Book Review: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

I have FINALLY finished reading this book.  I have realized that with my concussion head I cannot read more than 20-30 minutes a day, and I don't read as fast as I used to.  Bummer. But the important thing is that I can read and just have to learn to take things slower than usually.  Enough with  my concussion problems and let's get to the book...

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

I got an ecopy of the books months ago, I think before my concussion, from Netgalley.  This is not the kind of book I would have picked out if I went to a book store, but I am so glad that I got a change to read it, I am so much inclined now to read more fantasy books.

Half a King is told by the prospective of the youngest son of the current King, Yarvi, who was giving up everything in order to become a Minister.  But everything changes on the day, that his uncle Odem told him about his father and oldest brother deaths, making him the new King of Thorlby.  Yarvi only has 1 healthy hand, and was never treated the same way his older brother was.  He tells you that he never thought his father cared about him, neither did his brother.  People didn't look at him with respect, he spent all his life hiding his left hand, ashamed of something that he was born with, he wasn't even sure if his mother cared for him.

With his father and brother's deaths, he took an oath to kill who murdered his family and therefore he goes to war with his uncle Odem and destroy and seek revenge on the town of Amwend, a land whose owner was the responsible for his family's death, King Grom-gil-Gorm.  At the end of the battle he truly knows that no one respects or ever wanted him as king, as his own blood, family, uncle Odem wanted him dead.  Yarvi falls into the sea and because they cannot see his body is left behind making Odem the new King.

After that Yarvi goes thru hell and back, he gets taken out of the sea, brought to the presence of Grom-gil-Grom, to whom he lies saying that he is a cook's boy.  Grom-gil-Grom makes him a slave, he gets sold to a pirate ship as an oarsman (with another lie), there he lies to get a higher slave position.  Which he didn't expect to make more enemies than friends, enemies that take the opportunity of the ship owner gone to kill him.  His slave friends save him and together with other 5 slaves, Yarvi escapes.  During the voyage to his land, he and his friends are faced with everything you can image, freezing weather, hunger, making trades and allies, fighting enemies, losing friends in battles and making allies with enemies. 

Soon, Yarvi comes back to his birthplace, to fulfill his oath to kill uncle Odem.  His mother sees him, is proud of him and helps him with his plan.  Soon the day comes where there is a battle and at the end of that battle the true king get his black chair back.  But do you know who the true king is?  Well, you will have to read to find out, a very nice twist I have to say.

In the very last chapters, we find out that Yarvi passed the test of the ministry and he becomes Brother Yarvi.  He meets with his teacher, and tells her a tale, of who the true murderers of his father and brother are.  He tells her how the plan was made, who was involved and vengeance he takes again, killing another one responsible for those deaths.

This is book 1 of the series, or trilogy, I don't know, but what I know is that I cannot wait for the next book to be out.  I am so glad I got out of my comfortable zone and read this book.  There was always something happening on this book, when you thought what else could happen, you get the answer for it.

Netgalley, thank you for this ecopy of the book, absolutely enjoyed it.

That's it for my review...off to the next book.  Want to know which one?  Don't forget to check back in a couple days as I will be doing my September TBR.

XOXO,
Nelia