The Blade Itself: Book One Of The First Law (Gollancz S.F.) - Joe Abercrombie

Mildly disappointed

Based on others reviews I brought the first and second book. The first book I read and spent the entire time waiting for what I felt could be building to happen. The same with the second. I'm nearly to the end of the 3rd book (my brother brought) and I'm still waiting but have resigned myself to the fact that it won't.
I read a lot of these sort of books as well as thrillers, comedy and romances and I'd say this series is a well executed story, the characters are engaging and well written, the racial differences and social class divides are amusingly exploited. However for me there is something missing. I'm left feeling mildly disappointed.

The Blade Itself

A fantastic story from start to finish, a definite read if only to meet the Bloody Nine.

Could be among the best

This first book of the series gets off to a good start. It is an amalgam of Gormenghast with a touch of Lord of the rings and Harry Potter. It should be excellent and yet I am slightly hesitant to say it is as the dialog is more often than not, not quite there. There are characters you instantly like and dislike and a number of semingly separate tales are woven together skillfully. It is always entertaining and makes you want to turn the pages. It becomes occasionaly formulaic and you want to give the characters a shake and tell them to shape up! This could be so very much better with more careful attention to dialog. The plot is good, characterisation is good, but overall not quite (just) as good as it could be. I very much look forward to the other books in the series. You will not be dissapointed with this one.

great triology

I've been reading quite a lot of fantasy books lately and as was looking for something with a little edge to it. I found it in this triology, great characters, good backdrop scenario, intense and dramatic story but above all - absolutely wonderful humor. Simply a priceless sense of humor.

if you read alot of fantasy, its a bit blah

some interesting characters, the key ones even have their own catchphrases which continue through the whole trilogy.
most irritating has to be that this isnt a trilogy, its one book cut in three.

there is no suitable end to this book.

it finishes with people already starting the next leg of their journey, as such there's no release from the story. theres no end.

so not liking to judge a book without having read the end i went and read the other two. its very easy to read, although the characters are more fleshy than some writers give you they are far flatter than most. alot goes on and there are some nice fights. there is constant reference to the history of the place, but instead of getting in depth info you get the same stuff over and over with a couple of "twists" that arent very suprising. the end was really very disapointing to me. A satisfying conclusion to make the whole rest of it make sense, no. A spellbinding extravaganza where everything is tied together making all the tedious bits worth while, nope. A beautiful and tragic ending where you cry and wonder, you guessed it, nah.

its all a bit blah really chaps nice for a holiday maybe.