The First Law The plot of the original trilogy involves three major powers: The Union, the Gurkish Empire, and the North, recently united under King Bethod. There are two major theaters of war. The first takes place in the north between the Union and the Northmen, who invade the Union's northern province of Angland. The second is in the south between the Union and the Gurkish Empire, who attempt to annex the Union city of Dagoska. The trilogy centers on the fortunes of a variety of characters as they navigate through these and other conflicts. The trilogy follows the stories of six point-of-view characters, whose paths often intersect.
The Blade Itself The first book introduces the three main characters of the trilogy and three secondary ones. Logen Ninefingers is a warrior who earned a fearsome reputation helping to bring Bethod to power in the North, but has since fallen out with him. Logen and his small crew of friends flee after being attacked by Shanka creatures. Logen is separated from his crew, and sets off on his own path. He meets Bayaz, a powerful centuries-old Magus, who enlists Logen's help in accompanying him to Adua. Sand dan Glokta leads an Inquisition investigation into a bribery case, which leads to him uncovering a wider corruption among the merchants. His superiors divert him into investigating Bayaz. Jezal, a vain young nobleman who has become a Union army officer due to his connections, trains for a prestigious swordfighting tournament. He falls in love with Ardee, the sister of his friend and superior Major Collem West, and wins the tournament with help from Bayaz. At a celebration banquet, Bayaz is challenged to prove who he is by entering the House of the Maker. The main characters of the book converge in accompanying Bayaz into the building. Bayaz retrieves an artifact and announces his plan to retrieve the Seed, a powerful magical artifact that can help him take on Khalul and the Gurkish Empire. The book also follows the journey of Logen's companions, led by Dogman, to warn Bethod about the Shanka, and Ferro, a mysterious escaped Gurkish slave, with some useful hidden powers, who travels with another Magus to find Bayaz. West is recruited to the Lord Marshall's personal staff, in preparation of the army moving out to defend Angland.
Before They Are Hanged The book follows three distinct sets of characters as war breaks out on two fronts. In the south, Sand dan Glokta and his inquisitors attempt to repel a Gurkish invasion of the city of Dagoska, the Union's sole possession on the continent, won some decades earlier at great cost. In the North, the book follows Colonel West and the Northmen as they attempt to deal with Bethod, who intends to force the Union out of Angland, their principal northern possession. Finally, the book follows Logen, Ferro, and Jezal as they journey into the far west of their world with the sorcerer Bayaz, First of the Magi, seeking out a powerful and dangerous ancient artifact known as the Seed. The book makes it explicit that all these events are interconnected and part of the greater machinations of a sorcerer called Khalul, Second of the Magi and one of Bayaz's enemies. Khalul has raised a great army of slaves and Eaters (cannibalistic transformed humanoids with enhanced durability and magical abilities), and has indirectly given Bethod an alliance with the Flatheads, orc-like creatures created as weapons in an ancient war, as well as a man known as the Feared, who is supernaturally all but immune to damage. The story ends on a low note for all groups involved: Dagoska is lost to the Gurkish; an intrigue sees both heirs to the throne killed and an innocent man is blamed for political reasons; the quest for the Seed is an abject failure; and Bethod remains at large in the North; Ferro and Logen's burgeoning relationship ends abruptly as both are incapable of making it last.
Last Argument of Kings After returning from the west, Jezal is revealed to be a bastard son of the deceased king and his identity was hidden by Bayaz. Bayaz’s manipulation sees Jezal elected as new king of the Union. Logen returns to the North, kills Bethod and becomes the new king. Bayaz goes to the house of the Maker, and succeeds in unlocking the power of the Seed (which is found in the house). Meanwhile, the Gurkish have invaded the Union and have reached Adua. Logen sets out to aid the Union and a treaty is forged between the Union and the North. During the battle, Bayaz destroys large parts of the Gurkish army, together with the city of Adua itself, while using the power of the seed. His rampage is only ended when Ferro manages to contain the seed and, in the end, the battle is won. At the end of the book, Glokta, now the Arch Lector, is installed as Bayaz's proxy in the Closed council, while Jezal's role as king is revealed to be merely Bayaz's puppet. Ferro, granted fresh powers by her exposure to the seed, returns to the south to kill the emperor. Logen returns to the North, but is betrayed by Black Dow who becomes king.
Standalone books The three standalone books are set in the same world as the trilogy. Some of the major characters are minor characters from the original trilogy while several major characters from the trilogy sometimes also appear in smaller roles, cameos or are mentioned in passing. This set of novels is sometimes marketed under the name
World of the First Law, and has also been released as a combined, omnibus volume with the title
The Great Leveller.
Best Served Cold The first of three stand-alone books following the original trilogy, this book follows mercenary Monzcarro “Monza” Murcatto on her quest for revenge after a deadly betrayal. The book introduces new characters from the world of the First Law and features multiple known characters from the original trilogy, including Caul Shivers, Shylo Vitari and Nicomo Cosca. Monza Murcatto is a mercenary commander in the services of the Grand Duke Orso, previously mentioned in
Last Argument of Kings as the father-in-law to the King of the Union, Jezal dan Luthar. After another successful battle to unite Styria under the rule of Orso, Monza and her brother Benna, who is also her second-in-command, are summoned to the palace of the Grand Duke in Talins. There she has to witness the murder of her brother at the hands of the Grand Duke and his men who suspect the siblings of planning to overthrow Orso. She herself is severely injured and thrown off the balcony to fall down the side of a mountain but miraculously survives. The rest of the book is divided into seven parts, one for each person involved in her brother’s murder. These are Gobba, the Grand Duke’s bodyguard, Mauthis, a representative of the banking clan Valint and Balk, General Ganmark, leader of Orso’s army, a senior captain of Monza’s mercenary company named Faithful Carpi, the Grand Duke himself and his two sons, Prince Ario and Count Foscar. Together they abduct and kill Gobba. The second part takes place in Westport where Mauthis works for the banking house of Valint and Balk. Monza hires the master poisoner Castor Morveer and his assistant Day to help them in the coming assassination plots. At night they break into the bank and poison all ledgers to kill Mauthis. The fourth part takes place in the city of Visserine which is soon to be besieged by Orso’s army led by General Ganmark. Monza’s crew intentionally enters the city before the siege. The book is divided into five parts which depict the preparations for the battle, the three days of battle respectively and the days and weeks after the battle. The story is narrated from the point of view of several different characters of which three can be considered the main characters. Curnden Craw is a seasoned veteran in Black Dow’s army and chief to a crew of warriors. After many years of fighting, he is only interested in keeping the members of his crew alive and doing the right thing, which he both finds increasingly difficult in the chaos of the battle. “Prince” Calder is the younger son of the late King Bethod. He is generally trying to avoid battle and even suggesting peace with the Union. He is scheming and plotting to take Black Dow’s place which is made difficult by the fact that Black Dow holds Calder’s pregnant wife hostage, At the end of the first day both armies are firmly settled to the north and to the south of the river that is dividing the valley of Osrung. On the second day the Union attacks Osrung in the east and the bridge in the west with full force. They manage to completely take Osrung until they are driven out of the northern half, but can hold onto the southern half of the town. In the west several efforts to take the bridge and establish a foothold on the northern banks of the river fail until Bremer dan Gorst again throws himself into the fighting. He singlehandedly breaks the deadlock and takes the bridge for the Union, seemingly killing Calder’s brother in the process. Meanwhile behind the lines a raiding party of unaffiliated Northmen attacks the Union’s headquarters, kill the officers and take Finree dan Brock captive, the Lord Marshal’s daughter. Finree is freed by Black Dow and sent back to her father with an offer of peace. The peace offer is dismissed by Bayaz who insists on continuing fighting. On the third day the Union presses on at all three key positions. In the centre the Union suffers heavy losses while advancing on the Heroes. They nearly retake them but are ultimately driven off. In the east the Union retakes the whole of Osrung until a Gurkish agent and Eater causes a huge explosion that stops the advance there. In the west Calder is in charge after the apparent death of his older brother. Through clever traps and ruses, he manages to hold off the Union’s advance for some time. Lord Marshal Kroy sees the carnage and devastation and decides to finally take the peace that Black Dow had offered the previous day. The fighting stops and both armies retreat. After the battle Dow finds out about Calder’s plots to kill him and intends to execute him. Calder instead challenges Dow to a duel. Calder is clearly inferior in the duel and about to be killed when Dow is killed by Caul Shivers whom Dow had insulted too many times. Calder’s brother is revealed to have survived the assault on the bridge and is declared the new king of the Northmen with Calder pulling the strings while he himself is under Bayaz’ control. Finree dan Brock, who for the whole novel has tried to advance her husband’s position, convinces Bayaz to appoint her husband Lord Governor of Angland. Bremer dan Gorst is reinstated as the King’s First Guard. Craw shortly retires from fighting but is seen returning at the first opportunity.
Red Country The last of the three is set about thirteen years after the
First Law trilogy and takes place in the Far Country, a
frontier-like setting located to the west of the Union. It follows a young woman named Shy South and Logen Ninefingers who has settled down in the Far Country under the name Lamb. After their farm is attacked in their absence and Shy's younger siblings are abducted, they follow the kidnappers across the Far Country. At the same time Nicomo Cosca, last seen in
Best Served Cold, has been hired by the Inquisition of the Union to track down any rebels from Starikland that might be hiding in the Far Country. These two groups meet in the finale of the book. Together they attack the so-called Dragon People, a group of indigenous people who live high in the mountains of a remote part of the Far Country. They had ordered the abduction of Shy's siblings and other children because their environment renders them sterile and thus they rely on abducted children for their continued existence. The children are freed successfully and Shy, her siblings and Logen return home. However, Caul Shivers turns up, who still has been trying to track down Logen to exact revenge. Although Caul does not follow through on his revenge plan and returns back to the North, Logen decides it will be safer for Shy and her family if he leaves them because he cannot guarantee that other enemies from his past will not come looking for him.
The Age of Madness The Age of Madness takes place 15 years after the end of
Red Country. The Union has begun to see rapid changes with the onset of an industrial revolution.
A Little Hatred Takes place 15 years after the end of Red Country. The Union has entered early industrial age, and the North is invading Angland again. New characters are introduced, crown prince Orso (son of King Jezal and Queen Terez) and Savine dan Glokta (daughter of Sand dan Glokta and Ardee West). Angland is inherited to Leo dan Brock, the young and reckless son of Finree dan Brock and her late husband, and in the protectorate of Uffrith, Dogman's daughter Rikke has the Long Eye, the ability (or curse) to see the future. There is public discontent in the Union, aimed against the Banks and social structures, led by factions called the Burners and the Breakers. In the South there is a rumour that the prophet Khalul has been killed by a demon, and there is a civil war. In the north, Stour Nightfall, son of Black Calder and nephew to King Scale Ironhand, leads the invasion of Uffrith and Angland.
The Trouble With Peace King Jezal dies and is succeeded by crown prince Orso, with whom Savine had an affair, which she broke after finding out he was her half brother. After marrying to Leo dan Brock, the couple starts to plot rebellion against the crown, with the help of the North, which fails nevertheless. Rikke regains control of her Long Eye, and in the mist of Northern attack on Adua, she betrays Leo and claims the North. Leo is saved from the hanging by Savine's confession to Orso that they found out they were siblings, and even though Leo's rebellion failed, a new one is ready to succeed, armed with Angland's weapons.
The Wisdom of Crowds Revolution is swift and new change is taking place in the Union. The first ones to go are the banks of Master Bayaz. Savine dan Glokta manages to became popular hero and mother of the nation, after her fight with rebel leaders, and her husband manages to gather enough forces to take over the government. After finding out that Savine and king Orso are related, he manages to throw off king, and proclaim his new born son (Savine had twins) as new one. Ex king Orso is hanged, which causes further tensions between him and his wife. New order is being established. At the North Rikke manages to beat Calder and becomes undisputed ruler of the North. At the end it is shown that the real master-planner of the failed rebellion is Savine's father, Glokta. He wanted to rid the Union of Bayaz's influence. And in the words of his daughter, he put half of the world at fire so he could rule the other half. Bayaz banks are no more, and with them goes his control of the Union.
The Great Change (And Other Lies) A collection of 4 short stories going through industries as they evolved within the Union's equivalent of an industrial revolution. “The Thread” literally follows the thread, from the ex-slaves working in the fields of Gurkhul, through the mills of Adua and the overworked seamstresses, to a dress that’s just not quite good enough for that infamously fastidious leader of fashion Lady Savine dan Glokta. “The Stone” follows one exceptional rock from the rivers of the parched south through the smugglers, spivs, merchants, and jewellers of the burgeoning diamond trade each taking their cut, and ends with the stone that so many have sweated, schemed and haggled over being not quite good enough for the King of the Union’s new crown. “The Point,” meanwhile, digs iron from the penal mines of Angland, forges that iron into a dagger, and the dagger, by a circuitous route, finds its way into the hands of a certain member of the Burners and...well, you’ll get the point. “The Great Change” is something slightly different—again it is a chain of varied points of view, but it follows not an industry, but an idea—the idea of that grand revolution, that blow for the common man, that effort to sweep the past away wholesale—the Great Change itself. == Major characters==