History Awesome / TheFirstLaw

* Although it turns out to be a SenselessSacrifice, General Jalenhorm charging through the Northmen's ranks and engaging Black Dow himself in single combat is pretty awesome. He was giving Dow quite the trouble before Craw intervened.
* After years of abuse, Shivers finally turns on Black Dow after one insult too many and kills him by splitting his skull from behind, without even giving him the chance to fight back.

* Although it turns out to be a SenselessSacrifice, General Jalenhorm charging through the Northmen's ranks and engaging Black Dow himself in single combat is pretty awesome. He was even giving Dow quite the trouble before Craw intervened.

* Although it turns out to be a SenselessSacrifice, General Jalenhorm charging through the Northmen's ranks and engaging Black Dow himself in single combat is pretty awesome. He would have won the fight if Craw had not intervened.

-->'''Orso''': To her husband, Leo dan Brock, I can only say...how's your leg?

* Orso managing to rise to the occasion in a big way, outsmarting and outnegotiating characters who seemed a great deal more capable than him at every turn and winning a seemingly HopelessWar to secure his crown.
* Rikke seems to start out holding none of the cards, being the maiden daughter of the old chief whose only fleeting importance is that people still respect her father's memory. She ends up removing her rivals, [[OutGambitted double-crossing the people who tried to double-cross her,]] and placing herself as ruling Queen of the Northmen. She didn't even seem to need to use the Long Eye for it, just her wits.
* ''Wisdom of Crowds''

** Zuri revealing herself to be the Eater Ishri and, along with her two "brothers," voids Yoru Sulfur's KarmaHoudiniWarranty. After nine books of him being an arrogant snake whose powers as a Magus and Eater make him untouchable to normal people, he's lured into a trap, has his lower jaw ''ripped off'' by Ishri and then is gruesomely eaten alive by her, Haroon and Rabik.

* Rikke seems to start out holding none of the cards, being the maiden daughter of the old chief whose only fleeting importance is that people still respect her father's memory. She ends up removing her rivals, [[OutGambitted double-crossing the people who tried to double-cross her,]] and placing herself as ruling Queen of the Northmen. She didn't even seem to need to use the Long Eye for it, just her wits.

* Calder dealing a crushing defeat to the Union's cavalry, despite having no previous military experience.]]

* "I'm no dog."

* Glokta, when Bayaz is ''once again'' bragging about how he's masterminded everything and always will, tells him to shut the hell up and get to the bloody point already. There's a reason our dear Inquisitor is one of the very few people [[spoiler:Bayaz]] seems to respect, to a certain degree.

* At the end of the novel, Monza [[spoiler: turns down both Yoru Sulfur and Ishri, demonstrating that she won't bow to Bayaz, Khalul or anyone else.

* Although it turns out to be a SenselessSacrifice, [[spoiler: General Jalenhorm charging through the Northmen's ranks and engaging Black Dow himself in single combat is pretty awesome. He would have won the fight if Craw had not intervened.

* The "negotiation" between the heroes and a Ghost war-band that attacked them. When the Ghosts demand money and cattle in exchange for allowing the settlers to cross their land, Logen says that he has a better offer. He then effortlessly kills three Ghost warriors, chops off their leader's head, and leaves only the translator alive to tell the rest of the tribe to get the hell out of there before he does the same to them.

* The whole Sangeed negotiation, starting with ‘I’ve a better offer,’ and ending with this gem of exchange: The Ghost’s eyes moved from the head to Lamb’s face, and he bared his teeth and hissed out, ‘We will be coming for you! Before dawn, in the darkness, we will be coming for you!’ ‘No.’ Lamb smiled, his teeth and his eyes and the blood streaked down his face all shining with the firelight. ‘Before dawn . . .’ He squatted in front of Locway, still held helpless. ‘In the darkness . . .’ He gently stroked the Ghost’s face, the three fingers of his left hand leaving three black smears down pale cheek. ‘I’ll be coming for you.’

* When Bayaz breaks Sult's furniture as proof of his [[BuffySpeak Magi...ness...]]
* Logen and Ferro's first moment as BashBrothers when they [[spoiler: fight Goyle's Practicals, leading to an epic chase across the Agriont's rooftops.]]
** The trend continues in the second book, when they [[spoiler: battle their way through the Shanka-infested caverns beneath Aulcus.]]

* You can't help but feel for West a bit when [[spoiler: he ''finally'' made a clear decision of his own, and pushed an [[AssholeVictim asshole-idiot of a prince]] that tried to rape a woman downhill to his death.]]

* Logen and his allies [[spoiler: stalling Bethod's army in the High Places for a whole week before [[TheCavalry the Union]] arrives, in a fight that is reminiscent of [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the Battle of Helm's Deep.]]]]
* When Logen [[spoiler: defeats Fenris the Feared in a duel of epic proportions.]]

* The correct answer is ''always'' [[spoiler:Glokta killing Practical Frost in a single paragraph with his sword cane, effortlessly.]]
* When Logen [[spoiler: and his Carls scream and bang their weapons to shields, ''scaring'' the Gurkish into dropping their arms.]]
* When Bayaz [[spoiler: is using the Seed he burns an Eater simply by telling him to do so]]
* Glokta, when [[spoiler:Bayaz]] is ''once again'' bragging about how he's masterminded everything and always will, tells him to shut the hell up and get to the bloody point already. There's a reason our dear Inquisitor is one of the very few people [[spoiler:Bayaz]] seems to respect, to a certain degree.
* Ferro [[spoiler: killing Mamun with her bare hands after being empowered by the Seed.]]

* Every fight Shenkt gets into is [[CurbStompBattle completely one-sided in his favor,]] demonstrating that his reputation as the world's best assassin is not exaggerated. [[spoiler: Though being an Eater doubtlessly helps quite a lot.]]
* Monza and Cosca fighting [[spoiler: General Ganmark]] together.

** [[spoiler: Making his triumphant return after being assumed dead in Visserine and reclaiming his title as Captain General of the Thousand Swords.]]
** [[spoiler: Allowing Monza to win the battle of Ospria after seemingly betraying her to Orso.]]
** [[spoiler: Overcoming his addiction, but keeping it a secret from everyone else, which saves him from Morveer's poison and leads directly to the latter's [[KarmicDeath well-deserved demise.]]]]
* At the end of the novel, Monza [[spoiler: turns down both Yoru Sulfur and Ishri, demonstrating that she won't bow to Bayaz, Khalul or anyone else.]]
** [[spoiler: This leads to an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome for her in the later books: In ''The Heroes'', we learn that Bayaz was so enraged about Monza defying him that he declared all-out war on her. By the time of ''Red Country'', she has successfully driven the Union forces out of Styria.]]

* Any time Gorst decides to start fighting, especially his duels with [[spoiler: Scale]] and [[spoiler: Whirrun.]]
* Finree [[spoiler: bargaining an exchange of prisoners after she's been captured by the Northmen, impressing even Black Dow with her NervesOfSteel.]]
* Calder [[spoiler: dealing a crushing defeat to the Union's cavalry, despite having no previous military experience.]]
* Although it turns out to be a SenselessSacrifice, [[spoiler: General Jalenhorm charging through the Northmen's ranks and engaging Black Dow himself in single combat is pretty awesome. He would have won the fight if Craw had not intervened.]]
* "I'm no [[spoiler:dog.]]"
* Calder [[OutGambitted out-gambitting]] [[spoiler:Bayaz]] at the end of the book. [[spoiler:To clarify - Bayaz has brutally informed Calder that the latter holds the throne of the North at his sufferance, and put him in his place as just another pawn; to ease the sting, Bayaz hands over Scale, the only thing standing between him and kingship. Instead of having his brother killed to seize the throne, Calder gives the crown to Scale, who doesn't know about Bayaz's threats and wouldn't care if he did, and rules from behind the curtain.]] Made doubly awesome because it's also something of a [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.]]

* Lamb[[spoiler:/Logen]] throughout the entire book. [[spoiler: Beating Glama Golden, going back for his friend, winning ''every single fight he gets into in the entire book''? It's official, Logen Ninefingers is the biggest badass in the series...which is a real bloody shame, [[TearJerker as he wanted to avoid all of it.]]]]

* Lamb and Savian [[spoiler: [[BashBrothers teaming up]] to fight Cosca's mercenaries. It takes Cosca [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill firing a cannon]] at the building they're in to finally stop them, and even that doesn't kill Logen.]]
* Shy and Temple [[spoiler: stealing the Dragon People's gold from Cosca and escaping in an armored carriage, which is followed up by a truly magnificent ChaseScene.]]
* Temple's gambit to [[spoiler: get the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Company of the Gracious Hand]] leave Crease without bloodshed. Doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} when it's revealed that the Inquisition and their mercenary thugs were scared out of their wits by a washed-up actor and some random guys in fancy theatre costumes.]]
* Temple delivering a [[TranquilFury calm,]] but scathing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to [[spoiler: Cosca]] at the end of the book. [[spoiler: Note that he does this in the middle of a MexicanStandoff, knowing that Cosca [[VillainousBreakdown has completely lost it]] at that point and could kill him any time.]]

* Orso managing to [[spoiler: rise to the occasion in a big way, outsmarting and outnegotiating characters who seemed a great deal more capable than him at every turn and winning a seemingly HopelessWar to secure his crown.]]
* Rikke seems to start out holding none of the cards, being [[spoiler: the maiden daughter of the old chief whose only fleeting importance is that people still respect her father's memory.]] She ends up [[spoiler: removing her rivals, [[OutGambitted double-crossing the people who tried to double-cross her,]] and placing herself as ruling Queen of the Northmen. She didn't even seem to need to use the Long Eye for it, just her wits.]]