Half a King
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4.3 • 187 Ratings
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
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 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…
Reviews
'Grips like a bear hug, warms like a bear skin' Daily Mail
‘My favorite Abercrombie book yet’ Patrick Rothfuss
‘Enthralling. An up-all-night read’ Robin Hobb
‘Joe Abercrombie is doing some terrific work’ GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
‘Abercrombie writes fantasy like no one else’ Guardian
‘Another great tale from a master’ Sun
‘Joe Abercrombie is fast becoming my favourite writer.’ DEREK LANDY
‘A magnificent, captivating world.’ James Dashner of MAZE RUNNER
About the author
Joe Abercrombie was born in Lancaster on the last day of 1974, the son of an English teacher and a sociologist. He spent much of his youth in imaginary worlds, and left school with a good idea of how to make stuff up. He moved to the big city, learned to brew tea, and ended up as a TV editor, working on documentaries, events and concerts for bands from Iron Maiden to Coldplay. But in the darkness of the night he was still making stuff up, and his first book, The Blade Itself, was published in 2006. He now lives in Bath with his wife Lou and their three children Grace, Eve and Teddy and makes stuff up full-time.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Written with exceptional flair and a great ear for inner and outer dialogue, Half King by British author Joe Abercrombie is a thrilling fantasy series-starter. Its crippled and sympathetic protagonist, Yarvi, never asked to be King of Gettland—but when his new title is violently snatched away, he embarks on an epic journey that tests his mental and physical fortitude and sharpens his abilities. Abercrombie creates a rich medieval world steeped in superstition and cruelty, hooking you with a fast-moving and serpentine plot, rich characters, shifting alliances—and the early stirrings of a grand love story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this superb fantasy trilogy kickoff, Abercrombie (the First Law trilogy) regales readers with the tale of a young man who is thrust onto the throne by unexpected betrayal. Yarvi, the king's second son, is not destined for the Black Chair or kingship of Gettland: he has a withered left hand, and is bound to become a minister. But everything changes when his brother and father are murdered. Yarvi is clever and knowledgeable, thanks to the years he spent studying for the ministry, but none of that will amount to much unless he can survive the sheer cruelty of being raised to the crown, nearly murdered, and traded into slavery in the span of days. The one thing he knows is that he plans to live long enough to take revenge on his father's killer when he finds out who it was. Abercrombie's stellar prose style and clever plot twists will be sure to please both adult and teen readers.
Customer Reviews
Quite good!
I haven't read a book in a very long time and something told me to pick this up, I enjoyed it quite a lot, sometimes it feels like the story is dragging and some twists are predictable but I loved the story and easy description.
Sometimes I felt a bit lost with surroundings and the book would go from one place to another instantly and I'd get confused on the surroundings.
Overall it was a good, easy read and I've already picked up the sequel and will probably finish the trilogy.
A tea less bitter
As a lover of the North in his other work, I was looking forward to this. Sad to say, it is a little bland and a little too ‘typical’ fantasy. I can not have been alone in that tiny frisson when considering that Nothing might have been somehow- well you know- nine fingered. I liked that little tease. Not his best but, by the dead, how could it have been? Rattled along nicely and leaves plenty of scope for the sequels
Not bad
Not a bad book by any means. Typical characters, no black/white here, no good/evil, everyone is a shade of grey. Having read joes other works I expected more pages, I feel a bit short changed having finished the book so quickly.