Book Review : Half the World

-
 

Half the World is the second book in the Shattered Sea trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. The first book, Half a King introduced the reader to Yarvi; a displaced prince who swore an oath to avenge his father’s murder. Yarvi is back again in Half the World, this time as the minister to King Uthil. As Father Yarvi, he has taken a step back from being the main character. The protagonists for Half the World are Thorn; a fiery teen girl who wishes to become a fierce warrior like her father was, and Brand; a teen boy just trying to do the right thing but unsure of how to go about it.

Through a few misfortunes, the two of them find their plans for the future ruined and are left directionless. Thorn, in order to save her life, swears an oath to Yarvi and leaves to follow him on his mission to find more allies for King Uthil. Brand is soon swept up into Yarvi’s machinations as well.
Half the World lives up to its title, showing the reader an expanded view of the land in which the Shattered Sea is set in. It also gives more hints to the reader as to what and who were the mysterious elves that have left their buildings and technology upon the world.
Thorn and Brand row and fight their way along with the rest of Yarvi’s boat crew as they make their way to the further kingdoms and back again. Each step of the journey allows the reader to observe Thorn and Brand’s character growth, from unsure teenagers to young adults with a sense of the world and their part in it. 
There is plenty of action from fights in the training square, to life and death battles. I would recommend it to those who like more realistic fantasy, vikings, and action. Their is also a bit of romance, and lots of travelling.

Personal Teen Library Book Challenge - Book #2

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: Snap

-
Image
  I read the first chapter of Snap by Belinda Bauer a year or so ago while I was preparing it for the library where I work, unfortunately I didn’t have the time then to read it, so I placed it out for circulation. However, that first chapter kept coming back to me, I had to find out what happened next. I finally borrowed it for myself so I could satisfy my curiosity. Snap begins when the car that 11-year-old Jack is travelling in breaks down, in the car with him is his pregnant mother and his two younger sisters. The story is set back in the mid-90s, so cellular phones are not so commonplace and needing to get assistance for the car, Jack’s mother decides to walk to the nearest emergency phone by herself, leaving Jack in charge of his sisters. This decision leads to a life-changing moment for Jack and his family and drives the rest of the plot forward. The story alternates between several different points-of-view, namely that of Jack, another pregnant woman called Catherine, and the po
Read more

Book Review: The Squirrel on the Train

-
Image
I really enjoyed The Squirrel on the Train by Kevin Hearne. Oberon, the canine protagonist, lends humour to the tale with his observations being from a dog's point of view. This is the second book in the series, and the first one that I've read. New readers to the series, like myself, are able to read the second book without any confusion. All characters are introduced with sufficient details, along with any referencing to the previous book. Having previously owned a Boston Terrier, the cover of The Squirrel on the Train attracted my attention first, the blurb sealed the deal. Possibly evil squirrels? A mystery surrounding a murder? Dogs! The book lived up to my expectations and the canine characters reminded me of my own dogs in their antics (especially when it involved food). The story flows smoothly, it is a short read though. Those who love dogs, or own them will enjoy this book. Also recommended for mystery lovers. This eARC was provided to me via NetGal
Read more

Book Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

-
Image
This is a collection of short stories that describes Simon Lewis's journey into becoming a Shadowhunter. It is set chronically between The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices series. I had mistakenly read Lady Midnight of The Dark Artifices first and was slightly confused about how and when Simon became a Shadowhunter. Reading this book cleared up the confusion.    Each story is written by Cassandra Clare and another author, similar to the Bane Chronicles , there are also illustrations for each chapter depicting a scene from that chapter. Many characters from The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices make appearances throughout the book.    I really enjoyed the stories; there was right amounts of humour and drama mixed in, and a little bit of sadness as well. I won't lie, I did get a bit misty eyed during the last story.    I would recommend this to those who enjoy Clare's novels, and also to those who enjoy fantasy. Those who like boardi
Read more