Abercrombie's knack for wit and grit holds your attention throughout, and his eye for character means that there's heart as well as muscle.'- SFX (UK), 'If you're fond of bloodless, turgid fantasy with characters as thin as newspaper and as boring as plaster saints, Joe Abercrombie is really going to ruin your day. arely has Abercrombie had so much fun while rollicking through his colorful cast's foibles and witty dialogue - and rarely has he dished out so much straight-for-the-heart poignancy.' - The A.V. arely has Abercrombie had so much fun while rollicking through his colorful cast's foibles and witty dialogue - and rarely has he dished out so much straight-for-the-heart poignancy.'_ The A.V. Abercrombie's knack for wit and grit holds your attention throughout, and his eye for character means that there's heart as well as muscle.' - SFX (UK), ' begun breaking his own rules. First Law Trilogy The Blade Itself Before They Are Hanged Last Argument of Kings For more from Joe Abercrombie, check out: Novels in the First Law world Best Served Cold The Heroes Red Country Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge. 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. 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. 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. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

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. 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. Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. The first novel in the First Law Trilogy and debut fantasy novel from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie.

The blade itself cover