Half a War

Joe Abercrombie

Book 3 of Shattered Sea

Language: English

Publisher: Del Rey

Published: Jul 28, 2015

Description:

*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.”*

“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


Words are weapons.

Princess 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.

Only half a war is fought with swords.

The 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.

Sometimes one must fight evil with evil.

Some—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.

Praise for *Half a War*

“Filled with swift battles, quick plot twists and witty dialogue.”—New York Daily News

“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.”—*Tor.com*

“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*

“Engaging, mesmerising and jaw-dropping.”—*SciFi Now*

“Abercrombie piles on shocking betrayals and charges his characters a high price for vengeance in this powerful and fitting final volume.”—*Publishers Weekly*

Praise for Joe Abercrombie’s *Half a King*

“A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”—George R. R. Martin

“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*

Half the World

“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

“Compelling . . . [Thorn] makes Katniss Everdeen look like Dorothy Gale.”—*Chicago Tribune*

From the Hardcover edition.

**

Review

*Praise for Half a War
 
“Filled with swift battles, quick plot twists and witty dialogue.”—New York *Daily News

“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.”
Tor.com

“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


“Engaging, mesmerising and jaw-dropping.”—*SciFi Now

“Abercrombie piles on shocking betrayals and charges his characters a high price for vengeance in this powerful and fitting final volume.”
Publishers Weekly

Praise for Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King

“A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”
*—George R. R. Martin


“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

“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


Half the World
 
“An excellent page-turner . . . full of drama and energy.”
—New York
Daily News
 *
“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

“Compelling . . . [Thorn] makes Katniss Everdeen look like Dorothy Gale.”
Chicago Tribune

About the Author

Joe Abercrombie was born in Lancaster on the last day of 1974, the son of an English teacher and a sociologist. He spent much of his youth in imaginary worlds, and left school with a good idea of how to make stuff up. He moved to the big city, learned to brew tea, and ended up as a TV editor, working on documentaries, events and concerts for bands from Iron Maiden to Coldplay. But in the darkness of the night he was still making stuff up, and his first book, The Blade Itself, was published in 2006. He now lives in Bath with his wife Lou and their three children Grace, Eve and Teddy and makes stuff up full-time.