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Shattered Sea #1-3
Shattered Sea Series 3 Books Collection Set by Joe Abercrombie
This Shattered Sea Series 3 Books Set 1. Half a King 9780804178419 2. Half the World 9780804178433 3. Half a War 9780804178464
Paperback
First published June 21, 2016
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1122 people want to read
About the author
Joe Abercrombie
95 books35.2k followersJoe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law trilogy, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. He currently lives and works in London with his wife and daughter. In early 2008 Joe Abercrombie was one of the contributors to the BBC Worlds of Fantasy series, alongside other contributors such as Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett and China Mieville.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 3, 2023
I loved this trilogy. My old reviews were lost back in October when Goodreads snuffed out my old review's, so the specifics have been lost, but we all know that I just go with how a story made me feel!
I will confess that although the first 2 books received 5* from me, the last was only 4*.
That was mostly because I felt that someone who had been sold into slavery and then became a ruler should have abolished that hateful and disgusting practice. In spite of that? I again, loved this trilogy!
I will confess that although the first 2 books received 5* from me, the last was only 4*.
That was mostly because I felt that someone who had been sold into slavery and then became a ruler should have abolished that hateful and disgusting practice. In spite of that? I again, loved this trilogy!
March 5, 2025
Cet intégrale est un magnifique 3 pour 1 qui se mériterait officiellement un 15 étoiles, car les 3 tomes qu'il contient sont juste géniaux!
C'est plutôt soft par rapport à ce que l'auteur écrit normalement et surtout, vraiment plus accessible, mais il y a tout de même une complexité politique dans le récit qui, sans être du niveau de Game of Thrones, n'a rien à envier à bien des histoires de fantasy.
Nous naviguons dans un univers construit autour de la Mer Éclatée contenant plusieurs royaumes tous dirigés par un Haut-Roi, un peu à la manière d'une monarchie féodale. Ajoutons à cela une organisation de Ministre qui ne sont ni plus ni moins qu'un calque des Mestres dans Game of Thrones (une des sources d'inspiration de l'auteur dont il ne se cache pas) et qui a un représentant auprès de chaque roi dont une Première des Ministres (Grand Mestre) auprès du Haut-Roi.
Le tome 1 commence avec Yarvi, le fils cadet du roi du Gettland qui, alors qu'il allait prêter serment au Ministère pour devenir ministre, apprend que son père et son grand frère sont morts, faisant de lui l'héritier du trône. Cependant, son handicap à la main et son incapacité à combattre amène des proches à le trahir et il va se retrouver esclave sur un bateau où il va rencontrer des gens qui seront prêts à l'aider à reprendre son trône.
De fil en aiguille et à mesure que les tomes avancent, on découvre que la mort du père et du frère de Yarvi cachait un plus grand complot qui va conduire les nations autour de la Mer Éclatée à entrer en guerre contre le Haut-Roi. Des jeux d'alliances, de traîtrises et des hérésies parsèmeront l'histoire, l'amenant à son point culminant (et satisfaisant) à la fin du tome 3.
Les livres ont la bonne idée de ne pas introduire tous les personnages importants dès le 1er tome. Par exemple, on va surtout y suivre Yarvi dans le premier, mais dès le 2e, il devient un peu plus secondaire et on y suit plutôt Épine Bathu et Brand. Puis, à partir du troisième tome, Raith et Skara. Cela aide à ne pas nous mêler et à nous donner le temps de bien connaître les personnages pour ne pas les mélanger.
Une saga à découvrir absolument et facile à se procurer en intégrale ou en 3 exemplaires. Tous les personnages sont bons même ceux qui ne sont pas très développés et malgré la répétition de certains archétypes (Raith et Épine sont tous les deux des tueurs sans pitié par exemple), ils ont chacun leur propre identité qui permettent de les distinguer.
C'est plutôt soft par rapport à ce que l'auteur écrit normalement et surtout, vraiment plus accessible, mais il y a tout de même une complexité politique dans le récit qui, sans être du niveau de Game of Thrones, n'a rien à envier à bien des histoires de fantasy.
Nous naviguons dans un univers construit autour de la Mer Éclatée contenant plusieurs royaumes tous dirigés par un Haut-Roi, un peu à la manière d'une monarchie féodale. Ajoutons à cela une organisation de Ministre qui ne sont ni plus ni moins qu'un calque des Mestres dans Game of Thrones (une des sources d'inspiration de l'auteur dont il ne se cache pas) et qui a un représentant auprès de chaque roi dont une Première des Ministres (Grand Mestre) auprès du Haut-Roi.
Le tome 1 commence avec Yarvi, le fils cadet du roi du Gettland qui, alors qu'il allait prêter serment au Ministère pour devenir ministre, apprend que son père et son grand frère sont morts, faisant de lui l'héritier du trône. Cependant, son handicap à la main et son incapacité à combattre amène des proches à le trahir et il va se retrouver esclave sur un bateau où il va rencontrer des gens qui seront prêts à l'aider à reprendre son trône.
De fil en aiguille et à mesure que les tomes avancent, on découvre que la mort du père et du frère de Yarvi cachait un plus grand complot qui va conduire les nations autour de la Mer Éclatée à entrer en guerre contre le Haut-Roi. Des jeux d'alliances, de traîtrises et des hérésies parsèmeront l'histoire, l'amenant à son point culminant (et satisfaisant) à la fin du tome 3.
Les livres ont la bonne idée de ne pas introduire tous les personnages importants dès le 1er tome. Par exemple, on va surtout y suivre Yarvi dans le premier, mais dès le 2e, il devient un peu plus secondaire et on y suit plutôt Épine Bathu et Brand. Puis, à partir du troisième tome, Raith et Skara. Cela aide à ne pas nous mêler et à nous donner le temps de bien connaître les personnages pour ne pas les mélanger.
Une saga à découvrir absolument et facile à se procurer en intégrale ou en 3 exemplaires. Tous les personnages sont bons même ceux qui ne sont pas très développés et malgré la répétition de certains archétypes (Raith et Épine sont tous les deux des tueurs sans pitié par exemple), ils ont chacun leur propre identité qui permettent de les distinguer.
April 26, 2020
Definitely has the YA vibe going on big time but not 'stop I can't read this anymore' bad. I especially liked Thorn's story.
April 7, 2025
Чудова трилогія, повністю згоден, що варто починати знайомство із творчістю Аберкромбі саме з неї. Сподобалось, як автор поступово занурює читача в світ книги та життя героїв. Особливо сподобалася розвʼязка, котра викликає відчуття завершеності та задоволення. Прикольно, що в певний момент автор накидає такі події, через котрі міняється жанр книги👀
January 12, 2017
I would like to review all three books together. First of all I would not overly recommend these books to anyone over the age of sixteen. Joe's previous books have been so good, so different from the usual genre books that I was always happily surprised by the dark heroes, the twists and the action scenes.
With this trilogy, and the first book is the best by far, it's like drinking a diet cola. It is not satisfying and leaves a faint taste in the back of your mouth that is not very pleasant. Everything has been dumbed down and it is so predictable. Joe has done three "There and back again" novels and 'half a world' is painful to read. I don't normally shout at books but I did with this one. By the time I finished the last book I felt like i had just completed a reading assignment from School (and I'm Fifty years old!) Sorry, Joe, but if you read this please go back and think what you did to this genre before this trilogy. Time to up your game mate!
With this trilogy, and the first book is the best by far, it's like drinking a diet cola. It is not satisfying and leaves a faint taste in the back of your mouth that is not very pleasant. Everything has been dumbed down and it is so predictable. Joe has done three "There and back again" novels and 'half a world' is painful to read. I don't normally shout at books but I did with this one. By the time I finished the last book I felt like i had just completed a reading assignment from School (and I'm Fifty years old!) Sorry, Joe, but if you read this please go back and think what you did to this genre before this trilogy. Time to up your game mate!
March 1, 2019
The idea behind this book was great. The world was interesting. What I hated were the characters and the endless love stories.
I could have watch half the characters drowned and be ok with it . Most of them felt empty .
Then came the loooooove. I have nothing against love stories, I like them, but they were too easy , I predicted everone one of them. I kept rolling my eyes because it was so bad.
There were some good twist here and there but I read the last 150 pages in an hour because I skip most of it.
Not for me. Don't recommend either.
Shame on those who compare this to Game of thrones!😡
I could have watch half the characters drowned and be ok with it . Most of them felt empty .
Then came the loooooove. I have nothing against love stories, I like them, but they were too easy , I predicted everone one of them. I kept rolling my eyes because it was so bad.
There were some good twist here and there but I read the last 150 pages in an hour because I skip most of it.
Not for me. Don't recommend either.
Shame on those who compare this to Game of thrones!😡
September 14, 2022
Shattered Sea comprises of three eye-catching titles: Half a King, Half the World, and a Half a War. While they are ostensibly young adult books in that they all feature young adult protagonists, the narrative voice remained maturely intact. There are many fantasy series that received undeserved comparisons to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, but in this case, I think the comparisons are acceptable.
Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself. And he must do it all with only one good hand Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge. Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could. But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi's path may end as it began" in twists, and traps and tragedy.
One of Abercrombie’s best features is his ability to craft lifelike characters one can’t help but root for, even when they are performing morally questionable acts. Shattered Sea blends low fantasy, sea-adventure, revenge, and political intrigue into a page-turning three-part story that kept me engaged. One of the surprising things Abercrombie did was have different point of view characters for each book, so in subsequent books, we get to see the protagonists of previous books through the eyes of others, and this changes our view on them in interesting ways. It’s risky since we are expected to re-invest our feelings in new people for every book, but it is a credit to Abercrombie’s skill that this proved to be no obstruction at all. If you loved Games of Thrones and craving a genre similar to that, I recommend this.
Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself. And he must do it all with only one good hand Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge. Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could. But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi's path may end as it began" in twists, and traps and tragedy.
One of Abercrombie’s best features is his ability to craft lifelike characters one can’t help but root for, even when they are performing morally questionable acts. Shattered Sea blends low fantasy, sea-adventure, revenge, and political intrigue into a page-turning three-part story that kept me engaged. One of the surprising things Abercrombie did was have different point of view characters for each book, so in subsequent books, we get to see the protagonists of previous books through the eyes of others, and this changes our view on them in interesting ways. It’s risky since we are expected to re-invest our feelings in new people for every book, but it is a credit to Abercrombie’s skill that this proved to be no obstruction at all. If you loved Games of Thrones and craving a genre similar to that, I recommend this.
August 18, 2023
Shattered Sea er en litt smalere og ukomplisert trilogi fra Abercrombie, selv om den selvsagt inneholder nøkkelingrediensene til fantasy-sjangeren: Minimum tre bøker, middelaldersk borgerkrig, og ikke minst en mer eller mindre vag lovnad om magiske forviklingar.
Fiffig nok med mindre vage pek underveis i bøkene om at historien ikke er lagt til fortids middelalder, men en fremtids post-apokalyptisk middelalder, hvor sentralt er søken etter oldtidsvåpen, som potensielt da er av teknologi som ligger en god del hundre år frem I tid. Gav det mening?
Lille Yarvi, kongesønnen med bare en brukbar arm, er heldigvis ikke først i arverekken. Det er greit for han, det er tryggest i skyggene og kanskje passer det han best å forkaste familiebåndet og gå i kloster. Men så skjer det ting da, og planer går til helvete, plutselig er han konge, men for hvor lenge?
Abercrombie er god på historiefortelling, men enda bedre på å gjøre karakterene sine menneskelige, ikke bare god, ikke bare ond. Nå ville jeg vanligvis skrevet noe stygt om Ken Follett, men siden siste boken faktisk var ganske god, til tross for episk endimensjonale karakterer, utsetter jeg det noen måneder.
Uansett, det er neimen ikke lett å vite hvem som er den gode, hvem som fortjener leserens sympati og om disse sympatier må forkastes før siste side er lest. Og det er jo forfriskende flere forfattere burde prøve seg på.
Uansett lettlest og tilgjengelig sommerlektyre fra Abercrombie. Jeg fyrer av seks av ti alvestaver (om det er lov å si) for denne trilogien.
Fiffig nok med mindre vage pek underveis i bøkene om at historien ikke er lagt til fortids middelalder, men en fremtids post-apokalyptisk middelalder, hvor sentralt er søken etter oldtidsvåpen, som potensielt da er av teknologi som ligger en god del hundre år frem I tid. Gav det mening?
Lille Yarvi, kongesønnen med bare en brukbar arm, er heldigvis ikke først i arverekken. Det er greit for han, det er tryggest i skyggene og kanskje passer det han best å forkaste familiebåndet og gå i kloster. Men så skjer det ting da, og planer går til helvete, plutselig er han konge, men for hvor lenge?
Abercrombie er god på historiefortelling, men enda bedre på å gjøre karakterene sine menneskelige, ikke bare god, ikke bare ond. Nå ville jeg vanligvis skrevet noe stygt om Ken Follett, men siden siste boken faktisk var ganske god, til tross for episk endimensjonale karakterer, utsetter jeg det noen måneder.
Uansett, det er neimen ikke lett å vite hvem som er den gode, hvem som fortjener leserens sympati og om disse sympatier må forkastes før siste side er lest. Og det er jo forfriskende flere forfattere burde prøve seg på.
Uansett lettlest og tilgjengelig sommerlektyre fra Abercrombie. Jeg fyrer av seks av ti alvestaver (om det er lov å si) for denne trilogien.
April 18, 2022
4 e 1/2 una gran bella saga, senza gli infiniti "spiegoni" che spesso affliggono il genere. Ingredienti ben bilanciati, storie d'amore e soprattutto personaggi non banali, con le donne protagoniste e artefici dei destini.
October 3, 2017
If you loved Game of Thrones, you will love this!
May 6, 2019
Not as good as his original trilogy "the Blade Itself".
May 31, 2019
bon bouquin de fantasy : pleins de combats, de traitrises, une pincée de magie, de la géopolitique le tout assaisonné avec de bonnes réparties dans les dialogues
ca se lit tout seul
ca se lit tout seul
August 13, 2019
Absolutely loved this trilogy.
April 21, 2020
The third book went there... I didn't think these characters could grow more grey bt they did.
Also brand and thorn are an amazing couple.
Also brand and thorn are an amazing couple.
March 17, 2022
son els favs uah
February 27, 2024
Starts as a bland coming-of-age teen fantasy, but gets surprisingly darker and darker, with different POV characters on each book.
November 17, 2024
Good . But this is more ya than I expected
September 15, 2025
I love Abercrombie dearly. All his works are genius, but this is probably his best.
Bonus: Book Two contains the best dueling scene ever written.
Bonus: Book Two contains the best dueling scene ever written.
July 24, 2023
Darkly human, believable characters, solid plot, refreshing independent view on a main character with a physical disability.
The world feels grungy and magically realistic within the boundaries the author has created.
The progression of the boy/man, who is the main character in the 1st book, is wonderfully mapped out in prominence as the main focus in the story shifts throughout all 3 books, but his importance remains critical.
Some characters are easy to relate to, some deliciously dreadfully hateful, others delightfully odd, and some enjoyable to imagine one's self being.
The world building is wonderful, the story engaging.
The world feels grungy and magically realistic within the boundaries the author has created.
The progression of the boy/man, who is the main character in the 1st book, is wonderfully mapped out in prominence as the main focus in the story shifts throughout all 3 books, but his importance remains critical.
Some characters are easy to relate to, some deliciously dreadfully hateful, others delightfully odd, and some enjoyable to imagine one's self being.
The world building is wonderful, the story engaging.
May 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this one.
I think its meant to be a YA novel, but besides most of the MCs being a little young there isnt much of a YA feel to this. I really like that many of the MCs do evolve and grow/change as the story progresses, not just necessarily becoming a better version of themselves.
The action is good, and the story/plot and ideas really excellent. Its an easy read and entertaining stuff, but its also well written and doesn't feel too lightweight at all.
June 24, 2018
Les 3 tomes en une semaine. J'ai aimé...
Read
April 5, 2019Decent. First book seemed best to me. More potential than was realized.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews