A crippled torturer, a pompous nobleman, and a barbarian warrior are drawn into a war they don't understand -- a fantasy that takes all the genre's tropes and breaks them.
About This Book
Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers. Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards.
Who This Is For
Best for readers who want something unflinching: morally complex, heavy, and honest about the worst of things. The writing rewards attention without being demanding, a good balance of depth and readability. The pacing is balanced, time to breathe between moments that matter. Not the right choice if you're after something comforting or redemptive.
Best Read When
Best read when you're in the mood for something dark and uncompromising, and a read that's balanced and absorbing.
What It Explores
The Blade Itself explores war and its costs — both during and long after, power and ambition and what they cost the people who pursue them, and identity and the gap between who we are and who we pretend to be.
Readers Who Liked This Also Loved
Personalised Recommendations
Answer six questions about how you like to read. No email, no account. Free always.
Find My Next Book →
