Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In full disclosure, I didn’t even realize this was a YA book when I picked it up. I knew it was Abercrombie, and I knew it was a fresh world, and that was enough for me to begin reading. “Half A King” is the story of Yarvin, a prince who wants nothing more than to be a Minister, learn some lore, and stay out of the light of day. Before the novel even gains too much traction, his father and brother are killed, leaving him the title of king. He’s unprepared for the role, and being born with less than a full compliment of fingers on one hand, he is quick to be given the titular half a king.
This being an Abercrombie novel, there should be no surprise that betrayal and a rapid change of fortune is the next step. The phases of this journey will be no surprise to the seasoned reader of fantasy. A boy, cast into the world, must find out who he really is, rising from a somewhat despicable, sniveling child to an adult that knows his own strengths and weaknesses and how to use them to achieve his objective. You come to this story expecting an Abercrombie fantasy, but you stay because despite some of its predictable elements, its told really, really well. The reader will recognize a world that is both familiar and a degree or two off of our own. Like many good fantasies, Abercrombie doesn’t try and hide the grit behind feats of magic and enchanted swords. There was magic in the world once, and we occasionally get glimpses of the enchantment that was, but this world is firmly between cold iron and hot blood.
My only criticism of this novel, and the reason I didn’t think it warranted a full five stars, was that I found the conclusion to be a little too trite and pat. It could be that I am too jaded a reader, too far removed from the intended audience to be surprised by the final twist, but I found it to be a little too convenient.
That said, I would still recommend the book to readers old and young alike, although in fairness some topics may be less appropriate for younger teens – not because the writing is difficult for younger readers, but because some of the content may not be appropriate.
This review was of the digital ARC provided by Del Rey via Netgalley. Thank you to both parties for the opportunity to read this book in advance – it’s been hard holding this review until closer to publication 🙂