The first novel in the First Law Trilogy and debut fantasy novel from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie.



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.



Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.