36. The Blade Itself (First Law #1)

By Joe Abercrombie (560 pp, ebook)

This is a fantasy series set in a primitive-ish Europe? It's the story of a bunch of very different characters who cross paths by the end. There are battles and more set to come, crooked politicians, some slight magic elements that add mystery. I just read my first Joe Abercrombie earlier this year and now I have at least 6 of his books sitting around here. Terrific characters. Very dark and brutal but also funny. Inquistitor Glotka is one of my most favorite characters I've come across in a long time.