10 Best Books Like The Blade Itself
If you loved The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, here are the most similar books our readers recommend.
Quick Answer
The best books like The Blade Itself are:
- 1The Black Company by Glen Cook0
- 2The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang0Series starter
- 3The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison0
- 4A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin0Series starter
- 5The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon0
- 6The Primal Hunter by Zogarth4.6Series starter
- 7The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin0#1
- 8Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman4.5Series starter
- 9The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch4.5#1
- 10The Incandescent by Emily Tesh4.4
A bitter, crippled torturer, a vain nobleman who cheats at cards, and a legendary warrior trying to escape his bloody past find their lives thrown into chaos when a mysterious bald man claiming to be the First of the Magi drags them into his schemes. As old enemies stir and ancient powers awaken, these unlikely companions must navigate a world where heroes are scarce and good intentions often lead to terrible consequences. Abercrombie delivers a gritty, darkly humorous fantasy that turns traditional genre tropes on their head.
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Detailed Recommendations
The Poppy War
Start of Poppy War seriesby R.F. Kuang
Why you'll love it:
This delivers a very similar reading experience to The Blade Itself — fans consistently love both.
A Game of Thrones
Start of A Song of Ice and Fire seriesby George R.R. Martin
Why you'll love it:
This fantasy shares a brutal and cynical tone that will resonate with The Blade Itself fans.
The Primal Hunter
Start of The Primal Hunter seriesby Zogarth
Why you'll love it:
This fantasy shares a darkly optimistic tone that will resonate with The Blade Itself fans.
The Fifth Season
Broken Earth #1 (works standalone)by N.K. Jemisin
Why you'll love it:
This fantasy shares a devastating but empowering tone that will resonate with The Blade Itself fans.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Start of Dungeon Crawler Crawler seriesby Matt Dinniman
Why you'll love it:
This fantasy shares a darkly hilarious yet brutal tone that will resonate with The Blade Itself fans.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Gentleman Bastard #1 (works standalone)by Scott Lynch
Why you'll love it:
This fantasy shares a witty but brutal tone that will resonate with The Blade Itself fans.
by Emily Tesh
Why you'll love it:
This fantasy shares a dark and introspective tone that will resonate with The Blade Itself fans.
Quick Comparison: Books Like The Blade Itself
| Book | Author | Rating | Year | Pages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Black Company | Glen Cook | 0 | 1984 | — | Closest match |
| The Poppy War📚 Series starter | R.F. Kuang | 0 | 2018 | — | Start a new series |
| The Goblin Emperor | Katherine Addison | 0 | 2014 | — | Similar vibes |
| A Game of Thrones📚 Series starter | George R.R. Martin | 0 | 2005 | — | Start a new series |
| The Priory of the Orange Tree | Samantha Shannon | 0 | 2019 | — | Similar vibes |
| The Primal Hunter📚 Series starter | Zogarth | 4.6 | 2022 | 714 | Start a new series |
| The Fifth Season | N.K. Jemisin | 0 | 2015 | — | Similar vibes |
| Dungeon Crawler Carl📚 Series starter | Matt Dinniman | 4.5 | 2020 | 446 | Start a new series |
| The Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | 4.5 | 2006 | 752 | Similar vibes |
| The Incandescent | Emily Tesh | 4.4 | 2025 | 432 | Similar vibes |
Authors Who Write Like Joe Abercrombie
If you enjoy Joe Abercrombie's writing style, explore these similar authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What books are most similar to The Blade Itself?
The most similar books to The Blade Itself are The Black Company, The Poppy War, The Goblin Emperor.
What should I read after The Blade Itself?
After finishing The Blade Itself, readers most commonly pick up The Black Company next. Alternatively, you might enjoy more books by Joe Abercrombie, such as Before They Are Hanged.
Who writes books like Joe Abercrombie?
Authors similar to Joe Abercrombie include Jessica Townsend, Lisa McMann, Jasper Fforde, Erin Hunter, Andrew Peterson.
What genre is The Blade Itself?
The Blade Itself is a Fantasy novel by Joe Abercrombie, published in 2009.
How long is The Blade Itself?
The Blade Itself is 624 pages long.
More by Joe Abercrombie
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About The Blade Itself
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. Vain, shallow, selfish and self-obsessed, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men. And Logen Ninefingers, an infamous warrior with a bloody past, is about to wake up in a hole in the snow with plans to settle a blood feud with Bethod, the new King of the Northmen, once and for all - ideally by running away from it. But as he's discovering, old habits die really, really hard indeed ...especially when Bayaz gets involved. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Glotka, Jezal and Logen a whole lot more difficult ...