Sharp Words

8 out of 10

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie is one of the best new fantasy novels I’ve read in ages, and I’m looking forward to its sequel. I recommend it to anyone who likes intelligent fantasy with well-rounded characters and intriguing plots.

I suppose I could finish the review there, but it’s only fair to elaborate, I guess…

The world in which this novel is set is a fairly generic fantasy one, with magic and swords and barbarians. What made it stand out for me, though, is the depth of the characters. The three main parts are filled by a crippled Inquisitor, a brash young swordsman, and a thoughtful barbarian who doesn’t even meet the other two until the second half of the novel.

The plot is interesting too. The Inquisitor - Glokta - and the swordsman - Jezal - live in Adua, the capital city of the Union, a conglomeration ruled not by an ineffectual king but by his Closed Council. For centuries, a seat has been kept open on the Council for the presumed-dead Bayaz, the First of the Magi.

During the first part of the book, Captain Jezal dan Luthar is in training for the Contest, a fencing competition with great rewards in store; he’s mentored by Major West, a commoner who won the Contest years before. Jezal isn’t exactly a likeable character: he’s vain, spoilt and arrogant, so it’s fun to see him being tripped up by West’s common-born sister, Ardee.  Inquisitor Glokta, on the other hand, has been assigned to discredit the Mercers’ Guild - possibly so that the Council can take control of trade - but this then opens up further mysteries.

The third central character is Logen Ninefingers, a barbarian with a lot on his mind. Following the apparent death of his comrades, he’s summoned to meet with Mage Bayaz, who he then accompanies to Adua so that the Mage can take his place once more on the Council.

I won’t ruin the rest of the story, but it’s not a spoiler to mention the introduction of the second major female character - an ex-slave somewhere in the south, who’s little more than a killing machine. Nor is it a spoiler to say that the novel ends shortly after Jezal’s Contest, with a journey in store for everyone, but with a barbarian horde headed into the Union to wreak havoc…

As previously mentioned, the things I enjoyed most about this novel were the well-developed characters (and the avoidance of stereotyping in that development) and the intriguing plot. It’s quite a dark novel, particularly in terms of what the Inquisition gets up to and the general bloodthirstiness, and Abercrombie hasn’t shied away from describing some rather nasty things.  I was disappointed by only two things, really. One was the lack of a map which made it hard for me to visualise the countries and regions being described (although I know some people won’t mind that); the second was the lack of female characters - there were only two of any consequence, although they were both just as interesting as the men, in my opinion.

Like I said, I’m looking forward to the sequel…