Half a War

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED AND THE INDEPENDENT • New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie delivers the stunning conclusion to the epic fantasy trilogy that began with Half a King, praised by George R. R. Martin as "a fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go."\n\n"The Shattered Seas trilogy has worked its way into a very exclusive group of my favorite fantasy novels of all time."--James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner\n\nWords are weapons.\n\nPrincess Skara has seen all she loved made blood and ashes. She is left with only words. But the right words can be as deadly as any blade. If she is to reclaim her birthright, she must conquer her fears and sharpen her wits to a lethal edge.\n\nOnly half a war is fought with swords.\n\nThe deeply cunning Father Yarvi has walked a long road from crippled slave to king's minister. He has made allies of old foes and stitched together an uneasy peace. But now the ruthless Grandmother Wexen has raised the greatest army since the elves made war on God, and put Bright Yilling at its head--a man who worships only Death.\n\nSometimes one must fight evil with evil.\n\nSome--like Thorn Bathu and the sword-bearer Raith--are born to fight, perhaps to die. Others--like Brand the smith and Koll the wood-carver--would rather stand in the light. But when Mother War spreads her irons wings, she may cast the whole Shattered Sea into darkness.\n\nPraise for Half a War\n\n"Filled with swift battles, quick plot twists and witty dialogue."--New York Daily News\n\n"A fantasy for all ages, and all times [that] rends the soul as compulsively as anything Abercrombie has written to date . . . Half a War is a success in every way, putting a stupendous capstone on the entire Shattered Sea Trilogy."--Tordotcom\n\n"There's all the sword-swinging and Machiavellian machinations you could ask for in this tale of a final battle between countries and kings."--Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star\n\n"Engaging, mesmerising and jaw-dropping."--SciFi Now\n\n"Abercrombie piles on shocking betrayals and charges his characters a high price for vengeance in this powerful and fitting final volume."--Publishers Weekly\n\nEditorial Reviews\n\nThe Shattered Seas trilogy has worked its way into a very exclusive group of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. The pacing is perfect, the characters deep and true and real, the world rich and authentic, the plot full of twists and turns. Perhaps my favorite part is that no one is purely good or evil: Each and every character has layers upon layers that are a joy to discover. I tore through all three books and truly hope that someday Joe Abercrombie returns to this magnificent, captivating world."--James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner\n\nPraise for Half a War\n\n"Filled with swift battles, quick plot twists and witty dialogue."--New York Daily News\n\n"A fantasy for all ages, and all times [that] rends the soul as compulsively as anything [Joe] Abercrombie has written to date . . . Half a War is a success in every way, putting a stupendous capstone on the entire Shattered Sea Trilogy."--Tordotcom\n\n"There's all the sword-swinging and Machiavellian machinations you could ask for in this tale of a final battle between countries and kings."--Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star\n\n"Engaging, mesmerising and jaw-dropping."--SciFi Now\n\n"Abercrombie piles on shocking betrayals and charges his characters a high price for vengeance in this powerful and fitting final volume."--Publishers Weekly\n\nPraise for Joe Abercrombie's Half a King\n\n"A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go."--George R. R. Martin\n\n"Tremendously entertaining . . . lightning-fast and filled with a wonderful collection of rogues, villains and two-faced bastards . . . From the first chapter [Abercrombie] wastes no time as the reader is swept up in a gripping tale of betrayal and revenge."--SciFi Now\n\n"Once this plot has its teeth in you, it will not let go. . . . Abercrombie's masterly storytelling means that everything, from the characters you come to love and despise to the sprawling world that is explored, is enthralling."--Fantasy Book Review\n\nHalf the World\n\n"An excellent page-turner . . . full of drama and energy."--New York Daily News\n\n"Another entertaining burst of battle, magic and political machinations from the always reliable Joe Abercrombie . . . a thoroughgoing blast, a violent, beautiful rabbit hole of craft that is well worth disappearing into."--Shelf Awareness\n\n"Compelling . . . [Thorn] makes Katniss Everdeen look like Dorothy Gale."--Chicago Tribune\n- From the Publisher\n\n06/29/2015\nWar reaches the boiling point in the impressive conclusion to Abercrombie's Shattered Sea epic fantasy trilogy (after Half the World). Princess Skara of Throvenland escapes master swordsman Bright Yilling, who is sent to raze her grandfather's kingdom. She convinces King Uthil of Gettland and King Grom-gil-Gorm of Vansterland, who have made an alliance after the events of Half the World, to stop the army of the High King, who governs the land's restless lords. Raith, a scarred soldier who still has a little mercy left in him, is assigned as Skara's bodyguard, while returning character Koll, who is now apprenticed to Half a King protagonist Father Yarvi, must decide whether he wants to become an influential minister--and be sworn to celibacy--or stay with the woman he loves. Yarvi himself chooses to break the Ministry's laws to get elf weapons; they may bring victory, but their magic will shift the entire world that readers have come to know. Abercrombie piles on shocking betrayals and charges his characters a high price for vengeance in this powerful and fitting final volume. (Aug.)\n- Publishers Weekly\n\n08/01/2015\nAfter spending the first two books of the "Shattered Sea" trilogy vowing revenge and gathering allies, Father Yarvi is finally going to war against the High King. With monarchs Grom-gil-Grom of Vansterland, Uthil of Gettland, and new ally Skara of Throvenland, Yarvi faces the superior forces of the High King and his minister, Grandmother Wexen. The allies will dare to breach ancient ruins to get weapons that will turn the tide. VERDICT This trilogy finale includes characters from the earlier books, satsifying series fans. Queen Skara and Raith, her warrior protector, don't have quite the appeal of Yarvi (focus of Half a King) or Brand and Thorn (the stars of Half the World), but Abercrombie adds a riveting twist with his reveal of the nature of the ancient Elf magics. The action scenes are well done, as would be expected of Abercrombie (who made his name with bloody fantasies, such as the "First Law" trilogy and Red Country), but this series has toned down the violence and language to make it more approachable for teen fans as well.--MM\n- Library Journal\n\n2015-06-04\nFinal, independently intelligible entry in the Shattered Sea trilogy, following Half the World (2015, etc.). Previously we glimpsed the grand designs of Father Yarvi, now minister (counselor) to the Iron King Uthil of Gettland, aimed at preventing the High King and his wicked, conniving minister, Grandmother Wexen, from conquering the lands bordering the Shattered Sea and imposing worship of the One God upon unwilling subjects. Now, Princess Skara of Throvenland watches helplessly as Bright Yilling, the High King's war leader, callously kills her grandfather King Fynn, burns his halls, and lays waste to her homeland after what the king thought was an agreement turned out to be a betrayal. Escaping by posing as a slave, Skara makes her way to Gettland, where King Uthil and Queen Laithlin confer with their ally, King Grom-gil-Gorm of Vansterland, and Yarvi. Bright Yilling, they learn, has left his fleet in the supposedly impregnable harbor of Bail's Point. If, however, somebody is desperate enough to climb the cliffs, Skara knows a secret way into the fortress. Even such a daring assault won't be enough, though, to prevail against the vast armies commanded by Bright Yilling. The allies will need elf-weapons, hidden and deadly dangerous, designed to kill a god. They will come to suspect a traitor in their midst. And Skara may find herself at odds with that master of deception, Yarvi himself. The narrative, well-sprinkled with gory action and impelled by characters at this stage not just familiar, but gratifying, moves along at a brisk clip. Best of all, the relentless intrigues, plots, and schemes bubble just below the surface. Abercrombie brings his compact, adroit, and engaging trilogy to a satisfying, if seldom memorable, conclusion.\n- Kirkus Reviews