Review: Half A King (Shattered Sea Book 1), by Joe Abercrombie

It’s been a long time since I read a whole book in 2-3 days. But I read this one that fast.

Admittedly this was partly due to the internet being down which meant I played a lot of video games and read far more than usual. Nevertheless, if I’d been less taken with Half A King I would’ve done something else with my unexpected abundance of time.

The story follows the tale of Yarvi, a young lad of royal blood missing most of one hand. Naturally, this has rather held him back in the approximately Anglo-Saxon/Viking fictional world in which he lives. Hard to be a great warrior when you’re half a king.

The premise is that his father and brother suddenly die and he ends up being thrust into the role of king, something that nobody seems to want, including himself. But he soon discovers there are far more uncomfortable seats than the throne.

The narrative sticks with Yarvi throughout rather than switching points of view, and it works. The world is bitter, and cold, and so are the people, but along the way force of circumstance brings him together with some unlikely allies as they strive to escape the torment of fate and return to their homes.

One thing I especially liked, and won’t spoil, is the ending, which I think the author absolutely nailed.

All in all, a very good read and I’m glad I had it to hand to help occupy the time when a wiring problem set me adrift from the internet.

Thaddeus