Half a King

By Joe Abercrombie

Half a King - Joe Abercrombie
  • Release Date: 2014-07-15
  • Genre: Epic Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 637 Ratings

Description

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME AND THE WASHINGTON POST • LOCUS AWARD WINNER

“The Shattered Seas trilogy has worked its way into a very exclusive group of my favorite fantasy novels of all time.”—James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner

“A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”—George R. R. Martin

“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”


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. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.

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.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

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.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds that his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Joe Abercrombie’s Half the World.

“Tremendously entertaining . . . lightning-fast and filled with a wonderful collection of rogues, villains and two-faced bastards . . . From the first chapter [Joe Abercrombie] wastes no time as the reader is swept up in a gripping tale of betrayal and revenge.”SciFi Now

“Once this plot has its teeth in you, it will not let go. . . . Abercrombie’s masterful storytelling means that everything, from the characters that you come to love and despise, to the sprawling world that is explored, is enthralling.”Fantasy Book Review

“Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea is a fantastic yet believable backdrop to Yarvi’s struggle, a vivid imaginary land.”—The Seattle Times

“Intriguing characters . . . nonstop action.”—Chicago Tribune

Half a King is my favorite book by Joe Abercrombie so far, and that’s saying something.”—Patrick Rothfuss

“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.”—Rick Riordan

“Enthralling! An up-all-night read.”—Robin Hobb

“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.”—Brent Weeks

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.”—Myke Cole

Half a King is full of all the adventure I’ve come to expect from Abercrombie and a tenderness I never knew he had.”—Sam Sykes

Reviews

  • Another Abercrombie world worth diving into

    5
    By skatoaster
    I love the pace of this story and I'm mat wait to move to the next. Joe writes the kind of fantasy novels that I love to read
  • Absolutely a Brilliant Book

    5
    By IvarRagnarsson
    And Interesting, and Brilliant, Take on a Revenge Story From Start to Finish. Yarvi is one of my Favorite Protagonists after reading this book. A Humble and wise young man with simple ambitions, Turns into a Battle Hardened Cunning and Kinda of a Ruthless person who uses his knowledge, That he’s learned from his time in the ministry, To take advantage of Certain Circumstances, and Situations. And Ultimately achieve his goal Regardless of how pretty it was I truly think Yarvi has become an experienced man With no Regrets of the decisions he makes at the end of this book. Along With some Interesting, and Complex, Characters to help make this book feel like an Exhilarating Adventure. I look forward for book 2 Half a war
  • Phenomenal book

    5
    By Sup_kwhit
    In my opinion, the perfect fast-pace plot for a book... all the action of a movie with detail only a book can give. I couldn’t put the book down, and even further had to leave this review for someone who might be on the fence. Give it a go, I’d be hard pressed to call you sane if you didn’t think it was worth 3.99!
  • Great Fantasy

    5
    By Ian J Odle
    I enjoyed this book very much. I can’t remember the last time I read a book in two sittings, but this wonderful work prompted me to do so. Great read!
  • Half a King

    4
    By Warhammerhead
    Great page turner. Loved it. On to the next...
  • Great for a 10 yr old

    2
    By Delete eet
    Pretty shallow, predictable and formulaic. Very disappointing.
  • Ok but not special

    3
    By Reviewerttt
    Kind of a page turner but predictable and sort of generic. Would be a good book for killing some time but it does not have any great moments or leave you with anything to think about. Perhaps it would be a 4 star book for young readers but I think that is being generous.
  • Could not put down

    5
    By javaporter
    Amazing read, one of the best books I've read in years.