Half A King

If you don't know who Joe Abercrombie is, then shame on you. His other work is at the forefront of gritty fantasy (hint: you might spot him further down this list), but Half a King, and the Shattered Sea trilogy it belongs to, is Abercrombie's foray into Young Adult fantasy. Because of this, it's less intense than his other work, but that doesn't mean it isn't' bloody good, and gritty as all hell.In this book, Joe Abercrombie basically takes an inquisitive young man with a crippled hand and asks 'How can I best fuck up this kid's life?' The answer to that question involves murder, failed raids, slavery, a merciless manhunt, and ceaseless violence. It's set in a world inspired by the Vikings, but with the violence pumped up a notch, if that were possible. The waters are freezing, the longships leaky, and the axes nicked. In short, it's gritty as a smoothie made with sand. The second and third books in the trilogy get even better, and by the end, Abercrombie has fucked up the lives of a great many characters. I don't know if reading about that sort of stuff is how you get your kicks, but it sure is how I get mine.Read this is you like: the classic coming of age story, but want a gritty twist to it. The characterization in this book is fantastic, and seeing the protagonist's transformation from a coward into a remorseless bastard is entertaining as hell.

Books in Shattered Sea Series (5)

Booklists having this book

Top 25 Best Gritty Fantasy Books

Fantasy books can transport us to bright, wondrous worlds filled with magic and heroism, where heroes always survive unscathed, and the villains are cartoonish. This list is not about those... Read more

Other books by Abercrombie, Joe

The Blade Itself

Abercrombie's work has become synonymous with the growing sub-genre of grimdark fantasy Naturally there's a lot of crossover between grimdark fantasy (which subverts the tropes of traditional heroic fantasy) and... Read more

Before They Are Hanged

 Read more

Last Arguments Of Kings

 Read more

Best Served Cold

 Read more

The Heroes

The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as Abercrombie himself describes it this way: "Three men. One battle. No heroes." It was designed to be a standalone novel, but is set... Read more

Red Country

 Read more

The First Law

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny,... Read more

Before They Are Hanged

 Read more

The Last Argument Of Kings

 Read more

Best Served Cold

Monza Murcatto is out for blood. Known as the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Styria, she is betrayed by her employer and left for dead.... Read more

Half A King

If you don't know who Joe Abercrombie is, then shame on you. His other work is at the forefront of gritty fantasy (hint: you might spot him further down this... Read more

Half The World

 Read more

Half A War

 Read more

Half A King

Reading a new Abercrombie book is just like going to a fancy restaurant, it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, you relish every moment of the experience. Half... Read more

The First Law Trilogy

One of the best fantasy book series period and one of the best audiobook performances to boot. This is one of those rare reading performances by a master narrator where... Read more

Sharp Ends

 Read more

Half The World

Abercrombie kicked off his Shattered Sea series with the award-winning Half a King, but his second novel approaches true mastery. Half the World picks up many years after the first,... Read more

Half A War

 Read more

News