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A review by harlando
Half a War by Joe Abercrombie
3.0
All the crossing, double crossing, deep-cunning gets a little too thick in this final volume.
Two big disappointments for me here:
1. I was quite disappointed that Yarvi outsmarts everyone in the shattered sea and achieves all of his goals, only to be found out at the end by a wet behind the ears princess. It was weak. it was also largely unnecessary. I think other satisfying endings could have been worked out. Leaving the ultimate extent of Yarvi's murdering and meddling ambiguous may well have made for a better ending. As it is, the best schemer around is unseated by a pretty cliched trick by a callow girl.
2. The guns settle things in the end. I found it unsatisfying. Would I have felt better if the guns were replaced by magic wands or ravenous dragons? Probably not. Yarvi usually salves his problems with cleverness. i suppose that uncovering ancient super weapons is clever, but its also deus ex machina and solves his problem a little too neatly. It also causes him too little trouble after. how does he suddenly come up with all these guards he can trust wit superweapons in a decidedly untrustworthy world? Why does he keep a sword instead of a gun? Why isn't the next was for control of the guns already starting?
The Skara-Raith and Koll-Brin romances are much more mature and real than any of the other relationships in the series and shows some growth on Abercrombie's part.
Two big disappointments for me here:
1. I was quite disappointed that Yarvi outsmarts everyone in the shattered sea and achieves all of his goals, only to be found out at the end by a wet behind the ears princess. It was weak. it was also largely unnecessary. I think other satisfying endings could have been worked out. Leaving the ultimate extent of Yarvi's murdering and meddling ambiguous may well have made for a better ending. As it is, the best schemer around is unseated by a pretty cliched trick by a callow girl.
2. The guns settle things in the end. I found it unsatisfying. Would I have felt better if the guns were replaced by magic wands or ravenous dragons? Probably not. Yarvi usually salves his problems with cleverness. i suppose that uncovering ancient super weapons is clever, but its also deus ex machina and solves his problem a little too neatly. It also causes him too little trouble after. how does he suddenly come up with all these guards he can trust wit superweapons in a decidedly untrustworthy world? Why does he keep a sword instead of a gun? Why isn't the next was for control of the guns already starting?
The Skara-Raith and Koll-Brin romances are much more mature and real than any of the other relationships in the series and shows some growth on Abercrombie's part.