A classic coming-of-age tale set in a vivid and richly-imagined world from Sunday Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie.
‘A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page one and refused to let go’ GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself. And he … Sea itself. And he must do it all with only one good hand.
Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.
Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.
But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi’s path may end as it began – in twists, and traps and tragedy…
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A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.
Half a King is my favorite book by Joe Abercrombie so far, and that’s saying something.
As in all Abercrombie’s books, friends turn out to be enemies, enemies turn out to be friends; the line between good and evil is murky indeed; and nothing goes quite as we expect. With eye-popping plot twists and rollicking good action, Half a King is definitely a full adventure.
Enthralling! An up-all-night read.
Half a King can be summed up in a single word: masterpiece. It’s a coming-of-age story. It’s a Viking saga. It’s a revenge tale and family drama and the return of the prodigal son. But most of all, it’s this: a short time alongside people as weak and blundering as we are and, in the midst of it all, as heroic. Far too short a time, as it turns out. What a wonderful book.
Polished and sharp, perhaps his most technically proficient novel yet . . . I dare you to read the first chapter and try not to turn the next page.
Have you read Joe Abercrombie yet? I spent all last summer bingeing on all his books. He writes great, gripping fantasies. There’s a lot of violence, which I admit I very much enjoy, and his plots are surprising. Also, this guy can really write battle scenes.
To say that Joe Abercrombie has become a master of the fantasy genre is akin to saying water is wet. This book begins a very imaginative series filled with twists and turns. It is steeped in creativity.
The world building is an example of best-in-genre effort. The world is filled with believable culture…and mysterious artifacts. The narrative is twisty and dark–typical Abercrombie (which is to say: awesome).
I can’t recommend this one strongly enough.
This book has been recommended by so many of my favorite authors; it felt like I had no choice but to pick it up. I’m glad I did!
It’s got plenty of classic elements to please fans of epic fantasy — sword fights, warring royalty, swashbucklers at sea, an unlikely band of friends — but it’s also got an interesting twist. The hero, who is vying for his rightful spot on the throne, has a physical disability. To survive and stake his claim, rather than fighting his way to the crown, he’ll need to rely on his wisdom and empathy.
In many ways, his journey reminded me of that of Sam and Frodo’s: they couldn’t rely on brute strength, so they had to rely on their friends, and on their character.
Part coming-of-age tale, part epic… wholly satisfying!
Fantastic high fantasy of the dispossessed reluctant heir who must nonetheless retake his throne. Our hero faces much character building adversity. Readers be assured, nothing too horribly graphic.
Strong female characters also. I am onto the 2nd book already.
Abercrombie is a fantastic story teller and he’s done it again here. Great range of characters who are earthy and real in a world full of personal and political situations that make you want to grab a sword and jump in.
Half a King is full of all the adventure I’ve come to expect from Abercrombie and a tenderness I never knew he had.
A long, long novel set in an age reminiscent of early medieval days. Life on the long-boats is so vivid I wondered how humanity survived.
I read this book namely because I had never read any Abercrombie books, and some parts of my writing have been compared to his. All and all I liked it, fast paced, and an excellent premise, though I wish he’d written it in such a way that it didn’t end with the “big explain” at the end, a bit like Holmes explaining to Watson what the hell just happened. Which makes it odd to say that a great deal of the story predictable with typical archetypes of any dramatic drama. So, it’s really the characters that carry the story more than the plot. Which in a way is sad, because the story’s premise was right there.
All of that said it was still enjoyable with fun characters and witty banter. I do have The Blade Itself already, which is the book Eve of Snows’ writing style was compared to by a computer algorithm, so I will be checking that out in the future.
any of this guys books are super if you like the genre.
Joe pens a good tale, interesting folks in challenging situations. Good ride, try the series.
He is a great series author and tells a wonderful story. Very entertaining
A fantastic first book to a great trilogy! Wonderful world building and great heroic though sometimes flawed characters. I highly recommend this book and the whole series!
Worth the time
Outstanding, hard to put down.