** spoiler alert ** 
 I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up The Blade Itself. I'd heard quite a lot about Joe Abercrombie, but for some reason, actually purchasing one of his books hadn't really been a pressing item on my to-do list. 
 I can admit now that it should have been. The Blade Itself hooked me instantly with the Glokta chapters, and eventually the other characters had me as equally invested as the storyline continued. It almost lost me as the storylines eventually interwined near the end, but I stayed on the path long enough to be enthusiastic about reading the next in the series. 
 The only hope I have for the next one is that it keeps to the same standard. I would definitely recommend this.