The first novel in Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, and one of the most assured debuts in grimdark fantasy. Three storylines converge on the city of Adua: Logen Ninefingers, a barbarian from the frozen North with a reputation for survival and a darker secret he tries not to examine too closely; Sand dan Glokta, a crippled torturer for the Inquisition who was once the most celebrated swordsman in the Union and now extracts confessions through methods he applies with equal parts professionalism and self-loathing; and Jezal dan Luthar, a vain, lazy nobleman coasting on his looks and his talent with a sword. The wizard Bayaz arrives claiming to be the First of the Magi and sets events in motion that none of them are prepared for. The Blade Itself is largely a novel of introductions, but the characters are so precisely drawn that it barely matters.