Half the World
- 400
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
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Our view
Abercrombie’s gift for character carries “Half the World”, seen through two newcomers: Thorn, born to fight, and Brand, who hates to kill. Some readers find the love story overdone and the action easy to foresee, yet judge the balance of fighting and character better than in the first book, “Half a King”. The two narrators’ views of each other rarely match their views of themselves, and the voyage keeps raising plain moral questions.
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
Thorn Bathu was born to fight. But when she kills a boy in the training square she finds herself named a murderer. Fate places her life in the hands of the deep-cunning Father Yarvi as he sets out to cross half the world in search of allies against the ruthless High King. Beside her is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill. A failure in her eyes and his own, the voyage is his last chance at redemption. But warriors can be weapons, and weapons are made for one purpose. Will Thorn always be a tool in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path? Is there a place outside of legend for a woman with a blade?
Reading order · Shattered Sea
Full order & progress →- Half a KingStart here
8.08.0 / 10 - Half the WorldThis book
8.28.2 / 10 - Half a War
7.97.9 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 275 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 65% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.8 | 10 | 4% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 265 | 96% |
Frequently asked
How long is Half the World?
It has 400 pages — shorter than 78% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Fantasy — and a score of 8.2, the closest to this book.
