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Cover of The Blade Itself by Joe AbercrombieThe Blade Itself
Modern · Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction

The Blade Itself

by Joe Abercrombie
2006 · 536 pages · Fiction
72.7Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 13 hours to read · about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's about to become a dead barbarian. Meanwhile, Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled torturer, and Jezal dan Luthar, a vain young nobleman, are drawn into the schemes of a mysterious wizard as war approaches.

Why it's worth reading

It launched Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, a defining work of gritty, darkly funny fantasy.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's violent and cynical, with a slow plot but brilliant characters. It's the first of a trilogy.

By the numbers

72.7Must-Read Score
  • Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller39 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Adventurous, Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Joe Abercrombie

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Blade Itself worth reading?

Yes. It launched Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, a defining work of gritty, darkly funny fantasy. It ranks #1,023 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.7 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Blade Itself about?

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's about to become a dead barbarian. Meanwhile, Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled torturer, and Jezal dan Luthar, a vain young nobleman, are drawn into the schemes of a mysterious wizard as war approaches.

How long does it take to read The Blade Itself?

About 13 hours (536 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Blade Itself?

If you liked it, try A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames or The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.