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    Half a King
    Half a King
    Half a King
    Audiobook9 hours

    Half a King

    Written by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by John Keating

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Yarvi, second son of the feared King Uthrik and the ruthless Queen Laithlin of Gettland, was born with a useless hand, and cannot hold a shield, or make fast a knot, or pull an oar, or do any of the things expected from a man. Left an outcast, he' s surrendered his birthright and been given a woman' s place as apprentice to Mother Gundring, Gettland' s Minister, training to be an adviser, diplomat, healer and translator. But when his father and brother are murdered by Grom-gil-Gorm, King of neighboring Vansterland, Yarvi is forced to take the Black Chair and become king himself - or half a king, at least - swear an oath of vengeance against the killers of his father, and lead a raid against the Vanstermen. Betrayed, left for dead, and enslaved on a rotting trading galley, Yarvi will need all his Minister' s wit and cunning to escape, and all his diplomacy and knowledge to keep a rag-tag band of other slaves together on a month long trek across the frozen wastes of the utmost north. Among them are Sumael, the ship' s single-minded navigator, Rulf, an ex-raider, Jaud, an ex-baker, and Nothing, a mad old man with a mysterious past and an almost magical skill with a sword. And their owner, the brutal Captain Shadikshirram, will be dogging their heels at every step. Father Peace may be the patron god of Ministers, but to reclaim the Black Chair, Yarvi will have to strike a deal with Mother War, and once you' ve invited the mother of crows to be your guest, there can be no telling whose blood will be spilled.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 15, 2014
    ISBN9781490618692
    Half a King
    Author

    Joe Abercrombie

    Joe Abercrombie was born in Lancaster in 1974. His first book, The Blade Itself, was published in 2006. He lives in Bath with his wife Lou and their three children Grace, Eve and Teddy.

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    Reviews for Half a King

    4/5

    799 ratings89 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is my first Joe Abercrombie book, and it wasn’t bad. I suppose it wasn’t phenomenal like I had half thought due to Abercrombie’s growing fans, but it was a solid fantasy story. Enough to make a good story but not too much to make it complicated. There are some important life lessons here and good twists and turns throughout the book – which makes it sort of a page turner. It can easily be read in one night. It held my attention pretty well but it’s not a trilogy I will be running to get the next book for. I will probably read the next book sometime in the future and I do plan on reading more from Abercrombie but I don’t mind if there’s a lag between now and then. Good, but not phenomenal.
    • 4/5
      A solid story. It’s not a new story in any way, but Abercrombie is an excellent writer so it was quite enjoyable. It would have been much better with a narrator who has a little more grimness and depth to his voice. It’s the same narrator for the Assassin’s Apprentice series and that series is for a younger audience so his voice is better suited for that. Regardless, I will be listening to the next book.
    • 5/5
      This book is an exciting start to a new fantasy trilogy. I have not read anything else by this author, but now I want to. This tale of young, crippled Prince Yarvi, who ascends to the throne upon the murders of his father and older brother, is a terrific story. My only slight criticism of the book is that I never got a good idea of the passage of time. I couldn't tell whether events took place over days, weeks or months. The first seven chapters seemed so rushed, I had no idea how much time passed between Yarvi's ascension to the throne and his first attempt to seek revenge for the murders. Then the book took a totally unexpected turn and plunged into a thrilling adventure on sea and land. Yarvi is a self deprecating hero with a wry sense of humor. All of the characters are interesting and you can never be sure of their motives. I liked the fact that the female characters were not passive onlookers. Particularly vivid was the crazy, drunken female sea captain with the determination of Ahab in pursuit of her obsession. The characters face a series of perils and make difficult bargains along the way. Friends and enemies switch roles.This story is complete and there is a satisfying ending to book, it doesn't end in a cliffhanger. However, I am really looking forward to the next two books in this series.I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
    • 4/5
      To be perfectly honest, when I heard Joe Abercrombie was writing a young adult fantasy series, I wasn't terribly interested. I love his First Law stuff, but YA just doesn't do it for me. However, when he released the first excerpt, I was intrigued enough to go ahead and pre-order the book. I'm glad I did.Half a King reads a lot like a streamlined version of Joe's other books. All the elements are there: strong characterization, visceral fight scenes, and excellent (and sometimes subtle) world-building. However, by only having a single point-of-view character, the plot seems to move much faster (and the page count is greatly reduced; I was initially shocked at how short this book is). I also think the narrower focus allowed Joe to play around more with plot devices. Everything is laid out in the story, but you really have to be paying attention to be able to connect all the dots before everything is spelled out clearly towards/at the end.While I don't consider this the best thing Abercrombie has written, it's definitely up there. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for with a tighter focus on character and a plot that never lets itself get bogged down. It's a perfect fantasy book for the summer, and I can't recommend it enough.
    • 5/5
      Fun listen, helps time at work pass by much faster.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book I've read by Joe Abercrombie and thankfully, it did not disappoint. I have a soft heart for fantasy and I especially love political intrigue and kingdom disputes. This book delivers this but it mainly focuses on Yarvi's struggle to come to terms with his frailty and make use of his mind. Despite being so cunning and intelligent, he does not put it to good use at first and the environment in which he lived in was not conducive to his thought process. He learned to sharpen his mind because of his status as a prince but he slacked off big-time in the physical department because of the jeers, taunts, and immense pressure brought on by his fierce king and superior brother. Yarvi's weakling hand hides a keen but cowardly brain and he just as quickly learns the consequences of passivity and his years of meek actions. One of the best things about this book is the fact that there's a bigger picture and it's not just about Yarvi's hardships. He is the main character but he is not the star of the show; rather, he's the poor chap who goes through a bildungsroman. Life has treated him harshly the moment he was born into royalty with a deformed hand. It then continues to buffet him once he becomes king. There's more to Thorlby than the eye can see and we have many sly characters from his mother to the female minister. What's more, in all the grand scheme of things, Yarvi was only a pawn. I'm not going to spoil it as the surprising plot twists and ultimate reveal is satisfying and mind-blowing. It's what makes this book surpass all the other fantasy and the light-YA books nowadays. A book can be entertaining but it's a rare gem for one to be intelligently and meticulously planned out. The storyline carries itself smoothly and the characters are chiseled sharply and contrasted. This is what good fantasy should be and of course, there's betrayal, blood spilled, and riches won.
      Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book.
    • 5/5
      Joe Abercrombie always provides a great read, and this book is no exception. A taut tale full of betrayal, intrigue, violence, humor, twists and turns. Can't recommend it enough.
    • 3/5
      Yarvi is the despised younger son of the king of Gettland. His twisted stump of a hand means he'll never be a warrior, so he has instead turned his cleverness toward becoming a minister to the king. But the day before he is to take the test to become a minister and renounce his claim to the throne, his father and older brother are killed. Crippled Prince Yarvi is now the king, to no one's satisfaction.

      A terrible betrayal leaves Yarvi an oar-slave in a far off land. But though Yarvi never wanted the Black Chair of Gettland for himself, he refuses to allow his betrayers to rule in his stead. He brings all the force of will and cunning he has to bear against his situation, straining to get back to Gettland and revenge himself.

      I really liked Yarvi and the gang of misfits and oddballs he accrues around himself. I was totally enthralled in the beginning of this book, and the ending made me heart beat faster than is safe, but despite all the pirates and cannibals and near death experiences in the middle section, I found it a little bit of a slog and I'm not sure why. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read about alt-Vikings? Regardless, I liked the politics and twists in this book, and will definitely seek out more of the series to find out what Yarvi gets up to next.
    • 5/5
      Fairly classic fantasy tale with well written and characters that you get attached to.
    • 5/5
      A bit slow moving, but the author does a good job setting the stage for the series.
    • 5/5
      An engaging tale of vikings, revenge, and Mother Death. There are few villains, just people.
    • 5/5
      Another fantastic adventure from Joe Abercrombie.

      This lacks a lot of the cynicism that marked Abercrombie's famous Grimdark works, but it has all of the action, tension and twists of fate I've come to expect.

      I burned through it in two settings, and loved every minute.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful, very medieval (or possibly post-apocalyptic) epic of duty and revenge. Prince Yarvi is born with a crippled hand, and then betrayed eventually into slavery. He perseveres through long odds and uses his mind and his training to fight his way back to his home and the throne that he never desired in the first place. Reminds of Rosemary Sutcliff's posthumous book "Sword Song" in the gritty depiction of an early society.

      There are details that place this book outside a strict historical fiction and into fantasy, but the setting is subtle, believable and well written, and the plot turning points constantly surprised me. Setting could be Britain, or Denmark, or Iceland in parts. Very engrossing. Almost as all-consuming as Hild. Reminds me also of Gillian Bradshaw or Guy Gavriel Kay's delicious historical fantasy.

      Advanced reader copy provided by Edelweiss.
    • 4/5
      I read an interview about halfway through reading this book where Mr. Abercrombie mentions it's part Lion King and part Odessey. It's absolutely true from when Simba, sorry Yarvi, is thrown from a tower by his deceitful uncle (this is at the beginning) to Nothing being the name of one of his companions. Still, he manages to make the story fresh with a big twist at the end. His characters are the best part of his books and I enjoyed Yarvi and his associates, whether shipmates or enemies. It's a fun read, not especially fantasy except for some mention of elves, but still interesting.
    • 4/5
      Medieval fantasy without magic. The main character is well developed and interesting, and the plot moves quickly. A number of the characters and events are fairly standard fantasy tropes, but woven smoothly into the story. And while a few of the twists were predictable, it had a few that were harder to spot in advance.

      Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It is violent, graphically at times, but far less so than some of Abercrombie's other work.
    • 4/5
      I received an ARC of this novel through Netgalley.com by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra, in exchange for a review.

      I have been a fan of Joe Abercrombie since his THE FIRST LAW series. That being said, I dove right into this story as soon as I got my hands on it, and I was not disappointed. This is a shorter than usual tale that Abercrombie shares with us, of the revenge sworn to be taken by a prince who has a malformed hand. Thrust into the King's throne suddenly due to the murder of his father, and older brother, Yarvi is introduced to regicide, though barely escapes with his life. Once he escapes, he is caught by slavers, and his tale begins.

      This is the basic story of revenge for the death of one's father (and family, plus being the rulers of the land), added in with the tale of growing up handicapped in a world where being less than hale is as good as being dead. Yarvi's tale shares how his training for the Ministry (similar to a priesthood, giving up all claims/family, yet serving as an advisor for a king) helped him escape his death, make friends, and complete his revenge oath.

      This story was shorter than previous novels by Abercrombie, and thus was a pretty fast read. Being shorter in length, the characters were still pretty well developed and the story contained enough plot twists to keep me wondering how, and when, it would all come full circle. Another good story by Joe.
    • 3/5
      Enjoyed the first and last thirds a lot but got a bit frustrated in the middle as all the descriptive detail of the travelling didn't really advance the story much. I'm not rushing into the second part and after reading other people's reviews I might read the First Law next. I particularly liked the moral stance - that is in a young adult fantasy, not real life - it was refreshing to see selfish, violent people in a violent world who are pragmatic rather than heroes and villains and characters who are subject to change.
    • 4/5
      It was interesting to read this to the heels of "The Goblin Emperor", given the similarities of the initial setups. "Half a King" turns quickly in a, ah, grimmer, darker direction. It was 85% clear where we'd end up very quickly, but that wasn't a big problem (aside from the occasional muttering at the main character - "come on, think about it for five minutes!") Overall an enjoyable ride, even if it doesn't linger the way other of Abercrombie's books.
    • 5/5
      ** spoiler alert ** This was such a quick paced story that I felt compelled to just keep turning the page and actually got quite irritated when everyone wanted to interrupt me.I was initially pulled in due to the main character Yarvi only have one working hand, and the other, basically a stump with maybe two fingers. I thought that was a nice change from the perfect MCs of so many other stories.Once the first betrayal happens everything spirals out from it and the story just takes off. The action just keeps going from that point on. There wasn’t a single moment in this story where I felt bored, instead I felt like it just flew by.The characters were witty and fun, and just enough character development that kept me interested, I wasn’t invested in any of them, but they kept me entertained and I remembered names.I also thoroughly enjoyed that the story stayed on track of what the plot was about, this book according to goodreads is classified as a YA Fantasy book and frankly The fact that the story stayed focused on the plot makes it one of the better YA books I have read and liked. So many of them get lost in the side story of romance that its refreshing to read one that stayed on point. Also people died!!! People who were apart of the story for a period of time, DIED!It sounds weird to be happy about that, but so many YA books are so scared to kill characters that it’s always a nice breath of fresh air when an author says “yup this one dies”.The twists at the end also took me by surprise because frankly Ulthil was a character I just completely wrote off from the start because I never thought someone would bring them back, and I was proved wrong, and I am here for this kind of story.I am actually interested to see what happens in book 2, as this had a pretty solid ending to it and frankly I feel if I wanted to stop here I could, but I want more haha
    • 3/5
      Still the dark realism of Abercrombie, but bite sized with a little more hope. It does feel cribbed from his other works, but having a single protagonist who is more likeable really makes this feel more traditional.
    • 3/5
      Yarvi, currently a prince, but determined to become a minister suddenly has Kingship thrust upon him, after his father and elder brother are killed in battle. As he takes up the burden of the Black Chair, others consider his withered hand to mean that he is not worthy of the honour of King. His uncle is one of these and attempts to kill hime to claim the throne.

      He survives just, and after being washed up on a shore ends up a a slave on a boat as an oarsman. It is a tough life, but the rhythm and discipline sharpens his mind as he considers escape. The chance arrives and him and a few fellow oarsman seize it. As they make their escape they realise that are being tracked by the owner of the boat, and desperate time lead to desperate measures..

      Growing with strength and character, he makes a pact with another king to reclaim his throne, before heading home to take what is his.

      I have only read one Abercrombie before, which was dark, twisted and brilliant. So I was looking forward to this one, and whilst it wasn't bad, it didn't have the same impact as the first book. It was worth reading, and I am glad that I did, but it really didn't have the depth and complexity of that novel. That said it was a reasonable story, brutal in parts, but not too bloody. Felt a little like fantasy-lite in some ways, but then I think that its target is more the YA market. Will still read the sequel though.
    • 3/5
      I "read" this in the audiobook format. The performer was good but his tics took some getting used to. Also, the relationship to Hamlet here (the thoughtful son whose king/father is killed by his uncle who wants to we his mother, whom he plots to kill but then delays...) made me think to Henry Treece's strange (in the good sense) novel The Green Man. Abercrombie is very much about plot driven narrative: then and then and then. It went quickly as an audiobook, but I always tend to prefer something I want to pause and think about at regular intervals.
    • 4/5
      Better than average fantasy but only in degrees. It is nice to have a main character who is flawed but not in a fixable way.

      Well written though, even if the plot is sometimes a little predictable. I certainly wanted to keep reading and continue with the series.
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed the Audiobook version of this. For an Abercrombie, it contains comparatively few blood and guts, but then again, it is aimed at slightly younger readers than usual. I found that the lack of extreme violence did not detract from the story.

      As always, Abercrombie used some nice storytelling tricks, especially in the last few chapters. Sadly, I saw most of the "big surprises" in the end coming from a mile away, but it is still a competent and enjoyable piece of YA Dark fantasy.
    • 4/5
      I didn't really know what to expect going into this book, but I knew that I enjoyed Abercrombie's work, so I gave it a shot. Turns out I really like it.

      The story isn't anything mindblowing or anything new. Yarvi finds himself on a throne he never wanted but then is betrayed and left for dead. Now, he wants revenge against his betrayers and to reclaim the throne. What makes the story interesting to me is that without his title, he's basically nothing. He's not a great warrior/wizard/thief/etc., but it turns out he is very cunning, and he uses that to great extent. His progression is believable, and he never becomes something he's not, (e.g. when he kills Odem and Shadikshirram, he stabs them while they are distracted instead of magically becoming a great fighter for just that time).

      Overall, I was planning on giving this book 3 stars, but then I read the final chapter. That one was brilliant. It ended the book perfectly while still setting up for the rest of the series. That chapter alone was worth another star.
    • 2/5
      When you're in hell, only a devil can point the way out.

      Some Sundays call for change. Yesterday was dappled in sunshine but shrouded in hangover. Brother sologdin offered a review of one of Abercrombie's books. It shrieked of diversion. I galloped to the library only to discover that the series in question was checked out. They did have this trilogy, which I was quick to discover as YA. Oh well. Heir to the throne becomes king despite disability and --just as quick--is tossed into Hegel's ashbin. Can we muster the mustard for vengeance? Time would've been better spent watching Korean revenge cinema, say, I Saw The Devil or The Chaser. The novel was swallowed without issue, without promise. That is my oath, though I will peek at the reviewed texts when they become available.
    • 5/5
      “Half A King” tells the tale of Prince Yarvi, the youngest son of the Gettland king. Because he was born with a twisted, deformed hand, he is seen as only “half a man.” Not suited to be a warrior, Yarvi is relgated to studying to become a minister, a position normally held by women. On the night before he’s to take his final Minister’s Test and renounce his birthright, his Uncle Odem brings devastating news: King Uthrik and his heir, Yarvi’s elder brother, have both been murdered by the Vanstermen. With this, Yarvi is thrust into the kingship, something he never, ever desired.

      The crown now on his head, Yarvi has to prove that being maimed doesn’t make him only “half a king.” He takes up his father’s sword and leads a raid against the Vanstermen in revenge. As usual with Abercrombie, a lot of things end up having double meanings. Take the oath of vengeance he swears before he sets out, “Let it be a chain upon me and a goad within me.” Oh, the sweet, sweet words of Abercrombie’s foreshadowing.

      As expected, the writing is outstanding. The basic story is good, but it does feel a little watered down, although this might be because this series is intended for younger readers. Parts of the book are predictable (if I never read another fantasy set aboard a sailing ship, it will be too soon). There are two HUGE twists at the end, neither of which I saw coming (although, looking back, the clues are there).

      This book is aimed at the YA-market, obviously, so it is much less grim and bleak than Abercrombie’s books in the First Law series. Even still, there’s a very thin line between good and evil, and this line is blurred most of the time. His cynical worldview in which everyone is morally ambiguous and his grim, dark humor is prevalent throughout the tale. Although it’s first in a trilogy, “Half A King” would work extremely well as a standalone novel.
    • 4/5
      I listened to this using the recorded books CD version and really enjoyed it. The author and the narrator have collaborated to tell a epic fantasy story filled with lots of action and intrigue. Great characters and world building really highlight the story. A nice twist surprise to finish the story also made this one a lot a fun. Looking forward to starting the second book (also in recorded book CD) this week.

      4.5 stars for a really fun read. Recommended for any fans of epic fantasy.
    • 5/5
      It was bloody. It was nasty. It was full of twists and turns. It was another great book by Abercrombie. Only this one is for teens. Hold on to your hats youngens, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
    • 5/5
      I've been reading a lot of books lately from my favorite authors recommended reading lists. This has been among the best of those.

      I'll definitely read more from Joe Abercrombie. Really great storytelling, strong character development, and twisty enough to keep surprising me. This is the kind of fantasy I love.