<b>NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY <i>TIME</i> AND <i>THE WASHINGTON POST</i><br><br>“A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”—George R. R. Martin<br></b><i><br>“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”</i><br><i></i><br>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.<br><br><b>The deceived will become the deceiver.</b><br><b></b><br>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.<br><br><b>The betrayed will become the betrayer.</b><br><b></b><br>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.<br><br><b>Will the usurped become the usurper?</b><br><b></b><br>But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds that his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.<br><br><b>Praise for <i>Half a King</i></b><br><b></b><br>“Tremendously entertaining . . . lightning-fast and filled with a wonderful collection of rogues, villains and two-faced bastards . . . From the first chapter [Joe Abercrombie] wastes no time as the reader is swept up in a gripping tale of betrayal and revenge.”<b>—<i>SciFi Now</i></b><br><i></i><br>“Once this plot has its teeth in you, it will not let go. . . . Abercrombie’s masterful storytelling means that everything, from the characters that you come to love and despise, to the sprawling world that is explored, is enthralling.”<b>—<i>Fantasy Book Review</i></b><br><br>“Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea is a fantastic yet believable backdrop to Yarvi’s struggle, a vivid imaginary land.”<b><i>—The Seattle Times</i></b><br><i></i><br>“Intriguing characters . . . nonstop action.”<b><i>—Chicago Tribune</i></b><br><br>“<i>Half a King</i> is my favorite book by Joe Abercrombie so far, and that’s saying something.”<b>—Patrick Rothfuss</b><br><b></b><br>“As in all Abercrombie’s books, friends turn out to be enemies, enemies turn out to be friends; the line between good and evil is murky indeed; and nothing goes quite as we expect. With eye-popping plot twists and rollicking good action,<i>Half a King</i> is definitely a full adventure.”<b>—Rick Riordan</b><br><b></b><br>“Enthralling! An up-all-night read.”<b>—Robin Hobb</b><br><b></b><br>“Polished and sharp, perhaps his most technically proficient novel yet . . . I dare you to read the first chapter and try not to turn the next page.”<b>—Brent Weeks</b><br><br>“<i>Half a King</i> can be summed up in a single word: masterpiece. It’s a coming-of-age story. It’s a Viking saga. It’s a revenge tale and family drama and the return of the prodigal son. But most of all, it’s this: a short time alongside people as weak and blundering as we are and, in the midst of it all, as heroic. Far too short a time, as it turns out. What a wonderful book.”<b>—Myke Cole</b><br><br>“<i>Half a King</i> is full of all the adventure I’ve come to expect from Abercrombie and a tenderness I never knew he had.”<b>—Sam Sykes</b><br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>