Half a King
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Gripping fantasy has adventure, intrigue, some gore.

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What's the Story?
Yarvi, the king's second son, was born with one deformed hand. Because his family always makes him feel useless physically, he decides to concentrate on his studies so that he can one day become minister to the king. But the throne is thrust upon him when his father and older brother are killed. Little can he imagine how his solemn oath to avenge their deaths will lead him from the heights of the throne to the depths of slavery and despair. If he can make his way back home, can he prove he's more than half a king?
Is It Any Good?
Best-selling fantasy author Joe Abercrombie's YA debut scores on all fronts: swashbuckling adventure, political intrigue, fearsome enemies, and a compelling hero navigating a richly imagined world. Fans of his adult fiction will find simplified but not dumbed-down language, and may be surprised by the absence of magic or sorcery. But they'll be glad to find Abercrombie's talent for vividly realized landscapes and a large cast of colorful supporting characters intact.
Tweens and teens who can handle a bit of gore will learn, as Yarvi does, that even someone who wasn't expected to amount to anything can achieve great things, and they'll really root for him as he strives to find his rightful place in the world
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why fantasy books are so popular. Why do we find them so entertaining?
Would Yarvi make a good king, or do you think he would be a better minister (which is what he studied to be)? What characteristics would make a good ruler or a weak one?
In this society, power is pretty evenly distributed between men and women. How does the author show this? What gods do the people worship? Do men and women both have political power?
Book Details
- Author: Joe Abercrombie
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Del Rey
- Publication date: July 15, 2014
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 23, 2015
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