The Blade Itself is the first book in the First Law series, a grimdark (speculative fiction that is dark and possibly violent) fantasy novel.   It is similar to Game of Thrones in some ways, but it is lighter reading with interesting characters, some gallows-style humor, lots of battles, and with clever dialogue.     We never really get a sense of the plot or direction of the novel, but it doesn’t seem to matter, since each chapter is fun to read.    If the series ended at the end of the first book, I would still rate it the same, but I have have chosen to read on.    After reading a number of laborious stories recently, this was a refreshing change.   Even though this book was written in 2006, it felts fresh and full of clever insights into politics, class and social structure, the effects of war, and the plights of women, the poorer classes, and the aged.

The choice of lead characters was surprising – a torturer/Inquisitor, a barbarian warrior, a self-centred  swordsman, and an old mage.    Each is surrounded by a host of minor characters, and each chapter reads like a short story, all of them going somewhere, but with few clues.    The author gets top marks for writing accessible, enjoyable fiction, but we are left to wonder whether a plot will emerge in the next books.

Recommended to most readers – 4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5