jj’s Reviews > The Blade Itself > Status Update

As in the comedy/humour is from the juxtaposition of the different circumstances (masked men and mysterious red-haired woman with a stick chasing after Logen VS Bayaz getting increasingly annoyed with waiting on the boat and from Jezal pov all he had to worry about was Bayaz getting annoyed with Bayaz saying he’s gonna take a bath as his last chance)

It’s hard not to notice how playfully Abercrombie writes, especially the trick he uses of cutting back-and-forth between 2 (often polar) characters (like going b/w Logen, Glokta, and Jezal, Bayaz in same banquet with different levels of understanding what’s happening). In this case, Logen and Farro in the midst of tense fight/chase vs Jezal distraught but air of lazy waiting on the boat. It’s comedic writing

Jezal is maybe a reforming dandy (to be seen) but still a sap.

New character introduction. Named “Bad Enough” and it is enough as both introduction and descriptor to anticipate this new character’s potential role related to what is currently happening/in the middle of current plot point

Technique: strong internal dialogue/thoughts - also a way to reveal backstory relevant to current events and/or strengthen understanding of character and character motivation (eg during emotionally high/tense plot points such as when Logen visited by dead wife, the big argument between West and Ardee)

Writing notes —
Also worth considering how Abercrombie creates palpable backstories between characters without lengthy explanations (eg folded in during heavy and sometimes comedic character descriptions; story within a story during the play). Other authors use flashbacks for backstory reveal (trade-off is disruption of forward beat) but Abercrombie doesn’t really.

From that commander West was speaking to -> Ardee -> West -> Glokta

And then Ruse (call back from the VERY beginning of the book).

Abercrombie really does character work very very well.

Brilliant. Not only do the plot points come together/crash/clash during the denouement but Abercrombie uses well character revelations (and intertwined relationships between characters) to move the plot and the characters together. Like domino pieces making the next fall in the backdrop of a steady beat

For the first time Glokta says what he thinks.

I was mistaken. Brother Longfoot is the exception - he is as he seems and he is a better (annoying) character for it and an annoying character who is the better for it.