The Blade Itself...

Book: The Blade Itself

Author: Joe Abercrombie
Rating: ★★★★★
                                                                                                                                                           

   Joe Abercrombie is a name most fantasy readers will instantly recognize. I picked this book up on a whim one day. I was glad I didn't research it much, because otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't have read it. I'm sort of a sissy when it comes to torture.

     If you are looking for a lighthearted, feel good read-- this may not be the book for you. There is torture, battle and a lot of politics. When I began reading I was sure I would dislike it.
What really took my by surprise-- what really made this book beautiful- are the characters. On one page I was sure that I disliked them, sure they were terrible. Then a moment later I was rooting for them. Many characters are ugly, crippled in mind or body. I fell in love with the book as the author showed us different facets of each one, giving them humanity.

     Glokta is a great example of this. He is in one moment s***ting his bed, carried around like a feeble infant, surely a useless man. Then he is the most powerful dangerous man in the room. He is dangerous, ripping out teeth, guessing motives, taking confessions. You often get to read snippets of his inner voice. His two Practices are almost equally intriguing.

     Logen, Bayaz, Ardee, Jazel, Ferro- the characters all come to life in all their grisly splendor. There is constant intrigue. I did get bogged down in the politics of it all. There were points where I found myself skimming. Some sections were just not gory for my taste, especially the torture. That is simply a matter of personal preference. I skimmed a few. I hope the next book in the series surprises me just as much. I plan to read on. The book left many mysteries yet to be discovered or understood.