Half the World – Guest Book Review

 

I was very excited for this book, so much so that I pre-ordered it and not-so patently waited for it to come out. I was not disappointed. This follow up to Half A King was a little bit of a surprise in the total shift in protagonist. I was expecting Yarvi to be a larger part of the story. This I thought was going to be a big disappointment; I had grown rather found of the deep, cunning Yarvi. As it turns out, the new characters are awesome, and Yarvi is still around to root for.

Thorn and Brand are the new kids in this book. Their stories intertwine in a variety of twist and turns. Thorn and her story are at the forefront.  She is a brutal warrior in a brutal world. As with the first book, the story telling is top notch–Characters are intriguing, and you get invested. The world is a wonderfully brutal viking paradise–the way I like them. This book seems a little more gritty than the first book, and for me, that is a plus. Overall, a great offering by Mr. Abercrombie. I think it’s a slight step above the first book. I am very excited for the next book Half A War, and I am very glad the wait is so short for it to come out.

Half A King and Half The World are out now from Del Rey Books!

4/5 Stars

 

 

About the book:

New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie’s thrilling new 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.”

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?

 

 

About the author:

Joe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law Trilogy, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. He currently lives and works in London with his wife and daughter. In early 2008, Joe Abercrombie was one of the contributors to the BBC Worlds of Fantasy series, alongside other contributors such as Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett, and China Mieville.

 

 

 

Guest post contributed by Mightythorjrs. This blogger doesn’t profess to be a writer, but he does produce some memorable book reviews. Focused on fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction, there’s plenty to find there.