The Blade Itself is what a debut book should read like. Well written, often funny, often pulsating in the action it contains, this is close to a perfect entrance into the world of fantasy fiction.Joe Ambercrombie certainly knows how to reach out to his reader, his book has managed to win a good deal of fans, and it’s really easy to say how, he’s written a very good book.
The Blade Itself raises the bar in all the crucial elements, bloody scenes, short and witty dialogue, fast paced plot, yet its in characters that Abercrombie shines. The deeply fascinating torturer Glokta, is possibly the book’s crowing glory, this shambling wreck of a man, now sadistically makes people scream, the catch, he was once a brilliant and dashing swordsman, now the only thing he fights is an ongoing battle combating the steep nature of staircases.
At times the blade itself feels like the screenplay for a film, it’s got that movie glitz thing going for it. The action is sharp and merciless, a scene where Logan the Bloody nine, shows us why he’s called the bloody nine particularly stands out. The humour is another enjoyable aspect, though very dark it’s still a welcome addition. Plus the well woven nature of the plot binds everything together in this lovely piece of writing. The actual book feels very nice too, I’ve been stroking it for weeks now, and still feels reeeeally good!
The Blade Itself - 8.5 / 10
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