Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of the First Law

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Believe me,’ said Shev, tightening her grip on her knife, ‘I feel your pain. You were going to fight him for nothing, now you’re going to fight forhim for nothing?’ Sarabin Shin dodged a hastily flung mace, then an axe, then carved a water-flask in half with a hissing of steam, then stepped around a flapping boot with a hissing of contempt.

Sand dan Glokta, a dashing young swordsman before his capture and years of torture by the Gurkish. Now crippled, he has become a torturer himself in the Union's Inquisition. The writing is good because Abercrombie knows what he is doing. The more books of his I read, the more I am convinced that his high success is due to the dialogues, whether these are external or internal monologues. There is always a pinch of sarcasm among all the darkness which I like!Bethod, a charismatic and ruthless leader. An excellent military tactician who intends to conquer Angland after he has defeated almost every clan in the North. He is Logen's bitter enemy after he betrayed him and his band of men. He has two nasty sons, Calder and Scale. Whirrun swung the Father of Swords from his shoulder and set it point-down on the bridge. ‘I fear you will have to show me that blade after all, woman.’ Sharp Ends is the ultimate collection of award winning tales and exclusive new short stories from the master of grimdark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie. Some Desperado - 584 (summer) : There is no honour among thieves when the outlaw Smoke finds herself being hunted down by her own comrades.

Told from Salem Lew’s POV, this was a wonderful short story to start off the collection by letting us see a glimpse of Sand dan Glokta’s life before he became the crippled torturer we know. Some other characters from the series also appeared here in their much younger days. West, Tunny, and Valimir specifically. I am ranking this as the second best short story in this collection. I mean, come on... it’s Sand dan Glokta's younger days! It's our beloved torturer here! Javre narrowed her eyes still further. Blue slits, they were. ‘All right. But don’t think you’re talking us out of fighting, Shevedieh.’ Glokta's tale shows him at his peak from the eyes of Salem Rews. Glokta was very similar to Jezal dan Luthar in The Blade Itself except he had strong personal motivation. Glokta was an unbearable personality, but he was quite capable. This tale depicts the events directly prior to the battle in which Glokta was captured by the Gurkish.I do not care to step aside. Especially on a bridge as narrow as this one.’ Whirrun’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘And your tone somewhat offends me.’ With a sigh of infinite weariness, Shev sank down beside the puddle, took up the bloody rag she had used earlier and wrung it out.

Hell: ‘I have seen hell, and it is a great city under siege.’ The fall of Dagoska through the eyes of a young acolyte. But this is much more than a book that provides "fan service I won’t disagree,’ lamented Whirrun. ‘The greater a man’s power swells, the smaller his good qualities shrivel.’ A decent short story in a day of Curnden Craw, one of the main characters from The Heroes. Together with his crew, Curnden Craw has been sent on a mission to recover a ‘thing.' It is good to see the faces of Craw and his crew once again here, but there is nothing too memorable about the story itself.Some Desperado: There is no honour among thieves when the outlaw Smoke finds herself being hunted down by her own comrades.