The Ninefingers Logen, a notorious warrior from the North, finds himself in a dire situation for the umpteenth time 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, it seems, someone still has plans for him, someone 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 competition. But a war is approaching - and in the frozen North, they fight by very different rules...

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

Finally, there is Bayaz, a cantankerous and particularly volatile old man. Is he truly the First of the Magi or a cunning charlatan? Whoever he may be in the end, the only certain thing is that he will make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta extremely difficult...

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

"Exciting plot, complex characters, and dark humor. It's not an ordinary book."
("Deathray")

"There is a brutality in 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 you must not miss."
(Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author)