The First Law: SPOILER TALK - The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- This episode of Mike's Book Reviews begins his journey into the world of Joe Abercrombie's "grimdark" fantasy tale The First Law. This is a full spoiler review for The Blade Itself, so use caution if you've not read the story yet.
You can purchase The Blade Itself here: amzn.to/3cGIFqh
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“If Glokta could torture any one man, any one at all, it would surely have been the man who invented stairs."
Click!, tap, pain..
@@areallyboredguy5825 that was the rhythm of his walking
Yea, one of the thousand great lines ever. What a masterpiece.
I love the dog man. "And the dogman just sat there and though how things used to be different " all the named men are great characters.
Dogman did not like this comment
Just finished this yesterday and it was SO GOOD!! Can't wait to start book 2 this afternoon!
I wish I could switch minds with you and experience it for the first time again.
I think im the only one who's favorite character in this series is Jezal.
I like him a lot, which is why his ending really hurt.
Yes. Yes you are
Harding Grim
Jezal has some great moments in Last Argument Of Kings.
But I really enjoyed how pathetic he was in Blade Itself
and then his growth in Before They Are Hanged. His scenes with Logen were good and we got to know Ninefingers in a new way.
He's my favourite! I love that he's a pompous ass haha
Callum West was such a legend in this trilogy.
Just finished this first book. Best book I've read in years and wouldn't have ever thought about it unless I watched your video on why I should read it. Many thanks to you my man many thanks
I recommend Abercrombie,s books frequently, and usually just get a familiar shrug. A good half of me wishes he would get more exposure, but another good half revels in the big secret that is The First Law trilogy. These books are so good, and ready made for adaptation, I can t help but think it's only a matter of time before HBO or FX make these books a big series. Right now I like keeping them close to the chest.
I totally understand how you feel. I remember 15 years ago or so where I wished I had one damn person to talk to about ASOIAF and no one had even heard of it. Now I wish it could go back to "my secret little thing." I have gotten a couple dozen to read TFL though, so it balances out. Plus the Reddit group is really cool.
I really hope that it becomes a film series. But I also really like the Shattered seas series. I hope he expands on that as well.
And additional to that, its complitly plausible, its about very unique heros, very deep chacterisations and a big world. The magical system is very small and whoever uses it, has to pay his price for that.
Why Ferro: She has demon blood and so she can touch the "rock" from the other side and no one else can.
The first law is not like Game of Thrones, that has left the viewers with a lot of open questions and unplausible plots and also plotholes.
And its definitly not like Harry Potter, a ultra superhero, that is never wrong and wins absolutly every conflict with magic without costs.
And the books do definitly not end with the sentence "And all was well" (Harry Potter).
@@mikesbookreviews Song of Ice and Fire is trash tho. Yeah it's got loads of characters and a big world, but it's still trash. It's food, sex, food, gore, food, murder, food, death, and more food.
@@UnsoberIdiot Is that not the definition of fantasy? Lol
Brother Longfoot is obviously the best character
Under appreciated for sure
Dude when I read his chapter title I was like "this sounds like the title of a play"
I, Brother Longfoot, agree with you
Nah he drives me nuts lol
You either love him or hate him
Man, that starting quote in this video also really got me.
The Dogman became my favorite character in the series pretty f*ckin fast! A whole comedy series could be solely based around the shenanigans of the Dogman, Thunderhead, and Black Dow.
Just finished this, glotka, logen and even jezal are awesome in there own respects. Loved it
And they only get better.
Same! Finished 20 minutes ago and as a young man I can’t lie, I love Jezal. He’s not sure what his true purpose is other than women and glory! But he’s hilarious to follow
For sure
Why did you like jezal?
Where have I been? I read some fantasy back in high school, then was distracted with college and the college life. After establishing my career and getting married I felt a longing to return to reading some fantasy books. I stumbled upon Game of Thrones/ASOIAF back in 2009-2010. I read all those books and was enslaved Sunday nights to watch the latest episode. That seemed to have satisfied my fantasy itch. Last fall I felt that itch return and decided to see what was happening in the fantasy realm and stumbled across your channel. Needless to say, the First Law trilogy seemed pretty high on your list of recommendations. I gave it a try, I loved it. It took me about 2 months to get through all 3 books during the holiday season. Now I'm reading the Faithful and the Fallen series and I am completely blown away. My TBR has over 30 books and these are mostly book #1 for a larger series. I feel so far behind but thankfully not left behind. Thanks!
I love Glokta so much because we've seen that character a million times, but always from the other side. The creepy torturer is common, but never as a POV. Because it is such a familiar character you can easily picture the POV of the people he is torturing.
I figure Glokta as if Illyn Payne from ASOIAF was a main POV character
Imo I felt a strong friendship blossoming between Jezal and Glokta at the end and their last conversation felt hopeful seeing that Glokta is going to try his best to help Jezal make the kingdom better. I thought their conversation was the most hopeful/nice thing about the ending.
The blade itself was great, thank you for recommending it Mike! One of the most different, most brutal and funniest fantasy books I've ever read
Glokta's inner monologues are very Richard III Shakespeare...I mean that as a compliment.
I just finished this book, and I really enjoyed it. This was the first fantasy read for me. I see why folks like this genre
Just finished The Blade Itself a couple days ago. Great characters in this book. I’m anxious to see where Abercrombie goes with the story. Next book is already on order!!
Kevin S Glad you’re enjoying it. You’ll be happy to know it only gets better.
My favourite character has to be Logen. Badass but also very tragical character (Jezal maybe is even more tragical in the end...but unlike Logen he isnt badass :D) . He just wants to change and have peace, but death always follows him wherever he goes. I think in the end he realizes he will never change no matter how much he tries. And that scene with Tul Duru just broke my heart man.
Just finished this book, and I can finally start watching these videos!
glad you found this series....also glad I did. Sand dan Glokta, Logen, Bayaz, Jezal, the Eaters, Mamun, this was an amazing series...You'd like the standalones, Best Served Cold, Red Country, The Heroes...all of those have reference points in this trilogy. Welcome to the fold, brother
Thanks! Planning to read the stand alones and Sharp Ends before A Little Hatred comes out this fall.
best content on youtube. Love the intro reading from the book. Great ambient music!
Glad you enjoy it!
Nice shirt. Mastodon rocks 🎸
Suffering through gout myself, I empathize with Glokta. Being in constant pain makes one very ornery. You get resentful for not being able to do simple things..like climb stairs.
Love these spoiler talks after finishing a book.
I just finished this book today and I don't know why it took me so long to finally get to it. I absolutely LOVED it and can't wait to read the rest of the series!!
Just finished this one, great review as always! I enjoyed the characters, but the book was definitely a intro book to the series. I didnt feel like there was ever really a plot to the book, just a bunch of intros and character building. Looking forward to the next 2!
I noticed that upon re-reading. They really do stay in one place the whole book. Lots of travel upcoming. Enjoy!
I started reading this series based on a comment you made from your interview with Pierce Brown. I love it! I also found out a coworker also loves it, so now I have someone to talk with!
Great reviews on this channel! :)
At the beginning of 2022, someone on YT recommended this series to me and I'd have to say that The Blade Itself is my favorite book of this years' reading. I've now started reading Red Country. Logan and the Dogman are ultimately my favorite characters. I came to hate Bayaz, but that only comes out in later books. I bet Jezal is what Glotka was like; when Glotka was a younger man. My favorite quotes: " you've got to be realistic about these things" and " better to do it, than live with the fear of it."
I really loved the Dialogue in this book. In a lot of fantasy series like GOT, all the characters are incredibly articulate and hardly ever misspeak. It actually made me feel like a dumbass when I stumbled over a word. But in this there are entire chapters where Jezal mostly says "Er..."
People actually stutter and try to find the right words in this book. Not every line they say is perfectly said, and the characters talk like real people. I think Black Dow was like "Fuck yourself!" When he attacked some of Bethod's men.
Hi Mike thanks for your incredible service. You are clearly the best book reviewer on UA-cam. I'm reading this Joe Abercrombie The Blade and I'm blown away. I've read about 35% so far and had to put your video down after three minutes. I'm just trying to nibble around the edges without getting spoiled. It's an incredible book recommended by an incredible Book reviewer. Thank you so much for this recommendation. Joe Abercrombie may end up being my favorite author. Thank You.
Great review, Glokta's my favorite too.
The older I get, the more of a role model he is.
Just finished it and couldnt put it down. What a great read.
Just finished the book, OMG, I feel in love with the main characters through there flaws and development
Bro, I'm so happy for you. Booktube was missing a relatable male presence, been following for years. Now you are getting to interview these authors? Haha, fuck yeah. Cheers, bro!
Ha! Thanks, my man.
My god, thank you so much, Mike. Seriously, thank you! I would have never have looked twice at this series if you had not recommended it to a commenter on your 75K subscriber live video. I read the sample pages on google, and loved what I read. I then bought the book and I just finished it 20 minutes ago, what a ride. I've never read fantasy or Grimdark before, this is my first time. I am HOOKED!
So glad you’re liking it!
@@mikesbookreviews Thank you! I am on Book Two now! Will immediately head to your spoiler talk once I finish it!
"why do I do this?"
Those damn stairs, am I right?
@@mikesbookreviews Those stairs, but the guy who invented chairs, that guy could be a king!
I loved the chapters with Logen's crew
Alright i just found ur channel and i really really like the introductions u make the quotes and background music and the narration.. U just earn a new subscriber
Thanks! Looking forward the discussion.
“The Firth Law Ith the betht!!” - Practical Frost’s Bookish Inquisition
Ferro is my favorite. Stubborn, painless, and quick.
Heavy pink bastard ! 😂
Jezal and Logen was by far my favourites, got me trough this book.
The thought of a Tournament coming up helped me too.
Always enjoy your videos. This review was thorough and to the point, well done. I just finished this audio book. So I have a bit of a different view of characters due to the narration. Great characters to follow on this journey. Really excited for book 2. You have a great channel, I hope you grow!
Thanks a ton for the kind words and for commenting. Glad you're diving into the series. There's nothing else like it.
Definitely a set-up novel, especially for character acts, except for Logen. Ended at a weird point for me.
Logen is awesome, love him, JA did some real heavy lifting with Logen in the first few times we see him, really really well done.
A lot to commend in this book; humour, decent action (the Contest was disappointing for me) some surprises (Logen's warp spasm, West's assault), the characters are probably the strongest aspect, love hate sympathize despise, so good. The mini funeral when the Weakest returns to the mud, damn that was emotional. Really enjoyed this, 8.9462 out of 10, finished this today and I think I'm going to go crack book 2 right now.
take care Mike, stay safe, thanks for the rec on this one, so worth it
West was the one that really shocked me in this book. Just...ugh.
Just finished. Call me impressed. Excited to read book number 2. Thank you for the recommendation sir.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is the quote that really drew me to this book!!
So happy I can finally watch these. :)
This series is just the greatest.
Video idea- full recap of each book book to help us who took long breaks between books
Glokta is great ofc, but also Logen.
I just finished the blad itself and the first thing I recommended was these video
I am still reading through the last book in the series, so this might change, but you might actually be underselling Glokta. For my money he might be the most original and morally complex character since McCarthy’s Chigurh, though obviously different in many ways.
Loved the book!!! It was so fresh and new. I'm glad I read it. Thanks for your recommendation! Cant wait to start book 2...
P.S -.Mastadon 🤘
Glad you enjoyed it
I’m reading this at the moment. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do since everyone on booktube talks about how good it is. Usually that tells me something will be lame. I’m pleasantly surprised. I’m gonna stop before I get to spoilers. This whole quarantine thing is doing wonders for my reading. Can’t leave the house or go to work so I’m just reading and eating haha.
I totally agree! I won't lie, when I did my Why I Decided to Read on it I was uncertain if I was going to finish it or not. Now I'm 2 books away 1 year later. It's been crazy.
Mike's Book Reviews I just finished The Bade itself, I loved it. I think my favourite character is Bayez, favourite scenes were Glokta in the library reading scrolls about Bayez and then when the enter the house of the Maker. I loved those scenes. I’m glad I got the whole trilogy before the city went lockdown.i think I’ll start book 2 today. I love finishing books and going to your videos, I think we agree on everything so far. Of all booktube I find we’re on the same page with likes dislikes... Although in hindsight I did enjoy Name of the wind. Haha. Also Mastadon are great band, usually they’re my drinking band. If I’m going to meet friends I’ll listen to them.
@@briangallagher3106 NotW is like the great anomaly between my viewers and I. I know it's a very unusual opinion and I wish I understood it. Heh. Glad you're like First Law. I simply adore it.
Great first book in a series. I was intrigued by almost all of the characters.
Stairs. Fucking god damn stairs. Nothing contains greater evil than GOD. DAMN. FUCKING. STAIRS.
Definitely the best booktuber 💪🏻, after all you have to be realistic.
Glad to see you’re also a Mastodon fan!
I tried to read this about 3 years ago and DNF for some reason. Decided to try again just recently and I’m Obsessed now. Lesson I learned is if your not enjoying a book, you should try it again at another stage in your life and your opinion could flip.
Im currently reading Book 1 im at page 90 and the book kinda boring and slow should i finish it? Will it get interesting as i read it?
@@knightrix21 I think that’s why I gave up the first time I tried to read it but I’m really glad I went back and finished it. I felt just like you do now but the story dose pick up and things get really interesting and intense. Book one is just laying the foundation, book two things are really heating up and book three will blow your mind and trust me, you’ll wish it didn’t end.
I think His 2nd book, "The Trouble with Peace" from the other trilogy is in my top 3 books of ALL TIME.
This sounds REAL interesting
It's such a great series.
Hey mike, just finished the book and loved every bit of it... Thanks for the recommendation!
Glad you liked it!
Finally finished book 1. Was great!
This is great! Gotta say the chapters with Threetrees crew were hilarious…especially in regards to Black Dow 😂
I'm pretty sure I remember reading something about Ferro being able to carry the seed. So in terms of why she's special and why bayaz recruited her I think this is at least one thing that's been hinted that. Just acquired books 2+3 so I'm excited to see where it goes
This book was great. Already about to start the second. Cant wait to read through this absorbing trilogy!
you and Daniel Greene are my favorite booktubers.
Same here, Mike and Greene are my go to reviewers
@@WakingTheDemon04 I changed my mind on Greene now its Phillip Chase and Mike
@@currangill430dang what happened with Greene?
@@blandface9957 Anxiety I think. He's back. Or do you mean why I don't like him that much?
@@currangill430 why you don't like him that much, I've heard this sentiment from multiple people so I'm kind of curious
Just finished this. There were so so many passages you could have used for the intro.
That's why I tried to use different ones for the non-spoiler version I did recently.
Huge Mastodon fan! Epic songs. (Blood Mountain is my favorite album from them.) Just finished “The Blade Itself” and looking to see what other people think. Sub 👍🏻
#1 Mastodon hell yeah!
#2 $23.99 on Amazon for the entire trilogy,jump all over it right?
1) \m/
2) Heck yeah. I think I paid that much for each individual hardcover.
That's a very good deal! I paid $60 total for all 3 in paperback.
I wish this boks were easier to get here in Colombia, sounds really interesting and fun! The only book by him I've seen in physical is A little hatred, and its not exactly cheap. Are Fantasy books like this are expensive there as here?
Great 👕
logan and glockta best char of the book.
As much as I really enjoy most of the characters, logen and glokta especially, I think the guy I want to see more of most of all is bayaz. Really interested in what this guy is all about.
West WAS my favorite
Agreed, West WAS my favourite, he’s gonna need to seriously redeem himself after Ardy (I’m assuming I can say this as this is spoilers for first book)
Yeeeahhh Mastadon!
Ferro calling all the white people “pink” had me dying
Also, Logen panicking about the City
do we get a map at some point?
IIRC, Nope. But fans have made it and Joe has acknowledged it as canon. atlasoficeandfireblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/first-law-map-with-scale.png
I’m surprised you weren’t questioning whey did Bayaz take Jezal with him. Out of all the gang members, Jezal is the only one who looks like a normal human being with no uniquely useful skills .. even his combat abilities are questionable and his elite status is meh, not a prince
This is my first book by him and two thinks stuck out to me. 1. There's no plot. 2. Such witty conversations between characters.
Im currently reading Book 1 im at page 90 and the book kinda boring and slow should i finish it? Will it get interesting as i read it?
Well, I checked out the Blade itself, and for a while, I will be taking a break from grimdark fantasy.
It’s not for everyone.
@@mikesbookreviews But it was good ride.
Try eddings
Im currently reading Book 1 im at page 90 and the book kinda boring and slow should i finish it? Will it get interesting as i read it?
True statement: glockta can beat darth Vader if he joins the sith
Great video! One.. Correction I guess? Logen doesn't have a split personality, he's demon possessed.
That's a spoiler for a future book, though. You should delete it.
Non spiritually oriented people can't see the difference. Some thing you have to get used to. Salute!
Hey, thanks for the fucking spoiler bro.
why tf would you spoil that for me jesus. I was thinking it might be that but now taht's ruined wow.
@@ves138 this isnt a confirmed theory. It is simply a theory. My mans just making up theories and throwin em down as facts
Except for Ferro Majinn: the women were weak point in the 1st book.
I love your videos my dude, but maybe shorten the intro sequence? It's like 1 minute of books, not very appealing me thinks.
The part where you read snipets from the book is great tho! :D
I have! The new one is 18 seconds.
Keep your intro, Mike I love it.
Ok....just finished this and unfortunately I have to disagree with you that it was a page-turner, at least not for me...before I go on I gave this 3/5, but believe that Name of the Wind was a better book at 3/5.... I like the characters but did not feel attached to any of them and thought them to be somewhat blend except for maybe Glokta..... there was also too much going on... You're following way too many people and way too many things are happening at once....I just got lost in some areas or plain just lost interest....the last 3 chapters took me 3 weeks to read as I felt it shlogged.... in all fairness though I was reading two other books so I was jumping between those three books....some areas of the book did pique my interest and for that fact I do want to read on to the second book.....I think I'll re-read this when I have no other books on the go.
Like I always say, difference of opinion is welcome here. I think the lack of attachment is because these characters in book 1 are all VASTLY different by book 3. But I won't tell you that if you didn't care for this book you'll love the next two, as they're in the same vein. However, there is a lot more expansion in the follow up books outside of Adua. I'd recommend keeping with it, but if it isn't your cup of tea, I can get that.
@@mikesbookreviews oh I will definitely keep going on these... I received the three first books as a gift and I'm always interested in reading any sort of fantasy whether I like it or not..... or what other people think of it... Perfect example is I'm reading broken Empire right now which I've heard many mixed reviews about... Again I will most likely re-read Blade Itself and just continue through the series.... I did enjoy your review though 👍📚
@@MrTofy1974 I still need to read the 3rd Broken Empire book. Enjoyed the first two.
Just finished The Blade Itself yesterday and know I am starting to understand the love surrounding these books/trilogy 🫢🫢🫢🫢 it was so good! I adore the characters, I haven’t been this invested since Mistborn 🥹🥹🥹🥹 so happy for this recommendation ☺️☺️☺️ thank you so much for being a spoke’s person for this series 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Inquisitor Glokta might be my new all time favorite character 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Im currently reading Book 1 im at page 90 and the book kinda boring and slow should i finish it? Will it get interesting as i read it?
I could handle all the brutal bloodshed, the torture scenes, everything. But West beating Ardee made me feel gross. I had liked him but at that point it turned into pure hatred of him. If Abercrombie tries to bring him back into being likeable he has to work magic.
Did you end up liking him or feeling bad for him at the end of book 3? Lol
@@paragon1782 I did feel bad for him, but still didn't really like him
@@who_the_fuck_is_riley5813 I felt the same.