Logen Ninefingers, a notorious warrior of the North, finds himself in dire straits once again in his life. Surrounded by enemies and with his companions dead, he may be facing death for one last, fateful time. But the dead will give him one last chance - because, as it seems, someone still has plans for the one they call the Bloody-Nine.

Captain Jezal dan Luthar is perhaps the most self-centered young man in the Union. His sole ambition is to gain glory and fame in the annual fencing contest. But a war is approaching - and in the frozen North, they fight by very different rules...

Inquisitor Glokta, once a hero, former prisoner of war, and now a torturer, would be particularly happy to see Jezal dead. Of course, the truth is that Glokta hates everyone. The frantic search for traitors leaves him no room for friends - and the latest series of murders he is investigating may lead straight to the corrupt heart of the government... if he manages to stay alive to solve the case.

Finally, there is Bayaz, a grumpy and particularly irritable old man. Is he really the First of the Magi or a cunning fraud? Whoever he is, the only certainty is that he will make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta extremely more difficult...

"The best example of modern fantasy literature."
("SFX")

"Gripping plot, complex characters, and underlying humor. This is not an ordinary book."
("Deathray")

"There is a savagery to his world and an awareness of the cost of violence that is extremely contemporary."
("The Times")

"Abercrombie has written the best fantasy trilogy in recent years. He is an author not to be missed."
(Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author)