It’s been a little while since I read the first of these
(Half a King), but I did remember enough to be able to follow along most of the
characters that appear in this book, set a little way down the line.
The High King’s power waxes ever greater, and lesser kings
and kingdoms are none too pleased at having to kneel before another. Yarvi, the
protagonist of the first book, is ever-present and the driving force behind a
bid to break the power of the High King and forge an alliance. The POV
characters, however, are both new. Thorn Bathu is a wild, angry, and rather
violent young lady who accidentally kills a man and is saved by Yarvi from
execution, while Brand (whose whispered word secures her release) was set to be
a warrior but gets ostracised for his deed.
The pair end up with Yarvi, and assorted rapscallions, on a
ship destined to cross half the world to try and secure friends for Gettland
and prise away allies from the High King. Along the way Thorn gets a serious
training in weapons, and Brand discovers the warrior life he dreamt of was not
necessarily it was cracked up to be.
As ever with an Abercrombie book it’s very easy to read,
with engaging characters, a detailed, compelling world, and a plot that cracks
along but also has slower moments to help the pacing and give the characters
time to grow. I was reading another book at the same time, but still got
through the almost 500 pages pretty rapidly. If you liked the first book you’ll
like this, and I’m looking forward to the third.
Thaddeus
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