Half a War
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Our view
“Half a War” ends the Shattered Sea trilogy by insisting that wars are decided by words and cunning as much as by swords. Princess Skara, left with little but her wits, joins the cast, while Father Yarvi’s scheming leaves some readers unsure whether to admire or condemn him. Some call it a fine conclusion; some close it torn about the ending. Dark in mood, it depends on the two books before it.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
"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." "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 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 . . .
Reading order · Shattered Sea
Full order & progress →- Half a KingStart here
8.08.0 / 10 - Half the World
8.28.2 / 10 - Half a WarThis book
7.97.9 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.9 across 232 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 61% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 7.9 | 232 | 100% |
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
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