Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

The dude just keeps getting better. Betrayal, death, brutality, rinse, repeat. Very satisfying.

[The Queen]

Just read the short story he wrote for a collection called "Rogues" called "Tough Times All Over." He's good, but I'm always depressed by his characters; it's rare to find one whose appeal outweighs his or her flaws. Not sure if I've found one yet.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Ah, darkness. Lord Grimdark returns with the conclusion of his YA trilogy. As to what Young Adults this might be suitable for, I don't know. I guess Mr. Abercrombie got tired of holding in the reins on his storytelling for this volume of the trilogy, because this one is still pretty brutal. Granted, not as brutal as the Heroes or the First Law trilogy, but still.

In this one, we are going to have a war. Princess Skara is elevated to Queen when her family is wiped out and she goes on the run. She convinces two of the other warring factions to help her regain her kingdom. Plenty of room in there for the eventual betrayal and treachery. The heroes aren't all that heroic. And the villains, well, they are still pretty villainous. No one comes away cleanly.

I'm hoping some day Joe can find another tone, because the betrayals are becoming pretty predictable. The whole story was a standard siege tale that I've read in plenty of fantasy novels. It's the characterizations that set them apart. I also felt the elves origin story pretty hackneyed.

But those are just small quibbles. I was engaged. I enjoyed myself. Now, I just have to go search for my faith in my fellow man.

[Drunk Monk]

As to what Young Adults this might be suitable for, I don't know.

I'm beginning to think YA lit is today's 'book-to-movie-franchise' out of Stephen King's old playbook.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Except for the part where there is no hope in Joe Abercrombie's world

[Drunk Monk]

Why would I want to read a book about that? I could just watch the news instead.

[cranefly]

DM wrote:
Why would I want to read a book about that? I could just watch the news instead.

Not to darken your weekend any further, but the big headline today is that 30 West Point cadets were injured in a pillow fight.

Didn't click on it. Will wait for the doom-and-gloom movie.

[The Queen]

DM wrote:
Why would I want to read a book about that? I could just watch the news instead.

Not to darken your weekend any further, but the big headline today is that 30 West Point cadets were injured in a pillow fight.

Didn't click on it. Will wait for the doom-and-gloom movie.

Apparently some of the cadets missed the "pillow" part of the definition and filled pillowcases with various blunt instruments.

[Drunk Monk]

Oh wait...this is the book section. Never mind.

[King Bob]

After DM's earlier post on YA, I got to thinking that it really isn't much different from a lot of bestseller "beach reads." Not hard to read or too literary. The main difference is that the books aren't as long (better to make a series that way too). Also I think that since YA is considered a genre, you can write a YA fantasy or SF book and not have it wind up in those genre ghettoes or be sneered at by people who "don't read that stuff."