Friday, July 11, 2014

Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra/Del Ray on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Half a King (Shattered Sea #1)
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Publication Date: July 15, 2014

Synopsis: “I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.” 


Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.

Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy

Why?: I love a good fantasy, and this one sounds like it has a lot of potential. A hero with one hand who has to save his country. He cannot wield traditional weapons, so he has to fight with his mind. Twists and traps and tragedy too? Count me in!


Expectations: I expect a pretty epic fantasy story. Lots of fighting and battles and the like, but also a lot of mind games. I'm also expecting quite a bit of world-building. Other than that though, I've never read anything by Joe Abercrombie so I have no idea what to expect. I guess my expectations are pretty high since I've heard such good things.


Judging a book by its cover: This cover is pretty simple, but I actually love it more and more the longer I look at it. The snowflake is really pretty against the black background and the red title really stands out, but I love that the snowflake is made of swords. Or at least that's what it looks like to me. I would totally pick this book up off of a shelf if I saw it in a bookstore or library.



--Ashley

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