Joe Abercrombie Half A King
Mara Ermogemous
It looks like an exciting read even if you did tone down. I agree.with a few other peoe about the same world comment. But at the same time.it will be fun to.explore other worlds. You can never have enough worlds to day dream in.
Is this the end result of your trip to London a few weeks ago? Sounds very interesting, and interesting that it written to draw in younger readers (who will one day become older readers and move onto The First Law, savvy forward planning there).
But when his father and brother are killed, Yarvi is propelled to kingship and must sit in the Black Chair, between gods and men, and half a man must find a way to rule as half a king. Thus begins a gripping switchback ride of a tale that will carry Yarvi far beyond his kingdom, from the heights of royalty to the depths of slavery, during the course of which he must find better ways to fight than with a sword, and learn the lessons that will make him a man.
So YA, normally means less swareing and PG 13 sex scenes. But plot and violence is still of and equal exciting quality. Sign me up this is exciting news, my other favourite authors have produced outstanding novels outside of their flagship worlds. A question, is the first law graphic novel going to cover all 6 books or just the trilogy?
I think it is understandable that we, as readers, want more First Law series and that you also need a break from it. So I am looking forward to reading this. I tend to avoid most YA but this does not seem like it will be dumbed down. I have quite a few authors now that I always have to check out their new books and Joe is obviously on that list.
And my random thought was that it would be interesting to have Someone develop a fantasy series directly for TV. That is, instead of adapting The First Law, but bringing Abercrombie on board to be the writer/ep/consultant. Basically, building a new story made for TV from the ground up? Probably too much to wish for (whether it is Abercrombie, Martin, Lynch, Rothfuss, Lawrence, et al)
I wonder how long after it is published before the first denunciations arrive from someone saying Grim-ish Dark-ish writing is blighting young lives of hope?. And if the same person who makes it offers a bible happily to his kiddies to read.
As someone who has read and enjoyed all your works (minus The Heroes, but I shall eventually get to that one!), I am very excited to hear about your new YA venture. As much as I like all the epic grimdark-ness, it will be cool to see how you apply your talent to something less lengthy, suitable for a younger audience.
Joe, as a keen gamer like yourself, I have to say I would love to see you get behind the story of a good fantasy RPG. The genre is still stuck largely in the heroic fantasy genre, with the exception of The Witcher series. It would be fantastic to get a really dark RPG from the tortuous depths of your mind coupled with the gameplay and freedom of something like Skyrim.
I trust in Mr. Abercrombie though, and I will be eagerly waiting to read what he comes up with. No doubt Mr. Abercrombie is gonna take the current YA world out back to the woodshed and give it a good whippin.
I look forward to the reads. The Hobbit was a childrens book the spawned the great lord of the rings series. I hope that the re charge has allowed you time to hown your craft and allow you to raise the bar again. I cant wait to revisit midderland but dont mind a detour.
An action-packed flintlock fantasy audiobook about guns, mages, bards, and dragons! Ulric, former war hero, has been living a quiet life of exile in the frontier city of Quinport and wants only to continue hiding from the mistakes of his past. But then he discovers the invention of a revolutionary new kind of rifle, and worse, the ruling Coalition discovers his identity.
In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal - 15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos - when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies - Tavi's simple courage will turn the tides of war.
Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend, Cade, are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free.... But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie.
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father's failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father's former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer and a future she never imagined.
Yarvi, second son of the feared King Uthrik and the ruthless Queen Laithlin of Gettland, was born with a useless hand, and cannot hold a shield, or make fast a knot, or pull an oar, or do any of the things expected from a man. Left an outcast, he's surrendered his birthright and been given a woman's place as apprentice to Mother Gundring, Gettland's Minister, training to be an adviser, diplomat, healer and translator.
But when his father and brother are murdered by Grom-gil-Gorm, King of neighboring Vansterland, Yarvi is forced to take the Black Chair and become king himself - or half a king, at least - swear an oath of vengeance against the killers of his father, and lead a raid against the Vanstermen. Betrayed, left for dead, and enslaved on a rotting trading galley, Yarvi will need all his Minister's wit and cunning to escape, and all his diplomacy and knowledge to keep a rag-tag band of other slaves together on a month long trek across the frozen wastes of the utmost north. Among them are Sumael, the ship's single-minded navigator, Rulf, an ex-raide, Jaud, an ex-baker, and Nothing, a mad old man with a mysterious past and an almost magical skill with a sword. And their owner, the brutal Captain Shadikshirram, will be dogging their heels at every step. Father Peace may be the patron god of Ministers, but to reclaim the Black Chair, Yarvi will have to strike a deal with Mother War, and once you've invited the mother of crows to be your guest, there can be no telling whose blood will be spilled.
Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar. On the eve of her 17th birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance. Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators - owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself.
Lindisfarne, AD 793. There had been portents - famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared. They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom's most sacred site. It is 8th June AD 793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun. While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground.
One dark night, Drest's sheltered life on a remote Scottish headland is shattered when invading knights capture her family, but leave Drest behind. Her father, the Mad Wolf of the North, and her beloved brothers are a fearsome war-band, but now, Drest is the only one who can save them. So, she starts off on a wild rescue attempt, taking a wounded invader along as a hostage. Hunted by a bandit with a dark link to her family's past, and aided by a witch whom she rescues from the stake, Drest travels through unwelcoming villages, desolate forests, and haunted towns.
The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
Yarvi discovers he's capable of much more than anyone, even he himself, thought. He demonstrates kindness and loyalty, even to the lowliest, while enduring tremendous hardship. He learned a lot about a wide range of topics through academic study and applies his knowledge wisely when it's time to act. The large cast of supporting characters model the full range of human behavior and includes the shipmates who become Yarvi's loyal followers, fierce warriors, and duplicitous political enemies.
A lot of combat and fighting is described in detail, and some of it's gory. A skull split in half is described in some detail. Blood is often mentioned, and though it's not described in detail, it spurts, spatters, streams, etc. Sounds of bones breaking are described a few times, and bloody injuries are described in detail. Hand-to-hand combat includes detailed descriptions of blows, choking, stabbing, and more. The slaughter of two dozen horses is mentioned as part of a king's funeral rite, with a description of the blood washing the deck of a ship.
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