Logen Ninefingers, the notorious barbarian, has finally used up his luck. Involved in a dispute, he is on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving behind nothing but bad songs, dead friends, and many satisfied enemies.

The noble captain Jezal dan Luthar, a fearless officer and the epitome of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous on his mind than cheating his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen north, they fight by bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, a cripple turned torturer, would love nothing more than to see Jezal come home in a box. But Glokta hates everyone: extracting high treason from the Union with one confession after another leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses could lead him straight to the rotten heart of the government, if only he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he will make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta considerably more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies come to light, old debts are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.