Blade Itself (First Law 1) [Hardcover]

 

 

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Joe Abercrombie's debut is making some noise all over the internet. Understandably, little more was needed to pique my curiosity! I wish to thank Joe for sending me signed copies of both The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged when I could not get through with his publicist.

The Blade Itself is a throwback to what used to dominate the genre during the 80s before doorstopper fantasy epics took over. As such, it is reminiscent of David Eddings and Raymond E. Feist in their heydays. What does that mean, exactly? Well, The Blade Itself is a character-driven tale that is not comprised of countless storylines. The First Law is a trilogy, so the author has no choice but to keep this story under tight rein. There is also a certain sense of adventure throughout, something that was popularized by the sword and sorcery sub-genre during the 80s.

There is a lot to like about Joe Abercrombie's debut. As a throwback fantasy novel, I found it refreshing. It's nice to see the" a The Blade Itself will please some fans, it will fall short with other readers.

As he stated in a recent interview, Joe Abercrombie doesn't attach that much importance to worldbuilding. He prefers to let the readers discover his universe and its inhabitants through the eyes of his characters. Don't expect a level of details similiar to what you'd find in a Jordan, Erikson, Martin, or Bakker book. Still, the author provides enough background info to keep things interesting.

Characters always make or break a book/series. And nowhere is it more evident than in a self-described character-driven novel. The characterizations found in The Blade Itself are at times very good, but some also leave a little to be desired. Characters like Inquisitor Gokta and Logen Ninefingers are well-done, and they literally carry this tale on their shoulders. Others, like Bayaz and Jezal dan Luthar, are clichéd and somewhat of caricatures. A few are barely introduced, like Ferro and Yulwei, yet are intriguing.

One of this book's main facet -- and this is where it might alienate some readers -- is how humorous in tone the story is told. À la David Eddings, the narrative is always written in droll style, making it all but impossible to reach the emotional impact necessary to create powerful scenes. Very similar to J. V. Jones' The Book of Words trilogy and, to a lesser extent, to Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. As I said, I found this approach refreshing. But it's obvious that some readers will be put off by this. Don't let the beginning fool you. As you read on, you realize that, beyond that humorous tone, there is a lot more depth to those plotlines than meets the eye.

As a very accessible novel that can potentially please many disparate fantasy fans, I'm persuaded that The Blade Itself will be a success. Much like Sanderson's Elantris was last year. And with Pyr set to release it in North America in 2007, Abercrombie's debut will get an even bigger readership.

The author will probably never win any awards. In all likelihood he'll never be held in high esteem by aficionados. What he'll do, however, is sell books. What we have here is another bright new voice in the fantasy genre. And there can never be too many of those!

The Blade Itself is a solid debut. I'm curious to see where Abercrombie will be taking this story in the sequel. . .

[...]

Before I start, this book not for everyone. Fans of books from GRR Martin will absolutely love this one. However, people who much rather prefer reading classical fantasy consisting of elves, wizards and orcs will not find that here. Sure there are wizards, but not in any way similar to Dumbledore.

When reading this, there was so much from it that came from the Song from Ice and Fire series. But Abercrombie developped his own style and it is distinct from many other authors. His prose is short and to the point which makes for a very easy read, and I use that term loosely because the story is quite heavy. The three characters are well thought out and heroes in different ways.

Great job for the first installment of the series.

Fabulous book.

The fantasy genre is glutted with tons and tons of the "same ol' same ol'". That is why it is so refreshing to come across a unique voice with a new slant on things.

This book is filled with dark humour, unique characters and was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is the kind of book that makes you take note of the author and keeps your eyes open for more of their writing.

I am a big fan of characters and characterization, and there are plenty of those here. In particular the inquisitor Sand dan Glokta and the barbarian Logen Ninefingers ("the Bloody Nine") are delightful, and there are lots more greats in addition to those two. The barbarian archetype has always been one of my faves, and Logen is fantastic. Imagine a barbarian who's really quite sick of being one. Logen Ninefingers and Naiur ur Skiotha fromt the 'Prince of Nothing' series are two of my top recent additions to 'barbarian lore'.

In any case, this book is well worth your time if you enjoy the genre and would like to read something a little different and fresh.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Adventure
This author is not a new Tolkien, or Jordan, or anyone else. Abercrombie has taken a few twisted characters, and turned them into a mostly coherent story. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Brian Ashe

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good fantasy novel
I find it hard to chose a fantasy novel now days based on reviews on this site as most comments are generally left by readers that are (too) enthusiastic about the book they have... Read more

Published on Aug 28 2009 by S. Lavigne

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable beginning
The Blade Itself is a really enjoyable debut novel. The style reminds me a lot of David Gemmel in some respects, but a bit more tongue-in-cheek and with "grittier" battle... Read more

Published on Aug 10 2009 by I. Mitchell

4.0 out of 5 stars Phantasy Realism
Abercrombie continues a still relatively new approach to fantasy writing that adds satirical realism to plots and character interaction. Read more

Published on July 21 2009 by Norm

5.0 out of 5 stars The Blade Itself...a great new fantasy writer has arrived
A true breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre!

This is one of those rare books that is truly hard to put down. Read more

Published on Jun 26 2008 by R. Nicholson

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising Debut
I generally avoid first novels, especially first novels of fantasy fiction. I made an exception in this case, and I'm glad that I did. Read more

Published on Oct 5 2006 by Happy Booker

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing Fantasy Novel
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I read the blurb from the back and nearly turned away after reading only half of the summary. Read more

Published on July 16 2006 by Mark Pawlyszyn

4.0 out of 5 stars Cutting Edge
This is a very well done fantasy novel. The characters are various and interesting, displaying a fascinating mixture of noble ideals and human weaknesses. Read more

Published on Jun 10 2006 by Tom Moffatt

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