Half a King

Starred review from May 5, 2014
In this superb fantasy trilogy kickoff, Abercrombie (the First Law trilogy) regales readers with the tale of a young man who is thrust onto the throne by unexpected betrayal. Yarvi, the king’s second son, is not destined for the Black Chair or kingship of Gettland: he has a withered left hand, and is bound to become a minister. But everything changes when his brother and father are murdered. Yarvi is clever and knowledgeable, thanks to the years he spent studying for the ministry, but none of that will amount to much unless he can survive the sheer cruelty of being raised to the crown, nearly murdered, and traded into slavery in the span of days. The one thing he knows is that he plans to live long enough to take revenge on his father’s killer—when he finds out who it was. Abercrombie’s stellar prose style and clever plot twists will be sure to please both adult and teen readers. Agent: Robert Kirby, United Agents.

June 15, 2014
A new fantasy series kicks off with a coming-of-age yarn, from the popular author of Red Country (2012, etc.).Among the royalty of Gettland, only strong, fearless, cold-eyed warriors have value. So Prince Yarvi, born with a withered hand, had only one option: to train as a minister (counselor). After years studying under Mother Gundring-luckily, he's a more-than-capable apprentice-Yarvi is ready to take the ministry's test when news arrives that his father and elder brother have been treacherously murdered by neighboring rival King Grom-gil-Gorm. While Yarvi's uncle Odem offers sad encouragement, his mother, Laithlin, master of the treasury and expert business negotiator, remains her usual supercilious self. With no alternative, Yarvi must take the Black Chair and swear an oath to avenge his father's death. So, donning unfamiliar armor and carrying weapons he can barely lift, he leads a raid against Grom-gil-Gorm-only to be betrayed by those around him. Rather than accept death meekly, he leaps into the Shattered Sea. He survives, only to be captured and sold as a galley slave. Again, he must endure cruelty, enormous hardship and tests of his mettle. Somehow he must use his wits and knowledge to escape enslavement, avenge his father and regain the throne he never expected or wanted. There will be, of course, surprises along the way. To fantasy regulars, this backdrop will sound familiar, with the few embellishments (some elf-ruins and artifacts, an ancient war of the gods) largely irrelevant. The story is well-handled, the characters have personalities, and the plot moves briskly and plausibly, but nothing stands out or grabs the attention; it's somewhat reminiscent of Dave Duncan but without the originality and swagger.Well-dressed, sure, but underneath, it's the same old, same old.

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May 15, 2014

As a younger son born with a crippled hand, Prince Yarvi never expected to be sitting on the black throne. But when his father and brother are killed, Yarvi is crowned and almost immediately betrayed. He will face attempted assassination, being sold into slavery, and countless threats to his life, but his oath to avenge the death of his father won't let Yarvi quit. He must find allies if he wants to take back his kingdom, but he must also find his own self-confidence. VERDICT This new stand-alone by Abercrombie ("First Law" trilogy; Red Country) is being cross-promoted for adults and teens, and it does show a different style than some of the author's bleak and violent fantasy novels. The chapters are short, there's no swearing or sex, and the hero definitely has a coming-of-age arc. But the things that fans love about Abercrombie's books are still here, including a vivid cast of characters and plenty of action and high adventure.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
Yarvi succeeds to the throne of Gettland when his father and elder brother are killed. But Yarvi is a reluctant king. Because of a deformed hand, he has always felt an inadequate son to his father and now an inadequate king. He is engaged to his cousin, but his uncle is not interested in having a weakling for a son-in-law nor half a king for the country. The uncle's coup topples Yarvi from the throne, but Yarvi escapes with his life. Yarvi's escape leads, however, only to enslavement by people from neighboring Vansterland. Out from this situation emerges a long and arduous quest as Yarvi swears to avenge his father's and brother's deaths and dislodge his uncle from the throne. In the process, Yarvi attains a new maturity, the most important component of which is a newfound confidence. Defeat of his uncle does not mean that Yarvi steps up and occupies the throne again. Instead, he wisely effects an alternative scenario. The world building here is complete and convincing, and the characters are arresting in their all-too-human nature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)