Half the World

By Joe Abercrombie

Half the World - Joe Abercrombie
  • Release Date: 2015-02-17
  • Genre: Epic Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 416 Ratings

Description

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED • ALEX AWARD WINNER • New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie’s thrilling series continues in the follow-up to Half a King, which George R. R. Martin hailed as “a fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”

“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

Sometimes a girl is touched by Mother War.

Thorn is such a girl. Desperate to avenge her dead father, she lives to fight. But she has been named a murderer by the very man who trained her to kill.

Sometimes a woman becomes a warrior.

She finds herself caught up in the schemes of Father Yarvi, Gettland’s deeply cunning minister. Crossing half the world to find allies against the ruthless High King, she learns harsh lessons of blood and deceit.

Sometimes a warrior becomes a weapon.

Beside her on the journey is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill, a failure in his eyes and hers, but with one chance at redemption.

And weapons are made for one purpose.

Will Thorn forever be a pawn in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path?

Praise for Half the World

“An excellent page-turner . . . full of drama and energy.”—New York Daily News

“Another entertaining burst of battle, magic and political machinations from the always reliable Joe Abercrombie . . . a thoroughgoing blast, a violent, beautiful rabbit hole of craft that is well worth disappearing into.”—Shelf Awareness

“Compelling . . . [Thorn] makes Katniss Everdeen look like Dorothy Gale.”Chicago Tribune

“Splendid . . . Abercrombie has a knack for building characters with pathos and wit. . . . The fast-paced story draws readers along while setting up what promises to be an explosive final showdown.”Publishers Weekly

“Clever, exciting and unexpected.”—SFF World

Praise for Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King

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

  • Half a World

    4
    By Kooltrk67
    Wow, great writing! Awesome book.
  • Excellent adventure

    5
    By ninjajim
    I have never read a Joe Abercrombie book I did not think was most excellent. "Half the World" is no different. Gritty, exciting, and entertaining. Buy his books and read them. That way he will write more and than I can read them.
  • Brilliant.

    5
    By Batzela
    What can I say? Vintage Abercrombie. Incredibly high stakes. Unforgettable characters. Horrifying twists. Integrity. Nobility. Ok, now I'll actually type a real sentence. I don't know whether it's because he has a background in psychology or because he writes screenplays. Maybe he's just gifted; I don't know. But you CARE about these characters. You hope for them, you despair for them, you empathize with them. What is missing from so much epic fantasy is heart. And Abercrombie has got heart in spades (ouch, sorry Joe). And the swordplay? I have to read his stuff twice because the first time I can barely stand the excitement--like covering your eyes in a movie theater! Do not hesitate to buy this book. For that matter, if you love fantasy and want it literate and forged with emotion and power, this is your writer. He is, most definitely, mine.