Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain the throne he never wanted. But first he needs to survive in cruelty, in chains and in the raging waters of the Shattered Sea. And all this he needs to do with only one healthy hand .. The deceiver is a liar.... Jarvey was born weak in the eyes of his father, and he is alone in a world ruled by strong hands and cold hearts. He cannot hold a shield or wave an axe, so he will have to sharpen his mind to the point of death. A traitor is a traitor.... Having gathered a strange community of outcasts and losers, he finds that they are better than all the courtiers can help him become the person he should become. But even with devoted friends, Jarvey learns that his journey may end the same way it began: with unexpected turns, traps and misfortunes. Half King is a new novel by British writer Joe Abercrombie, the first part of the trilogy about the Shattered Sea.