If you’re looking for the the blade itself reading order for audiobooks, the safest and best beginner-friendly path is simple: read or listen in publication order. For this series, the audiobook order and the print order are the same.

  1. The Blade Itself
  2. Before They Are Hanged
  3. Last Argument of Kings
  4. Best Served Cold
  5. The Heroes
  6. Red Country
  7. Sharp Ends
  8. A Little Hatred
  9. The Trouble with Peace
  10. The Wisdom of Crowds

If you only want the original core trilogy first, stop after book 3. If you want the full First Law world, keep going in the order above.

Quick Reading Order

For Joe Abercrombie’s First Law books, the order that works best for first-time readers and audiobook listeners is the order they were published.

That matters because the later books build on the tone, world, and recurring characters introduced in the first trilogy. You do not need to shuffle the books into a different “chronological” order for your first pass.

Here’s the quick version again:

  1. The Blade Itself
  2. Before They Are Hanged
  3. Last Argument of Kings
  4. Best Served Cold
  5. The Heroes
  6. Red Country
  7. Sharp Ends
  8. A Little Hatred
  9. The Trouble with Peace
  10. The Wisdom of Crowds

If you’re building a bigger fantasy queue, you may also want to keep Joe Abercrombie books in order and The First Law series guide handy.

Best Order for Beginners

For new readers, the best order is still publication order. That is the easiest answer, and in this case it’s also the most practical one.

The first trilogy introduces the setting and the main storytelling style in the cleanest possible way. After that, the standalones and later trilogy assume you already know how this world works, so they land better once you’ve finished the opening run.

That means the beginner order is not some special alternate route. It is the same as the reading order you’d use for publication, whether you are reading on Kindle, borrowing a print edition, or listening through Audible.

If you’re deciding between formats, think workflow first. Audio is great if you want to commute, walk, or do chores while listening. Reading is better if you like to pause, skim back, and track a lot of names or factions.

For more dark-fantasy listening ideas, dark fantasy audiobooks guide and best first audiobook series for fantasy fans are useful next steps.

Book-by-Book Guide

Below is the main First Law reading and listening order, with a quick note on why each book stays where it does.

Order Title Type Why it belongs here
1 The Blade Itself Novel The starting point for the series and the best entry for new readers and listeners.
2 Before They Are Hanged Novel Continues the first trilogy directly and should be read immediately after book 1.
3 Last Argument of Kings Novel Closes the original trilogy, so it belongs before any of the later standalones.
4 Best Served Cold Standalone novel Best after the first trilogy, when the world and style already feel familiar.
5 The Heroes Standalone novel Works best once you know the setting and recurring context from earlier books.
6 Red Country Standalone novel Another later standalone that reads most smoothly after the earlier core books.
7 Sharp Ends Short story collection Optional but rewarding after the first six books, especially if you want more world-building.
8 A Little Hatred Novel Opens the later trilogy and assumes you already know the First Law world.
9 The Trouble with Peace Novel Continue directly from book 8 for the strongest reading flow.
10 The Wisdom of Crowds Novel Finishes the later trilogy and should come last in this sequence.

A useful shortcut: if you want the core story arc only, books 1–3 are your minimum. If you want the full series experience, keep the whole order above.

If you’re branching out after the main trilogy, Best Served Cold reading order and Age of Madness books in order are good companion pages.

Should You Read or Listen?

You can do either, and for this series the audiobook experience is especially strong for a lot of listeners.

Audio tends to work well because the books lean heavily on character voice, dialogue, and shifting perspectives. That makes them a good fit for commutes, long walks, workouts, and other times when you want a story to carry you without needing to sit down and read.

Reading can still be the better choice if you like to:

  • flip back and check names,
  • slow down for dense scenes,
  • or keep track of where each viewpoint fits in the bigger picture.

The important thing is that the order does not change. Whether you use Audible, Kindle, or a paperback from Amazon, start with The Blade Itself and keep going in publication order.

If you’re an audiobook-first listener, that approach is the least confusing and the easiest to sustain over a long series.

Where the Show or Movie Fits

Right now, there is no released screen adaptation to place into a watch order here. If you’re following adaptation chatter, keep the language careful: anything future-facing should be treated as reported or in development unless and until it is officially released.

For story-before-screen readers, that means the books come first either way.

If a show or movie eventually appears, it should be treated as a companion version, not a replacement for the books. The safest plan is still to read or listen to The Blade Itself first, then use the screen version afterward if and when one becomes available.

In other words: there is nothing you need to watch between these books, and there is no adaptation step that changes the order.

Best Starting Point

The best starting point is always The Blade Itself.

That’s true whether you are:

  • a brand-new fantasy reader,
  • a book club member,
  • a commuter looking for a long audiobook,
  • or someone who just wants to know where the series begins before diving in.

If you want the least complicated path, just go straight through the books in order and let the series build naturally. You do not need to overthink chronology, side books, or “best character” rumors before you start.

A good practical rule is this:

If you already know you’ll want more after book one, it can also help to bookmark The Heroes reading order and Sharp Ends audiobook guide for later.

FAQ

What is the correct reading order for The Blade Itself books?
Use publication order: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings, then the later books in the order listed above.

Is the audiobook order different from the print order?
No. The audiobook listening order is the same as the reading order.

Should I start with the standalone novels instead of the trilogy?
For most beginners, no. Start with the first trilogy, then move to the standalones.

Can I read Best Served Cold first?
You can, but it works better after the original trilogy because the world and recurring context feel richer then.

Do I need to read Sharp Ends?
Not if you only want the main novels. It’s optional, but it fits best after the first six books if you want more stories in the same world.

Is there a released TV show or movie for this series?
Not one that needs to be placed into a viewing order right now. If a screen version arrives later, the books still should come first.