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A review by bbeloff425
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
5.0
*2024 reread edit - I was wrong. 5 stars*
I will need to revisit this at some point. I listened to the audio book very infrequently and it took me several months to finish, which absolutely affected my enjoyment of it. I was very invested for the first half or so, but after that I really struggled to continue with it. That said I'd probably give it 3 1/2 stars but I gave it 4 because I can recognize that there is an amazing book in here. When I come back to it, I'll need to make sure I read it instead of listening to it.
The book is pure exposition. I felt like it was 95% character work and descriptions and 5% actual plot. Joe Abercrombie's writing is phenomenal and the characters were incredibly complex and fleshed out. Particularly Glokta, who was as far from an typical fantasy protagonist as you can get. His plot line was the only one I felt truly invested in. I thought Logen and Jezal's stories were both considerably less interesting and their stories felt very slow and meandering.
Ultimately this is clearly just the set up for the next two books. I hope to give it another go and get through the series at some point, I just have no idea when I'll have the drive to do that.
I will need to revisit this at some point. I listened to the audio book very infrequently and it took me several months to finish, which absolutely affected my enjoyment of it. I was very invested for the first half or so, but after that I really struggled to continue with it. That said I'd probably give it 3 1/2 stars but I gave it 4 because I can recognize that there is an amazing book in here. When I come back to it, I'll need to make sure I read it instead of listening to it.
The book is pure exposition. I felt like it was 95% character work and descriptions and 5% actual plot. Joe Abercrombie's writing is phenomenal and the characters were incredibly complex and fleshed out. Particularly Glokta, who was as far from an typical fantasy protagonist as you can get. His plot line was the only one I felt truly invested in. I thought Logen and Jezal's stories were both considerably less interesting and their stories felt very slow and meandering.
Ultimately this is clearly just the set up for the next two books. I hope to give it another go and get through the series at some point, I just have no idea when I'll have the drive to do that.