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    Half a War
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    Half a War
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    Half a War
    Audiobook12 hours

    Half a War

    Written by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Ben Elliot

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A classic coming-of-age tale set in a vivid and richly-imagined world from Sunday Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie.

    ‘Joe Abercrombie is doing some terrific work’ GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

    WORDS ARE WEAPONS
    Princess Skara has seen all she loved made blood and ashes. She is left with only words. But the right words can be as deadly as any blade. She must conquer her fears and sharpen her wits to a lethal edge if she is to reclaim her birthright.

    ONLY HALF A WAR IS FOUGHT WITH SWORDS
    The deep-cunning Father Yarvi has walked a long road from crippled slave to king’s minister. He has made allies of old foes and stitched together an uneasy peace. But now the ruthless Grandmother Wexen has raised the greatest army since the elves made war on God, and put Bright Yilling at its head – a man who worships only Death.

    SOMETIMES ONE MUST FIGHT EVIL WITH EVIL
    Some – like Thorn Bathu and the sword-bearer Raith – are born to fight, perhaps to die. Others – like Brand the smith and Koll the wood-carver – would rather stand in the light. But when Mother War spreads her iron wings, she may cast the whole Shattered Sea into darkness . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJul 16, 2015
    ISBN9780007553587
    Unavailable
    Half a War
    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 War

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    • 4/5
      conclusion of the Shattered Sea trilogy, which really should have been one book, as is clear when the stories and characters all converge and the central thrust of the narrative ideas becomes clear. as the conclusion approaches, the point of view emerges as very grimdark, and the whole Greater Good perspective comes under harsh scrutiny, till the situation becomes once more stable and a radical shift in the balance of power comes into play. (at least for awhile.)
    • 4/5
      Prince Yarvi, with a withered hand, has always known he'd never be king. His father and his older brother are warriors. He's perfectly content to become a minister, and for this he is suited. He's smart and clever (not the same thing). But then all his plans go awry. His father and his brother are killed by treachery. And he's drawn into a complex world he's not equipped for. Then things really get bad.This is Joe Abercrombie's first shot at YA fiction. His adult fiction is bloody and uncompromising and deals with multiple layers of morality. I'm delighted to say the only thing that has changed in this book, is the level of violence. His world is still just as complex and multilayered and his characters have to try to wend their way through choices that are bad, worse and impossible to make. Very nice job.
    • 4/5
      I was lucky enough to get an ARC edition of this book to review. I thought it was typical Abercrombie. If you like his other works, you'll like this one. He writes with very dry wit, sarcasm and has a tendency to keep me on edge regarding where the story is going. Oh, and blood, lots of blood and grit. The story itself isn't particularly original, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a fun, quick ride and I'm looking forward to the next book to see where this story goes.
    • 4/5
      Mr. Abercrombie continues to write great characters. You know when you pick up one of his books the characters and not the setting or magic system are the stars. Yarvi is no exception and I can't wait to read more of his adventures.
    • 5/5
      It left a bad taste in my mouth, like toothpaste and orange juice, when I learned that Joe Abercrombie was writing a series for young adults. Lord Grimdark is pandering to the kiddies? Gross. I needn't have worried. From the moment I got my clammy, fanboy hands on Abercrombie's latest book, I was hooked. Abercrombie and YA is like peanut butter and chocolate. Come, fantasy fans and Abercrombie aficionados, and gorge upon the bounty that is Half a King.The story opens when Prince Yarvi of Gettland, intended for the ministry (in this case, a brotherhood of advisers and diplomats who work toward peace) learns that his father, King Uthrik, is dead, killed by the Gettlanders' neighbors and foes, the Vanstermen. Yarvi was not meant to be a king: His left hand is deformed, rendering him unsuitable for the throne. But with his older brother dead, too, Yarvi is the only heir, and he swears an oath to avenge his father. Yarvi leads a raid against Vansterland, only to be betrayed. Armed with only one good hand, years of resentment, and the cunning he learned as an initiate of the ministry, Yarvi sets out to fulfill his oath.The world of Half a King is separate of that from Abercrombie's previous fiction. Although still within the vaguely medieval consensus that defines traditional fantasy settings, there is a definite Norse, particularly Icelandic, flavor here. Gettland, Vansterland, among other kingdoms unified under the "High King" border the Shattered Sea, a roiling, storm battered mass traversed by longboat. Much of the middle of the book is set in northern ice fields and, subsequently, land rent by hot springs. And then there are the elves. Not to worry: Abercrombie's focus is decidedly human, and his elves are long extinct. Only their ruins and artifacts remain, hinting at a curious back story. For instance, the woman who wears around her neck "an elf-tablet, the green card studded with black jewels, scrawled with incomprehensible markings, riddled with intricate golden lines." The millennium-old ruins, untouched by time, are reminiscent of the Eldren constructions of Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series, haunting the scenery with an implicit threat. If the setting is different, the tone is the same. This is a broken world: Yarvi has a "crippled" hand; the characters sail on the Shattered Sea; and even the gods are broken, the elves having waged war on the One God, shattering her into many. Perhaps writing for young adults has mellowed Abercrombie. Half a King may not be upbeat, but neither is it the cynical Ouroboros that characterizes Abercrombie's previous novels: Here the backstabbing has an end. The camaraderie of Yarvi and his fellows is refreshingly authentic, free of the edges apparent in The First Law trilogy and its successors.That's not to say that violence is absent from Half a King. I lost count of noses broken with a "crunch" after a half a dozen. Abercrombie continues his fascination with the grotesque; he knows that, however much violence sickens us, it draws us in, too. We cannot look away. Abercrombie has always been sophisticated in his attitude toward violence: He portrays it with gusto, knowing that we're attracted to it despite our denials (and thus making us complicit). But he has always portrayed its consequences, too, perhaps to greater effect in Yarvi, who is no warrior: "And Yarvi realized then that Death does not bow to each person who passes her, does not sweep out her arm respectfully to show the way, speaks no profound words, unlocks no bolts. The key upon her chest is never needed, for the Last Door stands always open. She herds the dead through impatiently, heedless of rank or fame or quality. She has an ever-lengthening queue to get through. A blind procession, inexhaustible."If Half a King has a weakness, it is the plot, which is predictable. Perhaps that's because I'm older than the intended audience, or maybe, having read Abercrombie's other novels, I am able to intuit when he's preparing to spring a trap on his readers. That the twists and turns of the story are unsurprising in no way diminish the reader's pleasure, a testament to Abercrombie's storytelling skills. Indeed, I found myself turning the pages as quickly as I could, impatient to see what travails would next befall Yarvi.Abercrombie, if not the anti-Tolkien, is a contrarian, turning on its head the tropes of high fantasy. He lays aside that ideological jihad in Half a King, instead telling the story of one character's quest, and a very grounded one at that, motivated by revenge and gold. The only magic here is the depth of the world and the propulsive story, all of which Abercrombie manages in less than 300 pages. The only disappointing thing about Half a King is how soon it ends, and how long we have to wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Half a King was a birthday gift from a friend; I wasn't sure what to expect. It is the first in a series, but it stands well on its own. What is telling is that I took the book to a series of appointments over the span of a couple of months and never lost track of what was going on in the story. The characters were compelling and I enjoyed watching Prince Yarvi mature. It isn't a typical fantasy genre coming of age novel; it is gritty and dark in places. It is not as grim as George R.R. Martin, so some characters still live at the end. I am glad that I read it. If you like George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series, I think you would enjoy it, too.
    • 4/5
      Half a King is the story of the one-handed Prince Yarvi who suddenly finds himself the King of his people only to be betrayed by his seemingly kind uncle, Odem. Yarvi suddenly finds himself a slave, who isn't worth much, but because of his previous training to enter the ministerial order is able to put himself into the position to flee his captivity along with several other slave companions. Along with his friends, he sets out to avenge his own betrayal but those against his family and fulfill the oath he pledged at his father’s funeral.Though the story doesn't descend into grim and darkness, Joe Abercrombie’s first foray into the young adult fantasy is an enjoyable romp around the Shattered Sea. Abercrombie is able to work his word building throughout the narrative without weighing down the pace of the story. He is also able to throw in clues that Yarvi and the reader pull together by the end to unravel why the betrayed occurred in the first place. And does a wonderful job of using a small detail noted in one of the first few pages that plays a part in the last few pages.A mature reader has to account for the genre Half a King clearly reads as, young adult fantasy. The characters are pretty well rounded, including Yarvi. Even though he is clearly pretty clever, Yarvi’s disability and youth do have an effect on the story and result in him getting beat up a lot while finding a way to survive. Yarvi isn't pure; he does kill people in his efforts to survive and getting revenge in both direct and indirect ways. Abercrombie is able to use various tropes seen as part of the young adult genre and twist in a satisfying way, especially when it came to the character Nothing.Upon finishing Half a King, I was very satisfied with my reading experience. Abercrombie wrote a fun, engaging book that I know I would have enjoyed if I was 15-20 years younger. He was also able to set up very interesting potential sequel plots with characters the reader has been introduced to and understands their motivations. I very much recommend this enjoyable book for all ages.
    • 3/5
      Satisfying end to the faux-Viking Shattered Sea Trilogy. Father Yarvi sets up an unlikely alliance -- many are enemies of his enemy, after Princess Skara bursts in and tells him of murders of her family by the High King and Grandmother Wexen. They all overcome them, using elf-weapons. Father Yarvi gets his revenge.
    • 4/5
      Firstly I had never heard of Joe Abercrombie, but after being introduced to the fantasy genre by David Gemmell I decided to branch out into other authors works. I came across Half a King in the Adult bestseller section of my local supermarket, read the blurb and decided to give it a try. However, when I got home and looked at a few reviews I was surprised to find that it was written as a Young Adult novel. These are not something I normally read and when I looked over the book again I still could not see any reference to this. I rarely buy new books so thought rather than allow my money to have gone to waste I would give it a try.The book is the first part in a trilogy called the 'Shattered Sea' and follows the adventures of Yarvi, a second in line to the throne who has been born with a deformed hand (hence the title). He decides that his role in life is to become a minister, a sort of advisor and herbalist to kings, but after his father and brother are killed circumstances dictate that he must now become ruler of Gettland . Mocked by his subjects and pitied by his family how will the usually shy and weak Yarvi cope with this dramatic career change? Again his destiny is in the hands of others and we follow his adventures through the surrounding lands of the Shattered Sea. Half a King was an unexpected pleasure to read with each chapter bringing a new mini adventure that makes the reader want to press on and find out what will happen next. The pages are filled with unforgettable larger than life characters of both good and bad, the journey undertaken is far from being of Tolkien proportions but this does not matter and Abercrombie manages to describe the surroundings with such detail and enthusiasm you feel you are actually there experiencing the hardships. In essence, when the fantasy element of the novel is stripped away we are left with a tale of comradeship and how friends can all work together for the greater good regardless of their background. An underlying darkness is streaked throughout this coming of age saga and surfaces at just the correct moments and makes the reader gasp at the unexpected twists. I am looking forward to seeing how Yarvi will develop in the forthcoming parts of the trilogy.So why only 4 stars and not 5? For me the book is labelled as young adult, and I can see how it could appeal to adults as well as teenagers, but at times I felt the text was just screaming out for a little more blood and guts. I wanted to read more graphic accounts of battles and how certain characters met their untimely end, but at times I felt the author was holding back a little too much because of his intended audience. Well worth a recommendation to lovers of both fantasy and coming of age novels.
    • 3/5
      The story of Prince Yarvi and his quest for his rightful kingdom has many familiar elements. There are constant challenges to his survival, treachery, a band of unlikely companions to aid him in his quest, a surprise identity revealed late in the narrative, and a twist at the end. These are the stock components of fantasy yarns, and the author is within his rights to use them. What distinguishes a book and makes it rise above the hundreds of fantasy tales published every year is a unique element or stirring clashes. Yarvi is disabled, which is unique, and is a central feature of the narrative -- his defective hand marks him for scorn and causes his overthrow, and makes his return to power more difficult. As for stirring clashes, no. Battles seemed too predictable, their outcome pre-ordained.This is a young adult adventure, so it's gory but sexless. I get the restrictions of the genre, but Joe Abercrombie seems to have taken it a little far. Male characters are fully described, but females are left to the imagination except for one or two characteristics (generally facial). A second bothersome feature is that we hear a lot about what's going on in Yarvi's head -- often debates about whether he's doing the right thing. It gets a little repetitious at times. And then, at the aforementioned twist at the end, all is quiet inside his cranium. There's no set-up, just Yarvi doing what seems like something that would cause a lot of inner turmoil.There's not much more than a routine YA page-turning fantasy here, in my estimation.
    • 4/5
      The king's second son, Yarvi, is planning on becoming a minister, but when his father is murdered, Yarvi needs to figure out how to mete out revenge and retake the throne, with the help of some unexpected allies. This is my first Abercrombie, but he's been mentioned many times by my fellow LibraryThingers, and, after finishing this one, I have no doubt why people have been recommending his books to me. The story is interesting and the world building is fine, but what really shines for me are the characters; I love that none of them are all good or all bad, but all have a balanced grey-scale and are true to themselves while still managing to be surprising. Since it is aimed toward a younger audience, it is a little shorter than I would have wished and the stakes aren't quite as high as they would be in a novel for adults (it feels like a The Chronicles of Prydain meets The Once and Future King type of story), but it has certainly whetted my appetite for this author, all the works of whom I will now put high on my wishlist.
    • 2/5
      Prince Yarvi, unnecessary but available heir to the Black Throne of Gettland and owner of a crippled hand, has his sights set on becoming a Brother: part of the religious brethren who are there only for the Gods of the land. But his father and brother are murdered by a rival King and he must take the throne, despite all of his fears and the fact that, because of his crippled hand, he is seen as half a man.
      Treachery raises its ugly head however, and he is betrayed by his family and left for dead. He swears an unbreakable oath and, together with a bunch of misfit ex-slaves, Yarvi returns home to recapture a throne he never wanted.

      I am disappointed with myself for being disappointed with this book. I suppose since Abercrombie s a firm favourite of mine that I had higher expectations of this book than I necessarily should have, but that does not deter from my disappointment.

      I can buckle part of my disappointment to the fact that this is a YA novel and obviously the Grimdark is toned down. Despite that, you can clearly tell who the author is: Joe Abercrombie certainly has his very own unique writing style that not a lot of other authors do have. My issues with this book were probably the characters first and foremost: they all felt like recycled First Law World characters. Nothing was an amalgamation of all the Northmen, Threetrees and Ninefingers especially; Shadikshirram was Cosca just with a sex change and most of the others were thrown together out of the lot. It was familiar, which can be nice, but this was too familiar.

      The world building was, as ever, brilliant. I don't think anyone does it quite as well as Abercrombie, but it still felt very much like backdrop here. Eh, I don't know, maybe it was the fact that it was Young Adult and toned down, or just the fact it only took him 8-10 months to write. I will read the rest of the series, because my faith is a stupid and stubborn thing, but I cannot say that I will like them.
    • 4/5
      My first Abercrombie and I found it compulsively readable. Plot-wise, it's not terribly original but the story is very entertaining in a light-hearted yet dark sort of way. I cannot help but favorably compare this to Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora. Thematically, the books are very similar; post-apocalyptic medieval setting; young protagonist coming of age under adversity; violence interspersed with humor; adventure, adventure, adventure! Abercrombie weaves a slightly tighter narrative in my opinion and also does a better job of balancing the violence and humor. The bloodletting is not dwelt upon quite as much and the humor is less forced. Instead, Abercrombie does a great job of developing his characters and laying out a decent plot with a few twists that are, for the most part, not too hard to spot. Even though the plot 'twists' were mostly easy to see coming, the journey getting there was the fun part. Listed at 352 pages, I knocked this out in two sittings as it 'felt' about 150 pages shorter than that.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book, but I thought it was predictable. I never really felt attached to the main character, so following him along for the ride as he careens from disaster to shipwreck to disaster just felt like an inevitable progression of the same old thing. The other characters weren't bad, but a little shallow. I thought his minor characters in The First Law series were much better, perhaps because they were quirkier, but they were also more developed.
    • 4/5
      It was a great book! The best part for me was, that even though it's YA, it's the kind of book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages without complaints about the target age.

      I've never read anything else by this author, so I can't compare it to his other books, but Half a King wasn't too dark. This book is serious, has plenty of adult characters and it's not what many people imagine when they think of YA. At the same time, it's not too graphic, so you won't need to skip pages if you want to avoid lots of detailed descriptions of blood and violence. There are some, but they're neither long nor many.

      We see the plot through Yarvi's eyes, which means that we learn everything at the same time as the main character. It also means that every betrayal is more surprising, because even though we can guess someone's involvement, we can never be completely sure until Yarvi learns the truth.

      I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. We only get a general idea of the main plot of the whole trilogy in Half a King, but it's clear that what's going on is bigger than what Yarvi -and the reader- thought at the beginning of the book.
    • 4/5
      A short but satisfying read, although more YA in tone than the First Law books, still there is plenty of depth and complexity to the characters; and to some extent, the themes (towards the end)
    • 4/5
      I think Half a King was a pretty good start to a new trilogy. I only gave it 3.5 stars because it took me a little while to actually like the main character, for a while he seemed as smart as he was supposed to be and then he'd act like a total idiot. But he seemed to settle down and be more consistent and I did end up enjoying the book quite a bit. I also think the reader did a pretty good job narrating. I will say there was an excellent twist to the plot at the end and I think this will turn into a very impressive series by the end.
    • 5/5
      I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.An excellent story with constant action and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, I really enjoyed reading this tale. Exactly how far will you go to keep your oath? How much can you survive and to who will you betray? How many bodies will you leave on your path? You may not agree with the protagonist's choices but you will follow along on his journey.I have a wonderful book hangover now and need time mourn that this story is over before I can being a new one.I give this book an A+.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      Oh my, my poor Joe One of all my all time favourite authors, due to his originality, grit and willingness to go where other authors feared to tread, has just gotten stuck in the wheel ruts of his predecessors. I grant him concession, because I think it may have been a YA book (though it seems I was never told!), so it needed to be a bit less grit and a bit more 'woe is me, I am such an outcast wah'. But still. It's not horrible, but its been done and been done better. Sorry Joe, this one is not going on my desert island e-book reader.
    • 5/5
      Young PrinceYarvi with a deformed hand suddenly succeeds to the throne Due to his father’s untimely death and murder. Just as quickly he is off the throne due to a crafty uncle who claims the succession. He falls off a platform into the sea and crawls to the beach only to be captured and sold into slavery to become a rower in a (Viking?) Pirate ship. He eventually returns to claim the throne through a circuitous journey with a motely group. He never wanted to be king. His great desire was to be a minister dispensing advice and healing or poisonous herbs. The characters like old brass take on luster with each chapter. The story moves on with suspense and action to a startling conclusion. A good read in a pseudo Norse saga.
    • 4/5
      I liked Half a King better than most things I read during 2014. If you enjoy reading fantasy novels, you should read this one. It's way better than some other books people waste their time reading.
    • 4/5
      The audio production for this book was very good without large, noticeable gaps between tracks. Mr. Keating was understandable and gave each character individual traits. However, the story is very predictable for most of the book, until the end, which I believe was the author's intent. Throughout the story, I felt lulled into an expectation of the obvious. Then the ending threw in a twist that opened up the world and the series to come. I am hoping that future books will be able to jump deeper into the intrigue that was set up in the end.
    • 5/5
      An exhilarating, wild ride of a story.Prince Yarvi is training to be a minister when his father and brother are brutally murdered. Being the only one left, he must ascend the throne of Gettland. But the people are not so sure, Yarvi has a crippled hand, and his people are not sure he is not up to being the strong and fearsome leader that they need. He swears to avenge his father, but the shattered sea is full of corruption, and Yarvi must travel the world in order to avenge his family, and save his life.“I swore an oath to be avenged on the killers of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath”At this point I’m probably going to sound like a broken record, but Joe Abercrombie’s writing is just magical. Where to start with Half a King? There’s a whole array of characters, and each one has an incredible amount of depth and emotion to them. Yarvi is a fantastic character, he is flawed, vengeful, clever and incredibly likeable. I think this has been said numerous times but he’s not too different from the wonderful Tyrion Lannister. Not just Yarvi, there are a whole host of characters that are incredibly likeable and fascinating to look at. I won’t go into detail about them all but they vary in so many different ways - some were hilarious, some sarcastic, some friendly, some not so friendly. Abercrombie manages to fit in a wealth of information and back story without ever making the story tedious. The plot is fantastic, you really never know what is around the corner. There’s loads of fast-action fighting scenes, as well as chapters about the corruption and war simmering in Gettland. It has something for everyone, vengeance, war, corruption, a little hint at romance, maybe a little magic? As it is the opening book in the series, there are little hints at things to come, and if anything that just makes me more excited for the rest of the series. Half a King is a gripped read, I hardly moved in devouring the story. One thing that really struck me is the female characters in the book. Often in epic fantasy you find the female characters remain in the background, but all the women in this story are kick-ass and fantastic. If I could have a dinner party with fictional characters, I would invite them all and watch the chaos commence. As always with Joe Abercrombie’s books it is exceptionally well written. There are a couple of chapters that are a little slower paced, but the action quickly picks up in the following chapters. It’s gearing up to be a really great series, with book two and book three due out in July this year, what are you waiting for? Get reading the Shattered Sea trilogy.
    • 4/5
      In a Nordic-fantasy-type, seafaring kingdom, the king and the heir die, leaving the youngest son to inherit the throne. But Yarvi was born with a hand with only two fingers on it, and most of those around him treat him as tainted and unable to be a man. He was going to enter the priesthood; thrust into kingship, he’s quickly betrayed and enslaved. The story moved quickly, and the revenge fantasy was tempered with some realism about the collateral damage of revenge and its unending cycle.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: I was truly impressed with the evolution of Abercrombie’s main character in this first installment. Half a King is everything I want in a YA Fantasy – adventure, humor, surprises and lovable characters. I’ll definitely be checking out Abercrombie’s other work as I wait impatiently for Book 2 of the Shattered Sea Series.Opening Sentence: There was a harsh glare blowing on the night Yarvi learned he was a king. Or half a king, at least.The Review:It’s not often that an author takes a chance on a character who doesn’t conform to the normal hero (or even anti-hero) standards. Even in the majority of the Fantasy genre, there’s little deviation from the typical stereotypes. Elves are beautiful strong-backed warriors and intellectually superior. Dwarves are hunched greedy creatures skilled at working with various materials. There are very few heroes with physical deformities – and even fewer who emerge from their trials as a morally darker character than in the beginning. Abercrombie took that chance with Half a King and it paid off.Born into a society of warriors with a maimed hand unable to carry a shield, Yarvi is used to disappointing others. There hasn’t been a day since his birth where his father, King Uthrik, and mother, Queen Laithlin, hasn’t cursed his existence. Even his older brother is embarrassed to have the boy with half a hand in their famed warrior family. His attachment to Mother Gundring, his father’s Minister, and Odem, his father’s brother, is the only bright spot in Yarvi’s life of shadows and bitter shame. Thanks in large part to them, Yarvi has grown to be an intelligent, resourceful and observant young man despite his father’s hard fists and mother’s cold indifference. In fact, Mother Gundring had such influence over him that Yarvi decided to give up his title and become a Minister.Only a few short hours away from turning control of his life over the Ministry, Yarvi’s only chance at happiness is ripped away with the death of his father and older brother. Supposedly killed in an ambush by Grom-gil-Gorm, their country’s long-standing enemy, Yarvi is thrown into a position he never wanted and feels ill-prepared to step into. It’s in this moment that Abercrombie’s skill as a writer emerges. Yarvi’s terror, doubt and deep sadness is a potent combination and I found myself tearing up over his situation. He’s a young child who’s never known the love of his parent, who’s been told all of his life that he’s nothing – or half of nothing – and now he’s responsible for leading a country that doesn’t believe in him and certainly doesn’t want a cripple on the throne. Which only makes Yarvi’s determination to avenge his father and brother’s deaths that much more admirable. With Odem’s help, Yarvi gathers his Gettland army and sets sail to attack their enemy Grom-gil-Gorm in Vansterland.Then, a devastating betrayal once again turns Yarvi’s world upside down. Even though it’s only been a short amount of time since his terrorized ascension to the throne, Yarvi is a quick learner. He’s better prepared to handle the disastrous situation he finds himself in and his fast thinking is the only thing that saves him. If you can call being bought as a slave the same as being saved. Still, Yarvi clings to the only piece of advice his mother ever gave him: There’s always a way. Even if it means sacrificing those few friends he’s finally found in order to fulfill his vow to a family who hated him.Though it’s considered a YA Fantasy, Half a King reminded me of the adventure and character complexities found in the Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. There are gut-wrenching betrayals. There’s adventure and innocence. In fact, Gettland and Vansterland in Half a King could very easily fit into the Game of Thrones universe. However, as with that series, the characters are the true element that makes Half a King standout above others in the Fantasy genre.Abercrombie may use his words sparingly, but what he does say leaves an impact. He excels at creating personalities that jump off the page. Yarvi’s evolution from innocent child to calculating leader is made all the more fascinating because of how people reacted to his so-called deformity. His transformation wasn’t a straight line – there were peaks and valleys as circumstances changed. Abercrombie didn’t shy away from making Yarvi a darker character and I’d be lying if I said I liked the Yarvi at the end of the book. I didn’t, even though I appreciated why he changed. Power corrupts and the thirst for revenge twists people’s hearts until there’s very little innocence left. This overarching plot gave me more insight into the character’s personalities than pages of tedious description ever could. The same can be said for Abercrombie’s world building: it’s the details he chooses to include that make the landscape such a vivid environment.I think most Fantasy fans – regardless of age – will find something to like in this character-driven and engrossing story because Half a King is amazingly multi-layered. There’s the superficial tale younger readers will enjoy: a young boy’s adventure in a magical world. But dig deeper and you’ll find a story about the values of self-worth, friendship and perseverance in the face of cruelty and injustice. This is definitely a story I’ve already recommended to all of my friends and I can’t wait to see what the next book brings to this extraordinary world.Notable Scene:They flung Yarvi down with unnecessary violence between two other slaves, by no means an encouraging pair. At the end of the oar was a hulking southerner with a thick fold of muscle where his neck should have been, head tipped back so he could watch the seabirds circling. Closest to the rowlock was a dour old man, short and stocky, his sinewy forearms thick with gray hair, his cheeks full of broken veins from a life in the weather, picking at the calluses on his broad palms.“Gods damn it,” grunted this older one, shaking his head as the guards chained Yarvi to the bench beside him, “we’ve a cripple at our oar.”“You prayed for help, didn’t you?” said the southerner, without looking around. “Here is help.”“I prayed for help with two hands.”“Be thankful for half of what you prayed for,” said Yarvi. “ Believe me, I prayed for none of this.”The big man’s mouth curled up a little as he looked at Yarvi sidelong. “When you have a load to lift, you’re better lifting than weeping. I am Jaud. Your sour oarmate is Rulf.”“My name’s Yorv,” said Yarvi, having turned his story over in advance. Keep your lies as carefully as your winter grain, Mother Gundring would have said. “I was a cook’s boy-“With a practiced roll of the tongue and twitch of the head the old man spat over the ship’s side. “You’re nothing now, and that’s all. Forget everything but the next stroke. That makes it a little easier.”Jaud heaved up a sigh. “Don’t let Rulf grind the laughter out of you. He’s sour as lemons, but a good man to have at your back.” He puffed out his cheeks. “Though, one must admit, since he’s chained to your side, that will never happen.”FTC Advisory: Del Rey/Random House provided me with a copy of Half a King. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 3/5
      I am rather a fan of Joe Abercrombie, and thoroughly enjoyed the First Law Trilogy. With that in mind, I was somewhat disappointed in _Half A King_. It lacked some of the flair of the First Law books. The characters here were not as memorable, less able to stand on their own. The twists alluded to in the HaK description were present - just some were a bit more exciting/unexpected than others. But, I must bear in mind that this is only book one of a trilogy, and perhaps the inconsistency in terms of character growth will be resolved in the later two. One can only hope, as Mr. Abercrombie can spin a heck of a yarn!
    • 3/5
      Abercrombie's latest departs from the the familiar, prior six works. I can see not wanting to pigeon-hole oneself. I get that. But when you've developed such an amazing place to dwell within, tale-wise, it seems a shame to abandon it, too.

      This work was highly acclaimed by practical nobility in the fantasy world. So I'm either dead wrong, or just not as agreeable, as this work just didn't seem like Abercrombie's stellar outings of the past. I've often compared him to a modern-day Tolkien (no small praise), but this work falls a bit flat.

      The story surrounds young Yarvi's near-rise to power, his downfall, his redemption, and his revenge. The first half of this book moved far too slow for me. The second half too fast. It almost felt like there were sections of the story missing. Which is a poverty, because Abercrombie's works are often better with 'more', in my eyes.

      That being said, this was not a bad work. I was just... disappointed. If you're an Abercrombie fanatic, then this is a no-brainer. Even if you're not, you might enjoy this work. However, I would caution you to begin at the beginning, rather than permitting this work to speak for this monumentally talented author.
    • 5/5
      This is the first Joe Abercrombie book I have gotten around to reading but it will not be my last one. This is follows the younger son's path of revenge for his father and brother's murder. Fortune does smile of Prince Yarvi more than once in the book but mostly if it wasn't for his training to become a King's minister he never would have been able to take every chance that he came across and use it to the best advantage. The other thing he does is not abandon anyone that he comes across and shows mercy whenever he is able and that does pay dividends for him when he needs it the most. This can be marketed as either a YA or a regular fantasy novel. I know I'll be waiting for the next book but now I think I will read his other books some point soon to tide me over.


      Digital review copy provided by the publisher thought NetGalley