Half a King (Shattered Sea, Book 1)

Joe Abercrombie

Jul 2014 · Shattered Sea Book 1 · HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

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...

Ratings and reviews

If you're coming from the first law series expecting more of the same you'll be disappointed. The characters feel, plastic with no real reason to care for them while the main character's personality is contradictory and is leaking holes left right and centre. (An outsider willing to leave his family who cared little for him only to spend the entire book on a journey of revenge)this was missing the attention to detail and fantastically imagined characters we expect from Mr Abercrombie.

Good read. The best thing about it? Nothing (ho ho ho) you'll understand once you've read it. Good but not good Abercrombie, I know it's YA but lacks the intrigue usually found in his work. Too predictable.

I loved the first law.... This book is great and I have purchased the other two. I do enjoy a long epic story and I must admit I noticed the lack of with this book. Younger readers I hope will enjoy this and follow fantasy books because of it. I will continue to follow this author, his work appeals to me.

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.