“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”
Half a King is part of the ‘Shattered Sea’ series by acclaimed UK fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie. Abercrombie is well known for his ‘The First Law’ trilogy which includes titles such as The Blade Itself, Before they are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. He has also written standalone novels such as Best Served Cold, The Heroes and Red Country. Unlike previous titles, this was Abercrombie’s first attempt at adapting his style for a younger audience and in 2015 Half a King won the Locus Award for best Young Adult book.
The book is narrated from the perspective of Prince Yarvi of Gettland who has a disfigured hand and is consequently considered half a man. Yarvi born into a country of warriors with strict gender roles, cannot truly be a man as he is unable to hold a shield while wielding a sword unlike his peers. Despite this, Yarvi’s intelligent has prompted him to follow the path of Grandmother Wrexen and Mother Gundring seeking a position in the Ministry which is the religious order that controls Gettland and the neighbouring countries. However, the murder of his father and brother result in him being enthroned. Now quite literally ‘half a king’ Yarvi swears an oath to avenge the death of his father. Unknown to him, his father’s death is more than it seems and as the plot thickens, Yarvi is betrayed and finds himself in the grip of slavery. Determined to avenge his family and return to his rightful position, Yarvi develops into a cunning man and eventually slips from the grip of his enslavers and returns to his homeland.
A brilliant, captivating page turner that grips you from the start. The Viking-esque saga is a fast paced coming of age novel and despite the 416 pages it is over before you know it. The world and political structures created by Abercrombie are interesting, with mysterious Elf structures and artefacts from a bygone age scattered around the landscape. The Shattered Sea itself a result of the Elves struggle with God. This leaves the reader wondering what mysteries will unfold in the second and third instalments. While, the plot twist at the end is truly unforeseen.
However, Abercrombie does at times appear to be prone to clichés and while the book is one of the better coming of age novels I have read thus far I will rate it 4 out of 5.
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