Book Review: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

A great epic fantasy read about revenge and courage. This is a gripping coming of age story, which is refreshingly free of fantasy stereotype - but with all the elements that fans of this genre will love. 


It's a fast-paced, exciting epic fantasy adventure that had me captured from the first page.

“The fool strikes. The wise man smiles, and watches, and learns. Then strikes.”
 
Prince Yarvi never wanted to be king, but after a twist of fate puts him on the throne, he must forge a new path for himself. Untested, crippled, and with a self-esteem in the gutter, Yarvi knows he's a poor choice for king. However, when his new life is torn from him, and he has all the trappings of privilege stripped away - Yarvi embarks on a quest for revenge. If he survives it, he will be a changed man.

I loved this story - Yarvi is a flawed character and one that's easy to relate to. The action is swift and the gritty, Viking-age inspired fantasy world is memorable. Abercrombie's characterisation is excellent, with a clever blending of the lines between good and evil. 

I'm now reading the sequel in the Shattered Sea series: Half the World, which I'm loving as much as the first book. Review will be coming soon - watch this space!
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My best Epic Fantasy reads: 2012-2014

Aside from the Song of Fire and Ice series (Game of Thrones etc.) - a true epic fantasy classic - here are a few other good reads from the last couple of years, that I'd recommend.

The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss)
The Name of the Wind (Book #1)
The Wise Man's Fear (Book #2)

Truly 'epic' fantasy, the Kingkiller Chronicle series is a great read for anyone who loves traditional epic fantasy. Both books are 'door-stoppers' - immersing the reader in a richly drawn world. It's the story of a talented young man, with a great destiny. I must admit I preferred the first book, to the second. That said, it's a gripping series that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy.

Read my reviews for these books on Goodreads to find out my thoughts on this series:
The Name of the Wind
The Wise Man's Fear

The Broken Empire Series (Mark Lawrence)
Prince of Thorns (Book #1)
King of Thorns (Book #2)
Emperor of Thorns (Book #3)

This epic fantasy is a compelling, 'dark' series that's a little different from others in the genre. The main character is an 'anti-hero' - a damaged, violent and immoral young man named Jorg. I don't usually go in for dark fantasy, but this series is so well-written and beautifully crafted that I would highly recommend this series as well.

Although I didn't review the first two books (I did rate each of them 5 stars), you can read my review for Book #3 on Goodreads:
Emperor of Thorns

The Prince of Fools (Book #1 The Red Queen's War) - Mark Lawrence
This is the first book in Mark Lawrence's new series. It's set in the same world as the Broken Empire series, but follows a new character on an incredible adventure. Absolutely loved this book - even more than the novels in Lawrence's first series. Highly recommend!

Read my review on Goodreads
Prince of Fools

Raven's Shadow (Anthony Ryan)
Blood Song (Book #1)
Tower Lord (Book #2)

Traditional epic fantasy adventure that's fast-moving and beautifully written. It's the story of a young man, abandoned by his father in a harsh order, where he must become a great warrior - or die trying. I enjoyed both novels in the series so far, although the story hasn't taken the direction I'd expected...

Read my reviews on Goodreads, for more details about these books:
Blood Song
Tower Lord

I could go on... Being a voracious reader, I have chewed my through many more books than these! However, if you love epic fantasy, and are looking for some good books to get lost in, why not give one of the above a try?

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