Half a War (Shattered Sea # 3) (2015) brings the trilogy to a glorious conclusion. As with book 2, Yarvi, now Father Yarvi, is the central figure although often the viewpoint is that of Young Princess Skara or Koll or Raith, who is now an old legend. Ultimately, a book and a series about warriors and battles (and there are plenty of them here) becomes a book about chess-playing or strategy or we wonder by the end who is the best chess player and who is thinking moves ahead.
This final book is the story of the alliance forged by Yarvi against the High King and Grandmother Wexen and how Gettland and Throvenland (at times a kingdom of no more than 2 or 3 people) and Vansterland stand against the vastly overwhelming numbers led by the High King and his undefeated general Bright Yilling. It is a story of constantly changing alliances and trickery and treachery and the battle is fought as much with words as it is with swords or secret elf-weapons that Yarvi procures.
Half the World (2015) takes our hero, Yarvi, across half the world to find allies to help Gettland survive. Although Yarvi remains the central figure across the trilogy, but two new figures offer their points of view through this second book, Thorn Bathu and Brand, both of whom, like Yarvi are outcasts. Thorn is trained as a warrior, but kills one of her training partners and is thrown out of the program, now facing death by being crushed with stones, yet so is Brand, a physical giant among men, but who has a gentle soul. These two, the ferocious woman Thorn and the he-giant Brand eventually have a teenage crush/romance going.
Yarvi cuts quite a different figure here than he does in the first boo, Half a King. He may be just a little older, but he is now a Minister and has confidence and wisdom far beyond his years. “They said he was cunning as Father Moon, a man rarely to be trusted and never to be crossed.” And, as the story goes on, often through the young voices of Thorn and Brand, we learn just who Yarvi has become and just how much of a chessmaster he is now. But what a journey he leads them on across the Shattered Sea and carrying their boat across land, facing off against hordes of horse people, and to far off cities, barely winning any allies, but laying some seeds for the future.
And, again, the story is laid out through the eyes of Thorn as she trains and becomes the mightiest of warriors who legends were weaved about and that of Brand.
The battle here is between the armies of Vansterland and Gettland with Vansterland led by the Breaker of Swords, who has been told since birth that he would not die by any man’s hand.
And, at the end, we get a glimpse of where things are going with Book Three as the fortunes of Throvenland wane and King Fynn is forced to give passage to the High King’s troops, eager to bring Kings Uthil of Gettland and Grom-gil-Grom to heel as Throvenland feels the weight of the High King’s champion, Bright Yilling, who worshiped no god but death.
Half a King (2014) is the first of three books in Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea trilogy, a fantasy set in a Viking-type world of warriors and sailing ships. The other two books in the series are Half the World and Half a War. The trilogy is designed to be more accessible to young adults than Abercrombie’s First Law series.
As many readers have noted, the map of this world can easily be juxtaposed on modern-day Sweden and Denmark with far-flung cities on the eastern Baltic corresponding to Riga and Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and mighty rivers such as the Denied and the Divine leading across the Russian Steppes to the City of Cities corresponding to Istanbul. The technology is basically swords and axes and shields and horsemanship and archery with some exceptions. There is also a ministry of advisors led by one high “grandmother” and references to Mother War and Father Peace.
The attitude of the warriors is stoic. Death, we are told, comes to everyone. Ultimately, we learn that, for many, there are not too many differences between one ruler and the next. That life for most is nasty, brutish, and short. And, that half the battle is fought with swords, but the other half with words.
That is where Yarvi comes in. In an age of warriors, Yarvi is born with a crippled hand. He has not a warrior’s mentality and can barely duel. This story is his rise from that of a slight boy who everyone snickered at to someone who topples kingdoms. No one ever expected Yarvi to become involved in governing. He was expected to heal with plants. But, treachery reared its head and the young weakling boy is the only one left to ascend to the throne. As he ascends to the black chair and prepares to marry the woman who would have been his brother’s wife (had he survived), he pities himself and wonders if she will be okay marrying half a man, because that is how he thinks of himself. “He had always been weak, but he never felt truly powerless until they made him a king.” He would have made a fine jester, his uncle quipped.
Although this fantasy story is slow and predictable to start, it is a legend where Yarvi survives troubles and grows into a leader of men. We are told that the wise wait for their moment, but never let it pass. Somewhere in the trackless ice as Yarvi makes his way with a ragtag band of escaped slaves, he finds his will and life is breathed into him.
The story has a simple arc to it, but there are some twists and turns along the way.
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