Synopsis:
In a world characterized by politics and intrigue, a sorceror unites a legendary rogue, a dandyish fighter, and an outlaw woman in the fight to… oh, I’m not really sure what, honestly.

Review:
Seriously, what is The Blade Itself about? I was lost from really early on. The characters were interesting, but there didn’t seem to be much of a story, just a bunch of incidents loosely threaded together. I never got the connections or what the stakes were, or what anyone’s goals were.

Now, I’ve heard such amazing things about the First Law trilogy that I’m wondering if the problem is that book 1 is just all setup. Or even worse, all backstory? Joe Abercrombie’s writing is strong enough that I will read book 2–or at least, I will begin book 2. I really hope it starts off with a summary that explains what I was unable to glean from book 1; namely, the story.

When you have as little time for reading as I do these days, it’s hard not to take something like this personally. Oof.