'd heard of it ages ago, and have been meaning to read it for AGES and finally got around to doing so. I'd heard it would be exactly the kind of book I'd like, based on my love of a couple other fantasy series, and I have to say that I was not disappointed.
I really enjoyed the main characters, I thought the cast was really well rounded and the characters were all quite unique and different. None of them was the perfect stereotypical hero, and several of them were not initially relatable or necessarily likeable characters. I connected with Logen immediately, as I felt he was the most 'hero' like of them all (in terms of typical hero traits). But others, such as Jezal and Glokta, took me longer to connect with. Glokta was so full of hate and distrust because of what he has experienced, that it took me a while to see the better side of him and to connect with him, but it did happen. Same with Jezal, who is incredibly pompous and arrogant, but who does begin to soften a little throughout the story (although by the end of this book he does still look down on most of the rest of the cast).
I thought the world was quite well explained and brought to life. Abercrombie had certainly thought about it's history and how it had all developed.
I thought the story itself was interesting, but at the end of this book I felt like this was all just setup for the larger narrative that will be continued in the next books. I felt like we had a lot of hints about what's to come, and what is going on, but nothing much revealed (obviously, for a first book). But when we reached the end and I thought about where we had come, I felt like we hadn't really progressed that far. Logen particularly did very little in the 2nd half of the story. It was clear that Bayaz had a grand plan that he was bringing together, but the second-half/last-third of the novel just seemed to be setting up the end of the novel and bringing everyone together who will make up the merry band that departs at the very end of this novel. I dunno, I mean, it's obvious that great and grand things will happen in the next novel, and this one was full of mystery, suspense, drama and gore aplenty, but at the same time it felt like nothing had really been accomplished here. It almost felt like a let down. But there was still plenty of gore and drama and action to hold my attention here, and I can see why it kept getting recommended to me.
Overall, a great first book in the trilogy, obviously setting up great things for the other books but at the same time, felt slightly like not much in terms of moving the story along really happened. It was a lot of introducing the cast and getting to know them, with hints at what's to come. But a great book.
I really enjoyed the main characters, I thought the cast was really well rounded and the characters were all quite unique and different. None of them was the perfect stereotypical hero, and several of them were not initially relatable or necessarily likeable characters. I connected with Logen immediately, as I felt he was the most 'hero' like of them all (in terms of typical hero traits). But others, such as Jezal and Glokta, took me longer to connect with. Glokta was so full of hate and distrust because of what he has experienced, that it took me a while to see the better side of him and to connect with him, but it did happen. Same with Jezal, who is incredibly pompous and arrogant, but who does begin to soften a little throughout the story (although by the end of this book he does still look down on most of the rest of the cast).
I thought the world was quite well explained and brought to life. Abercrombie had certainly thought about it's history and how it had all developed.
I thought the story itself was interesting, but at the end of this book I felt like this was all just setup for the larger narrative that will be continued in the next books. I felt like we had a lot of hints about what's to come, and what is going on, but nothing much revealed (obviously, for a first book). But when we reached the end and I thought about where we had come, I felt like we hadn't really progressed that far. Logen particularly did very little in the 2nd half of the story. It was clear that Bayaz had a grand plan that he was bringing together, but the second-half/last-third of the novel just seemed to be setting up the end of the novel and bringing everyone together who will make up the merry band that departs at the very end of this novel. I dunno, I mean, it's obvious that great and grand things will happen in the next novel, and this one was full of mystery, suspense, drama and gore aplenty, but at the same time it felt like nothing had really been accomplished here. It almost felt like a let down. But there was still plenty of gore and drama and action to hold my attention here, and I can see why it kept getting recommended to me.
Overall, a great first book in the trilogy, obviously setting up great things for the other books but at the same time, felt slightly like not much in terms of moving the story along really happened. It was a lot of introducing the cast and getting to know them, with hints at what's to come. But a great book.
thatsmrsnyder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
With my first Abercrombie being a side story set in this same world (The Blade Itself), and that first experience being a bad one, I'm very pleased that I gave him another chance. This was a lot of fun, written well, good character work and enough world building to keep you oriented but not all that much more. That said, upon completion I'm struck with the feeling that this isn't so much a story as it was a necessary prologue, a table-setting for the rest of it. But he's got his hooks in me now so I'll definitely keep it going.
asriram's review against another edition
4.0
I started out very unsure of what to think of this book. I had heard from friends that this book is very good, but from other friends that this book was very grim dark, which is a genre I don’t particularly find appealing. However, in the end, the fact that this book has been on my TBR list for a while, and the recommendation from the friend who loves this series was enough to tip me over into reading it. And I have to say, I’m very glad I did.
This book starts off relatively slow, but builds up speed as the novel goes on. The characters are all compelling, even the ones I personally find loathsome, the pacing is good, and the narrative handles the introduction of new characters quite well. The plot is well done, and the worldbuilding is excellent. The only problem I have with it is that if you asked me what the plot of this book was, I couldn’t tell you. This book feels like it’s setting up a lot of plot for future books in the trilogy, but it doesn’t really feel like much happens plot-wise. Instead, we focus a lot on the individual characters, building them up. However, this works really well in this novel, and I’m excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
This book starts off relatively slow, but builds up speed as the novel goes on. The characters are all compelling, even the ones I personally find loathsome, the pacing is good, and the narrative handles the introduction of new characters quite well. The plot is well done, and the worldbuilding is excellent. The only problem I have with it is that if you asked me what the plot of this book was, I couldn’t tell you. This book feels like it’s setting up a lot of plot for future books in the trilogy, but it doesn’t really feel like much happens plot-wise. Instead, we focus a lot on the individual characters, building them up. However, this works really well in this novel, and I’m excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
ladylilyofold's review against another edition
4.0
It took me about a quarter of this book for me to find my rhythm with this story but once it got going, it was fantastic. It definitely has a plot (not sure why people say it doesn’t) and some amazing characters. Excellent writing too. Very much looking forward to the second book!
emacap_137's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kayla_lala's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
missyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
This is going to be a tricky one to describe because I didn't read the synopsis beforehand, and I still haven't. I knew two things going in, that the series is grimdark and that Glokta is a great character but also awful. Both those things are true, but not much to go on.
The story is set in a world that's very divided. There's the Union, where a majority of the book is set. It's rife with political games and the nobles who play them. Noble blood seems more important than anything else, and corrupt isn't a strong enough word to describe those in positions of power. The North is equally unsafe but because of violence and the self-proclaimed king. There are other places, but these two are most prominently featured.
The reason I call the world divided is that the different parts don't seem so far away, yet they know little about each other. Though war is on its way to bridge some of the distance.
Now, a major reason why it's hard to explain the plot is that there isn't much of one. This book is an introduction more than anything. We see the state of the world, we understand some of the conflicts, and we get to know, I assume, most of the main characters. But there's no beginning-middle-end here. No real resolutions are found. And yeah, that's a bit of an issue, but the world and characters make up for it. Especially the characters.
Speaking of, let's start with Glokta.
Sand dan Glokta is an Inquisitor. He was a prisoner of war and suffered permanent injuries from two years of torture. Now he tortures other people for a living. But that's just the bare bones of who he is. He's awful but sympathetic, and he's self-aware but doesn't know his own motivations. Then there's the rage and pride and hate and vulnerability. There are so many layers to him. He's horrifying but occasionally likable. Fascinating, for sure.
Another person I found almost as interesting is Logen Ninefingers. Logen is a man with a dark and bloody past who's tired of fighting. He kinda reminds me of Dalinar from The Stormlight Archive, though a lot less dignified. I like Logen, and I want to learn more about him. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye.
Of the other characters, some I liked (Bayaz, Ardee), some I didn't (Jezal), and yet others I'm not sure about (Ferro, West). But they're all well-written, and they're the reason this book works. Yes, I like the world-building and the story, and there are some intriguing developments, but it's the characters who bring everything together and make you want to keep reading. That's why even though there isn't really a plot, I highly recommend checking this book out.
*****************************
The audiobook: Yeah, I'm reviewing it separately. It didn't fit anywhere in the review above.
The audio is really great. Not so good that you need to get it (that's how I feel about The Lies of Locke Lamora), but the narrator does a great job with every character. He's also consistent and captures the feel of the story. Not sure if I'll be sticking with the audio for the rest of the series, but if you're someone who likes audiobooks, this is definitely one you should try.
The story is set in a world that's very divided. There's the Union, where a majority of the book is set. It's rife with political games and the nobles who play them. Noble blood seems more important than anything else, and corrupt isn't a strong enough word to describe those in positions of power. The North is equally unsafe but because of violence and the self-proclaimed king. There are other places, but these two are most prominently featured.
The reason I call the world divided is that the different parts don't seem so far away, yet they know little about each other. Though war is on its way to bridge some of the distance.
Now, a major reason why it's hard to explain the plot is that there isn't much of one. This book is an introduction more than anything. We see the state of the world, we understand some of the conflicts, and we get to know, I assume, most of the main characters. But there's no beginning-middle-end here. No real resolutions are found. And yeah, that's a bit of an issue, but the world and characters make up for it. Especially the characters.
Speaking of, let's start with Glokta.
Sand dan Glokta is an Inquisitor. He was a prisoner of war and suffered permanent injuries from two years of torture. Now he tortures other people for a living. But that's just the bare bones of who he is. He's awful but sympathetic, and he's self-aware but doesn't know his own motivations. Then there's the rage and pride and hate and vulnerability. There are so many layers to him. He's horrifying but occasionally likable. Fascinating, for sure.
Another person I found almost as interesting is Logen Ninefingers. Logen is a man with a dark and bloody past who's tired of fighting. He kinda reminds me of Dalinar from The Stormlight Archive, though a lot less dignified. I like Logen, and I want to learn more about him. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye.
Of the other characters, some I liked (Bayaz, Ardee), some I didn't (Jezal), and yet others I'm not sure about (Ferro, West). But they're all well-written, and they're the reason this book works. Yes, I like the world-building and the story, and there are some intriguing developments, but it's the characters who bring everything together and make you want to keep reading. That's why even though there isn't really a plot, I highly recommend checking this book out.
*****************************
The audiobook: Yeah, I'm reviewing it separately. It didn't fit anywhere in the review above.
The audio is really great. Not so good that you need to get it (that's how I feel about The Lies of Locke Lamora), but the narrator does a great job with every character. He's also consistent and captures the feel of the story. Not sure if I'll be sticking with the audio for the rest of the series, but if you're someone who likes audiobooks, this is definitely one you should try.
zoeoz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Classism and War
Minor: Sexism, Slavery, and Cannibalism