Sunday 17 January 2016

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie a Book for Teen Boys




I loved Joe Abercrombie's dark fantasy trilogy for adults, the First Law, with characters like Logan Ninefingers who is trying to be a better person. The author has brought his unique style to teenage boys in the Shattered Sea trilogy. This series is age appropriate and will engage your teen boy from page one.

In the third and final instalment of the Shattered Sea trilogy we find the powers that be waiting for the match to ignite the fires of war. The match comes in the form of a small princess who is thrust into power when her grandfather is killed. She must convince heroes generations older than her to put aside their petty squabbles and come together against a common enemy.

Yarvi, Thorn, Brand, and Koll along with a number of characters from the first two books make an appearance. The twist and turns reveal astonishing truths that change everything.

The first book in the trilogy, Half a King
The second book in the trilogy, Half a World
The third book in the trilogy, Half a War



From Joe Abercrombie's Website:


Words are weaponsPrincess Skara has seen all she loved made blood and ashes. She is left with only words. But the right words can be as deadly as any blade. She must conquer her fears and sharpen her wits to a lethal edge if she is to reclaim her birthright. 
Only half a war is fought with swordsThe deep-cunning Father Yarvi has walked a long road from crippled slave to king’s minister. He has made allies of old foes and stitched together an uneasy peace. But now the ruthless Grandmother Wexen has raised the greatest army since the elves made war on God, and put Bright Yilling at its head – a man who worships no god but Death. 
Sometimes one must fight evil with evilSome – like Thorn Bathu and the sword-bearer Raith – are born to fight, perhaps to die. Others – like Brand the smith and Koll the wood-carver – would rather stand in the light. But when Mother War spreads her iron wings, she may cast the whole Shattered Sea into darkness.

 A book for Teen Boys and Advanced Readers


Like in Half a world, the main character is a girl, however this does not detract from the masculine genre world the story is set in. There is a love story within the story, however it is not the central theme so boys will still find there is enough action and intrigue to stay engaged with the story.

I listened to this book on audio through a speaker while I cleaned and worked around the house. At no point did I feel that the story was inappropriate for my thirteen year old daughter to hear when she was home. The audio version of the book is a great way to enjoy the story and the voice actor does a wonderful job with his accents, tone, and infliction to make the story interesting to listen to.

If like my son, your son is an advanced reader looking for more challenging books with appropriate content - this book should be on his to be read list. Especially if he likes swords, kings, heroes, and wars.



Click to read reviews for Half a World by Joe Abercrombie on GoodReads


The Shattered Seas Trilogy:


Half a King                     Half the World










Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a coming of age story about a boy, his single mom, a cop, and an invading army all set in modern day Canada.  What if you woke up one morning to the sounds of gunfire? What would you do? Could you survive without power, communications, or transportation? Shannon Peel asks these questions in her debut novel, THIRTEEN.

Click to find out more about her book for boys.  

Click to find out about Thirteen

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