A Musing Crystal

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie's first venture into writing for the young adult audience. It is a quick read  compared to his adult offerings, such as Best Served Cold and The First Law Trilogy. Abercrombie is well known for his grimdark style and while Half a King is aimed at young adults the world is still a dark place where terrible things happen all the time.
I enjoyed this book more than I can say. I picked it up thinking it was a standalone. It ended in a way that it could have been the end. Today, I found out that it is the first a trilogy and that the second book,Half the World,  is already out (and available in the Lake County Library System). The third, Half a War, is to be released July 28th. I am very excited to see where this story goes.

“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 that his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy. - Amazon Description