Half the World

by Joe Abercrombie

Hardcover, 366 pages

English language

Published Sept. 21, 2015

ISBN:: 978-0-8041-7842-6
OCLC Number:: 895500614

(39 reviews)

Sometimes a girl is touched by Mother War. Thorn is such a girl. Desperate to avenge her dead father, she lives to fight. But she has been named a murderer by the very man who trained her to kill. Sometimes a woman becomes a warrior. She finds herself caught up in the schemes of Father Yarvi, Gettland's deeply cunning minister. Crossing half the world to find allies against the ruthless High King, she learns harsh lessons of blood and deceit. Sometimes a warrior becomes a weapon. Beside her on the journey is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill, a failure in his eyes and hers, but with one chance at redemption. And weapons are made for one purpose. Will Thorn forever be a pawn in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path?

5 editions

Ezergill reviewed Пів Світу by Joe Abercrombie (Потрощене Море, #2)

Review of 'Пів Світу' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Чудове продовження серії.

Нові головні персонажі дають новий погляд на світ, плюс ілюструють те, як світ змінився після першої книги. Також ми отримуємо погляд на брутальність та жах війни від людей на полі бою, чого ми навряд побачили б через очі Ярві.

До речі, про нього. Хоча Ярві відступає на другий план, це дозволяє йому яскравіше проявитись як майстру маніпуляції та стратегії. Моментами він відчувається трохи більш холоднокровним і жорстоким, і це очікувано, але в деяких взаємодіях зі знайомими та новими персонажами відчувається тепло та людяність.

Книга читається дуже легко та швидко, події беззупинно змінюють одна одну.

cargide reviewed Medio mundo by Joe Abercrombie (El mar Quebrado, #2)

Review of 'Medio mundo' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Continuación de Medio Rey, con una diferencia entre los libros de varios años, y con una pareja de nuevos protagonistas.
Es una historia de aventuras muy entretenida, centrada en un viaje por río que toca varias ambientaciones bastante distintas.

Los dos protagonistas son totalmente diferentes en personalidad, pero encajan muy bien entre ellos y con el resto de secundarios del barco (aunque de estos, muy pocos se ganan nombre y diálogo en el libro) y tienen química entre ellos, que es lo importante aquí.

Se nota que el autor es Abercrombie en el ritmo y las personalidades, aunque aquí los personajes no son tan extremos como en el resto de sus libros. Además, las batallas son más crudas de lo que suelen ser en el género, más cerca del Grimdark que de otra cosa.

Coalford reviewed Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (Shattered Sea, #2)

Review of 'Half the World' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I know this is supposed to be YA, but it's as good as The First Law.

Sean Gursky reviewed Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (Shattered Sea, #2)

Review of 'Half the World' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Fools boast of what they will do. Heroes do it.

The Shattered Sea trilogy continues and I found the second instalment better than the first. The focus on Yarvi was useful to set up Half the World but the introduction of Brand and Thorn really helped elevate the story.

The thing about rowing, you face backward. Always looking into the past, never the future. Always seeing what you're losing, never what you've got to gain.

This is a light review, I read it, I enjoyed it and will keep reading. Unfortunately my complaint about the series being a bit too YA for Epic Fantasy is true with this one but I can look beyond that to keep reading a story from Abercrombie.

RxBrad reviewed Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (Shattered Sea, #2)

Review of 'Half the World' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A nice, quick read with a bunch of badass characters and scenes.

Lord of Candy reviewed Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (Shattered Sea, #2)

Review of 'Half the World' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

3.5--this was a fun book with a caveat. The character development of Thorn was a real bracing ride and while Yarvi thinks himself the cunning planner (and I want to have a drinking game of how many times he is called 'deeply cunning') if you have a smidge of foresight you can see where most of the outcomes will deliver.

Brand's development as well was a worthy compliment to Thorn. He might be few of words but his deeds and actions speak for himself in a way that for the most part feels good to the reader, even when a word should be uttered.

The book, the journey, the experience, the alliance--all well built.

My caveat, the romance. I.... .... It had to happen, it was a forseeable outcome from the start. How it comes to happen is a crushing set of moments right at the end of the book. It is coupled, both literally, and figuratively, with a lot of awkward moments and internal fighting young fooled thoughts. I didn't mind the teasing throughout the mid-way but once the rousing was upon the couple I just didn't quite flow with it. Maybe I've grown too old or maybe it really is rushed within a few strange chapters that feel out of alignment with the rest of the book but this left me a bit more wincing than I might have liked.

So--minus that it was another fun, quick read in the continued multi-millennial-post-apocalyptic-Norwegian setting of barbarous kings, queens, and ancient fodder.

Shawn Towner reviewed Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (Shattered Sea, #2)

Review of 'Half the World' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

Better than the first book in the series. The romance side of things is a little heavy-handed, and the action is still somewhat predictable, but I found the action sequences much more enjoyable than in Half a King. The first book did a great job with character development, but I thought it fell apart during the action-heavy parts of the book. Half the World has a better balance to it. And I like the way the book doesn't really try to rehash the events of the first book. There are little reminders here and there, but the author doesn't try to hold the hand of readers who haven't read the first book. I appreciate this lack of mercy for the misguided fools who try to start a series in the middle.