Joe Abercrombie’s Half the World is a sequel to Half a King, the story of Yorvi, a young man thrust into a kingship he didn’t want. However, rather than describing further exploits of Yarvi, this book focusses on two young warriors, Thorn and Brand. During a training exercise, Thorn, the only female trainee, accidentally kills her opponent and Brand stands up for her when she is declared a murderer. Thorn faces death and Brand is stricken from the raid he so much wants to participate in.
Yarvi, a secondary character in this book, is now Minister to King Uthril, and puts Thorn and Brand on his crew for a diplomatic mission to the other side of the world. The two face many trials, both physical and social, on their travels. They learn much about themselves and each other by the time they return home. But what happens then? What will they do with what they have learned? What decisions will they make?
A great addition to the “Half” series, Half the World is a book to be enjoyed by adults and youth alike. Abercrombie’s newest book Half a Crown has recently been released, and I can’t wait to see what he has next in store for the readers.