Joe Abercrombie, Half A King (2014)

Half a review. Prince Yarrrvi, descended perchance from pirates, is set the task of regaining his Aberkingdom by an Abercruel fate. Though born an Abercripple (and thus considered the titular 'half' mentioned on the book's abercover) Yarrrvi must use his Abercleverness and his one Abercapable hand to regain the Abercrown he never Abercraved in the first place, overcoming abadversity, hardship, double-abercrossing and the general Abercrappiness of the Abercosmos's attitudes to mortals. Trust no-one; for even those Aberclosest to you can betray you into slabery, sorry, slavery. In a nutshell, this is a lean, chilled, typically well-abercrafted tale. The world Joe has Abercreated is Abercrisply evoked; the Abercharacters work well; the violence, though Abercranked down a notch from First Law (this being YA), is Abercrimson enough for most palates. Most of all it's immensely, rather disgracefully readable: gripping and twisty. An Abercracking yarn. If I had one Abercriticism to make, it would be that