Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian -- leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.
Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.
Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald 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 Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian -- leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.
Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.
Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald 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 Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.
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Find The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
The First Law
The First Law
47 books in catalog
Epic fantasy literature received a distinct infusion of moral ambiguity, visceral action, and dark humor with the publication of The First Law trilogy. Written by British novelist and film editor Joseph Edward Abercrombie, these gritty narratives subvert traditional heroic tropes by focusing on cynical, complex characters navigating messy political conflicts. His expanded fantasy universe and young adult works, including the award-winning novel Half a King, offer grounded perspectives where noble intentions rarely yield clean outcomes.
Born in Lancaster, England, on December 31, 1974, Joseph Edward Abercrombie attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School before studying psychology at the University of Manchester. After moving to London, he worked in television production as a freelance film editor before embarking on a career in fiction writing. Drawing on his early interests in cartography and gaming, he began drafting his debut novel, The Blade Itself, in his mid-twenties. Published in 2006, the book was shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award and launched The First Law trilogy, which continued with Before They Are Hanged (2007) and Last Argument of Kings (2008). He later expanded this setting with standalone fantasy novels and The Age of Madness trilogy, while also entering young adult fiction with the Shattered Sea trilogy.
Abercrombie's writing is distinguished by its sharp wit, dark humor, and unvarnished portrayal of violence and power dynamics. Rather than presenting clear distinctions between good and evil, his narratives center on morally complex figures whose personal flaws and cynical viewpoints drive the story. His background as a film editor informs his dynamic pacing and vivid scene construction, allowing intricate multi-character plotlines to unfold fluidly across war zones and political courts. Recurring themes across his bibliography include the corrupting influence of authority, the cyclical nature of violence, and the personal cost of survival.
47 books in catalog
Epic fantasy literature received a distinct infusion of moral ambiguity, visceral action, and dark humor with the publication of The First Law trilogy. Written by British novelist and film editor Joseph Edward Abercrombie, these gritty narratives subvert traditional heroic tropes by focusing on cynical, complex characters navigating messy political conflicts. His expanded fantasy universe and young adult works, including the award-winning novel Half a King, offer grounded perspectives where noble intentions rarely yield clean outcomes.
Born in Lancaster, England, on December 31, 1974, Joseph Edward Abercrombie attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School before studying psychology at the University of Manchester. After moving to London, he worked in television production as a freelance film editor before embarking on a career in fiction writing. Drawing on his early interests in cartography and gaming, he began drafting his debut novel, The Blade Itself, in his mid-twenties. Published in 2006, the book was shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award and launched The First Law trilogy, which continued with Before They Are Hanged (2007) and Last Argument of Kings (2008). He later expanded this setting with standalone fantasy novels and The Age of Madness trilogy, while also entering young adult fiction with the Shattered Sea trilogy.
Abercrombie's writing is distinguished by its sharp wit, dark humor, and unvarnished portrayal of violence and power dynamics. Rather than presenting clear distinctions between good and evil, his narratives center on morally complex figures whose personal flaws and cynical viewpoints drive the story. His background as a film editor informs his dynamic pacing and vivid scene construction, allowing intricate multi-character plotlines to unfold fluidly across war zones and political courts. Recurring themes across his bibliography include the corrupting influence of authority, the cyclical nature of violence, and the personal cost of survival.
