‘Half a King’ by Joe Abercrombie

“Shall I spin a tale for you? What manner of tale... ?”

Branded a freak and an outcast, Yarvi was born with only one formed hand. As the second son of a fearless and brutal king, he has been shamed his entire life because of his deformity. His older brother, the king’s favorite son, has been molded since birth to one day take their father’s place. 

While his brother and father are both vigorous and fierce warriors, Yarvi is peaceful and gentle. Yarvi hopes to complete his training and become a minister for the kingdom. While Yarvi starts off as a weak and naíve boy full of self-hatred, he learns all too quickly that a person can be drawn to new depths of adversity. Yarvi is pushed to the brink of hopelessness and despair, yet it only strengthens his resolve, turning even the most dire situations into an opportunity. 

Though he is not strong physically, he is tactical, as he will need to be. Yarvi will have to have patience and endurance if he is to win back the highly coveted seat, “The Black Chair” throne of Gettland, from his enemies who want him dead. 

With discovering new enemies, he has also discovered new friends in the most unlikely of places. Are these misfits trustworthy? In a land where everyone has their own agenda, surviving means Yarvi will have to learn to trust in himself and in kind, trust in others. 

The harsh landscapes and central storyline of betrayal, vengeance and the fight for freedom feels part “Game of Thrones” and part “The Count of Monte Cristo.” The book touches on man’s most basic of primitive instincts — survival — and will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for the underdog. 

Overall, I thought that this was fantastic storytelling. The writing is both to the point and poignant. The plot flows nicely with great character and story development. 

The next book in the series is titled “Half the World,” and both are available in print. Search the catalog at www.beardsleyandmemorial.org to reserve this book or find other books like this. 

Joe Abercrombie is the author of “The Blade Itself” trilogy and lives in Bath, England.

Talisha Blackburn is the young adult library assistant at Beardsley and Memorial Library.

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