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cher_n_books 's review for:
The Blade Itself
by Joe Abercrombie
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
“Has one man ever had such a range of deaths to choose from?”
Prior to this, the only thing I had ever read by Joe Abercrombie was his short story, “Some Desperado”, from the Dangerous Women anthology in 2014. I enjoyed his sarcastic humor, and vivid characters with realistic dialogue and subsequently added his novels to my mountainous TBR. It should not have taken me 11 years to get to one of them, but here we are. It was worth the wait.
“Surely this was hell. He knew he deserved to be here, but he didn’t remember dying.”
This had all of the elements I liked from his short story style but of course was even better due to the depth and complexity afforded by the longer format. The characterization is excellent. There is violence, but not too much for my sensibilities. My only disappointment was that the magical system is mostly trivial to the story as I was in the mood for a magic based fantasy series, but perhaps it will become more prominent later in the series.
“A filthy sink of violence and corruption. A prison where we have made slaves of the innocent and guilty alike in the name of freedom.”
The book does not wrap everything up at the end, nor does it end on a cliffhanger. It would be reasonable to read as a standalone for people that do not mind open endings, but I do plan on continuing the series due it having such a strong start. Recommended to readers that enjoy grimdark fantasies in historical settings that are filled with adventure and wit, told through several POVs across well-drawn characters.
“If you are cut, do you hate the knife, or the one who wields it?”
-----
First Sentence: Logen plunged through the trees, bare feet slipping and sliding on the wet earth, the slush, the wet pine needles, breath rasping in his chest, blood thumping in his head.
Favorite Quote: It may be a union in name, but they fight each other tooth and nail. The lowly squabble over trifles. The great wage secret wars for power and wealth, and they call it government. Wars of words, and tricks, and guile, but no less bloody for that. The casualties are many.
“Has one man ever had such a range of deaths to choose from?”
Prior to this, the only thing I had ever read by Joe Abercrombie was his short story, “Some Desperado”, from the Dangerous Women anthology in 2014. I enjoyed his sarcastic humor, and vivid characters with realistic dialogue and subsequently added his novels to my mountainous TBR. It should not have taken me 11 years to get to one of them, but here we are. It was worth the wait.
“Surely this was hell. He knew he deserved to be here, but he didn’t remember dying.”
This had all of the elements I liked from his short story style but of course was even better due to the depth and complexity afforded by the longer format. The characterization is excellent. There is violence, but not too much for my sensibilities. My only disappointment was that the magical system is mostly trivial to the story as I was in the mood for a magic based fantasy series, but perhaps it will become more prominent later in the series.
“A filthy sink of violence and corruption. A prison where we have made slaves of the innocent and guilty alike in the name of freedom.”
The book does not wrap everything up at the end, nor does it end on a cliffhanger. It would be reasonable to read as a standalone for people that do not mind open endings, but I do plan on continuing the series due it having such a strong start. Recommended to readers that enjoy grimdark fantasies in historical settings that are filled with adventure and wit, told through several POVs across well-drawn characters.
“If you are cut, do you hate the knife, or the one who wields it?”
-----
First Sentence: Logen plunged through the trees, bare feet slipping and sliding on the wet earth, the slush, the wet pine needles, breath rasping in his chest, blood thumping in his head.
Favorite Quote: It may be a union in name, but they fight each other tooth and nail. The lowly squabble over trifles. The great wage secret wars for power and wealth, and they call it government. Wars of words, and tricks, and guile, but no less bloody for that. The casualties are many.