As the title indicates, this is a story about revenge. A mercenary leader serving an ambitious warlord is shockingly betrayed and her brother murdered. She sets out to kill the seven people who were complicit in this act of brutal betrayal. The planning and execution of each kill gives the book a nice rhythm... although "nice" is probably not a word to use when talking about Abercrombie's creations, where the darker side of humanity tends to dominate. Who is a good person, how do you become one, what makes a good person turn bad? These are the questions posed by the characters in this book. The answers aren't simple, and Abercrombie's world is, as ever, bleaker than the one I WANT to believe in. But he invites you to take a walk in the dark side, and his shadowy paths are lavishly constructed.