Synopsis: WORDS ARE WEAPONS Princess Skara has seen all she loved made blood and ashes. She is left with only words. But the right words can be as deadly as any blade. She must conquer her fears and sharpen her wits to a lethal edge if she is to reclaim her birthright.
ONLY HALF A WAR IS FOUGHT WITH SWORDS The deep-cunning Father Yarvi has walked a long road from crippled slave to king’s minister. He has made allies of old foes and stitched together an uneasy peace. But now the ruthless Grandmother Wexen has raised the greatest army since the elves made war on God, and put Bright Yilling at its head – a man who worships only Death.
SOMETIMES ONE MUST FIGHT EVIL WITH EVIL Some – like Thorn Bathu and the sword-bearer Raith – are born to fight, perhaps to die. Others – like Brand the smith and Koll the wood-carver – would rather stand in the light. But when Mother War spreads her iron wings, she may cast the whole Shattered Sea into darkness…
Title: Half A War
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Publisher: Voyager
Pub Date: 16th July 2015
ISBN: 9780007550265
Pages: 512
Rating: 
I started reading Half a World, the second book in the Shattered Sea trilogy over a year after I got my hands on the proof and – for once – I’m glad it took me so long to get started.
Why?
Because I had to know what happened next and, luckily enough, I managed to snag a proof of the third book immediately after finishing it. Result!
There is genuinely no preparing yourself for the epic ending to this incredible trilogy; it will take you on an immense roller-coaster ride of emotions; weaving up, down, left, right and a few loops in between for good measure. I can’t count how many times I’d look up from my book and be completely disorientated – am I on the district line? Or am I in a middle of a terrible battle.
Abercrombie has an unbelievable talent for pace whilst weaving an entire world before your eyes. Half A War – the entire trilogy, in fact – is what I would call an immersive read; there is no half-ass-ing it, you can’t skim-read it or slow down. Your life as you know it will end until the book is complete.
I almost gave Half A War four stars, simply because I wanted more. I can’t quite believe it’s over. That can’t be it! What happens to Thorn? To Raith? To all of them? It just can’t be over!!! Mother War has spread her iron wings and has cast my world into darkness… until the next book. Please let there be a next book!
A Literary Mind 