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Series · grimdark epic fantasy
The First Law
The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie has 11 known books (11 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Blade Itself (2006). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is The Wisdom of Crowds.
- Books
- 11 known books (9 novels + 2 collections)
- Published
- 11
- First published
- 2006
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: The Blade Itself (2006) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Blade Itself
The Blade Itself (2006) opens The First Law, introducing a crippled torturer, a vain swordsman convinced he's the hero of his own story, and a manipulative wizard with an unexplained agenda -- the trio Joe Abercrombie pulls together as a looming war approaches. It set the grimdark template of morally grey characters and cynical humor the whole series became known for, running 531 pages ahead of Before They Are Hanged.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Blade Itself - Book 2:
Before They Are Hanged
Before They Are Hanged (2007) continues the single continuous story that opened with The Blade Itself, following Joe Abercrombie's compromised cast through a war run by the venal and incompetent. At 560 pages, it's the second volume of the original First Law trilogy, preceding Last Argument of Kings.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Before They Are Hanged - Book 3:
Last Argument of Kings
Last Argument of Kings (2008) concludes the original First Law trilogy that began with The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged, paying off the wizard's unexplained agenda amid the chaotic, ugly battles Joe Abercrombie built the series' grimdark reputation on. It runs 663 pages, the longest of the trilogy's three volumes.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Last Argument of Kings - Book 4:
Best Served Cold
Best Served Cold (2009) is the first of three First Law standalone novels, following a new protagonist across Joe Abercrombie's world years after the original trilogy while revisiting familiar faces from the sidelines. At 632 pages, it sits between Last Argument of Kings and The Heroes.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Best Served Cold - Book 5:
The Heroes
Published in 2011, The Heroes is part of The First Law, credited to Joe Abercrombie. At 672 pages, it is the longest book in the collection covered here.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Heroes - Book 6:
Red Country
Red Country (2012) is the third of Joe Abercrombie's First Law standalone novels, following a new cast through the same morally compromised world established in the original trilogy. At 464 pages, it follows The Heroes and precedes the short story collection Sharp Ends.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Red Country - Book 7:
Sharp Ends
Sharp Ends (2016) is a First Law short story collection filling in gaps between the earlier books, best read after Red Country once most of its returning characters are familiar. At 304 pages, it sits between Red Country and the Age of Madness trilogy's opener, A Little Hatred.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sharp Ends - Book 8:
A Little Hatred
A Little Hatred (2019) opens the Age of Madness trilogy, jumping The First Law forward a generation into an industrializing, revolution-shaken version of Joe Abercrombie's world and following the children of the original cast. At 496 pages, it follows Sharp Ends and precedes The Trouble with Peace.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Little Hatred - Book 9:
The Trouble with Peace
The Trouble with Peace (2020) continues the Age of Madness trilogy that jumps The First Law forward a generation, following the children of the original trilogy's cast through an industrializing, revolution-shaken world. It runs 506 pages, between A Little Hatred and The Wisdom of Crowds.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Trouble with Peace - Book 10:
The Wisdom of Crowds
The Wisdom of Crowds sits between The Trouble with Peace and The Great Change (and Other Lies) in The First Law's publication order, arriving in 2021.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wisdom of Crowds - Book 11:
The Great Change (and Other Lies)
The Great Change (and Other Lies) follows The Wisdom of Crowds as the most recent entry in The First Law, published in 2023. At 120 pages, it is the shortest of the books covered here.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Great Change (and Other Lies)
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.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in The First Law series?
Eleven: 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, the Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace, The Wisdom of Crowds), and a second short story collection, The Great Change (and Other Lies).
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.
If you like The First Law
Reading order last verified .