Series · grimdark epic fantasy
The First Law
The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie has 10 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Blade Itself (2006).
- Books
- 10 books
- First published
- 2006
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The Blade Itself (2006) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Blade Itself
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Blade Itself - Book 2:
Before They Are Hanged
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Before They Are Hanged - Book 3:
Last Argument of Kings
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Last Argument of Kings - Book 4:
Best Served Cold
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Best Served Cold - Book 5:
The Heroes
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Heroes - Book 6:
Red Country
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red Country - Book 7:
Sharp Ends
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sharp Ends - Book 8:
A Little Hatred
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Little Hatred - Book 9:
The Trouble with Peace
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Trouble with Peace - Book 10:
The Wisdom of Crowds
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wisdom of Crowds
About The First Law
A crippled torturer, a vain swordsman convinced he's the hero of his own story, and a manipulative wizard who never seems to be quite what he claims are pulled together by a looming war and the wizard's own unexplained agenda. Joe Abercrombie's First Law world is epic fantasy stripped of most of its comforting illusions: kingdoms are run by the venal and incompetent, battles are chaotic and ugly rather than glorious, and the people readers root for are, almost without exception, deeply compromised. It's the book that, alongside a handful of contemporaries, helped define "grimdark" as a fantasy mode — morally grey characters, cynical humor, and violence with real, lasting consequences.
The original trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings) sets up the world and its central cast; three standalone novels (Best Served Cold, The Heroes, Red Country) each follow new protagonists across the same world years later, revisiting familiar faces from the sidelines; and the Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds) jumps forward another generation into an industrializing, revolution-shaken version of the same world, following the children of the original cast. It rewards patience and a strong stomach, and pays off with some of modern fantasy's best-earned character arcs.
How to read this series
Start with the original trilogy — The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings — read in that order; it's a single continuous story split into three volumes. From there, publication order works well for everything else: the standalones Best Served Cold, The Heroes and Red Country can technically be read in any order relative to each other since they follow different casts in different places, but reading them in publication order gives the most natural sense of the wider world's history unfolding.
Sharp Ends is a collection of short stories filling in gaps between the earlier books; it's best read after Red Country, once you recognize most of the characters it revisits. The Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds) is set roughly a generation after the original trilogy and pays off much more if you've read at least the original trilogy and Best Served Cold first, since its cast are the children of earlier characters. Nothing here needs to be read before the original trilogy — start there.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in The First Law series?
Ten: the original trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings), three standalone novels (Best Served Cold, The Heroes, Red Country), the short story collection Sharp Ends, and the Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds).
What order should I read The First Law in?
Publication order throughout: the original trilogy first, then Best Served Cold, The Heroes, Red Country and Sharp Ends, then the Age of Madness trilogy. The standalones can be shuffled relative to each other without confusion, but the two trilogies should each be read in sequence and the original trilogy should come before the Age of Madness trilogy.
Do I need to read the standalone novels before the Age of Madness trilogy?
Not strictly, but it helps a lot. The Age of Madness trilogy follows the children of characters introduced across the original trilogy and the standalones, and many of its emotional beats land much harder if you already know their parents' stories.
Is The First Law series finished?
Yes, as a complete arc: the Age of Madness trilogy concluded the story in 2021. Joe Abercrombie has since started a separate new fantasy series (The Devils) unconnected to the First Law world.
Can I start with a standalone novel instead of the original trilogy?
You can, since Best Served Cold, The Heroes and Red Country are each written to work for new readers, but the original trilogy introduces the world, magic system and several recurring characters that make everything afterward land better — it's the recommended starting point.
Reading order last verified .