| “ | I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath. | ” |
— Yarvi
| ||
Half a King is the first book of the Shattered Sea series, a trilogy written by British author Joe Abercrombie. The story deals with the coming of age of Yarvi, a not-so-well-loved prince of Gettland with a crippled hand.
Publisher's Synopsis[]
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.
The deceived will become the deceiver. 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.
The betrayed will become the betrayer. 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.
Will the usurped become the usurper? But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.
Plot Summary[]
SPOILER The trilogy is set in what is at first glance a Viking-like epic fantasy world, but is slowly revealed to be a post-apocalyptic Scandinavia in the far future. After a cataclysm of some kind, society has regressed to a medieval-equivalent. Most people believe the remnants of present-day building and technology were left by "the Elves" (actually present-day humans). The Northern Religion claims that God himself was split into 409 pieces, while in the south, they believe God is too powerful to be destroyed, and there is still only one God, but with may facets. The map of the Shattered Sea tallies closely with that of the Baltic Sea, with the main kingdoms of the book - Gettland, Vansterland, Throvenland, and Skekenhouse - making up what is now Sweden and Denmark.
The story follows the exploits of Prince Yarvi, second son of proud King Uthrik of Gettland. Born with a crippled hand, Yarvi is unable to fill the traditional male role of this warrior society, and has settled upon an academic and advisory career with the Ministry. After years of tutelage under Mother Gundring - fortunately, he’s a more-than-capable student - Yarvi is ready to take the Ministry’s test, when news arrives that his father and elder brother have been killed, supposedly during a parlay with neighbouring king, Grom-Gil-Gorm of Vansterland. While his uncle Odem offers sad encouragement, his mother Laithlin (the Golden Queen) remains her usual cold and distant self, as Yarvi finds the Black Chair thrust upon him. So, donning unfamiliar armor and weapons he can barely carry, Yarvi leads a retaliatory raid against Grom-gil-Gorm, but all too soon, learns the true meaning of treachery - betrayed by Odem and his mother's Chosen Shield, Hurik. Yarvi never wanted the throne, but he will seek to reclaim it in the name of revenge.
Left to the mercy of the Shattered Sea, Yarvi finds himself the captive of Grom-gil-Gorm. Pretending to be a simple cook’s boy saves his life, but he is sold into slavery, winding up as a galley slave to drunken, flamboyant trading captain, Shadikshirram. Using his wits and Ministry training, he eventually supplants the dishonest steward Ankram by exposing his graft, and plots an escape with fellow slave and ships-navigator, Sumael. But no plan survives first contact with the enemy, and the ship ends up sinking. The only known survivors are Yarvi, Sumael, Ankram, Yarvi's oarmates Jaud and Rulf, and a mysterious slave called Nothing, who is really goddamn good with a sword. So they set-off on foot through the wilderness for Gettland – Yarvi wants revenge, Nothing wants to help him, Ankram wants to free his wife and son from a slave-merchant, and the other just want to go home. All the while, Shadikshirram is in pursuit. They’re eventually forced to turn and fight, setting an ambush in an Elf ruin. Although Nothing and archer Rulf are the only real warriors, they win, but not before Ankran dies, taking a blow meant for Yarvi.
Yarvi and co. are then captured by Grom-gil-Gorm, but Yarvi, revealing his true identity, makes a deal with the King. The advancing Vansterman army will draws the bulk of Gettland forces out of the city, allowing Yarvi to kill his treacherous uncle, reclaim the Black Chair, and then kneel at Grom-gil-Gorm’s feet as his vassal. They return to Gettland in secret, and make contact with Yarvi’s mother Laithlin, who uses her wealth to recruit a motley collection of mercenaries. When the trap is sprung, King Odem is caught by surprise, trapped in the palace with only a few guards. Odem's men are defeated, though Jaud is killed in the fighting. Infiltrating the citadel, Yarvi in on the verge of revenging himself on his uncle, when Nothing reveals his own true identity. Foreshadowed throughout the book, Nothing is Prince Uthil, elder brother of Odem and Uthrik, thought drowned at sea years ago, and back to reclaim his birthright. After killing Odem in a duel, Nothing/Uthil becomes King, invalidating the deal with Grom-gil-Gorm. Yarvi renounces his birthright to avoid getting killed as a potential challenger to the throne, and rejoins the Ministry as becomes Brother Yarvi.
In the aftermath, Sumael, who'd been flirting with Yarvi, decides to leave Gettland to return home in the First of Cities. Rulf opts to stay, and becomes Yarvi's right hand man; together they track down and frees Ankram's wife Safrit and son Koll. Fast forward a bit, and Brother Yarvi stops-by for tea with his old mentor Mother Gundring. He reveals that he knows how she betrayed his father on orders from the High King and Grandmother Wexen. Mother Gundring dies from the poisoned tea, and Yarvi becomes Father Yarvi, chief advisor to the King of Gettland.
Quotes[]
- "The fool strikes. The wise man smiles, and watches, and learns. Then strikes." Laithlin
- "Pick your enemies more carefully then your friends, they will be with you longer." Nothing
- "You may need two hands to fight someone, but only one to stab them in the back." Shadikshirram
- "What is the world coming to when an honest man cannot burn corpses without suspicion?" Nothing
- "But enemies are the price of success." Laithlin
- "Death does not bow to each person who passes her, does not sweep out her arm respectfully to show the way, speaks no profound words, unlocks no bolts. The key upon her chest is never needed, for the Last Door stands always open. She herds the dead through impatiently, needles of rank or fame or quality. She has an ever-lengthening queue to get through. A blind procession, inexhaustible." Yarvi
- "A King must win. The rest is dust." Odem
- "You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song." Nothing
- "Let Father Peace spill tears over the methods. Mother War smiles upon results." Nothing
- "Mother War breathed upon me in my crib, it has been foreseen that no man kill me." Grom-Gil-Gorm