The Blade Itself
2006
A crippled torturer, a berserker, and a cynical knight are drawn into a brewing war.
First Law Reading Order
Joe AbercrombieComplete10 books
First Law is best read in publication order: all 10 First Law books, from The Blade Itself (2006) to The Wisdom of Crowds (2021). Open The Blade Itself and keep going. Read the original trilogy before the standalones and Age of Madness.
Updated August 2026
Best read in publication order
- The First Law trilogy
Before They Are Hanged
2007
The Union faces invasion while a desperate quest sends companions beyond the known world.
Last Argument of Kings
2008
War engulfs the North as betrayals and battles decide the fate of the Union.
- Standalones
Best Served Cold
2009
A mercenary captain assembles a crew for a brutal revenge campaign in Styria.
The Heroes
2011
A single battle over a hill in the North unfolds across three days of mud and slaughter.
Red Country
2012
A retired soldier crosses the Circle Sea to rescue settlers in a lawless frontier.
- Sharp Ends
- Age of Madness
A Little Hatred
2019
A generation later, industrial unrest and old grudges threaten the Union again.
The Trouble with Peace
2020
Political maneuvering and violence escalate as the Age of Madness deepens.
The Wisdom of Crowds
2021
Revolution and reaction collide in the climax of the Age of Madness trilogy.
How First Law is structured
Before you start
Joe Abercrombie's First Law world opens with a trilogy (2006–2008), then three standalones and a short-story collection in the same muddy sandbox, then the Age of Madness trilogy (2019–2021) set about thirty years later. Gritty, funny in a mean way, and allergic to chosen-one comfort.
Read the original trilogy first as a unit. Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country follow. They share the world and faces but each stands as its own novel. Standalone means self-contained plot, not safe to skip before Age of Madness. Sharp Ends is optional short fiction. The Great Change collects later Age of Madness shorts after The Wisdom of Crowds.
Start with The Blade Itself. Jumping to a standalone first only makes sense if you already know you just want one self-contained hit like The Heroes. Otherwise earn the cast the hard way and let the bitterness accumulate properly. If you want heroes who stay clean, look elsewhere. If you want bastards who somehow still matter to you, you are home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many First Law books are there?
Nine novels plus Sharp Ends short fiction: original trilogy, three standalones, and Age of Madness.
Can I skip the standalones before Age of Madness?
You will follow the plot, but Age of Madness leans on people and fallout from Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country. Prefer all three before A Little Hatred.
What order for Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country?
Any order after the trilogy works; publication order is the usual advice.
Is Sharp Ends required?
No. Read after Red Country or after Age of Madness. Spoiler risk if read too early for some stories.
Where should I start with First Law?
The Blade Itself. Do not start with Age of Madness.
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