From The Blade Itself spawns Before They are Hanged- a novel worthy of being its successor in the sense that it succeeds in almost every aspect that The Blade Itself was lacking. 

Further development into the characters reveals a softer side of them, even those such as Jezel who I originally despised! It is also significantly darker and more violent than the previous novel, though the action for me added to the entertainment. 

Before They are Hanged truly starts and continues to shape the direction of the trilogy, though the ending is not what we readers expect.