Half A King by Joe Abercrombie

Half A King

by Joe Abercrombie

 

“I swore an oath to be avenged on the killers of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath”

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.

The deceived will become the deceiver

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.

The betrayed will become the betrayer

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.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi’s path may end as it began – in twists, and traps and tragedy...

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley*

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and there aren't many books that can hold my attention for long.  I received this book from Netgalley months ago and I kept putting it off because I knew it was going to be really good, if that makes sense.  I tend to hoard books that I'm looking forward to so that I can bring them out at times when a reading slump hits.

So, perfect time to read Half A King.

I stayed up all night to finish it because I had to know what was going to happen next.  Abercrombie's writing never disappoints!  I wasn't sure what to expect from him in a YA book but it didn't feel all that different from his other books, except less sex and less blood.  There was still the grit and betrayal that I love. 

The plot itself was great.  I love stories about a MC that no one believes in, who overcomes great challenges to get revenge on those who have wronged them.  I am a bit bloodthirsty in my reading  :). 

I'd recommend it to anyone who loves epic fantasy or a good adventure story.