Half the World is published in the UK, let ring the bells!
Signed copies have been leaking out via Waterstones for some time now, in fact, but Amazon and other retailers should be shipping and stocking as of today. The mass-market paperback of Half a King, meanwhile has already been out for a couple of weeks:
Those across the pond need not despair, for Del Rey’s hardcover edition of Half the World will be with you in but a few short days on February 17th. Enjoy responsibly…
14 comments so far
Not bad Mr Abercrombie, not bad.
Whilst I’m not exactly your target audience for this series (34 years old) I’m enjoying these books none the less. Thank you for continuing to scribble for months on end so the ungrateful likes of I can while away an evening or two reading.
Bought my copies last Friday whilst visting your home city. It is the next book on my reading list. Looking forward to it very much.
Just out of interest, how many copies did you sign for Waterstones this time, Joe?
Been waiting so long. Hope to get my copy first thing tomorrow. Can anyone tell me when the next copy will be out
Received my copy on Tuesday, read it the same evening. My verdict?
Honestly, I was disappointed.
Partly because Half a King exceeded my expectations, and completely blew me away. I rank it alongside Heroes as your best work so far. Conversely, I rank Half the World alongside Best Served Cold as your worst work.
Perhaps I had too high expectations, but if I am completely honest, Half the World somehow gave me an impression that you had looked at Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies and their huge success and thought to yourself: “How do I get some of that?”
Female teenagage protagonist defying oppressive society? Check.
Possibly set in future Earth? Check.
Teenage angst and romance? Check.
As can be seen from your earlier work, you are a fine and constantly improving writer and in particular you write excellent combat scenes, even though at certain, admittedly few points, anyone who knows their business can spot that you have zero personal experience or knowledge of close quarters fighting and combat in general.
But my suspension of disbelief broke with Thorn’s training, the fighting style she was taught, and her rapid progress. It is a cliché of the genre, the callow youth becomes an expert under the tutelage of eccentric old master, but switching the genders does not fix it or make it more believable.
When it comes to writing women defying oppressive society and becoming warriors, G.R.R Martin succeeded with Brienne, while I feel you failed with Thorn.
I’m still looking forward to Half a War. Just not as much as I used to.
Oh my God!!!!!!
Thats really all I can say about Half the World. Oh, and in a very good way! Ive reall all ofyour books now Joe, my personal favourites being before they are hanged and red country.
I read half a king when it came out and loved it but this one totally tops that. Wow, so now im gonna have to keep bugging you for the third installment then back to the first law world again.
One quick question, any plans for a book full of your short stories in the first law world?
Cara
Great book, great story, looking forward to part 3. Thorn is a strong character, in every possible sense. Enjoyed all your books so far, think they’ll make great films one day. I’d love to see the bloody 9, or half hand on the screen.
Joe, thanks for another cracking read. Just finished this and thought it one of your strongest yet.
I now find myself looking forward to the final chapter of this story even more than your return to the First Law world. I didn’t think that would be possible.
Keep it up!
Half The World is a brilliant read. I was actually crying, it affected me so. The last time a book did that to me, it was Anna Karenina! Bravo, Joe!
Just finished it. Loved it. Nobody writes duel scenes, and the build up to them, better than you! Still think about Glama Golden and that “oh sh*t” moment!
Well Joe . Congrats . I nearly lost faith after Red Country…just way too cowboy for me, But I loved the two Half books . Could not put them down . Best part is not a big wait for the next one ….great stuff altogether
Way too Cowboy?. *spits out chaw, hitches up gunbelt*
You better smile when you say that, Pilgrim ! 😉
I joke, Pete. I wouldn’t want all my fantasy in that mode I admit, but I really loved The Red Country and its “rootin’ tootin’ stab-in’ wagon train”.
In the sword times, there have actually been wagon trains of pilgrims. A big part of the Germanic peoples used to live in Denmark, and the sea inundated the land, killed the crops. They cut their old and infirm peoples throats, and put their stuff on wains, and then they went on a great long loop through Europe.
I note that there is Grim, in Pilgrim.
Did someone really just hold up the hunger games as somehow genre creating? Ha ha, deary me . . .
Anyway, I enjoyed this book more than I did the first – which didn’t really grab me. Having two pov characters this time round was an improvement.
Enjoyed your most recent tome immensely. Although there is not the gravitas of the “adult” novels these are great stories. I found Thorn strangely likeable (not sure I would if I met her though!) and Brand was hugely relatable to! A really good sequel to Half a King, can’t wait for the finale! I’d be lying if I said I also can’t wait for you to get back to the grittier stuff. Having said that, even these lighter novels are light years better than most of the stuff out there! Keep up the good work.
Thank you for the enjoyable Shattered Sea Series so far…. interesting characters, nicely constructed backdrop of cultural/religious aspects like the key-holding wives and the controversy between the one god and the shattered gods…
might it be that the geography of this series is based on the Baltic Sea with the Divine River a “descendant” from Dvina River, Denied River the equivalent of the Dnieper, Kalyiv representing Kiew and the First of Cities Istanbul?
Whatever might the mystic elves have done to end our world would be interesting to read as well.
:o)
I am looking forward to Half a War