Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s Reviews > Half a King
Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1)
by
There I was, peacefully reading a decent, interesting YA fantasy, a sort of Viking-flavored coming-of-age story about the adventures of a physically weak, studious 15 year old prince with a crippled hand. Prince Yarvi briefly reigns over the kingdom of Gettland when his father and brother die, but he's betrayed and abruptly descends from the throne to abject slavery. Yarvi, determined to regain the throne and take revenge on those who betrayed him, has to overcome various obstacles (and people) blocking his path, convince others to join him in his quest, and make his way across some killer terrain back to his kingdom.
So far, so good. It was a pretty interesting read; it felt a little bit like some other books I've read, but I wasn't throwing it at the wall or picking lint out of my navel or asking my kids if I could help them with their homework.
Then things started happening. Unexpected things. Truly surprising things. And I was all
and
*
*
*
What? You think I'm going to spoil the surprise? Go read the book!
This isn't a magical fantasy, but is set either in an imaginary world or a distant past or future of our world.
Final thoughts: This is how you end a book without irritating cliffhangers, but still leave people wanting the sequel. This book is what The False Prince wants to be when it grows up. This is the first book in a trilogy but it works fine as a standalone read.
4.5 stars.
by
Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s review
bookshelves: library-has, ya-fantasy, fantasy, science-fiction, young-adult
Jul 16, 2014
bookshelves: library-has, ya-fantasy, fantasy, science-fiction, young-adult
There I was, peacefully reading a decent, interesting YA fantasy, a sort of Viking-flavored coming-of-age story about the adventures of a physically weak, studious 15 year old prince with a crippled hand. Prince Yarvi briefly reigns over the kingdom of Gettland when his father and brother die, but he's betrayed and abruptly descends from the throne to abject slavery. Yarvi, determined to regain the throne and take revenge on those who betrayed him, has to overcome various obstacles (and people) blocking his path, convince others to join him in his quest, and make his way across some killer terrain back to his kingdom.
So far, so good. It was a pretty interesting read; it felt a little bit like some other books I've read, but I wasn't throwing it at the wall or picking lint out of my navel or asking my kids if I could help them with their homework.
Then things started happening. Unexpected things. Truly surprising things. And I was all
and
*
*
*
What? You think I'm going to spoil the surprise? Go read the book!
This isn't a magical fantasy, but is set either in an imaginary world or a distant past or future of our world.
Final thoughts: This is how you end a book without irritating cliffhangers, but still leave people wanting the sequel. This book is what The False Prince wants to be when it grows up. This is the first book in a trilogy but it works fine as a standalone read.
4.5 stars.
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Reading Progress
July 16, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
July 16, 2014
– Shelved
October 10, 2014
– Shelved as:
library-has
October 12, 2014
–
Started Reading
October 12, 2014
–
12.8%
""Trying to walk the way his father used to, eager for the fight, even though he was weak-kneed, and sore-throated, and red-eyed, and his heart was crowded with doubts. He could still smell the smoke.""
page
43
October 12, 2014
–
30.06%
""Once, after his father had hit him in a rage, Yarvi's mother had found him crying. The fool strikes, she had said. The wise man smiles, and watches, and learns.
Then strikes."
page
101
Then strikes."
October 12, 2014
–
64.29%
""They looked into each other's faces, he and this man that he had hated, plotted against, seen beaten, then struggled through the wastes beside and come to understand.""
page
216
October 13, 2014
–
69.64%
""I have a plan."
"Does it involve a sword?"
A pause. "All my plans do."
"Do you have a sword?"
Another. "No."
"How will your plans work without one?"
A third. "Death waits for us all.""
page
234
"Does it involve a sword?"
A pause. "All my plans do."
"Do you have a sword?"
Another. "No."
"How will your plans work without one?"
A third. "Death waits for us all.""
October 13, 2014
– Shelved as:
ya-fantasy
October 13, 2014
–
Finished Reading
July 10, 2015
– Shelved as:
fantasy
August 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
science-fiction
August 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
young-adult
Comments Showing 1-28 of 28 (28 new)
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[deleted user]
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14 oct. 2014 03:17
ahhh this rating made my heart soar
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Interesting thought! I probably wouldn't have compared them, but yes, they both have that basic ruler-in-hiding plotline going. The treatment of it is quite different, though. Both great books.
It's definitely worth doing. It's a little on the rough and violent side for YA books, though (Viking type stuff).
sounds good. what minimum age would you say?
I'd say 14 or 15.
A casualty of this new format? : (
It's a very good book, made extraordinary by an epic ending. :)
I think he lightened up for this YA series, though I would say this series gets rather darker as it goes along. I haven't read his adult books -- I don't think I have the heart for it. Grimdark isn't my thing either.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it! :)
IKR? I'm getting really tired of series where you have to read all of them to get the whole story. Standalone books FTW!
Yeah, there's actually no magic at all in this series, so if that's something you'd really miss, this probably won't be your thing.