Half the World

Another book finished, and the first Young Adult I've reviewed. With the amount of YA series becoming movies there has been some debate over the merits of adults (which many would argue I am) reading YA novels and series at all. I am not here to weigh in on such matters. I look for books that I think I'll enjoy. Today's review is of:

Title: Half the World
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Format: Kindle
Time to Finish: 4 days

This is the second book in the Shattered Sea Trilogy, Abercrombie's young adult trilogy. For those familiar with Abercrombie's work, they might wonder, how could one of the master's of dark, gritty fantasy write YA, wouldn't he lose all that makes him distinct and entertaining. The answer is no, it simply means there's no swearing, no in scene sex, and that the characters and teens. And yes, there is some angst. There is also bloodshed, death, back stabbing, and plans within plans. It is divided into four parts: 1 introducing assembling the crew, 2 traveling south, 3 time in the South, 4 events once they return to the North. Each part tells a slightly separate story and the divisions allows us to see the changes in the characters within the greater story.

The story picks up a few years after the end of Half a King, and follows two characters: Thorn and Brand. Thorn and Brand are teens who trained to be warriors, only to find the opportunity no longer available and themselves under the power of Father Yarvi (the protagonist from previous book). The book then follows their adventures as they search for allies for Gettland in wake of a war with the half the world controlled by the High King.
This is typical Abercrombie, albeit tempered to convince parents that the book is ok for their children to read. As usual, there are fantastic battle scenes, absurd events, hilarious dialogue, and general fun. There is also the fact that no character is exactly what they seem. Everyone has a dark side, whether they admit it or not, and no one finishes the journey unscarred.
One worry I had was that final climax would be too predictable. It wasn't even for Abercrombie twisted sense of humor and honor, it was rewarding and exciting.
There really isn't too much else to say, it was well written, funny, and very easy to read. It's a good book for anyone interested in Dark Fantasy. Give it a read even though it's technically YA.
8/10