Shawn Speakman Feb 19, 2014

it was amazing 's review

It is a rare first book in a new series that makes me NEED the sequel.



HALF A KING by Joe Abercrombie did just that.



The story of Yarvi is an intensely intimate one, the tale of a boy become a man through the travails of life. Some of those travails he was born with; others were of his own making. To witness the growth of a character over time -- a flawed character capable of as much darkness as the next man -- makes Yarvi an immediate wonderful addition to the fantasy genre.



HALF A KING may be about Yarvi but it is also about brotherhood. And love. And hatred. And family. And the book does more in its 280 pages than most much larger epic fantasies attempt. For that reason and many others, I simply cannot wait for the sequel, HALF THE WORLD.



And for those of you wondering, yes, this book stands alone just fine on its own. All story lines wrap up nice and neat. But there is a much larger world beyond Thorlby and it will not be pleased with HALF A KING's events, I can tell you that much!



Also, don't let the YA marketing of HALF A KING fool you into thinking it is for children. While the book can be read by younger readers, Joe Abercrombie does not pull any punches. Lessons of life -- many of them are universal regardless of age. I found HALF A KING to be just as compelling as anything written in what markets call the "adult" field. In short, this is a perfect book for young and old alike. It's what Yarvi would want, after all.



In short, read this book. It will not disappoint. And I eagerly await HALF THE WORLD!



Where is my copy, Joe?