Caro's Book Reviews

  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...

I read Abercrombie’s First Law series a few years ago, so I was quite eager to start reading this series. Book one did not disappoint me. Abercrombie has a way of making characters feel realistic; they are not doing something because they were told to do so by the author – they are doing it because they want to do it. Half a King is the first book in the Shattered Sea series, and it follows the story of Yarvi; a prince with a disability living amongst a culture that praises battle prowess above all else. Naturally, Yarvi’s fighting skills are negligible and he is seen as a weakling unfit to rule over others. Unfortunately for Yarvi, through tragedy, he is made king. This ultimately leads to betrayal and starts off his journey of vengeance to reclaim all that he has lost. The novel’s plot is solid, and the story has you hooked; how will Yarvi achieve his vengeance when he has nothing but the clothes on his back? This book is ideal for those who enjoy fantasy with war and ba...