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  • Half the World

  • Shattered Sea, Book 2
  • By: Joe Abercrombie
  • Narrated by: Ben Elliot
  • Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (984 ratings)
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Half the World cover art

Half the World

By: Joe Abercrombie
Narrated by: Ben Elliot
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Summary

Sometimes a girl is touched by mother war

Thorn is such a girl. Desperate to avenge her dead father, she lives to fight. But she has been named murderer by the very man who trained her to kill.

Sometimes a woman becomes a warrior.

Fate traps her in the schemes - and on the ship - of the deep-cunning minister Father Yarvi. Crossing half the world to find allies against the ruthless High King, she learns harsh lessons of blood and deceit.

Sometimes a warrior becomes a weapon.

Beside her on her gruelling journey is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill. A failure in his eyes and hers, he has one chance at redemption. And weapons are made for one purpose. Will Thorn forever be a tool in the hands of the powerful or can she carve her own path? Is there a place beyond legend for a woman with a blade?

©2015 Joe Abercrombie (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"Grips like a bear hug, warms like a bear skin" ( Daily Mail)
"My favorite Abercrombie book yet" (Patrick Rothfuss)
"Enthralling. An up-all-night read" (Robin Hobb)
"Joe Abercrombie is doing some terrific work" (Geroge R. R. Martin)
"Abercrombie writes fantasy like no one else" ( Guardian)
"Another great tale from a master" ( Sun)
"Joe Abercrombie is fast becoming my favourite writer." (Derek Landy)

What listeners say about Half the World

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Grimdark Mills and Boon

I am not sure there is a finer storyteller anywhere. Originality in prose is a rare thing, but grabbing a whole genre by the bootstraps and giving it new life and purpose is what he does.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

The first one is always better

I felt this one was a dit dragged on too long. I liked the first one cause ideas straight to the point. Still good though.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Epic Fantasy

Easily lived up to its predecessor and a pleasant deviation away from Abercrombie's world of The Bloody Nine. Although a jaunt there again would not be unwelcome either.

It has been a long time since I have listened to a book which has kept me up in to the early morning, so gripping is the plot.

The narration is unparalleled. Having listened to more than fifty fantasy novels over several years, I can say with conviction that the chapter 'Battle Joy' is the best narrated battle sequence of any I have listened to. A heroic effort.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Another brilliant book

Joe Abercrombie has done it again, created another fantastic world with well rounded characters. This book grabbed me from the first page and I sure hope Joe Abercrombie writes more in this series

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    5 out of 5 stars
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young adults

iv seen some reviews saying Abercrombie hasn't delivered.
but he has just without the gore and other adult context.

storyline just as good character just as engaging. and a twist that you dont expect.
age appropriate fantasy at it's best,
time for book 2 now,looking forward to where the story will go next

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Abercrombie kicks arse man!

Would you listen to Half the World again? Why?

Yeah. I think it was great, exciting, intriguing listen. I would love to take that ride again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ow a difficult one. I liked Yarvi from the first book and he's good in this, though he's in a secondary role. But there are some great characters within this book.

Which character – as performed by Ben Elliot – was your favourite?

The breaker of swords.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The finale! Was tense. If your a Game of thrones fan think of the mountain vs the viper scene.

Any additional comments?

Joe Abercrombie is fantastic. Discovering him reminds me of when I first read David Gemmell. Abercrombie's a brilliant writer, who's got bags scope and style, and always seems to find the heart of the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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An exciting new tale...

"𝙉𝙤 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮..."
The Shattered Sea's next installment, Half the World, is certainly no filler book. We follow a new set of heroes who journey alongside the much loved characters from the first book on another unforgiving quest through the gritty world Abercrombie has forged. Whilst this trilogy is aimed at the YA market, it dances on the fine line that places it in this category, even more so than Half a King. There's certainly enough raw grit, bleak reality and harsh teachings to make Half a World enjoyable to fantasy fans of any age.

I've always been a fan of straight forward narration, so Ben Elliot's reading was a perfect fit for both the grim world and for my personal tastes.

Overall a huge improvement on the last book. This is a fantastically accessible way for newcomers to get into fantasy, and a refreshing break for those who are used to the complex writings of many classic and modern fantasy worlds.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Awesome!

Fantastic book and a fantastic performance now I'm off to listen to the next one. Binge listen time!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A deep and cunning tale

Would you consider the audio edition of Half the World to be better than the print version?

I have not read the books. I have read his other books and the convenience of having someone reading them to you as you commute cannot be beaten!

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were drawn slowly and carefully with layers of detail and depth slowly added so that you are really invested in their lives and trials. The previous book in the series was seamlessly continued but with new central characters.

What about Ben Elliot’s performance did you like?

Each of the voices were individual and recognisable. The emotions and personalities of each character were strongly defined.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Steel is the answer

Any additional comments?

A moving book that captures the rites of passage of growing up and finding your place in the world. A complicated procedure even when your world is not balanced on a sword's edge between war and subjugation, when doing the right thing always seems to be the wrong choice.

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A great book

The same very high standard as the first book in the series hard to put down

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